#it feels very epic (for lack of a better word)

[lenteur]

lots of thoughts about super

#the new svt tt (super) is kinda cool #it feels very epic (for lack of a better word) #it's sounding like the soundtrack to a battle/fight scene in a movie #also i really liked the set location and how the staff did a wonderful job with the transformation #last thought: all the backup dancers enhanced svt's dancing skills #idk how to word it correctly but i already knew they were great dancers with incredible syncronisation (spelling?) #but with all the other dancers it felt even more syncronised and amazing to look at #not sure about the melody of the chorus (that sound in the back kinda ruined it for me) #if they kept the instrumental at the end of the song for the chorus it would've been better #smal talk #svt

[lauraneedstochill]

Make a move

summary: you think Aemond is too arrogant to woo you, but he's got some tricks up his sleeve. pairing: Aemond Targaryen x F!Reader words: ~ 6000 warnings: a bit of bickering and teasing, it gets slightly heated (Aemond has a praise kink, but I doubt anyone is surprised), mostly it's just silly fluff

author's note: this was inspired by "Crazy, stupid, love", particularly the scene where Emma kisses Ryan (one of my favorite on-screen kisses!) and everything that follows. I recently rewatched the movie and had an idea for this story. it's not smth I would usually write, but I couldn't get it out of my head (also, I may or may not have a thing for men's hands... you've been warned)

> English is not my first language, so feel free to message me if you spot any major mistakes

You keep mindlessly tapping your fingers on the wooden table, your cup of wine untouched. You don't really notice the movement, too wrapped up in your thoughts, until your friend Margaret sneers.

"If you don't stop, I might bite your hand off," she says, sitting across the table.

"Then I'll use the other one," you huff but pause your fidgeting. "Better bite my head off, it will do us both more good."

"But I like your head very much," she pouts. "Is this about Thomas again?"

You groan, hiding your face in your hands and thinking back to the conversation you had earlier today with said man. Your emotions are a mix of annoyance and embarrassment as you can't stop thinking about his words.

"He said the meeting will be of great importance. What if he...? You know," you mutter, and Margaret huffs.

"I hope he won't."

"Hey, you are supposed to be my friend!" you playfully pinch her hand, and she fakes a gasp.

"I am your friend. And as your friend, I think you deserve way more than that sad excuse of a man," her face gets serious for a second, and you feel your smile waver.

"Mar, you know I don't have much of a choice," you breathe out, and your heart sinks at the thought. "He isn't that bad, really. He's always been kind to me."

"Sounds like every girl's dream," she rolls her eyes. "And you want to settle down for a kind man? Nothing else?"

"What do you think my options are? Please, enlighten me since I'm clearly missing something," you cross your arms on your chest. You know she's right and she means good, but your frustration gets the best of you.

Luckily, Margaret catches it and gives you a sympathetic smile.

"All I'm saying is that for as long as I can remember you've always dreamt of something more," she extends her hand across the table and lightly squeezes yours. "We've been friends since we were little kids, and you are the most loving person out of everyone I know. Should I remind you who taught me how to dance? Protected me against my idiot brothers?" you giggle at the memory. "You've got an adventurous spirit and a heart of gold. You deserve an epic love story," there's a hint of sadness in her voice.

For a minute you sink into your thoughts again.

"And you think Thomas is not the one?" you sigh.

"He's epically boring at best," Margaret takes a sip out of her cup. "I know he's not the one — and you do, too."

"My parents approve of him," you try to argue, but she's quick to object.

"They only care about your approval. And they mistakenly took your lack of protest for it," Margaret gives you a gloomy look.

"You are aware that I can't wait forever, right? I'm not getting any younger."

"Nor smarter," she snickers.

"Not everyone is lucky to meet the love of their life at the age of 12," you frown. Margaret and Jamie got married three years ago, but they have been betrothed for seven prior to that.

"Fair," she beams, and you can't stay irritated for long. They are still ridiculously in love with each other, and you are really happy for her. You just wish to feel that, too. You crave that indescribable feeling of longing and wanting and caring for someone else — and being loved just as much in return.

"Maybe the concept of love is overrated," you ramble. "It was easy to believe in when I was a kid but... As I'm growing older, it's getting harder to cling to hope, I guess. And I'm trying to make an effort and meet new people and... to show just enough character to not scare them away," you quote your mother. "Yet all of them just... Make me feel nothing. At all. And I...," you realize that Margaret isn't listening, her gaze is on something else behind your back. "Hey, I'm pouring out my heart of gold," you hiss, and her sight shifts to you. Before you can question her behavior, she informs:

"Someone's been keeping an eye on you."

"Margaret, I'm trying to have a serious conversation about my future," you fight the urge to turn around.

"Maybe this is your future!" she winks, and you grunt at her silliness.

"We are in a tavern out of all places! I'd rather take a kind man as my betrothed than a drunk one," you're about to scold her, but your friend's eyes go wide.

"His hair," her voice is barely above the whisper. "I can make out the strands of silver," Margaret slightly leans towards you. "You know what that means?"

"That you had too much wine? Maybe we should call it a night," you suggest, but your friend protests.

"Sit down!" she shushes. "He's coming over here," Margaret puts on a smile that looks painfully forged. The never-ending chattering of people around you makes your head hurt, and you're too tired to play along.

"Mar, it's been a long day, and the last thing I want is to waste my time entertaining some man's arrogance and...," you don't get to finish because he interrupts your train of thought. 

"What if a man entertains you?" his voice is low and cocky. You close your eyes for a second, taking a deep breath. You don't want to make a scene in a public place so you pull yourself together, thinking that you can talk your way out of this ridiculous situation.

But when you turn to him, your eyes meeting his, your plan is suddenly forgotten.

He's taller than you, a black cloak covering most of his body and his head, so your attention is naturally drawn to his face. He wears an eyepatch, and you look over his sharp features — his prominent nose, high cheekbones that flow down to the curved contour of lips, plump and alluring. Margaret was right about the hair, but she failed to mention the color of his eye. Taking that into account, it's not hard to guess that he's a Targaryen. Which means that he definitely is arrogant.

Well, two can play that game.

You ignore his question and pointedly don't stand up in his presence:

"To what do we owe the pleasure of your company?"

"I believe the pleasure is all mine," he's only looking at you.

"We've just met, you should not jump to conclusions," you feel Margaret kicking your leg under the table but dismiss her warning.

"Sharp tongue," he notes.

"Will this be a problem?" you challenge him.

"On the contrary," it sounds like he's actually enjoying it.

It's tricky to read his intentions. But when his gaze is concentrated on you, it makes you feel like there's no one else in the room, and that sensation is thrilling.

"What brings you here, if I may ask?" you press, trying to ignore the unknown feeling creeping up on you.

"It's a nice tavern, wouldn't you say so? Since you are here, too." 

"No, I mean what brings you to our table. There are plenty of others you could've graced with your presence".

"Something must've caught my eye," he says, and you see a glint of a smile on his lips.

"Some thing? Well, the interior isn't very eye-catching if you ask me. But we might have to disagree on that."

"You aren't very agreeable, it seems."

"That's what servants are for, and I'm not one," you're being defiant yet it doesn't bother him.

"Please, do tell me more about yourself," he swiftly pulls up a nearby chair and sits right next to you, his eye never leaving your face.

"Should you pull another one? For your ego, since it takes quite a lot of space."

He squints at your words, and the corners of his mouth turn into a grin.

"I think we have that in common," he bites back, but there's no anger in his voice. If anything, the man looks curious, and you have to admit that you don't take offense at his wit.

"Are there any other far-reaching conclusions that you managed to come up to?" you turn your body to him, so now you two are opposite each other.

"I only got here a few minutes ago. But I am a great observer should you give me a little more time."

"Am I supposed to take your word for it? You are not as convincing as you think," you impugn, so he pauses briefly.

"You don't trust people easily, do you? How's that for an observation," his voice gets quiet, but his gaze is piercing.

"Men," you correct him. "I don't trust men."

"Any of them dared to break your trust?" he gets a little closer, and you instinctively gravitate toward him.

"That would've required them to gain my trust first," you retort.

"And what would it take for me to do so?"

"Do you expect me to make it easy? That's not very observant of you," your grin matches his own.

"Nothing good comes easy," he murmurs, and you involuntarily lay your eyes on his lips. "But I expect it to be worth it."

You feel a pull toward him, something that's hard to describe but oh so natural to give into. His confidence isn't intimidating but rather attractive, and you can't help but notice how his gaze warms up your whole body. He makes you feel wanted without even doing anything.

But then you think of Thomas. Of the upcoming meeting and your future that depends on it. And you know you can't throw it all away for some silly conversation with a self-confident stranger. No matter how enjoyable it seems to be.

You bite your lip and look away from him.

"That's enough entertainment for today," you put some distance between you two. When you give him a quick glance, you catch a shadow of disappointment on his face.

"Didn't take you for a quitter," the blond comments.

"You should manage your expectations."

"Maybe I should manage yours," he has some nerve. 

"That would be very time-consuming," you suddenly realize that he's sitting in your way, and it looks like he isn't going to move.

"Are you in a rush?"

"I am" — "She isn't," you and Margaret say at the same time. You feel your cheeks heating up as you give her a death stare.

"Has anyone told you that you look charming when you are embarrassed?" he remarks, and you want to wipe the smirk off his face. Preferably with your lips. You mentally scold yourself and push that thought away.

"Does this usually work for you?" you get up, thinking of a way out.

"You tell me," he leans back on his chair with a shit-eating grin on his face, clearly aware that he's blocking your exit.

"Cornering women in taverns is your way of flirting?" you think how to distract him, but nothing springs to mind. "And then what, you just drag them into your man cave?"

"They come voluntarily," it looks like your words struck a chord, but he keeps up the facade of indifference. "I happen to live nearby," he notes casually.

"We both know that's not exactly true," you scoff with a tilt of your head. You are positive that the walk to the castle will take at least thirty minutes.

"Want to bet?" he sits up straight.

"And what do I get out of this?"

He looks you up and down before answering:

"Me."

He's pushing his luck at this point.

You glance around and take note that the tavern is packed with people, and no one is paying attention to you. You also realize that Margaret already sneaked out and is standing at the door. She raises an eyebrow with a silent question, as if asking what are you going to do.

That's when you decide you can push some boundaries, too.

Your eyes are back on the man in front of you. Without giving it a second thought, you step closer to him.

"Was that supposed to make me weak in the knees?" you whisper, and his face expression melts into an amused one. Seizing the moment, you yank your dress up and throw a leg over him. He immediately looks down at the exposed skin of your thigh, his mouth is slightly agape as he's now sitting between your legs. You see him tensing up, his fingers clenching into fists as if he's fighting the urge to put his hands on you. You think that if he does, you're not going anywhere. You wouldn't want to go anywhere — the realization makes you tremble, and you know that you don't have much time.

You boldly place your hand on his shoulder, pressing him back onto the chair.

"I hate to break it to you, but you are not that impressive," you say, throwing your other leg over him and successfully moving away.

When you get to the door, the look on Margaret's face is priceless. You grab her by the arm and drag her outside in a hurry, merging into the crowd of passers-by.

"I need you to explain what the h...," she starts, but you interrupt her.

"Please, don't," you snarl. "Don't say anything, just give me five minutes."

You can't even explain to yourself what happened back there and why you did that. You think of his gaze roaming over your body, the depth of his voice and the curves of his lips. You tell yourself that you need to get him out of your head as soon as possible. You fail miserably.

One week later, you're dining with Thomas at his house, and yet your mind wanders back to the arrogant one-eyed man. Aemond, as you've learned — and it wasn't that you wanted to, but fate had other plans.

And by fate, you mean Margaret.

Once her five minutes were up, she couldn't stop talking. By the time you came home, you got his whole backstory — the second-born son of the King, has two brothers and two sisters, rides the biggest dragon in the world. Overly confident, stubborn, wears an eyepatch because he doesn't want to scare the ladies of the court. Usually doesn't talk much.

Unlike Thomas who gathered his whole family and can't stop blabbing. You struggle to participate in their conversation, giving polite smiles left and right. You don't know what to expect of the evening, and it makes you nervous. And not in a good way. All of a sudden the possibility of marrying Thomas doesn't seem to be the best.

From the corner of your eye, you catch him standing up, clearly readying himself for a speech. He has a manner of pursing his lips every time he's agitated, and it looks weird. That's also how it felt when he kissed you, which is probably the reason you haven't done much kissing after that. You wonder what it's like to kiss Aemond. Just thinking of it makes your heart rate speed up, and you nervously gulp half a cup of wine.

"I gathered all of you today to make an important announcement," he starts his pompous monologue, "that may not come as a surprise to some of you."

You cautiously look at the door.

"But, as of recently, I received inspiration to change the course of my life. And I decided to devote myself to the service of Gods".

You nearly choke on your drink. In all the years you've known Thomas, he's never been to a chapel once.

"And I wanted to grant you this privilege to be the first ones to know."

You've got to be kidding me. You wait for any other announcements — literally anything else — but Thomas goes back to chattering, also accepting pointless congratulations. It takes you ten painfully long minutes to get a chance to talk to him alone.

"May I have a word?" you inquire, and the two of you move to the far end of the room.

"It's about your speech," you clarify. "It might sound silly, but I thought that you were planning... Um," you're trying to formulate your concerns. "I was wondering, how would you describe our relationship? Or the prospect of it, I should say," you give him a tight smile.

"Oh," his face pales slightly.

Your facial expression mirrors his. "Oh"?

"I am actually glad you asked," he awkwardly takes your hands in his, and you notice how sweaty his palms are.

"You know, Y/N, you've been a great companion of mine," his voice is as weak as his smile. "And I am forever grateful for those moments that we shared as they only brought me joy," his hands feel like jelly, and you don't want to hold them. Like, ever.

"But now that I'm choosing to follow my destiny," you do your best to suppress a chuckle at his dramatic phrasing. "I decided that... I need some time to figure out how I feel. About us."

You look at him, dumbfounded, his words sinking in.

"You need... some time?" you drawl, feeling an emotion bubbling up in your chest. You are not sure what it is. "You? Need to think about us?" you repeat, and he nods, his brows furrowed at your reaction.

There's a moment of silence, and then you hear yourself laughing. You can't control it as you're overcome with emotion, your laughter only growing stronger, to the point of you tearing up a bit. The emotion is relief. There's no way you'll ever marry this man.

"I am the one who should be glad, Thomas," you shake his hand while he seems wildly perplexed, all of his guests staring at you. "Thank you for your honesty, really. I hope you will be successful in all your endeavors, marriage included."

He opens his mouth to say something, but you already turned around.

"Y/N? Where are you going?!"

You stop for a second, your thoughts rushing back to the conversation with Margaret. To that evening in the tavern.

"I have a meeting, it's of great importance," you say and quicken your pace. You reach the tavern when it's already getting dark, the weather is cloudy, and your coat is wet in the light drizzle. You walk in a daze as you're torn between being excited and anxious. There is a chance that Aemond won't be there. That he doesn't remember you. That he's with someone else. That he had a change of heart. That he...

You spot him almost immediately after you walk in.

Coincidentally or not, he's sitting at the exact same table you were at the first time you met. You stay still as his eye absentmindedly wanders around the room and then lands on you. Aemond stands up — way too quickly — and you see a well-known grin growing on his face. Your eyes dart to his lips, and the question pops up in your head again.

You feel the pull — and before you can think, your body follows it.

He keeps his gaze on you, his brows rising at the speed of your approach. You cover the distance in a heartbeat, your hands reaching his face, and he slightly flinches, probably because your fingers are cold from being outside. And then you stand on your tiptoes and crash your lips onto his without any hesitation.

He gasps, surprised and frozen for a moment. It takes just a couple of seconds for him to melt into the kiss, and his hands are instantly on your waist, pulling you closer to him. Aemond's lips are way softer than you anticipated — and it's the only thing on your mind. His mouth on yours, warm and exploring, the slow pacing of the kiss that leaves you lightheaded and yearning for more.

He presses your body into his, lifting you up with ease, and your feet leave the ground. You tug his hood further down so it covers most of your face, too, and then you slide your thumb up the sharp line of his jaw. His tongue runs over your lower lip, and you feel a wave of heat rising in your stomach.

You pull away before you can take it too far.

"You remember me?" you ask him, panting.

He hums, his eye focused on your lips.

"Still believe that nothing good comes easy?" you mimic his words, but he ignores your jesting.

"Definitely," Aemond looks you in the eyes, keeping his hands on your waist.

"Is the bet still on?"

"Yes," the corners of his mouth curl.

"Lead the way, then." By the time you reach the castle, the rain is pouring in full force, and your clothes are drenched. The two of you rush through the streets, your hands intertwined, and it feels like it only takes about ten minutes before you sneak into his chambers, both out of breath and giggling.

Only when you take a look around the unfamiliar settings, it suddenly dawns on you that you are all alone with a man you barely know, and your bravery starts fading away.

Whether Aemond notices the change in your mood or not, you can't tell, but he respectfully keeps his distance.

"You need to get out of these," he points at your coat and dress. "They're soaking wet."

"Is this your way of trying to get me naked?" you eye him suspiciously, making Aemond scoff.

"I just don't want you to catch a cold," he honestly states. "I'll fetch you a shirt of mine." Sensing your doubts, he adds: "Don't worry, it's long enough."

He brings you the shirt and politely turns away, going to the other end of the room to light the fireplace. On his way there, he removes the cloak and the jacket, his upper body only covered by the same piece of clothing he gave you. You watch him carefully, noting the movement of his back muscles as he bends down.

The sparkling glow of fire brings you back to reality, and you hastily remove your clothes, leaving the undergarments on, which are luckily dry. You put on his shirt, and it barely reaches your knees, but the material feels nice and comfortable. While Aemond is still busy with the fire, you glance over his room.

It's spacious and simply furnished, and your attention is drawn to a couple of shelves nearby. You look at the tightly packed rows of books, some of the hardcovers are worn out from old age. You catch the familiar naming and pull one of them out, gently flipping through the pages.

"You take interest in philosophy?" his voice startles you. You missed the moment he came back, and when you take your eyes off the book, you see him leaning on the nearest shelf, looking at you inquisitively.

"I do, indeed," you confess. "And I read this one so many times, my own copy pretty much fell apart."

"You can take mine," Aemond offers.

You notice that despite his cockiness, his presence is actually very calming. Everything is easy with him — striking up conversations, making jokes, flirting. Taking his hand in yours, running in the rain. Kissing.

Your heart skips a beat, and you sheepishly move on to another topic:

"Shouldn't you change as well?" you refer to his shirt, but he shakes his head:

"No need."

"Oh, was it the Targaryen's dragon blood that helped you dry up?" you tend to jest when you're nervous, and right now is no exception.

"My cloak is too thick for the water to soak through. But I like your version, too," his lips ripple into a smile.

You can help but smile back: "Thank you for the shirt."

"It looks really good on you," the words smoothly roll off his tongue and ignite the familiar burning deep in your core. He keeps his gaze on your face, your eyes locking for a moment.

You look away first, letting out a timid laugh:

"I must admit, I like this way of flirting better," you place the book back. "But you can cut it short. What's your move?"

"My... move?" Aemond gives you a quizzical look.

"Yes, your big move. Show me," you request eagerly.

"Don't know what you're talking about," he looks down, his aplomb faltering.

"What do you usually do to impress a lady?"

"I don't really need to do anything," Aemond shrugs.

"What a humble individual you are," you chuckle and give him a minute to think.

"So what is it?"

"I just told you...," it seems like he's trying to dodge the topic, which only sparks your curiosity.

"Oh, come on! You guys always have a move. Let me guess, you speak to her in High Valyrian? Men like to talk big," he snorts. "No? Win her over with your...," you gesture at his bookshelves, "...precious collection? Although it's a risky move because what if she's not into reading, that would be awkward" and then it hits you. "Wait, it's the dragon, isn't it? You show her your dragon? Got to make sure it's well-fed, though, otherwise you'll have a date with a roasted —"

"It's my sword," he cuts you off, and you swear you can see him blushing at the confession.

"Um, your sword? Is this a metaphor for someth…"

"Gods, no. I mean the actual sword. The one you grip with your hand and poke people with."

"That description didn't help," you tease, and he groans.

"You know what I mean," Aemond gives you a pointed look, but his face flushed pink, and you can't take him seriously.

"I do, you just look really cute when you are embarrassed," you say cheekily, which makes him huff.

"My apologies. Please elaborate on the sword. How does it work?"

Aemond hesitates but then realizes that you will never let it go, so he gives in:

"I bring my training into the conversation. And then I... show them," he talks with his hands when he's uncomfortable, and you find it endearing.

"And that's it?"

"Pretty much," Aemond nods.

"They watch you train, and that's what does it for the ladies?"

"I don't know why, I never gave it much thought."

"Well, someone should. Can't imagine it ever working on me."

You feel a sudden shift in the air as Aemond slowly looks up at you. You're standing a couple of meters apart, and he's yet to initiate anything, but once again, it only takes a look from him for you to feel a familiar flare-up of the tantalizing desire.

"I'm not going to take you to the training yard in the pouring rain," he concludes.

"But it's not about the place, is it? Must be something about you," now you're the one champing at the bit to see what the fuss is all about.

"I don't have a sword on me."

"Opt for something smaller, I'm sure it will do," you hint at the dagger that you've seen him carry, and wait expectantly for him to agree.

Aemond reluctantly contemplates your suggestion, then sighs and goes to get his dagger which he left next to the cloak.

You wonder if the ladies are attracted to his competitive spirit. If they enjoy the feeling of danger they get at the sight of steel, the cold shine of it, the clang of swords. Or maybe it's the urge to take sides and root for the winner?

And then you see Aemond rolling up the sleeves of his shirt, — and your breath suddenly hitches.

The room is lit by fire, the warmth of it illuminating his skin, casting shadows that frame every muscle of his arms. He takes the dagger in one hand, the movement fast and honed, and your eyes follow it. You notice the scattering of his veins that go down his wrist and into his palm, the blue lines tightening with every swirl. The silver blade catches and reflects the light, but you're focused solely on his flexing muscles.

He's maneuvering the dagger with ease, almost carelessly, yet you know that every motion is well-practiced through years of training. His long fingers grip the hilt, revealing the sharp outline of his knuckles. The steel silently cuts through the air, again and again, but your eyes are glued to his hands. The way they move, the power that he holds in them. The things he can do with them, with his fingers. The way they will feel on your bare skin and in your... You swallow, letting out a shuddered breath.

"Are you weak in the knees yet?" his words bring you out of your trance, and you blink a couple of times, trying to shake the feeling off. Your body is so heated, you're surprised you're not sweating yet.

"Is this the point when the ladies throw themselves at you?" your voice is hoarse, and you take a deep breath in an attempt to calm yourself.

Aemond stops his movements. You feel your skin tingling with anticipation, waiting for him to finish what he started, but he doesn't budge. For a short while, you're taken aback by the change in his demeanor — and the realization strikes you:

"Wait, how many ladies were here before me?"

"I never said I take them here," he puts the dagger back in its sheath, averting his gaze.

"But you told me that you do your... thing with the sword for them."

"In the training yard, with other people around us, yes."

"So then you just leave them all hot and bothered? Aemond, that is cruel," his actions confuse you, but while you're looking for an explanation, he turns back to you and finally meets your gaze.

"It would've been cruel to lead them on when I feel nothing for them," he reveals, and you discern the raw honesty in his words. And you know exactly what he means. It's the tiresome attempts to find someone who will spark your interest, to spot a connection, all of those efforts leading nowhere and making you feel like you're the one at fault. But you aren't — and he isn't, either.

Aemond looks almost ashamed of letting out something so personal, but you welcome the intimacy of this moment.

"I shall consider myself lucky, then," you say softly.

He gives you that same look that makes you feel like the world around you disappears.

"You are... something else," Aemond mumbles.

You guess that he isn't used to being straightforward about his feelings, nor does he know how to express his affection with words. You really, really want to kiss him again.

The boyish grin reappears on his face:

"Did you mean I left you all hot and bothered?" Aemond narrows his eye.

"I never said that," you smile coyly. "Maybe you should've tried a little harder."

"I happen to have some tricks up my sleeve," he takes a step towards you and, before you can ask for details, you feel his fingers on your ribs as he starts tickling you, and you immediately burst into laughter.

His touches are light, fingers grazing against your clothed skin as he subtly moves you further into the room until your legs bump into his bed. Losing your balance, you fall on it, your back met with the fluffiness of thick blankets. Aemond hovers over you, and you can't stop giggling, trying to wiggle away from his tickles.

Wrapped up in the moment, you make a careless move, your hand brushing up his cheek — and you suddenly see a bright gleam of blue on the right side of his face.

Aemond freezes at the spot, halting his actions, and momentarily flinches away. You are gawking at the sapphire, unable to form a coherent sentence.

He makes a move to fix his eyepatch, but you stop him.

"Don't," you catch his hand mid-air, your grip delicate but firm, and he doesn't fight it. You would've been surprised by your own quick reaction if only your mind wasn't completely occupied with the sight in front of you.

It looks like the gem absorbs all the light in the room, shimmering with various shades of blue. It's cut in a way to imitate a surface of an eye, the sides of the sapphire polished and blending into each other. There's a depth to it, bright sparkles drowning in a color that's close to black, and the spillovers are mesmerizing.

You bring your hand closer to his face, to the area that's been left covered and unloved, and touch the skin with the tip of your finger. He lets you.

"Wow," you breathe out, gently tracing his scar. "This is the most badass thing I've ever seen."

Aemond looks at you in disbelief, his eye fixed on your face, and his lips parted.

"...What?" he manages to ask.

"You look like a pirate. A really badass... sky pirate?" you suggest, and he lets out a light chuckle, still not entirely sure he believes you.

So you shamelessly continue:

"A pirate with his own dragon. The largest one in the Seven Kingdoms as I've heard," you can almost feel him swelling with pride. "He charms the ladies with his fighting skills — and has a gem for an eye? Incredibly irresistible," your index finger circles the area around his sapphire.

He listens attentively, holding his breath.

"A prince who is as good with his sword as he is with his wit, fond of reading and isn't averse to mischief. Any lady of the court would've been fortunate to get a hold of such treasure," you remove the eyepatch and tenderly cradle his face. "Yet I am the one who's been honored to see all of him," you glance from the bright gemstone to his eye and back. "Honestly, it's kind of hard to pick which one I like more...," you're barely able to notice him sharply lower his head, and your words die down.

Without a warning, Aemond covers your lips with his, the intensity of the kiss pulling the air out of your lungs right away. He's been holding back the first time, but he isn't now, and the passion sets you ablaze. His tongue slips into your mouth, easily tangling with yours, and you moan at the contact. Aemond skilfully unbuttons your shirt, and the second his fingers touch your skin, you shiver, the quivering sensation washing over you. His hands slowly slide down your ribcage, tracing the curves of your body, making your back arch, your chest flush against his, your heart pounding. He contours the bend of your hips, then presses his palms there, his touches rough, claiming, burning. You move your fingers up the base of his neck and run them through his hair, and he releases a shaky sigh. Aemond relishes in the feeling of your compliance, the fervor of it, your body being so needy and welcoming, until you are both gasping for air.

"Was that impressive enough?" he rasps, and you look up at him through your lashes, spellbound and breathless. His pupil is dilated, gaze clouded with lust, your noses adjoin.

"Yeah-yes. Yes, very," you utter, at a loss for words.

"Good. Because I'm about to outdo myself," he tightens his grip on your thighs, picking you up and moving into the middle of the bed. Your head barely touches the pillow when his lips are on yours again.

🔥 my masterlist

#aemond targaryen x reader #not gonna lie the main reason I'm finally posting this is because a few ppl on AO3 liked it and it gave me a *little* boost of confidence #kinda??? I mean it also took me a few days of trying to convince myself to post it on tumblr #(also I've been staring at this draft for 4 hours) #my confidence is non-existent lmao #my stuff #aemond targaryen #aemond x reader #aemond x y/n #aemond x you #aemond targaryen x y/n #aemond one eye #oh god how many tags can I come up with #aemond targaryen fanfiction #aemond targaryen fanfics #aemond targaryen fics #hotd fanfiction

[genericaces]

I always got the impression Illyria was a he/him in their original god king form but defaulted to she/her when taking Fred as a vessel. In general though I don’t think pronouns actually matter to Illyria. I think he/him was assigned by followers and she/her is assigned by ats crew.

Valid! Canon doesn't dive too deeply into it, so I think a lot of it is up for interpretation. AFAIK all we get in canon is that Knox and Drogyn refer to Illyria (the original god-king) with it pronouns (as do the ATS crew), and it's only when it's in Fred's body that the crew start using she/her. Which is to say that I think that you're correct that it's other people projecting a gender onto it and struggling to disentangle Illyria from Fred.

But also! What I've always found interesting is that Knox (basically the only character on the show with an emotional connection to the original Illyria) entwines a... crush? For lack of a better word? on Fred with his worship of Illyria, and I can't make up my mind, personal headcanon-wise, if he's just projecting or if there's historical precedent for this. Like, what's the thought process behind, "yeah sure I'll resurrect my epic god-king (gender neutral) in the body of my beautiful co-worker"? Also there's this adolescent crush/obsession vibe when he says:

And when I first saw this, I thought this was going to lead into a parable about how some dudes will 'worship' women and make them into god-like figures in their heads, but in doing so, also infantilize them and want to control them? Like I legit thought this was going to evolve into an "I Was Made to Love You" type lesson about objectifying women, where Knox both worships Illyria and feels "owed" for resurrecting her, and when he throws a tantrum about her not being appropriate grateful, she kills him. And this would mirror the condescension that Fred experiences throughout the show -- that ultimately what kills Fred is Knox putting her up on this pedestal as a "perfect woman" rather than seeing her as a complete person:

Like, Knox says this to Wesley just before Wes pulls his gun on him, and I thought this would be about Wes being forced to confront the ways in which HE could also flatten Fred into a symbol of goodness and not see her as a whole person at times. Which would then mimic the ways that nearly every member of the Angel crew harbors feelings of guilt over what happened to Fred.

(Alternatively in my AU where Wes gets Illyria'd, I think it's ultimately about Wes CHOOSING to die in Fred's place, against her wishes, in a way that's heroic/tragic but also intertwined with the complicated feelings Fred has about being patronized by the others and being perceived as the one who needs to 'protecting.' Like, how do you grapple with that grief alongside that resentment? *Wesley voice* "I think I hate her a little for that." But this is getting way off topic.)

ANYWAYS. Obviously none of that happened, so maybe I'm reading subtext where there isn't any or I just missed something. This is all a long way of saying that much of Illyria's arc feels very gendered in my interpretation, not just in the god-king-beyond-human-comprehension way but in the conflict surrounding it. To get back to your ask, I do agree that Illyria doesn't care about pronouns. I do think it's funny in the Wes!Illyria AU if the only person who DOES care is Fred, who's out there pulling (in the most well-intentioned way) the "its pronouns are she/her" move

#i receive: 1 ask #you receive: a vague answer and 7 paragraphs about something marginally related #hope this doesn't come across as anti wes by the way. it's not meant to be #i just think these are underexplored facets of their relationship i would've liked to have seen developed #ask #wes!illyria #fred burkle #angel the series

[mindibindi]

hey! sorry for bothering you, but i as a fellow x-phile i would like to ask how credible it is that gillian anderson and david duchovny hated each other back in the day? there are probably quotes or something but i can't really judge anything this late after the fact. i did watch the show when it aired but i was too young to get into internet culture. anyway, i'm hoping for some wisdom from fans who remember this. :) thank you!

Hey Anon,

It’s no bother and thanks for the ask. And actually, after the fact is a good position from which to view this matter since, as we all now know, Gillovny’s story has a happy ending. I was around for the original run too but internet culture was very different then. Not everyone was constantly online, I certainly wasn’t. The internet was expensive and hard to access so I got a couple of hours per week tops, which I mostly used to read fanfic. (Fanfic for this show/ship was basically my fanfic writer origin story: I was like WHAT OTHER PEOPLE DO THIS TOO???!!! And btw: readers complain these days about the pressure to respond to fanfic. Back in the day, you had to compose a whole fricking email if you wanted to badger your fave author for more. And there was certainly no easy kudos button option to make you feel like you’d done your bit to encourage community. Anyway.)

There were fan sites, message boards and lots of different fanfic archives. And sure, there was some gossip but it still mostly came via old print media. Pre-social-media, there wasn’t a direct line to celebrities or any great expectation placed on them interact with fans in regular, intimate ways. The advent of social media has created these parasocial relationships in which (some) fans think they know or have a right to far more than they do. Back in the day, and istg this is true, I posted a picture of DD with Blue in the surf on some now defunct message board. The moderators removed it and v kindly said: nope, against our guidelines, no images of private moments taken without the person’s consent. I mean…. talk about boundaries! My baby fangirl ass was properly chastised and learnt a valuable lesson. I think we can learn a thing or two from early internet culture and original fans, some of which are still knocking about this site.

Anyway, all of this is to say, I don’t have any special insight here. The only people who know in any great detail what truly went on in DD and GA’s relationship is them, and maybe a few people in their immediate vicinity. But XF fans are lucky enough to stan two very honest, emotionally thoughtful people who have shared with us some of the challenges they faced during the show’s original run. And, for better or worse, when people tell you who they are, I tend to believe them. Yes, there are other fans that can probably provide you with quotes and timelines and (wild) speculation, but I think I know enough to give a fairly objective opinion on what I think actually occurred. For me, the most pertinent quote here is Gillian’s characterisation of their relationship as being like “a forced marriage”. I take this to mean that, like any marriage, there was great intimacy, respect, cooperation and commitment. Maybe even love. But there was also a lack of choice that caused tension, despite multiple positive relational elements.

“Tension” is a word that has also been applied to their late-90s relationship and I think it’s probably more accurate. I don’t think they HATE hated each other. But I think they probably had fleeting moments of feeling: OMG this person is getting on my last sane nerve, I cannot stand to be around them another fricking second. I think the protracted and concentrated intimacy of their circumstances gave rise to SOME super understandable negative feelings that ultimately, did not define the true nature of their relationship, either then or now. I don’t think those feelings were all there was, even back then. I don’t think these two were epic lovers any more than they were bitter enemies. I think they were just two human beings attempting to function under super intense scrutiny and an extremely gruelling work schedule. And that at times resulted in tension or irritation which they found ways around. Talking to each other only as Mulder and Scully may sound terrible to some but I think it’s a rather ingenious way to conserve their energy for their jobs. It shows an incredible commitment to their characters, to the show and to the contribution the other was bringing to that celebrated dynamic. They knew it was important so that's where they focused.

We have all had times in relationships where we’ve needed some space, even from someone we like, love, respect and value. If anyone was struggling to understand this dynamic between DD and GA then recent experiences of lockdown should have provided some insight into this kind of intense forced intimacy. Now, I have never been married but I’ve lived with people and that experience will make you loathe how a person walks, breathes, sleeps, eats, does the smallest, most insignificant things. It’s not the permanent state of your relationship. It’s just a passing reaction. It does not matter how much you might like or appreciate this person. In one bright flash, they become the most infuriating person to ever walk the planet. Then you go into another room or go to work and the feeling fades. But what happens when you can’t get away, you actually can’t get the sort of space a healthy relationship needs? We all saw how lockdown increased the pressure on all relationships, especially partnerships and marriages. There was pressure within and without and people reacted naturally to profoundly unnatural circumstances. That’s all that happened here.

Now, it must be pointed out that even during periods of the original run when their relationship was supposedly suffering, there is footage of them having fun on-set and ruining takes by making out. This supports the idea that any “hate” was an understandable but impermanent reaction for both. Actually, I think it is highly admirable that they were able to collaborate together and remain individually sane while experiencing such relational tension. It shows incredible personal fortitude and professional commitment. They stayed focused and pragmatic and, to me, there is never any indication that their personal struggles impacted the final product. In fact, I believe they actually enhanced Mulder and Scully’s relationship in those middle years of the original run when they too were experiencing some growing pains in their relationship. I’m thinking of the raw emotion in that end scene of “Elegy” and the palpable impatience and antagonism in “Gethsemane”. I’m thinking of the division and sadness in the hospital scene in “The Red and the Black” and throughout “The End”. Like Mulder and Scully, David and Gillian have some fundamental similarities and some very distinct differences. For the first few years of the series they were living very different lives. It took them time to attune to each other, just as it took Mulder and Scully time to fully absorb the many intricate dimensions of their relationship. As DD and GA grew older, their lives became more similar and their understanding of each other likewise grew. And honestly, I think it’s somewhat hypocritical and inhuman to appreciate the many complex beats of the M/S relationship as it plays out on-screen, but then judge their real-life counterparts as they tread an equally complex path towards true understanding, appreciation and love.

I haven’t watched TXF in years and in my recent rewatch, I was surprised actually at just how combative this relationship could be. I had only remembered all the sweet, shippy bits! But (and I should not really have to point this out) that's also what is so compelling to watch. The conflict. The contrast. The difference (not just in height, although their physical difference does act as a powerful symbol of their mismatched but ultimately complementary dynamic). The difference and yes, even at times tension, between David and Gillian only adds to a dynamic that so many have tried and failed to emulate (RIP to any reboot of this show. This show IS DD and GA’s chemistry. End of.). I can’t be mad or disappointed about Gillovny’s 90s tension, so carefully navigated by both actors, because fuck me does it work for the MSR angst! D’you think we’d have so many delicious angsty fanfics if these two had been sunshine-y, tension-less best buds every step of the way?? Not only is some tension an understandable human reaction that I believe they have every right to, it adds dimension to an epically URSTy relationship that could have gotten boring (and kinda did towards the end, let's be real). There is an added, honest, brave truth to the moments of impatience, frustration, disagreement and division in the M/S relationship because DD and GA experienced these things themselves in the context of their equally intense working relationship. I think the actors continued to mine their own tension and express it through Mulder and Scully, which again is a super creative and healthy way to protect their working relationship and serve the M/S relationship. A relationship in which they were invested, but also a relationship that was central to the show and important to so many fans.

In time, the more intense M/S moments lost their bite. The relationship became softer, less combative, more appreciative. The LA move decreased the actor’s isolation and gave the show a new tone. Gillian is on record saying how strange it was for her when David disappeared in later seasons. And we all know the story of the 10 min post-"Existence" embrace (if you don’t let me know). So this story has a neat and satisfying ending even if Mulder and Scully never really got theirs. As evidenced by the second movie and reboot, nothing was destroyed. The chemistry remains (even if it’s not served by quality plot, development, context and characterisation). These human beings and artists did their best under difficult circumstances. They protected the work, the characters and their relationship. In fact, I would venture to suggest that the wild appreciation they show for each other now, the enduring chemistry we see on-screen and the palpable enjoyment they feel at the other’s presence any time they get the opportunity to reunite is in part due to how they navigated their early years as mismatched colleagues thrown together and expected to work closely under immense pressure. Thanks to David and Gillian, hate never took root. And now, in DD’s words, all that’s left is the heart.

#txf #the x files #msr #mulder x scully #fox mulder #dana scully #gillian anderson #david duchovny #gillovny #90s tension #ask #ask a question of me and you will get an essay #any aunty fangirls with further info or thoughts are free to chime in #but hate will be blocked

[acourtofthought]

I don’t really get involved with the Elain ship wars, but I think both sides - especially elucien shippers - seem to miss the point about an emerging theme in Elain’s story; and that is the importance of choice.

Throughout the entirety of Elain’s life, people have always made choices for her. Growing up, that was Nesta - always protecting Elain, and always speaking on her behalf. Later on, even though it was clear that Elain wanted to marry Graysen and live a normal, mortal life - that choice was also taken away from her, as she was forced to become fae and live in Prythian. Then, throughout the entirety of ACOWAR and beyond, we witness Nesta, Feyre and Rhys (as well as multiple other characters) speak about Elain‘s wants and needs, without actually consulting her.

The cherry on top, is a mating bond that Elain clearly doesn’t want. The absolute antithesis of choice, is forcing Elain to be with someone - just because a Cauldron (the same magical object that took away her mortal body and mortal life in the first place) said so. We even see Elain outwardly express her distaste at the situation;

“He brought you a present.” Those doe-brown eyes turned toward me. Sharper than I’d ever seen them. “And that entitles him to my time, my affections?” “No.” I blinked. “But he is a good male.” Despite our harsh words. Despite this Band of Exiles bullshit. “He cares for you.” “He doesn’t know me.” “You don’t give him the chance to even try to do so.” Her mouth tightened, the only sign of anger in her graceful countenance. “I don’t want a mate.“

And sure, I get that you and other elucien’s will argue that Elain will simply change her mind, and will fall in love with Lucien in later books. But, I personally think that if Elain suddenly has a change of heart, and does indeed follow the Cauldron’s wish and accepts the mating bond - then no matter how beautiful she and Lucien could be together, it’s a complete reversal of this theme that SJM has set up. If Elain ends up with Lucien because a higher power is pulling her towards him - is it really Elain’s choice, or the Cauldron’s?

And yes, Feyre and Rhys, Nesta and Cassian, Rowan and Aelin, Hunt and Bryce - are all mates, and all have beautiful relationships. But the fundamental difference between these couples and Elain and Lucien, is that they all had the chance to get to know one another before the mating bond snapped into place. And even though some of these couples hated each other in the beginning (ie. Rowan and Aelin), hate is still an intense emotion, there’s passion and fire mixed into it - something more. With Elain and Lucien… there’s nothing. It’s very lacking - Elain seemingly feels indifferent towards him. It just doesn’t feel like the start of an epic SJM romance - especially when Elain is fully aware of the mating bond with Lucien, yet is kissing another man while he’s in the same house. How many other endgame couples kissed another person after becoming aware of the mating bond…?

And let’s not forget Elain’s connection to Blodeuwedd - a connection that you appear to be aware of, given your posts and theories on the matter. But Blodeuwedd’s story closely aligns with Elain’s; she is forced to marry a man that she has no affections for, so she ends up running away with another. The entire premise of the Blodeuwedd folklore is about having autonomy to choose your own life - including the person you love.

And, Blodeuwedd certainly didn’t just wake up one day and decide that she actually wants to be with Llew - the man she was forced to marry. That would be a complete reversal of the narrative. I’m not sure why you expect the same of Elain.

I can see Elain and Lucien being good friends, but I think SJM has better plans for both of them. Plans that involve them both choosing a love they deserve.

"How many other endgame couples kissed another person before becoming aware of the Mating Bond?"

That little excerpt right there is Nesta talking to Cassian. No, she may not have known what it meant but it was a feeling beyond her control.

From the second she met Cassian, she knew he was something to her. Just as from the second Elain looked in Lucien's eyes for the first time, she knew he was something to her.

Nesta was willing to die for Cassian in ACOWAR, a proclamation of her feelings yet she still chose to sleep with many other males after that. Because she was angry. Because she was struggling to adjust to everything that had happened. So she pretended she didn't want the very thing she was drawn to, something she couldn't stop herself from feeling. She, with an awareness of her feelings for Cassian (feelings she never asked for or decided for herself) chose to have sex with multiple other men. Which is a whole lot more than almost kissing just one.

And you claim Elain doesn't want a Mating Bond but please point me in the direction of where it says Nesta ever wanted a Mating Bond with Cassian. In fact, Nesta even tells us "husband" was as good as it got and that she specifically doesn't like the thought of a Mating Bond because it means parting with the last of her humanity.

Elain was in love with Graysen and engaged when she lost her humanity and the bond snapped into place. The girl is allowed to have a rebound / crush before making another lifelong decision.

And isn't it possible that if Nesta made the choices she did out of fear despite being drawn to Cassian, we might come to find out that Elain is saying what she says and doing what she's done because she too is afraid of being drawn to Lucien? Imagine thinking you know love with one person, being ready to marry them, then instantly feeling something more powerful than you could have imagined for another? That's going to be an overwhelming feeling, it's going to leave you questioning what you thought you knew and it's going to take some time before you're ready to face some hard truths.

"Throughout the entirety of Elain's life, people have made choices for her"

Hmmmm, I guess Nesta knew a little something about that too. Yet she still learned to fully embrace being Fae, Cassian, and her Mating Bond. Despite that she didn't have a choice in what happened to her or being drawn to him from the moment they met.

Not to mention no one is making choices for Elain that she's ever argued against (until SF). Of course being kidnapped and put into the Cauldron wasn't her choice but it wasn't Nesta's either. It wasn't Feyre's choice to be kidnapped by Tamlin in book 1. And none of the sisters decided their mother should die or they'd go into poverty. Those things were a result of misfortune and not a choice or lack of choice.

Please give me one example of where Elain was told by friends or family "you will do this" to which Elain replied, "I will not" to which the other person responded, "I don't care, you're doing it anyway" and they forced her to do it. Elain has had just as much agency as any other character. The only things that weren't her choice are the exact same things every other person in the series has dealt with. It wasn't Rhys's choice to be tricked by Amarantha, it wasn't Mor's choice to have a nail put in her, it wasn't Lucien's choice to have Jesminda murdered or be SA by Ianthe or beaten by Tamlin or Feyre's choice to be locked up by Tamlin.

These arguments about choice in regards to relationships make me laugh because picking Lucien is still a choice. Is someone holding a sword to her head? Telling her she has to pick Lucien? Since the answer to that is no, the argument holds no weight.

Elain and Lucien are basically a friend setting them up on a double date after divorce because "They'd be perfect together!" Elain can decide, "no, I'm not ready for a double date" and refuse. But she could also take a little time to do her own thing, realize she's past the crappy Tinder dates then finally agree to that double date and realize how amazing Lucien is.

I made some poor dating choices in my youth too and hated the guys my mother would have preferred I end up with. But eventually I matured, realized why the guys I dated weren't working out to well for me and ended up dating someone my mother adores. But for awhile, I of course knew better than her because what teenager / young adult doesn't? Turns out, she knew a little something about quality dating material and I was just too stubborn to accept it.

That's Elain and Fate is her parent. She's refusing to accept that Lucien is not only a choice but the right choice for her because she needs to prove no one can tell her what to do. And that's fine for now but with her emotional growth will come maturity and the awareness that Lucien is her Mate for a reason.

I also like how you conveniently left off:

If she could change her mind on not wanting a male, then why couldn't she again change her mind on wanting a Mate?

You know why Rhys's parents weren't a match?

Elain is absolutely soft and fiery at times and well liked by pretty much everyone but who is more cold and vicious? Lucien or Az? Rhys's parents weren't a match because their personalities were too different. Canonically, Elain and Lucien are extremely similar in their values, their interests, and how they handle conflict.

And I think you're missing the point of the fairytale.....

Blodeuwedd was about her being upset over not having a choice yes, but..... She was punished for the choice she did make, choosing to cheat on Llew (Lucien). And the part Az plays in the fairytale ended up getting him murdered by Llew.

And SJM doesn't do literal retellings, she samples from lore and fairytale and gives them a happy ending so her "Blodeuwedd" could end up realizing that sometimes things that happen to us are actually the best things for us.

These are fantasy books and they're less about the character proving "ain't nobody gonna tell me what I can do" and more about them learning to accept their Fates. By accepting their Fates, it sets into motion the chain of events which help them save their world.

Rhys suspected Feyre was his mate before he ever laid eyes on her and the bond snapped before he and Feyre were friends. Cassian suspected Nesta's was his Mate too which is the reason he kept holding his hand out to a literal stranger who seemingly wanted nothing to do with him.

Are their love story's less beautiful because they knew what those females were to them from the very start?

The mating bond has nothing to do with anything. The mating bond is someone, aka Fate saying, "Hey! I know this person and I think you'd be well matched!" The journey is the character then deciding when they're ready to consider Fates suggestion to see if Fate was right. And that's the thing Anti Elucien's can't seem to grasp. Because at some point Elain will get to know Lucien, even if it's just to see if they could be friends. But when they are two characters who are written as being extremely compatible in all the ways it counts, there's very little chance love won't be quick to follow.

Lucien is still a choice. The point is making the choice for the right reasons and not JUST because they have a bond. And when you look at the things Elain stands for then look at who Lucien is, it's very clear how well matched they are.

#pro elucien #elucien #elain archeron #lucien vanserra #anti e/riel #elain x lucien #lucien and elain #elain and lucien #pro lucien vanserra #lucien x elain #blodeuwedd #azriel acotar #lucien acotar #acotar elain

[slutisnotabadword]

It’s funny how a lot of people when they’re exposing how Delena was better than Stelena, there’s always something about how “Elena never truly loved Stefan” or “Stefan only liked her because she looked like Katherine”. And I don’t know why we have to downplay Stefan and Elena’s relationship.

Now, first of all, I don’t like Stefan (even though I cried BUCKETS when he died, idk) but I still use my comprehension and context clues skills.

And I don’t even like Stelena, they’re not my favorite ship and I do prefer Delena. Delena had that special fire and intensity and was very entertaining to watch on screen. There was passion, there was drama, it was exciting. And I personally think Stelena lacked all of that.

However, it was very clear to see that they both loved eachother very much, and what they had was special. Their relationship was really a ‘first love’ sort of feel. In Stefan’s words, it was epic.

There could be definitely a debate on how Stefan and Elena put eachother on unreachable pedestals, which led to the downfall of their relationship. But I don’t think we should downplay what they had, in order to uplift Delena, and vice versa.

#Delena #Stelena #TVD #stefan salvatore #damon salvatore #elena gilbert #the vampire diaries #tvd opinions

[13ghostlytitties]

The Heart of a Hero is returning once more!

Today marks the 5-year anniversary of the premiere of HoaH, and is fairly close to the 3.5 year anniversary of its last official upload. Well, the wait is over. It’s time for me to resurrect this series and eventually bring it to its end (not that it left off anywhere close to ending 😉).

Since it’s been a while, I’ve put together a recap of the story so far that I’ll post at some point here. It’s not complete, I had to cut out some of the newer chapters since it just became a play-by-play synopsis that doubled the total word count, but hey, having to reread 5-10 chapters is better than rereading 150.

The tentative return date will be this time next month as I work on creating a backlog of chapters. If I need to push it back, I’ll let you know. As for other questions I’m sure some of you have, check below the cut. For those who don’t care, see you in a month, hopefully.

So, some questions I’m sure some of you are asking:

1: where have you been? And why did you stop?

I’m not gonna go into details since I’m not that kinda person, but overall, just been living life, dude. I originally began my unexpected hiatus when college was kicking my ass and expected to get right back to things, but some stuff happened, and by the time I had dealt with it, it was Spring of 2020. You can guess what stopped me up then lol. But yeah, things just got away from me and eventually, I didn’t have the time or energy to dedicate to diving headfirst back into this outside of unconnected one-off stuff like those Bang fics. There’s other facets too, of course, the biggest one being a general disinterest in the source material. I stopped reading MHA around the villains arc (though I’ve kept up a bit in terms of big stuff like the traitor reveal), so I lacked that interest to pull me back into this world. Where I left off in the story, in the middle of a complicated arc full of OCs and big fights and stuff, was also a hurdle to getting back into things. But I’m here now, I’m working on my backlog, and I’m gonna commit. If you guys are excited about my return, spread the word and lemme hear it so I can keep this motivation 🤟

2: Is A New Era coming back too?

And now for the other shoe to drop. It is not. Im very sorry, especially to those whose OCs I included, but it’s just not feasible. Every time I considered it or tried it, the whole return to the main story was stopped up with it. Anyone who’s interested in continuing it themselves in some way shape or form, you have my permission in terms of the general idea, the OC kids I came up with, the places that canon characters are in it, etc. As for other people’s OCs, I’d check with their creators. One again, very sorry, but it’s just not doable.

3: What will this return look like? How often are chapters gonna drop?

Still working out the specifics, but my idea for now is to drop 2 chapters a week. If I need to go on hiatus, I’ll announce as much and plan the placement of it much better so that I don’t stop in the middle of an arc. That way, the hiatus will only be a month instead of years lol. The schedule may change over time, but I’ll keep everyone informed as I move ahead with it

4: a lot has happened in the manga and anime and movies since you stopped. Will these things be worked into the series?

Nope. I stopped reading and probably won’t start again until it’s over and done with. More than that, I’ve been sitting on these plans for a couple years now and don’t feel like changing them much. Besides, this story has had a long, rich history of shitting in the soup of the canon story, so I’ll just continue doing my own thing

5: are you still as epic and cool and funny as in the past?

Don’t ask questions you already know the answers to. I never was 😎

#the heart of a hero #class 1b #mha #bnha #a new era #monoma neito #kendou itsuka #tetsutetsu tetsutetsu #ibara shiozaki #pony tsunotori #yui kodai #awase yousetsu #setsuna tokage #hiryu rin #reiko yanagi #juzo honenuki #shihai kuroiro #togaru kamakiri #jurota shishida #kinoko komori #nirengeki shoda #sen kaibara #kosei tsuburaba #kojiro bondo #manga fukidashi #vlad king #hitoshi shinsou #mei hatsume

[iron-bullogna]

realized I haven't shared my Tav with y'all yet!

this is my wild magic sorcerer Kvetavri (Kvet) and they are very much at their core a self insert (they/she) before brain wormie time, they were a fire spinner in a traveling act (though they had just gotten uh...for lack of better words, fired)

a bit of a jack of all trades, kvet really wasn't sure what they wanted to "do with their life". their magical ability was discovered at the age of 11 in a fiery (literally) fit of anger and emotion. it remained sporadic and intense like this for quite some time.

kvet's family wasn't very well off but did a good job of disguising it. their mother worked in a healing house in the lower city and their father did clerical work for the flaming fist after being injured. they have two older brothers, one in the flaming fist and one deceased. he did seedy smuggling work in and out of baldur's gate and it caught up to them. his death was what spurred kvet's initial breakdown at 11. their other elder brother followed after their father and joined the flaming fist. appearance wise, they have auburn hair and one enchanting and unsettling pale eye courtesy of Volo (played with minimal spoilers first go and had no idea what it did tbh) while the other is a pale green. (I was tickled to death when Yenna showed up and looked like mini-Kvet with reverse eyes)

as mentioned, kvet didn't know what they wanted to do with their life but was always a bit of a performer and ended up joining a semi-traveling act as a fire spinner/dancer as they are particularly gifted with magic surrounding fire. their scars are not from any sort of epic adventure or battle, but rather an accident. said accident being in the middle of a show, wild magic did wild magic things and summoned a cambion. it was a mess. lots of blood, screaming, and displeased patrons obviously. when they were abducted they had actually been sulking around Baldur's Gate feeling sorry for themselves after being "fired" from the troop they previously performed with. still a bit undecided on who their "canon" romance is but I initially romanced Astarion and Halsin with them!

#bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #my tav #my tavs #bg3 tav #my ocs #kvetavri

[antebunny]

random observations about kudos/hits ratios on ao3

so i've been reading fic on ao3 since uhhhh about 2016? 2015 maybe? and writing since 2018 ish. during those years i've made a few observations about common ao3 reader/author behaviors. i thought i'd share them with the obvious caveat that i am limited to the fandoms i've been in and my own personal experiences

One-Shots

generally the standard for one-shots is a 1/10 kudos/hit ratio. meaning if a fic has 3,000 hits, it has at least 300 kudos.

if a fic has a kudos/hit ratio below 10%, it probably has an unsatisfying ending. i almost never see the ratio lowered for poor writing quality.

the exception is fics tagged Unhappy Ending or Hurt No Comfort. those get less hits but the people reading know what they're getting in to. those fics will generally stay within a 10% range.

generally fluff one-shots or fics that are all comfort, no hurt have the highest ratios of any category of fics, sometimes reaching as high as 20%.

Multi-Chaptered Fics

these fics are damn lucky if they reach 10% lmaooo

this is a gradient of sorts, though. complete fics with 2/3 chapters have a much higher chance of being near a 1/10 kudos/hit ratio, while those decade-long 400k 50 chaptered epics are probably near 1%.

based on how ao3 hits work, i would guess that this is because there's a higher chance of ao3 registering another hit even if the reader is just reading the latest updates.

basically, a 2-chapter fic started and finished within two weeks has a very good chance of being above the 10% ratio. that really long fic you spent a week reading three years ago which made you feel like you just ran a marathon? not a chance.

a brief tangent into chapter lengths: a higher length correlates with higher quality. i want to emphasize (actually, i want to tell twelve-year-old self this, but 12 y/o me is beyond our help now) that quantity does NOT make quality. just because you can squeeze an extra thousand words into chapter 3 doesn't make the story any better. however, in general, the writing quality of a 30k fic with 3 chapters will be higher than that of a 30k fic with 30 chapters.

there are exceptions! i once read a very long fic with very long chapters where the writing was, for lack of a better descriptor, extremely childish. the author mostly rotated the same ten verbs around and around for 100k. also sometimes you read a 400-word one-shot that mentally destroys you for weeks.

of course, at the end of the day none of this matters. i wrote a barely decent 42k 5-chapter fic which is somehow over the 10% ratio. i cannot for the life of me understand why this is. it's not good, you guys. it's really not. on the other hand, i wrote a 37k one-shot which is below the 10% ratio. the kudos/hit ratio has not changed how i view the quality of those fics, it just convinced me that some of y'all have no taste.

these really are just random observations i've made from my six ish years putting fic on the good old Archive. it's not meant to be a reading guide, just something that makes you go "huh."

#ao3 #random observations

[tori-artemis]

I don't usually make posts when I'm upset about something (or like, at all) but honestly I'm just. Really sick of the Loki fandom as a whole. Like I'm just tired of all the pettiness and bullshit. And tbh it's on both ends of the Loki series/Ragnarok split. Both pros and antis.

This isn't so much a vague post as it's a vent post for me. You see, I've been having these feelings about the Loki fandom overall for months now, and I've seen certain posts from the positive side where I just want to - jump in and say something, or at least speak for myself as an ""anti"" (hate that word btw) bc the amount of generalizing I've seen that goes on over there wrt ppl who dislike the show is just - well it's fucking frustrating. Like it annoys me bc I've heard every dumb overgeneralization since the show first came out, from not wanting Loki to move on bc we're oh-so-traumatized to we're just bitter bc the show didn't go the way we wanted/our hcs of Loki weren't validated, etc.

I think one that annoyed me the most was the claim that ppl who hate/dislike Sylvie as a character do so out of misogyny. And like - maybe there's some truth there wrt how the character/actress tend to be bombarded with gendered slurs, and yes that's not cool, but I've never referred to Sylvie or Sophia as any slur. (In fact I don't even hate Sylvie - what I do hate is how the writers have set her up as a "superior" contrast to Loki, which to me seems very intentional on their part, particularly wrt the Trauma Olympics™ as in "Sylvie had it so much harder" 🙄 - but I digress). Yet I can't help but feel like I'm being lumped in the "antis are misogynists" bin every time I read any of those posts from the pro side, simply bc I dislike the way a character was utilized. The way those posts are written, the way they sound - it's very black and white, overgeneralizing an entire group of fans, there's no nuance or side notes or disclaimers of "hey - I know not all of y'all are like this, this is just about some I've encountered" - not even in the tags, nothing. And I've just wanted so badly to jump in and say: "hey, anti here and I'm not like that" but I refrain, bc I've grown so tired of all the fandom infighting and discourse that I usually don't have the energy to get into it. So when I see someone from that side of fandom jump on a post and say how they dislike being overgeneralized as a fan, and how they feel like they're being misrepresented, or condescended to... I can't help but feel kinda upset by that, ngl. Part of me just wants to say "yes it sucks, but recognize that your side (if not you yourself) does it too. Some of you folks do it too."

Like I've read posts implying/stating that antis who hate the show lack critical thinking skills - and like, look, there might be a bit of truth wrt, say, calling Sylvie an outright abuser (and even I've been a little guilty of agreeing to view her as a person with toxic traits as opposed to the enemy-to-lovers trope she clearly falls into - tho I still can't really fault myself for not being able to take that romance seriously due to how damn rushed and forced it felt - but that's besides the point). But there's just something about the way a lot of these posts are worded, like yes some posts are pretty reasonable, but others are practically dripping with condescending sentiment (for lack of better words) as if we're fucking stupid for having emotional reactions to media as opposed to critical reactions, when isn't that the point of media and art, to illicit emotions? Like yes, the story might be trying to say something (and it might epically fail in doing so, which is how I view the show overall) but it's also meant to move ppl. And if it fails to do so, or it garners an unintended reaction, or the characterization is too inconsistent or the story telling itself is rushed/filled with inconsistencies then can you really blame fans for, well, being blindsided by disappointment/their emotions as opposed to critically analyzing it? And yes I know this is a matter of opinion, but still.

(Like sometimes a story can be extremely well written overall, and very well thought out and fans will just be oblivious to, choose to ignore or even outright refuse to pick up on the symbolism within a story, or the internal motivations/conflicts within a character, or how a character progresses/character arcs in general. Sometimes fans will even completely and intentionally misread a character in their entirety, and the role they play within a story, no matter how skilled and how excellent the writing is within a piece of art. And sometimes fans will just overall fail to realize the major themes/hints that a writer carefully lays out. Yes this is a thing, and one I've been made aware of in the particular fandom that I'm about to join.)

But then there's stories that are just... lazily/half-heartedly written at best, and so I just don't understand where pro stans get off by being condescending to ppl like me who just couldn't be immersed due to all those flaws in storytelling. Especially when I didn't get enough out of it to even see where a lot of these conclusions fans seem to have drawn from it. Like there are some inconsistencies within the story itself, there are things that just don't make a whole lot of sense, there are many contradictions, I didn't just make them up. And again I know, everyone interprets media differently, but I don't really see what a lot of pro fans have taken from the series, bc I personally don't think its there. And I really don't appreciate being thought of as some kind of imbecile for not "getting it" when the media in question is, objectively... not all that great tbh. And I'm being absolutely neutral when I say that, like I'm literally not even hating here.

And like I could've easily have turned around and made a bunch of posts stating how pro fans are "stupid" for putting so much thought into a piece of media I personally find to be stupid or just lacking in general, but I haven't. Bc one: that's a shitty thing to do to ppl, and two: it wouldn't even be true bc so many ppl who I consider very intelligent have enjoyed this show, and do put a lot of thought into analyzing it, so despite me not really seeing where they're coming from I want to respect that. And look, it's not like I haven't had those presumptuous thoughts or knee jerk reactions, bc yeah I am in an echo chamber too, and I'm no saint - I'm definitely human and I've had some overgeneralized, uncharitable takes. But I recognize this about myself, I don't post that shit. Which is why I get so upset when I see so many other fans do just that.

Also there is a definite misuse of the depiction of torture, which is used to convey certain themes, and that's very unfortunate, and IMO very bad writing/storytelling. I probably would've been a little more charitable towards the series overall if the Sif-beatdown timeloop scene had been scrapped altogether like the writers seriously should've considered doing (due to the fact that torture has so many misconceptions and is grossly excused in the majority of media which has unfortunate real world consequences) and instead focus more on Loki confronting his fear of being alone, if that truly is what the intention for that scene was. Like yes, some antis might go overboard wrt the messaging within the show, but when it comes to things like the atrocious time loop scene... that's not a made up thing we just happen to pull out of nowhere, that's something the writers put in there and therefore, yeah that's pretty fucked.

Then on the other side I'll find myself liking a post from a negative series fan bc I'll agree with the overall sentiment of it, only to unlike it right after reading the tags bc they've said something like "ppl who like this show/movie/etc are stupid" or "if you ever defended or even enjoyed TR fuck you" - and like??? WTF. I understand disliking the show or whatever but why the hell would you brush over an entire group of real, actual people as "idiots" for simply liking a piece of media??? Like - do I think the show was a disjointed mess? Yeah, I do. Do I think it was poorly written? Yes. Do I even think the reasoning behind a lot of these writing decisions was really fucking stupid on the creators part (or at the very least, that they failed to convey their ideas clearly)? Absolutely. But that doesn't mean anyone who's ever enjoyed the show is stupid for doing so, and I say this as someone who does have the knee-jerk reaction to go "how could you like that show, it sucked so much!"

But like, at the end of the day I understand that ppl take different things out of media. And just bc you find something so stupid or unwatchable, doesn't mean others will, and that's okay bc ppl are different and have different tastes and IDK how ppl don't fucking get that??? Like why is this even a hot take when it's literally just a fact???

It's shit like this that makes me feel like leaving the fandom all together. Which I don't really want to do, bc despite everything wrong with fandom and despite my own personal disappointment with the latest Loki/Thor franchise installments I still really love Loki as a character, and I still want to write fic revolving him. I even still want to make friends within the Loki fandom bc that's literally why I created this blog in the first place, to befriend other Loki fans, like I could've easily stayed being a lurker within the fandom but regardless I think at this point it's farfetched to want this bc the fandom's just way too split and way too hostile and way too fucking eager to be uncharitable and condescending af. And I'm just tired. I'm just... really really tired of the pettiness, the condescending attitude a lot of fans seem to fucking have for anyone who might think differently from them.

I'm tired of the gatekeeping - on both sides. It's on both sides. Because saying "real Loki fans would never like/defend TR/the show" and "how anyone can claim to be a Loki fan if they hate him/his own show" aren't so far apart from each other, both sentiments basically say the same thing, just from polarized viewpoints.

And I wish more fans would just recognize that.

#Loki fandom negativity #I refuse to tag this as anything else bc this isn't about the show - it's the fandom #look I'm just tired guys #I've been fed up and sick of all the damn fucking pettiness #Maybe I'm being overdramatic here #But in my defense I too am in the middle of experiencing that time of the month... #(I swear this isn't so much about that particular post as it is about all the other posts and nonsense I've seen #and the disappointment I've had with fandom that's just been pent up inside of me) #I know ppl follow me who are really entrenched in the negativity side who might take offense to this #And while I'm not really trying to offend anyone here I don't really want to go on pretending that I'm not kinda upset by all the - #posts and hot takes and hate bashing of fans/folks who might've actually enjoyed the show - bc yeah I hate that damn show too #but I can't help but feel disappointed when ppl start calling folks ''idiots'' and whatnot for enjoying a piece of media #THIS IS A BOTH SIDES ISSUE AND IM FUCKING TIRED OF IT #ALL OF YOU (GENERALLY) FUCKING GATEKEEP THE FANDOM #BOTH CONDESCEND THE OTHER SIDE AND ITS. FUCKING SHITTY #NO IM NOT A MISOGYNISTIC IDIOT WHO'S INCAPABLE OF CRITICALLY ANALYZING A MEDIOCRE/SUBPAR SHOW #AND NO JUST BC I HATE THE SHOW DOESNT MEAN I WANT TO HATEBASH ANYONE WHO ENJOYED IT #PPL ARENT IDIOTS OR STUPID FOR LIKING/DISLIKING A PIECE OF MEDIA FFS #like even discussing with some friends on discord is frustrating when they say things like ''i judge ppl who like the show'' #like no. stop doing that shit. dont condescend others like that #if anyone seeing this feels offended and wants to block/unfollow thats okay #ive already made another blog focusing on a completely different fandom #so im probably going to be dipping out of here soon anyway #i just wanted to get this off my chest before doing so #also i know there are some cool ppl here on both sides/in the middle but im just done #i said i wasnt going to talk about the show but then i just went and did so #loki series criticism i guess #might as well title this post 'How to lose friends and alienate loki fans' #tldr: everyone (generally) in this damn fandom is fucking petty and IM TIRED

[lizardthelizard]

what fan theories are you thinking of for the appreciation week? 👀👀👀

Omg hi <3 <3 <3 Always a pleasure to see you in my inbox, thank you for the ask :)

Okay, okay so.

So far, I have three theories floating around in my mind. I joined the OUAT a little too late to actually see any of them first hand at the time, but they're SO much fun to read up on and explore even long after the show has ended.

Fan theory 1) is that the Blue Fairy was secretly the Big Bad of the show and would be revealed to be the main villain of the series. Or, at the very least, she was more villainous than she appeared to be on the surface. 'Shady Blue' is such a fun fan theory that I still see people talking about now.

I absolutely don't think the writers were secretly plotting for her to be the real villain of the story (though I'm not as well versed with OUAT lore as some others so anyone is welcome to give me evidence to the contrary. (and I know that Keegan Connor Tracy that played Blue joked about it/leaned into it )). However, the 'evidence' in canon that might suggest that Blue was darker than she seems can be...compelling.

Her harshness with Tinker Bell, the fact that Pinocchio becoming real very much had strings attached, the way she treated Nova and Dreamy...there are these little things that make her come across as (for lack of a better word) kind of a bitch.

But there are also more fascinating moments and details that people have brought up before! The fact that she's literally one of the oldest characters on the show. The way that Morraine, when talking with a young Baelfire, describes her as 'an ancient being that rules the night. The original power.' The fact that, when Cora tried to disguise herself as Blue, she was able to convince a young Snow that the Blue Fairy would ever be capable of encouraging murder.

Blue is a weird character. I have a personal vendetta against her (for Pinocchio related reasons) but she does have fascinating potential and if the writers had been able to pull this off, it might have been epic.

Theory 2 is the 'Dr. Whale is the Wizard of Oz' theory. This is a fan theory that I adore, although I haven't spent that much time researching it. Before the Frankenstein reveal, Whale was free real estate. And the Wizard of Oz theory just made so much SENSE imo. It fit the mystery of his character and the overall vibe and it was a hugely fun theory.

It also spawned a whole host of ideas about other characters playing the roles of characters from the Wizard of Oz (I believe I've seen Rumple mentioned as the Cowardly Lion, Graham mentioned as the Tin Man (since he literally has no heart) and Jefferson as the Scarecrow. But I'm sure I've also seen other variations on each character too.

Also, everyone kept joking about him being the 'whale' from Pinocchio but let's not talk about that theory

Theory 3) is about who August W. Booth was, and whether or not he was the Author of the book.

It's a theory that makes sense. He's a writer, he was adding pages to the book, his name (Wayne Booth) is a direct reference to the man that coined the term 'unreliable narrator'. It feels like the writers were purposefully leading fandom towards this conclusion so that the Pinocchio reveal would be even more of a surprise.

Anyway, it's an interesting theory to explore, although it's probably my least favourite on the list here. I think that his Pinocchio backstory has way more to play with and a much better depth of flavour, but the 'author' theory is still intriguing to ponder over.

#this will be in the form of a gifset #HOPEFULLY I'll have the time and motivation to do it because I have IdeasTM for it and it could be really cool #also hi sorry I should have dug around for old blogs and sources for these theories #(maybe I will in the future) #but for now.....enjoy my incessant rambling #ouat #august meta #TECHNICALLY RIGHT?? #asks

[danpuff-ao3]

I wish I was a writer who wrote more. I put more obstacles on myself than words on the page

Ooh! What obstacles are you facing, Anon?

Writing is hard. And we all have what works for us. Sometimes our inspiration and motivation wax and wane. The words might come easy some days, or not at all others. That's alright.

It's also valid and normal to want to be "more", whatever we see as "more." I wish I wrote more, but really I probably write plenty enough as it is. I wish I wrote better. There are so many beautiful writers I envy! Such gorgeous prose! And plot! I wish I could do a great plot, but I always veer more towards hype focusing on characters way more than plot. At times I wish I had it in me to write great epics, but that's not really me.

It's okay if you see what others do, or what others have, and want it. But it doesn't do much good to hyper fixate on that and go on a downward spiral of "why can't/why don't I?" What are your strengths? What are your interests? What works for you?

Is mental health getting in your way? You might need to address those first. Therapy and medication and doctor's visits might not be feasible, but if they are, do that. If not, do what you can do to take care of yourself. Take walks, journal, listen to music, eat well, stay hydrated, clean your space, talk to friends, whatever helps.

Is it stress? Is it life stress? Again: take care of yourself! If stress is in your way, you probably won't get far while it's still there.

Is it stress about the writing itself? Why are you stressed? Are there any stressors you can take away? Unless you're writing for money (and if you're in my inbox, I doubt that's the case), there's no real need to stress about it. Again: it's normal and valid to stress, but it's okay if you can't perform right now.

Is it a deadline? Are you writing for someone? Is it self-imposed pressure? What can you do to take away as much of what's stressing you as possible? Do that! If it means asking for extensions or taking breaks or changing tracks, do that! It's okay.

Is it lack of focus? Lack of time? Focus issues could be a health issue, so address those as stated above. But there are ways of creating more structure around your writing that might be beneficial. Make a schedule! What will work for you? Maybe an hour after work you dedicate to writing. Write all that you can in that time. And whatever you manage in that timeframe is a win! And if you dedicate a little time every day, that's progress! Even if it's only on weekends, that's better than nothing!

Are you on Discord servers? Maybe writing sprints will help. I know lots of fandom servers have sprinting bots and people who do writing sprints. Maybe the community aspect will help, or having a space and people with which to hold yourself accountable.

Maybe a word count goal will help? Personally that doesn't help me, but it works for some people. Say you make a goal to write 500 words a day, no matter what. However good or bad. At least it's writing. And you can always edit/fix it up later. Just throw it all at the wall and clean it up afterwards.

Maybe it helps to remember that all progress you make on your story "counts" as writing, be that work on an outline, jotting notes, research, daydreaming, brainstorming with friends, etc. It counts! Might not be "words" but it counts towards writing! It's progress. It's an accomplishment. You're allowed to feel good about that!

Anyway, the point is, I think all us creatives struggle in our own ways. Especially the more we care about what we do. I don't know very many people who do it purely for fun without a care in the world. And not gonna lie, I envy them sometimes! But you're not alone, which can help to remember.

I don't know if any of this blathering was helpful to you, but my inbox is always open if you need. And in the meantime, I'm sending you all the good writing vibes! May the muses be with you, Anon!

#on writing

[themosleyreview]

The Mosley Review: Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Like all of you, I have been starving for a good high fantasy epic that was fun, feels fresh and tangible. I too was there for the opening night of what would go down in history as one of the worst representations of a beloved fantasy game. The 2000 version of Dungeons & Dragons was........well, garbage. I had fun with certain aspects of that film as a kid, but even I didn't know what the film was trying to accomplish. Fast forward 23 years later and the titular game has reached a new height in popularity. I myself have never played but thanks to shows like Critical Role, Stranger Things, and my entry point The Legend of Vox Machina, I have become a little more versed in the terminology, creatures, classes and rules. I learned that anything goes as you the player are thrust into a new world that the dungeon master has crafted and how the roll of the dice determines your fate and the fate of your fellow party members. That's exactly the feeling I got from this film and I was happy to see that the filmmakers did their homework and made a fun experience of a film. Did it always hit its mark as an engaging and compelling story though? Not really. Yeah there is alot of cheesy storytelling and dialogue in the film that I felt could've flowed better. The film had hilarious moments of comedy and joy, but lacked the necessary depth that could've been mined from such a rich set up. The story was incredibly predictable and there was so much happening at times that it was dizzying. It couldn't truly hone in on what tone they were going for. A number of characters were very surface level and a particular characters' story payoff wasn't earned at all and rushed.

Chris Pine was fun and charming as the bumbling bard Edgin Darvis. I loved his sense of humor along the adventure and how he played an unconventional type of hero which was that was refreshing. Chloe Coleman is always a joy to see on screen and as his daughter Kira, she was good. Their chemistry was good in the film as we get to see their strained relationship play out. Michelle Rodriguez was really fun as the barbarian Holga Kilgore. She's gets the majority of the action sequences in the film and she handles them as great as you'd expect. Her friendship with Edgin was the soul of the film and her motherly bond with Kira was great. Justice Smith was good as the half-elf sorcerer Simon Aumar. I liked his mixture of using practical items and actual magic. He struggle to become self-confident was interesting to watch, but it felt extremely rushed as he reaches a resolution that didn't feel earned. Sophia Lillis was decent as the tiefling druid Doric. I thought her escape sequence was amazingly shot and the variety of animals she changes into was well executed, but she was a very one note character. Her backstory gives the reason for constant stoic nature, but doesn't really give her much to do outside of that. Hugh Grant was mostly playing himself as the rogue con man Forge Fitzwilliam. He was good, but he felt more like a greedy game show host that kept his word, but in a round about way. Regé-Jean Page was perfect as the paladin, Xenk Yendar. He truly had fun being the stereotypical pure hearted hero to the point where it is almost comical how straight and narrow the character was. He had an awesome fight scene in the second act of the film and it was wonderfully shot. Daisy Head was very much the antagonist of the film Sofina, a Red Wizard of Thay. She had one mode in the film and that was be creepy while rarely blinking. She nailed it and she felt like the mid level boss in a video game that has some challenge, but is easily defeated once you see the pattern.

The score by Lorne Balfe was epic and fun in the best way. There were moments where the score overpowered the sound in the film that it almost drowned out the dialogue. Visually the film is stunning and the effects were excellent. The dragon sequence and final battle of the film were a visual spectacle. What I truly loved was the practical creatures in the film and how gorgeous they looked. The opening scene blew me away with the use of more practical locals and creatures. The sound design in the film was good, but unbalanced when it came to dialogue and the surrounding thunderous sounds made it hard to understand what was said. As I said before, the character growth was truly rushed and the tone was a bit all over the place. The extremely predictable plot and weak villains made for an almost inconsequential finale. So the real questions need to be asked. Was it better than the 2000 film? Alot better. Was it the best high fantasy storytelling I've seen a long time? Nope. Was it enjoyable? Yeah, in that streaming on Netflix type of way. To me this was good matinee film that plays it safe and doesn't leave you with anything that’s particularly memorable. I would like to see a sequel or another film under the D&D brand, but this time more focused and a little bit more serious. I liked the fun aspect of it, but there were times where it seriously needed to grow up. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!

#dungeons & dragons honor among thieves #chris pine #michelle rodriguez #justin smith #sophia lillis #regé jean page #hugh grant #chloe coleman #daisy head #bradly cooper

[incorrectmlpstudentsixquotes]

Student Six Holiday Headcanons

In an effort to make Gallus more proud of his griffon heritage, Starlight and Trixie once offered to celebrate the Blue Moon Festival with him. Gallus was embarrassed to admit he really didn’t know anything about the traditions for the Festival other than the boilerplate. Rather than turn to Grandpa Gruff for answers (because fuck that), he spent weeks studying griffon history and was surprised to find out that, before the griffon dark ages, there was a lot more to the holiday than just griffons being marginally nicer to each other. Stories of how the blue moon would grant certain griffons divine foresight and fortune, but only those who would use these gifts for the betterment of all griffons. While Gallus was still pretty disillusioned to his own kind, he did start to appreciate more and more what griffons used to be. The Blue Moon Festival he celebrated with Trixie and Starlight may have been a lot more ‘traditional’ than what most contemporary griffons would celebrate (think someone in modern day celebrating Saturnalia instead of Christmas), but it did allow Gallus to feel something he hadn’t for a very long time. Proud to be a griffon.

Wanna know one of the main reasons the Feast of Fire is so important to the dragons? One word, printing. Or rather, lack thereof. It’s no secret that dragons aren’t as technologically advanced as some of the other races, and one of the inventions they haven’t really gotten around to yet is the printing press. No printing, no books. At least, none that are readily available to the common masses. Because of this, almost all of dragon mythology, folklore and fables are told entirely through oral tradition. This is why the Feast of Fire is important, to keep those stories alive and spread from one generation to the next. Even after dragons start printing their own books, the tradition for the Feast of Fire will largely stay unchanged. After all, there’s just something about gathering around an orator about to tell an epic tale in the light of a fire against the walls of a cave that you just can’t recreate with books.

Contrary to popular belief, the Three Days of Freedom did not always revolve around the Storm King. After all, hippogriffs and Mount Aris had been around long, long before the Storm King started getting all up in other creatures’ business. Due to its nature of being a primarily coastal region with a very large trade export, Mount Aris had always been a popular target for raiders and pirates. Said aforementioned proximity to the ocean gave them many natural defenses to these assaults, hence the first day ‘Thanking’ the ocean for its protections. In many ways, the Storm King is nothing more than the most recent and, admittedly, most successful pirate to plague the hippogriffs. Some of the older generation of hippogriffs are worried that the more modern fixation on the Storm King might distract from the greater meaning behind the holiday, but the general ethos is as it always has been: We’re here. We’re alive. And we’re not going anywhere.

Due to their nature of being an entire race of ‘magical constructs’ that have only existed for a millennia at most, changelings didn’t even have a concept of holidays before the deposition of Chrysalis. The current practice may be nothing more than copying Hearth’s Warming while getting the details wrong… But it won’t always be that way. Many changelings are already starting to see the schism in traditions and are choosing to see it as a symbol for changelings as a whole. That much of changeling culture may be taken from the other races, but changelings themselves now have the autonomy to transform it into something that is wholly theirs. Years from now, changeling Hearth’s Warming is going to be a very, very different beast from pony Hearth’s Warming, but the traditions and values are going to be just as real to the changelings.

Like many things involving the yaks, there’s far more to Snilldar Fest than just smashing things. It’s just that smashing things just happened to be many yaks’ favorite part! But more important than the smashing was the reason behind the smashing. Yaks place a lot of value on strength. They have to in order to survive the harsh winters of their homeland. Smashing things to rubble is a good visual shorthand for showcasing that strength for all to see. A declaration of ‘I am strong enough to survive!’. Even the rare times when yaks (or, more likely, non-yaks participating in the celebration) aren’t physically strong enough to smash their pile, they’re still celebrated for being strong enough in spirit just to make the attempt! The thing about Snilldar Fest is that it’s mostly a coming-of-age celebration for the younger generation. A way to make sure that they know they have all the strength they need to survive anything life throws at them.

To this day, Sandbar still hasn’t had a more insane Hearth’s Warming than the time his Hearth’s Warming doll almost fell into the fireplace.

#not a quote #headcanons #holidays #Gallus #Smolder #Silverstream #Ocellus #Yona #Sandbar #incorrect mlp student six quotes

[sugarqueen-katara]

Netflix Avatar: the Last Airbender review

So, I just got around to watching ep 1 and I wanted to share my thoughts. I'll probably do this after each episode, but I am slow at watching things so this might take a while.

To make this more fair, I'll review the show as a seperate show and then review it as an avatar fan.

Maybe minor spoilers ahead so be aware!

As an individual show:

The context was repeated many times in different ways - it was a bit overkill but as "a new viewer" it makes the situation very clear

the genocide was such an emotional scene and very well done, but a little "convenient" (Aang leaving to clear his head at the perfect time and all the airbenders being in one location at the same moment that the fire nation arrives)

the characters seem cool maybe? Don't know much about them ~ yet

The bending looks epic

Overall a good and entertaining introduction episode, interested to see where this goes.

As an avatar fan

the intro sequence being done by Kyoshi is an interesting choice. I love Kyoshi as a character, but what is her relevance to Aang's story. If they wanted to do an avatar wouldn't Roku make more sense? Also the narration no longer being Katara reflects the changes of how important her role is to the story (will talk about more later)

No major complaints about the scenes at the air temple found the whole a great addition to the story.

Ok let's address Aang's flying. So first we can all agree that it goes against LOK lore. However, the other thing that bothers me is it is not clear when he needs a glider and when he doesn't. If he could fly why does he need a glider at all?

Now for the water tribe siblings! Let's start with Sokka. Some of his jokes were good some were meh... He is just kind of a jerk ~ which obviously is also the case in the animation ~ so I guess it depends on how the other episodes explore his character and develop his arc

Now for my poor girl Katara. They fail to show her complex character. We don't get any Katara sass or anger. All we get is caring Katara. There is not this duality that we usually see with her. She was also robbed of narrator and basically main or second main character to the show. The animation sets her up as the driving force of the show, now she's just kind of there. ~ Also I wanted to address everyone complaining about Katara's actress being the weakest. So first of all please don't send hate to Kiawentiio (I saw really awful comments under her instgram post which is really no ok) - I'm not saying your not allowed to think this, but maybe don't spam it under her posts. Next, I personally haven't had an issue with her acting so far, if anything the writing probably needs to be improved. And for anyone who says she can't show emotions go watch Anne with an E to see that she can act and the issues in the LA might be with directing (maybe I'm just biased because I love that show)

Aang is ok... his fear of responsibly shows but his goofiness is absent.

Now I am not the biggest Zuko stan ( don't get me wrong his character and arc is so well done in the animation he is just not my favourite), but I feel like he is the one character that I enjoy and have no complaints about so far in the LA

There’s something off with Iroh can’t really put it into words, but he just doesn’t have the same effect with the lines he delivers (this is only the first episode so I’ll have to see if it gets better)

Now, since I am largely a kataang blog ~ yes I am disappointed with the lack of penguin sledding but more in a sense that it removes Aang’s goofy behaviour. Then again, this isn't that big of a deal. Also I enjoyed the change of gyasto helping Aang out of the avatar state (it gives a different vibe but I’m not against it).

Overall, it is 100x better than the movie. Is it perfect? Not at all. So far,I think the main problem is that they tell instead of show. If you are able to detach it from the original (which is hard for me as you can probably tell from the review) and not think about what's missing it can be really enjoyable.

These are just my opinions. If you don't agree no need to hate or argue✨✨ (I hope this isn't an issue since it is not on Twitter)

#atla #natla #netflix atla #netflix avatar #netflix atla review #avatar the last airbender #natla spoilers #honestly I just went justice for katara

[jandjsalmon]

2023 FFRC - February ❤️

HELLO everyone! I hope you had a wonderful February! It was a short month so there were slightly fewer stories to read and there was this ghost show that came out (you might have seen it flood your dash) that needed to be binged over and over again so we get a season two - but I still found moments to curl up with some favourite fics and I hope you did too! I was pretty focused on crossing off fic challenge tasks so I felt less enjoyment in my reading as usual. I hope this next month will be better.

Throughout February, I had a surprisingly large number of new followers (a substantial number of whom are not bots - shocking, right?!) and though I'm not sure how you all found me, I'm thrilled to have you here (and happy to see that you're real people and not bots).

As most of you know, I'm a regular participant (and low-key assistant) at the @fanfic-reading-challenge - additionally, for the last couple of years, I've been tracking all the fic I read and I've reported back here once a month with some stats and some recs, and a little bit of boring stuff about my life. (Or not boring - like traipsing after my daughter and her basketball team as they work their way to Provincials - their record is 22-4 so it's a possibility! Go Spartans!)

ANYWAY - I'm always looking for new fic recommendations, so if you have any stories you think I'll love, please drop me a line or send me a dm. Almost any pairing and any fandom. Shoot me a link!🖤

February 2023

As I said above, I've been plugging along on the @fanfic-reading-challenge. This month I've cracked 3million words and completed 143/309 tasks which means I've completed the "Regular" mode of the challenge. I'm working on the "Hard" mode so I need to do some searching for fics with minorities. Do you have favourite stories with minorities in them? Most of my fandoms appear to be a little lacking in that department - or at least I never think about it (like Inej is a woc - but I forgot about that until right this second). Anyway - I need to branch out - so any suggestions would be great!

As for my recs for you! Let's look at what I did read this month that you might enjoy. Try these:

--*--

Violent Delights by @ozmathegreatand (Wenvier - M 4/4)

Summary: Romeo and Juliet is far from her favorite Shakespeare play. (That honor goes to Titus Andronicus, of course.) But the crypt scene is achingly romantic, particularly the part where Juliet stabs herself. Few of the Bard’s heroines subject themselves to such violence in the name of passion. She wonders what practical effects the drama department has access to and imagines the torrent of blood she could rig.

Why you should read: Valentine's Day. Romeo and Juliet is being performed by the drama department and Romeo Xavier's costars keep meeting untimely ends. SUPER jealous (and hilarious) Wednesday. Mutual Pining. Shenanigans. This is Super Hilarious.

--*--

What Doesn't Kill Me Makes Me Want You More by sciencefantasy93 (Lucy/Lockwood - E 8/8)

Summary: It was all her fault. All her fault. He was losing his damn mind, and it was all because of her. One move, one second, one heartbeat, and his world crumbled apart like a warm cookie.

Or: Lockwood realizes he's attracted to Lucy, which sets in motion a chain reaction of events as he and Lucy try to take the next step without actually talking about their feelings.

Why you should read: The first steamy Locklyle fic that I've ever read and it did NOT disappoint. Very VERY in character - but also hot? Super good.

--*--

Chrissy and Eddie’s Infinite Mixtape by @little-scribblers-heart (Hellcheer - E 26/26)

Summary: Eddie was right when he told the Hellfire kids that there's no shame in running, which is why he takes a running leap to grab for the floating cheerleader in his living room.

OR: Chrissy lives and fixes what the Duffers broke.

Come for the canon-close Season 4 rewrite, stay for the explanatory chapter notes and the healing.

Why you should read: Epic in scale. Well researched and emotional without being sappy and trite. I should have known it would be amazing because it was a rec from my girl @feelavalanche - who has NEVER steered me wrong in over 10 years of fandom friendship. There is even a chapter named after David Bowie. See - you need to read this.

--*--

Hope is a Waking Dream by @writeradamanteve (Lucy/Lockwood - M 1/1)

Summary: Nightmares, dreams, it was all part of the agent package. Oh, and tea. Always tea.

Why you should read: FIRSTLY (and I shouldn't have to say this to long time followers) - It's adamanteve. You should read it because she wrote it - that should be good enough. Everything she writes is amazing. But then. SOFTNESS. The characterizations are THEM. Their mannerisms are real and their voices are beyond perfection. Comfort and lovely and wonderful. Read it!

ALSO - as I said last month, you should read and then subscribe to the_retro_witch's entire Sweet Nightmare series. It's a post-canon universe where after Crackstone's defeat, Wednesday and Xavier get together before they leave school and now it's grown into this amazing saga with mystery-solving soulmates and psychic and witchy amazingness. The other characters are developed and the plots are rich and fun. It updates pretty darn regularly and every word is a delight. Honestly. Read the series, you won't regret it. Let it be your first foray into Wenvier if you are on the fence. Don't be on the fence. Come ship with me! 🖤🖤

(lastly- I'm a little bit in love with this gif of Xavier waving - and I've been purposely flooding my dashboard with Percy for reasons - so the wave might become a theme for my year).

Anyway -👋🏼 Hiya -I'm happy you're here! I hope you have a wonderful March and I'll see you back here in a few weeks! Happy reading! 🖤

#jandy's fanfic reading challenge adventure 2023 #reading fics with jandy #fanfic reading challenge 2023 #2023 fic reading challenge #2023frc