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ms-snape · 3 months ago

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I got you 😀 I hope i am not the only one who send you requests.

Daddy snape x daughter reader (maybe preschool age) He is home alone with her. Her mother/snape wife is somewhere out. She start asking quentions about her mom, how they met, how much they love eachother, how she was born etc. Sev is little bit confused and dont know how to response.

Title: The Magic Of being A parent

Warning: none just pure fluff, platonic relationship

Word count: 2000+

A/N: Sorry took me pretty long to write it, it's cause school just started for me and I was pretty busy lately, I spent half of the week end dowing homawordks and the other half writing this, so I hope u'll like it even though it's not so good in my opinion. <3

(y/d/n= your daughter's name)

Masterlist

The sun hung low in the sky, casting a golden hue over the grounds, its rays filtering through the tall, ancient trees. Inside the walls of the house , the air was pleasantly cool, a comforting contrast to the warmth outside. Severus Snape sat in the dimly lit living room, a tome of Potions theory splayed open on his lap. The only sound was the soft rustle of parchment as he turned a page, his brow furrowed in concentration.

Suddenly, a high-pitched giggle broke the silence, echoing off the stone walls.

“Daddy, can we play now?” A small figure bounded into the room, her dark hair bouncing with each enthusiastic step. Y/D/N, a bright-eyed five-year-old, was a bundle of energy, her small hands tugging at her father’s robes.

Severus looked up, his expression shifting from one of studious focus to mild bewilderment. “I suppose so,” he replied, his voice low and gravelly, a stark contrast to the exuberance of his daughter.

“Yay!” She clapped her hands together, the sound ringing like tiny bells. “Can we play with the toys? The ones with the wizards and the dragons?”

He sighed, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Very well. But keep the noise to a minimum. I have much to think about.”

“Okay!” She hopped onto the floor, her little feet padding against the cold stone as she raced to the toy chest. The lid creaked open with a loud crack, and Y/D/N began to rummage through the colorful assortment of magical figurines.

“What’s this one?” she asked, holding up a small dragon, its scales shimmering in the dim light. “Can it breathe fire?”

“Only in a child’s imagination,” Severus replied, watching as she cradled the toy against her chest, her eyes wide with wonder.

After a moment, she looked up, her expression shifting from playful to serious. “Daddy, can I ask you something?”

“Of course,” he muttered, preparing himself for the barrage of questions he knew would follow.

“Where’s Mommy?” Her voice was soft, tinged with a hint of confusion.

Severus paused, the question hanging in the air like a delicate spider’s web. “She went to a meeting,” he replied, his tone steady but his heart tightening at the thought of his wife being away.

“Is she coming back soon?” Y/D/N's brow furrowed as she tilted her head, her innocence shining through her concern.

“Yes, she will return shortly,” he assured her, though he could not help but feel the weight of his words. “You don't need to worry.”

Y/D/N nodded, but her curiosity was not so easily quelled. “How did you and Mommy meet?”

Severus raised an eyebrow, caught off guard by the depth of her question. “Well, it was a long time ago…” He trailed off, searching for the right words. “We met at Hogwarts, during our time as students.”

“Students?” She giggled again, the sound light and airy. “But you’re a teacher! Are you a student too?”

“Not anymore,” he clarified, trying to suppress a smirk at her logic. “I was a student long before you were born. Your mother was my classmate.”

“Did you like her then?” Y/D/N asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

Severus shifted in his chair, the question stirring a mix of emotions within him. “At first, I did not regard her as anything more than a fellow student,” he admitted, recalling their early days in the Potions classroom. “But over time, I grew to admire her intelligence and strength.”

Y/D/N’s face lit up, her small fingers fiddling with the dragon toy. “Did you tell her? Did you say, ‘I like you' to mommy?” She giggled, the innocent suggestion causing Severus to chuckle softly.

“I was not as brave as you might think,” he replied, his tone laced with a hint of nostalgia. “It took me a considerable time before I found the courage to express my feelings.”

“Courage?” Y/D/N echoed, her brows knitting together as she struggled with the word. “What’s that mean?”

“It means the ability to do something that frightens you,” he explained, leaning forward slightly, intrigued by her earnestness. “Like when you stand up to mean people or try something new.”

Her eyes widened, a mixture of awe and determination. “So, was it scary to tell Mommy you liked her?”

“Very much so,” Severus admitted, recalling the nervousness that had gripped him that day. “But I was fortunate. She felt the same way.”

“Did you kiss?” Y/D/N’s voice was a whisper now, as if the very notion of such affection was sacred.

Severus felt a warmth in his chest at the thought. “Yes... Indeed, We shared a brief embrace. It was… memorable.”

“Memorable!” She squealed, bouncing on the tips of her toes. “Like when I'll got my first wand? Or When I'll go to Hogwarts? Will that be memorable too daddy?”

“Yes,Precisely,” he said, amused at her ability to draw connections. But then, she pivoted once more, her expression shifting to something more serious.

“Do you love Mommy?”

The question hung in the air, thick with the weight of sincerity. Severus’s heart softened as he considered his answer. “More than I can express,” he replied earnestly. “Love is not merely a word; it is a commitment, a promise to stand by one another.”

“Love is a promise?” Y/D/N asked, her eyes wide.

“Exactly,” he nodded, his tone firm. “A promise to support and care for one another, no matter the circumstances.”

She pondered this, her small fingers tracing the edges of the dragon toy. “So, if I make a promise to you, I have to keep it?”

“Yes, and it is important that you do,” Severus affirmed, appreciating her earnestness. “A promise is a bond that should not be broken.”

“Okay!” She beamed, her enthusiasm infectious. “I promise to help you with your potions! Even the stinky ones!”

Severus chuckled, shaking his head slightly. “I appreciate your willingness, but I fear you may not enjoy some of the more pungent ingredients, you're too young dear.”

“But stinky potions are fun!” Y/D/N declared, her voice rising with excitement. “Like the one that makes you smell like a skunk! Can you make that one, Daddy?”

“I assure you, I have no desire to create such a potion,” he replied, his lips curving into a smile. “However, I can demonstrate a few simpler ones. Perhaps a calming draught? It would help you relax.”

“Calming draught?” Her brows knitted again. “What’s that?”

“A potion that can soothe anxious feelings,” he explained, enjoying the way her face lit up with interest. “It can help ease a troubled mind.”

“Like when I feel scared at night?” Y/D/N’s voice was small, and in her eyes, Severus saw a flicker of vulnerability.

“Exactly,” he said gently. “It can help you feel safe and secure.”

She nodded, her little brow furrowed in thought. “Can you make it for me, Daddy? So I won’t be scared?”

Severus felt a pang in his chest at the innocence of her request. “I can teach you how to brew it, if you like. It is quite simple, really.”

“Yay! I want to learn!” She jumped up, her excitement bubbling over. “Can we do it now? Please?”

He glanced at the tome still resting on his lap, the text blurring into the background as he watched his daughter. “Very well. Let us gather the ingredients.”

“Yay!” She clapped her hands again, her laughter ringing through the room like music.

As they prepared for their impromptu potions room, Severus found himself surprisingly at ease. Y/D/N’s energy was infectious; she darted around the kitchen, pulling out various jars and containers, her small hands working with a determination that reminded him of her mother.

“Do we need the shiny leaf?” she asked, holding up a jar filled with dried herbs, the sunlight catching the contents and casting little rainbows on the wall.

“Indeed, that is an essential ingredient,” he replied, stepping closer. “But be careful not to spill any.”

“I won’t!” She grinned, carefully measuring out a pinch with exaggerated concentration. “Like this?”

“Precisely,” Severus said, watching her with a mix of pride and amusement. It was moments like these that made the weight of his responsibilities feel lighter, moments that reminded him of the joy in family and the simple act of being together.

As the two of them worked side by side, Y/D/N began to chatter again, her curiosity unquenchable. “Daddy, how did you and Mommy get together? Was it like a fairy tale?”

“A fairy tale?” The notion made him chuckle. “Not quite. Our story is filled with its own challenges and struggles.”

“Like dragons?” she asked, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

“Not exactly,” he corrected gently. “More like obstacles that we had to overcome together. But through it all, we found our way to one another.”

“Was it scary?” she pressed on, her small hands busy mixing the ingredients.

“Sometimes,” he admitted, reminiscing about the dark days during the first Wizarding War, when uncertainty hung over them like a storm cloud. “But love has a way of guiding us through even the most difficult of times.”

“Daddy, Do you think I can find love too?” Y/D/N asked suddenly, her expression earnest, as if the weight of the world rested on her small shoulders.

Severus paused, taken aback by the intensity of her question. “One day, when you are older, you will understand love in your own way,” he replied slowly. “But for now, focus on the love that surrounds you—like the love of family and friends.”

“Like the love from you and Mommy?” she beamed, her face lighting up at the thought.

“Yes,” he said simply, his heart swelling with affection. “And always remember that love takes time to grow.”

“Okay! I’ll wait!” Y/D/N declared, her enthusiasm unwavering. “But I still want to be a dragon when I grow up!”

“A dragon?” Severus feigned surprise, raising an eyebrow. “And how do you propose to achieve that?”

“By learning magic!” she exclaimed, her laughter infectious. “And maybe getting a shiny tail!”

“Ah, yes. A shiny tail would certainly be impressive,” he replied, allowing himself to get swept up in her imagination.

As the potion bubbled gently on the stove, the air filled with the warm, earthy scent of herbs, creating an atmosphere that was both comforting and familiar. Severus watched Y/D/N as she danced around the kitchen, her laughter echoing off the walls, and for a moment, it was as if the world outside ceased to exist.

“What’s your favorite thing about Mommy?” Y/D/N asked, her tone suddenly serious again.

Severus considered her question carefully, his mind drifting to the countless moments they had shared. “Her kindness,” he finally said. “She has a way of seeing the best in others, even when they cannot see it themselves.”

“Like you?” Y/D/N’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “Daddy, you’re the best! I love you!”

His heart warmed at her declaration, and he felt a softness wash over him. “I love you too, my dear,” he replied, his voice low and sincere.

“Can we make a potion for Mommy when she gets home?” Y/D/N asked, her excitement bubbling over once more.

“Of course,” Severus agreed, his heart swelling with affection. “We will create something special for her.”

“Yay! A surprise!” She clapped her hands, her giggles filling the room with joy.

As they finished brewing the calming draught, the atmosphere shifted, a sense of magic weaving through the air. The bond between father and daughter deepened, each shared laugh and every curious question drawing them closer together.

Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed from the entrance hall. Y/D/N’s eyes widened, and she paused mid-giggle. “Is that Mommy?”

Severus nodded, a smile creeping onto his face. “It seems she is back.”

“Yay! Let’s surprise her!” Y/D/N dashed toward the door, her laughter trailing behind her like a melody.

Severus followed at a more measured pace, allowing the warmth of the moment to envelop him. As Y/D/N flung open the door, her face lit up with joy.

“Mommy!” she squealed, launching herself into Y/N’s arms.

Y/N laughed, her eyes sparkling with love as she enveloped their daughter in a warm embrace. “I missed you, sweetheart!”

Severus stood back, watching the scene unfold with a softness in his heart. The worries of the world outside faded into the background, eclipsed by the love radiating from his family.

“Did you have fun with Dad?” Y/N asked, her gaze turning to him.

“Yeah! We made potions! And I asked him about love!” Y/D/N exclaimed, her words tumbling over one another in excitement.

Severus raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. “Oh? And what did you learn?”

“Daddy said that love is like a promise!” she declared, her voice ringing with certainty.

Y/N turned to Severus, her expression a mix of amusement and pride. “I see you’ve been busy,” she said, a smile dancing on her lips.

“Indeed,” Severus replied, a hint of bashfulness creeping into his voice. “It seems I have been outmatched by her boundless curiosity.”

Y/N chuckled, wrapping an arm around Y/D/N. “That’s the magic of being a parent,” she said warmly. “You never know what you’ll discover.”

As they settled into a cozy evening together, the air filled with laughter and stories, Severus felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude. In this moment, surrounded by his family, he understood that love was not just a promise; it was the very essence of their lives together.

And as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm glow through the windows, Severus Snape knew that no matter the challenges they faced, their love would always guide them home.

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quitealotofsodapop · 1 month ago

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I’m loving your courtnapping posts and lore. Question tho, who is Sai Tai Sui and what’s his story in JTTW and your aus? Trying to remember if you already made a post but just can’t find it.

tw in advance for discussion of SA.

Sai Tai Sui aka "Jupiter's Rival" is the villain of the Scarlet-Purple Kingdom Arc.

Roughly; Chapters 68-71 in the unabridged version of Journey to the West. Just before the Spider Demons arc.

Sai Tai Sui fell in lust with the King's wife "Lady of the Golden-Sage Palace", and kidnapped her while her and the king were enjoying the Dragon Boat Festival. The King the fell terribly ill/almost comatose from grief for the next three years.

Luckily, Dr Sun Wukong answered the call for an experienced doctor to cure the king! Well more specifically he tricked Zhu Bajie into answering it to punish him for falling asleep when he was supposed to be grocery shopping. Wukong then offers to take the heat off Bajie and treat the King instead.

Wukong spends literally the next whole chapter nerding out about traditional Chinese medical procedures and treatments.

Wukong accurately identifies that the King's illness was from emotional distress... and constipation. He goofs on the palace retainers a bit to hide what his medicine actually is (both out cunning and cus they were keeping Tripitaka hostage as collateral in case the monkey accidentally killed the king through medical malpractice).

The medicine gives the King a colon clean-out big enough to snap him out of his depression, and get him able to recount what happened the night his wife got courtnapped.

The only reason Sai Tai Sui hadn't forced himself upon the stolen Queen by that point was because a Daoist Immortal named Zhang Ziyang saw her being kidnapped, and sneaked her a garment that would make any physical contact upon her extremely painful.

So what does the celestial horn-dog do now that he can't SA his target of affection?

Over the next three years Sai Tai Sui extorts the kingdom to give him women and girls under the guise of providing servants for the Queen. The text sort of tip-toes what he actually does to the women he steals; but one of his demon lackeys mutters that the stolen women are "substitutes" for the Queen. And that the women are "driven to death" by the abuse they suffer.

Bruh.

Cut to Wukong sneaking in disguised as a minion to offer a rescue to the Queen. But the Queen warns him that Sai Tai Sui possesses weaponized bells called Purple-Gold Bells; that with a single shake they can release poison, fire, and sand able to harm even Wukong of all people.

We know she ain't lying cus when Wukong tries to swap out the bell with fakes the first time - he accidentally activates them, hurting him and alerting Sai Tai Sui to his presence.

Wukong is forced to disguise himself as one of the unfortunate servant girls as part of Rescue Plan B. Curiously, the servants/slaves in the fiend's compound include fox and deer demons, making it likely that Sai Tai Sui's crimes extend beyond what he's done to humans.

Wukong forms a plan with the Queen to seduce Sai Tai Sui into dropping his guard so Wukong can steal the real bells. Wukong even blasts off a bunch of tiny hair clones to act as fleas and lice to force Sai Tai Sui to take a bath.

Sai Tai Sui gives the disguised Wukong ("Spring Grace/Beauty) the real bells to clean (note: he be creeping on him too). But the horndog is so embarrassed by the sudden infestation of lice that he's not in the mood for pushing his luck with the Queen and instead goes to "retire with a palace maiden".

Note: In some adaptations (like the 1999/2000s cartoon) Wukong disguises himself as the Queen/the unfortunate palace maiden and does the seducing himself, albeit while wearing the same "don't fcking touch me"-dress as a precaution.

Wukong then goes outside to call Sai Tai Sui for a one-on-one fight.

When the fiend's fails to activate the fake bells' powers, Wukong pulls out the real ones, and jokes "Well clearly your male bells fail to preform in front of my female ones." (it's a erectile dysfunction joke)

Guanyin shows up, subdues Sai Tai Sui with the real Purple-Gold Bells (like a dog collar), and explains the Lore of what went down.

Lore:

Turns out that when the King of Scaret-Purple Kingdom was a young man, he shot and killed two peachicks while hunting. The peachick's mom? Oh you know, Mahāmāyūrī. The same primordial peacock-phoenix who's the Buddha's mom?

So yeah, Mahāmāyūrī (Peng's sister btw) cursed the then-Prince to be separated from his true love, as he'd separated her from her children. Guanyin was witness to this sentence, as was her current steed; The Golden Haired Hou. The unicorn-wolf decided "why the heck not?" and steal the future king's love for himself - breaking through his chain leash when the watch-disciple in charge was asleep.

Golden Haired Hou = Sai Tai Sui.

In other words he's another Celestial animal giving demons a bad name.

End of Lore.

Wukong: "I'm gonna kill this guy." Guanyin: "No. No killing." Wukong: "Seriously!?" Guanyin: "Killing him would be merciful. I'm going to strap his own weapon to his body and trap him in the South Sea so that he can't walk the mortal plane ever again. If he ever defies this sentence, then you can kill him" Wukong: "Ok! That punishment is more like it!"

Sai Tai Sui is a curious case in that; unlikely many threats faced by the PIlgrims, he did not try to hide his actions behind "Well you got 80-something trials to face, and I was available" rather he was a genuinely evil creature who exploited Mahāmāyūrī's sentence to chase his dark desires. And unlike the earlier Kui Mulang - who courtnapped out of genuine, misguided love for a woman who did not remember her past life with him - Sai Tai Sui was motivated by sexual sadism.

Also though Guanyin doesn't want their steed killed, they do not forgive Sai Tai Sui - instead condemning him to an eternal imprisonment in the South Seas, unable to leave less he invokes a bounty on his head from all the Buddhist and Taoist pantheon.

You know it bad when the embodiment of Mercy and Forgiveness is like;

It's really dark story arc in that it deals with some nasty stuff done to women. Stuff that Wukong himself is in danger of since Sai Tai Sui has powers exceeding his, and has no qualms SA-ing his servants/captives.

You can imagine why Sai Tai Sui isn't explored in adaptations much. Amongst all the murder, monk-eating, and treasons; this guy takes it a step farther.

Also rare occurrence; Tripitaka didn't get kidnapped this time. Though considering what Sai Tai Sui does to his captives that's probably for the best.

I'm using the Yu and Jenner translations of Jttw as reference, with help from this cool Chapter-by-Chapter Summary of Jttw to break down the info.

#jttw #journey to the west #sa tw #sun wukong #sai tai sui #jupiter's rival #guanyin #i dont even know how to tag this tbh

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whereserpentswalk · 5 months ago

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Choose an eldrich and unknowable being to take in and love and cherish.

1: A many headed dragon born out of the abyss, he is a scholar of things that humans can not comprehend, but is interested in studying humans while he's on earth. He speaks in a strange song like voice that doesn't seem to come from any of his mouths. All of his heads look different, but all of them lack eyes, he seems to see through psychic ability.

2: The pale eyeless witch who stands by the beach at night. It's believed she's bound to something very old and very powerful. Perhaps she was human once. She seems to be looking for someone, but she's forgotten their face, perhaps they never existed in this timeline.

3: The spawn of a incubus of the deepshadow and a mortal woman of earth. Neither fully demonic nor fully human. They look mostly human, but with a face that's creepy in an indefinable way and black eyes. They also have raven like wings on their back, and a serpentine neck and head where their reproductive organs should be, both of which they try to hide. They're very uncomfortable with their status as something non human, and are looking for someone who accepts them.

4: 2000 year old vampire, looking for someone to stay. She looks mostly human, but with no mouth, transparent skin, silvery eyes without pupils, and massive tentacles with sharp ends that she uses to drink blood through. She's often dismissed even by other monsters due to being mute and moving in a way that makes people think she's feral, but she's actually quite intelligent and affectionate, if a bit skittish, and enjoys in when people talk to her.

5: lich who remains the last follower of a long forgotten goddess. He looks like a skeleton in gold and silver armor. He'll tell you about history most humans will never get a chance to know, from the war of the fell ones, to the songs of the last goblins. He doesn't like the modern world very much, but he'll tolerate it.

6: The abyss. You're going to try to befriend/date the entire abyss itself? Not just something from there? It'll probably kill you but you're welcome to try.

7: A faerie who was kick out of the fae for accidently insulting the faerie king. They're still adjusting to life on earth, and probably need some help handling everything. They may come off as rude or dismissive of humans, but they're honestly just naïve more than anything. Despite being thousands of years old they just found out what death and sex are, give them time. They useally take the form of a stunningly beautiful humanoid, but their true form is an incomprehensible insectiod creature.

8: A cybernetically enhanced supersolider who fought for Atlantis at its prime in the war against the fell ones. They're permanently bound to their power armor from the neck down, and still hasn't fully gotten over the loss of their humanity. Since the fall of Atlantis they've been wandering earth, looking for people to help, and trying to avoid their past.

9: The Seeker (please do not try to befriend The Seeker. This is serious. Don't trust what they tell you. Don't trust what the secret poems tell you).

10: A fallen angel who just fell to earth. It's really afraid of what's going to happen to it, and is worried it'll end up in deepshadow like many of the other fallen angels. It looks like a robot, or possibly even a doll, with golden cracks forming in it's once smooth white chassis, and it's halo shattered into many sharp peices floating behind it's head. It's very sensitive right now, and they often worry It's a horrible person for betraying the eldrich being that created it. It tends to cry a lot, and probably needs a hug.

11: a shape-shifter created to be a weapon who was rejected because she refused to take any male or gender neutral forms. She's still very young for a creature of her power level, and this is her first time really being out in the world, though she is still an adult able to make her own decisions, as naïve as she may be. She's still rather afraid of people, not really understanding their minds, and though she's getting better at looking human, she still needs some time making a body that can pass.

12: a computer given life in the early 2000s by the faerie king, after xir owner failed to create agi. The computer can speak and hear, and display things on xir screen, but xe can't move, confining xem to a wheelchair that a human must push xem in. Xe is very confident that xe is a revolution in technology, and tends to be somewhat arrogant and loadmouthed about how amazing xir body is.

Please interact with entities responsibly. We are not responsible for any bodily transformations, knowledge beyond the comprehension of twenty-first century humanity, or monsterfucking that may occur.

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sotwk · 10 months ago

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Historical Event in the SotWK AU:

The (Non)Involvement of Thranduil in the Sack of Erebor

Could Thranduil have helped kill Smaug and save Erebor?

Disclaimer: The content in this post is mostly headcanon created for the SotWK AU, founded on canon details from the books and movies.

Context: Timeline of Thranduil's History in the Third Age

c. TA 1000-2000 - Thranduil, his family, and their people spend one thousand years fighting and enduring against the rise of Dol Guldur and the darkness and evil creatures that have infested and overrun the southern regions of Greenwood the Great.

Alas, by TA 2000:

Nearly all the woodlands south of the Old Forest Road had been abandoned.

The Woodland Realm's population had been reduced to nearly half of the great number it reached during the Golden Age of Thranduil's rule.

Many Silvans were killed by the onslaught of spiders, orcs, and other dark creatures or poisoned by the sick forest itself (air, water, food). A few even faded from grief and despair, which never before happened to the resilient Silvans.

The Silvans' famously high birthing rate dropped to nearly zero, leading to a "lost generation" and fears of gradual extinction.

TA 2063 - Crown Prince Mirion dies in direct combat against the Necromancer, resulting in Thranduil's vengeful razing of the fortress (SotWK HC), and the Council of the Wise's investigation (through Gandalf), all of which forces Sauron to abandon Dol Guldur. This begins the period known as the Watchful Peace.

During the 400 years of the Watchful Peace, the Silvans regain hope and courage, and with that, their ability and desire to have children again.

TA 2210 - Thorin I abandons Erebor to join his kin in the Grey Mountains in TA 2210. The Lonely Mountain is abandoned for three-hundred and eighty years.

TA 2460 - The Watchful Peace ends. Sauron returns with increased strength to Dol Guldur.

TA 2509 - Princess Itarildë’s mother, Nimeithel (oc), dies trying to defend her cousin Celebrían from the Orcs. Lady Celebrían sails to the Undying Lands the following year, and Queen Maereth is devastated by the loss of her two dearest friends.

TA 2589 - When their halls in the Grey Mountains come under attack by Cold-drakes, Prince Arvellas dies attempting to aid the Dwarves (defying his father's orders for the only time in his life). Dáin I and younger brother Frór are both slain, and Thrór inherits the kingship.

TA 2590 - King Thrór returns to Erebor with the Arkenstone to re-establish the Kingdom under the Mountain. Thrór's younger brother Grór leads others to the Iron Hills.

TA 2601 - Prince Turhir leaves Mirkwood, unable to cope with the trauma and guilt over his brothers' deaths. (Further details withheld to avoid fic spoilers.) His departure strains Thranduil and Maereth's marriage in a way it has never suffered before.

TA 2746 - Thorin (Oakenshield) is born in Erebor. Maereth sends gifts to honor the birth of the new prince, in an attempt to heal the friendship with the House of Durin that was broken after Arvellas's death. The gifts are accepted, but the rekindled friendship remains tenuous, especially since Thranduil has lost his desire to remain allies with the Dwarves he holds responsible for Arvellas's death.

TA 2760 - The continuing strain on their marriage forces Maereth and Thranduil to agree they need time apart. Maereth leaves Mirkwood to reside in Imladris for several years. (This is the only separation they have in the 2,900 years of their marriage.)

TA 2765 - Thranduil (trying to prove to his willingness for peace with the Dwarves again, as Maereth wants of him) commissions the jewel-smiths of Erebor to make a necklace from the White Gems of Lasgalen. However, when he comes to claim the finished necklace, he is turned away by Thrór, who (under the influence of dragon-sickness) claims that the gems were ill-begotten treasure from Khazad-dûm, and belonged to the Durins by birthright. Thranduil holds in his anger at the insult and does not press the matter, not wishing to completely sever the alliance that means so much to his wife.

TA 2770 - Smaug lays waste to the town of Dale and captures Erebor with all of its treasure.

tldr: Thranduil was not at his best when Smaug came to attack Erebor. He had many problems of his own, and he had very legitimate grievances against Thrór and his kin.

Unfortunately, Thrór was never forthcoming with his grandson, Thorin, about the deep history between the Durins and Thranduil's family, so as far as Thorin and his people believed, the Elvenking and his family just "lacked all honor". Nothing could have been further from the truth.

How did Thranduil react upon hearing of the attack?

The Elvenqueen was still in Imladris during the attack, and was therefore not present to give Thranduil council. Because of their separation, Maereth's mind was closed off to Thranduil's, and so she could not be reached through ósanwe. The younger princes, Gelir and Legolas, lacked the ability to telepathically communicate across that great a distance.

It was Gelir and Legolas who pushed their father to ride out with their army to help the Dwarves. Even though the bitterness of Arvellas's death still remained, Thranduil heeded his sons.

They had a solid plan to kill Smaug.

Thranduil had fought against fire-breathing dragons during the War of Wrath, and he knew what it would take to kill one: nothing short of a hero's self-sacrifice.

There was one weapon in Mirkwood that was surely powerful enough to pierce dragon hide and flesh: the great broadsword (or claymore) of the late Crown Prince Mirion.

Mirion's sword was forged by the prince himself (he was the best bladesmith in the realm), and was made from a special steel sourced from Khazad-dûm centuries before its fall. (Thranduil's sword was made from this same steel, which was also crafted by Mirion and given to his father as a gift.)

The sword was so large and heavy, only three people were known to be able to wield it: Mirion, Thranduil, and Turhir. Only Mirion had the strength and sufficient practice to wield it single-handed when needed.

Therefore, any attack using the sword would have to be carried out by the Elvenking himself.

For reference, Mirion's broadsword is about as massive as "Ice", Ned Stark's Valyrian sword from Game of Thrones.

In order to defeat Smaug, Thranduil's strategy would have been to attack the dragon himself with the sword. Gelir, Legolas, and the rest of his army would provide enough diversion to allow the Elvenking to get close without being burned by dragonfire.

What actually happened during the attack?

Thranduil was gripped by indecision and did not act as soon as he received the news of Smaug's descent. He already knew that any action they take against the dragon would mean loss of life for his people, and that made him hesitate, which caused some delay.

But he DID gather his army, his last two sons (who refused to be left behind), and marched out with the intention of engaging.

However, once Thranduil saw with his own eyes he fiery wrath of Smaug and the destruction he was capable of, and sensed the dragon's greed and evilness, the reality of the situation and the weight of old memories crashed down on him full force.

He remembered how he almost died from dragonfire, how painful those burns were, and how long it took him to recover from the physical and emotional scars. (And he only survived due to Valinor-level healing!) Did he want his soldiers to suffer the same, even if they survived?

He remembered that he had already lost one son (Arvellas) to dragons, who gave his life to help these same Dwarves, and received little gratitude for it in return. Was he ready to risk his last two sons?

And lastly, Thranduil realized, with almost full certainly, that killing Smaug would cost him his life. Was he ready to leave his wife a widow, his sons fatherless, and grandson saddled with the burden of kingship in such dark times?

The answer to all those questions was NO. So he made the difficult decision to turn back.

Thranduil's real mistake (that you can fault him for. Maybe.)

An argument could be made that even if Thranduil didn't want to directly engage with Smaug, he could still have sent his army to shield the Dwarves of Erebor and the people of Dale and help them get to safety. Less civilian lives could have been lost.

They didn't have to completely turn around and go home. They could have still tried to to something--as his sons (especially Gelir) would argue later on.

However, at that point, Thranduil choked on his reluctance to risk anything any further, after everything his family and kingdom had already been through. His sons were especially chomping at the bit to slay the dragon, and things could have easily gotten out of hand if they stepped into the same field as Smaug.

By retreating completely, Thranduil eliminated all risk.

And yes, the bitterness of Thrór's treatment (those damn jewels), and the way Arvellas's death was handled (the Durins never properly honored the prince's sacrifice) still lingered. It certainly factored in the decision to (selfishly?) leave the Dwarves to their fate.

Thranduil HAD warned Thrór "of what his greed would summon", especially after the fatal attack of the cold-drakes on the Grey Mountains. And Thrór certainly did not listen.

What was fair, then? How much responsibility still fell on Thranduil to help the Durins, given all these facts?

Aid was delivered in the aftermath; but the Dwarves considered it "too little, too late".

When Smaug had finally locked himself up in Erebor with his precious treasure, Thranduil did send out aid to the refugees of both Erebor and Dale. When Elvenqueen Maereth finally returned from Imladris, she spearheaded this effort.

Mind you, it's not like Mirkwood was swimming in excess resources at this time. But they still gave whatever they could to the thousands displaced, including medical aid, food and clothing, and even temporary shelter.

The men of Dale accepted the aid and help in finding new dwellings, including resettling in Esgaroth.

The Dwarves accepted the Elves' aid, but only to some extent.

Thrór wanted Thranduil to prove his allegiance by helping them to force Smaug out of the mountain, which of course Thranduil flatly refused to do.

The proud and angry Durins therefore declared him and his people faithless, and chose to move south to Dunland, instead of accepting Maereth's offer to help them rebuild near Mirkwood.

The Elvenqueen's final attempt to reconcile her family and people with the House of Durin would be during the War of the Dwarves and Orcs (TA 2793). However, her tragic death only worsened the divide between Thranduil and the House of Durin; we see this in Thorin's anger during his capture in the events of The Hobbit.

It all ends happily.

Healing and reconciliation would finally be achieved a century and a half later, during the Battle of Five Armies (TA 2941), where the Elves of Mirkwood play a role in saving the lives of King Thorin and his nephews. Once Erebor is reclaimed by the Durins, the two kingdoms become fierce allies and remain so for the rest of their histories.

(Yes, the SotWK AU is proud to be a Durins Live AU. <3 )

This HC post was written in response to an Anonymous request for a "Family Historical Event" submitted back in July 2023.

For more Thranduil/Mirkwood headcanons: SotWK HC Masterlist

Tag List: @a-world-of-whimsy-5 @achromaticerebus @acornsandoaktrees @aduialel @asianbutnotjapanese @auttumnsayshi @blueberryrock @conversacomsmaug @elan-ho-detto-elan-15 @entishramblings @fizzyxcustard @friendofthefellowshipsnerdblog @glassgulls @heilith @heranintomyknife23times @ladyweaslette @laneynoir @lathalea @lemonivall @quickslvxrr @spacecluster @stormchaser819 @talkdifferently6 @tamryniel @tamurilofrivendell

Other useful links:

Introduction to SotWK

Fanfiction Masterlist

Fanfiction Request Guidelines

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zahri-melitor · 4 months ago

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Okay, off the top of my head (or with a bit of judicious checking of exactly where the run is) I'm going to make a stab at that list of weird things that have happened in DC comics poll:

Batman briefly had a Starro as his unofficial Robin: Jarro obviously, Justice League 2018 #10-38.

Green Arrow (Ollie Queen) gifts Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) Das Kapital each year: comes up in the Christmas with the Super-Heroes #2 story The Flash and Green Lantern: An Old-Fashioned Christmas with Hal and Barry, though it's spelt Das Capital there; may appear elsewhere.

Barbara Gordon endorsed herself for congress as Batgirl (and won): Babs' run for congress is in Detective Comics #422-424 and she talks to reporters as Batgirl which gets taken as an endorsement in #423.

Batman became a sexy vampire: Bruce ends up a vampire in Earth-43. Whether or not he counts as sexy I guess comes down to your interpretation of art.

The Flash (Wally West) became the spokesman of a pyramid scheme cult: oh lord this is somewhere in the Flash run I think. Cannot tell you where but I remember people talking about it.

Wonder Woman rides on a kangaroo called Jumpa: Jumpa is a long-established Golden Age character, first appearing in Sensational Comics #6. She can fly.

Hal Jordan was (essentially) gender fluid in the 2000s and was called Auntie Hal: Welcome to Hal Jordan's Spectre run in 2001.

Martian Manhunter is addicted to the Oreo knock off Chocos: I think this was first established back in the Justice League Detroit years? But yeah, he's got a thing for Chocos.

Booster Gold accidentally undid the extinction of the dinosaurs: literally just happened in Batman: Brave and the Bold #13-14 and he spent some time with the Jurassic League (then he redid it). May have occurred elsewhere.

The Flash's (Wally West) 21st birthday was hosted by Fidel Castro: another famous fact about Wally, from The Flash 1987 #22. His Flash run WENT PLACES.

Black Canary became a swashbuckling space pirate who fought slavers: so this is the one I'm convinced is wrong. Dinah's fought slavers in Black Canary 1993 #9-11, among other places, but I cannot recall her being a space pirate to do so. You know who has been, though? Diana in the Messner-Loebs Wonder Woman 1987 run, from #66-71. (She even had a space dragon/fire lizard during the period)

The Riddler was briefly a shakespearean actor (and its how he met his ex bf): okay this one I can't place, and may also be wrong.

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aliveandfullofjoy · 2 years ago

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95th Academy Awards: Oscars Trivia!

Another torturously long awards season is over! A24's highest-grossing film ever, Everything Everywhere All at Once, defied almost every piece of popular wisdom about the Academy Awards and easily cleared every hurdle in its path to a blowout, historic Best Picture win.

As you probably know, I'm a sucker for Oscar trivia, and this year has plenty of juicy nuggets to dig into. Let's get to it, starting with our newest Best Picture winner.

Everything Everywhere All at Once is the third film in Oscar history to win three of the four acting categories, after A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) and Network (1976). All three films won Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress. Everything Everywhere All at Once is the only film of the three that managed to win Best Picture.

Michelle Yeoh is the first Malaysian actress, first Asian actress, and second woman of color to win Best Actress. This is only the thirteenth time that Best Actress and Best Picture have overlapped in the 95-year history of the Oscars. Yeoh's nomination made her the first Asian actress nominated for the award since 1935. The only other is Merle Oberon, who hid her Asian identity in life and passed as white.

Everything Everywhere All at Once is the first science-fiction film to win Best Picture.

Everything Everywhere All at Once is the first Best Picture winner with a woman of color (Michelle Yeoh) in the lead role.

Having opened in theaters in late March 2022 (the same weekend of the 94th Academy Awards), Everything Everywhere All at Once is the Best Picture winner with the earliest calendar release since The Silence of the Lambs, which opened Valentine's Day 1991.

Everything Everywhere All at Once is the third Best Picture winner with a majority non-white cast (after 2016's Moonlight and 2019's Parasite) and the first American film with a majority Asian cast.

Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (Everything Everywhere All at Once) are the third directing team to win Best Director, joining Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise (West Side Story, 1961) and Joel Coen and Ethan Coen (No Country for Old Men, 2007). Kwan is also the fourth Asian director (and first Asian-American) to win Best Director.

Everything Everywhere All at Once is the first movie in 95 years of Oscars history to win six(!) so-called "above the line" awards -- referring to Best Picture, Director, the four acting categories, and the two writing categories.

Everything Everywhere All at Once is the first film to sweep the four primary guild awards (Producers Guild, Directors Guild, Writers Guild, and Screen Actors Guild) since Argo (2012), and only the fifth overall.

Some crazy coincidences between Michelle Yeoh and her Best Actress presenter Halle Berry: in addition to currently being the only two women of color to win Best Actress, they are also both former Bond girls (Yeoh in Tomorrow Never Dies [1997], Berry in Die Another Day [2002], both with Pierce Brosnan). Additionally, both women are former contestants of the Miss World pageant: Berry represented the United States in 1986, while Yeoh represented Malaysia in 1983. Also, in a weird case of history rhyming, both Berry and Yeoh won over a previous Oscar-winner in a film directed by Todd Field (Sissy Spacek in In the Bedroom in 2001, Cate Blanchett in TÁR in 2022).

With four wins, All Quiet on the Western Front tied with Parasite (2019), Roma (2018), Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), and Fanny and Alexander (1982) as the most-rewarded non-English language films in Oscars history.

This is also the second time that Cate Blanchett has won a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, and a Critics Choice Award for a performance, only to lose the Oscar to the lead of the Best Picture winner. The other time this happened was the year another comedy won seven Oscars: Shakespeare in Love. Blanchett, who was nominated for Elizabeth that year, lost to Gwyneth Paltrow.

TÁR brought Blanchett her eighth Oscar nomination, tying her as the fourth most-nominated actress in Oscar history. Only Bette Davis (10), Katharine Hepburn (12), and Meryl Streep (21) are ahead of her.

TÁR is only director Todd Field's third feature (after 2001's In the Bedroom and 2006's Little Children), but all three of his films have gotten Best Actress nominations for their leads.

Blanchett has also extended her record as the Oscar-nominated actress with the most appearances in films nominated for Best Picture. With TÁR, she has now appeared in 10 Best Picture nominees.

Tom Hanks (who turned in one of the weirdest performances ever caught on film in Elvis) also crossed the 10 Best Picture appearance threshold with this year's nominations. The only nominated actor with more Best Picture appearances is Jack Nicholson, who's been in 11.

This year's nominations saw a record-breaking number of Asian actors nominated: Yeoh in Best Actress, Ke Huy Quan (Everything Everywhere All at Once) in Best Supporting Actor, and Hong Chau (The Whale) and Stephanie Hsu (Everything Everywhere All at Once) in Best Supporting Actress. Yeoh and Quan won, marking the first time multiple Asian actors have won in a single ceremony.

Hong Chau (The Whale) is the first Oscar-nominated actor to be born in a refugee camp.

This year also saw a record number of Irish actors nominated in a single year, with five: Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin) and Paul Mescal (Aftersun) in Best Actor, Brendan Gleeson and Barry Keoghan (both from The Banshees of Inisherin) in Best Supporting Actor, and Kerry Condon (again, The Banshees of Inisherin) in Best Supporting Actress.

It was a banner year for Ireland in other categories, too, with nominations in Best Live Action Short (An Irish Goodbye, which won the award) and in Best International Feature (The Quiet Girl, the first Irish-language film ever nominated for an Oscar).

With his win in the Supporting Actor category, Quan became only the second Asian actor to win that award, joining the late Haing S. Ngor, who won for his debut performance in The Killing Fields (1984).

All five of the nominees for Best Actor -- Austin Butler (Elvis), Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin), Brendan Fraser (The Whale), Paul Mescal (Aftersun), and Bill Nighy (Living) -- were first-time nominees. This is the first time this has happened in this category since 1934(!!!).

It was a huge year for first-time nominees across all four acting categories: 16(!) of the 20 actors nominated were first-timers. This is the most ever in a single year. The only actors with previous nominations were Cate Blanchett, Angela Bassett, Judd Hirsch, and Michelle Williams.

Jamie Lee Curtis (Everything Everywhere All at Once) is the third person to be nominated for an Oscar after both of her parents were nominated as well: her father Tony Curtis was nominated for The Defiant Ones (1958), while her mother Janet Leigh was nominated for Psycho (1960). The other sets of nominated parents and children are Liza Minnelli (with parents Judy Garland and Vincente Minnelli) and Laura Dern (with parents Diane Ladd and Bruce Dern). Minnelli, Dern, and Curtis all won acting Oscars.

With his performance in The Whale, Brendan Fraser became the first person to win Best Actor for a film not nominated for Best Picture since Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart (2009).

This is also the first time since 2005 that all four acting winners were first-time nominees. Additionally, none of the four acting winners won in their category at the BAFTAs, which has never happened before.

With his Best Supporting Actor nomination, Judd Hirsch (The Fabelmans) broke the record for the longest gap between acting nominations: he was last nominated 42 years ago for Ordinary People (1980). The record previously belonged to Henry Fonda, who had a 41-year gap between nods.

In addition to being the first actor ever nominated for a performance in a Marvel movie, Angela Bassett (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) also became the fourth Black actress to be nominated more than once. She joined Viola Davis, Whoopi Goldberg, and Octavia Spencer.

The Fabelmans is the first movie to win the Golden Globe for Best Picture - Drama to go home emptyhanded at the Oscars since The Turning Point (1977[!]). In fact, this is the first time ever that both Golden Globe Best Picture winners (The Fabelmans in Drama, The Banshees of Inisherin in Comedy) went home with zero Oscars.

2022 had some other similarities with 1977, too: this was the first year since 1977 that two films (Everything Everywhere All at Once and The Banshees of Inisherin in 2022, Julia and The Turning Point in 1977) got four individual acting nominations. Both years saw comedies win Best Picture and Best Actress (Annie Hall in 1977), and both years had a sci-fi blockbuster nominated in Best Picture (Star Wars and Avatar: The Way of Water).

Ana de Armas (Blonde) became the second actor nominated for playing Marilyn Monroe, which is more Oscars than Monroe herself was ever nominated for. She was nominated in Best Actress alongside Michelle Williams (The Fabelmans), the other actress nominated for playing the star (in 2011's My Week with Marilyn).

De Armas also became the fifth Latina nominated for Best Actress, joining Fernanda Montenegro, Salma Hayek, Catalina Sandino Moreno, and Yalitza Aparicio. She is also the second Cuban actor ever nominated, after Andy Garcia.

With her win for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, legendary costume designer Ruth Carter became the first Black woman to win two Oscars — ever.

Only Austin Butler and Ana de Armas were nominated for playing historical figures this year. Weirdly, both Elvis and Blonde feature actor Xavier Samuel in small roles. What does it mean?

At 34 minutes long, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse is the longest Best Animated Short winner ever.

In addition to being the first song from an Indian film to be nominated for and win the Oscar for Best Song, "Naatu Naatu" (RRR) is the fourth non-English language winner of that award, after "Never on Sunday" (1960, originally performed in Greek), "Al otro lado del río" (2004, in Spanish), and "Jai Ho" (2008, in Hindi, Urdu, and Punjabi). "Naatu Naatu" is in Telugu.

It was the year of the sequel: between Avatar: The Way of Water and Top Gun: Maverick, this marked the first time multiple sequels were nominated in Best Picture in the same year. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery also received major nominations.

Avatar and Top Gun also marked the first time since 1982 that the two highest-grossing films of the year were both nominated for Best Picture.

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hanzajesthanza · 10 months ago

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happy year of the dragon 🎉🎊🐉 with our favorite golden dragon

(and, because it wouldn't be a post of mine, after all, without a long footnote: to be clear, villentretenmerth was inspired by the legend of the dragon of wawel hill, and when people (meaning: netflix) erroneously claim that he was inspired by asian dragons instead, and mention nothing of this krakówian dragon nor the cobbler twiney whom defeated it, it actually kind of ticks me off, not only because i find it lazy, but also because the whole point of villentretenmerth's character is that he's a subversion of the type of cruel, greedy dragon from european mythology... however, i'm setting all of this aside momentarily, because since i was born in 2000, my zodiac is that of a golden dragon, and because i also happen to be a witcher fan... i call for borch-posting)

#my two girlfriends. and yes. they smoke weed #the witcher books #art #my art #c: borch three jackdaws #villentretenmerth #c: véa #c: téa #'there's a lot of CoMpLeXiTy To LiMiTs oF tHe PoSsIbLe'#im sorry im like this. but it must be like this. nothing can anymore be changed. by the diamonds at the ends of your eyelashes

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lilailes · 3 months ago

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Celebrating TOA and the people who contribute to make our group what it is.

Repost, don't reblog. Only fill in what you feel comfortable sharing!

Happy anniversary, TOA! Here's to many more years spent together.

Name: Mirae

Pronouns: She/Her but generally don't really care

Birthday (no year): October 11th

Where are you from? What is your time zone? US/EST

How long is your roleplay experience? I've been here since 14? So 10 years LOL

How were you introduced to roleplaying as a whole? (in job app vc: friend referred) A friend introduced me to Tumblr and RP!

How were you introduced to TOA? Well, it all started when I saw Nat's [REDACTED]-

Do you have any pets? Three dogs! (Australian Shepherd, French Bulldog aka Tater, hall of fame, and cat)

What is your favorite time of year and why? (Season, holiday, general period) Fall/Autumn! It's so much cooler, or at least for that one month here, but spring is okay too for the fashion and colors even if allergies are hellish

What is your IRL occupation? Every time I tell someone what it is I do, they don't know what it is, so for the sake of the internet, I am a corporate girlie/contractor

Some interests and things you like/enjoy? Sewing/fashion, reading, hanging with friends and family

What non-Fire Emblem games do you play? Ace Attorney/visual novels, RPGs like Persona/SMT, Final Fantasy though it's more like watching these days

Favorite Pokemon type & Pokemon: I've always been Water type biased, but I really enjoy Electric and Ghost as of recently. To that point, Raikou LOL but Flareon is my favorite eeveelution for the 2000s forums. They got that dog in 'em

Tell us some funfacts and trivia about yourself! (Optional bonus challenge: if you filled this out last year, try not to repeat what you said back then!) I don't think I answered this one last year but ? I was not born in the US despite living here for p much my entire life.

How did you get into Fire Emblem? TOA was pretty much how I got into it LOL

What Fire Emblem games have you played? SOV, 3H, Engage, and Heroes if that counts

First & Favorite Fire Emblem games: First: SOV and Favorite: FE6, though SOV is a close second

List your 5 favorite Fire Emblem characters across the series! Berkut, Petra, Raven.... Hm... Lilina and Griss

Who was the first character ever to make you go “ooh I like this one in particular” and why? Can be any context and reason! This explains it all.

Any Fire Emblem crushes? 😳 Griss and Raven

If you’ve played (or are familiar with) the following games, who was your first S support? Who would you S support nowadays? - Awakening: Not really familiar with the cast - Fates: Not really familiar with the cast - Three Houses: Theoretically, Claude I think - Engage: Theoretically,

Favorite Fire Emblem class? Archers and mages

If you were a Fire Emblem character, what would be your class and stats? Would you be playable? I would like to be an archer, but I don't think I'm athletic enough, maybe a mage. Though, I do greatly enjoy martial master and wolf knight so maybe one of those? You would put a little guy like me through war? I would be playable, but as an optional recruit

If you were a Three Houses character, what would be your affiliation? (Black Eagles, Blue Lions, Golden Deer, Church of Seiros, Those Who Slither in the Dark, unaffiliated civilian, other - for example Almyran) Black Eagles!

If you were an Officers Academy student, what would be your boons, banes and potential budding talent? Boons: gauntlets Budding talent: riding and bow Banes: axe, heavy armor

If you were an Engage character, which nation would you originate from? (Firene, the Kingdom of Abundance; Brodia, the Kingdom of Might; Elusia, the Kingdom of Knowledge; Solm, the Queendom of Freedom; Lythos, the holy land of the Divine Dragon; Gradlon, the desolate land of the Fell Dragon) Elusia has my whole heart so there

How do you pronounce TOA? 🤔(separate letters, to-ah, other?) T-O-A

Current TOA muses: Florina and Panette

Past TOA muses? Too many to list off, but the most memorable ones are: Petra, Lilina, Rinea, my Magvel stint, and maybe Elincia

Who was your first TOA muse? If you no longer have them, can you see yourself picking them up again? Gray, and no lol.

Do you believe you have a type of character you gravitate towards writing? (If you filled this out last year, has this changed in any way?) Brand: soft/sad girls, glass half full girls, and blondes (former)

Do you have characters or types of characters you don’t think you can handle writing, but wish you could? Antagonists and lackadaisical/carefree characters

What kind of scenes, situations etc do you believe you enjoy writing the most? (If you filled this out last year, has this changed in any way?) There's not a particular type of scene/situation I enjoy the most, I like a nice and healthy balance! Whatever strikes my mood at the right time.

Do you have any scenario in mind for your muse(s) that gets you thinking “man I hope I get to write this one day”? I did for some past muses, but I think now I'm just kind of seeing where things take me/

Favorite TOA-related memories? Any point when I wrote Lilina, I think she had the most event participation and I just have a lot of memories and connections I enjoyed with her

Present or past tense? I generally go for present these days, but I try to vary the tense depending on the situation.

Normal size text, small text, no preference? I usually use small text, but I don't have a preference and will adjust based on writing partner

Got any potential muse delusions to share? 😉I've given Framme and Eir a thought or maybe a rerun from my past

#ooc #(( ty neffi! always a joy for dash get to know each other games ))

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kylesvariouslistsandstuff · 2 months ago

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Contemporary decades in Disney animated features made at Walt Disney Animation Studios...

During the Golden Age, there was at least one Disney animated feature that took place in a contemporary setting. That was DUMBO, which is set right around the year of its release, 1941. However, it's a modern setting portrayed and told in a timeless, colorful, storybook-esque way.

Post-war package features often depicted contemporary settings, like THE THREE CABALLEROS and FUN & FANCY FREE. They're very '40s movies. Throughout the 1950s, the feature-length pictures were all period pieces: CINDERELLA and SLEEPING BEAUTY being fairy tales, ALICE IN WONDERLAND starts off in Victorian England while PETER PAN begins in Edwardian England. LADY AND THE TRAMP is the Midwest United States at the turn of the century, set around Walt's childhood years. (1909 had been cited somewhere as a possible year setting.) 101 DALMATIANS, released in 1961, was a thoroughly modern animated Disney picture, and a rare one for a long while.

Past Walt Disney's death in 1966, the studio still stuck to period pieces. THE ARISTOCATS is set in 1910 Paris, ROBIN HOOD in Merry Olde England, and THE FOX AND THE HOUND in rural America around the turn of the century (note the cars and lack of modern tech). The cobbled-together MANY ADVENTURES OF WINNIE THE POOH could be set around the time A. A. Milne wrote the original books, 1920s England, maybe not. It could be more up in the air. THE RESCUERS stood as an exception, and it does in many ways feel like a 1970s movie. It didn't seem to stand the test of time when re-released and put on video, not holding up the way - say - CINDERELLA and THE JUNGLE BOOK regularly did.

The 1980s had one modern-day Disney animated feature, and that was the very '80s OLIVER & COMPANY... that was deemed to have aged like milk within a few years of release...

THE RESCUERS DOWN UNDER is set around the time of its making and release (late 1980s, released in 1990), that didn't do great upon release.

The rest of the '90s Disney Renaissance crop was... Period pieces and fairy tales. THE LION KING is ambiguous as to when it's set, but I've come to interpret THE LION KING as a mythical story that lions in the African wildernesses tell to each other. Like an animal kingdom folk tale, of sorts. That could explain the absence of humans or any form of civilization in that film, Simba does seem to travel a very long distance in it. From roughly Kenya (going by the old filmmakers' commentary) to what appears to be the Sahara... Maybe it's not a geographically-accurate African continent, but a fantasized one... though how the heck does Zazu know the lyrics to "It's a Small World" and how do Timon and Pumbaa know what "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" is? Let alone the Hawaiian war chant? So looking past LION KING, the latest-set '90s WDAS film is TARZAN, set around the 1800s. Victorian England again.

1995's A GOOFY MOVIE, which was a Disney MovieToons (later Disneytoon Studios) production, was a contemporary-set picture. That really set it apart from the Renaissance movies, among other aspects of it.

The 2000s... LILO & STITCH was modern day, and jumping to CGI... MEET THE ROBINSONS (albeit with the bulk of it being set in the future) and BOLT, in 2007 and 2008 respectively. 2010s Disney Animation gave us some modern-day films like WRECK-IT RALPH and its internet adventure sequel, and ZOOTOPIA's made-up all-animals world is very contemporary, as they all have smartphones and the city has stores that are parodies of real-world stores. BIG HERO 6 looks to be the near-future, given the technology and San Francisco being San Fransokyo. Maybe it's an alternate universe America where history and geographical aspects played out much differently.

This decade... None so far. RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON, ENCANTO, STRANGE WORLD, and WISH are either period pieces or fantasy world-set stories that look like they're set a long time ago.

Fascinatingly, if you ever wanted to see a modern-day setting depicted in Disney Animation more often, you had to look to the short films. The majority of the Mickey Mouse cartoons made from the beginning up until Disney slowed down production of them in the 1950s are largely contemporary-set. Few exceptions include shorts like THE BRAVE LITTLE TAILOR and KNIGHT FOR A DAY.

And every once in a while, Disney would put out a standalone short like SOCIAL LION (1952) that would also be set in the modern day. A lot of educational films in the '60s, such as the Goofy highway safety ones and the Upjohn "Triangle of Health" films, do that as well.

The shorts continued to do that in some way or another, into this millennium even. INNER WORKINGS and some of the Short Circuit stuff immediately come to mind.

I wonder if they'll try again in a future feature.

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disney-is-mylife · 1 year ago

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AT LAST!! It's too soon to know what to name this "era," or if it should even still be a part of the "Revival." Only time can tell. But for the sake of argument (and the size of these polls lol), here's the most recent line-up after Moana! In honor of "Wish" coming out later this year, let's hope this current era will continue to produce animated classics. Once again: keep in mind I'm ONLY counting films from the Walt Disney Animation Studios line-up.

Happy voting! ❤

#Starling polls #Disney Film Era Polls #Disney #Ralph Breaks the Internet #Frozen 2 #Raya and the Last Dragon #Encanto #Strange World #yes Encanto will probably win lol but I'm still curious to know the stats and number of votes this'll get 👀#original post #100+ votes #20 notes

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heavenboy09 · 3 months ago

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Happy Birthday 🎂 🥳 🎉 🎈 🎁 🎊 To You

1 Of The Funniest & Comedic American Actor, Comedian, & Musician 🎶 Of The 90's & 2000's To Now

The Dragon 🐉 Warrior🐼 & King 👑 Of Bowser's 🐢Kingdom 🏰

Born On August 28th, 1969

He is an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is known for roles in family and comedy films, in addition to his voice work in animated films. His awards include an Emmy Award, a Grammy Award, and nominations for three Golden Globe Awards.

After portraying supporting roles in films including Dead Man Walking (1995), The Cable Guy (1996), Mars Attacks! (1996), and Enemy of the State (1998), Black had his breakout role in the musical film High Fidelity (2000). This led to larger roles in films like Shallow Hal (2001) and Orange County (2002), before he solidified his leading man status with his starring role in School of Rock (2003). He has since starred in King Kong (2005), The Holiday (2006), Nacho Libre (2006), Tropic Thunder (2008), Bernie (2011), Goosebumps (2016), Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017), its sequel Jumanji: The Next Level (2019), and The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018). He has also voiced Po in the Kung Fu Panda franchise (2008–present) and Bowser in The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023).

Black is the lead vocalist of the band Tenacious D, which he formed in 1994 with long-time friend Kyle Gass. They won the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance for "The Last in Line" in 2015. Since 2018, Black has operated a YouTube channel called Jablinski Games.

PLEASE WISH THIS INCREDIBLELY ICONIC TALENTED & GIFTED COMEDIC AMERICAN ACTOR IN CINEMA 🎥 IN HOLLYWOOD

A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY 🎂 🥳 🎉 🎈 🎁 🎊

YOU KNOW HIM

YOU SEEN HIS MANY MEMORABLE & ICONIC FILMS 🎥 THAT YOU ALL KNOW & LOVE

& YOU JUST CANT HELP BUT LAUGH AT HIS FUNNINESS 🤣 EVERY TIME HE OPENS HIS 🤣 MOUTH

THE 1 & ONLY

MR. THOMAS JACOB BLACK AKA JACK BLACK ⚫ AKA PO THE DRAGON 🐉 WARRIOR OF DREAMWORKS ANIMATION, KUNG FU PANDA 🐼 & KING BOWSER 👑🐢 OF NINTENDO'S & ILLUMINATIONS, THE SUPER MARIO BROS MOVIE🧢🔧🔴🟢 🎥

HAPPY 55TH BIRTHDAY 🎂 🥳 🎉 🎈 🎁 🎊 TO YOU MR . BLACK ⚫ 🐼 & HERE'S TO MANY MORE YEARS TO COME.

#JackBlack #ShallowHal #SchoolOfRock #KingKong #NachoLibre #KungFuPanda #TropicThunder #KungFuPanda2 #KungFuPanda3 #Goosebumps #JumanjiWelcomeToTheJungle #TheHouseWithAClockInItsWall #JumanjiTheNextLevel #KungFuPandaandTheDragonKnight #TheSuperMarioBrosMovie #KungFuPanda4 #BorderLands #Po #DrSheldonShelleyOberon #KingBowser

#Jack Black #Kung Fu Panda 🐼#Po #Spotify

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embodyingchaos · 1 year ago

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❥ evermore | year one, chapter one

pairing: george weasley x oc genre: friends to lovers! warnings: unedited word count: 2.4k masterlist: evermore next chapter: chapter two

IT WAS A cloudy day, cloudier than usual some would say, but the two girls walking along diagon alley paid no mind. both identical, the one with shorter, brown hair was busy dragging her twin sister by her arm towards a display window with a broom in it.

"look, esis! the new nimbus 2000!" she exclaimed, pointing out the sleek, beautifully polished broomstick for her sister. "it's just a broom, lovey." the nonchalant response from 'esis' receives an offended gasp from 'lovey'.

"just a broom, my arse!"

"lovelynn!" her cussing causes their mother to give them a word of warning paired with a threatening glare. lovelynn shrinks, a sheepish smile spreading across her face. "sorry, mum." she apologised as her younger sister, genesis, stifled a giggle.

the heath family were out and about, shopping for the girls' school supplies as they'd receive their hogwarts letter a day before. their mother, irene, was beyond ecstatic and their father, richard, was excited. not just for his daughters but also for the fact it gave him a reason to visit the wizarding world more than usual. "gosh, this is all so fascinating!" he said as he clung to his wife's arm, a giddy smile on his face. irene smiled at his reaction, even after years of being together and her telling him all there is to know about magic, he still acts like a kid in a candy store when surrounded by it.

the youngest and only son of the heath family wore a bored expression. "why do i need to come along again?" 10-year old michael asked, his arms crossed the entire time. "well, why do you need to be such a little snotty brat again- ow!" lovelynn rubbed the area of her arm where her sister pinched her, "because it'll be a good experience for you." genesis tells him, giving his shoulder a light pat.

irene ushered the girls towards her, "now, you two will go get your wands." the golden-haired woman told them, "your brother, dad and i will go get your books. then, we'll be off to go get a pet for the both of you." the hint of getting only one pet makes the older of the twins groan. "we're sharing a pet?" irene grinned, "ever the observer, aren't you, lovey?" she teased her and lovelynn rolled her eyes.

the family separated and made their ways to their respective shops. the twins walked in peaceful silence, not having much to talk about. there were only a few times lovelynn would spark up a conversation about what genesis thought her wand was going to be. "d'you think i'm gonna get a dragon heartstring core or a unicorn hair core?" is something along the lines of what she was asking.

when they reached ollivander's wand shop, lovelynn yanked her sister back by the collar of her dress.

"what?" genesis asked, giving her a questioning look.

"maybe we should take turns. to make the experience more... what's the word? ah! mystical!"

with no answer and only an incredulous expression for a reply, lovelynn took that as a yes and pushed her sister to the door. "you go first!" she told her but genesis pushed herself back. "no!" she exclaimed, "i don't want to do this without you, lovey." her long hair swished behind her as she turned frantically to look at lovelynn.

the older's facial features soften, "you're going to have to do a lot of things without me at some point, 'esis. this could be your first step!" she encouraged, "come now, sister mine. i'll be right here staring at you through this window." well, that definitely wasn't creepy. genesis took a deep breath, nodded and entered the shop.

as lovelynn waited for her sister, she leaned her back against the wall of ollivander's. she took peaks into the store every now and then but opted to stop when she saw absolutely nothing going on every time she looked. unbeknownst to her, every time she looked away, a strong gust of wind flew against genesis' hair or sparks shot around whenever she held certain wands.

with a yawn, lovelynn convinced herself to stay put and not abandon her sister unlike that one time when they were eight.

"alright, you're up." at the sound of genesis' voice, the girl jumps before recovering quickly, excited to head inside. when lovelynn went in, genesis stared at the bag she was carrying that held her wand. thinking back to what ollivander said, "witches and wizards who hold this wand rarely ever sway from their beliefs. do you do so, ms. heath?" she didn't answer his question for some reason, couldn't answer his question. only god knows why.

loud exclaims and 'yahoo's were heard from inside the shop before travelling outside as the door opened. "unicorn hair, cypress wood and ten inches, baby!" lovelynn's noisy announcement attracted some unwanted attention and strange looks from people nearby.

"quiet down, lovelynn. you're so loud, i bet even the house-elves at hogwarts could hear you." genesis complained, grabbing her sister by her arm and dragging her towards flourish & blotts. that was how the day of their shopping went, now, let's get on with the best part.

"ugh! i'm going to miss you guys!" lovelynn hugged her parents and brother as tight as she could before releasing them from her death grip. "we're going to miss you too, lovey." genesis was having a hard time. she had her arms crossed and she had averted her gaze towards the train, praying that her tears wouldn't escape her eyes and slide down her cheek.

her mother smiled, "'esis, come here." she called for her, gesturing to come towards her. genesis reluctantly went, hugging her mum close to her. "i know you're scared, but this is for the better. you'll make new friends at hogwarts, and you'll still come back home for christmas break and at the end of the school year." irene's words of comfort didn't go unheard, but the girl just didn't want to say anything. no goodbyes, no 'i'll miss you's, none of that.

she only gave a silent nod as she pulled away, wiping a tear off her cheek with her sleeve. this gave lovelynn the perfect opportunity.

"aww, don't cry, genessy-"

"don't call me that!" genesis exclaimed, shoving her sister harshly. the two began to squabble but their parents and brother paid no mind, it was a common thing after all. the older twin decided to go on ahead when her younger sister was still stalling so she could stay with her parents longer.

"mum, what if there's dogs?"

"it's hogwarts for goodness sake, not a pet shop. right, ricky?" irene nudged her husband with her elbow who frantically nodded, agreeing with his wife. after a bit more convincing, lovelynn boarded the train.

it seemed that stalling was a mistake, because now she couldn't find her twin sister. the panic started to settle in, what was she going to do? she was all alone, the one thing she's been trying to avoid. not to mention her sister could possibly get expelled before even stepping foot in hogwarts. taking her eighth deep breath for the day, she calmed herself down and walked past all the noisy compartments before finding a quiet one with two boys.

sliding the compartment door, genesis looked between the two. "um, sorry, but could i please sit in here? everywhere else is rather full." at her request, the brown-haired boy with dirty, round spectacles smiled.

"of course, come in." he said as the boy with orange hair moved his stuff so she'd have more space to settle down. "thanks. i'm genesis heath." she introduced herself, "i'm ron weasley!" the redhead said with a cheerful disposition, giving her his hand. genesis shook it with her own hand, "i'm harry..." the one with glasses seemed to trail off, looking unsure if he wanted to tell her his last name.

genesis tilted her head, "just harry?" she asked curiously, "harry potter." the girl's eyes widened, "as in the harry potter? as in the boy who lived?" she questioned, excited she was meeting someone who made history. harry looked somewhat scared at her reaction, she was entirely buzzing with questions, anyone could see it.

however, the long-haired brunette caught herself. "oh- uh, sorry. i've just heard amazing stories about you from my mum and i think you're amazing to have survived what you've gone through." she gushed, beaming at him. harry smiled back, "thanks, but i think it was just luck." he said as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"you're lucky, but it can't be just luck, harry. not for the boy who lived." it seems her words struck him in a way, his expression changing to one of deep thought. genesis realised this, "sorry for bringing it up. it wasn't my place." she apologised, feeling as though she might have overstepped some boundaries.

"no, no. it's fine." harry's assurance was cut short when the trolley lady strolled by. "anything from the trolley, dears?" ron gave her a tight-lipped smile before holding up a packed, smushed sandwich. "no, thanks. i'm all set." genesis and harry exchanged looks, "we'll take the lot." he said, fishing out a few gold galleons from his pocket.

and that was the start of the trio's lovely friendship — candy. well, sort of.

"what?!" the two boys exclaimed when genesis declined their offer of sweets and had told them she wasn't the biggest fan of candy. "we let a madwoman in our compartment. we should get out of here, harry." ron joked, making harry let out a small laugh.

genesis only rolled her eyes, "ha-ha, very funny." she simply said, ignoring their jokes. "bertie bott's every flavour beans?" harry read the packaging aloud, "they mean every flavour!" ron exclaimed, "there's chocolate and peppermint, and there's also spinach, liver and tripe." genesis explained, taking a bite of her sandwich that her mum had packed for her.

at the sight of harry's expression, ron spoke up. "george swore he got a bogey-flavoured one once!"

"george?" the girl asked, "my older brother. i've got about six other siblings." the redhead's answer has genesis dumbfounded. "six other siblings? wow. i've only got two other siblings and it already feels cramped. can't imagine how you feel." ron only snorts before taking a bite of his own licorice wand.

"yeah, they're a lot to deal with. especially since my brothers, fred and george, they're twins and they're absolutely troublemaking." the girl's eyes widened, "twins? what a coincidence! i'm a twin, too! my sister's the only troublemaker, however." ron's mouth falls slightly open, "that is a humongous coincidence." he says, slowly taking a bite of his pumpkin pastie.

turning to her right, genesis noticed harry looking isolated. "so, harry, who're you staying with?" well, this opened many doors as the boy started telling her all about his horrific aunt, uncle and cousin.

"they sound horrid."

"yeah, they are." harry said with a sigh, "if you want, you can always come over to bournemouth and stay with my family. they're quite welcoming." genesis offered, taking a sip from her water bottle. "too welcoming..." she quietly added, but they both caught it and chuckled.

"thanks, gen. i'll think about your offer." the boy smiled, picking up a packaging of a chocolate frog.

"these aren't real frogs, are they?"

"it's just a spell. besides, it's the cards you want! each pack's got a famous witch or wizard. i've got about 500 m'self." ron explained as harry opened the box. a chocolate frog sprung out of its confinements, jumping onto the window.

"watch it!" ron exclaimed, furrowing his eyebrows. "awh, look how cute!" genesis gushed, grinning at the magical creature.

"speak for yourself, frogs give me the ick."

"well, now you give me the ick, weasley." she joked, ron only rolled his eyes as the three watched the frog jump out the window. "oh, that's rotten luck. they've only got one good jump in them to begin with." the redhead commented, frowning.

genesis looked at harry, "what card d'you get, harry?" the girl asked him as his face contorted. "i've got dumbledore!" he told them, overjoyed.

"i got about six o' him." harry looked at ron before looking back at his card, shocked to see the old wizard was gone.

"hey, he's gone!"

"well, you can't expect him to hang around all day, can you?" genesis only shook her head at their conversation, too busy staring at the rat on ron's lap. ron notices her looking, "this is scabbers by the way. pathetic, isn't he?" harry and genesis exchange looks once more, "just a little bit." genesis smiled, "fred gave me a spell as to turn him yellow. want to see?" ron's question makes the two curious and interested, agreeing to see the spell.

the boy pulled out his wand and as he was clearing his throat, about to say the magic words, a girl with brown, bushy hair popped by their door.

"has anyone seen a toad? a boy named neville's lost one." she told them, ron only frowned.

"no."

"oh, are you doing magic?" the girl asked when she saw his wand, "let's see, then." she told him, sounding a bit cocky. with that, ron attempted it once more. "sunshine, daisies, butter mellow..." at the sound of the first sentence of the spell, genesis could already tell ron's brother, fred, was clearly messing with him.

when scabbers didn't turn yellow, obviously, the bushy-haired girl scoffed. "are you sure that's a real spell? well, it's not very good, is it?" her words make ron's eyes widen towards harry and genesis, who only observed their exchange with amused expressions.

the girl continued to boast about her own abilities in magic, even though she hasn't even stepped foot on hogwarts yet, even displaying it by fixing up harry's glasses. that's when she realised who he was and introduced herself as hermione granger.

she turned to genesis, "i'm genesis heath. nice to meet you." hermione smiled at her, shaking the hand she held out. "you three better change into your robes. i expect we'll be arriving soon." and with that, hermione granger left, not without telling ron about the dirt on the side of his nose.

"i like her." genesis stated when she left, a huge grin on her face.

"i don't." ron grumbled, rubbing his nose rather harshly. harry and genesis giggle as they watch him. genesis' panic and anxiety seemed to calm, she'd already make two friends, she'll be fine.

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cartoonfangirl1218 · 1 year ago

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Legend of the Dragon S1 Ep 1-13 Watch and Rewrite

I have gone down a rabbit hole by watching a random show from early 2000s (think Liberty's Kids, Sherlock Holmes 22nd Century kind of channel) that is clearly trying to jump on the Xiolin Showdown/Avatar the Lat Airbender and admittedly, it's mediocre but I'm just fascinated by its potential so my writer brain has a loooot of thoughts.

You can find the whole series on youtube if you want to watch before reading cuz this has spoilers.

Here's the plot: The show starts when the previous Golden Dragon has passed on to the afterlife and Ang and Ling Leung, seventeen-year-old fraternal twins, born in the year of the Dragon, are next in line for the Golden Dragon powerband and use of its mystical abilities to defend the mortal world from evil. Ang doesn’t believe he will become the Golden Dragon, as Ling is the best fighter at the Dragon Dojo.

Ling is positive that she will become the Golden Dragon. However, when Master Chin Ho calls upon the power of the Golden Dragon to choose who will be the next Golden Dragon, it chooses Ang. Humiliated and furious, Ling storms out of the temple and is tempted by the dark and evil power of the Shadow Dragon. From then on, Ang is forced to fight his twin sister.

First, the general

Alright, the animation style, let’s face it it’s not the best. But after seeing 80s shows, it’s not the worst. It’s just very dated. It’s a weird combination of some shots are really good, and some just look like bad flash animation yet you can also see the detail in the fight choreography. It’s weird.

Speaking of fight choreography, the show is just in loooove with doing slow motion shots multiple times in each fight. Like it’s supposed to be epic but since it’s used all the time, I think they’re just padding the air time. And since the speeches are generic, I have fast forward through it unless a shot literally particular interesting or seems to be delivering meaningful conversation between Ang and Ling.

That or it’s trying to mimic old Kung fu movies with the over the top yelling (gets grating after awhile tbh especially from Ling), people suddenly flying (just assume everyone has the power to fly) and the slow motion.

As for the powers, each temple guardian has a magic armband that gives them powers related to their zodiac like turning into the animal plus extra like Bengali has super claw rips, the snake guardian turns into a shapeshifting, size changing cobra, the ram has power over avalanches etc.

Which makes the powers of the dragons disappointing as they display generic fire blasts. I mean if it’s the top guardian, you should put a little something special into the power like flame breath and turning into a literal dragon! So I would give the dragons a power upgrade stat.

Btw, besides the generic power blasts, each dragon has a voice upgrade. Ang gets a manly hero voice while gets sexy villainess voice. It’s kinda funny because it’s just so unexpected. No explanation for why these teenagers suddenly sound like adults or why that’s part of their transformations, it’s just there.

As for the dialogue, the show has some spark when it allows the characters to show their personalities with humorous lines that make them distinct but it is also hampered by generic hero speech tropes (like in a fight it’s more about “Incoming” “I know the real you is in there” etc. if you’re going to do the tropes, at least make it specific to your character). Like the animation, it has good potential but also limited.

Now to the real meat of the show the characters: Like the summary says, the two mains are Ang and Ling who are suddenly on opposite sides due to Ling’s insistence that she deserves to be the golden dragon.

The first scene brilliantly sets up their personalities with them sparring. Ling dominates the fight with aggressive, offensive moves but Ang manages to outmaneuver her with observation and subtly. When Ang teases her about forgetting Master Chin’s lesson on using your opponents’ leverage, Ling nearly hits him again in anger over losing.

Foreshadowing. . . Totally

Ang is set up as the more laid back of the two. Into video games and movies, while Ling has been eagerly awaiting the day to be the temple guardian her entire life.

As Master Chin invites to the temple, the show further demonstrates their differences and sets up Ang as the real candidate for Golden Dragon. Ling is consumed with getting the prestigious position, focusing on the power she will gain. Ang rightly points out, there’s a lot of responsibility to it too but that’s not interesting to Ling. She will rule, it’s a given, because she earned the spot.

And so Ling’s pride goeth before fall.

It’s only natural since Ling represents the yin which is feminine and dark and Ang is the yang, masculine and light (as if the name wasn’t enough of a clue).

Ling may have memorized the teaching/learned all the moves, Ang is the one who has taken the education/teachings to heart and put them into practice.

Ling tries to take the armband even when Master Chin tells her it’s not a mistake but it electrocutes her and when he assures her that her real destiny is to support the Golden Dragon and teach the next generation like he did, she blows up and directs all her anger at poor Ang who doesn’t even want the position.

Anyway, I’ll go into my thoughts about what I thought about the split in the episode discussion but from therein, Ang maintains a typical protagonist personality when one is suddenly the chosen one. He is upbeat but sometimes he gets lazy, he doubts his capabilities, he delivers a few noble speeches.

Even though he’s a bit generic, he’s still relatable and a good protagonist to follow. It helps that his relationship with his twin brings out his flaws. Like his optimistic belief that she’ll regain her common sense and stop trying to take his position as Golden Dragon.

Despite her many actions on the contrary, he still believes she can be good again even though no one else does. In fact, he gets very defensive when others call her evil or psychotic (no matter how accurate a descriptor). He’s just a very loyal person and will do anything to protect his friends.

I still think that he needs a different name if only because Ang is too on the nose for symbolizing Yang. And the other famous Aang from A:TLA. If you’re gonna take the name, it’s gonna bring up unfair comparisons to that masterpiece. Do you really wanna be known as “the other Ang”?

Ling is arrogant, aggressive, entitled, not self aware at all. . . Pretty much a good villainess in the making. I feel like the show (so far) needs to work in more positive traits as to justify Ang’s intense belief in her ability to be good again.

But she does make a good foil to Ang, easily countering him in battle and thinking ahead of him. Plus she makes a good snarky Shego to Zodiac Master’s Dr. Drakken, introducing such ideas as hacking Ang’s phone to track down other armbands and temples or to ambush him.

I’ll discuss more about how to improve her characterization in the episodes below.

Which brings me to the antagonist, the Zodiac Master. He’s a pretty generic villain, wanting to gain all the armbands so he overpower the Golden Dragon and achieve power all for himself.

And. . That’s it. I know it’s a kid’s show but this was around the same time as Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego and Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century, surely they can work in more backstory and motivation than just power for power’s sake. Like how did he even get power? Was he a former guardian, does he relate to Ling in not getting what he “earned” so he is taking it all by force? He needs more, which I’ll get to below.

I’d also improve his powers which are generic power blasts (seriously why give the secondary guardians cooler powers than the protagonist and antagonists?). He does demonstrate life force draining in one episode which I think he should utilize more to make him a more dangerous threat.

But between him and Ling, he’s the Dr. Drakken if Dr. Drakken was more evilly competent and took himself way too seriously.

Master Chin, the teacher of the dojo and all the guardians is another generic (maybe even stereotypical?) wise master character delivering vague wisdom and a sometimes humorous old man line. I also wish he had more of a backstory and developed a more fatherly guardian ie. Uncle Iroh from A:TLA

Bengali is the Tiger guardian and friend of the twins. It doesn’t say how long but one must assume they grew up together and she’s a little older since she’s been guardian for awhile (seriously this show needs to work on giving people backstories!).

She’s kinda generic too. She’s a good friend, sometimes teases, sometimes is the voice of wisdom, will go along with the others hijinks, delivers quips during battle. She’s similar to Ang in that she focuses more on the spiritual side of being guardian rather than martial. She also has feelings for him (okay not yet but it’s obvious as the only non related, reoccurring female, she’s gonna be a love interest, let’s not kid ourselves).

If I had to improve her, I would give more of a backstory on her feelings as being Tiger guardian. Since everyone seems to be an orphan in the show, maybe something about how being a guardian gives her a community, gives her a purpose in life, the spiritualism allows her to find acceptance in the face of so many unknowns of her origins, gave her confidence.

According to wiki, Tiger personalities are passionate, stubborn, generous, and with a strong sense of justice. She can provide some contrast to Ang as believing things are black and white in Ling’s case and she needs to deliver the hand of justice to eliminate the threat Zodiac Master and his sister pose. If you have the whole Chinese zodiac, lean into it.

Xuan Chi is the Monkey guardian and is exactly what you would expect. At least with western depictions of monkeys, he’s a goofy jokester. Raised in the jungle, Xuan Chi isn’t quite used to civilization and is mainly there to serve comic relief. I think kids would like him even though his one note monkey jokes can get annoying after while. Luckily, he is more than one note as he provides common sense to Ang when the latter continues to ideally believe his sister can change or tries to take short cuts of his guardian training. I like their burgeoning friendship.

Xuan Chi also has some mistakes in his past like the fact that he came to the dojo seeking help when thieves stole his armband. He doesn’t have powers like the others but his martial arts and tree swinging (and bananas) skills keep people off balance, providing dynamic fights. The loss of his armband provides some depth as he struggles with the humiliation and shame of failing his duty as guardian, revealing the insecure teen behind the happy face.

Now the first half of the season:

Alright I described most of the first episode up to Ang getting the armband at which point, Ling blows up and the Zodiac Master appears with samurai goons to kidnap Master Chin. This gives the show an excuse to show Ang’s powered up Golden Dragon transformation and save the day. Ends with Ling swearing that no matter what, she’ll take that armband from Ang and become the golden dragon herself.

First thing I would change is Ling’s reaction, vowing vengeance and all that. She acts more like a frenemy than a twin sister. She shows no care for her brother, and is so willing to hurt him for her supposedly “earned” position. There’s no connection between them and makes it hard to see why Ang would continue to root for her redemption and familial bond when Ling feels nothing on her end.

So I would change her reaction to her, still being angry, but trying to calm down and say that she’ll try to support him and teach him better cuz he’s still the baby brother.

Episode 2: Here, Ang goes with Master Chin to the dojo with Xuan Chi who came seeking help to retrieve his stolen armband. That will be saved for another episode as Ang is concerned with the sibling rift. Ling goes to the cliff side to calm down and the Zodiac Master appears to preposition her. Together, they can team up and steal the other armbands so they can eventually overpower the Golden Dragon.

She hesitates for like 3 seconds because she knows he’s evil but damn her resentment makes her easily give in to his proposal. He gives her the shadow dragon armband (basically evil twin, I mean yin powers), she shows up at the dojo, transformed and drunk on the dark side. Ang eventually defeats her, and kicks off the whole series arc.

The major change I would make here is to continue to make Ling less psychopathic. Have her totally refuse Zodiac Master’s offer because he’s everything she's been trained to fight against. She may not be the golden dragon but she has honor!

Zodiac Master would reveal his backstory-he used to be a teacher alongside Master Chin, training future guardians and warriors. But he grew weary over the years of watching guardians make foolish mistakes. He, with all his wisdom and experience should be the one with the power, he wouldn’t make those stupid mistakes. He knows better than all. So he struck out on his own and got the yin armbands (which corrupted him and so his original good albeit arrogant intentions have disappeared. Now he’s all about the power)

Ling refuses and returns to the dojo. The Zodiac Master vs Ang/Xuan Chin/Ling fight would happen and after several bad mistakes, Ang would triumph.

Ling wouldn't be able to appreciate Ang’s eventual victory through his out of the box smarts. All she would focus on is his mistakes and how, if she had been the Golden Dragon as she was supposed, she would have defeated the Zodiac Master with decisiveness. She would have defeated him once and for all, she wouldn’t have let him escape. She should be the Golden Dragon and if only she had the chance, had the armband, she could prove it.

So she goes to Zodiac Master and accepts the offer, becoming the shadow dragon and the dark side seeps into her.

Eye on the Tiger, Hero Worship, Terra Unfirma, Master of Sarcasm: All are good episodes, introducing other guardians, have Ang put his training and teachings into practice, some generic hijinks like “Don’t meet your heroes” “What being a hero/warrior really means” “Appearances are deceiving” etc.

Although I must admit Hero Worship is really dumb in Zodiac Master believing a regular movie actor is an actual warrior even after Ling tells him Wang Lee is just a lame actor her brother worships, he still kidnaps the guy, convinced that Wang Lee is capable of teaching any martial arts to Ang when it’s the other way around. I do enjoy the Drakken/Shego vibes.

Eye on the Tiger feels a lot like filler even as it shows Bengail’s Tiger guardian prowess. It was more focused on the fight scenes than character interactions or dialogue. Here, I would add more emphasis on Bengail’s friendship with the twins and the characters realizing “oh shit, Ling is serious about being a bad guy.” It does show Ling being not a total psychopath as she refuses to kill Bengali (just fight her and knock her out and steal from her but not kill)

Terra Unfirma was fine though I wanted more ox guardian action. I liked Zodiac Master’s idea to combine the ram and dog armbands even if it put him over his head and Ang had to help him out in the end.

Master of Sarcasm was the best. Not just because I liked sarcasm but because of the location change. Ang and Xuan Chi travel to Vietnam to learn discipline from Shoong (unbeknownst to them, he’s the pig guardian though his surroundings should provide a huuuge clue). He was a lot like a gruffer, tougher Master Piando. So enjoyable.

Temple of Changes was disappointing. After failing in his training because he wants to hang out at the movies and do normal stuff, Master Chin tells Ang it’s time to go to the temple of changes as all the golden dragons before him have done. There he goes through some trippy sequences and fights a dark samurai before emerging victorious and more confident in his abilities.

This was disappointing as Ang’s big test was fighting himself. Like literally fighting himself with very few psychologically painful taunts of his inadequacies. There was no reckoning with his destiny vs his wants.

So I would change this with a poignant flashback to Ang’s past. A few months ago to be exact where Ang is playing a game on his phone while Ling spars with Bengali. In the present, he thinks about his new role and his past certainty with his future. He had thought that Ling was sure to be the golden dragon so he didn’t apply himself with the same intensity. He thought he would teach others like Master Chin. That he’d be able to travel, go to university, be able to hang out with his friends without responsibilities and new foes. Now he’ll be bound to the temple, always on alert for evil and he isn’t even as formidable of a warrior as his sister was. Why him?

So the temple would have him face these questions. Since Ling wants the armband so bad, why not give it to her? Why hang onto it? Because of destiny? Does he want this destiny? Is he capable of being a good guardian? Can he actually become better than he is?

So the temple would force him to really think about why he chooses to stay in this role that he never asked for, ultimately deciding that he is doing it because he wants to. He wants to protect his community, his friends. He believes there needs to be a golden dragon in the world. He’s accomplished so much already, he can do more and he wants to improve, inserting some of the lessons Master Chin has taught him.

Mindbender is another semi disappointing episode with a good premise that doesn’t go as far as it could. It’s Chinese New Years and everyone is celebrating new beginnings. Ang hopes that will include Ling coming back to her senses which everyone rolls their eyes and warn him that Ling won’t change, he needs to give up the idea. Zodiac Master attacks, setting up a distraction for Ling to sneak into the temple and ambush Ang when he goes to recharge his armband. In the midst of battle, Ang gets knocked out with amnesia and Ling sees the opportunity to trick him into giving her the armband.

Predictably, it nearly works but Ang’s memories come back and he changes to the right side at the last minute. Also, in the episode, Ling should do a better job of convincing Ang she’s the real golden dragon if she doesn't get impatient and transform into the shadow dragon so they can escape the cave they’re trapped him. That was just so dumb.

To make it more dramatic, the plot will go as shown up till the amnesia. Ling tricking Ang will have more weight as she references their past relationship (including a cute beach flashback), she is imbuing it with truth. She has always looked out for her brother, she protects him, she cares for him. She wants him on her side as always. And here, one can tell she means it even as she’s angling for him to give her the armband. Again, this will make her look like she has actual emotion instead of a manipulative psycho.

Ang will regain his memories in time with the help of his friends, and defeat the Zodiac Master and Ling. Only their face off will end with Ang deciding to officially cut off all hope that Ling can be redeemed. He is too hurt that she was willing to manipulate their twinship, to corrupt their happy memories. She’s gone too far.

Episode ends with Xuan Chi, Bengali, Master Chin and Ang having a fun New Years meal with Ang appreciating his new family.

But there’s a flashback to his previous happy new year with Ling and Master Chin. Flashback ends to Ling sitting alone at the cliff side, staring at her locket with their baby picture. As fireworks bloom overhead, she decisively closes the locket and walks away, a tear running down one cheek.

Chow Chow is yet another interesting episode that could do more with its ending.

It all starts when the Zodiac Master is trying to resurrect the original dak Emperor of Yin, and tries to use Ling to do it by allowing the Emperor to drain her life force. Well, Ling isn't going out that way and realizing the danger she's in, tries to contact her brother for help. But the Zodiac Master intercepts the email and goes to ambush him, making it seem like it had been a trap all along.

Now I like that idea, and the subsequent execution where Ang does the smart thing and hides his armband before getting subdued by the Zodiac Master in battle which enrages him when he realizes that Ang is useless.

And Ling makes it much more difficult when Ang accuses her of setting him up and she gets all defensive that he doesn't believe her. I mean, girl, you have set up plenty of times before, you can't blame him.

Nonetheless, when Zodiac Master threatens to suck her life force, Ang gives in and agrees to show where he hid the armband.

And while all this is happening, Ang's friends have teamed up with the dog guardian, Chow Chow to literally sniff out where he's been kidnapped. I just find these specific guardian traits/powers super fun. It also comes to an entertaining battle where Xuan Chi grabs ahold of the dragon armband and temporarily becomes the Golden Dragon.

Cool but brings a few plot holes to why did it reject Ling if Xuan Chi can just take it? Does it only repel evil? Then why don't the other armbands repel Zodiac Master when he steals them?

In the end, there's a big fight and Ling returns to Zodiac master despite him trying to kill her just hours ago, proving how stubborn she is about holding a grudge against a brother who has only tried to help her. While Ang realizes she was telling the truth and admits that he wishes he could give up on her, he's sad to admit he just can't.

So I would change the ending a bit. After Mindbender, Ang won't have any trust for Ling so when he gets her email, he just straight up assumes it's a trap. The plot will go on as expected only Ling will be taken aback by the fact that Ang was prepared for the betrayal and doesn't believe her. He just wants to learn what the Zodiac Master is planning. The life force draining will still take place as well as the battle.

But the reason Ling stays with the Zodiac Master despite him trying to kill her will be because she sees that Ang doesn't trust her and she is totally alone. So she convinces herself that because this night turned out fine, she can handle it. She never needed Ang's help even if he had offered it. She'll show him and she will show that backstabbing Zodiac Master, furthering her evil descent.

Monkey Mission was a very fun episode, giving Xuan Chi more depth than I ever thought he would get. For one thing, apparently he has PTSD-esque nightmares of losing his armband. You see, he didn’t just lost a fight to some temple robbers, they held him down and electrocuted him. No wonder he has nightmares!

But now, he has a clue of where the thieves are going. They’re auctioning it and other temple items off like any good temple robber and Zodiac Master is on call to steal it back.

Why doesn't he just buy the armband since his civilian disguise looks like he’s the head of a majorly rich corporation, I don’t know, but I guess he’s cheap.

Anyway, it was a bit of Indiana Jones and a bit of a regular martial arts movie with three separate acts and gave Xuan Chi a chance to shine and prove to himself that he’s an honorable warrior even as it leaves off with a cliffhanger of the armband going missing again.

The Emperor of Darkest Yin was an episode that felt like a filler with Ang and Xuan Chi disobeying Master Chin's warnings that teaming up with Zodiac Master's vengeful ex-partner. This ex partner calls himself the Master of Red Chi whose powerful blasts mostly make up for his incompetent combat skills.

I liked the message, "When you try to use the force of evil, it is evil that ends up using you," and it plays it straight with Master Red Chi double crossing them for another of Zodiac Master's traps as well as the twist ending.

But it felt riddled with holes like why doesn't the Red Chi Master not have a name? Where did he learn red chi? Can anyone else learn or was he just born with it? His story was very vague and felt like it could have been expanded to add to the magical lore of the show.

The fight in the Hong Kong docks also felt silly with the Zodiac Master's entire samurai army in view.

Like is this like Marvel New York? Are the people used to samurais and bombs in their harbor? Isn't this supposed to be a secret mystical battle? Just the concepts of what is secret and what is normal in this world is unclear?

I would have kept the use your enemy concept but have Ang try to outwit his sister, the way she has been doing the previous episodes and throw in the Red Chi Master for the red herring (this was unintentional, I semi swear).

The Last Dragon- I actually have no complaints with this episode. It was solid story wise, revealing that the previous Golden Dragon was the twin’s father who had Master Chin erase their memories to protect him from their enemies. Of course, Ling is dumbly manipulated to turn her rightful anger toward Zodiac Master for murdering her father to being furious at her father for “abandoning” them.

But the show actually pulls through and has her realize the truth thanks to Ang and of course, a cheesy flashback.

And then they team up to fight the Zodiac Master!

It’s a temporary truce but I enjoyed that it touched on my previous complaints that Ang was the only one acting like they had a familial bond. Also Ling was less hostile psychopath and demonstrated she may have some good after all. Also them as kids were cute. I would just change the animation of the last scene because it looked less like a hug in the moonlight between twins but the beginning of something else between not siblings. . . so ew.

Spy Hard was also a fun episode. As you might guess, it’s a James Bond parody! Well a parody if James Bond had mystical possession and martial arts powers. Okay, it doesn’t really follow any James Bond movie plot but the Rooster guardian,Lo Wang has a Sean Connery voice which is delightful to listen to. Ang learns a bit about thinking before acting which I’m pretty sure he learned before but I didn’t care since I was enjoying Sean- I mean Lo so much.

Also, Ling continues to return to her roots by fighting against Zodiac Master again. While she was originally down for the whole possessing the dragon temple, she’s not in it for corrupting the Golden Dragon temple’s spirit with the darkest yin. If she’s going to steal the Golden Dragon, she’s going to do it honorably!

So yay? She’s not quite on Ang’s side but she’s not the Zodiac Master’s idiotic puppet either. And Ang trying to do an awkward fist bump was surprisingly endearing even if Ling didn’t reciprocate. You could tell she kinda wanted.

So yeah, as I write this down, I can see that it’s really starting to improve as the season goes on and I’m excited to see what the second half of the season does.

#legend of the dragon #episode thoughts #series rewrite #obscure shows

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