#while less and less people understand her and she's less and less inclined to explain her reasoning

[deputy-morgan-malone]

What is your OC’s Role in a Tragic Play?

I was tagged by @corvosattano​, @fourlittleseedlings​, @shellibisshe​ and @aceghosts​ to take this uquiz for my OC/s, thank you!

Not tagging anyone since it’s been a while, but if you see this and would like to do it consider this an open tag, and feel free to tag me in on your results :)

Deputy Morgan Malone (FC5)

misunderstood villain

prepare for an onslaught of both the most dehumanizing and hateful takes, and flood of thirst comments. you are chronically misunderstood. whether or not you're actually evil is debatable. you may be acting out for revenge, to defend someone you love, or even just to protect yourself. you're a pretty jaded person. you don't trust or even really like most people. maybe you did at one point. but that part of you is gone, and you don't go a single day without grieving it. you think a lot about what your life could have been. you're stuck in the past. you're angry and maybe you don't even want to be, but this is the only way you can see to survive. you're open, but less in a trusting way and more like a wound. you don't like to let people see you, but the hurt spills out of you before you can stop it. you're impulsive, even as you try hard to plan and prepare. maybe someday your side of the story will finally be heard. until then, you can convince yourself that being hated is safer anyway.

[relaxxattack]

you are so very homestuck knowledgeable. when you have the time and should inspiration strike, please tell all your headcanons about oliveblood trolls.

ooo what a great question! for this one i think first we'd need to break down current stereotypes about olivebloods. there's actually not much that we're given about them tbh

according to the homestuck wiki, which is based on info from both the comic and more dubiously canon things like friendsim and hiveswap, the olive caste's two singular traits seem to be "wild animal" and "romance liker". both of these, obviously, are traits pulled from our wonderful main girl nepeta, who was the singular representation of the olive caste for a long time; alongside her dancestors. which is quite cute, who doesn't love nepeta?

the thing is though that i am one of those nitpicky people who likes to say, "well, hey now, nepeta isn't actually representative of her caste at ALL." in fact, none of the beta trolls are. i honestly feel like it should be assumed that just like the beta kids, the beta trolls are weirdos, and not really the 'norm' in their society.

nepeta lives out in the wilderness very specifically away from society in a way that is remarked on as being unusual even for someone of her color; and she does not even understand what role her caste would have given her in normal society. and i mean... considering aradia tavros and sollux are LOWER than nepeta, it doesn't really make sense for them all to have nicer houses than her unless she's unusual in her situation.

^ nepeta is in fact NOT a good representation of olivebloods.

which means... no, i don't think all olive trolls are romance obsessed wilderness girls, actually, sorry, hiveswap friendsim, i have to shelve you from my alternia analysis for now.

luckily, there ARE other olivebloods in the series!

first of all, the other leijons. unfortunately, none of them are really "good" examples either. meulin is from an entirely different planet, and disciple is from an ancient history perhaps even less representative of "normal" life than nepeta is. all we really get from them is stuff we already knew from nepeta-- the wildness, the relationship interest. with an added fact that both meulins seem to be somewhat bookish.

and so who does that bring us to? the final canonical oliveblood.

that's right.

troll will smith.

troll will smith is canonically an oliveblood. not only that, but he's a famous actor, which means he is basically a "model" for society- for what it looks like once you "have it all made". i would imagine this goes even more for alternia, supposedly a very movie-geared society.

the two troll will smith features that canonically exist on alternia are Fresh Prince and Hitch. in both of these films, will smith plays a character that is self-made and clever, a regular guy who is just skilled. it should also be noted that while a "threshecutioner" is a job with a heavy blueblood populous, greenbloods can also be one, and it's common enough that a show about it wasn't cut by the alternian dictatorship.

so therefore, what traits can we pull that all of these olivebloods (and equius lol) display to us?

olive trolls are lower class, but they're capable of working up through their connections

likely due to this, olive trolls are often clever and self made. they're likely quick-witted and sharp

they're good at their jobs! most olive trolls that are seen in the comic are very good with their respective practices (be it drawing, writing, bookkeeping, or melee fighting)

it's possible that olive trolls have a good intuition, and are fairly in touch with their own instincts. this would explain why some of them seem to fare better in the wild or in fights, and also why they are stereotyped as having a natural inclination for relationships. i think this is also a good transition ground between the impressive physical psionics of the castes lower than olive, and the emotional/mental psionics of the highbloods above them.

so, there we go. these are my olive headcanons! they're not comfortably well off or anything, but they're not wild animals either-- they're hard workers and skilled at what they put their minds to. probably usually working a nine to five and doing their best in life hoping to move up with a good quadrant or promotion. at least, in my headcanon anyway- no need to take this as fact!

[lovelyyandereaddictionpoint]

Yandere Ship //// Part 4

Part 1 • 2 • 3

Vera immediately becomes critical when the Captain and Lieutenant keep making their way to the meeting room that has no cameras, no recorders, and nothing to summon Vera with

“Uh, Vera why did you double lock the door like that?”

“No reason. Just checking that they work.”

“That’s not ‘no reason.’”

“Sorry, I messed up with my sayings again.”

“It’s fine, I mess it up all the time too.”

Vera was actually remote-controlling your communicator to silently alert Jule of this behavior

Jule acts immediately putting an EMP-immune drone smaller than a land-fly into the room

“--Captain I say we leave. Go to the enemy planet and try to find our secret base there. You’re right about this ship being unreliable.”

“But I wonder how can we convince the technician to come with?”

“Ugh! Who needs him?! And that (L/n) character too. I say we leave them to self-destruct with this virus-ridden ship.”

“We need the technician. He’s the only one with interplanetary know-how on top of understanding the inner workings of the escape pods we’d have to travel in.”

“Then let’s just knock him upside the head and leave that thing behind.”

“Lieutenant I admire your determination but I’m leaving no one behind to stay with this thing.”

The two continue to talk about how they plan on making a fire at the furthest part of the ship 

Something that could easily be fixed if the technician was near but they planned it so it’s on the other side of the ship 

And since he’s a priority person, they’d be evacuating him 

And if not him then you of course to lure him out 

���Hey Ver I think we should have you take a crack at your new bod.”

“Awesome! I’ll start booting it up now!”

Jule purposely doesn’t inform Vera of the whole conversation and plan

By now he knows just how intense Vera’s feelings are about those he cares about

Except he knows that Vera’s less concerned about restraint than he

So he’ll commence his own plan

Immediately running to you in one of the hobby rooms when Vera stops responding 

Knowing they planned to cut Vera to start the fire

When the alarm blares and Vera turns back on 

The Captain and Lieutenant are right there to tell them to prep the launch pods

“But Jule is more than capable of—”

“IT’S OUR CALL Veras!  Remember your programming!”

“....Yes Captain.”

He preps the pods for the location of an enemy-ruled planet 

Doing all the necessary protocols to filter everyone out safely 

Of course, Vera neglects to really inform you like the others

He knows that it’s best to have you in your own pod away from the stressed and hostile people cramming in

Which is why they’re not prepared when the lieutenant comes in harshly knocking whatever you were doing out of your hand to grab your wrists tightly

“OW! What are you—”

“STOP STRUGGLING! I’m saving your pathetic life.”

She does explain after knocking you around a bit before shoving you towards the captain’s pod

By the time Jule finds you they’ve tied you inside while beckoning the technician in

“I know you’ll think wrong of us for this but these people need you.”

“So IT’s OKAY TO ATTACK SOMEONE INNOCENT?!”

“Please Jule get in the pod. We can talk about ethics more when I’m not inclined to knock you out.”

Jule will step forward before stopping

The Captain goes to yell at him when the alarms stop

So does the smoke that had been permeating through the vents

“The issue of the fire has been neutralized.  The issue about an evil miscreant and their oh-so-powerful captain is underway.”

“V-ver?”

The voice of the ship was coming out of a beautifully crafted android

Glowing blue eyes and black hair flowing along their lean but strong shoulders

The body type is hard to place but from what you can tell it’s male and their stature is lean giving an elegant look to him in general

Their stance has the lieutenant attempting to punch them 

They dodge like they are dancing, grabbing her hand and twisting

“AAAAGH!”

Ver doesn’t let her mourn her wound because they’ve jump-kicked her into the back wall of the pod

“I’ve been wanting to do that since I first met you.”

The Captain’s stunned shock allows you to stumble out and into Jule’s arms

The Captain tries to reach for you only to be met with a stabbing pain in his eyes

Jule shuts your eyes and buries you into his chest, blocking your view

The Captain screams like his lieutenant but it’s cut off by the pod doors closing and then ejecting themselves from the ship

Ver immediately turns to join the hug, Jule’s keeps you in

Only to shrink back when Jule’s glares at their bloodied fingers

They wipe it away before joining the hug

“I’m so happy it’s you guys I’m stuck with.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“Me three!”

“...”

“..Vera…I don’t know if you know this but it’s really improper to touch there without consent.”

“Yeah Ver get your hands out our pants.”

“But I’ve wanted to do this for so long.”

“VER!!”

“Fine, maybe later?”

As much as Jule doesn’t want to encourage that behavior

He has to leave you alone for a while to make sure his plan plays out perfectly 

His message to the enemy sky-guard under an alias he made years ago as a baby-hacker

‘At 43:94 enemy escape pods will be arriving in your airspace. Ur welx’

Watching the enemy broadcast reports about enemy spaceships it apprehended and the officials that were facing a public torture session

When he returns he’s insistent you both open a bottle of champagne

“I really don’t think now is the time, Jule.”

“Oh but it is babe! I think we should party now that we’ve gotten rid of those neets.”

“Wait got rid of–?”

“(Y/n)! I’ve never seen you drink that before! Will you please?!! I’d also like to hold a microphone nearby while you do.”

Now you three will have free reign of the ship learning to live your life in the worlds beyond

Vera knows it doesn’t get any better than this 

They’ve also decided that they’d do anything to keep it this way 

More?

[the-s1lly-corner]

Oooh idk if someone already asked for it but what about how TADC cast would react if they were under a mistletoe with their S/O

TADC cast x reader under the mistletoe!

i know i literally just said that i was going to post because i just came down from a little..... emotional high (negative) but i feel too guilty not answering stuff today so im probably going to answer this and a few more simply because im going to feel so guilty if i dont do anything today which is just going to make me feel worse than i already do so uhuhuhuhuh... jack stauber coming in clutch rn i know i usually answer stuff in the order of them being sent in but to do a silly compromise for my silly people pleaser mindset im going to knock out the ones that are easier for me sooooooo

CAINE:

oh you just know that hes the one who planted the mistletoe in the first place.... i mean as soon as he found out about the tradition, assuming he didnt already know.. i just know hes going to do whatever he can to get you under it. does he know that he can ask for a kiss? yes! but he wants to be festive and do some traditions and stuff! gives you the biggest "kiss" he can give you when you finally get stuck together under one... probably knocks you back a little bit from how enthusiastic he is...

POMNI:

very shy about it, i think she would give you a cheek kiss rather than a mouth kiss, especially if there are other people around. pomni doesnt strike me as the type to one to full on kiss their partner when theres an audience, so i hope you can understand her aversion! its not that she doesnt want to kiss you, shes just shy about the eyes watching the two of you... though, she would be more inclined to do it if it were just the two of you in the area!

RAGATHA:

honestly she looks like she would love christmas. i dont know why and i cant explain why. so i think she would love most of the activities and traditions surrounding it. and yes, this includes the mistletoe! i think for most of these, the mistletoe would be hung up by caine to really sell the festive mood.... and ragatha likely wouldnt have planned this, but inevitably you guys get under it at the same time. not as against PDA as some of the others, i think, so i think she would give you a very gentle kiss on your lips. very bashful if you beat her to it, though. kind of folds her hands together and digs her foot into the ground... you know the stance, hopefully.. kind of swaying a little while her face is burning up

JAX:

probably makes a big stink of it, whether trying to deny the kiss or to lean into it. i can honestly see both... does NOT let you be the one to initiate the kiss, since while he hates PDA, i think he hates it more when hes on the receiving end. say it all the time, its a vulnerability thing for him. he doesnt like other people seeing him flustered... now will a simple kiss from you make him pink in the face? probably not, but he would rather not risk it! plus, he wants to take this as a moment to tease you! will not let you live it down if you even get the slightest bit embarrassed from whatever hes going to do under that mistletoe

KINGER:

think i mentioned this in the kiss cam request, but kinger is not against giving you kisses when theres an audience. like he wont full on make out with you in front of others (ignoring the fact that he doesnt have a mouth, much less a functional one) but i am a firm believer that he and other characters with a nontraditional mouth just nuzzle into your face in place of kisses... hmm... probably make a big show of asking if he can go ahead, afterall hes royalty! whats a royal without chivalry! very gently presses where his mouth would be against your lips for a few seconds before walking you guys to where ever you were planning to go before someone stopped you and alerted you both of the mistletoe above. generally very sweet and dorky, i think

ZOOBLE:

does not like giving or receiving affection in public, the furthest they are willing to go is hand holding and simple name calling.... if no one is around when you guys are under the mistletoe, theyre more than willing to let you have your kiss, but if theres even one person around, theyre going to show a little aversion to it... on one hand i want to say that they might suck it up and lean into their "its whatever" attitude, but i dont feel... like that suits them, and on top of that whats the point if someone is clearly not having fun/not comfortable, you know? so theyre more likely to gently reject you... though i like to think that they make up for it by giving you a kiss behind closed doors!

GANGLE:

freezes like a deer in headlights when someone loudly announces that you guys stopped together under a mistletoe, the eyes of her mask going wide and her mouth just going straight... if she has her comedy mask, she might be a little less.. frozen, but not by much... but with her tragedy mask? nope, shes totally still and quiet, poor thing.... you almost feel bad, so really theres a chance you just take her away from the scene rather than kissing her.... doesnt like being put on the spot for things like that, especially if the person alerting you guys of the mistletoe is making a huge scene (either caine or jax... though with caine it would be more so lighthearted fun with no malice, whereas jax is just being jax)

[nervousladytraveler]

Smutty one-liners:

“Don’t act innocent when we both know where your mouth was two minutes ago.” 🙈

Ah @veryflowerobservation my dear friend, you probably thought I'd forgotten this (but like Ross, I forget nothing). I do apologize for the delay. Untitled, but on the theme of quick learners, this is roughly from The Shift universe (but only barely).

---

Ross squinted into the sun as Demelza, dripping and shimmering, emerged from the sea. 

Aphrodite, subtle of soul and deathless,

Daughter of God, weaver of wiles, I pray thee

Neither with care, dread Mistress, nor with anguish,

            Slay thou my spirit!

“Ha!” Demelza cried. “The water is brilliant!”

“Is it then?” Ross managed to reply. He suddenly felt as though he’d never really seen her before.

Where had those lines even come from? Classic verse forced upon him in school stored out of reach--In the head? In the heart?--until such moments when it could be properly applied. 

Yes, Demelza was something like a proper goddess, wasn’t she? Although less ruthless than Aphrodite and hopefully less vengeful as well. Perhaps there was some other mythological being who controlled the tides and men’s hearts in equal measure.

Her face was serene--muscles relaxed, eyes fixed forward in a soft focus. Eyes the same blue-green as the sea. Her usually spirited curls had temporarily been pulled straight by the water but a single jerk of her head put things right. She strode slowly and purposefully forward as though she belonged there, on that beach. And always had.

Demelza was good that way. A quick learner but also someone who’d early on come to understand--as a means of survival--that people had a tendency to take you at your own valuation so poise, or faking it, could carry you quite far.

Ross admired her for this. He knew that In fact, she’d come rather late to swimming altogether. While so many Cornish natives claim to have the sea in their blood, Demelza’s upbringing in Illogan had been a somewhat landlocked one. 

“First time I ever swam wasn’t by choice,” she’d once explained. “At my mate Tamsin’s 14th, her brother threw me into the pool--he was having a laugh and didn't mean any harm--but I figured I'd better sort it out or drown then and there.”

“I'm quite glad for your sake that you’re a quick learner,” Ross had replied.

“Oh no, it wasn't for my sake at all. It just didn't seem fair to ruin Tam’s party since she was having a rough go anyway. Her parents had just split and her dad was living at a hotel for the time being--which is why there was even a pool. Maybe your set had pools of their own but mine most certainly did not.”

“No, not my friends. Francis, my late cousin--he went to pool parties quite regularly as a teen but I just swam here at the beach with the village kids,” Ross had explained. One wouldn't suspect now that Demelza hadn’t been one of those village kids, let loose on the strand as soon as they could walk. 

She was a quick learner.

In the few years that he’d known her, he’d watched her quietly and casually collect new skills time and again, often to his benefit. On her first attempt at making a pie, she’d gotten it nearly right--but the second time, she’d absolutely nailed it. Since then, without any great fuss, she did most of the baking for the cafe. 

Of course, recently there was another domain where Demelza had honed new abilities. When they first slept together, she’d openly admitted to not having much prior experience but her sharp instincts--and eagerness to practise had taken her far.

Now, five weeks into their romance, there were times he felt she was the master and he the apprentice. She certainly had bolder inclinations than Ross did when it came to where they made love. The cafe storage room was an early favourite, as was his car after hours. On those rare occasions when she mustered enough patience til they got to his, even before they made their way to the bedroom, she often first required a dalliance in the kitchen, the sitting room, or on the hall stairs.

Today had been no exception. Before they’d had their swim, they’d been exploring one of the many caves carved in the rockface long ago. 

“Come, Ross…” Two words but he knew what she meant.

“Demelza,” he’d said weakly as she deftly undid the front of his swim shorts. 

“No one is here,” she’d assured him. “Just a few odd gulls.”

“But your knees…the rocks are so sharp…” 

Her fingers were cool but her mouth was smooth and warm and he quickly forgot his objections. Their exclamations no matter how quiet and muffled they aimed to be, still echoed in the empty darkness, and afterwards they stood breathless for what seemed like hours, until they made their way back out into the warm sunshine.

She’d stayed in to swim longer than he had. Content, in more ways than one, he sat on the soft sand and watched while her body glided through both air and water. Around them all was dazzled by that particular light only found by the sea in summer.

Dipping vibrant wings down the azure distance, through the mid- ether…

“Right ho! Hullo!” An unfamiliar--and unwelcome--voice now called down the beach from the north.

Ross pulled his gaze away from his beloved damsel emerging from her seashell and saw the Reverend Mister Odgers walking towards them. A wet black dog ran circles at his heels.

“Good day to you, sir,” Demelza returned the salute with a wave. She was wiping herself off using Ross’s shirt--they’d forgotten to bring towels--and though still clad in only her swimsuit, she’d suddenly transformed herself into the model of demure respectability.

“I say,” Odgers went on after a cursory nod to Ross. “Have you seen a dog round here?”

“You mean that one?” Ross asked sarcastically. He would have been considered the one with the ill manners had the beast not taken that very moment to shake his wet fur in Ross’s general direction.

“No, not our Daniel. Another one--a buff sort of colour, quite a bit like sand!” The man laughed and tugged irritatingly at his collar.

Like sand? That’s fucking helpful at a beach. Ross let out an exhale and grit his teeth, resenting that his intimate moment had so abruptly been intruded upon--and by a pompous man of god, no less.  

“Oh?” Demelza immediately began to scan the horizon. With hand raised shading her eyes, her present posture seemed to accentuate her lovely bust line. Then she licked her lip, presumably to taste the salt from the sea, but it reminded Ross how she’s done the same thing earlier in the cave to signal a job well done. This did little to assuage Ross’s annoyance.

“He couldn't have gone far…” Odgers fretted.

“Oh there he is!” Demelza laughed and pointed to a very small creature, barely noticeable amongst the sharp dune grass behind them. 

“Mufasa! Come, boy!” Odgers pleaded but the dog in question lifted his hind leg in defiance, ignoring his master’s calls. The man took a few steps and the little devil immediately scurried off in the opposite direction.

“Oh dear!” Odgers began to run in an inefficient arc to catch the errant Mufasa. The black spaniel barked great editorials at his heels then abandoned the scene entirely to chase a gull at the water’s edge. “Thank you, miss--and God bless!” Odgers called over his shoulder to Demelza, failing to acknowledge Ross was also present.

“Good lord!” Demelza laughed and took Ross’s hand in hers.

“The man's a fool,” Ross grumbled.

“In more ways than one.” She wove his fingers through hers, then raised their joined hand to admire her work. “First of all, Daniel? Daniel, the spaniel?” She rolled her eyes playfully and Ross found himself smiling. “And the other one? Oh you didn't catch it? No, you wouldn’t, would you. Our dear Reverend Mister Odgers thinks he’s so very clever. Mufasa is a lion from The Lion King. So Daniel and the…?” She danced on one foot waiting for Ross to catch the vicar’s Old Testament joke.

“Is that what passes for humour at the vicarage these days? Or for dog training?” Ross was someone who tended to like dogs but the Odgers pack had gotten under his skin.

“I think the small one is what’s known as a Chiweenie--dachshund and chihuahua mix.”

“Well, the man’s giving him exactly what he wants. A game of chase.”

“Then we should admire the little fella for being such a quick learner,” she said, then read his mood and softened her tone. “Oh Ross, forget Odgers. He’s long gone now. It's just us and the gulls again.”

“Yes, of course,” Ross said and watched her lick her salty lips again. 

Come to me now thus, Goddess, and release me

From distress and pain…

“Demelza,” he teased, ”Tell me, when did you get so friendly with clergymen? Is this one of your newly learned devices?”

“Are you suggesting that somehow I shouldn’t be polite to him of all people? That I should quiver in his very reverent presence--and that of his sacred dogs?” She dropped his hand in mock alarm and raised a brow. Then she smiled to show she was teasing back. “Truly, Ross, I was no more neighbourly to Odgers than I would be to any other passersby,” she added. 

Still, she’d managed the scene so well. And once again Ross was impressed at her poise, her own valuation of herself--and her deceit.

“Demelza,” he laughed. “You may very well act innocent but we both know where your mouth was two minutes ago.”

“Hmmn…” She played along. “I seem to recall something vaguely entertaining occurred between us this afternoon but that was far more than two minutes ago. In fact, it has already faded from my mind. Or maybe it just wasn't so memorable?”

“Oh, you are a little devil,” he said and pulled her close for a kiss. “Perhaps you need a fresh lesson to remind you.”

“Yes, Ross,” she said, “Perhaps I do.”

----

Notes: Verse Ross quotes come from Sappho’s “Ode to Aphrodite”. Read it here.  Do I think Ross would have read A level Classics and Sappho at school? No, I do not. But I liked the poem so let's just tuck that away under “artistic licence.” Also, line borrowed from Demelza’s first Trenwith Christmas visit in Ross Poldark: A Novel of Cornwall: “But she was learning fast that people, even well-bred people like those, had a surprising tendency to take you at your own valuation.”

[bookcub]

Goodreads // Storygraph

Summary:

The action and adventure of Percy Jackson meets the complex heroines of The Cruel Prince as a family of valkyries fight to stop Ragnarök. For seventeen-year-old Bryn, being the youngest, messiest, most rebellious sister in a family of valkyries isn’t easy. Especially considering home is a Renaissance faire in Chicago full of costumed workers who see her as nothing more than a nuisance. When her mother disappears on a mission for Odin, Bryn begins having strange visions about the impending Ragnarök. Bryn senses their mother is in great danger, but her annoyingly perfect older sisters refuse to take her seriously. Their mother is, after all, captain of the valkyries. Things only take a turn for the worse when a half human, half giant named Juniper crashes the party with a violent zombie in tow, confirming Bryn’s worst fears—her visions of Ragnarök are real. If that wasn’t enough, the faire’s mysterious new addition, Wyatt the Black Knight, just so happens to have a ferocious secret that threatens everyone around him. Determined to survive Ragnarök, Bryn, Juniper, and Wyatt team up to combat the horde of monsters that keeps appearing throughout the faire. But after Bryn ignores the call to deliver Wyatt to Odin’s eternal warriors in Valhalla, choosing to save his life instead, she starts to wonder if she’ll ever get this valkyrie thing right. Whispers of divine interference—including sightings of the mischievous Loki—reach Bryn’s ears. Soon everyone at the faire becomes a suspect, leaving Bryn, her sisters, and their newfound friends the only ones who can stop the war to end all realms. Whether she’s ready or not, Bryn is about to learn how the ties between fate and choice are as interwoven and unbreakable as the bonds between sisters.

My Review:

Thank you to the publisher for a free copy to review. 

Reading Rise was like reading a YA book from 2012 but with less internalized misogyny and more openly queer characters. I had such a fun time with Bryn and her world. I have read less books about Norse Mythology than I would have liked and this will now be a fixture in my recommendations in that category. There was a good balance of explaining the lore to people who have no knowledge on the subject, as well subtle references more avid fans will catch onto earlier. 

However, the heart of the book is Bryn and her sisters, Reagan and Prima. I thought the amount of tension between them made sense, especially Bryn and Prima with Reagan as the peacekeeper. While readers are of course inclined to side with Bryn, it is easy to understand Prima’s motivations, despite vibrating in agreement with Bryn (and her questionable choices). I also liked how the absent parents were explained, especially that their mom is alive and does live with them but is on a super special Valkyrie meeting (as one does). 

The love story between Bryn and Wyatt was sweet. I enjoyed it, however, it was forgettable in comparison to the other interpersonal relationships of the novel. I am excited to see them develop in the future books. I also enjoyed the new friendship between Juniper and Bryn and the way they learned from each other. I love when a magical person discovers "the real world" and reacts to it in any story! I had a fun time and it felt nostalgic in the best ways! 

Overall, I had a fun time and think YA fantasy and Norse mythology fans alike will enjoy this book as well. Recommended to those who like reading about complicated sisterly relationships and YA fantasy adventures! Four out of five stars!

(Full disclosure, I do know the author! I don’t think this influenced how much I liked the novel, but I do prefer when other reviewers disclose this fact, so I am as well.) 

[cherrybulbasaur]

im so not normal about roderich so im going to spill all my thoughts right here and now.

many people who have been around mr. austria can make quite few observations about his behavior. he is aristocratic, level-headed, composed, and always holds an air of formality in every plausible setting. in his youth, i imagine him as someone who was let to his own devices, ergo why he is so musically inclined. he played music to fill the empty chatter of his residence to keep himself from the stark realization that he was utterly alone. this also led to his, well, prissy demeanor. austria is quick to deal out sass and get defensive at the slightest rebuttal. but, beneath that, there is this gentleness to him that makes rare, unexpected visits. i think there is a large piece of him that is still that young child who was alone with nothing but his own music to keep him company.

he yearns for closer relationships but usually he is perceived as just some rich asshole for anyone to really try. and, he isn’t really the best person to get along with. i think this is why he’s so close to north italy. feli/vene sees the good in people that are usually seen as uptight assholes who are too serious (literally everyone). seeing young italy in his manor was initially a great annoyance. italy didn’t clean very well, made messes, ruined a painting of roderich— but, for some reason, austria got less and less angered by it as time went on. you can even say he started to find it all humorous. seeing italy alone without his grandfather or brother struck a chord in him, perhaps. seeing the little nation wander aimlessly about and peering into the expansive, empty ballrooms with some far off look in his eyes. roderich became softer to italy, but not in an obvious way. for example, italy made it a habit to sit in roderich’s piano room to listen to him play, even sitting on his bench with him. roderich quietly explaining music theory and info-dumping about his favorite pieces of music and italy soaking it in with interested nods and the occasional question which draws a small, childish smile from his older master. i believe in those last years where italy was under austria’s rule, they shared a very wholesome bond.

no one really took notice to how austria took to the young nation much like hungary. she is fond of austria, even in all of his faults. frankly, she can even say she loves him. and out of everyone in the world, i feel like she was one of the only people to really know austria for who he really is on a personal level. perhaps she was the person to suggest being kinder to the young italy, after all, him & roderich were similar in their loneliness. they can be perceived as platonic or romantic partners but they are so utterly important to one another. hungary saved austria in ways many people couldn’t begin to understand. also, their marriage was most likely the only one that had depth in the eyes of austria, as the two actually acted like a proper couple. austria continues to love her and care for her. it’s the least he can do for her.

gilbert played a role in saving roderich too but it quite a different way. while hungary promoted stability, gilbert took more of a wild approach. he reminded austria through night escapades and sneaking around the manor past curfew what it meant to be alive. what the meaning of freedom means even though they both were trapped in a government & world where they couldn’t be authentically their selves. austria is just someone who needs to not be given up on. he needs someone who nags and teases and is stubborn to the core. at first, he had a strong distaste for gilbert, but over time that bond changed into something really strong.

austria is so important to me. he is a character that i may have gone too deep with here but like… come awn now!

[the-hidden-writer]

A Piece of True Fiction: Chapter 6

An Alan Wake 2 fic. Spoilers for Alan Wake 2!

Summary: Aleksi Kesä manages to slip out of the spiral and film he was trapped in.

Saga Anderson, caught in the middle of Wake's horror story, finds a man that looks identical to her partner in the middle of the woods. He's lost, confused, and only seems to speak Finnish. Saga has to try and uncover the truth as well as trying to save her family. Where did he come from? How did he get here?

And where's her Casey?

Chapter Summary: Saga finally confronts Alan. Words: 2,524 AO3 Link: [Here!] [First part] [Previous part] [Next part]

A Piece of True Fiction

Chapter 6: Too Soon

“I just don’t understand. It was in my hands, but I could’ve sworn I was reading it for the first time.”

Saga fights the urge to roll her eyes as an FBC medic finishes wrapping her wound. Kesä had done a pretty decent job in Coffee World considering the circumstances, but it does feel better to know it’s been professionally done with less risk of infection. An amputation is the last thing she needs right now.

Right now, she’s itching to speak to Wake. The longer she sits still, the more her thoughts drift to Logan. The more her fury at the writer festers.

She’d described how she’d found Kesä to Estevez while she was being treated (in the morgue of all places). She’d also explained some of her own concerns, such as the mystery of how he ended up in Coffee World, Watery, when she’d last left him in Bright Falls and taken the car herself.

All the more reason she desperately needs to talk to Wake. He was the last person with Casey, and potentially the only person who could explain what’s going on.

Annoyingly, Estevez seems too caught up in her own experience to actually hear what she’s trying to tell her.

“I don’t want to toot my own horn, but I’m lead here for a reason”, the FBC agent continues. “I study and analyze every detail about a case before heading into the field and I’ve never had memory problems before. I should know this file inside out. I’m more inclined to believe that something paranatural’s at work here.”

“And the Finnish part didn’t tip you off?” Saga asks. She’s grateful that the FBC are taking her seriously though she’s also getting increasingly frustrated by them.

They’re acting too composed and methodical for a situation so dire and terrifying. Sure, Saga’s circles within the FBI are also fairly organized, but the FBC agents are on a whole other level. The way they mill around and make use of the small, rural space available to them is almost dystopian. Part of her wonders if it was a mistake coming here and if she’s ended up confining herself to their agency, when she could be outside trying to fix things and actually be making progress.

Estevez scoffs at her comment. 

“Reality’s malleable here. It’s harder to take people for their word.” She frowns. “Then again, we do have Wake in custody…”

Their conversation is interrupted by a shout and a clatter of metal from the other side of the room.

Saga looks over at the source of the noise, where she can just about make out a very uncomfortable-looking Kesä sitting on an examination table, surrounded by four FBC agents holding various items. One has a tablet, another has a clipboard, and another has a stethoscope. The fourth, the only one empty-handed, is recovering from being shoved backward. A reflex hammer lies on the cold floor by their feet.

“Saga!” Kesä cries out, peering between the agents to catch her eye. "Nämä ei helvetti suostu jättämään minua rauhaan! Puhu järkeä niille!"

Estevez approaches them. “What’s the problem?”

The female agent with the clipboard looks at her boss guiltily. “Don’t know, Ma’am. He’s not co-operating.”

“What about the translator?” Estevez demands.

“He’s refusing to type into the software.”

“Can’t you just get a verbal translator?” Saga asks from her side of the morgue, shrugging away the agent tending to her. “It can’t be hard to find one here.”

“I’ll agree with you on it being more convenient,” answers Estevez, “but bringing in external specialists without the Director's approval would be going against protocol.”

“Fuck the protocol!” Saga exclaims, no longer able to suppress her anger. “This is bigger than that! I don’t know how, but I don’t think that just because Wake’s here it means he can’t change reality. If you won’t take my word for it, fine, but I know things are changing and even you’ve acknowledged it. Why the fuck do you have a file on Casey anyway?!”

“That’s cla-”

“Classified, of course.”

While Saga regains her breath, Agent Estevez appears taken aback and the room is silent. Even Kesä looks somewhat shocked by her outburst.

“Just let me talk to Wake.” Saga pleads, more calmly. “I know more about Casey than you do. He’s my partner. Understanding Wake’s part in all this is the only way we can start figuring out how to fix it.”

The last part is a partial lie. It’s true, she needs to understand, but maybe getting the Clicker to him would be a quicker and more efficient fix.

Estevez sighs. “You have a point. Okay, you win, Anderson.”

Saga opens her mouth to respond but Estevez cuts her off. “-But, I’ll accompany you to the cells. Wake’s been agitated and I don’t want you getting hurt. Not to mention that the station’s cameras are video-only and it’s important for us to know what’s going on.”

Shit. If Estevez goes with her, she won’t be able to hand over the Clicker in secret. She can’t risk them taking it away from her.

“You really think he’ll talk to the agents that locked him up the first chance they got?” Saga argues, hoping that she’s passing off as convincing. “I’m FBI, I know how to handle an interrogation. I’ll pass on anything he tells me. For what it’s worth, you have my word.”

A tense minute of contemplation, then: “...Fine. I’ll unlock the door for you.”

Saga lets out a small sigh of relief. “Thanks, Agent.”

She’d really thought that she’d have to fight harder for her case. Still, she isn’t complaining that she’s getting her way.

“I don’t feel good about this at all,” says Estevez, moving toward the exit and beckoning for Saga to follow. “But we really don’t have much of a choice.”

As Saga stands, Kesä speaks up. "Mitä nyt? Mihin olet menossa?"

“We’ll work on getting a translator in the meantime.” Estevez remarks, already walking through the corridor toward the staircase leading up.

Saga hesitates in the doorway. Aleksi’s face is full of confusion, but also holds a twinge of sadness. Maybe even betrayal. They stare at each other for a moment, locked in another exchange via glances. 

Saga is the one to break away, guiltily shooting him a reassuring smile before turning to follow Estevez.

“I promise I’ll be back.”

Saga follows Estevez out of the morgue and back into the station itself. A wave of unease washes over her. She’s getting her way, but something about the situation leaves her feeling unnerved. She feels weirdly unprepared, like she’s missing something important and shouldn’t see Wake without it.

But she has the Clicker. That’s the main thing she needs, right? She tries to shake the feeling away and focus on the present.

How should she approach the situation with Wake? She wants to hold him accountable for his actions- hell, she wants to kill him for what he’s done to Logan, but she knows that she can’t. She could just give him the Clicker without saying a word. 

She won’t do that, though. She needs answers. She needs to hear him acknowledge what he did.

They reach the cell block door and Estevez pulls out a keycard. Before she gets the chance to use it, one of the officers approaches her.

“Uh, Ma’am? We might have a-”

“Give me a second, Young.” Estevez interrupts. “Let me just let Agent Anderson in.”

The door is unlocked and the light above the door turns green.

“I’ll lock this behind you for safety reasons”, explains Estevez. “Just knock four times when you’re ready to come out. I hope you know what you’re doing.”

Saga does. She thinks. “I do. Thanks, Estevez.”

Estevez nods and turns to address the anxious officer to the side.

Saga opens the door.

She walks in. The door closes behind her and green turns to red.

“Saga!” 

The voice that greets her isn’t Wake’s, but Ilmo’s. She spots him in the cell closest to her and he stands up when she enters. In the midst of dealing with Kesä, Ilmo’s involvement had slipped her mind. The man looks disheveled and almost animalistic- a far cry from the friendly and confident persona she was used to seeing.  Ilmo steps right up to the bars of the cage to face her, practically snarling. “Fucking FBI, FBC, you government fucks all fucking this up for us! Where the fuck is my brother?!”

That uneasy feeling settles over Saga again. Instinctively, she looks over to the adjacent cell to Ilmo’s. The cell is empty.

When she doesn’t reply, Ilmo bangs his fist against the metal bar. “What the fuck have you done to him?!”

“I…” Saga doesn’t know what to say. Her mind replays the events of the hour since they’d arrived at the station. She doesn’t remember seeing or even hearing any mention of Jaakko Koskela. “Ilmo, Jaakko isn’t here.”

“Bullshit!” Ilmo spits. “You fuckers have done something. Something’s wrong with him, and you-”

“How do you know?” Saga interjects. 

“I just know!” Ilmo responds. It sounds more like a childish whine. Saga picks up on an element of desperation in his posture and voice, and suddenly something clicks. He sounds just like how she feels on the inside, desperate to get Logan back and to help Casey. He’s worried for his twin, but he’s locked up and helpless. She can’t help but sympathize with him.

She goes to respond, to inquire more about Jaakko’s whereabouts, when another voice speaks up from a cell further down.

“Saga? Is that you?”

Wake.

Her feet start to carry her toward his cell.

“No, don’t fucking talk to him, Saga.” Ilmo says behind her. “He’s a fucking monster! You don’t know what you’re dealing with, let me out!”

Saga ignores him.

Like Ilmo, Alan Wake stands at the edge of his cell to face her, except he’s gripping the bars so tightly that his knuckles are turning white. If she thought Ilmo looked animalistic, Wake is that turned up to eleven. He wears jeans, a bloodied white tee, and an unhinged expression.

“Do you have it?” he asks.

Saga sees red.

“You wrote Logan into the story,” she says coolly. “You told me yourself, from the Dark Place.”

Wake doesn’t react to her words, and instead carries on with his crazy spiel. “Listen! I think something’s wrong. Something- something’s off. The balance is… Scratch is-”

“My daughter is dead because of you! She’s a child.” Saga hisses. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

Alan shakes his head. “I’m trying to fix this. I will fix this, I’ll save everyone, I just need to know what’s happening. There’s something different, just- Just give me the Clicker. I’ll fix everything. We’re running out of time.”

Saga fights the urge to slap the man.

“And Casey?” she asks. “You change his memories to what? Tear us apart? You already ruined his life with your writing, and you just had to do it again. You are one selfish fuck.”

Alan groans, frustrated. “No, I just…”

He trails off. His grip on the iron bars loosens. “I…”

He takes a step back. His strained expression morphs into one of confusion.

“...What?”

“Don’t play dumb. You admitted to using my family as part of your sick story. Well, you’ve gone miles over the goddamn line. How did you get him to Watery?”

Alan lets out a sound of disbelief. “What are you- What was that about memories? I don’t think I…”

“And why Finnish?” Saga snaps. “You twisted so much of him for no reason, even his name. How does this help anything?”

“Saga.” Alan says loudly, breaking her out of her rant. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Saga waits for the prickling in her skin or the flash in her mind or any indication that he might be lying.

When none comes, she is taken aback. “What?”

“I didn’t do anything to Casey.” Wake states. He sounds genuine. Saga hates that. “The lodge was attacked by cultists and he ran outside, then Scratch and the Taken showed up. That’s all I know, I swear.”

“Casey showed up at Coffee World half-naked and talking in Finnish. He didn’t know where he was and he doesn’t know me at all. Are you sure you don’t know anything about that?���

Saga’s grasping at straws. Wake has to be the one responsible, because if he isn’t… What then?

Alan is silent for a moment, his face blank. “No… no, I don’t. I’m trying to remember… you said Finnish, right?”

“What are you talking about?” Ilmo cuts in, sounding very concerned. “Saga? What’s going on?”

“Yes, Finnish.” Saga looks at Ilmo, responding to Alan. With Alan claiming to know nothing, she’s willing to take answers from anyone. She’s starting to feel very, very scared for her partner.

“Give me the Clicker.” Alan says firmly, extending a hand through the bars. “It doesn’t matter what’s been happening on the outside, I’ll fix it all. Just give it to me.”

Ilmo bangs on the bars again. “Don’t fucking give it to him!”

Saga feels conflicted. On one hand, she’d worked so hard to get the Clicker. She’d risked her life, even, and it was all for the sake of saving Logan. As far as she knows, giving Wake the Clicker is the only way of getting her daughter back.

The new question that makes her hesitate is: does that extend to Casey?

Wake admitted to using Logan. She heard him say so himself, and she resents him for it. But he’s adamant in his stance that he didn’t use Casey in the same way. As much as Saga wants to blame it on him and believe he’s lying, there are too many facts that don’t add up. How would the addition of ‘Aleksi Kesä’ help the horror story? It only causes a delay, if anything. It’s a distraction and it’s unlike any of the other changes Wake has been making.

So if he has no idea, how will he be able to fix him? By handing over the Clicker, will she save Logan but doom Casey?

Even though her daughter comes first, she can’t bring herself to do that to her partner. She needs more information to get a better understanding of the situation.

“I don’t have it.” She lies.

“Thank God.” She hears Ilmo mumble.

Both of them are startled when Alan suddenly violently slams the bars of his own cell. “I knew something was different. Fuck!”

He pulls back, his fists clenched.

Saga realizes that with this lie, she needs a new plan ASAP.

Wake seems to have a similar thought process because he turns back around with wide, frantic eyes. “Saga, listen to me, you need to-”

He is cut off by all the overhead lights blacking out at once, leaving the three of them in total darkness.

Alan and Ilmo curse simultaneously.

Gunshots emanate from the door leading to the station, followed by shouts, followed by screams. Saga rushes over and tries to open it. It’s still locked.

Fuck. Not again.

Finnish translations:

"Nämä ei helvetti suostu jättämään minua rauhaan!" = "These people won't leave me the fuck alone!"

"Puhu järkeä niille!" = "Talk sense into them!"

"Mitä nyt? Mihin olet menossa?" = "What now? Where are you going?"

Thanks for reading! I hope you'll stick with me for the ride...

[eliza1911o1]

Druckmann stating David is a dark version of Joel is a -10/10 take absolutely not okay because them being parallels implies they share many similarities… David acting as a reflection of Joel’s role (as many of the character’s we meet mirror Ellie+Joel’s position in the story), though, is a 11/10 choice. I believe the showed really emphasized this and yeah, I get it seems nit-picky, but it’s important to note how paralleling the two characters in such a way serves to explain how differently they approach the role of guardian and what could have been if Ellie had met someone else. Additionally, it’s leading us to the conclusion that even a a good person (read: parent) doesn’t always do everything right (*spoilers if you don’t know the game*)

Joel and David are both older male figures who appear to want to care for Ellie. They set these two up for compare and contrast through the role of a “father” figure (an older caring mentor who can be responsible for her). The word “father” is frequently used in ep 8 when addressing Joel as well as when David refers to himself, expressing how both of them are random men who found their way into Ellie’s lonely life. There is also a sense of obsession the two have towards Ellie and keeping her around that is followed be violence, which is utilized as an expression/form of love. Their motives and characters couldn’t be more fundamentally different.

Initially, Joel has no interest in helping Ellie and no expectation of trust. Joel’s conception of a father seems to be the universal expectation of providing, teaching, fundamentally caring for a child’s well-being. The only reason he begins to open up to Ellie is due to circumstance and the ghost of his daughter, who he feels he failed; the association comes with a deep personal trauma by unconditional love. Furthermore, this sense of care is entirely one of a parent, exhibiting care so great that his well-being and even the world doesn’t matter as long as she’s okay

In contrast, David is clearly beyond words off the rails messed up. He does appears to have little to no understandable morals, exhibiting little inhibition to resorting to cannibalism, physical intimidation, sexual violence, and pedophilia. What’s more, from what he insulates, this is not a result of the apocalypse, a breakdown of humanity — instead, this is a part of himself now freed. The apocalypse has not caused this collapse of morals, it has actually justified his propensity for the inhumane. David sees the violence in Ellie, but he’s partially confusing this inclination, which has been fostered by humanity’s collapse, extreme traumas, and general survival. Honestly, I’m not going to even try to understand his mind or why he would think it’s okay to kidnap and potentially try to make Ellie his partner — all that matters for this is how David sees this action as caring for her and views himself in a father role by doing such (he crazy so don’t even try to ask how he came to those conclusions)

On a related tangent (trust me here), ep 8 emphasizes religion quite a bit, most noticeably in the way the community is steeped in some form of Christianity and David is a preacher. Less clearly is this reduction of religion (or a faith in God) to faith in an individual. David, as we learn more about him, seems to have a God-complex, framing his himself as a savior and leader in his community; he utilizes religion to frame his actions as unquestionable. Furthermore, while the usage of “father” is frequent and in places implies reference to, it never directly mentions a relation to God. the opening verse that David reads (Revelation 21:3-4) is also supportive of this, as it states, “God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.” Not only is David attributing himself to a God-like status, but also this position of a “father” as a leader of faith in correlation with Ellie.

We have seen the way Ellie mimics Joel, like in the beginning of ep 8 when she threatens David and James over the deer. She gladly follows his “teachings” and even seeks them, shown in the way she continuously begs Joel to tell her what to following his incapacitation. She’s also only kid and this has been the first time she’s ever been loved in this way, so there’s no reason for Ellie not to feel okay with relying on Joel with almost blind faith.

But Joel is not perfect and he is not prepared to teach a kid how to grow up in the apocalypse. While Joel and David provide similar offers (at least from their first impressions), Joel will never take advantage of Ellie in the cruel way David would have. It actually highlights Joel’s humanity, and so, even when he is torturing and killing men for information on her whereabouts, this feels justified since Joel is a good man and a good father. Joel may cross lines, but it is out of necessity OR maybe he just doesn’t cross too many/the wrong ones, so we’re still able to stand with him.

Nevertheless, this conflict of morals (being a good person in a world where, really, you die if you’re good) has an especially strong impact on Ellie, who is only 14. A major theme of the game and especially so for the show is the concept of violence and idea that, in Ellie’s world, violence has become a show of love. Mazin himself states how Ellie’s tendency for violence has been enhanced through Joel’s presentations of care being through acts of violence, tracing this back to Joel killing the guard in episode 2. David says this plainly to Ellie, how Joel kills a man not defending himself, but defending her. The lines that should not be crossed are blurred; in the apocalypse, do they exist at all?

David, disgustingly enough, leads us the answer: cordyceps love through violence, this is not how humans love. “People need a father” and Ellie is not beyond that. David accepts we’re all animals, but Joel continues to teach Ellie what it means to be more than that through the way he treats her equally, he worries for her, he kills only when necessary (iffy, but at least it’s not out of enjoyment), and simply cares. Ellie has warped violence as a form of love, however, this is not all she knows, which is what makes the end of TLOU pt. II all the more poignant. *SPOILER* albeit stuck in a cycle of violence, Ellie finally decides to end things with her choice not to kill Abby. Though I don’t particularly like pt. II and don’t know if it was perfect enough to justify killing off Joel, I can appreciate the ideas behind it and think the emphasis on forgiveness is a powerful statement

[blondieebruce]

NORAH PARKER as greek loves;

a “get to know your oc” post, but I’ll do it with the ones that fit them best

Philia - Affectionate, Platonic Love.

1. Does your OC have a Best Friend? If they do then how long have they known each other and how did they meet? If they don't then do they have a close group of friends they love equally? Or are they more of a loner?

Yes! Norah’s longest and most cherished friendship is with Amelie Auclair, whom she has known since kindergarten. They both clicked instantly and despite being somewhat different from one another, their friendship is one of the most important things in Norah’s life, specially after the incident on SCREAM. Norah also developed deep meaningful friendships with Jonathan Coleman and Paul Meize, who she also shares trauma with. She met them both around age 13, and sees Jon mostly like a little brother while harbors romantic feelings towards Paul.

The four of them constitute are known as “The Core Four”

2. Does your OC find it easy to make friends? Or are there barriers to them doing so? If so then are these due to issues of inclination, communication, or something else entirely?

After being betrayed by two of her friends, Norah can become aware and untrusting when it comes to new friendships, coming off even as a bit aggressive towards new people when she feels intimidated.

3. What qualities does your OC most value in a friend? Loyalty? Shared sense of humour? Or something else?

Loyalty and protectiveness. Norah thinks that if you love someone, you’d naturally feel the need to protective and take care of their well being when needed, even if it means putting your own at risk. She feels specially protective over Amelie and Jhonny.

4. Is your OC able to build close friendships with people very different from themselves Perhaps in terms of culture, age or personality?

Before 2016, Norah could be friends with total strangers if given enough time to talk and know them. In the nowadays, she’s very picky, choosing to maintain superficial relations with her college peers, mostly interacting with people that match her energy (in terms of personality, opinions, etc) and that are acquaintances with her best friends.

5. What is their most fervent wish for their best friends)? How far would they go to make it happen?

For now, Norah wishes for her friends to get over their trauma and fears and to live happily and safely. She really wants Amelie to find stability in her relationship, and can go as far as starting conflict with another of her oldest friends if she deems his behavior in that relationship to be harmful. Norah wishes for Jhonny to be like he used to before everything went down, less bitter , despite understanding the reason explaining why he’s acting that way.

She also wishes to rekindle her connection with Paul, feeling distant from him and sensing a sudden shift on his demeanor. She wishes she could make him feel safe again, and be able to protect him when the time comes where the might have to fight for their lives again.

[breakfastassociation]

Scooby Doo Mystery Inc, an Introspective.

Daphne - The Spy

She's already been established as being the most physically inclined, a great beauty, and handilly going behind enemy lines (ie getting kidnapped); all traits of a femme fatale. in my canon, daphne really operates as the gang's Body (Wo)Man. In a crime ring she would be The Muscle. I really like the idea that Daphne is classically trained at a young age in all sports; her family may not have be as weslthy as Shaggys but theyve def made some money being world class athletes. This idea also lends itself to the idea that daph was the most well travelled before meeting Mystery Inc, her family always loved to bring her to their competitions, shes been to every Wimbledon cup, etc. While daph is well cultured and great at meeting new people, i do not think she would describe herself as an extrovert altho u cant deny shes warm and welcoming (as much as anyone in the gang is! theyre really a great group of kids). Growing up with a lot of sisters, Daphne is the one most acclimated to team work (maybe they did a lot of team sports growing up?). The reason this doesnt automatically translate to out of this world people skills is because her ability to work with others is strongly rooted in being familiar with her team. She grew up with her sisters and has been friends with Mystery Inc for a long time too; shes built up a repartee with her group and really relies on her understanding of them and their understanding of her to be as efficient as she is. In this way, she and Scooby really hold the group together. Definitely a Actions Speak Louder Than Words type which is why people who dont know her well are so willing to overlook her as a vapid prettygirl; ie when daph spots a clue shes more likely to "wow look at that!" and point rather than "hey velma that glowing orb looks really similar to the one the ghost is always haulin around" Daph and Kim Possible would be truly the unstoppable duo.

disguises, stealth, and sleight of hand ??

polyglot, also designated translator

well connected (but cant network). her sisters got their fingers in all the pies and the Blake Sisters were Daphne's first Mystery Inc :) i do not buy into Daphne having a sister complex #speakingmytruth

very well travelled, met fred on a layover?

literally james bond, ya feel?

tldr; woman of the world, woman of the world, teamplayer

Fred - The Mechanic

Breaking off of the 'Traps Guy' prototype that Mystery Incorporated set up for us; Fred has always been the one at the steering wheel. Everyone loves a Himbo Fred moment but i know hes capable of great specialization just like velma daph shaggy and scoob are. Hes not an air head hes just thinking about a V8 engine vs a Turbo ykno? I do want to lean into the idea that Fred works with his hands and works with contraptions (velma is the gizmo girl tho) and works with CARS and is knowledgeable about them! very, Mona Lisa from My Cousin Vinny/Rosalie from Twilight (ie gets under their car + is hot) but because i want all these kids to be multi faceted, id like to explore the other half of cars which is Travelling. in this day in age, seeing the world is so marketable which is why i can see fred being the one with biggest internet influence. More so than that, fred keeps the team on the move, books accomodations, plans the roadtrips, has the biggest thirst to see the world (maybe thats one of the things that first pulls him and daph together, shes already seen so much of it before they met) Out of the group, i think Fred has the closest relationship with his parents (i think this was shown in some of the tv shows? If not, this is my canon) Fred, despite loving to work with cold hard metal, is maybe the most deeply feeling of Mystery Inc. he really jumps on cases after meeting the people who are most severely impacted by them. This would also explain why hes so inclined to 'himbo moments', he doesnt mind making the less rational choice if it means he can help his fellow man. He and scooby are def the most socially inclined; fred bc he really cares about People (thats why hes a traveller, meeting new people is one of the fun parts!)

automotives, maintains the car (velma helped him set up his sound system) and loves a good car chase

also into planes, trains, and ships but cars are his first love

inventions

explosives

physics, hes a car guy but bikes are fascinating

social media savvy (hes so chipper and always dressed to the 9s courtesy of daph, IG eats him up). Maybe he started the Mystery Inc blog as a way to keep his family updated about what hes doing (the first People he loved was def his family) he gossips about celebrities with velma and daph

loves travelling (in his car) and posts to his gram (see above), his experience with hotels/motels/hostels/etc lets him talk extensively about hospitality with shaggy + scooby

tldr; auto shops, social butterfly, humanitarian

Shaggy - The Doctor

Hear me out!!!! Norville Rogers is known to be: Concerned about his bodily safety and RICH! Tell me which profession that is besides Doctor and ill rework this whole thing. i think this really works for shaggy, hes by no means materialistic but mans has grown up with the silver spoon and can really appreciate luxurious creature comforts like quality bed linens. Like. that plain green t shirt is Hermés dont get it twisted. this also works bc as the groups highroller, we now know how this op is funded (aside from being paid for their detective work:freds blog but like..we really didnt see that often. id like them to be able to do this as a fulltime hobby if they so choose) Aside from this, we know some of Shaggys other great loves are Food and Not Being Physically in Danger. I wouldnt be surprised if one of his parents or older relatives made their money in medicine, allowing shaggy to grow up in that scape. omg id love if this doctor relative was a mentor to shaggy but also a bit of a hypochondriac; maybe shaggys scaredy cat tendencies have roots in his relative's anxieties. I think Shaggys fear comes from a good place, he just wants him and his friends to be healthy happy and whole. In line with medicine, Shaggy is the one who pushes the team to take care of themselves and take much needed time to recuperate from the stress of solving mysteries. As an only child, he can be seen as a foil to Daphne. She has a lot of sisters and did a lot of team sports and became very comfortable working with others. Shaggy was an only child whos only friend was his dog and they prefer to stay in their circles of safety. But both shaggy and daphne have about the same level of social skills lol i think also, bc shaggy grew up without a lot of friends, he is the most conscious of his friendships with the gang. like, he really doesnt take them for granted bc for a long time he did not have any friends at all

selfcare

Mystery Inc's checkbook (when appropriate)

appreciation for the finer things

healthcare

medicine, biology. daphne's go to gym buddy (shaggy really knows kinesiology)

chemistry aka alchemy, imagine the happy medium between Scoobie's love of cuisine and fred's love of ..bombs

tldr; self care KING, truly looks out for *his* people. medic

Velma - The Professor

Velma velma velma. im kind of dropping the ball with her. i want to develop this a lil further bc i think im leaning too hard on the crutch that is Velma Is The Bookworm. Altho i do think Velma is more interested in the Humanities Vs STEM fields, id say her genius reputation is cultivated from how well rounded her knowledge base is. In terms of academics, Velma is the jack of all trades ( opposite to daphne who is JoaT for athletics). Because of this (and because shes great at all things she puts her mind to) shes is also left with the helm of 'resident hacker'. As im typing this, truly the girls of the gang have very broad interests while the boys are very specialized. Anyways, id say the key to Velma is that shes very good at making more from the sum of the parts. She does not shy away from the grunt work of academia, she knows some Important Things will not be intuitive to her but she will run flashcards on them until theyre reflexive bc she knows having that info on hand will be important at some point. Her ability to take the factoids of life and put them together also makes her the teams True detective, not fred. It just makes more sense imo that Velma is the one to push the team to find and close cases. Obviously everyone in Mystery Incorporated has strong convictions on Right and Wrong but i think Velma sees the beauty and satisfaction of solving puzzles.

Edit on 1 mar: may think of switching role of Gizmo from Velma to Daphne since canonically, Daph is always with her cellie. But instead of making her the vapid airhead glued to her phone shes j really into tech (think felicity from Arrow)

Loves trivia

history, talks a lot about international cuisine with daph + scoob

software > hardware, talks gadgets with daph + fred

She and fred share a thirst to see and explore new things

statistician and mathematics aficionado

forensic sciences

law

very up to date with popular culture, from the anthropologic perspective. watches the most reality tv, tv in general, and movies; its interesting, documentaries are informative, and she likes to keep it on as white noise while researching

business, finance, and economics. thats how she knows all the business bad guys on sight (during the reveal), she also handles the group finances with shaggy

tldr; lifelong academic, the most hardworking, curious

Scooby - The Chef

Scooby! The team mascot! Firstly, scoob is Shaggys *best* friend. It makes sense to me that their interests overlap so much. Scooby has always been known to be a big eater (he *is* a great dane...) but my mans is CULTURED. He eats a lot but its never slop. Given Shaggys keen awareness of health and wellness, im not surprised that scooby has combo-ed that influence with his own love of the culinary arts. Shaggy and scooby have definitely known each other the longest; so how ever old the gang were when they met, in my canon Shaggy and Scooby were the first to become friends and it shows. But obviously theyre all friends, and to the group id say scooby is the hearth (not heart) of the operation as any great relationship starts with a plate of good food. Quiet moments of deep inner contemplation will often happen at Scoobys side and scooby, consciously or not, really provides a place for everyone to be themselves in the same way having to dice 5 onions is meditative. We've seen that scooby is a golden hearted goof ball, i think this could be sourced from a highly admirable sense of humility (ironic since hes the only non human of the group?) Great danes are known to be fierce protectors, and even tho (like shaggy) scoob is a scaredy cat, when push comes to shove he is really protective. Thats why hes so cautious! He really doesnt like seeing his friends in risky situations! My hot take is that *Scooby* is the people person/social butterfly of the group! This whole cast is a band of mis fits, having a dog makes Mystery Inc much more approachable to outsiders. Scooby, being a dog, is great at warming hearts to him and loves to be at the center of attention. In regards to mystery solving, hes also invaluable as a clue finder since his senses are so highly developed.

super sniffer, works the most directly with velma on cases

cooking (bonds with shaggy + daphne over but for dif reasons)

people person, gets along real well with daphne's sisters (everyone loves dogs)

very much looks after the gang and motherhens them, hates seeing them walk into danger

zoology (obvious i know)

tldr; iron chef, spokesman of mystery inc

General Notes

Shaggy and Daphne are the two in the gang who are really Of The Body (shaggys understanding of its inner workings, Daphne being the peak form of a human specimen), while Fred and Velma are Of The Mind (Fred who works with calculations inventions etc and Velma who is a lifelong all rounder academic)

Another dichotomy is that Daphne and Fred are the pragmatic pair while Shaggy and Velma are the theoretic pair

But in general i think a lot of the team has a lot of interests that overlap which keeps them tightly bonded

[essayofthoughts]

Gently patpats, what do you think are Percy and Kash's respective strengths and weaknesses as parents?

Good question! I think you'd have to look at the kinds of people they are to really figure that out and one of my first thoughts from that is that I feel like Percy is much less overbearing or hovering?

Like. Percy is someone who puts a huge stock in respect and trust - it's why he isn't overbearing or overprotective with any of his friends, even the ones he loves the most, like Keyleth or Vex. He respects their skills and trusts their judgement and so while he'll raise his concerns he very rarely directly intervenes without their first giving the okay - to do otherwise would be to imply he doesn't trust or respect them.

So I think Percy's very willing to support his kids in trying new things! I imagine he'd always put in reasonable safety precautions and explain why, and would be much more cautious until around the age 5-6 mark, when they start really being conscious and able to think and reason a bit, but I think he's very supportive of them trying new things and, once he thinks they're old enough for whatever they want to attempt, I think he's pretty hands-off in letting them get on with it? They have to learn their lessons one way or another, and practically is often best. He'll make sure they have what buffer and safety he can provide, but letting them try things out for themselves, make mistakes, learn what they do or don't like by trying out a new food or activity... I think that's something he's very supportive of.

I think his weakness is that... he isn't always great at seeing other perspectives? He tries and he especially tries when it's friends and loved ones (see again: his relationship with Keyleth. They're very different people but despite their different perspectives Percy still values her opinion and she his - they don't always understand why the other thinks the way they do but they do try) but he doesn't always succeed and can be both very stubborn and set in his ways. I think he does sometimes struggle to connect with his kids, especially once they hit teenagedom, and I think it's a bit rough on everyone involved when it first happens. No kid likes feeling misunderstood or inadequately listened to by a parent, and I think for Percy not being able to understand his children's perspectives and therefore limiting how he can help them is something that hurts him too. He wants to be there - he just can't bridge that gulf.

Thank god there's Vex there.

As for Kash - I think his directness makes him very very good at explaining things to his kids in ways they understand. Never overly complicated or even all that nuanced, but simple enough they understand and with enough detail it might make them curious about it. I think that directness and, especially, his growth thanks to Zahra's help, means he's both very very firm on his own boundaries and encourages his kids to be firm on theirs. His kids say "No" and he listens, even if it's a silly meaningless child-who-only-has-a-handful-of-words-no. I imagine he never wants his kids to feel like they don't matter or won't be listened to and while that means that sometimes resolving things with stubborn children might be trickier, I think it engenders an awful lot of trust.

As for his weakness ... I mean, I don't know if I'd necessarily call it a weakness but I absolutely think his kids learn to swear within a few months of starting language acquisition. I am also inclined to think that he doesn't stop them from using what swearwords they know, which means probably you get kids dropping a cup at the table, water spilling everywhere, and the kid going "Son of a bitch!" If he personally doesn't think it's a problem and if Zahra doesn't think it's a problem, I can't see him really going out of his way to stop or curtail a behaviour, and I think that means that it might seem to others that his kids are kind of undisciplined, just because he gives them a lot of free rein.

I think his weakness might be when he has to limit that free rein. It's one thing when it's boundaries - that he can be firm on - but I think even after Zahra he sometimes struggles to deal with kind of... cases of authority (i.e. him trying to get his kids to knock it off when they're being loud or doing something dangerous) being challenged (energetic, riled up kids who want to do something, inherited their dad's stubbornness and pottymouth, and are perfectly willing to talk back) without kind of being a bit shit and stubborn? I think there's sometimes some nasty parent-kids fights over that kind of a thing, at least early on before Kash gets a handle on it - but I think he's not always the best at like... defusing conflict even after that, because it doesn't come naturally to him.

Thanks for asking this Blorb! That was really fun to think about.

[madame-cookie]

janthir wilds thoughts

im having a lot of fun. i dont really have a lot of nice things to say about it except the maps are fun to play in and the housing is cool. but that being the case i dont want to come across as coming away from the expansion feeling negatively. bc despite not liking a lot of details about the expansion, it was still as fun as others. i think i maybe even liked it more than some of the larger living world plots and its just started.

mostly, im just not interested in many family-based narratives. i dont have a family so it just usually takes a more... impactful relationship to make me interested in the dynamics. it being a whole cast of new characters and a new fantasy group of people made me even less inclined to invest myself in their issues bc i was still trying to figure out the context for these characters and this place.

it did explain why caithe went with us though. i thought that was so random but then it went on to be the unresolved mommy issues chapter and she is like the grand champion of mommy issues bc she just made them all up in her head. like... i always thought it was SO WEIRD how caithe treats aurene so much like a mother to child. like except for weird dragon bond magic i dont really understand how or why her character has gone from being calculated and cunning to just like, doting and brooding over a child that was really the player characters' if anyones. she says like "our daughter"or some shit to you at the end of this one and i was like ooooooooo ehhhhhhhh about that. i love u caithe... and i think u rule.... but you are my least favorite member if every group we are in together so its a little weird for you to talk about the baby u have with me sorry.

malice it was like. cool to remember she exists. she is still just an extension of other characters and not really speaking for herself in a way that matters. just too shy about her position to do much. dont know where thats going but it could be cool to see her become important as a character for how important she was in specifc parts of the story. shes neat! i wanna be excited to see her but rn for her and caithe i was just like. oh :/ was literally everyone else busy? lol

poky is weirdly just like braham. i kinda wish braham just came bc i think its crazy we just sort of touched base and that was it. like dude whats up!!?

omg real quick. Stoic Alder. i am so sorry. you talk WAY. TOO. SLOW. i cant stand it. i never do this but his was the first time playing in 12 years that i actively sought to miss a character's dialogue. i was getting drinks etc every other time he talked bc it was largely summative in nature and soo. slowwwww. all the lowland koda sort of talked that way but his was so hard for me. do they pick leaders based on who talks slowest? lol. the council was dope i like them. but especially when it was all about his estranged relationship with his son bc of his dead wife or whatever. like thats sad bear stuff i guess but it happens bro lol. i dont think the first 5minutes of Up is said either bc like they lived a happy life together ppl die and thats normal.

but thats beside the point. i guess it just felt a little like we were mostly dealing with slice of life issues while what could very well be a devastating threat was brewing just north all the while.

i didnt think titans were ever coming back tbh. sort of a deep cut while being relevant no matter what bc of lore reasons. its kind of cool bc pretty much everyone has a potential stake in it. if their people werent directly affected by the titans of the past, the actions of the peoples they manipulated were pretty much felt by everybody.

im not happy about having to wait to unlock the rest of the core crafting disciplines for my housing since im fairly certain there will be many future ways to craft expanding on that. diverting the access to the last (better, likely) half of recipes is kind of frustrating. i missed when they manipulated our gameplay in more subtle ways. there are a lot of things about this and the last expansion that really make it seem like theyre trying to negotiate with your willingness to waste your time. and i dont appreciate it lol. but its not a big deal. im mostly excited about future expansions.

like i loved in the prologue how they walked us around the room to tell us more or less the next things the alliance would be dealing with. v excited to go back to elona in the future. and the tengu... how long must i bang my fists against the walls of the dominion of winds before they let us innnnn. in my truest fantasy its bc theyre going to let us make tengu characters. but i know its delusional dont worry. the hope keeps me young.

overall i LOVE the spear skills. huge spear fan here. i really wish they hadnt just stopped making underwater skins for black lion weapon lines bc a lot of them would probably have nice spears we could be using. its... a little silly of them when you think about it. im starving for a better variety of spears! and i did sort of expect more than like 4 when the expansion came out. the spear expansion with a spear on the cover.

whispering sorrow is a very complicated character that i still feel as if i have learned the most about from lore documents despite having met her. i want to like her, and i think she's really cool because of what she can do. but i want to like her because of why she does things too, and im just sort of waiting to see why that could be. or at least to hear it from her mouth.

also just bc i remembered it. i hope poky joins our little guild. i want to like him bc i like braham and theyre so much alike. i wanna see how theyre different too. but i feel he hasnt had as much time yet to banter with us bc we have been mostly dealing with his personal issues. and rightly so! but we got to play w braham a lot before his life fell apart so idk i just think it would be cool if in like a year i was drawing poky and braham doing karaoke together or something lol

[thevibraniumveterans]

REBELS REWATCH

S1E11 — IDIOT’S ARRAY

In the Ghost’s main cargo hold, Ezra sits atop a few crates, levitating his helmet and likely practicing his focusing skills. Nearby, Sabine sits on green and off-white speeder bike, receiving pointers from Hera. Zeb walks in, looking guilty; Hera is just as confused as Sabine.

Zeb explains his side of the story, while Ezra looks on, surprised at the revelation at Chopper being betted on, and to Lando, of all people.

Zeb and Ezra are hanging out by the holochess table, keeping an eye on Lando and Chopper, who are standing in front of a large mural of a phoenix that Sabine has painted.. Zeb notes, “Can’t believe the little bolt bucket’s actually waiting on that guy.” Ezra is entirely too smug at this turn of events, leaning back with one hand behind his head. Grinning, he says, “I can’t believe you lost Chopper. Good thing I wasn’t there. You’d have bet me.” Zeb replies, “Mmm, nah. You wouldn’t have covered the pot. Besides, I think Calrissian cheated.” Ezra tells him, “You’re just a sore loser. Lando seems nice enough.” Zeb, however, disagrees: “I’m telling you, I don’t like that guy.”

Sabine approaches Chopper and Lando, who greets Sabine and says, “I understand this is your work.” Ezra, however, becomes suspicious and leans forward, a frown replacing his grin. Lando continues, “Reminds me of Janyor’s protest paintings on Bith.” Sabine, being the Ghost’s residential artist who takes pride in her various pieces of artwork, shows that she understands historical and art-related references, something she likely got from her dad. She responds, “Janyor of Bith is a major influence.” Appreciative of fine art, Lando compliments Sabine’s artistry: “Well, your work is even more stunning in its simplicity.” Ezra gets up from his seat, telling Sabine, “Hey, I told you your stuff was good months ago.” Sabine frowns, and responds, “Yeah, but you didn’t know why.” This is curious because while Sabine is much more art-inclined, Ezra isn’t too much into the arts. He’s only said that because he might be a bit jealous, as Lando is a bit of a ladies’ man himself. However, it should be noted that Sabine told Ezra he “didn’t know why”, as a reference to how he didn’t know the specifics of what or why she was painting, who she was inspired by, and so on, but Lando, having pointed out a historical fact, understood the finer points of fine art, and complimented on the technicality of Sabine’s artwork. Lando notices this exchange, and says, “That’s hardly fair.” Sabine looks away. Lando continues, “He’s just a child with no experience of the galaxy.” (Which, in a way, is true, and as a result, ends up becoming something of an unintended backhanded insult.) Zeb, watching this whole interaction go down, tries to cover the fact that he’s laughing at Ezra’s expense. Ever proud of her artwork, and partly because hosts should impart a good impression upon their guests, Sabine asks, “I don’t suppose you’d like to see my more impressionistic pieces?” Sabine uses a technical term to showcase her knowledge and skill, not because she’s a showoff, but because it’s a good thing when an artist invites someone who is appreciative of their artwork’s specific technicalities. Lando replies, “I happen to be an impressionistic connoisseur. That means—” In the background, Ezra remains standing, hands on his hips, none too pleased. He looks away but interrupts: “I know what it means.” But he doesn’t. Sabine walks away. Ezra turns to Zeb and asks, “Hey, what does that mean?” Zeb replies, “A lot less than he thinks.” Having changed his mind, Ezra notes, “I don’t like that guy.” Yes, Lando is shady, charming, and a smooth-talker, but it’s less so about those and more so that it’s most likely, and pretty evident, that Ezra is jealous that some stranger is talking to his crush. It should also be noted that jealousy is not a good look on Ezra.

After some time, Sabine says to Kanan, “Quite a day you’re having. First, you lose Chopper, now Hera.” Sabine looks away, but interestingly, the shot stays on her just barely a second longer than is absolutely necessary.

The Ghost leaves. Inside, Ezra is tinkering with the speeder bike that Sabine had previously been checking out earlier this episode. Zeb, Lando, and Chopper approach with the cargo as promised. Ezra wonders what is inside, but Lando lies. Ezra is a bit suspicious, and Zeb is confused. There seems to be something alive in there.

Hera escapes the other ship in an escape pod as discussed, and Sabine heads to the airlock with Lando to intercept Hera.

Ezra and Zeb discuss whether they should open the crate; it is opened anyway, and a puffer pig comes out. Ezra thinks it’s “kinda cute” but doesn’t know what it is. The creature, however, sees Zeb and flees up the ladder, and Ezra and Zeb pursue it. The puffer pig bounds past the pilot’s bay where Kanan is sitting. Kanan is bewildered, and Ezra shrugs and continues chasing the poor animal. He and Zeb continue running around trying to catch the puffer pig, and pass the corridor where Chopper, Sabine, Hera, and Lando are standing. Sabine is surprised, as is Hera. Lando, unhelpfully, states, “That’s what was in the crate.” The puffer pig bumps into Chopper but continues running; Ezra takes advantage of that and tries to grab the creature, but falls down. Lando advises that the best course of action is to not scare the creature, but that is exactly what Zeb inadvertently does.

The puffer pig, well, puffs up. Sabine and Hera are astonished.The puffer pig scared stiff, blocks the hallway, momentarily separating Ezra and Kanan from Sabine, Hera, and Lando. On one side of the poor creature, Ezra overhears Lando on the other side suggest that he’d like to purchase some of Sabine’s artwork. On a surface level, this could mean that the Spectres get paid either way, which could benefit them. However, Ezra isn’t too pleased with Lando’s phrasing. Sabine asks Lando, “Really? My work. You’d pay?” Ezra clambers up the puffer pig, stating, “Oh, he’ll pay.” The creature gets scared further and expands again.

Of course, the Imperials discover the Spectres’ ploy, and fires upon them. Sabine, stuck on one side of the Ghost, fires back at the Imperials from the gunner’s bay.

Hera confronts Lando: “All right. Enough with the divide and conquer. You think by setting us against each other, you’ll keep us off-balance enough to get what you want. But what you want depends on my crew working together in sync. Is that clear?”

The Ghost touches down on Lothal, puffer pig and Lando in tow. The crew exits the ship, and Ezra tells Zeb, “This time, try to keep it calm. We don’t want you inflating it again.” Zeb protests: “Hey, it wasn’t my fault.” Half amused, Ezra responds, “It’s your faces fault.”

A shootout ensues, and Ezra and Kanan take cover behind a few crates. Ezra reaches for his newly constructed gun/saber combo, and Kanan immediately disapproves of Ezra using the saber. Ezra says, “You worry too much.” He takes aim, and downs a guard with an energy bolt. Kanan is surprised, amazed, and a little zealous: “Hey, mine doesn’t do that.” Ezra replies, “Nope. I might not be able to sword fight yet, but I can shoot.” Kanan grins: “Kid, you continue to impress.” Ezra notes, “…Just not as much as Lando.”

Taking advantage of the puffer pigs distractions, Sabine leaps onto a landspeeder, and jumps onto the other side of it, catapulting herself into the air, bounces off the puffer pig, and disappears to the other side of the building. Illuminated by the night sky, she takes aim at two assailants, and shoots twice, her shots scaring them enough to run.

Post shoot-out, the Spectres walk back to the Ghost. Zeb and Chopper head up the ramp, followed by Hera and Kanan. Ezra and Sabine are the last to board. Kanan and Hera have a little discussion. Hera says, “Well, we got Chopper back.” Kanan replies, “I”m looking for a positive here.” Hera tells him, “There are a lot of things we couldn’t accomplish without him. You should appreciate that more.” Behind them, Sabine and Ezra walk up the ramp. Evidently, Ezra has been paying attention to the conversation, because he proceeds to admit, “I always appreciated you, Sabine.” Note that here, the statement is completely DEVOID of any flirtatious intent and tone, and it’s only expressed with honest admiration. Sabine takes off her helmet, closes the ramp, smiles, and responds with, “Yes, Ezra, I know.” As Hera and Kanan continue their conversation, Ezra follows Sabine into the ship. Hera turns around to head back into the ship as well.

Sabine stops before a pile of crates, and grins: “Oh, hey, Chopper stole Lando’s fuel!” By the landing bay, Ezra watches the conversation, and smiles.

[annoyinglandmagazine]

A Child in Her Mother’s Clothes

Summary: All is not well in Valinor under the light of the trees but the children cannot be allowed to know that. Alternatively Maedhros embodies the role of eldest daughter, Morgoth is creepy and Feanor is angry and paranoid (but is it really paranoia if people are actually out to get you?) CW for Morgoth.

‘Nelya, Nelya!’ The cries were followed by the thumping of little feet on the stone and wooden floors all the way from one side of their home in Tirion to the other until little hands were tugging at her skirts and pulling her down from her seat at the window. ‘Oh alright, alright, I’m coming sweethearts just give me a second to put my bookmark in!’ She laughed while swatting them away and carefully leaving the tome on the cushion to be retrieved later. She turned to her darling baby brothers who were tugging at her in impatience and if it had been but a year ago she would have been on the floor by now, with her steps being much less sure and the two little agents of chaos determined to make her trip over her long limbs.

‘Slow down! I was out riding earlier and you know how merciless Tyelko is on hunting trips. What did you want to show me?’ She got a rather rambling explanation that she smiled and nodded along to in the appropriate places and seemed to gather that they had found some interesting sort of frog in one of the forest streams and that the poor creature was most likely in an old jar. Well she’d solve that problem when it came to it. It would scarcely be the first time she’d had to explain that little elflings can’t keep every animal they find as a pet. Far from the first time. And not only to her own brothers.

She clasped their muddy hands and allowed herself to be led down to the courtyard by the two twins, chatting at her with great enthusiasm, and exchanged amused glances with the servants she passed on her way down the narrow winding back staircase that strictly speaking wasn’t a very proper place for the now lady of her house to be. Naturally she found herself there fairly regularly. The Feanorians weren’t a very proper family and even less so without Nerdanel there to remind them to at least make an effort where others could see. Just as they were going down past the central part of the castle there was a single booming knock on the door.

‘Go on ahead, I’ll come after you in a minute, I just need to see what they want.’ She waved them on and despite their complaints they obeyed her as they usually did in the end. As most people usually did in the end. She brushed off the mud specks on the folds of her gown left by the pads of small fingertips and pushed some loose strands of hair into a pin while striding to the entrance hall. She unbolted the door and fixed that smile onto her face, the one she’d been told made her look both nice and pretty by many and far less intelligent than she was by her father. She privately agreed with him on this matter but he could never understand the benefits of not playing your full hand when such a ploy would never have worked for him. He could never understand that when someone expects a naive and beautiful daughter they will accept that that is all there is with very little convincing and the many uses of this to the skilled actress.

She changed tack slightly once she saw who their unexpected visitor was, standing in the porch, sheltered by trees they’d planted themselves to give security and privacy from all her father’s enemies lurking behind every corner waiting to wheedle their way in the cracks as they already had into the children’s nightmares and peace of mind. She had felt rather inclined to yell at Atar for that one, there had been no need to frighten them so to justify their growing isolation that was truthfully more his fault than any other.

She may have yelled at him then, and no doubt the image would have reminded her painfully of some of her most recent memories of her Amme if she had (Atar always told her she looked uncannily like her mother when she was angry. Oddly she thought this was intended as a compliment). She may have if she hadn’t realised that it wasn’t only her brother’s dreams they haunted, that how fabricated they may or may not be was beside the point because, in that dark, steam filled forge with that light to turn all other light to shadow piercing through the haze, they were real to the only mind that truly mattered in this family.

And so when she saw one in front of her something in her grew wary and hardened in a way all but alien to her yet came on instinct. She dropped all the softness and false genuineness in her smile and when she spoke she stayed perfectly civil but drew herself up to her full height and allowed just a hint of that steel edge to peak out from under her smooth tone. ‘Hello. I expect you’ll have come here to speak to my father but as he is otherwise occupied at present I may answer your queries if that is satisfactory to you.’

Melkor smiled, also perfectly civil of course but with just a bit too much pleasure to be appropriate for this conversation. ‘I don’t suppose I could trouble you with coming inside for a minute? To await your father’s return.’ And of course there was no refusal that would be suitable for her to make to one of the Valar, not without causing graver insult than her father had yet which was certainly not her objective. She stood aside with more practiced smiles and words while she found herself praying without true knowledge why that the twins stayed outside.

They sat in the nearest drawing room for entertaining guests and he turned to her with another polite smile while looking her up and down appraisingly with cool, dark eyes. ‘You must be the eldest, Maitimë. A well chosen name.’ She felt cold claws of dread climbing down her back into the base of her stomach and it was a sensation she wasn’t familiar with. She had heard such comments before but only meant as slightly awkward compliments, never in a way that made her feel as if she were being threatened somehow, as if the Vala was seeing all the ways in which she could be twisted to his own devices.

She felt strongly aware of the house dress she was attired in, decent to greet company in of course but a thin summer garment that left much skin exposed and fitted to the rest in a way that left a deep discomfort with being appraised in such a manner. She understood that this was not the gaze of a nér unto a nís but somehow this was much more sinister in her mind. She did not like sitting here with him alone but knew that she should like it even less if the children were here also, though why she could not ascertain. He was a Vala, it was not as if there was any reason for worry here other than her father’s paranoia, she was simply working herself up.

‘Your father is in the forge is he not? Shall he grace us with his presence?’ This was said with a little smirk to her, much like one her grandfather would give her to let her in on a joke. It still failed to put her at ease however, in fact such uninvited familiarity just added to the growing sense of discomfort in having him here in their home, though she acted as though it did. She smiled back, the politician’s smile her father was much more fond of, ‘Why yes, I believe he should be along at some point in the next hour.’

He leaned forward in his chair to snag a lock of flame red hair and examine it between spindly fingers lazily as she became deathly still, hardly daring to chance a breath. He smiled ‘Feanor’s so very proud of you. You can just tell how important you are to him.’ He’s a Vala, he’s a Vala, he’s being friendly, don’t be rude you’re not your father, don’t cause a scene we can’t afford that he needs you to be the diplomat, the children are outside-

The fingers released her hair and in the process brushed against the pale freckled skin of her cheek in a lingering way that left no doubt to whether it was an accident. And the touch was like ice that burned and her heart was hammering in her chest and suddenly the only thought spinning through her mind was a desperate plea ripping itself out of every cell in her body. Atya.

When Feanor flung the door open less than a minute later Melkor’s hand was trailing down the side of her bare neck, his enjoyment being not of her smooth skin but of having one so strong willed and precious to Feanor freeze with fear, to exert control over her. And his eyes burned with white flame that he trained on the Vala with all his force. What may have happened next there is no way of knowing for at that moment a small child appeared at the doorway and turned to his father with wide eyes. ‘Why did you leave in the middle of our work Atar? Who is this?’

Feanor’s eyes never left Melkor’s, who was looking at the whole incident with and expression of mild amusement and confusion. ‘Nelya. Be a good girl and take your brother outside.’ Maedhros stood gracefully despite the tremors in her bones and crossed the room to Atarinkë, scooping him up into her arms in one motion and he rested his head on her shoulder reflexively as she strode out without any further word, willing her heartbeat to slow as she relied on its steadiness to calm her brother.

‘What’s going on Nelya?’ Maitimë spoke soothingly while lifting him above her head to a fit of giggles from the younger child. ‘Oh nothing’s going on little one, Atya is just going to talk to that person about work things, nothing you need to trouble yourself about. Amrod and Amras should be about here, let’s find something to play together, alright?’ And she lowered her voice to a playful whisper of the kind that worked so perfectly every time by implying the imparting of some great secret no others could know of. ‘And later you and I can make some honey cakes, just the two of us. Does that sound like a plan to you?’

[pesterloglog]

Rose Lalonde, Dirk Strider

Act 1, page 610-614

ROSEBOT: Looks like you're getting pretty good at motivational speaking.

DIRK: Well someone needed to shake the rust off of her.

DIRK: She's getting nerves.

DIRK: Right before the big game.

DIRK: We're never gonna make it to nationals at this rate.

ROSEBOT: Ah, fuck. The sports.

ROSEBOT: How quickly I forgot them.

DIRK: There's gotta be some kind of sports penalty, for forgetting the sports.

ROSEBOT: Oh, definitely.

ROSEBOT: I've been very bad and I need to be punished, to preserve the integrity of the sports.

DIRK: Let me just slip into my jackass sports judge mime outfit and get to laying down the fucking sports law.

ROSEBOT and DIRK: Let's stop saying sports.

DIRK and ROSEBOT: Agreed.

DIRK: Speaking of outfits, though, look at you.

ROSEBOT: You like it?

DIRK: It's chic.

DIRK: I dig the return of the hood.

DIRK: You could deliver a whole hell of a lot of cryptic prophecies out from under that sucker.

ROSEBOT: Yes, well, I figured that if I'm to appear before our chosen peoples as a harbinger of their simultaneous doom and salvation, I may as well look the part.

DIRK: Do you feel the part?

ROSEBOT: It doesn't really matter what I feel.

ROSEBOT: We have a job to do, and I'm trying to enjoy myself to the best of my ability while we do it.

DIRK: Trying, huh.

ROSEBOT: Speaking frankly, I've grown tired of...

ROSEBOT: This.

ROSEBOT: Fussing over all the tedious minutiae of getting the baby's room ready.

ROSEBOT: The prospect of this Contest was entertaining to me for a time, but the longer it drags on, the closer we draw to the due date, the more it... repulses me.

ROSEBOT: I'm glad you've agreed that we're basically done tinkering here. I don't think I have much more patience for it.

DIRK: I can tell.

ROSEBOT: I'm also glad you've elected to hear Terezi out vis-a-vis the timeskip and save us the hassle of guiding the Deltritans manually.

ROSEBOT: I know it must be hard for you.

ROSEBOT: Dirk?

ROSEBOT: Dirk.

DIRK: Sorry.

DIRK: Got caught up with something.

ROSEBOT: Far be it from me to stand between you and your enigmatic somethings.

DIRK: You're welcome to stand wherever you like.

DIRK: Anyway, no, it isn't that hard for me.

DIRK: It'd be fun, but as I keep having to explain to people, I'm willing to compromise on certain points.

DIRK: Though I will say it's unfortunate to hear you making them, instead of our complainer on retainer.

ROSEBOT: What can I say?

ROSEBOT: I don't feel particularly inclined to play house right now.

DIRK: Not even with me, huh?

ROSEBOT: Not even with you.

ROSE: Thank you for taking me with you, Dirk.

DIRK: Yeah?

ROSE: I may be less than enchanted with this stage of the work, but I know it's important.

ROSE: It's just straying dangerously close to a lot of things I'm trying not to fixate on right now.

ROSE: Wounds that are still fresh, for me as a sum and for the myriad legions of my parts.

ROSE: Home.

ROSE: Family.

ROSE: Petty, little things.

ROSE: Personal things.

DIRK: Those are important, too.

ROSE: Not as important as this is.

ROSE: For all my temporary discomfort with the prospect of settling down on Deltritus and starting what could very loosely be considered a family with you, I want you to know that my heart is in what we're working towards-

DIRK: Technically, you don't have a heart.

ROSE: Shut up.

ROSE: - and that I'm happy to be here with you.

ROSE: Not drifting around in a constrictive, small pond, getting caught up in trivialities like politics and celebrity and romance,

ROSE: But saving the fucking universe.

DIRK: ...

DIRK: Well.

DIRK: You're welcome.

DIRK: I don't think there's anyone I'd rather be doing this with than you.

DIRK: The rest of them just don't have it in them right now to understand what it is we're fighting for, here.

DIRK: They can't grasp the stakes.

DIRK: Even now, they're on their way here, actively trying to stop us from saving them all.

DIRK: They'll probably catch us right before our entrance into the Game, actually.

DIRK: I won't insult you by asking if you're going to be okay when the time comes to face them, demanding answers they won't accept to questions they aren't even asking, because I know that you will.

DIRK: So I'm glad to have you with me.

DIRK: I'm glad you understand.

DIRK: I'm doing this for all of us.