#why no carryover of tags

[abyssal-ilk]

thank God you caught those tags because I'm still not over the only Black companion in the game being one of the mandatory sacrifices. the way they wrote Davrin is a crime. he has to spend the entire narrative preparing for and the recovering from his fated death, maybe gets a glimmer of hope, and then is one of two characters (the other of whom is a white carryover from the last game!!!) who HAVE to die and the player gets to choose which? its BLATANT.

YEAH. it makes zero sense to me to put davrin in that choice. his entire story leading up to the end is preparing for death, NOT dying, and then accepting the fact that he hasn't died and trying to figure out what that means for himself. if the game actually focused more on that and not on the griffin plotline, it could of been SO good. a warden who survived killing an archdemon while hundreds of other wardens die around him? surviving when the greatest honor a warden can have is dying? like come ON. focus on that for his questline instead of making it quick conversations! make the griffin plot-line faction quests for the wardens, not davrin's personal quests!

anyways. got distracted a bit there.

undoing all of the progress we see davrin have by having the option to sacrifice him is sooo. well, it sure was a choice! a bad one. why the fuck was it between harding and davrin when davrin's entire arc outside of assan has been about LIVING. it's so infuriating.

[earanie]

Rules : Tag 10 (or less) people that you want to get to know better :

Thank you @pia-writes-things for tagging me, that's so sweet :)

Now, the questions!

1. Relationship status : single and very serene about it

2. Favourite colour : teal. Reminds me of the sea!

3. Song stuck in my head: Poison by Alice Cooper (no idea why I just woke up and this was playing in my brain)

4. Three favourite foods : my mother's pea-and-rice soup, gelato and bread (this was hard, ask me again in ten minutes I'll have 3 different answers)

5. Last song I listened to: À qui la faute by Ycare, Hoshi

6. Dream trip: I hope I'll get to go to Paris sometimes soon. Apart from that... Russia (not rn maybe 😅). And Uzbekistan. But honestly everywhere, if I had money and time, I'd go everywhere.

7. Last thing I googled: the rule for using qui/que in French. This is a wall where the carryover from Italian is failing me and I don't like it lol (it's not the first time I've googled this. yes I know it's basic grammar. yes I do want to cry)

I'd say that everyone who sees this and wants to play must consider themselves officially tagged!

I'm also gonna tag some people with the usual disclaimer that if you don't want to do this, feel free to ignore: @preux-chevalier (it's been a long time you say? Well not anymore lol), @glamorouspixels , @hemerae-ramblings aand @adverbally

[onewomancitadel]

Books being churned out at hasty speed is not new, that was the heyday of the paperback when they were the predominant entertainment form, the halcyon era of sci-fi, so I don't think what has become of romance/romance fantasy publishing is at all new - even for romance itself the harlequins were pumped out in a blink - if anything I think publishing companies are leaping at the chance to be relevant again.

The difference between now and then is that the majority of people don't read for entertainment, so the audience is much smaller, and so what's getting shovelled out has to tailor to that small, loyal audience: this is why the stratification, the carryover of tags-over-story is so effective. Identifying your audience is key to advertising, cultivating a brand, brand safety, etc., and it is really, really convenient that the 'do you like Hades and Persephone? Enemies-to-lovers?' form already existed in fandom. That's why every other novel describes itself as a crossover.

Is it a bad thing? Like really, fundamentally, is it a bad thing? Is bad fanfic being carried over in poor form to original publishing? Can you even say that most original published authors are interested in reading books? Because every other fucking post I see on the Internet is from some self-identified gifted kidult who's too good to read a book but wants everybody to pay attention to their shitty passion project based on a fic idea they could never get to work because that would mean actually understanding canon.

I think it's easy to blame fanfic because fandom is home of the nerd. Like, really, I know all the normies deeply resent this fact, but fanfic readers and writers have a reputation of fanaticism for a reason. And it's easy to think that that geekiness is responsible for the ultimate laziness of corporate stakes. Do you honestly think they would pass up this opportunity to gain a foothold in relevance when people are reading less than ever? The average person barely reads past a headline they scroll past. People aren't even really going to movies anymore. The publishing industry dreams of when people used to buy mass market paperbacks for their main source of entertainment.

It's easy to be proud of your ignorance - the average keyboard warrior thinks this is noble political praxis - and I don't doubt that most of what I have to say in a stupid Tumblr post actually meaningfully contributes to anything. But I guess I'm a little tired of people pointing at fanfic as being the problem when I really don't think it's solely responsible. The type of ignorance that fic authors might loudly practise doesn't put them in a unique category to any other original work author with a groundbreaking take on a strong female character in YA fantasy. And there are particular facets to fanfic that are yummy prey for the publishing industry, highly stratified and categorised stories, devoutly loyal readers - people already with a tendency to passionate devotion, and quite often - already finished works with positive reception. Why would you not want to publish these authors?

And yes, I do believe fanfic is a different practice from original work. People take this to mean that fanfic is consequently 'not valid'; nobody ever said that. And yes, I do think there are consequences to turning it into original work, and if you're not aware of these you can stumble. And yes, I think it's a mistake to think fanfic is automatically lesser on account of it being fanfic and that original work is automatically superior, particularly if you're somebody who doesn't really like fanfic and then get surprised at how shit some new releases can be, and then you attribute that to it being retrofitted fanfic. I've read both. It's not just a fic problem. (This is what this post is really about).

Fanfic can be good. Original work can be good but it has commercial stakes at play and artistic fads to contend with - just look at the advent of 'windowpane prose' and the utter disregard for the basic crafting tools of narrative. When they crossover, weird things can happen, because of genre mismatch - fanfic romance or fanfic fantasy romance doesn't always translate well to its original work counterparts, particularly when everybody has been sold the lie that it's basically the same thing. There's a lot more going on here than 'the yucky fic authors are invading'. That's it. That's the post.

[doozclops]

Okay I'm old, can anyone explain to me why sometimes I see gifsets with this huge chunk of tags of just "#user[name]" that, when I look at them are also filled with a bunch of unrelated gifsets.

Is it a carryover from Instagram or something?

[androxys]

Do other authors also see a sort of “ship effect” regarding engagement with their fics?

I’ve been releasing Birdseye for two months now, but since I posted Chapter 5 three days ago I’ve seen a marked increase in engagement with the fic. I’m getting kudos emails every day now, rather than once a week, and I can see the hits are rising.

I’m not (or at least I try not to be) an author who writes for hits and kudos. Don’t get me wrong, they’re great! I love when people like my stories, and nothing can touch the rush of a comment. But I try not to be concerned with the stats and metrics that purport to reflect my fics’ success. And yet it does still catch my eye when a fic does start to gain speed, and my curiosity wins out.

In general, my fics tend to be plot driven and dialogue heavy. I read too many Batman comics in the early to mid 2000s, and as such my works tend to follow in tone and pace. My fics also don’t tend to be relationship heavy, or they don’t tend to have a relationship as the main focus. This bump that I think I’m observing, however, seems to indicate that to a reader, the relationship aspect (or, perhaps, merely the relationship tag) is the draw.

I came to this theory because up until Chapter 5, the only relationship tag I had on Birdseye was “Cassandra Cain & Stephanie Brown.” Post- Chapter 5, I now have added “Damian Wayne & Jon Kent” and “Tim Drake/Bernard Dowd.” I suspect that this last one, the slash tag, is the one that started driving clicks onto my fic, even though the relationship is still not actually a main focus! I know that historically, femslash and WLW pairings are less trafficked. I also know that the & is different than the /, but I wonder if perhaps there is carryover.

My most popular fic, I feel safe in saying, is Can’t Prove It. It’s sole relationship tag is “Dick Grayson & Jason Todd.” I don’t know if the relationship tag is bolstering it, or if it’s just a better work. It could be either or both. It could be a million things, which I fully accept. But is it because people are more interested in this relationship dynamic than the plot? Or is it because the relationship is front and center? Or is it just a happy merge or the two, or something else? I’m musing out loud at this point.

I suppose this also can start getting into the can of worms that is “when do you tag something, and why?” I say it’s a can of worms because I don’t even really think there’s a baseline to be agreed upon, save perhaps “there is a tagging system on AO3 that can be used to describe your fics and make them more searchable.” But that’s a statement of function rather than any comment on practice. Should an author tag every character and relationship (and so on) that appears in the fic? Just the important one(s)? If the tag is for the reader, is it incumbent on the author to tag anything at all, if they don’t want to?

I have thought, and continue to think, that tagging is an important and culturally significant aspect of fandom that has a long historical precedent that should be respected and upheld. I also think that the author should tag their fic however they want, up to not including any tags at all. I think these two things are not mutually exclusive. But after so much disproportionate time in writer mode, rather than reader mode, I still find myself curious as to how tags and tagging effect the life of a fic, both in how its information is represented and made searchable.

[presumenothing]

man sa beining was a real disaster in mxdzt s1 huh

[captainderyn]

Dog Tags [Fic]

Fandom: Mass Effect (ME2)

Pairing: Fledgling-Shakarian/Semi-Romantic carryover from ME1

Warnings: Swearing, Mentions of Injury

Summary:

Ryn doesn't know why Garrus has her dog tags. What she does know is that falling back into banter with him in the med bay is easier than breathing and even after death...and being rebuilt...her feelings for Garrus are too complicated for her to parse out.

--

Locking her in the meeting room had done little to ease Ryn’s stress or calm her anger.

For a moment Ryn had thought that perhaps Miranda had simply closed the door as Jacob frog-marched her inside, to buy themselves a few seconds before Ryn was back to shouting. 

No, she’d quickly found as she’d tugged and hammered on the door, it’d been locked from the outside. 

And EDI wouldn’t unlock it for her. 

So much for being XO of this ship. 

At 29 years old--or, perhaps 31, she still couldn’t wrap her head around the fact that she was standing here when she remembered dying--the days of tantrums were decades behind her.

But that was Garrus out there in the medbay, blown to shit from a missile. Garrus, who she’d found when looking for some ‘mysterious figure’ named Archangel. Garrus, who the Illusive Man had said was unreachable. 

If Dr. Chakwas told Ryn that she needed to leave and cool off, then she would’ve. But it was Miranda, in that chilly, above-everyone-else tone who’d told her to calm down. 

Then it was Jacob who had pulled her off Miranda, when Ryn had finally snapped and shoved the Cerberus brat up against the wall, biotics snapping around her as she’d shouted that they had lied to her, making her believe she was alone. Allowed her to find Mordin first when Garrus was cornered and under siege. 

If she’d arrived only a few minutes earlier…

Ryn settled for sending a shockwave firing through the door, even if it didn’t budge the mechanisms that kept it locked. It blew off some steam at least. 

“Joker!” she shouted, voice roughed to a harsh edge from the Omega smog. Nothing. 

She wheeled to the port she knew housed EDI with an accusatory finger already raised, “You’re blocking the input!”

The holographic eye-like sphere blinked to life in soft blue light. It opened and closed like a mouth with each word, “I’m sorry Shepard, the Illusive Man has ordered you to remain here. Mr. Moreau has been blocked from all communication systems and locking systems.”

It was nothing EDI could control, she was just doing as she was programmed. It didn’t stop the white hot flash of anger that heated Ryn’s skin in an instant, flushing her neck and face blotchy red. 

“Ugh!” she snarled, flinging herself back into pacing. She braced her hands against the back of her neck, pressing until her knuckles cracked. 

This was ridiculous. She was trapped. Garrus could be dying right now and they wouldn’t even let her be there for her old crew member. Her old friend. 

Her old…whatever it was that they were. 

The door hissed open and Ryn wheeled, only to rock backwards like she’d been struck. 

Because she knew what those dog tags meant. She knew why Jacob was holding them out to her. 

“Is he…?” she choked like she’d been punched in the gut. 

 If the last image she had of him was limp on the ground, marred and peppered with bullet holes…if the last time he’d looked at her had been with slack-jawed…something--amazement? Horror?--like he’d seen a  ghost….

He’d promised her that they had a lot to catch up on. 

Her head went light, eyesight darkening and she sucked in a deep breath. 

Then Jacob was there, pressing the dog tags into her palm even as she smacked his help at steadying her away. 

“He’s not…dead.” he hedged as Ryn wrapped her fingers tight enough around the metal that the edge cut into the groove between her palm and fingers, “But Dr. Chakwas thought it would be best for you to have these regardless.” 

Ryn tangled the rusty chain around her other hand, gripping that like a lifeline too. 

“Get out.” she whispered, backing up until her legs hit one of the chairs. She sank into it, pressing the dog tags to her forehead and taking in several deep breaths. She was shaking, she could feel the vibrations deep in her bones, “And leave the fucking door unlocked.” 

“Commander--” Jacob began and Ryn squeezed her eyes closed. 

“Get the fuck out.” she repeated, “That’s an order. If you’ll listen to me.” 

This wasn’t her. This nasty, unfiltered commander. This wasn’t how she spoke to her people. 

These weren’t her people. Not yet. These were the Illusive Man’s loyal dogs and she was just an expensive shadow of the person she had once been. 

From the corner of her eye she caught Jacob snap a salute and back towards the door. 

He paused one more time before he slipped back outside, “Commander…I’m sorry about all of this. If it was up to me, this isn’t how we’d do things.” 

“Understood, Taylor.” she sighed and the door hissed closed behind him. Blessedly she did not hear it lock. 

Her legs refused to move, her body heavy lead in the chair. All except her fingers, which loosened enough around the dog tags to run her fingers over the lettered face. 

She’d never seen Garrus wear dog tags from his mandatory time in turian military service, hadn’t even realized that turians used the same form of military identification. Her knowledge of C-Sec was certainly limited enough that she’d never considered what they used. 

Her fingers froze. 

She opened her palm entirely, lifting the rusted tags closer to her face. There was a chunk missing out of the side of the top one. Both tags had a slight curve, like they’d been heat-warped then hammered back into place. 

She ran her fingers back over the lettering. 

Shepard

Laney R. 

5923-AC-2826

0 Pos

No Preference

Blinking down at her own dog tags as if she’d lost the ability to read, she read the lines again and again. 

These were hers. The ones she would’ve gone down with when the Collectors hit the Normandy SR-1. 

In the case of her death they should’ve gone to her mother, or her father. Why did Garrus have them? 

It opened up a gaping ache in her chest, one she didn’t know what to do with. 

He had these on him. 

Dr. Chakwas felt they were important enough to give back to Ryn, either as rightful owner or in some sick cycle of remembrance. 

When Ryn pushed on the door to the meeting room it opened for her and she tumbled numbly into the hallway. No one stopped her this time as she staggered like a drunkard to the medbay. 

**

Garrus looked like shit. Ryn came to that conclusion in the hours she sat, perched in the far corner of the medbay, pressed into the corner like the Illusive Man and his crew couldn’t rip her out again if they wanted to. 

No one came to get her. 

She let Chakwas fuss over her scars, run tests on her, listening numbly and nodding along as needed. 

Those dog tags hadn’t left her grip. The little chain was beginning to weld itself into divots in her skin, leaving pink marks. 

Finally, thankfully, Garrus woke up. 

Dr. Chakwas wouldn’t let her barge over immediately, putting her in a place with a stern look that only someone used to dealing with gunho Alliance soldiers could hone. Ryn sat, shaking, clutching the metal between her fingers. 

Then it was just the two of them. Ryn and Garrus. Shepard and Vakarian. 

She found she didn’t know what to do with herself. Not when she had barely been able to get a read on his thoughts back on Omega. 

With half his face covered in bandages, getting a read now was impossible. 

Garrus finally broke the tension with a groan, propping himself up to look at her with deadly seriousness. 

“Chakwas won’t give me a mirror.” His voice was rough, but so achingly familiar. Ryn took a step forward. 

He tilted his head to and fro, giving her a better look at the bandaged damage that had been done, “Be honest…how bad is it.” 

Ryn couldn’t help the tears that welled into her eyes, the way they choked out her laugh into something more akin to a squawk, “Fuck, Garrus, you were always a little ugly. Slap some face paint on there and no one will notice the difference.” 

This was them. This was where they had left off. The dry, mutual teasing was as natural as breathing. 

“Ha-hah…ah--” Garrus began sarcastically before he winced, squeezing his eyes closed. “Dammit Ryn, don’t make me laugh. My face is barely holding it together.” 

Ryn. She sucked in a breath. Were they still…there? Was that still…okay? 

Her silence went on for too long. 

“What?”

Ryn cleared her throat, finally breaking the distance between them, “I just didn’t know if we were still…if I was still…after…” 

“After two years?” Garrus finished for her and she nodded, swiping the back of one hand across her wet cheeks. 

“This is…weird…I won’t lie to you.” He began and her heart shattered so quickly she was certain it was vaporized. “But you’re still my Shepard, my Commander, my…Ryn.” 

    Just as quickly, her heart tentatively rebuilt itself with careful hope and daring longing. 

    “Especially when you almost biotic-tossed your two squadmates off the building.” he sniggered and Ryn narrowed her eyes, latching onto the opportunity to fall back into their easy banter. 

    “You were bleeding out on the fucking tiles, Vakarian, you didn’t see shit.” 

    “I could feel it,” Garrus insisted, shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter, “The air got all electric, I thought I saw the light at the end of the tunnel but it was just your glowing biotics.” 

    “Garrus!” Ryn admonished, stomach jolting at the very real reminder that he’d almost died. 

    He raised one hand, muttering an apology. His fingers brushed the metal of the dog tags and he paused, watching them swing back and forth from her hand. 

    Ryn followed his gaze, pressing her lips together. “Garrus, why did you have these?” 

    “Liara gave them to me.” Garrus pinched them between two of his fingers, halting their swaying. 

    Liara. How the hell did Liara get them? She didn’t want to know. She wasn’t ready for the whole story yet, she was certain her brain would fall to pieces. 

    “They should’ve gone to my mother.” 

    “I sent them to the Alliance.” Garrus’s eyes jumped to hers, “Captain Shepard sent them back--saying she couldn’t handle having them.” 

    Her eyes overflowed and she blinked furiously at the wall across from her, trying to stop the tears. 

    She needed to message her mother. She doubted the Illusive Man had done so. Had her parents gone two years believing she was dead? Or did they know she was being rebuilt painstakingly, piece by piece. Which was worse? 

    “Shepard,” Garrus tugged on her and she sank onto the bed next to him, the cot groaning beneath their combined weight. 

    Even though she wasn’t certain where they had left off, or where they stood now, Ryn allowed herself to take Garrus’ comfort for what it was, allowing it to soothe her aching heart. 

    “I kept them because no one else would believe me if I said I worked with the famous Commander Shepard.” It took a long moment for Ryn to register Garrus’ joking tone. 

    Her answering snort was snotty and half-whimper. 

    “That’s a shitty souvenir.” she sniffled. 

    He gave a soft laugh, brushing a hand down her back, “Well now I’ve got the real one back, guess they have to believe me now.” 

    Back. Implying she was the same person he’d left back on the SR-1. 

    “They took away your scars.” Garrus tore her from her thoughts, motioning to her upper lip and opposite brow. 

    She ran her fingers over her skin, noting each crease where her new cybernetic scars were, “Don’t worry they added new ones to make up for it. Chakwas says they’ll fade.” 

    “Chakwas told you yours would fade?” Garrus countered her bitter tone with indignation, “I didn’t get told mine will fade!” 

    Ryn tried her best to put on a teasing grin, “As I said Garrus, no one will ever notice, slap your face paint over it and you’ll be good as new.” 

“War paint.” The correction was half hearted at best before Garrus’ mandibles flared in a silent laugh. 

“I’ve heard some women like scars.” He said, “Granted…they’re mostly krogan women, but they’re out there.” 

 Ryn laughed, a real laugh, tossing her head back. It felt like breaking rust off of her heart, shaking frozen systems back into motion. 

“You’re insufferable.” She wheezed, one hand over her face, “Absolutely insufferable.” 

Why were her cheeks burning? She could feel the heat rushing up her neck. 

Garrus chuffed, groaning and raising a hand to his face, “Damn that hurts.” 

Ryn pushed herself up, the realization that Garrus should probably be resting and not being harassed by her and her…whatever this mire of emotions was inside of her, “I should go.” 

She was certain he’d slipped back under the haze of whatever pain concoction Chakwas had given him when Garrus called to her, right as she was at the door. 

“Oh, and Shepard?” 

Humming in question, she braced against the doorframe. 

“You never told me your middle name was Laney.” Amusement laced through his tone. 

Rolling her eyes, Ryn flipped him off, “It was my Grammy’s name.” 

“I think it’s cute!” His voice raised to a singsong, “Commander Ryn Laney Shepard. Rolls off the tongue doesn’t it?” 

Ryn flipped him off with her other hand too, “Rest up you drugged asshole, I want you back on your feet stat.” 

He snapped a sarcastic salute to her as the medbay door started to hiss closed, “Yes ma’am.” 

She couldn’t help her smile as she slipped into the elevator and back up to her cabin. 

The Normandy SR-2 felt a little less foreign now. 

[amidststars]

Author Interview

It's been forever since I've done something like this, so when I saw @prince-liest share theirs, I figured why not?

Fandoms: Primarily BNHA right now, but I'm still lurking in the FMA and SNK fandoms.

Where I post: AO3. I'll share links on tumblr, but you'll never see me actually post fics here because the formatting always gives me a headache.

Most popular one shot: My ereri mini bang piece Going, Going, Gone. I had to delete all my fics and reupload them a year ago, so the stats aren’t an accurate representation anymore, but it got a lot of traction at the time.

Most popular multichapter fic: Probably The Writing on the Wall. This is a carryover from my MCU days, back when the Thor movies were actually good and lokane was more than just a rare pair ship. It's by far the most ambitious fic I've ever attempted, which is why I'm still working on it almost seven years later.

Favorite story written so far: I can’t choose just one. While The Writing on the Wall is my baby and will always hold a special place in my heart, Wild-Eyed (And You've Got Me Now) is right up there with it. There was something incredibly cathartic about writing it, and I'm ridiculously proud of how it turned out.

Fic I was nervous to post: Literally everything? Haha, I'm always a nervous wreck when I post. But the biggest one recently was Even If It Burns, simply because it was my first jump into the BNHA fandom.

Do you outline?: YES. Even if it's just a one shot, I'll have notes on how things will go. I'm not at all a "fly by the seat of my pants" writer.

Complete: Twenty-nine, which is... honestly kind of crazy. I've never taken the time to count how many fics I've completed, so that's nice to see :')

In progress: Five as of right now. Two of those are pretty much abandoned, but I have every intention of finishing The Writing on the Wall, Remembered Landscape (In Ruins, But Not Ruined), and A Hurricane, Raging.

Coming soon: I just started working on a dabihawks multi-chap time loop fic that I've had in mind since I first started shipping them! Other than that, there’s a long list of ideas for one shots that I'll tackle as I have time.

Do I accept prompts?: Yes! Sometimes they fall by the wayside, but I usually consider them a fun challenge. Most of my SNK one shots actually came from prompts.

Upcoming works I’m most excited for: Definitely the time loop fic! I’m hoping to have the first chapter ready to post in a couple weeks!

Tagging: Anyone who wants to do this <3 

[divineluce]

A Fae-ted Encounter || Athena & Luce

Timing: Monday, September 14th

Location: The woods outside White Crest

Tagging: @athenaquinn & @divineluce

Summary: Athena and Luce meet up for a morning run that quickly goes awry.

Athena had not necessarily expected to hang out with Luce outside of the whole getting a tattoo experience, no matter how much she had found their conversation to be enjoyable. So when Luce had mentioned a love for going for runs, Athena jumped at the chance. She found getting out and exercising to provide a certain thrill only matched by an especially good hunt or a particularly engaging textbook. It was early - just before six a.m., and the smell of the forest was calming. She began to stretch while she waited for Luce - and the feeling of her knives against her hips was comforting, as always. It was the easiest place to keep them during a run, since her running shoes didn’t provide a great deal of coverage. Particularly not as far as weaponry was considered. She had always been one to have a desire to be prepared, and this guaranteed that. Finishing up a second round of stretches, she looked up to see Luce approaching. “Hey! How’s it going this morning? Glad we were able to find the time to go for a run.”

No one ever talked about how much stress fucked with your sleep schedule. Luce was no stranger to sleepless nights, but it seemed like more often than not, she was stuck staring up at the ceiling of her room or drawing designs until her wrists ached and the sun had begun to break through the blinds of her window. Which was why she was going for a run now-- coffee could only do so much and fuck, going for a run with one of the kids she tattooed? She’d done weirder. Parking her 4x4 alongside the road, Luce stretched briefly against the side of her car before jogging towards the place they’d agreed on meeting up. It was a familiar trailhead to her, one of the many she frequented. “It’s going, it’s going. Nothing like a run to get things going though.” Luce said with a nod, tying her long hair back up in a ponytail. “Yeah, for sure. I haven’t run with a partner in a while, so it might take me a minute to match pace.” She warned, and tilted her head at the woods. “Let’s hit the trails, huh?” She grinned before setting off at a light jogging pace, just to get the blood pumping. 

“I agree completely!” Perhaps her voice held just slightly too much enthusiasm, but Athena found that she didn’t care all too much. Not to mention, that sort of behavior was likely exactly what Luce might have expected, given what she did know about her. “Not a worry, I have a few friends I run with sometimes, but I’m flexible.” She flashed the woman a grin, carefully observing her. This was an entirely different context from the last time that the two of them had hung out, and she was curious if Luce’s behavior would change in any way. She didn’t so much mind whether or not it did, she’d found her to be pleasant to talk to both in person and online, and more people to go for runs with was never a bad thing. “Let’s go!” Athena nodded, matching Luce’s pace. “Do you have a favorite trail or spot to go running? I know that I sometimes will change it up, but I think that’s carryover from sometimes not wanting to ever sit still as a kid. As much as I can deeply concentrate, I also have a need to move and see different things. Despite being small, this town does manage to provide that. On a tangential note, I hope we don’t see any moose today. That’s not a fun time on a hike.”

Raising an eyebrow at the girl’s tone, Luce decided to take it in stride. Literally, she grinned to herself at the idea. As they began to run through the woods, she kept her strides nice and measured, really focusing on just letting her muscles move, the blood to flow. It wasn’t as hot as it had been in the middle of July, thank fuck, but her natural body temperature made running in the summer a bitch. As she ran alongside the girl, Luce was reminded why she didn’t typically run with other people. People liked to talk. people liked to chatter and make small talk and she just… didn’t give a shit about it. She barely gave a shit when she was at work. But, hopefully talking more would help her stay awake. “Eh, mostly just the places around my cabin because it was closest and most convenient to me. But, there are a couple places in the national park that are pretty. There’s a cool trail that leads into a whole field of wildflowers-- it’s best in the spring, but still. Not a bad spot year round.” Luce lengthened her stride a bit, picking up the pace as they wound through the woods. “Oh, fuck no. I’m so not down for a moose run in.” She said with a shake of her head. Her silver knuckledusters were tucked into the discreet pocket in the waistband of her leggings, but those wouldn’t be enough to stop a moose, not at all. She’d just be hightailing it up the nearest tree if they ran into one.

She hadn’t doubted the woman when the two of them had discussed going for a run, but Athena was pleased to see that the woman kept up with her - was arguably a better runner than she was in some ways, though she was not too keen to admit that just yet, if at all. “That makes sense. I run on Harris Island a lot too for much of the same reason - it’s home for me, and though not the woods, it does provide wide and open space to go. Though sometimes I go through town.” Sometimes, and she’d run into banshee screams on more than one occasion. She wasn’t going to focus on that right now, though. “That sounds wonderful! Not sure if I’ve been on that trail before, but it sounds like a good place to go.” The two of them continued to make their way through the forest and Athena had to hold back a small giggle at Luce’s remark about the moose. “Though I’m not always opposed to them, they certainly are not on my ‘must see’ list ever.” There was a bit of an incline as the two of them continued through the forest, the morning air cool and calming - which was one of the number of reasons why she enjoyed this time of day as much as she did.

“Harris Island, huh? Too bougie for me.” Luce said, as they continued along the forest trail. Sure, Harris Island was pretty, but she hadn’t been back there since she’d dealt with… August. And Lydia. Her expression turned dour at the memory. That fucking bitch. She’d sworn her to silence about what they’d done, bound her, like she’d bound August. Fuck. “I’m not a big fan of the mega mansions they’ve got chilling out there. The Common’s not a bad place to run around town, though.” She added. As they made their way through the woods, Luce focused on her breathing, making sure to keep it nice and smooth. This particular trail was just a quick 1.5 mile loop, but she was still feeling the effects of her sleepless night. If she’d been in better shape, if she’d been less tired, she might have noticed the rustling in the bushes, the way the birds seem to quiet around them. But, as it was, she just kept running. 

“I mean, I still live with my parents. You are not wrong about it being a bit bougie, though I like being right near the ocean.” Athena shrugged. “I guess I’m used to it too.” She noted Luce’s change in expression and fiddled with the end of her hair for a moment, giving a small murmur of agreement at her words. “Oh yeah, The Common’s great!” When there’s no fae flocking around, but she kept those thoughts to herself. They were making their way steadily around the trail when Athena all of a sudden felt a shiver run up and down her arms as she skidded to a halt. So much for fae not ruining the hike. She turned to look at Luce, before looking back at the bushes, a rustling sound becoming more and more clear before she could spot ears. Shit. “We might have a bit of a problem.” She took in a deep breath, focusing her attention. The iron cold on her hip. 

“Nice. Must be lucky living out home.” Luce remarked, the comment sounding offhand. But, a part of her meant it. The recent wound of her mother, turning her back on the three of them, was still raw, still open and painful. She hated her mother for what she’d done to them, hated her father for never standing up for them, but she couldn’t shake the sadness that came with losing them. She shouldn’t feel so fucked up about it. She didn’t regret what she’d done. She’d done what was right. Even if it came at the cost of unclean hands and of losing the people she loved most. Before she could get too in her feelings about it all, Athena came to an abrupt halt. Taken off guard, Luce stumbled to a stop but managed to right herself. “What? What’s up?” She asked, looking at the trees around them.

“I am lucky, but I also love my family, so I wouldn’t trade it for the world.” Athena shrugged. She wouldn’t, would she? Shaking any sort of thought like that out of her mind, she refocused herself on what was actually going on. Namely, the giant gosh darned fae-dog that was just off in the bushes. “Don’t move.” She gave a small nod, the creature standing up now. “It’s a - well. It’s not a normal dog.” Cù-sìth, she thought, her mind whirring as it often did, as she’d been trained to do. “You see that, right? Large dog. Very quiet.” She huffed. It might not be quiet for long. 

“That’s more than fair, for sure.” Luce nodded in agreement. After all, family was why she still lived at Bea’s. She could be back at her cabin, she could be staying there right now in fact. But, since they’d been cast out of the coven… there was a part of her-- a part of her that she refused to show to her sisters-- that wanted to keep what remained of her family close. All of those thoughts were pushed out of her mind at the girl’s words. Scanning the woods around them, Luce’s eyes fell on the giant dog that was lurking in the bushes. It wasn’t a wolf, so not a werewolf, but she wasn’t exactly familiar with every beast that ran around the woods. “Yeah, I see it.” She said, her hands resting on the waistband of her leggings, feeling the curve of the metal tucked in her pocket. “What’s the plan? Back away slowly?”

She didn’t know how much Luce knew. Athena remembered that the woman had grown up in this town, but she also knew that none of that guaranteed knowledge of anything. It made her job both easier and more difficult, but right now she wasn’t going to focus on anything but Luce and getting her to safety. “Good.” She nodded. “That’s - backing away is good, but these - they’re real fast when they want to be. Might not look it, but they are. Can be.” The cold iron of her knife was incredibly appealing but she couldn’t bring it out just yet. “You - we don’t want it to howl.” She whispered to Luce, taking another few steps towards the woman. “That’s not good. It’s - their howls aren’t normal.” She looked over at her. Athena knew that she’d be fine, but as fae as she was aware, Luce wasn’t a warden. “They are not the friendliest of dogs.”

As she stared at the creature, Luce was able to see that there the “dog’s” fur was green, with tufts of what looked like grass sticking out in clumps. “Is there any reason why this thing looks like a Husky fucked a hedge?” She hissed, as she tried to back away from the dog while discreetly pulling the knuckleduster from her pocket. But, her leggings were just a bit too tight and the weapon remained stubbornly tucked in her waistband. Christ. A dummy thicc joke went through her mind briefly, but it was quickly pushed out of her mind as the creature began to stalk towards them, hackles raised. “What do you mean their howls aren’t normal?” She asked, but before the girl could answer, the dog was already opening its mouth, a horrific howl coming from its maw. Instantly, Luce went to her knees, clasping her hands over her ears, but that couldn’t keep the bellowing sound that had already pierced her skull. 

“Because it’s one of the worst kinds of dogs you could ever see.” Athena admittedly had to smirk just slightly at Luce’s comment. Well, if that was anything to go off of, then perhaps she would have an easier time convincing her that this thing would be better off dead. “I mean that -” before she could respond, the creature had howled and though Athena knew it would have no sort of effect on her, Luce wouldn’t be so lucky. “We’ve got ten minutes max until it might howl again. Sometimes - there’s some ways or cases when people die after three howls.” She knew that she was talking faster than normal but she had to get all of the information to Luce as best as she could. “You - it’s going to make you feel afraid, but that’s okay. It’s - well,” she pulled one of her iron daggers out of its resting place against her hip. “I might have a solution. It is the only way to deal with this. It could do a lot of harm to those in town if we let it get away.”

The howl was the worst thing she’d ever heard-- and Luce had sat through more shitty fucking local bands at Soul than she wanted to admit. Fuck. It was as though her blood had gone cold, while at the same time, her heart felt like it was going to pound out of her goddamn chest. Fear, the overwhelming sensation of dread, of terror, of the urge to run as fast and as far as her feet could take her from that thing filled her chest. “F-Fuck!” Luce managed as her hands fell to the earth, clawing at the dirt. Heart pounding, eyes daring wildly, she stared up at the girl with unseeing eyes, too overwhelmed by sheer terror to do much more than stare. But, she saw a flash of metal, a knife. Was she going to hurt her too? Was she going to attack her like that fucking hedge husky? Fuck. Blue flames ignited in the dirt around her hands, a reflex, a means to protecting herself, even as the fear clung to her.

This wasn’t her fault, but some part of her thought that maybe she should have been more careful. Athena glanced between the cù sìth and Luce. Luce, who now had flames around her fingertips. Spellcaster? Or something else, Athena wasn’t quite sure at first. Holding the knife out toward the dog, she knelt down next to Luce, careful not to touch the other woman. “That thing over there causes fear. It’s doing this to you on purpose.” She wasn’t certain if Luce would even fully understand what was going on, but she needed the woman to know that she wasn’t going to hurt her, but that this creature was going to do a lot of harm if one of them didn’t get rid of it. “Fire might not do much, though it is a good idea,” she said, trying to keep her voice as even as possible.

Luce’s gulped in air, taking it in with rapid, panting breaths. The thing, she couldn’t see it, couldn’t tell where it had disappeared in the brush around them. She wanted to wrap herself in flames, protect herself from that thing. Its howl still rang in her ears as her fingers dug deeper into the earth, as though the gesture would ground her and keep her safe. As she struggled to control herself, Luce was able to catch the snippets of words-- Athena, Luce remembered her name through the oppressive waves of fear. It wasn’t just dread, the lingering howl rattled in her mind and she could hear voices. Screaming, in pain, begging for something to end. Bea. Nell. Ulf. Remmy. Nadia. Morgan. “No. No, no, no, no, no.” She said, curling up in on herself as she tried to ignore it. But, the flames around her grew, blue tongues curling around her arms now.

The woman was having an anxiety attack of some sort. Or at least that was what it seemed like to Athena. “Look. I’m not going to hurt you.” She didn’t know how much of what she was saying was getting through to Luce, so she kept repeating it, in different ways. They didn’t have much time to act. “Will that keep you safe?” She queried, looking down at the fire. For a brief flash of a moment, she found herself wishing that she could give the other woman some immunity to the creature just like she had. But if that wasn’t possible, ridding the world of it was the next best thing. “I can make this stop, if you’d like. I can - your fire might be able to help too.” Her voice held a certain sort of gentleness that surprised even her, but if that was what it took, she would gladly comply. “One blow to a major organ of that thing using my knife and we’ll be free. It won’t hurt you or anyone else.”

Dimly, Luce could see the way that the girl looked at the fire that was winding up her forearms, coiling like snakes around her biceps. “Y-yeah.” She managed, doing her best to try and calm herself. Her heart was still racing, her breathing still too quick. Her head felt strange, like it was going to fucking… pop off or something. Christ. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Fuck that dog and it’s fucked up howl. Gritting her teeth, Luce staggered to her feet and looked at Athena. “How? And… why aren’t you..?” Her voice trailed off as she gestured to herself. The girl hadn’t even missed a beat when the creature had howled. How?

She wasn’t supposed to tell others what she was. That was practically a cardinal rule back home, but she knew she’d messed that rule up a number of times, be it on purpose or on accident. But she knew what Luce was, or had some sort of idea, and it was only fair for Luce to know what Athena was, too. “I’m a warden. I would appreciate it if you kept that to yourself, but that’s why it is not doing anything to me. It is a form of fae, but it is going to do a lot of harm if we don’t take care of it as soon as possible.” She looked over at Luce. “Your reaction is normal for anyone who isn’t fae and isn’t a warden. We need to deal with it… soon. It’ll likely howl again soon, and that’s not good for anyone.”

As the girl explained just why she was able to withstand the fucked dog’s howl, Luce’s eyes widened. A Warden? That was some kind of hunter, right? She had no idea that there were specific hunters that went after different shit, but sure, that worked. She could roll with that, as long as Athena could fucking handle it. “Okay. Okay. W-what can I do to help?” She asked, hating the way her voice stammered with fear. She was better than this, she was fucking better than this. Clenching her fists, she did her best to rein in the flames a bit, just to keep them away from the girl. She doubted that wardens were fireproof. “I can… set fire to things. Or blow shit up. But I don’t know where it is.” She said, her eyes darting around the forest around them.

“If you want to keep it trapped, that might do us both a lot of good.” Athena bit her lip. She looked over at Luce carefully. Even if she was one to sometimes rush into things, even she could tell that right now was not the time for that. “We don’t want it escaping, but maybe blocking it so that it’s got no choice but to come towards me. That could help.” She analyzed the scene around them quickly - doing her best to take in as much of it as she could. Doing her best to think a few steps ahead. “Setting fire is good.” She glanced around them. “I think…” she closed her eyes for a moment, letting her skin feel cold. Doing her best to embrace the feeling. “It’s by those trees,” she said, upon opening her eyes. “I can see its tail.”

Swallowing, Luce shook her head in an attempt to get the ringing out of her ears. She could light shit on fire. That was all she was good for and she sure as shit wasn’t going to stop doing it now. Glancing over at the girl, she frowned when she saw that Athena’s eyes were closed. What the fuck..? Some kinda fucking Spidey-Sense bullshit? Hunter stuff? Whatever, as long as it worked, she wasn’t going to argue with it. Flicking her fingers in the direction Athena had told her, the trails of flame flew from her arms and slithered across the ground. The twin snakes of blue ignited the brush around them, sending fire and smoke into the air as Luce directed the magic to create a circle around the beast. “W-what now?” She managed as she brought one of her hands up with a grasping motion, sending the blue flames up into the air. Her fire, it was flickering, not as powerful as it usually was, and it took every effort to keep her grasp on her magic. 

“If you can help.” Athena repeated. “If you can help at all, we can corral this thing and we can be rid of it.” She ran her fingertips along the knife, savoring the feeling of the cold iron. Just like always. It was comforting, though she knew well enough not to voice that to anyone. She was good at playing the part of normal, and even though Luce clearly knew something was up now, she didn’t have to act in the same way that she could act at home. In fact, Athena was acutely aware of just how much she shouldn’t act that way. Luce, though she clearly had some powers of her own, was still human, and that meant Athena had to do her best to protect her. To make sure she was safe and well. “It’ll be quick after that. I’m good and I’m fast, and then you won’t be afraid anymore.” 

Gritting her teeth, Luce nodded. “I can do that. I can… do that.” She managed, though the words were more to reassure herself than Athena. Sucking in a deep breath, she nodded as the beast began to snap and bite at the flames, as though it was testing the boundary. She urged the magic forward, feeding the flames with power that made them rise higher into the air, their cobalt tongues dancing among the brush. The creature let out a yelp and scampered back into the center of the circle, its tail low and hackles raised as it spun around, searching for a way out. “Go get ‘em, Tiger.” She growled, knowing that she wouldn’t be able to hold this for very long. Her magic was intrinsically tied into her emotions and fear like this, the primal urge to run? It made wielding the flames incredibly draining. 

Although Luce was clearly terrified, Athena had to appreciate how willing she was to jump right into action. She made a mental note of that - for the future, at least - one never knew when something like that could come in handy. Right now was not the time to focus on the future - right now she had to focus on getting rid of this thing. Whatever Luce was doing was working, and Athena let a breath out. “On it.” She said, and under any other circumstance she would have flashed a grin towards Luce, but the other woman likely wouldn’t respond to that right now, and so she kept it internal, her face professional. She took off toward the creature, permitting a smirk to cross her face as she came closer. “You can’t hurt me.” She giggled. “You can’t do anything to me.” The creature stood by her. It had been just over eight minutes, which meant it might howl again at any point. She had to stop it before that happened. “I can, however, do a whole lot to you.” She held tightly onto her knife before digging it into the creature’s chest, praying that she hit a vital organ, and grinning when it collapsed onto the ground. Turning around, she rushed back over to Luce. “It’s gone now. It’s not going to hurt you. Or anyone.” 

Keeping the circle of fire going without letting it burn the girl was hard, harder than Luce wanted to admit. But, she was going to make sure that fucking terror hound was gone. And if Athena said she could deal with it, she’d believe her. Just send in the blonde kid with a knife, no big deal. She watched as the girl circled the creature, stance just as predatory, before darting forward and plunging the knife into its chest. And then, it was over. Like that. Releasing her hold on the magic that was straining from her grasp, Luce let out a sigh and slumped back down on the ground. The howl, that fucking howl, it still had her messed up. But at least it was dead. “Nice.” She managed, wiping the sweat from her brow with a weary hand. “Fuck.” Luce muttered with a shake of her head. “Thanks for that.” She said not really sure what else she was meant to say. Thanks for shanking a fucked up dog? Thanks for being chill with the whole fire thing? Whatever.

She was hesitant to touch Luce, and so Athena instead settled for kneeling next to the woman, making sure that she was still breathing. The cù-sìth was dealt with, she didn’t have to worry about it surprise-attacking them. “Thank you. I - well, I don’t usually lose if I put my mind to anything. Be it something like this or an exam.” She wasn’t sure that her attempt to lighten the mood would have the intended effect, but so long as the thing was dealt with and Luce was alive, that was all that mattered. She found herself relieved that Luce also didn’t seem opposed to her hobby. “Oh - yeah, of course. It’s what I do.” She pulled her knees up against her chest and looked over to Luce. “We should get you home, probably. It’s - well, the - that cù-sìth is gone now. It’s - you’ll be alright.” She offered her a small smile. “I appreciate all the help you provided too. Nice team up, if a bit unexpected. Certainly not how all of my runs end.”

Not the type to lose, a perfectionist, huh? She sounded like Bea. Luce shook her hands out, dusting some of the dirt from her palms. Or… well, how Bea had used to sound. Her sister hadn’t been the same since everything that had happened. “Well, sounds like I lucked out big time.” She said and sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. She was absolutely wiped and it was only what… fucking 8? Christ. She still had work, still had appointments to keep. “Yeah, thanks. I need a big ass coffee, but I think I’ll be good after that.” Luce nodded. “No problem. Obviously, I’m not a hunter-- witch, duh-- but I’m not a fan of shit like that kicking it in the woods. I’m happy to help.” She said, before letting out a wry laugh. “Definitely not how they tend to go. Either way… thanks, Athena.” She said offering a slight wave of her hand before heading back to her car. Who’d have fucking thought? The semi-neurotic blonde who’d stepped into Ink Inc, a hunter? Whatever. She’d heard of weirder shit. And at the moment, she didn’t really care to question it, not when the girl had saved her from getting turned into dog food. But still… Who’d have thought?

[haeroniel-doliet]

Ok but genuinely? Genuinely what the Fuck is Up with tumblrs tagging system???? I realize its basically a joke at this point and i cant expect it to fix it self but.

Ive made two unique tags for my art right??? "#Haeroniel draws" for everything and "#Haeroniels 2021 inktober" bc idk this is how it used to work?? You'd make an art tag and link it on your blog and everyone can find your art in one convenient place/all is archived for you! But for the life of me all my posts wont show up in those tags.

Right now i think if i look up the inktober tag on my blog all 4 posts show up which is fine. Look tumblr wide? Only 3 show up if youre lucky (and not the one with most notes mind u!!!) Looking up my art tag on my blog shows some and the tumblr wide even less? Like for the most part both have my two most successful posts, and they might have the two most recent (yeah thats it for all not inktober related, im such a poster lmao) but then even if theyre all tagged very similarly, only 1 or maybe 2 posts for inktober show up?

Ughhhhhh. Makes me kind of understand why people have pinned masterposts now. Like im sorry but ive been here long enough that i thought it was just a weird carryover from newer social media like the tag lists and thought nah thats silly i dont want that. But now?? I cant even look up my own tags for myself to see my own art reliably archived.... And thats VERY frustrating, and yea i currently dont have my art tag linked bc havent set up my desktop page etc in a while but? How is anyone who might care even a little bit supposed to see my stuff?

The inktobers are some beasts of posts i will grant that, like 5 images top to bottom and description for all and then a bunch of tags? Its a lot! I know it is. But i wanna finish the lot bc im so close (minus a few that just need refining, i only have 4/10 of the ones left not drawn!!) And thanks to some suggestion i am considering maybe maybe maybe posting the last 10 (or at least 5/10) as individual posts rather than a big cluster. Itd feel nice to populate my art tag w more posts! Maybe give them a fighting chance to get reblogged bc its less of a threshold than reblogging 5 very different concepts all together. ToBut then again. If barely any show up with the sparse amount i have now? Is it worth it?

Also i just. Suddenly feel awful using all the tags i do on my posts to be seen, like tagging it /dinluke/skydalorian/din djarin/luke skywalker/star wars/the mandalorian/etc... Bc idk? I feel like most people would follow all the above tags, and what if me posting my shit in all of them is annoying bc then even if you mildly liked my stuff, seeing it over and over makes you hate it? Like im intruding all at once in a lot of spaces with super cool artists....

And like, i knoooow that notes arent everything and i should learn to post again just bc i like what ive done, wanna share and archive it. But doing something i like and i thought others would too? And it doing really badly? Uh. Stings! Makes me feel like ive fucked up posting it and shouldnt. Feels selfish and obnoxious to post more, to demand more attention to my garbage content

Im letting my brain get mean where it doesnt need to....

Anyway... If you've happened to read this (im sorry but thank you!) Pls like, let me know in reply or anon ask or smth if im completely over thinking it and should just, post more (i.e. post the inktobers when theyre done individually, rather than trying to make up the whole batch before posting them as those hunks of post that dont do very well) And also, if maybe i should make one of those pinned masterposts? Like even just to have for myself/anyone new who clicks on my blog (under a read more bc long unavoidable posts suck), where i link individually everything i post on top of the tags i already have?

Thank u kind souls who care about me even a lil bit in the tumblr void <3 <3 <3<3

[elecdarkon]

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[dipulb3]

2021 Lincoln Navigator is American exceptionalism made manifest

New Post has been published on https://appradab.com/2021-lincoln-navigator-is-american-exceptionalism-made-manifest-2/

2021 Lincoln Navigator is American exceptionalism made manifest

Big boi.

Andrew Krok/Roadshow

Why do American automakers flounder when tasked with creating a luxury vehicle that has to compete with the Germans? It always seems like Uncle Sam has a hard time meeting muster when compared to anything beyond his own shores. But no more. The latest Lincoln Navigator dramatically ramps up the effort, bringing a level of fancy-pants-iness that is truly world class.

Like

Plush interior appointments

Interesting color schemes

Quiet, comfortable cruising

Don’t Like

Truckish ride quality sometimes

Thirsty

Loud massagers and other trifles

All of Lincoln’s latest SUVs have really ramped up the effort, but nowhere is that more apparent than on the flagship Navigator in its top Black Label configuration. The Navigator on my driveway carries the new-for-2021 Special Edition package, a $6,695 upgrade that adds more exterior flavor through a black-and-white motif that includes a black roof, a black roof rack, black wheels and a monochromatic grille alongside Pristine White paint. It’s a good look, but man, that’s a big chunk of change for some mild add-ons. No matter the package, though, the Navigator strikes an imposing shadow — and not just because it’s the size of a Chicago brownstone.

The 2021 Navigator Black Label’s interior is amazing. It’s the best-appointed American luxury car I’ve had the pleasure to drive, and it’s every bit as posh as what you’ll find at a Mercedes dealership. This one carries the Black Label “Destination” theme, which is meant to represent French elegance, I think, somehow. But I don’t need a marketing degree to appreciate this stunning full-red leather interior, which plays well with the dashes of similarly colored trim on the dashboard, doors and center console. While the Cadillac Escalade puts in little effort to hide its parts-bin engineering (you can find the steering wheel buttons on, like, half the cars GM makes), every piece of the Navigator feels special, from the metal rocker switches on the steering wheel to the knurled volume knob on the center console. Nearly every surface is either padded or leather-lined.

Usability abounds in the 2021 Navigator. The large center console floats above a sizable stash tray, with two tiers of pockets on each door and a decently large cubby under the center armrest. While you can option a center console to rest between the second-row captain’s chairs, my tester lacks this, making third-row ingress and egress insanely easy. Hanging out back there isn’t a big ask, either, thanks to some spacious proportions; there’s an extra inch of legroom than what you’d find in a similarly equipped Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class, and my 6-foot frame should be comfy back here for hours. The standard-wheelbase Navigator offers about 20 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, which is OK, but flipping a couple switches to fold those seats down offers up closer to 60 cubes, expanding to 103 when you minimize the captain’s chairs, too.

Honestly, the 2021 Navigator’s interior is so well thought out that its only apparent flaws are dumb little things that most people probably won’t care about. The infotainment screen bezel is cartoonishly large. The cup holders are surprisingly tiny. The seat massagers are louder than the competition’s. The blinker stalk’s movement is too soft, leading me to miss the three-blink detent. Silly minutiae like that.

One carryover that Lincoln should be proud of is the engine under the hood. The 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6  is the same that you’ll find in the Ford Expedition and F-150, and it’s a peach. Producing 450 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque, the Navigator is never left wanting for forward motion, as the six-pot provides a wave of readily available torque that makes the whole shebang feel surprisingly sprightly. The 10-speed automatic transmission moves through the gears smoothly. In a majority of operating conditions, the 2021 Navigator’s ride is properly smooth, with the only real ride-quality issue coming into play over sharp bumps, where you get some body jiggles, which are only exacerbated on my tester thanks to its 22-inch wheels. 

Sure, you could drive it like a monster, but the Navi is best when treated like there are three VIPs in the back. Roll softly onto the gas and make liberal use of the well-tuned brake pedal, and you’ll be rewarded with smooth operation. Its body-on-frame underpinnings also bestow it with some solid capability; check the box for the heavy-duty towing package and you can drag 8,700 pounds from here to Timbuktu.

Luxury is costly, and that includes at the gas pump, too. The 2021 Navigator Black Label is EPA-estimated at 16 miles per gallon city and 20 mpg highway, numbers that I was able to meet but not beat over a couple hundred miles of driving. There’s an Eco-specific mode available to numb inputs and make it easier to be efficient, and it does help a bit. There’s also a Sport mode, which must be some kind of joke I’m not smart enough to get, because under no circumstances should anyone attempt to drive this dwarf planet in any remotely aggressive manner.

Lincoln could’ve leaned much heavier on the Ford parts bin, but in not doing so, the Navigator feels just that much more special.

Andrew Krok/Roadshow

The Navigator’s complement of in-car technology starts dead center on the dashboard with a 10-inch touchscreen display running the latest version of Ford’s Sync software. The on-screen icons are easy to read at a glance, and Ford’s telematics getup is easy to get used to, but you can always rely on Apple CarPlay or Android Auto if you prefer a smartphone-style experience. In addition to the central screen, there’s also a 12-inch gauge display, which sports a minimal layout that I really enjoy, displaying only the most pertinent information. A head-up display reduces distraction even further. When it comes time to charge, there are USB ports in every row, with the foremost occupants treated to both USB-A and USB-C outlets. The Navigator lacks the whiz-bang, dashboard-wide screen experience of the Cadillac Escalade, but it’s still a good setup.

The truck-adjacent side of the automotive industry is no longer bereft of the same safety systems that are found on passenger cars. The 2021 Navigator comes standard with Ford’s Co-Pilot 360 suite of active and passive safety systems, which includes blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection. Adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability is a $695 premium on lower trims, but it becomes standard as you move up the ranks. Of course, the Escalade can one-up the Navigator here with its Super Cruise driver-assist technology.

Hopefully the screen’s bezel is hilariously large because Lincoln intends on upgrading the display size later on.

Andrew Krok/Roadshow

Expectedly, the 2021 Lincoln Navigator is not a budget-friendly conveyance. Its starting price of $77,840 (including $1,295 for destination) only rockets northward when options are taken into account. This Black Label model is about as equipped as it can get, and its $106,115 price tag is quite the pill to swallow, until you realize that the similarly powered Mercedes-Benz GLS580 pretty much starts at the six-figure mark.

If pure luxury (and some capability) is what you’re after, the Navigator stands atop the pile of large luxury SUVs. In terms of outright comfort, the Mercedes GLS-Class is probably its closest competitor with its super ride quality. Those looking for the latest driver tech will want to check out the Cadillac Escalade with Super Cruise. Other body-on-frame competitors include the Infiniti QX80 and Lexus LX 570, both of which are rather old underneath their revised exteriors. There’s also the Range Rover, in case you want to ditch the third row and add the ability to drive through nearly 3 feet of standing water. Hey, you never know.

Cast against competitors or not, the 2021 Lincoln Navigator is an exceptional SUV. Its Black Label trim brings an impressive level of luxury to the table, while its underpinnings give it a great deal of capability,  whether that covers interior space or towing. It’s a shining city on a hill, a rolling testament to prosperity and power that makes you feel important the second you slide behind the wheel. 

Climb in the driver’s seat for the latest car news and reviews, delivered to your inbox twice weekly.

[daleisgreat]

Jay and Silent Bob Reboot

The time has come to put a bookend to keeping up with Kevin Smith with today’s entry focusing on his latest film, 2019’s Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (trailer). Before we get there, I feel obligated to say I was a huge fan of his first half of his career, primarily of his old ‘View Askew-niverse’ days when he first started off with affable stoner characters, Jay & Silent Bob being carryover characters in his first several films. I think I saw Clerks and Mallrats at least five times each and feel safe in saying those two would stand the test of time, especially Clerks. I dug Chasing Amy, Dogma and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back when they originally released in my teenager days, but cannot help but think I outgrew Smith’s style of verbiage and humor he honed in on by that point, and have a feeling I would cringe at going back to them. I think I would like Zack & Miri and Clerks 2 more if some certain scenes got nixed. I thought Jersey Girl and Copout were not among his best, but both solid studio comedies and a nice way to mix it up from his regular output at the time. Red State felt like a hard left turn for Smith, and some parts I detested, but it kind of came together towards the end. Tusk however was absolute dreck and upon hearing how his follow up Yoga Hosers was an all-in spinoff of Tusk caused me to avoid Yoga Hosers at all costs and casually back away from the Kevin Smith fandom. This brings us to Jay and Silent Bob Reboot. The sequel/reboot to 2001’s Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. 18 year-old Dale, eagerly anticipated Strike Back, rushed out to see it opening weekend and poured through the DVD in multiple viewings of it and all its extras in the weeks after it hit home video. 37 year-old Dale however ignored Reboot during Smith’s nationwide tour where the only way to see it for several months was when Smith was touring it to boutique arthouse theaters and doing a Q&A afterwards for around $50-80. I only reluctantly picked up Reboot a few weeks after it hit video when I noticed it was on sale for half off and thought for that price I could get my fill out of it with some expected callbacks and cameos that were a big standout in Strike Back and I hope would save Reboot….and that is essentially what happened.

Reboot kicks off with Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Kevin Smith) up to their old shenanigans loitering outside the Quick Stop, until they are promptly arrested, but saved in court thanks in part to their attorney. The attorney then informs he just tricked them into signing away their names to big budget Hollywood studios who want to reboot the Bluntman & Chronic movie Jay & Silent Bob failed at preventing in Strike Back. Worst of all, the reboot will be directed by Kevin Smith who is advertising fans to attend a fan fest in Hollywood to audition for a cameo! This leads to the duo condemning Kevin Smith, and travelling across the nation to stop Hollywood once again. Conflicts arise during their journey when they run into Jay’s old flame, Justice (Shannon Elizabeth) who informs Jay that he is now a dad. He soon meets his daughter Milly (Harley Quinn Smith), who brings her friends to tag along in order to win that cameo spot in the movie contest. I do not want to be a downer, but the actual core movie I did not care for that much. Jay’s potty-mouth humor had me in stitches in its small doses when he was a side character in the early Smith films, but it is agonizingly overkill here. There are the occasional gags that landed, like a certain free bonus a cab driver offered that appeared a handful of times throughout and Kevin Smith is legitimately good at portraying a kind of over-the-top grating version of himself at the fan convention. Jay eventually putting in an earnest effort at being a good dad in some of the final scenes culminated in some touching moments with Milly. These core parts of the movie that I enjoyed though are only peppered throughout, but what wound up saving Jay and Silent Bob Reboot was the avalanche of cameos littered from beginning to end.

There are some expected cameos from Jason Lee and Ben Affleck coming back as their former View Askew-niverse personas as Brodie and Holden, respectively. I feel safe saying that is not a spoiler since those two had extended cameos relative to the core plot in Strike Back and more-or-less do the same in Reboot. However for the rest of the film, well….I think Kevin Smith dialed in a lot of favors because this is one of the most impressive deluge of cameos in a film yet. Some play amped up versions of themselves, while others are quirky shillers for Funko Pops. During those struggling first two acts of the film, the saving grace was seeing who would pop up next and what Smith had in store for them. There are countless blink and miss it callbacks and references to other View Askew lore and Smith fandom throughout, especially at the convention in the end. I remember Kevin Smith’s early movies being loaded with extra features, and while there is a fair smattering here, it is comparatively lackluster to the deluxe sets from yore. I was stunned the BluRay omits a commentary track which are usually present in most of Smith’s home video releases. I do not blame him since he re-watched it dozens of times on his nationwide tour, but……hold on scratch that after a quick Google search it appears a month ago Smith released a special quarantined-themed commentary track for the film for free on YouTube that can be found right here. Good on him for that! Actual extras on the BluRay are highlighted by a near hour-long bonus merely titled ‘Cast Interviews.’ It is a barrage of two-to-three minute interviews from nearly all the major and minor/cameo players from the film. Lots of good little anecdotes in there and well worth your time! Following that is a half hour extra where Mewes and Smith interview a variety of the cast and crew which a third of is dedicated to….one major cameo I shall not name here. I will give props to Mewes for randomly getting quick interviews from some of the behind-the-scenes crew to make sure they get their proper due. Wrapping up the bonuses is the requisite blooper reel that does not disappoint and a two minute Hair Reel which is solely of Smith and Mewes adjusting their hair between takes.

Part of me wanted to say Reboot was the ideal farewell film of Kevin Smith to watch, but I see he has Clerks III in the pipeline, so I will ultimately have to cave and check that out too. Regardless, if you are a lapsed Kevin Smith fan and wanted one last trek with his style of comedy you grew up with, you kind of get that here and you also get why you left that in the past too. Regardless, Jay and Silent Bob Reboot does have its moments, and the cameos make it well worth riding this out until the end….including all the bonus shots/alt footage in the credits, lots of gold in there too including one last cameo I did not anticipate. Other Random Backlog Movie Blogs 3 12 Angry Men (1957) 12 Rounds 3: Lockdown 21 Jump Street The Accountant Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie Atari: Game Over The Avengers: Age of Ultron The Avengers: Infinity War Batman: The Dark Knight Rises Batman: The Killing Joke Batman: Mask of the Phantasm Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice Bounty Hunters Cabin in the Woods Captain America: Civil War Captain America: The First Avenger Captain America: The Winter Soldier Christmas Eve Clash of the Titans (1981) Clint Eastwood 11-pack Special The Condemned 2 Countdown Creed Deck the Halls Detroit Rock City Die Hard Dredd The Eliminators The Equalizer Dirty Work Faster Fast and Furious I-VIII Field of Dreams Fight Club The Fighter For Love of the Game Good Will Hunting Gravity Guardians of the Galaxy Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 Hercules: Reborn Hitman Indiana Jones 1-4 Ink The Interrogation Interstellar Jobs Joy Ride 1-3 Major League Man of Steel Man on the Moon Man vs Snake Marine 3-6 Merry Friggin Christmas Metallica: Some Kind of Monster Mortal Kombat National Treasure National Treasure: Book of Secrets Not for Resale Pulp Fiction The Replacements Reservoir Dogs Rocky I-VII Running Films Part 1 Running Films Part 2 San Andreas ScoobyDoo Wrestlemania Mystery The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Shoot em Up Slacker Skyscraper Small Town Santa Steve Jobs Source Code Star Trek I-XIII Sully Take Me Home Tonight TMNT The Tooth Fairy 1 & 2 UHF Veronica Mars Vision Quest The War Wild Wonder Woman The Wrestler (2008) X-Men: Apocalypse X-Men: Days of Future Past

[moderngirlinthedas]

Question Time

So...how would you guys feel about a new category of prompts/recs dedicated to stories of modern characters outside Thedas?

The Modern Girl in Thedas trope is pretty specific to Dragon Age, sure, but I think its influence might extend beyond that.

Self-inserts are so widely hated by most of...every fandom. And I mean, who could blame them? We’ve all read a self-insert that made us cringe at one time or another. It’s easy to get one bad taste and think the whole thing is rotten.

And what a shame that is because there are so many good ones. Especially in this trope. Collectively, we’re writing and drawing some amazing stuff that just...hits the spot, right? Scratches that itch we’ve all had to jump into a story and fuck shit up, for good or ill.

I’m really amazed by how many of us got into the MGIT spirit and just...ran with it. And keep coming back for more.

I think it’s because we’ve reached an understanding that many haven’t yet: self-inserts aren’t inherently cringe-worthy. Only if they’re written that way.

We’ve carved out a nice niche for ourselves, where it’s okay to write self-inserts as the main character because we understand that those self-inserts can be just as interesting and flawed as the canon characters we love. We understand that self-inserts aren’t always carbon copies of ourselves or wish fulfillment.

But beyond all that, we’re okay with just...having fun.

And that kind of acceptance of the self-insert genre is rare. So...why not let that extend beyond Dragon Age? Why not let that love carryover into some of the other fandoms we devote our time and energy to?

So. If there’s interest, I was thinking about adding something like a “Modern Characters Everywhere” tag. Where we take this trope and run further.

Buuut. I’d understand if you guys prefer this stay strictly Dragon Age...

(To be honest, I read this amazing story earlier and got super hyped about finding other stories like it and died a little inside when I realized how unlikely that’d be...)

[lacqueluster]

Tag Game

I was tagged by @crushing83, thank you, these questions were interesting!

Nicknames: Meg is technically a nickname, since it’s a shortened version of my name. Meg Jo, Meg Bert and Ernie (that’s an old one), can’t think of any others right now.  Zodiac sign: Leo Height: 5′4 Last thing you googled: Gerrymandering in districts. (This will piss you the fuck off if you’re the least bit political. If you google I highly recommend pouring a stiff drink first.) Favorite music artist: *does not compute* Yeah, no. I can’t pick ONE.  Last movie you watched: Wonder Woman (I want to kick all the ass it’s AMAZING.) What are you wearing right now: *answers sexily* Scrubs and a zip up hoodie.  Why did you choose your URL: It’s a carryover from my nail art. I never expected to get active on here and didn’t think it would matter. Now I’m too lazy to change it.  What did your last relationship teach you: My last relationship (before my marriage) was a looong time ago. He was older, controlling, and ended up being a stalker. It taught me to be extremely cautious of men and guard myself whenever possible.  Religious or Spiritual:  Not religious. Spiritual? Hell I don’t know. I’m old and I’m still trying to figure this shit out. I doubt I ever will.  Favorite color: Orange Average hours of sleep: 7                                                                           Lucky number:  I don’t have one.

Favorite characters: Gabriel, Rowena, John Bender, Q, The Mad Hatter How many blankets do you sleep with: One sheet, one blanket.  Dream job: . Something working with animals. 

I’m not tagging anyone because I think everyone I know who might do it has been tagged. But if you want to do this consider this your tag!

[emjee]

BATB ask

Rules: If you get tagged, answer the following questions. You don’t even have to be tagged to participate! As long as you’re part of the BATB/Disney fandom and want to do this, go ahead. You may choose to add a few questions of your own.· After you have answered all of the questions, tag 5 of your favorite blogs who have not done the Questions Tag yet. (Remember to include the rules and questions in case they don’t know how to do this.)· That’s literally all that there is to it! Have fun! 1) First Disney movie?The first one I can remember is The Rescuers.   2) Favorite Disney movie (besides BATB or its remake)? I am very fond of Tangled, and The Aristocats. My most-watched Disney film as a child was 100% Robin Hood. TOOOOOOOO LATE TO BE KNOWN AS JOHN THE FIRST, HE’S SURE TO BE KNOWN AS JOHN THE WORST <-- literally something I sing every time I come across King John in my reading material. 3) Favorite Disney princess (besides Princess Belle)? Hmmm, either Merida or Jasmine. 4) Favorite non-princess Disney movie? WHO PUT THE GLAD IN GLADIATOR? (HER-CU-LES!!) 5) Non-Disney related fandom? Right now, Legion, Jane Austen, and also Broadway (I don’t post a lot of Broadway stuff but I love it a lot so pls come talk to me about it). 6) Favorite Disney song? Yaaaaaaaah um we’re gonna have to break this up into categories: Favorite hero(ine) song: “Belle” and “Belle (reprise)”, Favorite villain song: “Hellfire”, Favorite love song: “I See the Light” 7) Favorite BATB song. Remake or original. The whole soundtrack is honestly gold. One of my favorite carryovers from the original is the Mob Song (and listening to it as a metaphor for the AIDS crisis is a great way to make yourself cry over breakfast), but “Days in the Sun” and “Evermore” are just fantastic and I’m so glad they were written for the new film. 8) Favorite non-Disney movie? Pride and Prejudice (2005).   9) One random fact about you: Last year I read 76 books. 10) what’s your favorite moment from the BATB 2017 live-action and why? The celebration scene at the end, and also “Beauty and the Beast” because it is fucking gorgeous. 11) which character in BATB 2017 do you relate to the most? Belle, because I too want adventure in the great wide somewhere. Also Mrs. Potts, because I am the Mom Friend.

I tag whoever wants to answer!