#but it also makes her even more protective of him to justify all her schemes and plots against her enemies

[ladystoneboobs]

no, but the way, cersei brushes sansa's hair with her fingers after telling her ilyn payne will kill her if stannis wins his battle, so they can all die together. this intimate, almost maternal gesture following a death threat. and then later a similar gesture is used with her actual child, when intimidating the king himself, her youngest, after threatening to have his whipping boy brought in to be beaten before them. just as she scared sansa, she scares tommen, also thought to be meek as sansa was. cersei only knows how to rule through fear but in these certain cases, she can sometimes mix in acts of tenderness too for a particularly unsettling combination.

#valyrianscrolls #asoiaf meta #asoiaf #cersei lannister #sansa stark #tommen baratheon #like with sansa she wants her as a daughter-in-law bc she seems unthreatening #but she also somewhat relates to sansa saying she'll survive humiliation as cersei did bc she's stronger than she looks #and w tommen his perceived weakness frustrates her as unlionlike esp as she idealizes joff after his death #but it also makes her even more protective of him to justify all her schemes and plots against her enemies #tommen himself wants no harm to come to his wife and in-laws and sansa no longer wanted any part in cersei's schemes either #(c)lsb #happy murderous meowmeow monday!

[cock-holliday]

There is such a difference between cause and pretext. Israel has been engaged in ethnic cleansing since the 40s. Hamas attacks, rebellions, a kid throwing a stone at a tank, a Palestinian sitting at home minding her business—these are pretext. Israel bombing and shooting and killing is being excused by the idea that it is in response to things, rather than any action by Palestinians is the excuse Israel has been waiting for. And if there is no excuse, they will make one up.

Hamas, like all guerrilla groups, are created out of retaliation for the death, destruction, and subjugation of a people. Its inception is caused by ethnic cleansing. Part of Hamas’s own charter is reverse-engineered from Protocols of the Elder of Zion-type shit. That Jews are evil creatures scheming to take over the world is the dehumanization to justify any atrocity as resistance. This is a pretext.

Jews across America are afraid that they will now be victim to retaliation for Israel’s actions. Nazis do not care about Palestinians. They do not support the liberation of any oppressed peoples and to think modern Nazis value Muslims any more than Jews is laughable. Antisemitic violence has been allowed to proliferate through the united states. Nazis and other white supremacists have been protected and emboldened by the police and politicians, and they are the police and politicians. Anyone who supports a liberatory cause would never enact violence on another group simply for existing. This is pretext. Anyone who reads about Israel’s atrocities and comes away thinking that Jews deserve violence is caused by radicalization. Anyone who (like fuckin Jackson Hinkle) uses Israeli massacres to encourage people towards antisemitism is using a pretext.

Mainstream bombardment of messages of Hamas atrocity, especially those fabricated, with a focus on the dehumanization of the group is a pretext for violence. IOF soldiers lying about what they’ve seen, officials sharing fake documents—are all pretext.

A landlord was close with his Palestinian tenants and the child of the family viewed this man like an uncle. He had no known preconceived reason to be hostile towards the mother and child. They had no reason to fear him. He then was relentlessly exposed to propaganda convincing him that the pair would kill him. He then went to kill the family ‘before they could kill him.’ It was so unexpected that the boy went to hug the man before he was brutally stabbed to death. The mother was also stabbed but survived. The man’s sudden and intense radicalization (which likely exacerbated any previously held unrealized bigotry) was the cause of the violence.

Islamophobia has been radically heightened since 9/11. It was stoked by Trump. Spikes in Islamophobic hate crimes by groups who already hated Muslims framed as “to protect Jews” is using a pretext.

It is crucially important to be mindful of whether anyone’s outrage is urging you to exercise violence towards a system or a people. It is crucially important to never dehumanize an enemy. Not a people, and not even servants of a system. Israel is committing unimaginable atrocity, Nazis commit horrific atrocity. They are still not animals and we cannot dismiss them as such.

Dehumanization is a big first step on the path of pre-textual atrocity, and the point is to never stoop to such an abhorrent level.

[nemeliis]

Cursed!Lord Oyster AU

Spoilers for all chapter's of A Mermaid's Tale!

In this AU, Lord Oyster accidentally absorbs White Pearl's curse (NOT her power's, JUST her curse)— instead due to him clutching her pearl so dearly—because of this, when he returns from his voyage, seemingly unscathed despite the raw reckage and death of Abalone Cookie along with his entire crew, with a very odd smile on his face: almost like he knows something we don't, something has to be up. And because the curse seems to be fueled by rage, or the fact that it's supposed to be a Mermaids curse rather than a Cookies, his body takes the toll and he gets a serpent/mermaid half.

Which he hides via magic he also acquired during his curse. All of the rage he's been suppressing for decades comes broiling over in the worst way, and the leader of House Urchin has to deal with it before he's next on the chopping block. From a reclused, soft spoken Cookie with a humble heart—to a sadistic, conniving and unfeeling one filled with blinding rage overnight, Roasted Urchin isn't sure about the rumor's: or if he wants to believe them. The disappointment of House Oyster would never do something so vile as eradicating the entire Abalone House in cold jam in less than a day...right...?

___________________________

Here's some fun facts about him!

In Lord Oysters original concept, before he was even drawn or sketched out—he was going to be a harpy-like creature with wing's and a tail. But that was scrapped because I can't draw wing's to save my life, and it wouldn't make since considering he's from the land. I was supposed to represent how deep his curse went, but I opted for color pallette changes instead.

Though Lord Oyster can hide his serpentine lower half, he can't hide his hair changes or eye color. If you're wondering why no one questions it (except for Roasted Urchin Cookie)—it's because there too focused on the Abalone House's demise to realize what's going on.

He likes terrorizing House Urchin in his spare time—particularly Roasted Cookie, like little kid and his uncle fights but actually dangerous and sadistic.

He has a HUGE form, similar to Black Pearl! But he prefers to keep in his smaller one unless prompted.

Fiercely protective over House Oyster, and got more fortune than in the original timeline due to some.. interesting scheme's (killing other house's to get to the top faster so he could feed his family). He really does justify that one in his head.

When a family member of House Oyster reaches there 10th birthday, Lord Oyster meets them on the sea side and blesses them with his protection —this is why Oyster Cookie always had nannies up until that age, it's protocol. It's a family secret, and everyone see's Lord Oyster differently. But one thing that stays true: you can have faith in him, for if you have a pure heart, someone shall watch over you.

A “pure heart” just means like. An okay person since Lord Oyster brushes Oyster Cookies political game's off.

Lord Oyster gained the following power's from his curse:

Super strength (like. Throwing around ship's type strength)

Night vision

Sharp teeth...(not even a superpower but..teeth,,,)

Enhanced senses

Weapon summoning/water control

Immortality, can only die from unnatural causes. (He outlived his entire family ☹️..)

#also he was the one who killed Abalone...not Black Pearl Cookie like in the original tale—they made up #but by then the curse had infested his dough #which only got worse considering Nacre Cookie is a big fat asshole with little to no positive moral compass. #cookie run #cookie run kingdom #lord oyster cookie #abalone cookie #nemeliis screams into the void #Cursed!Lord Oyster AU #Roasted Urchin Cookie

[mxtxfanatic]

Hello, new danmei fan here. I'm really late into danmei, just started last year (so I missed the hype). Just when I confused which blog to follow, I found your blog. Thanks so much for this blog of yours, it really helped me to understand more of the stories. I just finished MDZS, TGCG, SVSSS and now I'm reading 2Ha.

For this ask game, can I ask MDZS or SVSSS?

Before I start reading, many people said that SVSSS is inferior to other MXTX works, after finishing the books, I disagree, because I enjoy them all the same....

I mean, if starting last year is considered "late," then I'm also behind, because I only started reading things a few years ago lmao! But it's never too late when fandoms are still booming (for better or worse). So I see we're finishing out the mxtx novels.

MDZS

Favorite Character: Wei Wuxian

Favorite Arc: all Drunk Lan Wangji encounters!

Character I Think is Underrated: Lan Wangji, if i have to hear “he’s boring” from people who can’t read one more time…

Character I Think is Overrated: all of the antagonists and villains. Jiang Cheng is not "single mother!jiujiu," he is just a bitchless Wen Chao. Jin Guangyao is not "poor little Meng Yao forced to do things against his will," he is a a calculating murderer who will scheme against, betray, and kill anyone who stands between him and ultimate power. Madam Yu is not a "girlboss" (unless we accept the real meaning of that word, which is a woman who gains power by ingratiating herself into oppressive systems as the female alternative to corrupt male leaders), she is a domestic abuser who made every single person in her family and husband's clan miserable.

Favorite Ship/Pairing: Wangxian

Something I Love About the Book: I love the way this book is adamant about good always eventually being rewarded. That even if the outcome of doing good was terrible, that does not make the effort wasted or useless. Lan Wangji protecting Wei Wuxian at Nightless City was worth it even if he was almost killed for it, because it made sure that the yin tiger tally did not end up in the Jin Clan's hands as a completed weapon. Wei Wuxian saving the Wen was worth it even though he was killed for it, because A-Yuan got to live. Wen Qing and Wen Ning saving Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian was worth it even though Jiang Cheng betrayed them in the end, because their clan still got to live through its last descendant. None of their actions were met with immediate rewards, but the larger implications of them led to better outcomes than had they just kept to themselves and the status quo of corruption, as everyone else had.

SVSSS (my favorite of the three 🤗)

Favorite Character: Luo Binghe, hands down

Favorite Arc: Holy Mausoleum Arc, cause y'all (Shen Qingqiu 😒) gonna stop falsey accusing my baby, today!

Character I Think is Underrated: Bing-mei version of Luo Binghe, not because he's "unpopular," per se, but because mainstream fandom's perception of him seems to be that he is just Bing-ge who cries, and this is a complete mischaracterization of his character based on popular fanon. I see too much hate for him in this fandom because of it

Character I Think is Overrated: Shen Jiu. The man was a child abuser and died to one of his victims because he chose to be a child abuser. There is nothing tragic or unfair about that. Leave that man in the ether where he'll hopefully never have a chance to harm another person again.

Favorite Ship/Pairing: Bingqiu

Something I Love About the Book: Shen Qingqiu. The man is trying his damndest to do right in what he considers a doomed narrative, but the moment he realizes that his efforts have actually made things worse, he immediately pivots his actions. He never tries to justify himself, deflect from criticism, or misplace responsibility. He has one goal in mind, and that is to make as many people's lives as he possibly can better than what they originally ended up as.

#svsss asks #mdzs asks #ask games #anon #favorite svsss character close *close* second is sqq

[kirbybecomesastarwarrior]

Celarthur (Arthur x Celestine)

Arthur & Celestine's love is a core part of the story now. (I love them so much...)

Lady Celestine: Navigator of the Constellations: Celestine is the "Merlin" of the series but goes by "Merlyn" instead... I've discussed this in my previous posts, but basically, she was treated like a caged bird all her life (by the Ancients). Keeping her locked up in the temple so they could have exclusive use of her future vision.

Merlyn was Celestine's alter ego.

Whenever Celestine wanted to sneak out of the temple, she'd go out incognito as Merlyn. She became a vigilante of sorts, an outlaw to the G.S.A. but beloved by the people. Protecting the common people from monsters & fixing the destruction the war left...

But more importantly, she took this form to save Arthur...

Before he took the position, Sir Arthur was originally the right-hand man of Sir Uther, the first leader of the G.S.A. who was also his mentor... and he was a tyrant. Molding him in his image, Uther had trained Arthur to be the perfect soldier... a real killer. His most powerful chess piece...

Arthur had accepted all of it; this was his lot in life. He'd justify it in his head that it was all for the "greater good"... even though it was killing him on the inside. It seemed like that was the only path he could take. Uther's influence was slowly snuffing out all the light he had inside of him... he was an empty husk. That is... until a certain wizard entered the fray.

She'd appear before Arthur, popping up every chance she got to teach him morals, giving him life lessons, (low-key) making him her accomplice for her vigilante schemes: showing him he could be more than Uther's dirty henchman.

As time went on, she realized how similar they were to each other.

Arthur was forced to be this pillar of strength, the perfect soldier, as Uther's right-hand man. As for Celestine, she was forced to be this symbol of divinity and purity. But in reality, she was nothing more than a windup doll to be seen and not heard. She was able to be at ease with him, to truly be herself with him. (Even though she technically wasn't exactly herself...)

Celestine enjoyed watching him grow; she wanted him to succeed. His bitterness stemmed from his lack of self-worth and never feeling like he was enough. Ideas that had been planted in his head by Sir Uther ... At his core: Arthur was always this kind, gentle soul with a strong heart... His talents were just being used to serve such a selfish, heartless man (Sir Uther).

It made her all the more determined to bring out the best in him and show him all the wonders life had to offer. Bring back life into those cold, dead eyes of his. And those times she'd see Arthur enjoy himself and laugh (boy, did she love that laugh of his), those were the moments she fought for...

Soon, she genuinely started to believe in Arthur... even if she didn't have these visions of the future, she knew she'd still believe in the man who stood before her... soon another feeling came about... feeling she couldn't quite describe.

At first, Arthur hated the old wizard, tricking him, dragging him on these ludicrous misadventures. And yet, somehow he was able to defeat a seasoned warrior like himself. But what really ticked him... was when the old codger would claim that he saw visions of the future and had some "great destiny." (Utter nonsense)

These were delusions of an old man...or a mere trick to avoid arrest; he was just a soldier destined to die on the battlefield. This crazy magician was no better than his master... just another chess piece to him to help further his goal. The only reason he humored these "interactions" was because there was a chance to captured this dangerous rouge. But soon, he was able to see that the old mage really did genuinely care for him.

Merlyn would ask about his aspirations, his dreams even, and supported him like no one else did. And in times of trouble, he was always right on time to save him. But above all, Merlyn showed that his life mattered... he could make something of himself... whether he was a soldier or not. No one has ever cared or believed in him like that... he had someone that was there for him.

Arthur eventually grew attached to his eccentric teacher as well. Instinctively, he began to check around... if there was a chance that Merlyn was close by. Seeking out their guidance, desiring their teachings, and missing his company. Their lessons had given him hope; the darkness that once scorned his heart started to heal. For once in his life, he had a friend.

However, there was something oddly familiar about this magical mentor. Then, through a series of events; Arthur was able to figure out that Celestine was Merlyn. Of course, he was shocked, but he didn't care he'd found "Merlyn"... but made him curious as to why she did this... especially since the personas of the two were so different.

Around the same time, he was assigned to be Celestine's bodyguard. This allowed him to see her act as Lady Celestine, and she was just as trapped (in her role) as well. They are confined by the system that raised them. They were both being used and lied to by their master for their own benefit as the two of them suffered. (No wonder "Merlyn" could understand him so well...)

Celestine knew if they ever found out her real talents, the G.S.A & the Ancient would monopolize her abilities. She only ever showed them her future vision abilities & her forging powers (she was the blacksmith of the GSA). Which is why they never suspected her of being Merlyn. The Ancients were pleased with this... she was docile and easier to control.

But this safety net came at a price... Often overlooked and seen as useless by her peers. To Uther, her very existence was an insult to the rest of the heroes of Yore. She was weak and lacked any fighting abilities. Icarus loathed her: she rejected all his experiments (since they had to go through the temple, meaning her)... claiming they were dangerous. And she wouldn't allow him to experiment on the Fountain of Dreams. (I went into more detail in a previous post link here)...

Celestine knew they all thought lowly of her... she couldn't care less about what they thought about her. But their words and cold stares still hurt her; she tolerated it... but Arthur didn't.

Arthur knew the truth; she was Merlyn... the Merlyn. The great mage that had overpowered & outsmarted them all. It enraged him; he knew how capable & talented she really was. She was amazing... they never gave her a chance.

But he knew... even if she showed her true nature, they'd never accept her...that's why she had to create Merlyn...

After realizing this, Arthur tries to strike up a friendship with her as "Lady Celestine." However, when he'd talk to her, she'd only give polite & perfect answers (kind of like Princess Rona's guard acted in the anime). Celestine was in doll mode... it almost seemed as if she was lifeless. This saddened him greatly; in her eyes, the real her was begging to come out.

But Arthur knew the key to bringing out the real her...

One day, during some downtime, Arthur brought in a chess game for them. Hoping to bring out her competitive nature. As Merlyn, she could never say no to a challenge. The rush and thrill of the game consumed her; she showed him no mercy. Dropping the lady decorum, not realizing all her sassiness was spilling through.

After she had won the game, she couldn't help but gloat... needless to say, she was not so gracious in her victory. Arthur couldn't help but smile at the sight of this, "Aw, there she is..." As time went on, Arthur would do little like this that would encourage the real her to come out. It was always a triumph for him when the "Real Celestine" would come out. Her kookiness, her wittiness, her feistiness, her cute little quirks... he loved it all.

Prioritizing Celestine's comfort and happiness whenever he was with her. And would defend her honor every time she was insulted. (Even though he'd get in trouble sometimes, but he didn't care.) He just wanted to return the kindness she gave to him as Merlyn... by allowing her to be herself. (Needless to say, Arthur was pretty much smitten with her at this point.)

Meanwhile, Celestine started to become guilty of hiding her identity as Merlyn. She was becoming so close to him outside of her persona, and this didn't help her unknown feelings for him. And Arthur was being so sweet to her too... and here she was lying to him every day. It certainly didn't help these unknown feelings of hers.

(Good thing he already knows...)

However, this all comes to a head when Arthur saves "Merlyn" from nearly being captured by Sir Nonsurat. Arthur accidentally calls Celestine's name by mistake...whoops. And in that moment, Arthur lays all his cards out on the table. And even apologizing for his previous misjudging of her. Humbling himself before her, revealing his face to her for the first time.

Celestine was extremely proud of Arthur at this moment. The old Arthur would have turned her in without hesitation. To her, this was proof that Arthur had truly changed for the better. And his words touched her heart...

But she was very disappointed (not really) to find out that Arthur was handsome under there. When he was still a jerk, she'd always imagined him to have the ugliest face to match his horrible personality... like a toad (hence the nickname Wart).

Well, that image is shattered... She could still call him a "Prat," but... And she was so fond of the nickname... how was she supposed to call him Wart now?! Do you not see her dilemma?! (she still does, though it's... just more difficult to tease him now).

They return to the G.S.A. base only to find Sir Uther complaining how once again Merlyn had alluaded his grasp. Completely unaware that she was standing right behind him!

To this day, Arthur is the only one to ever find out about Merlyn's true identity. It was a secret that he & Celestine had shared: a secret that forever bonded them together... and before they knew it... they were already in love.

Fun facts / Inspo info/ more about Celarthur:

BTW...this is their theme Celathur:

I was listening to this the whole time I was creating this post; (feel free to reread the post while listening to this... <3)

Inspo/References:

The nicknames Celestine gives him (prat & wart) are a reference to Merlin (the TV series) - prat and the Once & Future King by T.H. White. (Book series & Radio drama) & the Disney movie "The Sword and the Stone". They were all my main inspiration when creating Lady Celestine overall. She's basically like Eclipsa from Star vs. the Forces of Evil.

Much like her counterpart (Disney & Book- Merlin), Celestine would put Arthur in scenarios where he had to be put in someone else shoes. Desperately trying to get Arthur to want better for himself.

But that sass comes from the ( Merlin TV series) and the banter between him and Arthur was my favorite part of the show. Their chemistry was so great... And did I ship Merthur (Arthur x Merlin)... yes I did!

The Once & Future King is my favorite retelling of the Arthurian legend if you want to listen to the Radio drama.

I got so much inspiration from this version... I highly recommend reading the book series. It's such a great read.

I also got Inspo from "The Legends of King Arthur."

Fun facts:

The vision that Celestine sees for Arthur is that he's supposed to be the match to spark the end of the dark era of the galaxy and bring forth the era of light. (Arthur is the match - Meta Knight is the spark- and Kirby is the light).

The reasons why the G.S.A called Merlyn an out law:

The Ancients regulated all magic users, and the very existence of Merlyn promoted wild magic. People would start to question their authority over it.

Sir Uther saw Merlyn as a threat; the public started to put their faith in this unregistered mage. It was the G.S.A.'s job to defend (monitor) the people. If they see Merlyn as their defender... he'd start to lose control over the public.

For Icarus, Merlyn was protecting civilians for free, which took away potential money. (Yep Icarus is the captilist)

This took so long to make because of Young Arthur's armor design (dang it, Arthur!)

About Celarthur:

Celestine's personality is very much a combination of the Disney Merlin & the TV series Merlin. She has a lot of silly quirks and bumbles and tends to lose herself when deep in thought about an idea(especially concerning her visions). She's a bit of a scatterbrain at times... But at her core, she's very wise and has a kind heart to guide her... and she had sass for days.

The name Merlin actually means Sea Fortress; which is why I gave her water powers (and bubble as well). Celestine would bubble Arthur when she was being particularly arrogant or annoying to her. To keep him in check... or to troll him (mostly that one).

Her foresight doesn't allow her to see everything (only seeing from point A to B)... and she doesn't see what happens in the middle. Which results in many of her spontaneous misadventures dragging Arthur in. "It'll all going to work out in the end, so let's just wing it... come on, prat!." Much to Arthur's annoyance... but of course, he eventually comes to love that about her.

Celestine's nicknames for Arthur: Wart, Prat, Golden Boy, and Art ( future nickname My King <3)

Arthur's nicknames for Celestine (& as Merlyn): Old codger, Wizard, Vicious Viper, Cel, Celty (future nickname My Queen <3)

Through all the telling and retelling of the Arthurian mythos, Merlin was always the one person to always believe in Arthur. He always pushed him to be better... to be the king he knew he could be.

I think that was the core reason why I chose to create a love story for Celestine & Arthur... Their dynamic: straight lace cop working for a corrupted system and is changed by a free-spirited vigilante...

Actually, I never planned to have a love story for Sir Arthur, but it was the best decision I ever made. NOW IT'S A CORE PART OF THE STORY AND I AM ONCE AGAIN MAKING MYSELF WEEP...

CELARTHUR EVERYBODY! ~

#kirby oc #lady celestine #sir arthur #celarthur #sir uther #kbasw #kirby anime #celestine #krbay #kirby right back at ya #hoshi no kirby #cannon x oc #oc x canon

[offbeatcappuccino]

a colossal disaster ~ impossible heir final reflections

I recently finished watching the last two episodes of impossible heir and I am convinced that this show will go down as one of the biggest disappointments of 2024. After being a close follower of Lee Jae Wook's career for several years, I was excited about him playing another cold traumatized morally ambiguous character. However, there are too many weaknesses in the writing that cannot be made up by the spectacular acting from Lee Jae Wook, Lee Jun Young, and Choi Hee Jin. We all already know how I feel about Hong Su Zu and her character Na Hye Won. Like many predicted, the big reveal in this show is that Lee Jun Young's character Kang In Ha is a backstabber that has been secretly plotting to frame his best friend Han Tae Oh as the murderer of Kang In Ju in order to fulfill his dream of ascending the Kang-oh throne.

I do think that the shift in In Ha's becoming an overly ambitious fake friend was somewhat well justified with the writing. There were signs in the earlier episodes that he saw Tae Oh as his "dog" and held very little regard for him. One notable example is him "stealing" Na Hye Won despite being very well aware that Tae Oh had a crush on her. When In Ha is finally recognized by his father as his son, In Ha makes several independent decisions without consulting Han Tae Oh- suggesting the very early signs of a schism between the two men. However, its hard to swallow that out of nowhere he becomes capable of conspiring in the murder of his own brother, his best friend, the man that helped him kill his brother, his father, and finally, physically assaulting his wife and having her institutionalized against her will. What is actually quite bewildering in all of this has to be the relationship between In Ha and Mo Gi Ju, the murderer of Kang In Ju.

In last week's episodes, we are shown that Han Tae Oh comes across video evidence from the murder scene, which directly implicates Mo Gi Ju and Kang In Ha. This subsequently allows Tae Oh to be declared innocent and have his charges dismissed. When Gi Ju is interrogated, he refuses to disclose In Ha as his co-conspirator and in the last episode, we see that Gi Ju initially considers In Ha to be his friend. This is what is incredibly perplexing because at what point in the plot did these two become friends? It's one thing to be co-conspirators or to make a mutually beneficial deal, but to become close friends to the point that one of them is willing to take all the blame to protect the other? This is a loose thread in the plot that the show runners never seem to take the time to address.

Another thing that is never explained in the show is In Ha's extensive connections with the prison system. However, this could just be me being picky and maybe in the short span that he was able to be recognized as a legitimate son, he also was able to bribe a prison guard to help him carry out his dirty work. Despite these flaws, I will say that Lee Jun Young is absolute perfection when it comes to playing a maniac.

Apart from this arc, one of the biggest flaws in the last episode was the drastic shift in the characterization of Kang Seong Ju, one of In Ha's older brothers, who along with his mother was scheming to become the CEO of the company. However, after his mother's arrest, Seong Ju tearfully exclaims to his mother that he's sick of vying for the top and wants to prioritize his happiness. This is a sharp departure from his conduct just a few days prior when he was attempting to fill the vacuum left by his father's illness. What is even more difficult to swallow is the sudden respect that Seong Ju develops for Tae Oh, even going as far as respecting him as the next chairman of Kang Oh and bowing to him even though like everyone else in the family apart from Hui Ju, believed that Tae Oh was lesser than and a threat to their ambitions due to his proximity to the chairman. Seong Ju's arc is almost too good of an ending that you can't help but feel that the writers resorted to deus ex machina in order to tie all the ends.

Hye Won as usual was a disappointment and its confusing why they would market her as a main character when she had barely any lines or things to do in this episode. She has been one of the weakest female characters I have seen in a while with her existence mainly serving as a prop used to justify the conflict between the two men. She, herself, does very little to move the plot forward. Perhaps one of the saving graces of the show and the only reason I stuck with watching it is a brief scene that we see in the last few minutes of the show. Kang Hui Ju decides that she is going to travel the world and during the three year time leap, we see Tae Oh smiling at a picture of Hui Ju in Cancún, which she sends as her "survival update". The ending is very open-ended and ambigious, but if you were me, you interpreted it as Tae Oh finally reciprocating his feelings for Hui Ju.

While The Impossible Heir has been an utter disappointment, one of the good things about the show was the chemistry between Hui Ju and Tae Oh. Luckily, this has captivated the minds of some amazing writers and there's a flourishing AO3 page for the show with some of the best angst fanfics I've seen in a while.

Rating: 1.0/5.0

Keep watching kdramas and living your life like one,

offbeat_cappuccino

#lee jae wook #lee jun young #choi hee jin #hong su zu #han tae oh #kang in #kang huiju #na hye won #the impossible heir #disney hotstar #kdrama review #kdrama recommendations #kdrama reviews

[citygirlyuno305]

Responding to the major arguments I’ve seen about Amane being guilty

TW for a lot of reasons

1. If you’re guiltying for her threats to shidou

Overly myopic and frankly lame view. Even if I assume she is actually going to follow through on this Kazui is available to stop her and help Shidou, and the threat of Shidou needing to tend to other injuries is countered by guiltying Kotoko and Mikoto. No new injuries means he will be less likely to be caught off guard.

Plus the plot shock of having a prisoner injure others has lost appeal, and Shidou’s popularity means that she is very unlikely to kill him off. Sorry, but thats the way it goes.

Also, the overly Machiavellian approach to guiltying her on this basis is illogical and, honestly, borderline stupid. Do the ends of protecting Shidou based on a broken victim’s threats really justify the means of breaking her even more? Especially when we have no idea if she will actually follow through, and when we consider the implications (see below) of voting her guilty twice in a row?

They don’t. This isn’t a question of whether you forgive her current mindset. It’s whether you forgive her for her previously committed crimes. And it seems MOST of you do. Conflating her current mindset towards Shidou with the justifications for her actual murder is clouding her analysis and we know the result is far from good.

2. if its because you want to discourage her mindset

That didn’t work last time and I have NO idea why you’d think it would this time. At this point a double guilty would reaffirm her belief that the only people who have ever forgiven her is the cult.

Plus, it would likely just make her more violent. So we see in her MV that her murder was precipitated by what she saw as hypocrisy with her victim’s compliance with the cult covenants- they abuse amane for interfering with fate by helping the cat, but then they themselves tamper with fate by killing the cat, which leads amane to say “well shit if youre gonna break your vow im gonna punish you exactly the same.” And she’s pointed out our own hypocrisy before with respect to voting. So to vote her guilty would, in all likelihood, make her more violent against us and everyone else. She will literally be confined and restrained, only accompanied by her own thoughts, our voices of disapproval, and her current mindset.

And, in the broad scheme, it’s mentioned that a t2 guilty will bring higher levels of restraints for guilty prisoners. Her MV already shows that she was heavily abused and that was a large part of her mentality when she chose to kill. If you think of amane as a real person instead of a character, it would make no sense to subject someone to further restraints if we are trying to break her of the mindset that she has. We would literally be treating her the same way her cult treated her, subjecting her to overly cruel and not AT ALL helpful punishment and physical restraint, and allowing other prisoners who do the same thing and present the same dangers (Fuuta and Kazui beef, Kotoko/Mikoto potentially) to walk around like nothing.

3. if its because you want to disavow the cult

I mean, see above under explanation 2. It doesn’t work that way. We have a baseline understanding of what a guilty vote does to her: it pushes her further in the cult. It is beyond me how anyone believes a double guilty could at all help her. We don’t know what an innocent vote would do, but we sure as shit know what a guilty vote does.

Plus being that she will be restrained and alone with her own thoughts, it’s fairly unlikely that she will have some miraculous change of heart with respect to her beliefs if we guilty her.

Those are the major arguments I’ve seen. Feel free to comment any other points influencing your decision.

#the milgram project #amane momose milgram #amane momose #amane milgram #amane purge march #purge march

[dailycass-cain]

Batgirls #16 makes more sense in lieu of the news the series will be ending with #19. It's a rare one & done issue, but not necessarily one.

In all honesty, prior to the news on Friday, I figured this was writers Michael Conrad and Becky Cloonan paying homage to both Cassandra and Stephanie's ongoing runs by doing a one/done but really a single issue building off what came prior.

Really this issue is a culmination of seeds planted since the very beginning.  It's kind of satisfying in a way seeing story beats from the early issues paid somewhat off in creepy ways.

This puppet Jason has haunted me since I read the issue and IT SHALL HAUNT YOU NOW TOO!! 

*ahem*

Namely, the opening "salvo" of the Mad Hatter showcases what Mr. Greene was doing all the way since #1 (but really we saw all the way to #9).

Now seeing the creepy doll in #9 makes more sense with what he was commissioned with, and a bit of a payoff that yes Steph was right.  Just Greene was someone who developed something rather creepy for the supervillains of Gotham (akin to the Carpenter).

It's a neat little bit where Gotham gonna be Gotham and even working on creepy dolls for the bad guys wasn't gonna protect him from other monsters Gotham had (aka Mr. Fun).

If anything, I'm a bit surprised this wasn't further connected, but I'll base my theory anyway that Jervis targeted the Batgirls with this elaborate scheme because they took out his student. Charles Dante aka--

It is a nice way to circle things all the way back to then besides Greene. But that's my personal theory.

Suffice it to say I did enjoy Neil Googe's art for this story because of the creepiness of the dolls and his style helps bring the monstrous twist all the better.

Again, Conrad and Cloonan have been showing Hatter has been using various stuff (again making me wonder given Spellbinder's modus operandi was the same).

Taking stuff (namely Hatter’s mind tech and Scarecrow’s Fear Toxin) and warping it for his own cocktail twist. I mean the clues are all there.  Hatter used Lazarus Resin and this issue uses a Man-Bat formula on a Batgirl to make her a Girl-Bat.

I'm a bit surprised at the choice because Cass did have a history with Man-Bat (in the ye old Batman & the Outsiders by Frank Tieri). So I figured if anyone was going to be a Girl-Bat it is her this issue.

But nope the recurring theme this series has been is Steph is the one who's gonna suffer. I mean literally, she's been doused with the brew Tutor/Spellbinder had made. She got tortured and "killed" then had the Laz Resin used on her. This issue--

I mean I get it. But dang Steph's been put thru a ringer in this series. The fact that she's still willing to go after ALL this has happened to her is astonishing. It almost makes me wonder...

If the whole point of this, makes Steph retire. That this DC's way to give her this moment but step aside. I really don't want that but man there's got to be a point to put her thru ALL OF THIS. That said--

-- I loved this. Because one it harkens to something Cass has been doing throughout her career. She speaks to monsters.  Treats them fully as humans still even given their deformities and conditions.

She did it with Mr. Freeze (Batgirl Vol. 1). Man-Bat (Batman & the Outsiders). Clayface (Detective Comics). Orca (DC: Doomed & the Damned).

I think it's VERY telling this is Conrad and Cloonan having Cass relive a BAAAAD moment in her life in losing Basil here and being like, "NOPE! THIS ISN'T GOING DOWN LIKE THAT!"

It all feels waaaaaaaaaaaaay too similar in how this issue plays out to how it played out in Tec.

I mean we literally have Babs in this issue in the SAME EXACT POSE as Kate did in Tec with both having a sniper rifle. Just that this time-- Cass FOUND THE WAY.

It proves Cass was right back then and it feels justified in a way that yes she could've talked Basil out back then. Instead of you know--

I also think that's been the greatest problem DC has been skirting away from. You have these two characters with SO MUCH HISTORY. You had Basil remain good for a period even after that and turn him evil on a whim.

Not have ANY payoff with Cass seeing this? Come on DC. Break our hearts dammit!  You literally gave Tynion's Tec run an Omnibus and various trade forms. If you can revisit the overrated rubbish Hush story you can revisit this story!

Back to this one. I really did like the simplicity of this issue where it's all about the "little" things. Things we as readers picked up on and get nods to the past of prior Batgirl volumes (or issues from this) and payoffs.

But the biggest one besides the connection to Tec this issue had was again a connection to Batgirl Vol. 1 I saw NO ONE pick up on. I kept it silent until this moment.

I mean someone did catch the nods to the way Cass thought of Steph during the Andersen Gabrych run. That was a neat detail.

But here's mine I caught.  At the end, we had this mention from the narrator (and I'll fully admit it. THIS WAS THE BEST NARRATION this series has given us. It ADDED to the emotion of this issue). That Cass was by Steph's side the ENTIRE TIME.

Just like Steph stood by Cass's bedside after she had to deal with the Shiva groupie in Batgirl Vol. 1 #26.

That's a deep cut, but a nice one that had me all:

Again, this issue had LAYERS of stuff that I enjoyed.  Which is all the more reason the news this past Friday is so 💔because since #9 the series has been clicking until #14 where it just unleashed that salvo of goodness.

Yes, it's baiting us. I'll fully admit but in a way it reminds me of what creators said akin to Tim/Cass back in the mid-00s that now fully relates to Cass/Steph here.

Cass/Steph literally do act like two people in love with each other who haven't accepted it yet. Well, Cass we know did in #15 but I think this is the first real acknowledgment that Steph gives to Cass this issue.

Will we get SOMETHING in these next remaining issues? Who knows. But I really enjoyed this issue and what it gave us. Just connecting so many dots to this current run and of Batgirl stories' past.

#dc comics #cassandra cain #stephanie brown #my thoughts

[vivithefolle]

Here's my personal theory about why Ron's insecurity issues become more prominent after GOF. In the first three books he actually went through a subtle, but quite nice character growth. In PS he showed insecurity on the express and the mirror of Erised, but at the end of the book he received praise in front of the whole school. In CoS his insecurity surfaced again when he introduced Harry to his room, but Harry's positive response definitely helped him. Also he received Special Award For School at the end. In PoA I think he behaved more confidently than the previous books and he got a new wand and even a new pet. I think this partly solved the hand-me-down issues. Also in the first three books although he was not that famous, I don't think he was ignored by anyone, he always got the credits he deserved. In theory he should become more and more confident from then on. But Rowling WANTED him to be insecure again so she can blame his argument with Harry on "jealousy" even though he never showed that before. Maybe also to make him the butt of joke. We know he was not jealous, but Rowling definitely interpreted him as that way. To justify her nonsense "jealousy" she deliberately made other people ignore him so he could be insecure again, which is quite unfair.

Yep, yep, yep! The first three books have a discrete progression of Ron's self-esteem, before it all goes downhill in GOF.

While in the first three books Ron does get a bit ignored or pushed to the side ("next to the tall kid with the red hair", Fred and George giving Harry the Map...), he doesn't have any hissy fits over it. He's briefly outraged that Fred and George overlooked him but by the next line of dialogue he's over it.

I don't think Rowling exactly wanted Ron to be insecure solely to blame the argument on jealousy, I just think she wanted Ron to be insecure because "he needs to make himself worthy of Hermione :)". So, uh, I guess he's supposed to outgrow the insecurity, while receiving ZERO support or encouragement or even acknowledgement. Because you know, all Ron needs to do is go outside and smell the flowers, THAT'll cure his depression and trust issues! /s

My own headcanon for why Ron, in-universe, suddenly doesn't trust Harry, is because of the traumas he's suffered through the past years. I mean, first you have Gilderoy Lockhart, a teacher, someone supposed to protect their students, telling him point-blank "oh I'll just wipe your memory and let your sister die instead of trying to help lol toodles". Ron had correctly guessed that Lockhart was a fraud, he wasn't expecting the moon from him, but he certainly wouldn't have expected Lockhart to be a stone-cold narcissist manipulator, either.

Harry wasn't traumatized too much by this because Harry already doesn't trust adults, and already had the run-in with Quirrel. To Harry this was just another Tuesday. But Ron? This would have been his first encounter with the idea that there actually are adults who just... don't care, and would be happy to let a child die if it benefits them.

And then there's Scabbers. God, the trauma with Scabbers. You imagine how it would feel, to have lived with this pet all your life, to have fed it, protected it, knowing it depends on you for survival, and in return it gives you its unconditional love and emotional support... and then it turns out it was all a LIE. You thought you'd be confiding secrets to an animal that would never repeat them, you thought you'd been caring for a poor sickly animal that's defenseless and needs your help, and it was all fake, and now your "pet" turns out to have been a monster in disguise all along, capable of scheming and treason of the highest order. And HE is directly to blame for your best friend being an orphan, to boot.

People who never cared for a pet cannot... possibly... fathom... just how violating the Scabbers situation is. Domestic animals are incapable of treason. They're dependant on humans to survive, they don't judge, they don't attack - treat them well, and they'll treat you well in turn. And to imagine that such a pure, innocent bond could be exploited by an unscrupulous traitor... gah, the shudders. After Scabbers' betrayal honestly Ron is free to have trust issues for life, I know I would. (Add to it the possibility of Ron having ADHD, and Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria would make it EVEN WORSE!)

And so that brings us to Harry. Ron's been betrayed by a teacher (=safe, responsible figure), by HIS OWN PET (=supposed to be INCAPABLE of treason), and now... now the Goblet spouted Harry's name, DUMBLEFUCKINGDORE HIMSELF is confused as to how, well... what's left for Ron to think? What's left for Ron to assume?

And then Harry has to worsen it by lying to Ron, and Ron notices Harry is lying and gets even MORE hurt because it registers as another betrayal, and on top of that Harry calls him stupid? Yeah no bye Felicia, I understand fully why Ron pulled away after that.

But of course, none of my extensive reasoning and attempt to paint a cohesive picture of the state of Ron's psyche matters, because to JKR and most others, omgg he juts jelly harrry iz gud lolz!!!

#ron weasley #ron weasley defence squad #ron weasley defense squad #harry potter #vivi answers #goblet of fire #hp headcanon #scabbers

[hurremshiv]

how would you rank mustafa, mehmed, mihrimah, selim, bayezid and cihangir from favourite to least favorite and what do you think about their characterisation? personally i think selim is definitely hated way more than he deserves and i can't help but feel like the writers did him dirty with how they portrayed him

Mustafa is overrated to me. Especially as an adult. His characterisation was basically just the 'rightful heir' and 'righteous' hero with very little - if any - nuance. I disliked the heavy favouritism that the show displayed towards him. First of all, the show's support of him relied heavily on the idea that he would be a glorious conqueror as Sultan. And the politics of that are just far more complex than this. Besides, imperialism and warfare are not good things. Besides, as an antimonarchist I think that the 'rightful heir' idea in discussions about history needs to be approached with a lot more nuance than the show gives it. The other issue is the way in which the clear bias in his favour also comes at the detriment to the characters of Hürrem and of her sons. The show values his brothers lives as lesser than Mustafa's a lot of the time. They are disposable where he is not, but I will go into more detail on that in each of their paragraphs. There are also two other aspects of glaring hypocrisy in how he is framed by the show. The show condemns the death of innocents, and he as a character is supposed to stand for the protection of innocent lives in contrast to his enemies. Yet at the same time, the deaths of innocent people at the hands of his supporters is justified by the series. A very clear case of this being Rüstem’s brother. He didn’t do anything wrong, but he was just ‘tainted by association’ with Rüstem. Had the shoe been on the other foot and he had been a supporter of Mustafa who was killed by people working for Hürrem, the show would have been very quick to condemn his death as the unjust murder of an innocent man. But since he was Rüstem’s brother and killed by Mustafa’s supporters, it was framed as justified, karma for Rüstem and proof of how much the people loved Mustafa. The other hypocrisy in how the show frames Mustafa is in his relationship to power. He is seen as a noble prince fighting against an evil system. And yet he is not only very much a part of that system and in no way opposes in any meaningful way (which is understandable, but the way he is framed is still deeply hypocritical), but his main ally is Barbarossa of all people. Who commits war crimes in the empire’s name and kidnaps girls to bring to the harem. Both of which underpin the toxicity of the system in significant ways. And yet the show does not seem to realise this. Meanwhile the main character who is supposed to represent that power is Hürrem. So it’s fairly clear that the show is less interested in making an actual criticism of the power structure than in a simple ‘noble prince and rightful heir’ vs. ‘evil powerful scheming stepmother’ narrative. So even though Mustafa is clearly a good person, the authorial favouritism, bias and hypocrisy make it very hard for me to like or root for him.

Mehmet deserved better from the show in so many ways. He was the least developped of the şehzades and mainly seemed to exist in relation to Hürrem, Mihrimah and Mustafa rather than as a character in his own right. It was so grating to me that the show presented his replacing Mustafa as Süleyman’s ‘favourite’ son and preferred heir as just this injustice to Mustafa and as an obstacle for Mustafa to overcome. The historical Mehmet did have positive ruling qualities, and the show skips over that in favour of the ‘poor unfavourite victim Mustafa’ narrative. So it definitely seems like leaving Mehmet so undevelopped is a result once again of the authorial favouritism towards Mustafa. I do think that Hürrem’s worry for his life and her separation anxiety are very touching in the first three seasons. But the way it was treated in the fourth season was very frustrating. He was almost forgotten about by the show and his death was framed as God’s punishment to Hürrem for sending Mustafa to Amasya. Which really goes to show how Hürrem’s sons and Mehmet in particular were framed as more expendable than Mustafa. We did not see Hürrem find out about his death and we did not get much of her mourning him. Nor do we see much of Mihrimah mourning him, or the child he has with Cihan Hatun. Instead the focus was on Mustafa and how sad he was to be sent to Amasya. And at no point do we get either Hürrem or Mihrimah telling him that if Mustafa comes to power, he will probably die because of the fratricide law. Instead, we get him and Mustafa discussing it and Mustafa saying that he would never kill him. Even though politically he would not have much of a choice. Which all adds to the pro-Mustafa framing which came to the detriment of Mehmet as a character. So I am inclined in Mehmet’s favour specifically because he was so short-changed by the show and because he deserved better.

I am Team Nurbanu and Selim, so I’m not exactly the post pro-Mihrimah person. Mihrimah is a very privileged person, and although she is the closest of her siblings to her mother I don’t think she fully understands her. I could either be frustrated or feel bad for her. I felt bad for her when it came to her marriage to Rüstem and otherwise I didn’t really have all that many feelings about her in general in the first 3 seasons. In season 4 however the way she was written annoyed me. For example, her involvement in Mustafa’s death makes her look far too naïve. Because she didn’t seem to realise that framing him for treason would result in his execution. When that was literally the punishment for treason. And it made her very hypocritical when she confronted Selim over Bayezid’s death. In addition, the show frames some objectively horrible things that she did in far too positive a light. When Mihrimah had Gracia Mendes’ maid killed as a punishment for Gracia having an affair with Rüstem, Mihrimah was applauded for it and the show blamed Gracia for having the affair in the first place. Gracia as a character deserved better than this. And it’s also ironic that the show praises Mihrimah for ‘acting like her mother’ when Magnificent Century was very critical of Hürrem for her mistreatment of concubines. The disconnect is so glaring to me. And then there’s her using the newly enslaved young Safiye in her schemes against Nurbanu. Which once again the show praises her for as being intelligent, but it’s cringeworthy at best. So it feels like s4!Mihrimah was yet another character who was let down by the favouritism of the series.

As a supporter of him and Nurbanu, I agree with you that Selim was overly villified. It was established early on that he was unworthy. Because he was jealous and not as skilled as Bayezid as a child. And then because he wasn’t as militarily inclined as his brothers and because he was a drunk. The latter being something that the show constantly reminded you of, and that it made him an unworthy heir. In spite of the fact that alcoholism is not a moral failing but is instead a disease. And the military aspect just plays into the show’s pro-military and pro-empire biases. There are other things that he does that are simply meant to establish how bad he is in comparison to his brothers. I don’t know what the purpose him burning that couple’s house down was in order to establish how bad he was and that he was a villain. It was truly cartoonish. It’s also interesting (and telling) that as governor of Manisa he is compared so often to Mustafa, but the people just seemd to forget that Mehmet was governor for 2 years. Meanwhile the series downplayed his more positive qualities. Like diplomacy and politics. He got powerful people like Sokollu and Yasef Nasih on his side. And he and Hürrem were successful in how they dealt with Princess Anna when he was regent (although the show frames this as less important than the fact that the janissaries hate him). And when Fatma confronts him about listening to her advice, he sticks with his mother (Murad IV take notes!). I’ve argued before that he is the child who is the most similar to Hürrem. And he certainly adopts her strategy of using loyalty as a shield to protect their families from suspicion and danger. They also both deal with their trauma in unhealthy ways and are the main characters who say that they do the things they do for the sake of survival, and I think they are right in that. Selim was smart and politically able. And he was a better candidate than the show wanted to frame him as being. He deserved better.

I’ve done a longer analysis on Bayezid here. I felt sorry for him in as much as he felt unloved by Süleyman and like he was passed over for Selim. And I loved how he inherited Hürrem’s mocking and irreverent sense of humour. I’ve seen people criticise her by saying she was unfair to him, but I don’t think she was. She did try, particularly in season 4, to make up for Süleyman’s lack of support for him. That said, with him I run into the Mustafa favouritism issue. We have naïvety and stupid mistakes being praised as noble actions and the pro-military bias. In spite of the fact that the candidate who is smarter and a better politician (Selim) was framed as an unworthy leader. Bayezid’s alliance with Mustafa and unwillingness to see Mustafa as a potential threat to his or to his other brothers’ lives came off as naïve in the circumstances. Mustafa would not want to kill his brothers, but that did not come close to ensuring their safety should he come to the throne. It was also frustrating that the show seemed to make Bayezid’s fate about Mustafa’s death rather about him as an individual character. So unfortunately Bayezid’s character was done dirty by the show’s favouritism problems.

Cihangir was supposed to be wise, and seeing how much he loved books was great. But he just came off as very naïve to me. Especially to the threat that Mustafa coming to power could have posed to his life. As seen in his involvement in the alliance with Mustafa and Bayezid. Hürrem’s reaction to this is meant to show how paranoid and delusional she was, but in the circumstances she was completely justified. He was clearly insecure about his disabilities and how he was perceived because of them, and it’s interesting that he commented that Mustafa was the only person who doesn’t judge him for them. Considering that Hürrem went out of her way to convey to him that she saw him as just as worthy as his brothers. Then there’s the whole issue of his disabilities being a punishment for others’ sins, and his death being framed as a karmic punishment for Hürrem’s sin of killing Mustafa. Which is deeply ableist and doesn’t treat him like his own person and like his life is more disposable. Specifically in order to villify his mother. Honestly I’m at least grateful that the show played Hürrem’s reaction to his death as sad as it did. So if you ask me the way Cihangir was written was unfortunately something of a mess in a way that ties back into the show’s pro-Mustafa bias.

#magnificent century #answered #venusaturns

[randomestfandoms-ocs]

Anyway info-dump about Rosabelle please? 🥺

Anytime yes pls I love her 🥺 Okay so Rosabelle Legume is Gaston’s youngest official child (I hc him having a lot of bastards raised by their moms but he only raised his three eldest sons and his first daughter; also her mom is a Bimbette but she doesn’t know or care which but I have all the faces figured out) and yes, her name is actually just Rose + Belle because Gaston is nothing if not an obsessive bitch, hence why she never uses her full name. She’s a part of Uma’s crew and third in command after she and Harry, though that spot goes to Gil when she gets called to Auradon. She’s fiercely loyal, violent, cunning, and will do anything for her crew. She never shows emotion, Harry is the only person who has seen her cry since she was a child, and even that was a very extenuating situation. She lives on the ship and spends her days running schemes and collecting money for the crew, though she occasionally does work for Gaston to keep him from going after Gil.

Gaston terrifies her. He goes from being a loving (if sometimes disturbingly obsessive) father to violent and temperamental in a split second and she never knows what to expect, she also doesn’t know which is worse. Her hair is naturally a darker blonde but she’s been dyeing it brown for as long as she can remember, first at her father’s insistence and then as a matter of comfort and familiarity, but she switched between the two in Auradon.

She picks up a few jobs on the isle to support her crew, some of which are definitely better than others (the main two jobs are for Stromboli and at her dad’s tavern) but to her crew is the only family that matters so she’ll do whatever it takes to take care of them. She and Harry have been an item (as much as anyone is an official item on the isle) for a couple of years before she gets called to Auradon, but even before that they’ve always been two peas in a pod, working in perfect sync to support Uma, the kind of close that can have a full conversation with just their eyebrows. Harry is violently protective of her but also respects that Ro doesn’t usually want his protection because it makes it look like she can’t protect herself.

She is genuinely terrified of a few villains on the isle (her father, Stromboli, Maleficent, Hook, and Jafar in particular), but there are also some that she’s unfortunately fond of, and she considers LeFou to have been more of a father to her than Gaston.

She’s among those summoned to Auradon because Ben realizes that he can’t justifiably invite the children of other villains without inviting a child of his parents’ villain, but god damn she doesn’t want to go.

She doesn’t want to leave her crew, and she’s afraid of what Auradon might do to her to punish her for her father’s crimes, but it’ll get her away from Gaston and she and Uma already have a few plans of their own for it, so she goes. She doesn’t trust Mal’s crew in the slightest but they’re all on the same page about the wand (though Ro doesn’t want to bring down the barrier — she wants to get the kids and pettier criminals/sidekicks off and the villains who’ve redeemed themselves or were never really villains, but she thinks a lot of the villains can’t just be let loose or it’ll be a living hell for everyone) so they can tolerate each other. She’s put in a dorm with an Auradon kid but I’m not sure who yet, so she only has to see the gang to plot and that’s good enough for her.

She and Belle actually hit it off pretty early on, Belle knows what Gaston is like and that there’s no way he was a decent father to her, and sort of takes Ro under her wing, which is how she gets to know Ben better. She and Ben have kind of started to get along before the love potion situation but Ro still doesn’t fully trust him and truly can’t believe that he would ever actually trust her. When the love potion plan comes into play, Ro convinces Mal that she should use it because a) there’s four of them and one of her so if they screw her over she’s fucked but if she screws them over they still have strength in numbers and b) because she and Ben have already been seen forming a bond so it’ll draw the least suspicion and prevent anyone from suspecting magical interference, but the truth is that she doesn’t actually like the plan and she’s learned that Ben already wants to let all the kids off the isle so if she uses it then it means that Mal can’t take advantage or try to get the actually bad villains off the isle and also she really does believe that Ben wouldn’t trust her enough to take food from her so she thinks the whole mess can be avoided.

It’s a bigger mess when he actually does take it and Ro is torn because Ben is very much growing on her but she’s also still in love with and loyal to Harry but Uma did say to do whatever it took to get the kids off the isle so fuck if she knows what to do, she’s kind of just riding this wave and waiting to see what happens and accidentally befriending both Mal’s crew (especially Jay) and Auradon kids (especially Lonnie and Aziz) along the way

And that’s before we get into the absolute fucking shitshow that is descendants 2 but this got wayyyy longer than it was meant to be so I’m just going to shut up now 😅

Also Ben is just so in love with her it makes him fucking stupid but to be fair so is harry and like so am I so like, I get it

Also I’m sorry if any of this is incoherent I wrote most of it at 6am while getting ready for work rip

#ask #answered #the witching ash #rosabelle legume #about rosabelle

[billfarrah]

how hurt do u think Simon will be when he realizes that both wille and sara knew it was August

I think that depends on how long it’ll take for him to find out. The thing is, I don’t think Wille not telling him right away was a bad thing like some people seem to. Simon had already been put through so much suffering in such a short period of time and they were about to go on Christmas break; I think it is completely understandable that Wille didn’t want to tell him then and cause him even more emotional turmoil during Christmas. Especially considering how much Wille had already hurt Simon up to that point. I think it was the right thing for Wille not to tell Simon right away. He had only just found out himself.

That being said, we don’t know how long it’s gonna take Wille to tell Simon when they get back from break. It would make dramatic sense for Simon to be kept in the dark; think of the explosion when he does eventually find out. It’d be juicy drama for sure. I also think it’d be in character for Wille to keep it from him; not because Wille is malicious and wants to hide things from him, but because as we’ve seen in s1, Wille has a tendency to take matters into his own hands and solve problems without telling anyone (when he has August’s tuition paid for without telling him and when he threw Alexander under the bus to save Simon without telling Simon). I think in a misguided way Wille would once again think he’s protecting Simon by not burdening him with it, and Simon might get very upset with him because once again, everything is on Wille’s terms.

Sara, however? The fact that she knew about it and kept it from him so she could use August to her advantage? AND hook up with him? I think that���s what’s going to be borderline unforgivable for Simon. I think in Sara’s own mentality Simon betrayed her first by going to Micke and not telling her, but I think deep down she knows it’s not really the same thing. Sara is Simon’s rock; it’s those two against the world. This is going to sound harsh but I think at this point Simon kind of expects to be let down by Wille, so it’d probably hurt a lot less, and I actually think any reason Wille wouldn’t tell him could be justified (not wanting to drag Simon into his mess and schemes). Sara’s betrayal would not be expected at all, and it’s going to destroy him.

#young royals

[electricbluebutterflies]

Chris/Melissa + “it’s okay. i promise you, i will be here when you wake up.”

Or, in which a bat (the kind with wings) gets lost. Post-s6 domestic fluff, PG-ish, also on ao3.

The weird noises have started again.

A few years ago this wouldn’t have been a problem. A few years ago, when Melissa still innocently believed that human beings were at the top of the food chain and when she did not live alone, she would’ve ignored whatever the hell it is until something actually broke. She is under no such delusions now, and she’s the only person in the house most nights, and…

It is slightly past one in the morning, and the baseball bat next to her nightstand doesn’t feel like enough protection, nor does the taser in her purse. Screw this.

At least she has viable options now on these strange nights. She is not alone in the grand scheme of things, and it is easy enough to justify herself as she gives up on falling asleep anyways and instead reaches for her phone. None of this is inappropriate, she reminds herself, none of this is even new, none of this is-

Chris picks up on the second ring, and that worries her a little but that worry can get compartmentalized for sometime later.

“Mel-“

“Something in my attic is making weird noises,” she says before this can turn into some kind of panic spiral. Not that she’d ever know if it did, that man is frightfully stoic, but-

“What kind of weird noises?” he asks, sounding just a little calmer.

“Weird. Similar to the time we had a raccoon problem, but not definitely a raccoon problem, and loud enough that it’s either deal with the damn things now or I’m sleeping on the couch where I can’t hear it. Can you… can you come over and help?”

It’s a strange request in the middle of the night directed at someone she’s very casually involved with, she’s well aware, but… at the same time it really isn’t. His desire to be in her life was made apparent well before an emotional or physical component was visibly added, and she knows there’s some guilt involved that she’s probably taking advantage of and she’s decided she doesn’t care. It’s nice to have a partner who isn’t useless in a crisis. She could get used to this, if it lasts. She could-

“I’ll be there in ten. You’re upstairs, yes?”

“Hiding under blankets in my bedroom.”

“Stay put and call me if anything changes.”

She can follow instructions well enough, and the next ten minutes or so pass with a little less anxiety. Probably raccoons, she repeats to herself. They had a problem with those a few years ago, and maybe it was bad form to ask the boys to handle it then but they were already getting bigger than her and all she did was give them an air horn and a tennis racket, and nobody got hurt, and-

She hears the correct pattern of noises downstairs, a key in the lock – she will never ask which of her surrogate children enabled that habit last year – and the right sort of footsteps coming her general direction, and now a different fear asserts itself.

To say that the relationship has moved slowly would be a drastic understatement. There is mutually understood intent, yes, but neither is inclined to rush into anything. For intents and purposes, they are friends who occasionally kiss each other goodbye, not anything close to lovers, not…

Point being, this will be the first time Melissa lets her new partner into her bedroom, and until twenty minutes ago she’d always thought that would happen under slightly more romantic circumstances. As it is she’s clearly not dressed or mentally prepared to turn this into a seduction, but-

A knock on her door is enough to at least get her moving. “Coming!” Oh, she doesn’t expect anyone else will ever see her space, she’s not sure she’s put away laundry within the past month, she’s not-

“Can I come in?”

“I didn’t know you knew those words,” she laughs, and this is why she likes him, how comfortable he makes her despite the occasional boundary issues. “Yeah, it’s… probably raccoons. Probably either eating the insulation or making baby raccoons. Or multitasking. I’m not sure-“

“I saw what looks like attic access in the hallway?”

“Yeah. Good luck. We haven’t opened it since last time this happened.”

“Understandable.”

She follows him back into the hallway, turning on lights as they move, trying to make this all as normal as possible even though somehow none of it is normal. She is not weak – she is constantly reminded that the softness of her humanity is not weakness – and she has not felt helpless as much as usual lately, and this is such a mundane bullshit problem compared to most of her life, and-

“I’m going to stay down here,” she says as she watches him unfold the ladder. “If that’s okay?”

He takes a step closer and kisses her forehead as an answer. “Whatever you want.”

For what feels like a few minutes but may be more or less than that, Melissa paces the hallway, listening for anything unusual and hearing nothing stranger than a muffled swear word or two. Then familiar movements again, familiar body coming down the ladder, familiar-

“Not raccoons, just a directionally-challenged bat.”

“Are you sure?”

“Chased it out with a tennis racket and checked for anything else. Might’ve been raccoons up there recently, but not at the moment.”

Melissa gives him what she hopes comes across as an unconvinced look. “Those noises were not a goddamned bat. I’m not sure…”

“Do you want me to stay? Just in case?”

He’s offered that before, and she’s accepted enough times that a decent pile of blankets has accumulated on the couch downstairs because he refuses to be any more of a nuisance than he has to or something, but it’s always been when there’s some more supernatural threat on the horizon, not a mundane pest infestation. The energy of this offer feels different than usual, and if she were a different woman she’d turn it into something more, if she were more assertive she’d at least insist he keep her warm, but she isn’t, she isn’t-

“If you want to? If that’s not a problem for you?”

“Not at all. It’s okay. I promise you, I will be here when you wake up.”

She leans in for a kiss and they’re good at this part, softness before separation, even if the retreat is only down a flight of stairs. “Thank you,” she breathes against his mouth. “For everything.”

“This is what I want us to be,” he replies, shifting their position to hold her. “This is what I can give you. Maybe not all you deserve, but…”

“You chased a bat out of my attic without any complaining,” she reminds him. “More than anyone else I’ve been with has ever done for me.”

He gives her a look like he would love to discuss her low standards at some point when they’re both capable of a coherent conversation and then gives her one more kiss before backing away. “Try to sleep. If the noises start again…”

“I just have to yell,” she finishes. “I know.”

#ebf writes fic #chris argent #melissa mccall #chris x melissa #mcargent

[novelbeetle]

Empire of Storms: Spoilers ahead…

- I have a lot of feelings when this book is concerned. There was so much but also heartbreak. So mich heartbreak!

- My feelings toward Aedion didn‘t change they just got bigger. I love him. He has sometimes a weird sense of honor and can ger frustrated very easily. He has so many redeeming qualities. I was definitely a goner after his speech to Lysandra on the beach in Skull‘s Bay. Come on that was just amazing! His rage was ao justified in the end when Aelin was taken and Rowan and Lysandra explained their plan with her shifting into Aelin. He deserves better. I really am rooting for Aedion and Lysandra but they have a lot of work to do.

- Dorian‘s behaviour sometimes struck me as weird. Don‘t get me wrong I love him but sometimes he was weird. At least I think he is coping okay with the whole aftermatch of his Valg possession. The whole dynamic between him and Manon *chef‘s kiss* i wanted more! I need more! I am absolutely not okay with the whole either Aelin or Dorian have to sacrifice themselves for the greater good… What I definitely loved sooo much is that he left with the witches. Just saying phantom hands… that‘s hot

- speaking of Manon what a story she had. I mean I disliked her grandmother anyway but now it‘s on sight with that bitch. Come on!! Order Asterin‘s execution?! That really shook me and made me very anxious especially because there were chapters from the others pov. In between! For a hot second there i was very scared that Manon would die. I think I haven‘t been this happy for characters to meet like i was when Abraxos dropped Manon near Aelin, Dorian and the rest. Her heritage was also a shock. It makes so much sense now why her grandmother hated her mom so much and why she treated Manon like she did. Again I need more of Manon and Dorian

- So I was hoping for a lot of happy moments for Elide well… there were some happy and wholesome moments but the whole thing ended in my heart being shattered!!! She is an absolute badass. She knew someone was tracking her, she killed some of those Ilken and then she broke through Lorcan‘s hard shell. Their dynamic is fantastic and I was so happy when they kissed in the stone marshes. The way she begged Maeve, Lorcan and Manon to do anything made me so sad but I was also so proud of her. She really is becoming her own strong person. I really want her and Lorcan to patch everything up. Is that so much to ask for?

- well Lorcan is such goner. He has it bad for Elide and I am soooo here for it. He went through so much character development. It was shitty of him to summon Maeve because then everything went from „we have a great team here“ to „what kind of fucking bullshit is this“ I understand his motive. He did it because he was scared that anything would happen to Elide. It was still shitty as fuck. Now he really needs to patch things up and help Rowan find Aelin. Him being released from the blood oath is great even though it may hurts him right now it is a good thing.

- Lysandra is a badass and I love her. She just needs to patch things up with Aedion and then I can be happy again! That is all I‘m going to say. She is amazing and I love her so much!

- Prince Rowan Whitethorn Galathynius is amazing. He is such a good dude! He is there to protect and help. The way he got his cousins to help against Maeve armada. The way he asked where his wife was fucking chills! He is it and i want one for myself please…

- Aelin is great but to be honest I get a bit sick of her constant scheming. I know it is her thing and she doesn‘t want to burden anyone with it but still maybe she should just tell them of some of her plans. Complete shock when we found out that she has to sacrifice her life to save them all. I am not okay with that. And then she also surrendered to save Elide it got me. It really did. The only thing that gives me hope is that Fenrys is there with her. He can try to help her in some way and get her away. She is so strong.

- All in all I really enjoyed the book. I thought Queen of shadows was great (which it is) but this book is also great! I kind of don‘t want to read Tower of Dawn now with that cliffhanger. I really hope the next on is not as bad as some people say. Chaol is not my favourite person sometimes I really disliked him. Please tell me the book has some good parts…

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5

#crown of midnight #sarah j mass #throne of glass #celaena sardothien #heir of fire #the assassin’s blade #manon blackbeak #aedion ashryver #aelin fireheart #rowan x aelin #rowan whitethorn #manon x dorian #dorian havilliard #aedion x lysandra #lysandra #aelin galathynius #elide lochan #elide x lorcan #lorcan salvaterre #fenrys #gavriel #asterin blackbeak #queen of shadows #empire of storms

[ashthehermit]

Legends of Tomorrow: A Retrospective 1.4

I felt the last episode was fairly by the by.  I did not remember it at all, and quite frankly I think I've forgotten most of it already.  I remember some of the eighties plot line from when it was first released, but also because at the time I thought it was a bit intense for a show of this kind.  I sort of expect to stay true to this opinion, but am willing to be proven wrong.  Anyhow - onto the show.

WHITE KNIGHTS

I do love how these seats on the Waverider look like they are on a rollercoaster.  The gang are in the eighties to break into the Pentagon, so this is time for Leonard Snart to shine.  This heist is the most fun this series has been so far though, and I'm not mad about it.  It falls apart when Kendra goes a bit battle mad.  Sara did that last episode.  Huh.

Ray quotes Top Gun when he sees a Soviet jet, in a moment of future Ray wonder.  Moments like this do prove that the writers knew the characters well even from the beginning.  The show might have changed, but the core of the characters did not.  The characters are good, even while the tone is confused.  Rip brings on some translation pills, this show's goldfish in the ear.  The gang are off to foil another one of Savage's plans.  I am a little lost as to why.  Sure, he's an evil evil man, and we've covered that.  However, their job is supposed to be to protect history.  Savage apparently existed in the original timeline, as he's an immortal being.  Are their attempts to foil him part of the original timeline?  Were they always meant to do this?  If these schemes are part of the timeline as we know it, why are they trying to stop him?  Why don't they focus all of their energy into killing Savage?  Savage is treated as if he is a time traveller.  It might make more sense if he were.  I shouldn't ask more questions on this front.  Savage is the weakest part of this show structurally.

The gang keep referring to Kronos as Boba Fett, which is a pretty apt comparison, seeing as that is what he is, more or less. The lampshading is not that helpful.  It seems to me that they should lean further into the reference, rather than lampshade it in an attempt to justify it.  The existence of Kronos is sound, however.  This gang needs to be dealing with multiple threats at a time, as there are so many of them.

'That was pretty cold, even for a Russian.'

Post Carter's death, Rip has doubts about the whole thing.  He gives the gang the choice to take a deal from the Time Masters and go on home.  They've been presented with this kind of choice before, and we haven't yet been given reason to believe any of them would take it.  It turns out that the deal was bogus anyway, although that was sort of clear.  A Legend is in mortal peril again, as Jax's ego has got him injured again.  Jax and Stein argue again.  Their relationship is a sound one, from my angle.  Stein is pretentious about Jax's life as a mechanic.  He genuinely cares about Jax, but also kidnapped him.  Jax says that Stein is not his father.  They argue in every episode though, and these talking points are wearing a little thin.

'Ah, the med bay, where a morphine drip awaits me.'

This is all part of Stein's journey to being a father, of course.  Jax lost his dad.  Stein is replacing him, whether Jax likes it or not.  Stein lost Jax's predecessor, Ronnie.  These are complex emotions that are still infinitely understandable.  It is more effective than the 'bloodlust' that afflicts Sara at the minute.  Her 'darkness' is blamed on the Lazarus pit, rather than a personal affliction of some kind.  This is perhaps a taste issue.  I love fantasy to death, but I do not vibe with fantasy concepts replacing human emotion.  It removes what should be relatable from reality.  Sara's problems aren't unrelatable.  She's got anger issues, that's not foreign.

Stein goes off to the lab alone, to be as reckless as he was telling Jax not to be.  It turns out that Savage is trying to recreate Firestorm, because he is working to defeat the legends specifically.  I don't know what this means for the timeline.  Was this always going to happen, or has their involvement led to this turn of events?  I shouldn't dwell on it.  I know that the worldbuilding in Legends isn't going to get any clearer.  Will get goofier though.

Ray sort of gets a criminal arc in this episode.  This is a common theme with him, that builds when he becomes a punk in season three.  It's a classic play of opposites.  He's an Eagle Scout, so he has to learn to be bad.  Snart is a bank robber, so he has to learn to be a good person.  

'Be helpful to others, it's the Scout motto.'

This episode boils down to a classic battle between good and evil.  Ray has to decide whether to be good and save Snart, but by doing so doom the team.  He does.  There is a fairly decent arc here.  Along with the Firestorm arc, there's shades of what they will continue to do with these characters.  The difference is still that they are serious about it, and they will be goofier later. 

'You work for the American government.'  'I'm wanted by the American government, does that count?'

I do like Snart.  He comes back and immediately decides to threaten Rip, who he sees as calling the wrong shots.  Snart claims to run alone, but seems to care for more people than just Rory.  He has a code he follows.  I do love rogue characters.  Rogue characters who make bad puns?  Even better. Rory, Stein and Ray are taken to a Soviet gulag, where they are presumably going to fight a demogorgon.  This is where I remember the series getting a little too dark, so we shall see how all that turns out.

#legends retrospective #legends of tomorrow #dc's legends of tomorrow #cw

[a-libra-writes]

where do you think lady lannister would be during twotfk? like tywin’s second wife, if they married shortly before agot starts, do you have any hcs for her during that time(before tywin comes to KL)?

love ur writing <333

So I have a lot of thoughts about this, actually! Two distinct differences here - If he married her a year or two after Robert's Rebellion (a personal HC) and shortly before AGOT, as you mentioned.

Married Shortly Before AGOT:

So ideally, this second wife would have a young child by now or be with child. This combined with the fact she's Tywin's confident and fellow schemer, he'd want to keep her safe at Casterly Rock. They'd have their damn hands full managing the situation with Tyrion, Ned Stark being imprisoned then killed, Jaime's kidnapping... A whole-ass mess.

Tywin would want her to rest, but truthfully, her help is invaluable during this upheaval. They wanted to avoid another civil war in the realm, but with each passing day it seemed inevitable. By the time Tywin left for war, his Lady was already taking over the duties of Casterly Rock in addition to pushing their intrigues.

While Tyrion is sent to King's Landing in an attempt to manage Joffrey and Cersei, Lady Lannister stays maintaining Casterly Rock's stability while Tywin and Kevan are away. She makes sure the rebels don't see their absence as weakness - if anything, she becomes harsher in her rule of Casterly Rock, whether she wants to or not. She has to make an example of deserters, traitors, thieves and rapers, and bring some sense of stability to the Westerlands.

While her enemies will fear her, the smallfolk can be even more endeared to her if she keeps them safe and protected as the war rages. Weak and defeated Westerlands houses (like the Westerlings...) will lean hard on her, which also increases her popularity, but more importantly gives the Lannisters leverage over them later.

(Tywin is incredibly proud by her progress whenever he hears reports of Casterly Rock. Knowing she's holding the West in check is a huge relief and turn on).

Married Shortly After the Rebellion:

What's important here is the second wife would have a son who is anywhere from twelve to fourteen, therefore "nearly" a grown man and beginning to seriously tend to his duties as future Lord of Casterly Rock. Lady Lannister knows her son desperately wants to ride to war with his father, especially since the Stark boy is close to his age. Wisely, both his parents refuse him. He's too important to be risked at war - and there's the whole "Gods forbid Tyrion inherits if he dies" which no one says, but everyone is thinking.

So Lady Lannister does much of the above that I mentioned, except alongside her son. She always knew he was cunning and intelligent, but it truly comes to play as the war progresses. She struggles with what she should tell him, if she should try to keep his innocence - if that's possible at all anymore. Many older Lannisters comment on the boy's capability and his ambition; Tywin was like that at his age.

When the situation with Joffrey and Cersei becomes dire, and Tywin feels Tyrion isn't doing enough, it's likely he brings his Lady alongside him when he enters King's Landing. She's sent for after the Battle for Blackwater, when Tywin is sure it's safe. It's an opportunity for his youngest son to try his hand at ruling Casterly Rock in his own right, and Tywin has need his second wife's savvy political sense (also he just kind of misses her, he's been at war for months ok).

While Tywin is the Hand, and Tyrion is Master of Coin, Lady Lannister and Kevan often work together on various schemes. Tywin doesn't tell his brother as much as he tells his lady wife, but more often than not the three of them are at the Hand's Tower, discussing the realm. Being left out annoys the hell out of Cersei and Tyrion - the latter is quite justified, considering he's a capable schemer in his own right. Though Lady Lannister shares some of her information and plans with Tyrion, there's still a divide between them that started when she had her son. It'll probably never go away.

#oh boy i sure love to talk #libra headcanons #tywin lannister x reader #one day ill get off my lazy ass and make a second wife tag #or lady lannister at least i feel she has the most content