#they are why i thought chess metaphors would be cool

[forkaround]

chess metaphors are all fun and games to see. integrating them in your work is a different beast altogether.

#kinnporsche #it's their fault #they are why i thought chess metaphors would be cool #look at me now #haggard #obsessively watching chess videos #understanding near about nothing #but excited #at the moves made by players thinking 10 steps ahead of me #chess metaphor #writing #kpvers #or #kianprem #veraesha #ruhishay

[oneatlatime]

A Precariously Stacked Pile of Random Season 2 Thoughts

These are notes I took as I watched the season. Usually after I’d already posted about the episode in question, and I thought of something I would have added to the post. Rather than edit them into my posts, I’m rounding them up and posting them all at once. As such, they are vaguely chronological. Unfortunately, because I made the notes legible to me and me only, I didn't bother to write down what episode I was referring to. I've also added some notes in as I was editing these notes. So this is also a bit of a scavenger hunt. Enjoy!

Iroh poisoning himself: dumbass moment or 5D chess?

My autocorrect corrects “Sokka” to Sock, and “Sokka’s” to socks. This causes double takes when editing.

Badgermoles have excellent eyeliner. Is that where the Kyoshi Warriors get their jaw dropping cat eye?

Why is Ty Lee spelled Ty Lee and not Tai Li? Why is Dai Li spelled Dai Li and not Dy Lee?

Sometimes Sokka makes me think of Mulan. Am I crazy?

Are the swampbenders’ moves based on a real martial art style too?

Why didn’t Aang use his swamp sense to locate Appa post-appanapping?

Where did Toph, who spent her whole life as a prisoner of her parents’ house and a moonlighting WWE wrestler until Team Avatar busted her out, get such emotional intelligence?

Why did Zuko’s dad put forward the plan to disinherit Iron in favour of him less than 24 hours after Lu Ten’s death? Why did he think that moving quickly was the right approach? Does the Fire Nation not do grieving periods? In what world was 'strike while the iron is hot' the correct course of action here?

Looking back, I’m amazed that season 2 didn’t end in Zuko’s redemption. I didn’t much like Zuko Alone, but I was sure that a season that included that much set up for a Zuko redemption arc would prioritise finishing that arc.

I haven’t even met this Firelord guy yet, but I am peeved that that twerp has a name as cool as Ozai.

Why haven't I met that Firelord guy yet?

I really thought that the older brother character in Zuko Alone would make an appearance later on in the season, giving Zuko a chance to flex some newly acquired morals. But the parallel to Lu Ten and the general message about the evils of war lands better if we never hear of him again.

Zuko in the first half of season 2 had me so annoyed that I was incredibly uncharitable to him in my write ups. Reading through some of the stuff I wrote while watching episodes, I kind of wince now. Zuko in the second half of the season was much less annoying. Which I feel bad for saying, because he’s clearly not in a good place in the second half of the season.

I would love to know why the writers decided to have Toph and Iroh meet in the wilderness. I think it’s a good choice, but I want to know how they came up with it, and why those characters? Is there anything about Toph (especially at that point, when we’ve known her for 1 episode) that suggests that she and Iroh should meet? Or would get along if they did?

Zuko has so many rock bottom fake outs this season: Zuko Alone? Nope, he gets worse in The Chase. The Chase? Nope, he gets worse in Bitter Work. Bitter Work? Nope, he gets worse in the finale.

I’m still peeved that Azula won a 6 on 1 showdown. Sorry, but that breaks immersion.

I bet the Blue Spirit could make lightning.

If water is the element of change, why does the Northern Water Tribe have such strictly defined traditions? I get that it's literally the element of change, in that water can exist in different physical states, but shouldn't the metaphorical interpretation also be true?

I like that Toph can think like an Airbender sooner than Aang can think like an earthbender.

What is Sokka’s boomerang made of? Is it metal? Because if it’s metal, does that mean that there’s a blacksmith somewhere in the South Pole? With a forge?

I still can’t get over how dumb the whole eclipse plot was.

Suki is TINY!!!

I mocked this guy’s 80s aerobics video leotard aesthetic, and I stand by that mockery, because this guy is ugly. Those colours are awful. But do you know who else has those colours?

Jet this season fascinates me. He’s positioned as genuinely repentant and legitimately seeking a second chance and I don’t believe him for one minute. Why don’t I believe him? This show has a theme of learning from mistakes and doing better, so shouldn’t Jet be a perfect fit for this show’s themes? I should be primed to believe him. And yet I don’t.

I have to applaud Iron’s enthusiasm for their new life in Ba Sing Se. A lot of that cheer (at least before the tea shop) is put on for Zuko’s sake. I don’t know where Iroh gets the energy to keep trying with Zuko after years of minimal results, but I’m glad he does.

I think Aang and Ty Lee should hang out. They have similar circus energy. Or maybe it’s that they’re the only two characters in the show so far who are remotely playful.

Aang = surface silliness, core of calm. Not that the silliness doesn't run deep, but he seems to have an untouchable anchor of calm deep within that rarely gets disturbed. Gyatso raised him well.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~Poetry bouncer ~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

I need next season to have more Appa & Mono subplots à la their escapades in The Swamp. Not à la Momo’s Tale.

Tales of Ba Sing Se definitive ranking: Momo Aang Sokka Zuko Iroh Katara & Toph

I love that Momo still sleeps in the Momo bag from The Blind Bandit

Are Suki and her warriors sitting in the middle of some Earth Kingdom forest in their underwear?

So are Smellerbee and Longshot just done? Will they be back in season 3? What happens to their life now? They are known associates of an enemy of the state who was just executed. It doesn't look good.

Everyone on this show has big ears. Zuko has the smallest ears simply because he has the least amount of ears remaining. But everyone else? Big ears.

Can I have more Gyatso? I forgot how cool he was. More Guru too please.

Hakodilf.

Everyone in the SWT has such wonderfully fluffy hair.

I like Sokka’s boots. Southern Water Tribe boots in general.

If this is the grand total of the SWT, I have some bad news about population dynamics.

Is there a proper naval term for what the SWT are doing? They’re a stealth strike force that seems to be going after individual enemy ships, using both direct and indirect tactics. Not pirates, because as far as we know they aren't going for FN supplies. They're doing what submarines do, but above water. There’s got to be a proper name for that.

Is there a raft of FN corpses chilling in the waters in front of the NWT's big wall?

I saw ATLA described as a show where all the characters are Asian-inspired people of colour, but isn’t Suki a blue-eyed redhead?

I had no idea that you could decline an Agni Kai. Zuko should have done that.

Why are the Dai Li so in love with Azula? I get that they're pissed with Long Feng for getting arrested, but wouldn't the logical choice be to direct their loyalties to the Earth King rather than a wildcard princess? I'm not going to pretend for a minute that the Dai Li are loyal to the Earth Kingdom or to Ba Sing Se, but the Earth King is a known quantity. Seems to me that it would be easier for them to re-puppetify him, rather than a FN princess.

Katara & Zuko bonding over their missing mothers is the same “makes sense until you think about it for five seconds” as Song & Zuko bonding over losing their fathers to war. Technically the same, sort of, on paper, but actually kind of rude to equate them once you know the full story. Same with the parallel between Lu Ten and the older brother in Zuko Alone. The proper dead mom parallel is Katara and Jet. Although Katara doesn’t object to the Zuko comparison, so I have no grounds to do so.

I’m really glad that Katara didn’t remove Zuko’s scar with her spirit oasis water. Both because she kind of really needed that water, but also because one thing this show has always done right is permanence. No quick fixes, no fake outs, no take backs. Lu Ten is dead, and he stays that way. Princess Yue is the moon, and she stays that way. Half a dozen people’s moms are dead, and they stay that way. Aang is the last Airbender, and he stays that way. Zuko is scarred, and he stays that way. There are no hand waves, no easy fixes. All the characters can do is learn to live with it, and go forward. And I’m grateful the show is like that, because that permanence, as well as being a good lesson to learn, functions as a reward for audience investment.

Aang did come to a crossroads of destiny in the finale, chose his duties to the world over his friends, and got aggressively slapped down for it. I have a feeling that he’ll take the wrong lesson from that, since he was already inclined to shun that path.

Overall Season 1 was prettier.

Ty Lee was the cause of more than one Beat Up Sokka Quota fulfillment this season. Make of that what you will.

Will Zuko & Azula spend season 3 bouncing between the FN and Ba Sing Se? They could be heavily involved with establishing the FN governance over Ba Sing Se, since the city is already inclined towards royalty.

Favourite episode this season? The Guru. The Blind Bandit and The Swamp are tied for second place.

#atla #avatar: the last airbender #avatar the last airbender #season 2 #we're getting close to season 3 #just wanted to do some housekeeping first #I still think Airbender Sokka is underrated as a concept

[2309analysis]

Do you all remember Vice-Admiral Johnathan? Possibly the first ever „good” Vice-Admiral.

For a Marine, Vice-Admiral, husband and a chess-strategist he’s kinda humorous too. I’m not just saying that because I actually like his character. I’m saying it because he may have a busy plate, he has the time on his hands to strategize the moves of Luffy and his crew.

It’s a shame he’s supposedly non-canon and filler. He’s a really cool character. He has the wits and patience to go over a couple days to wait for the straw hats to come to him. It’s were the “battle of wits” part comes into play. Which interests me more, why you ask? It’s because he’s met Luffy already, and he knows that Luffy’s isn’t the best priotizer. You can understand that by a glance at him, trust me.

Instead of commanding others to barge into his office to arrest Luffy he actually patiently asks Luffy his intentions on why he’s at M-8. He knows forcing Luffy to tell him information will get nowhere and make it even more difficult to get the information he wants out of him. It’s even more cooler that he’s the type of Vice-Admiral who doesn’t assume the impossible and goes on a rant about his own accusations. Unlike most Cammonders/Captains of the Marines in One Piece.

Also, at this time between the episodes of their arrival (195 - 196) Johnathan takes it slowly and smoothly. He starts to strategize on a chess board. Obviously, Luffy’s the King, Sanji is the Brook, I assume Zoro is the Bishop, Nami is the Queen, Choppet is the Knight, while Robin’s the Rook, Ussop is mostly a pawn. Now, I have no idea Zoro and down are actually it or not. I only know about Sanji and Luffy. Yet, he not only appearently knew most of the straw hats strengths throughout their ship’s condition and disguises. He even knew that they would try to disguise themselves.

The first thing he said about them is, „pirates are always hungry.” He meant hunger as in food, so he wanted the marines to focus on the mess hall. Metaphorically speaking, «hungry» can mean a few things for him. Power, treasure, obviously, food, fame, all those what men are usually hungry for. I assume that was also meant to play a part in the line.

He’s a fair analyzer too. If I have to guess, he likes to write down his thoughts. He’s a fisher too, he especially fishes at night. A particular time. It also improves patience and wits. The two things his character is obviously been shown to have great deal of. He even stated that he knew that he was league’s ahead Luffy with wits. That was also after he met him.

You all know how Smoker was possibly the first ever introduction of a Marine that doesn’t seem inhumane? He actually treats people like people? He doesn’t get infuriated with every little mistake? He actually has a pretty soft and light-hearted scene with a kid?

That’s how I feel about Johnathan. He’s humane towards his subordinates. He’s patient and knows how to deal with a mess-up and work around it. He knows humans aren’t perfect and will accept the best he can get. His humor helps this too, since he’s always telling his lieutenant to basically become less uptight. He knows that everyone isn’t like him, and can deal with it. He prioritizes his health of his subordinates and makes sure they properly taken care of. Regardless, he doesn’t care how quickly his subordinates take care of the straw hats.

His humor? I’ve realized I’ve not gone into detail about it. It’s more of a dry type of humor that points out the obvious in nice ways. He tends to joke around the seriousness and starts to break it down through going through a good way to approach the problem. What I’m saying is, he makes sure that his subordinates aren’t overwhelmed. (Even though through the first half of this filler arc he left his subordinates under the impression that the Going Merry was at first a ghost ship) Althoigh, both the straw hats and Johnathan thought it go in their favor. So, I’m not surprised he let that happen. His humor is really the relief humor alongside with pointing out the obvious but in calming ways.

He’s also a people-pleaser. His wife, is the chef cook of the Marines in his front. In the filler there was two brothers who came over to basically show up his cooks who supposedly the better cooks are. He obviously was curious on their cooking. Yet, Sanji got there first, and as you know he’s a 5-star chef. Yet, his wife cooked the food for him this time. He starts by softly telling his wife that he would prefer to try Sanji’s cooking because it started to spread around that his food was amazing. His wife goes and tells him that he’s rather refuse the love and effort she put in his food, but there’s also a rude that you’re supposed to eat everything on your plate before seconds. Him, feeling guilty for making his wife mad starts just nervously eating her food. Then, finally he can try Sanji’s food. The food Sanji (unaware) made was meatballs. This is the scene where he meets Luffy for the first time. Yet, he pleases his wife by eating her food instead of demanding Sanji’s. He has the authority of it, but he knew his wife would be mad, he’d feel guilty and I’m sure Sanji’s food would’ve of tasted half as good as it did. He’s just that type of guy.

Seriously, he��s not only interesting, but he’s actually a good guy. He’s nice, charismatic, has a fresh character, smart, witty, and analytical. Like me, a people-pleaser. As I can tell, at least. He may have an intimidating look but he’s more wholesome. He also treats his subordinates as if they’re not questioning his authority and ability but comforts them.

His attitude towards them makes them respect him more. Notice how any Commanders who treat their subordinates like trash aren’t respected much, in comparison to those who do? Yeah, I believe Johnathan knows this. Not only knows this, but wants to make sure he seems friendly enough to earn the respect and trust of his subordinates. He also is authoring them too. He has that tone of comfort and friendly attitude but will not excuse the unqualified behavior. Like a teacher. I’m sure he knows this well; his attitude will reflect on his subordinates efforts and attitudes back. They all obviously respect him and treat him well too.

In this filler, we’re actually looking more into the Marines. I mean, yes, they’re background characters but their characters too. The Marines in here actually have personalities and they’re not acting like robots who just unwilling walk into battle without a thought. They have fears, questions, concerns, wits, doubts, humors, jokes, and smiles. They’re obviously comfortable in Johnathan’s command. They don’t fear him, they only fear the straw hats. They all trust their Vince-Admiral. It shows us that he had a healthy relationship and reputation among his subordinates.

He seemingly had a Haki too. Which means he could’ve taken on Luffy and probably defeat him at the time. Yet, he didn’t. He decided to let him and his alleys go. He made a promise with them, but they couldn’t keep it. It was an unfair promise in their defense. Since he was a filler character there’s no traces of his character anywhere else expect these episodes. So, it’s hard to remember such a character. He’s fresh and fun.

His character brings back some lighthearted vibes to the show. He what makes the filler arc so good and worth your watch. He’s the observant type. He’ll wait and watch his enemies with a smile and tiger’s eye. He analyzes every movement they make and treats it as if they’re playing a chess game. At least when he’s calm and relaxed.

His type of self-formality is the relaxed but still on the job. He doesn’t usually wear his uniform completely and takes off his hat and coat. It implies that he’s not just seeing his job as a job but a second home. He likes to be comfortable and tends to be care-free. His clothes and behavior shows that.

You also have to keep in mind the state of his mind. His maturity isn’t taken lightly, it shouldn’t. It’s one of those rare “learn from the mistakes of the past” maturities. He knows that making a good move takes time, patience, and good judgment of the people who he’s against. Which is why he allows the straw hats to move as freely as they could.

Why he tried to trap them in the jailhouse. He tried setting them up by allowing them to go to it so easily. Without Sanji’s observation himself him and Luffy would’ve, without a doubt been caught too. Or had to fight their way out and attract more attention. John knew he had that opportunity. Either way both Sanji and Luffy would end up being caught.

I like to imagine he puts himself through his enemies shoes before making a new move on them. Notice how he waits for new things before judging the next step? It implies that he knows how to play the game of wits. Making it almost impossible to beat him at it. He makes sure that his strategy and wits is at the top of their game before coming up with a plan.

He makes sure to keep the Marines on guard so when the unexpected happens they’ll be ready to take it on. He tries to come up with the best and most efficient way to make sure his subordinates are doing the best possible. He won’t give them stuff that they’re weak in; not for a serious situation. He might do it for training but he doesn’t care that much. He’s just grateful he has comprehensive subordinates.

I also like to talk about his introduction with Ussop. He lets Ussop go on his rant and denial of being caught. He allows him to try to act his way out of trouble without saying anything about it. It shows that he can already tell he is panicked and likes to wait it out. It shows that he preferably wants to keep up the banter of the straw hats assuming they can act their way out of the mess they’re in. Even after his act fails and he gets caught again he never stopped smiling genuinely. Instead, he moved on anticipating.

Even after one of his moves ends up being the successful he never gets egotistical he still remains sharp and observant. Even though he’s more easygoing than not, he knows how to slack off his job while being still analytical of the whole situation. Making sure that even while he’s drifting off from duty he doesn’t waver the priority.

I also like to think he prioritizes his mentality too. Simply over him being overworked. He likes to take way more breaks than the usual boss. He also is pretty laid-back with his commands and how he wants his subordinates to do them. He doesn’t really think much of things when it comes down to detail. He tends to go over the surface level and start analyzing from that.

Notice how he never takes anything for granted either? I assume he knew after Luffy served him his food that was made by Sanji that he wasn’t resting from the supposed brothers. Yet, he still ate it without a problem and even called it “outstanding.” He will still eat and compliment the food regardless who made the food. I don’t know if it’s coming from his wife constantly reminding him to take whatever he gets and don’t complain, but he never hated the thought of eating food made by a pirate.

I don’t think he hates pirates either. I think he judged based off action and intent. If the pirates don’t have all bad intentions he’ll be less forceful to them and more easygoing. We can tell by this by the way he treats Ussop and Luffy. He never forces his authority down their throats and tries being friendly but stern with them. He simply would like to know their reasons why they went to G-8 of all places.

I don’t think no matter how many times he’ll get “we fell from the sky!” He’ll always want to know more about the straw hats actual reasons as why they’re pirates and their intentions for their actions. He likes to know how the people work before trying to force them to talk.

Hence his over friendliness towards them. He wants to keep them off guard as much as possible. He makes sure that he allows himself to seem friendly and not wanting to hurt them. Obviously, he has the plan to capture and interrogate them too. Yet, he wants to do it in the least frightening way possible.

Noticeable how the only of the straw hats he met are still teenagers, kids. I think he favors kids more than adults and will try to dim down his questions to a more less intense level for kids. Especially for someone like Luffy and Ussop. The two immature/kids (including chopper) in the straw hats.

His actions are dependent on yours. He knows most attics that are going to be usually used against or for him. So if most people try to fight their way out of his grip he’ll be merciless. He’ll most likely have the upper hand too due to his Haki and you’re on his territory.

He’s also prepared of devil fruits. Considering the bars of his jailstails are made of sea prism stone. Since most “popular/modern” pirates are devil fruit users. He makes sure to be prepared for just about anything. So he allows others to brave right in and waiting for them to spring the trap he set for them.

I also like when he knows how to call it quits. He knows when his bare and subordinates have seen enough action and need to break from it. He prioritizes his subordinates and bases own well-being over capturing the straw hats. He knows they’re no ordinary foe so they can’t be taken lightly.

He may allow some casualties but he doesn’t let them overflow. He knows when to take the risk but also knows when to back off. In episode 201, he realizes that. His base has seen them crash through it and had many Marines get injured too.

He may be a great strategist and planner but since he never sees most of the action he has to assume the worst and hope the best. Unfortunately the worst for him usually happens.

It helps his favor that his subordinates do as they told no question. They not only do it, but they seem to have no problem with the ideas. They trust him enough to be able to let the planning and strategizing process to him and not question his judgment.

Instead of trying to capture them at wherever they may go. He then focuses on their goal of where to go. The dock 88, where the Going Merry is docked. He knows they all want to get out of there as fast as they can. While he still peruses them there. He tries to think ahead of them and make a move further than their current thinking.

He tries to stay one step ahead of his opponents. It what makes his strategies quite difficult to get across. They’re so effective because he allows his opponents to think they have the safer option than him. In reality, he traps them inside their own goals. Makes him a little manipulative.

Then, and then, oh I think this what makes him an even more beautiful character. He still keeps the bridge unguarded to allow the straw hats to pass, but he also has the lower part guarded. He wants to slow down the straw hats to get to dock 88 because it’ll his lieutenant more time than them to get there.

He wants to make sure that he stays one step ahead of Luffy. He does that by not only harming his own plan of action but makes sure that plan succeeds. They all do, but they also all fall apart due to Luffy’s unpredictabilities. Most because Sanji seems to be mostly on the same wavelength of him. Sanji seemingly knows what type of attack Johnathan goes for.

He decides to make the Marines watch. Something that he’s good at. The repetitiveness of him being observing rather than attacking shows us how much he’s willing to wait his enemy off. When it comes to patience he obviously has the advantage. Almost every straw hat are very impatient and impulsive when they’re stressed. He knows they’re stressed so he’s using it to his benefit.

I also think he knew that most of the straw hats aren’t the boxing type or don’t have much physical strength. So he sent ‘55 after them. He may be a little intimidated by them too, but he knew they’d be a match for the straw hats.

Did I mention now he won’t fault his subordinates for his mistakes? He takes the blame no matter how dire it seems. He knows that they were only following orders and that they were his and he’s the one who has to take the blame. Unlike most who just blame their incompetence on their efforts. Johnathan actually realistically believes in them. He knows that they can’t do the impossible and he won’t blame them for it.

His wife, Jessica is just as determined with her job as he is. She isn’t as tactical or strategic as him but she knows how to command just as well as him. They both share the same brute power of a good leader. They obviously take after each other. She’s uptight and forceful while he’s easygoing and laid-back.

They both correlate each other they fill up for each other’s flaws. They complete each other. They also both know how to make their men proud of them. They’re just as proud as their men are of them.

His anticipation is off the charts, dude. He knew that the straw hats would go after their gold after they realize it gotten confiscated. From the beginning of this filler arc he had this plan ready to roll. He knew that they think that the big giant vault would be a great place to hide gold so he set up the straw hats to go there and get ambushed.

Plus, he knew that the map was stolen which makes his plan even more rock solid. He did it, boys, he finally won a round against the straw hats. He also makes sure that he allows that to sink into the straw hats minds because of how heavily and in heavily guarded the ambush was. He wants to subtly attack the minds of his enemies.

His perception IS AMAZING. He knows that most of his plans failed and he allows the straw hats to still take their gold but the line „even if the baits gets stolen from the hook, there’s still more than one way to catch a fish. All fisherman needs to be is patient.” He even still goes after the straw hats with the same amount of patience as he has before. He knows he can wait it out and still patiently watch the game go on, no matter how close the straw hats are to winning.

I love how much Johnathan compares the straw hats to fish. Their playing a game he patiently waits by to watch what happens next. It’s the sole thing of his planning, his analysis, his entire perception of them.

It all comes from fishing! He allows them to escape multiple times just to be caught up again and set themselves free. So after the first few times they escape he plans another set-up so it won’t happen again. Just like a fisher would do after his fish has gotten away.

He’s a chess master, because of his anticipation skills. He can easily anticipate and adapt his strategy to the position of his enemy. He can treat the game as if he doesn’t care to win, but in reality he’s analyzing your move and determining his to yours. An average chess player, but he’s the master of it.

In conclusion; his character on the outside is pretty easygoing and carefree. In reality he’s strategic, persuasive, charismatic, adaptable, intelligent, witty, patient, analytical, tactical, perceptive, thoughtful and anticipatory. All what really makes a Vice-Admiral’s position something to respect but fear.

He’s also easy to please. He’ll be satisfied with what he’s given with regardless if it meets his standards or expectations or not. He’s accepting and laid-back with his subordinates and will treat them like real people. He only asks for what they can give. Nothing more.

He tries to stay one step ahead of his enemies regardless how it’s done. It’s mainly through trying to catch the fish on the hook with bait. His patience is his key attribute. He waits most things out before pursuing his enemy. He uses his anticipation skills to dictate which plan the straw hats are going to use next. He allows them to set it in gear before really pulling out his attack.

These is what makes his character stand out from the rest in my eyes. He’s more relaxed and humane than most Marines and tends to rage more breaks than actually work. He’s really good at prioritizing and multitasking. He’s due more credit than he gets.

@ 2023 — Saturn. Please do not repost this without my permission or consent. I’ll block you & report you.

#writing #one piece #character analysis #headcanon #one shot

[daz4i]

I have two for you! How about top 5 tropes/AUs you like to see in fandom and top 5 BSD ships? ^^

ehehehe thank you my dear 🥺🖤

top 5 tropes/aus:

1. i gotta put it first bc it's severely underrated (to the point of not even having an ao3 tag the last time i checked smh) and deserves appreciation. fwbs to lovers my beloved. there's so much you can do with it to keep it interesting and it's naturally super spicy and fun. every fic i read with it was flowing and lighthearted and this is what i like uwu

2. fake dating!!!!!!!!!!!!!! no need to elaborate on that one it speaks for itself i think

3. idk what it's called but um ig when the characters play a game? i think it's a good way to explore who each one of them is (think the dnd episode in she-ra) and it's generally a really interesting setting imo. also really cool when the game is affected by real life somehow, or highlights character dynamics through it (like for example all the skk fics where they shred everyone at charades bc they're just so in sync). just the use of in-universe games for narrative

4. lotus machine aka what every character's ideal life would be (<- maruki kinnie) + its inversion, aka what their biggest nightmare is. again i think it speaks for itself (tho idk if it's exactly what you meant when you said in fandom i apologize. but. it's cool to see in fics too! just more rare)

5. soulmate au 👉👈 it's less about the idea of soulmates to me and more how versatile it is. anything could be a soulmate au. there's so much to do with it and many ways to play even with the basic, most common premises of it. and it slaps every time

top 5 bsd ships:

1. i already mentioned them so it's only natural to start with them. soukoku ofc uwu they're like everything at once i swear. they're partners they're exes they know each other better than anyone they haven't talked in years they're in perfect sync they're divorced they fell in love at first sight but neither of them got it until years later they're gonna kill each other they live for each other they're enemies they have 3 kids together. etc. average gay couple in yokohama

2. ranpoe!!!!!! they just make me so soft and so happy, i never tire of them i swear. they're such a delight

3. nikolai x me. best ship actually. coincidentally also the only canon one. who'd have thought

4. fyozai! not in a romantic way, but in a character-foils-who-destroy-each-other-but-it's-sexy way :) I'm a sucker for chess metaphors unfortunately (and also for someone who is so much like you that you have to kill them. and the only person who can get under your skin because they're the only one who gets you. and-)

5. shin soukoku! yet another pair of foils except it's very prominent with them even with their designs. i am currently showing my friends the bsd anime and have to restrain myself from making comments abt them being gay bc to my friends they're very much just trying to kill each other at this point. i do love me reluctant-partners-to-lovers like any other guy. also sacrificing yourself for your rival is gay as hell. why is it so important to you that he lives? so you can (come back as a vampire and) fuck him?

#sorry it got long i have a lot of things to say! #and thank you again it is a very good distraction 🥺

[spectres-fulcrum]

Two Hours and the Chess Board had Toppled(Rough draft?)

(I wrote a poem about last night! It's very rough still, but things are still very rough regarding the situation at work. If I screwed up chess metaphors I know NOTHING about chess.)

You checked the chess board and

Once again retired your piece for the summer 

Last summer was a pawn now you’re our queen

Still a pawn I guarded your spot the best

I could-quietly but defensively

Only got to know your bishop's right hand pawn

When we thought he stabbed you in the back

But he wasn't on the other side of the board

The board was perfect last night 

I was secretly crumbling but I'm just a pawn

Walked in today and within two hours

The chess pieces had been moved

The queen on the other side of the board had shown herself

It was always those in the comfy chairs behind the closed doors

Your rook stormed out and his pawn followed

The queen forced my bishop to topple

A knight and hid in her tower of cowardice

And with your bishop gone and mine

Used as a pawn for the other side and I

Trying to keep her calm I never

Saw him coming

Out of the darkness and into our queen’s

Spot that had been left momentarily defenseless

His head held high, a smug smile blinding

No one clapped, but he held your stolen crown

And the chess pieces were moved

I play out potential moves

Of having a queen promised

And one on the board

If your piece comes back into play

His will become a pawn again

With no bishop, the past four months

would be for naught

As if we didn't improve the board at all

However, my bishop needs a rook to follow

And they all encourage me to suggest the open 

Spot on the board to you they begin to tell me

Why you'd be perfect and I finish their sentences

And list reasons they don't even know

But still-

For me to suggest the spot directly behind me

I must accept that the words in my throat

Must be buried deep until I leave the board

I don’t want you like your King of Hearts has you

But in the quiet of your absence I know you’re 

The only friend I never want to be without

And I daydream of a partnership with you two

Where I can safely express these words

Where I know your King of Hearts

But it’s never been about me

And the truth is we need the protection of

A rook, the queen tried to knock over our 

Most vulnerable pawn

So over sweets I’ll swallow my needs

And say the words everyone wants me to say

Never truly getting what I want from our friendship 

And then I will wait to see the dominoes fall

And see if your piece returns to the board

Or if it never returns and then I can start 

Shuffling my cards

(So long story short: At my job, each department has two levels of management, one department lead and those below them. I had a ex coworker turned friend come back as department lead and then he went on a medical leave. His role in the highest on the floor, and the most stressful. Since he's gone, everything fell on his lower manager, who walked out yesterday due to one of the office people pulling shit.

They promoted a guy an hour later that said "higher manager or nothing." Very messy but he also deserved that promotion MONTHS ago. He stepped down because they wouldn't give it to him. Very torn. He says if my friend wants his position back he can have it but I know that'll be hell to pay. (I am incredibly happy though to have good old guy back as manager)

My department's higher manager position is open and it's way better for my friend. I KNOW that he'd do well. But I also have alterous feeling for him and desire a queerplatonic relationship with him and I'm totally cool with his bf existing. And if he's my direct manager, well... I'm also just worried about what that would do to our friendship.

And some other shit. Like my manager(who has been a manager for2 weeks, we’re close too) had to tell another manager that higher management terminated her after her shift Thursday cause the office managers are cowards. They also are removing someone from the position they've worked for 4 years cause "they're not full time" they've never been full time they're not full time because they're on supplemental disability. It reeks of ableism and it's why we need a higher manager to protect us. Like M is why I'm swallowing my feelings.

All this happened within 2.5 hours last night. It was a nightmare)

#my writing #poetry #it’s complicated cause I’m mad at the guy but also it was SO NICE to rely on old dependable Will #when he was manager over winter we had very bad managers in my departments and he knew how rough it was for me #he knew there was days I just wanted to hang out with his guys #and I think once things get settled I can go back to that #but things aren’t settled #not by a long shot

[the-letter-horror-lover]

A Very Phantomhive Valentine's Day

23Murasaki

Summary:

There is absolutely no reason for Ciel and Sebastian to condone the celebration of a holiday about romance named after a saint. Somehow the letters start showing up anyway. What's a demon to do?

Notes:

(See the end of the work for notes.)

Work Text:

“It is a perfectly idiotic tradition,” said the demon’s young master huffily, folding his arms across his chest and glaring at the entirely innocent slice of cake sitting before him. The demon himself was torn between agreeing that a holiday named after a saint and celebrating things like love and relationships was utterly foolish, and throwing his support behind anything that drove his young master up the wall.

“Lady Elizabeth is sure to enjoy it,” he replied, deciding on a happy medium. His young master glared harder, and stabbed the red velvet cake with a violence befitting more dramatic surroundings.

“I know,” he snapped. “Don’t let her put up paper hearts anywhere. That’s an order.” The demon really disliked holiday-specific orders.

----

The paper hearts were obediently dealt with, but the streamers he could do little about, least of all once Prince Soma got involved and somehow attached pink paper elephants to strange places. Agni offered no explanation beyond something muttered about prosperity and the goddess Parvati. That didn’t help. Lady Elizabeth liked the elephants. That possibly made everything worse. Meirin, completely straight-faced, managed to dye the milk pink. The demon fought the urge to dump it out on her head and them march out the door. When the laundry turned out pink as well, however, he deposited the ruined sheets on Agni in a fit of despair and and locked himself in his room for half an hour. Agni returned the sheets perfectly white, possibly whiter than they had been, and asked him what a cupid was.

----

The first letter was found in the kitchen and addressed to Meirin, who had shrieked, dropped several breakable things, fallen over twice, and finally convinced Bard to open it, which he did with the air of someone handling a bomb. It was a love poem, evidently, and it expounded on Meirin’s beauty and cleverness in iambic pentameter. Where it had been signed, the name was hastily scratched out. She kept it on her bedside table and reread it whenever she thought no one was looking.

Lizzie found the next one under her plate, and turned as pink as the bows in her hair, while the young master glowered. This one was a sonnet as well, and compared her to the stars and the ever-shining sun, signed, ‘Your Admirer’. While she was a little put out that it hadn’t been from the young master, she kept it close on hand through the entire day, tied with a glittery pink ribbon.

Paula was found fifteen minutes later giggling over a three-part explanation of why a kind-hearted girl was more valuable than gold and gemstones, and sweeter than a whole assortment of cakes and pastries. When pressed, she showed it to her mistress and the two of giggled together in a way that the demon supposed was common among young women.

Finny found the next one tied to a sapling in the garden. It was a fair deal shorter, and written in plainer script that he had no trouble reading. ‘Yours Truly’ called him clever and brave and cool, and Finny bounded about with renewed gusto, much to the amusement of the other servants. He didn’t even care about the inkblots on the page, and told anyone who would listen that he had gotten his first letter.

The young master’s letter was waiting for him in his room, and was three pages long. Two of the pages were a convoluted metaphor about dragons and chess, which made him smirk and almost smile to himself. The last page was slightly more coherent, though it included a callback to climbing up a castle wall. It had no signature at all. The demon pretended not to see it get filed with important business paperwork.

Bard had a letter of his own, and was studiously ignoring it. When he almost lit it on fire, though, he nearly broke a window getting it to safety. It was a series of quite possibly the worst limericks the demon had ever encountered, but it made him laugh for a good five minutes before Finny wandered over to ask what was the matter and hastily shoved it up his sleeve.

He didn’t see Snake’s letter. Despite this, he was assured by way of Oscar and Emily that it had been greatly appreciated. That would have to do, he supposed. At least the boy was interacting with others more willingly now.

The demon was only mildly miffed to be the last of the household to receive a letter. It obviously didn’t matter in the slightest. Agni waved at him from a doorway, clutching two letters.

“Look, my friend! One for each of us!” He convinced himself he didn’t care either way, and certainly didn’t wonder if Agni had taken pity on him and personally penned the admittedly endearing ramble about the soul of a person who protected others. He wasn’t such a person, of course, but some lies were pleasant to read.

-----

The next day, Meirin almost fell down the stairs, dropping a basket full of similar letters, and the demon gave up any hope of not celebrating the damn holiday. Somehow, there were pink hearts on the wall that morning too.

Notes:

There are a few ways the series can go from here, and it seems like you guys are reading (and enjoying?) it, so I'll put it to you: do you want more vaguely romance-y nonsense, more gen/friendship silliness, or more plot-related stuff? It'd be neat if you commented with your preferences.

xoxo

M

Series this work belongs to:

← Previous Work Part 23 of Everyone Lives! Next Work →

#black butler fanfiction

[inkmemes]

futurama  (  1999  -  2013  )  sentence  starters  ↪  taken  from  the  animated  science  fiction  show.  alter  as  you  see  fit  ♡

“let's get the hell out of here already! screw history!”

“when you do things right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all.”

“you have to use a light touch, like a safecracker or a pickpocket.”

 "stop! the spirit is willing, but the flesh is spongy and bruised."

"she's stuck in an infinite loop and he's an idiot. that's love for you."

"all i know is my gut says maybe."

“i've never seen a super nova blow up. but if it's anything like my old chevy nova, it'll light up the night sky!”

"every christmas my mom would get a fresh goose, for goose-burgers, and my dad would whip up special eggnog out of bourbon and ice cubes."

"what do i look like, a guy who's not lazy?"

“is heaven missing an angel, cuz you've got nice cans!”

“help! a guinea pig tricked me!"

"[name], if i said you said you had a beautiful body, would you take your pants off and dance around a little."

"drugs are for weirdos and hypnosis is for weirdos with big eyebrows." 

"[name], it would never work between us. you're a man, and i'm a woman. we're just too different."

“screw you, ill have my own contest. with black jack ... and hookers. forget the contest.”

“ah, she's built like a steakhouse but she handles like a bistro.”

"spare me your space age techno babble, [name].”

"it's sort of a two person pyramid scheme."

"i don't want to live on this planet anymore."

"you were doing well, until everyone died."

“if we hit that bullseye, the rest of the dominoes will fall like a house of cards. checkmate.”

“i am the man with no name. [muse name], at your service.”

“in the game of chess, you can never let your adversary see your pieces.”

"this is the worst kind of discrimination, the kind against me."

"you watched it... you can't unwatch it."

“valentine’s day is coming? aw crap! i forgot to get a girlfriend again!”

 "hold on to your dookie, it’s about to get spooky!"

"i'm tired of this room and everyone in it."

"i'm so embarrassed. i wish everyone else was dead."

"you can't just have your characters announce how they feel! that makes me feel angry!"

"i don't have emotions, and sometimes that makes me very sad."

"if, for any reason you're not satisfied, i hate you."

"that young man fills me with hope. plus some other emotions which are weird and deeply confusing." 

"i've dreamed about you a lot since you disappeared. what did you want to tell me?" 

"what do you think the meaning of life was anyway?"

“you're a pimple on society's ass and you'll never amount to anything!”

“life and death are a seamless continuum.”

“if anyone wants me, i'll be in the angry dome.”

“and the worst part is, i had to have the breakup sex by myself!”

“they said i was dumb, but i proved them.”

“what's the point of living if i can't say ass?”

“i'll be stuffing coal so far down your stocking you'll be coughing up diamonds!”

“we're all pawns in his diabolical game of checkers.”

"wait, i'm having one of those things, a headache, with pictures!"

“sorry, i didn't realize i was already here.”

"guess what you're an accessory to!"

"why does ross, the largest friend, not simply eat the other friends?"

“there's no scientific consensus that life is important.”

"we cooked our shoes in the dryer and ate them! now we're bored!"

“i'm just as important as him. it's just that, the kind of importance i have ... it doesn't matter if i don't do it.”

“oh what a foolish squid i’ve been.”

“my instinct is to hide in this barrel, like the wily fish.”

"that was bad, and you should feel bad!"

"technically correct - the best kind of correct!"

"and here is where i keep my assorted lengths of wire!"

"oh wait, you are serious! let me laugh even harder!"

"i gotta practice my stabbing!"

"that's the saltiest thing i've ever tasted! and i once ate a big, heaping bowl of salt!"

“i apologize for nothing!”

 "die young and leave a beautiful corpse! that's what i always say."

"here's to another lousy millennium."

“but i am already in my pajamas.”

“windmills do not work that way. goodnight.”

"you win again gravity."

"when push comes to shove, you got to do what you love, even if it's not a good idea.”

“but existing's basically all i do!”

“when will the killing end?"

"i'll be whatever i want to do."

"the use of words expressing something other than their literal intention. now that. is. irony."

"could you ask a little more sexfully?"

"hooray! i'm useful!"

"awesome. awesome to the max."

"some breaking occurred, the dolly was involved, that's about all we know."

“you want me to do two things?”

i love stealin', i love takin' things!

“i believe that qualifies as ill. at least from a technical standpoint.”

"that was the old me. he's dead now."

"jail ain't so bad; you can make sangria in the toilet. ‘course, it's shank or be shanked."

"one word. thundercougarfalconbird."

"of all my friends, you're the first."

“girls like swarms of lizards, right?”

“i lost it. in a volcano.”

"i'm gonna get you so many lizards!"

"who needs courage when you have a gun?"

“let's go! i've got jelly in my underpants!”

"interesting if true."

“i did do the nasty in the pasty!”

"something tells me i could easily beat those trained professionals."

"the two of you are good friends? but i thought we would be good friends!"

"it's like a party in my mouth, except everyone's throwing up."

“i'm shocked. shocked! well, not that shocked.”

“it's me! no one else look in this mirror!"

“you ever think you only like girls cause you're supposed to?”

"we don't gotta put up with this! we got poli sci degrees."

“sorry, i suffer from a very sexy learning disorder.”

“did somebody say something about a free hot meal?”

“you gotta do what you gotta do.”

"too many bones? not enough cash?"

“hey sexy mama, wanna kill all humans?”

"i don't know how you did that."

"the butter in my pocket is melting!"

"well ... first i got up and had a piece of toast ..."

“i can't wait til i'm old enough to feel ways about stuff.”

“interesting! no ... wait ... the other thing. tedious.”

"i knew you come crawling back, like a bird on its belly!"

“we both know you won't make it halfway before the craving sets in! then you'll come crawling back for another taste of sweet sweet candy. bam!"

“indeed so, most indeededly.”

"and by metaphorically, i mean get your coat."

“[vehicle]'s ready except for this cup holder, and i should have that done in 12 hours."

"stop. stop! i will destroy you." [ bonus if the receiver is doing something mundane to sender ]

“just make a simple cake. and this time, if someone's going to jump out of it, make sure to put them in after you cook it.”

“lies, lies and slander!”

“you raised my hopes and dashed them quite expertly, sir!”

“but going through a divorce together, you can't pretend that didn't bring us closer together.”

“when you say the human body is the most efficient thing to use as a battery, wouldn't anything make a better battery? like a potato? or a battery?”

“i'll have you know that i bejazzle my own underpants!”

“i'm sorry you had to see that, [name], usually i let my sadness fester quietly inside as a mental illness.”

“i'm not drunk, i'm mentally ill! but i agree with what, what you said.”

“this is a cool way to die!”

#rp meme #rp starters #rp sentence meme #rp sentence starters

[disconnected-dragon]

So I watched Eternals. Finally got around to typing my thoughts up.

The instant I saw Ikaris I thought "oh, knockoff Homelander from The Boys!" Because they can both fly and shoot lasers out of their eyes and have super strength and my untreated ADHD is weird about connections like that.....so when he turned out to actually be knockoff Homelander from The Boys, I was not shocked in the slightest. Go fly into the sun you bizarro creep.

Ezra Miller was good. Liked him. His costumes were mmm gender perfection. I didn't like how he basically made Jonestown over 20 generations and then just abandoned those people, leaving them with no survival skills or knowledge of the outside world at all, so they were probably picked off by wild animals or hunger or thirst. But I'm probably just thinking too hard abt this. Though I do wish tumblr would stop filling the tag with him a bit. I wanna talk about other characters, like--

Sprite wasn't robbed, they were mugged in broad daylight on a crowded intersection. They were a prime they/them transmasculine icon and they just make them evil and she/her them? And then try to be all like "ohhh I just wanna grow up" because "ahahaha, Peter Pan!" after comparing them to Tinker Bell, breaking the fucking metaphor BEFORE THEY EVEN MADE IT EXPLICIT?! And shoehorn this creepy age gap love relationship with Ikaris in when they're clearly sapphic coded-- I mean what else could could expect from Marvel, but still! C'mon! I can't have one nice thing in a movie unless it's named Dune and directed by Denis Villenuve, can't I?

Sirci was ok. I still don't know how to spell her name tho. It was nice to see an Asian American actress leading the movie, but-- tbh she was kinda bland. Her pushed romance with Ikaris sort of irked me, and she didn't seem to really be defined beyond her romances? Like she had Kit Harrington or knockoff Homelander from The Boys and she killed a god somewhere in between with her poorly defined powers. She fucking killed a god and I can't say anything about her. Great. Love that journey for us.

Mekkari my beloved. My HOH beloved. She's such a massive dork, with her collection of antiques and amulents and so many cute fangirl shit I love her. I wish we'd seen how she got that Jade Tablet instead of Ikaris and Sirci time. (Her relationship with Druig actually had more chemistry then Sirci/Ikaris but that's besides the point....) Also, she wasn't seen as a burden or lesser then because she was deaf, and the others signing to her-- ok this might be me misremembering, since I did watch this movie a few days ago, but I think the characters also made an effort to look her in the face and make eye contact with her. IDK I thought that was nice.

I like how Thena and Gilga's relationship wasn't explicitly romantic love. There were some undertones of romance, but it could be read as queerplatonic or parental. Gliga took care of Thena because he loved her like a friend, and she loved him like a friend. And then that platonic love was what motivated Thena to retake her mind and slay the Deviant. I like that. That was really cool. Speaking of the Deviant--

I wish we'd seen more of it. Why'd it get like that? Who made it like that? Was it the Red Guy God playing like 4D chess to test his Eternals, was it because humans' thinky energy had gotten so strong it warped it? Why did it look human, how was it able to mimic Mom Eternals'/Gilga's voice? Should I just read the zillionth run of comics? What's the point here?

Overall, it was a ehhhhh Marvel movie. I liked the characters, but it was sort of-- rushed? I think it would've worked better as a miniseries instead of a two hour movie, since it was trying to juggle all these things at once. The director seems like a nice lady, but she just tried to do a bit too much at one time I think.

The end credits scene with Harry Styles was a....trip tho.

So, just, TL;DR: Sprite deserved better. #LetSpriteUseThey/ThemPronouns.

#eternals #it was engaging i just wish it could've been done a bit better #or idk #at least clean up serci and ikaris' chemistry #that sex scene was so awkward to watch #the friend i saw this with was just cringing the entire time #ugh #either way mekkari was perfect and my sweet goddess thank you for playing

[keanan1501]

I wanted to make a short drabble for a AU i've been playing around with, that 'short drabble' somehow ended up being 2815 words long.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: (just to be safe)

- mentions of death

- swearing

- mentions of abuse

- mild panic attack

- loss of senses (they return don't worry)

- overstimulation (is that the correct word?)

Also quickly wanna say sorry if something is worded weird or if something is misspelled, english isn't my native language

Tubbo shivers slightly as the cool air whips against the huddled group of five. He hadn't dressed for the cold, he'd dressed for bed, sadly his plans for going to sleep were thwarted by Fundy breaking into his house, screaming about how Dream was building obsidian walls around L'manburg. That's how they got where they are now, Tommy, Ranboo, Quackity, Fundy and of course Tubbo himself standing next to a large obsidian wall, Dream sitting above them with his legs carelessly dangling over the edge.

"Dream you prick, what is this about?!" Tommy is the first to speak, his loud voice being heard over the howling wind. A small smile creeps up on Tubbo's face, no wonder Wilbur chose Tommy as the third president, Tommy had a way of catching people's attention and holding it. Even the masked tyrant couldn't help but pay attention to the blond president, or maybe he is, Tubbo isn't sure, Dream's mask is angled towards them, but who knows where his eyes are looking? Or maybe his eyes are closed?

"He's not going to come down, is he?" Fundy groaned, eyeing the stairs that  would let them climb on top of the obsidian like it had just insulted his entire bloodline, maybe it had, Tubbo wouldn't be suprised if Fundy could talk to stairs. Nothing could suprise Tubbo anymore, not after his older brother died and came back as a ghost.

Tommy lets out a sigh that is best discribed as a mix between resignation and anger before climbing up the steps, Tubbo quickly following after him, and from the noise behind him he can tell Quackity and Fundy are following as well. He turns to look back at Ranboo, Tommy had asked the enderman hybrid to wait near the meeting, and not involve himself, which was reasonable, Ranboo was new, he shouldn't have to dive head-first into petty political arguments. The half black-half white tall male gives him a reassuring smile, and Tubbo can't help but smile back, sure, Ranboo was new, but he'd already made a impression on Tommy and Tubbo, and both were looking for a way to invite Ranboo into this group, a way to make their duo a trio.

Once on the walls Tubbo freezes for a second. Dream isn't alone, Sapnap, George and Punz are with him. "You!" Sapnap spits, and speedwalks forewards, Tubbo would have laughted at how silly the bandana wearing male looked if Sapnap wasn't speedwalking towards him. Sapnap is fuming, he doesn't need to look at the other male's face to realize that, the guy's balled up hands shaking with what could only be discribed as rage tells him the whole story. If that wasn't enough Sapnap grabs the front of his pajama shirt and pulls him close, forcing him to make eye contact, the blaze hybrid's eyes almost look like they're on fire.

"Hey!" Fundy's bark snaps Sapnap out of the one-sided staring contest he was having with Tubbo "Can you at least let Quackity and me on before you go around trying to fight us?!" Sapnap glares at him, and Tubbo mentally scolds the small part of his brain that's still stuck in the past, the small voice in his head telling him to apologize, to courtesy for Schlatt, and to leave as fast as possible, Schlatt was already angry, he'll just piss him off more if he stays, and when Schlatt gets pissed off he-

A soft tail brushing against his hand brings him back to the present, Fundy's looking at him with concerned but understanding eyes. Tubbo takes a moment to remind himself that Schlatt is dead, and to notice Sapnap backed off, and that Tommy is president now. He gives a short and polite nod to Fundy, mouthing a "thanks" he would've said it out loud if Dream and Tommy weren't arguing. Wait... he should probably pay attention.

"-George's house!" Dream yells, throwing his hands up as Tommy splutters nonsense in return, clearly showing of his disagreement with whatever statement Dream made. Tubbo shuffles up besides Quackity, carefully tapping the duck hybrid's middle finger twice, it was their own made up code for "i wasn't paying attention, what's going on?".

"Dream is claiming you burned down George's house" Quackity whispers "Sapnap, Punz and George are backing him up, George and Punz are saying they watched you burn it" Tubbo frowns, he wants to protest against their claims, but Tommy is already doing a great job for him. He walks over to Tommy and places his hand on the taller male's shoulder, a silent show of support.

"Listen Tommy" Dream yells, reaching out to the blonde as if to cover his mouth with a hand, but thinking better of it "Tubbo burned down George's house, we have multiple eye witnesses! Or are you saying Tubbo has a alibi that can prove otherwise?" Tommy nods, full of confidence as always, he smiles brightly as he turns to his vice "Tubbo, where were you yesterday evening, and who were you with?"

Tubbo mulls over his answer, he was working on his bee dome during that time, he was building it with Ranboo. He opens his mouth to answer, but a bad feeling grips his heart and squeezes it, and a lie slips past his lips just as naturally as the truth should have "I was working on my bee dome, alone" why did he lie? The truth would have been so much better! He could faintly hear Dream and Tommy yell some more, but that became background noise. He knew why he lied, he lied because he wanted to protect Ranboo, Ranboo was new, innocent, the perfect prey for opportunistic tyrants such as Dream. Tommy and Tubbo were similar in that aspect, both teens wanted to keep Ranboo from playing metaphorical chess with Dream for as long as possible, Schlatt and Wilbur showed them what happens when you lose against Dream, and neither was ready to let bright-eyed Ranboo have even the tiniest chance of losing.

"I want you to exile Tubbo" Dream's words hit him like Technoblade's rocket, burning him from the inside out and drying his throat, rendering him speechless. From the sudden strangled noises next to him he can tell Tommy, Quackity and Fundy are having the same reaction. Once again, it's Tommy who finds his voice first "You want me to WHAT?! No! No no no no no! Fuck you! Fuck you i am not exiling Tubbo!"

"Well, that's going to be a problem then" Dream whistles, Tubbo could hear the smile in his voice, and with practiced ease he whips out a flint & steel with one hand, and Cat with the other "Tubbo burned down the king's house, and i want punishment for his actions, so either exile him, or i'll burn this disc like he burned George's house"

Quiet settled over the people gathered up on the wall. Tubbo could see Tommy's mouth open and close, trying to force out words that weren't there, could see Fundy flinch and shrink in on himself, ears pinned back and eyes ping-ponging between Tubbo and Tommy, could feel his heart drop, his stomach filling with dread. Everyone who was around for L'manburg's war of independence knows how much Tommy values his discs, everyone who's been on the server for more then a day knew how much Tommy values his friendship with Tubbo, but noone knows which of the two he values more, and Tubbo is petrified of finding out.

Quackity laughs, loud and boisterous, like Dream had just told the best joke he's ever heard "Are you crazy?! No way Tommy is going to chose some disc over Tubbo!" the duck hybrid cackles, wiping away fake laughter tears "Tell him how delusional he is Tommy!"

Tubbo looks back over at Tommy, taking in a sharp gasp of air at the lost expression on his best friend's face. His hands itch, and he knows, he knows he wants to grab Tommy by the arm, drag him away from Dream, away from responsibility, back to their bench, play mellohi... mellohi! He has mellohi!

He reaches out, grabbing Tommy's hand, and letting out a concerned noise as Tommy whips his head around fast enough to make him dizzy "Tubbo, i- i don't-" the blond croaks, pulling the shorter close and stuffing his face into the brunette's shoulder, a bit challenging with their height difference but they make it work "I can't lose you too" Tommy mumbles, and Tubbo is reminded of the fact that Wilbur had practically adopted the blond boy as his brother, something Tommy eagerly returned, all that was missing was the paperwork.

"Tommy, it's just a disc" Quackity huffs, fustration lacing his tone "Tubbo is worth ten times more than some random disc!" Quackity opens his mouth again, no doubt to rant some more, but Tubbo shushes him before turning his attention on the distraught blond, the last thing he needs right now is someone yelling at him

"It's okay Tommy, sometimes sacrifices are needed" Tubbo sighs, carefully scratching the back of Tommy's head in the way he knows Tommy loves, and like he expects the blond melts into it, letting out a quiet hum "Plus, i still have Mellohi, and i'm sure we can get a new disc" Tubbo cheerfully smiles, but that smile drops as Tommy freezes "I don't want a new disc" Tommy pulls away, and dispite not being a very touch-oriented person, Tubbo still mourns the loss of the grounding weight on his shoulder.

"You both are being morons! Dream is threatning to burn my disc!" Tommy snaps, eyes darting between Quackity and Tubbo, almost like he expects both of them to attack him "I thought they were our discs?" Tubbo asks softly, and he could hear Fundy growl out a quiet "Tommy, don't" but both are drowned out by Quackity's yelling "We're being morons?! We?! Tommy open your fucking eyes man! You're concidering wether you should banish a living, breathing, human being capable of emotions, your best friend, over a peice of plastic that plays some tunes when you put it in a jukebox!"

"We aren't sending Tubbo away, are we?" Tubbo wanted to scream, Fundy's question had been asked so softly, but the amount of defeat and hopelessness dripping off of it punched him in the gut, Fundy already knows the answer, and Tubbo wants to scream, because he knows as well. But once again the two quieter members of the cabinet go unheard, as the two louder turn their anger at one another.

" Who cares about some discs?!" Quackity screams, shoving Tommy back a bit, and the blond lets out a animalistic snarl that makes a shiver crawl up Tubbo's spine "I do!" Tommy yells back, pushing Quackity. Both Fundy and Tubbo dart forewards, Fundy grabs Quackity's wrist to stop him from falling off the obsidian wall, while Tubbo pushes Tommy back, placing himself between the two arguing allies, Ranboo's shout of distress could be heard faintly, the enderman hybrid probably noticing how close Quackity had gotten to tumbling down the large structure.

Tommy takes no notice of Quackity's near death experience, and tries to get around Tubbo, no doubt to continue their argument. Tubbo grabs Tommy's wrists, keeping the taller in place "Tommy, i promise you that after this is all over, i'll get you a new Cat disc" Tubbo smiles, rubbing circles onto Tommy's arms with his thumbs "It will take a bit, but i'll get a new one! We can let this one be burned and-" Tubbo's throat tightens as Tommy looks at him with undisguised rage burning in his eyes, the anger that was previously thrown at Quackity had increased ten fold, and Tubbo had just made himself the new target.

Tommy rips his arms out of Tubbo's hold, still staring at him. Tubbo makes himself tinier, knowing he messed up big time, why else would Tommy look at him like he wanted nothing more than to beat him up and leave him bleeding out? Instead of going physical the angry teen takes a deep breath before exploding "You- Tubbo, you don't- THE DISK TUBBO- THE DISKS ARE WORTH MORE THAN YOU EVER WILL BE!".

Quiet. Quiet takes over the whole group. Even the wind stops howling, everyone is shaking, why? Even Dream and his group are shaking. They didn't get yelled at, they didn't get invalidated, Tubbo did, yet they're shaking. He feels two arms tug him away from Tommy, and he weakly struggles against the hold, Tommy didn't mean what he said, he couldn't have meant it!

Quackity pulls him into a one-armed hug, and points his other finger at Tommy, his mouth is moving, and Tubbo's eyes widen. The only person shaking is Tubbo, the world hasn't gone quiet, Tubbo's ears are just ringing and he can't hear anything. As if realizing his situation was the key to everything suddenly noises surround him once more, Quackity and Tommy are yelling, the wind is howling, Fundy is pacing, he's pretty sure he can even hear Ranboo breathing! Everything is too loud! He grabs his own fuzzy ears and tugs, a horrible attempt at blocking out all the noise.

Dream claps his hands in a almost giddy way, and Tubbo flinches "Well, that's settled" he sounds so happy, Tubbo wants to puke "I'm glad we could come to a agreement President Innit" Tubbo watches as Dream pockets the flint & steel and Cat, his movements, his voice, his entire aura screamed dangerously pleased.

Dream reaches for him, and Tubbo lets out a bleet of fright, he wants to scream again, Dream shouldn't be trying to grab him and drag him to Prime knows where! Quick as a fox he escapes from Quackity's hold and dashes to Tommy, knowing his best friend would protect him, no matter what. Dream reaches for him again, and Tubbo tries to dart around Tommy to safety, but a hand grabs his arm and keeps him in place long enough for Dream to grab his wrist and put handcuffs on them.

Tubbo watches the hand that sealed his fate drop from his arm, he follows it as it drops limply to Tommy's side. The blond is looking straight ahead, not looking at him, why isn't he looking at him? "Tommy" Tubbo calls out softly, headbutting the male in the side, aside from a winded "oof" Tommy makes no move to regonize the gesture of affection.

"Tommy, look at me" the male stares straight ahead, no reaction to Tubbo's words "Tommy, look at me please!" Tubbo stumbles back as Dream tugs at the chain connected to his wrists "Tommy look at me goddammit!" Tubbo screams, why won't Tommy look at him? He wants to apologize, to reassure Tommy that none of this was his fault, to ask if they're still friends, but he can't do that, not when Tommy won't meet his eyes.

Tommy finally turns to face him, and Tubbo smiles, taking a breath in preparation for everything he was about to say, but Tommy beats him to it "Tubbo Underscore, i, President Innit, hereby exile you from L'manburg. You will have one hour to leave this country, if you are found in L'manburg after your hour is up, it will be considered treason" Tubbo's words die in his throat, instead a single sob is all that comes out. He takes a look around, both Quackity and Fundy are looking horrified at Tommy, Punz and George look like they'd rather be anywhere else, and to Sapnap's credit, the raven-haired man looks guilty "Well, you heard the president Tubbo, time is ticking, lets go!" Tubbo wouldn't be suprised if Dream explodes from happiness at this point.

Dream tugs on the chains again, and this time Tubbo follows without fighting back. He feels a odd sense of calm, but he knows it won't last, he'll break, he can feel a typhoon of emotions inside of him, but it's going to fast to pick out a single emotion, so he just feels numb. He can feel Tommy's stare on the back of his head, but this time it's him that refuses to acknowledge his best fri- his ex best friend.

As Dream leads him down the stairs he can hear a worried warble from Ranboo, so he puts on a brave face and smiles, not wanting the enderman to remember him as the weeping exiled, because honestly, he doesn't know if he'll make it back alive, or if he'll make it back at all. Tommy, Fundy and Quackity are screaming at eachother again, he can't hear what they're saying, but by their tones it's probably something bad.

"Take care of them for me, okay?" he asks Ranboo, pointing with his head at the L'manburg cabinet "I know they're idiots, but they're lovable idiots, i promise"

#tubbo #tommyinnit #exile au #dream smp #quackity #fundy

[readerbookclub]

Discussion Masterpost - This is How You Lose the Time War

If anyone doesn’t like how I referred to them/quoted them, please let me know, and I’ll fix it immediately!

Summary: This is probably the most active discussion we’ve ever had! Isn’t that neat? Generally, people had one of two reactions to this book. Some people absolutely adored it, and it’s easy to see why. They mentioned the beautiful love story and emotional (not to mention gorgeous) letters as what made them enjoy the book so much. Others found it too difficult to grasp. This was mainly due to the unusual and lyrical prose, that left them feeling lost and confused. 

Book Reviews:

Elfspectation’s review: “I wish it was a little… easier to read? Normally I love scifi but this was much more high concept than I’m accustomed to.”

My Review: “I could appreciate the crafting of the metaphors and images but was never really moved or touched by them. Red and Blue felt like mere ideas and not real people”

Rey’s Review: “I dived in, already bracing for the angst and the banters and the underlined fluff of course. And it did come, through letters, through gestures.”

Ann’s Review:  “I love time travel stories, and this book did have an unique approach. Yet the universe remained very vague, and distant.”

Generalblizzarddreamer’s Review: “It reminded me of an elaborate chess game. Just the whole idea of these to groups of people going head to head and trying to trick the other person reminded of the strategy needed for winning a good game of chess.”

Melissa’s Review: “The concept is beautiful, I just wish more time and thought was dedicated into it because this feels like a middle school fantasy when it should be something way more complex than that.”

Megan’s Review: “I was also SUPER CONFUSED the whole time I was reading”

Questions and Asks:

Ann shared that the book might be turned into a TV series, and asked “Do you think it would translate well to the big screen?”

I answered: “I’m very sceptical. The best thing about the story is the letters, and I just can’t see how you would translate that into film.”

V answered: “If its animation I think there’ll be a lot of stuff to play around with..So if that really does happen..I am so up for it!”

Minerva asked Ann and me: “What did you think of the book, how could this book relate to other time travel books, in general if you could time travel to a part of your life; what could you change and why?”

Ann answered: “This book was very vague about actual time-travelling… rebraiding strands of time, going deep under cover in the time-line, there even seemed several timelines… It wasn’t very clear to me.”

I answered: “I think there’s so much to admire here: the creativity and uniqueness, the gorgeous writing, the letters. It’s such a beautiful book! But at the same time, it has some major flaws.”

Ann asked: “Sometimes Red and Blue would start their letters with little nicknames and play on words. [...] Did you have favourite ones?”

I answered: “There was one that I liked so much I made a note of: ‘0000FF’. It made me laugh :)”

Ann asked: “Which character intrigued you more? Blue or Red?”

I answered: “I think Red intrigued me more, just because her world seemed so alien.”

I asked: “How does This is How You Lose the Time War compare to other novels in the [sci-fi] genre?”

Generalblizzarddreamer answered: “It’s more lyrical than other sci-fi books and relies more on the character to tell the story rather than the plot that the others rely on.”

I asked: “What did you think about the allusion to Romeo and Juliet?”

Ann answered: “I didn’t think it really applied [...]  the characters were rather world-weary, while the youthful romance of the play was the tragedy of it all.”

Elfspectations answered: “I was thinking that maybe the hint in that passage was that this book parallels a version of Romeo and Juliet in a Strand where it was written as a comedy.”

I asked: “Do you think that people can truly love each other through words alone?”

V answered: “I think it’s a very pure and intimate way to fall in love.You don’t know the external appearances so you fall in love with what they truly show you, their thoughts and the connection which grows slowly.”

V asked: “I am quite confused about the shadow that followed red..I didn't really understand who it was or what it was and its significance. What do you think it meant?”

I answered: “I think it was Red herself. [...] she went back in time and traced their steps, and this future Red was the shadow.”

I asked: “Do you wish the book had been longer? If so, what would you have liked to see more of?”

V answered: “I would’ve actually liked to read more about how did the war came into being..or what position were red and blue in and why they did what they did”

Ann asked: “I was sometimes reminded of The Starless Sea as I was reading last month’s pick. Did you have similar feelings?”

I answered: “Both books have what I think is called purple prose (?) where the writers use language that’s very poetic and metaphorical, but sometimes they go a little overboard.”

I asked: “How did you feel about the setting and plot being secondary to the character's love story?”

Generalblizzarddreamer answered: “I think I would have loved to see more of the love story but the plot and setting was fascinating to me :)”

Other Cool Stuff:

This interview with the authors of the novel, talking about their writing process and how they came to work together.  

This fanfic that Amal El Mohtar personally recommended (thanks to Ann for sharing!). 

A very cool artist, Laya, made wonderful artworks based on this book. My personal favorite is this one. 

This cool journal spread by Emma, based off the book.

#this is how you lose the time war #amal el mohtar #max gladstone #book club #book review #discussion summary #masterpost #discussion masterpost

[raevenlywrites]

The Ties That Bind 15 of ???

Rei stayed stiflingly close, even as we laid down to sleep. After the day I’d had--had it really only been one day?--all I wanted was sleep. I wished I could take comfort in Rei’s protective arm over mine, but what should be a thrilling indulgence was lost to exhaustion.

Karashan arrived in the morning to inform us the modest group of serpiente soldiers were in route, and this time, I sent Rei and Erica out to guide them to the Keep. I wanted a chance to talk to Karashan about how to proceed, and I wanted a break from Rei.

I was regretting the kiss more and more. I should have expected that it would change our dynamic--and indeed, it was meant to--but I missed the support of my best friend. I need my Rei back. I didn’t know who he was an alastair. I didn’t have the extra emotional energy to figure it out right now. So I sent him away, along with the overly reactive Erica, and set out for the keep with the much more level Raymond and Emune. It wasn’t lost on me that this was the pair I’d started with, and that they’d been on duty for over twenty-four hours. And Adelina...

The serpent pair had moved a little ways apart, facing the rising sun. Adelina was turned in such a way that she could watch us from the corner of her gaze, but it was clear the white viper had relaxed over the long stretch of being Zane’s lone guard. Either she was too tired to remain on edge, or I was witnessing the beginnings of our first steps towards peace.

I was also watching, I realized, the pair of serpents dance.

What I thought had been simple stretches, much like those of my Flight, were actually the precursor to a series of steps, slow and long and languorous. Hands reached high, fingers outstretched, the dancer’s up on the balls of their feet. They swayed like the trees, moved by a subtle wind that I could not see, but they could clearly feel. There was a musicality to their motions that I swore I could almost hear, an echo of memory...

“Best not to stare too long,” Karashan said, startling me from what certainly felt like a trance. I blinked too rapidly as I turned to her.

“Don’t tell me you believe all those lies about hypnotism.”

Karashan arched an eyebrow. “From what I hear tell, the Shardae magic was alive and wild yesterday, nearly coming to a full Song between you and your mother. You think our side is the only one with magic?”

I knew we weren’t, but surely it was an active thing, not something that happened simply by admiring them in the early morning sun.

I realized my gaze had drifted back to them, and Karashan gave me a knowing nod that made me want to duck my shoulders. I reacted as I always did by standing straighter.

“I want you to tell me all you know as we walk, and hopefully Zane and Adelina will offer their side of things. I know,” I said, raising my hand to forestall her obvious statement of distrust. “If they are planning something, why would they tell us about their strengths and weaknesses. I know. Believe me, General, I’ve spent much of the past several days thinking these exact same thoughts. We must proceed in good faith. As I’ve said again and again, if I am meant to fall by Zane’s hand then so be it. I will not live as if we are enemies. Peace has to come from within our hearts.”

“Peace comes from within people’s bellies,” the older crow said, “Or their pockets. Hearts are a luxury. An important one, granted, but still a luxury. If you want the Generals to follow you, you’ll have to tempt them with things more substantial than hearts. A man who’s known only war will seek only war, unless you give him something more tempting to do.”

“I should like your advice on how to handle the generals as well,” I said, noting from the corner of my eye that Zane and Adelina were wrapping up. “Either privately or in conjunction with Zane.”

I felt a headache beginning to form at my temples. Too many days in a row of too little sleep, too many worries, and too much uncertainty. How was peace proving to be more taxing than war? Or was I simply trading in one war for another? Karashan was right that the general’s council was the real problem. People like Elanor’s aunts were already living in a practical peace with their serpiente counterparts. War out here meant disruption to the vital activities of daily life. War in the council hall meant about as much as particularly compelling duel or chess match. They had all started their lives as actual soldiers, yes. But the pawns had made it across the board and now sat comfortably with the power of queens.

I was getting tired of all these too apt metaphors.

-

“Our monarchy  isn’t quite as defanged as yours,” Adelina said, apparently oblivious to the pun. “The Cobriana’s have always led their people into battle personally--but then, well. You saw Gregory.”

The normally brash woman grew pensive, eyes scanning the trees for potential threats, but also to avoid looking at either Zane or me. Zane’s youngest brother, Gregory Cobriana, had been only fourteen when he’d died on the battlefield. I’d lost my youngest brother Xavier in same battle. Xavier had been there to sing our people into strength; his gifts had always run strongest towards shields of subtlety and hiding. While not creating true invisibility, such songs did give our soldiers a measure of unnatural stealth needed to match the natural speed and athleticism of serpiente soldiers. I had no idea what advantages the Cobriana brought to their people. Gregory had died in my arms just as slowly and awfully as any avian I’d ever sang to their final rest.

I wrapped my arms around myself, cold and miserable. I was not used to so much walking, and my heart and body were equally sore. I tried not to let my discomfort show--especially in light of Zane’s extrasensory  awareness of my emotional state--but the memory of holding Gregory’s dying body was awful, and I was already so exhausted.

Zane’s shoulder brushed mine and I startled, coming to a stop. I gave him questioning eyes; Zane was entirely too bodily aware to ever brush me on accident. His eyes were lost, wide and dark and haunted. Had he been anyone else, I might have taken his hand.

And why not? Just because he was Zane Cobriana? I’d held Gregory’s, why not his?

“You were the last person on earth to feel his heartbeat.”

That statement stopped me cold, hand almost reaching for his, but not quite.

“Yes?” I made the word a question, an invitation to speak further. I had no idea where he was going with this.

“I...”

His eyes rolled shut, closed down with pain, face falling away even though he was no longer looking at anything. Adelina came up behind him, hand resting on his shoulder, body molded to his back. It should have been unseemly, but it was so obviously a gesture of comfort I could see no impropriety in it.

Adelina looked at me from over Zane’s shoulder.

“Among our people, we process our grief by sharing it. A burden carried by many hands is no burden at all.”

Zane pressed back into Adelina, eyes still closed, but face smoothing. I felt suddenly awkward, not at their display, but at the idea that my presence could add anything to it. This was so far removed from anything I’d ever seen in my own court--

Except, didn’t I also let Rei hold me this way, in those quiet moments alone when it was all too much. The only difference was the serpents weren’t hiding it.

And that they were asking me to join them.

“Please,” Adelina said, startling me with the softness of her petition. “As he said, you were the last to feel his brother’s heart beating. If it moved you at all, share that grief with us. Let us remember him with you.”

What could I do but nod and offer them my hand?

It felt too intimate to take his in mine while Adelina was holding him. Somehow, pressing my hand over his heart felt exactly right.

His chest was smooth and solid beneath my hand, tight with the developed muscle of practice and use. I felt an obvious mound of scar there, lines and ridges as harsh as the injury that must have caused it. What I didn’t feel was the heat of another living body, the rapid staccato of a frantically beating heart. Zane’s body was cool, barely warmer than the early morning air around us. And his heartbeat was a slow and steady drum, thick and rhythm, the perfect backbeat to the dance I’d seen him doing with Adelina.

Did all serpent’s hearts beat like drums? Or was it only this heart, who had to keep steady so many could follow it?

Gregory’s body had been cool, but I had thought that the effect of his injuries, and oncoming passing. I had thought his body slowed in preparation to be stilled, but Zane’s was just as stilled, just as chilled. Marveling, and acting only out of the distraction of fascination, I touched Adelina’s hand on Zane’s shoulder. Just as cool, just as still, like the unbroken quiet of early morning.

A natural bird will sun itself in the morning, wings spread wide to soak up the sun. A natural serpent will bask at all hours, their bodies at one with the world around them, heat rising and falling with their movement and environment.

A serpiente will bask in emotions in just the same way.

I felt the moment my memory passed to them. Not a literal sharing of recollection, but the emotion of it. The pain, the hopelessness, the helplessness--and the determination to see it through to the end. My guards had urged me to leave him, to pass this one by. Not that one, my lady. Not that one. I had knelt by his side as I would any other, holding his hand and singing songs of peace and comfort. They were never empty, when I sang, though some days it was harder to hold onto their meaning than others. For the magic to work, I had to sing with my whole heart. So I sang to Gregory Cobriana and thought of my brother, and wished desperately that this would be the last. I sang Gregory Cobriana to the ground, and tried to sing the war to sleep with it.

I had not realized I had begun to sing again now. It was only when Raymond’s voice joined mine, filling out the song with the rich tenor tones that I had never gotten to hear from his cousin, my dear Vasili, that I became aware of my currently reality again at all. How easy would it have been to be lost in those memories? How easy to dwell in that dark place that waits behind our eyelids, where past and future swirl and bleed into one another, and time stands still? But Raymond’s song pulled me back, and Karashan joined too with a simple harmonizing alto. I hadn’t realized the general could sing--but of course she could. All soldiers learned to sing, if for no other reason than to recognize the Shardae songs at work.

Only Emune, Zane, and Adelina remained quiet, though I could have sworn I felt the serpiente heartbeats shift under my hand to match the cadence of our joined song.

The Ties That Bind Tag list: @thehellinsideyourhead @therecouldbecolorsandlove @adventuresofacreesty @writing-with-melon @rainydaydarling @faithfire

Raev’s Gen Tag List (should I tag you guys in this? It IS a thing I wrote. I’m gonna say yes unless you guys are like “no of course not we’re sick of hearing about your stupid fic for a twenty year old book XD)

No one has complained yet so yall gonna keep getting tagged :P

List is currently: @lordkingsmith @writinglyra @drbibliophile @mperialscribe @adie-dee @adie-dee @lexiklecksi @writinginslowmotion @raenawrites @apollon-arium @anika-writes @faithfire

#raev does fic #hawksong fic #the kiesha'ra fic #the ties that bind fic #danica shardae #zane cobriana

[the-melting-world]

The Sun, His King

Ozy x Anatole

For @sunrisenfool​ 

A little context: Nerds play chess. It leads to pining. When Nerds recognize their own pining, they panic. Then they turn to poetry... Hope it all works out.

Fics that lead up to this moment: Lover’s Gambit and Another Round

~ 890 words

***

“Ozymandias.” 

Ozy brought up the title of the poem Nana quoted during last week’s chess game. “Did you know that there are two versions?”

Ozy and Nana were relaxed in their chairs. Their game was over, but they took their time finishing their refreshments. 

“I did! Weren’t they published within a month of each other?” Anatole challenged Ozy with a tilt of his brow. “Which one do you think fits you better?”

Ozy leaned back in his seat and considered. “That’s a good question because I never really saw myself as a king… not even metaphorically speaking. Far from it.” Looking up at Nana, he cheerfully added, “I’ve never seen a kingdom. Only archives, ruins, fossilized empires.”

Nana matched the mage’s smile. “A lost king then. Trying to find his people, his own kingdom?”

Ozy’s cheer morphed into something more contemplative. “Perhaps. All I know now is… the Sun is my beacon.”

Nana never asked but he assumed Ozy already knew what each of his names meant. It was Ozy, afterall. Still, Anatole knew that subtlety was not Ozy’s regular playground. So when Nana replied, he did so tentatively, fighting off the incoming blush like it was a stray mongrel that had wandered too close.

“Your Patron Arcana, you mean?”

Ozy nodded. “Haven’t met them yet, but I know I will when it’s time.”

Nana groaned internally. Of course he means the Arcana.

Outwardly, he was as cool as the cold drink in his hand. “Meanwhile, you’ll just keep opening door after door, chasing the sun.”

Ozy set his drink down, propped his arm on the table and leaned his jaw against his fist. 

“Aw Nana, don’t make me sound so pathetic. I very much like opening doors.”

Nana wanted to kick himself. “I know that, Ozy. I was only teasing you.”

Ozy broke into his signature grin – the one where his hazel eyes were electric with a million joyous thoughts at once. 

“You know something? I may not always catch on fast enough, but I appreciate that you’re willing to test me anyway. Usually it’s me doing the teasing and the laughing all by myself!”

Nana almost spilled his drink. It wasn’t so much Ozy’s words that got him chuckling heartily, but rather his naked delivery. As if it wasn’t until this very moment that Ozy realized these things. Ozy laughed too, probably at three or four more other realizations on top of the one he shared with Nana. 

Did the other people in Ozy’s company understand how lucky they were, Anatole wondered, to share moments like this with him? To witness the grey mage make the connection between thought and feeling the very instant it occurred? Nana regarded Ozy quietly as he came down from his laughter.

No, he decided, I don’t think that they do.

“See?” Ozy hummed. “I like laughing with you, Nana! I wish I could do it more often.”

Nana blinked a few times. “Are you asking to spend more time with me?”

Ozy shook his head. “Of course not. I know how busy you are.”

Nana felt his ears burn a little. “Yes, I’m busy. But, for example, whenever Amparo or Milenko want to share my company, I make time for them.”

Ozy was getting up, collecting his chess set and downing the rest of his drink. He spoke cheerfully, but absently all the while. “But they are your cousins and I’m just a guy who you play chess with once a week.” He moved like he was about to open a portal.

Nana stood up a little too fast. “Stop, Ozy. Listen to me.”

Ozy looked back, lifting a curious brow. Nana didn’t want to have to repeat or explain himself later, so he spoke slowly and plainly. 

“Oz’mandias, you are not just some guy. You are my friend. And I would like to spend more time with you too.”

Ozy turned all the way so that Anatole had his full attention.

Nana kept going even though he was sure his hands were shaking.

“I would like to laugh with you and see you more than once a week.”

Ozy approached him slowly, head tilted, hazel eyes locked in analysis. 

“. . . and I would like,” Nana glanced down at the gold in Ozy’s lip, “I would like…”

Ozy stopped before the other, finally relaxing his brow. “A hug?” He took Nana into his arms without waiting for an answer. “You seem like you need a hug.”

If this had been anyone else besides Ozy, it would have felt like pity. But since it wasn’t, Nana surrendered to the comfort of Ozy’s embrace. The grey mage couldn’t possibly know why Nana had been acting so strange or why his body was a shivering mess. If Nana could punch himself without leaving a mark, he absolutely would. Already, he was chronicling how his inevitable conversation with Lele and Lenko would play out when he confessed how he accidentally friendzoned his own crush.

“How are you feeling now?” Ozy asked. 

Treacherous.

“Better.” Nana lied.

Ozy kept holding on.

“Can I tell you something?”

He drew back a little, dragging his palms to rest on Nana’s shoulders. His murky green gaze was hooded and grave as he so quietly confessed, “I would like to be more than friends.”

Then the Lost King set his sights on the Sun – his beacon. 

Oz’mandias chased the Sun... 

Until he felt the kingdom on his lips.

#ozy had a few more things to get off his chest #ozy the grey mage #aelius anatole #ozy x anatole #the lost king and the sun #the arcana #my writing

[richincolor]

Book Review: Infinity Reaper (Infinity Cycle #2)

Title: Infinity Reaper (Infinity Cycle #2)

Author: Adam Silvera

Genres:  SciFi, Fantasy

Pages: 592

Publisher: Quill Tree Books

Review Copy: Copy provided by Publisher

Availability: Available now

Summary: Emil and Brighton Rey defied the odds. They beat the Blood Casters and escaped with their lives–or so they thought. When Brighton drank the Reaper’s Blood, he believed it would make him invincible, but instead the potion is killing him.

In Emil’s race to find an antidote that will not only save his brother but also rid him of his own unwanted phoenix powers, he will have to dig deep into the very past lives he’s trying to outrun. Though he needs the help of the Spell Walkers now more than ever, their ranks are fracturing, with Maribelle’s thirst for revenge sending her down a dangerous path.

Meanwhile, Ness is being abused by Senator Iron for political gain, his rare shifting ability making him a dangerous weapon. As much as Ness longs to send Emil a signal, he knows the best way to keep Emil safe from his corrupt father is to keep him at a distance.

The battle for peace is playing out like an intricate game of chess, and as the pieces on the board move into place, Emil starts to realize that he may have been competing against the wrong enemy all along.

Review:  I initially thought Infinity Reaper was just a sequel to Infinity Son, but as I got about a quarter of the way through I realized I was wrong because Adam Silvera was packing in so much more drama into Infinity Reaper and that there was absolutely no way this was going to be solved in one book. Shifted my perspective a bit as I was at first overwhelmed with the addition of Maribelle’s and Ness’s perspectives but they were used to round out the story a bit more and sets up a complex and thrilling story.

To me the heart of the story is the two brothers Emil and Brighton. I really love Emil’s gentle soul and he continues to shine in this second book as he struggles with how his new power and new expectations contradict who he essentially is. However, he digs deep and works to do his best. The side effect of this is that he is becoming much more outgoing, much more open to other people, and is willing to take more risks. He’s starting to become a bit more like Brighton, just without the ego. I really like the emotional journey that Emil went throughout the book. So much so that he ends up in a love triangle and I honestly couldn’t decide which person I would love for him to be with because both bring out the best in Emil and have helped me become more accepting of who he is. Brighton, on the other hand, let me just say that I wanted someone to slap some sense in the boy. The novel starts off moments after he took the Reaper’s Blood portion, which I feel also changes his personality or either his sense of self dives off the deep end into straight narcissism. Either way, I did not like Brighton by the end of the novel. Not sure if this is setting up his villain origin story (which would be so complex and cool) or the start of a redemption story so I just have to trust Silvera at this point, but Brighton’s ego bothered me so much that I would rush through his sections and every time I saw a chapter with his name on it I would groan. And because Brighton was so unlikable to me, I struggled with getting through the novel. But like I said, it feels like Silvera is setting up the story to be a struggle between the brothers and I am here for it.

An aspect of the novel that I liked was that it is such a metaphor of the past few years we’ve been living in. Those of us who’ve lived it, experienced it, survived it, will recognize all the parallels, but  future generations who read this novel it will come off as a classic “good versus evil/hero vs. Society” epic story. The “racism” (for lack of a better word) that Celestials experience is truly heartbreaking and as a Black woman it resonated with me deeply. Silvera adds a storyline about “The Bounds” which is a specialized prison for Celestials and it is as cruel as you can imagine. The fact that their society puts Celestials there who are doing small crimes like burglary to survive, and then subjected to cruel and unusual punishment is a perfect metaphor for how our society penalizes People of Color and poor people for doing things to survive, then jailing them for it (think about the mother who lied where she lived to get her son in a better school, then ended up in jail for 5 years). These subtle call outs to our society ills, in such a fantastical world, is what make great science fiction/fantasy. And, it is another reason why I enjoyed the novel.

Lastly, and this is a purely selfish reason…this novel is all about Phoenixes, and as a phoenix lover, I truly loved the mythology and different types of phoenixes that Silvera created for this series. I just wished Silvera’s phoenixes were real.

#book review #weneeddiversebooks

[atamascolily]

Okay, I have calmed down enough after reading Aftermath: Empire’s End that I can address the bit that really got to me.

TL;DR: the entire “Contigency” business is based on an extended chess metaphor and... I have questions.

Previously, we have learned that a Jakku orphan named Galli Rax stowed away on Palpatine’s Space Yacht so he could get away, only to be caught by Palpatine. Palps told the kid that he had two choices: die, or go back to Jakku and make sure no one stumbled across the Mysterious Thing (”the Observatory”) Palps was constructing out in the desert. Galli chooses the latter, and Palps sends him back to Jakku and Galli does his thing. Ten years later, Palps shows back up with the space yacht to compliment Galli on a job well done and take him away.

O.... kay. I’m not sure how Palps was able to ensure Rax would keep his end of the bargain. Sure, he has a supervisor Yupe Tashu and a bunch of droids, and I suppose they could have killed Galli, but... there didn’t seem to be anything stopping Galli from running away? I doubt even Palps would have bothered to stalk one kid just to prove a point, but it just seems really weird from Palpatine’s perspective to be so hands-off.

Anyway, so the first thing they do in their Big Reunion is Palps teaches him how to play chess. And I don’t just mean Thinly-Disguised Space Chess as a stand-in for the real thing, I mean actual chess.

Here’s the passage that made me start to howl and gibber from a world-building perspective:

“It’s a very old game. Shah-tezh, in this interation, thought over the eons I have seen it spawn many variants. Dejarik. Moebius. Chess. In most of the iterations the core mechanism remains.”

To be clear: this is Palpatine talking. What the hell does he mean by “over the eons I have seen”? That’s not the sort of thing you say if it’s something you know from a book or a story, that’s what you say if you’ve personally experienced it. Is Palpatine really that old?? If so, this is HUGE, absolutely earth-shattering bombshell from a world-building perspective. Is it ever followed up on? Not that I can tell.

What. The. Actual. Fuck.

(To be fair, I’m not against this, per se, but I just... feel like if it was important.... it should be relevant.... and not name-dropped once and never mentioned again? Like, it matters? AAHHHHHHHHHHH.)

The other thing that made me scream, is, of course, the fact he comes right out and says it’s Chess In Space, which.... While I have used “holo-chess” as a synonym for “dejarik” in my fics, and Wookiepeedia says “holochess” is an accepted synonym for dejarik in nu!canon, this particular passage reads weirdly to me because it implies that chess as we know it on Earth is a separate but related game to dejarik, not just another name for the same game. And I... have questions about that, just like I would if “poker” suddenly appeared in the GFFA lingo along with “sabacc”.

{Also, I just want to note that the Persian word for chess is shatranj. Per the “History of Chess” article on Wikipedia:

Players started calling "Shāh!" (Persian for "King!") when attacking the opponent's king, and "Shāh Māt!" (Persian for "the king is helpless" – see checkmate) when the king was attacked and could not escape from attack. These exclamations persisted in chess as it traveled to other lands.

This isn’t the first time real-life details have migrated into Star Wars - “Tatooine” is named after a location in Tunisia, and the Lars’ farm is located in the “Great Chott” which actually exists on Earth.... but still. I’m just saying.}

And again, this is probably me being stupid and petty about Details That Don’t Matter, except that the one is actually huge from a plot and thematic perspective, so it’s hard not to get tripped up on it.

Anyway, so Palps instructs Galli in the intricacies of shah-tezh, and it all boils down to one thing: “without the Imperator, the demesne cannot survive”.

And That’s the reason why Palpatine has to personally make sure the world burns after his death, because it means that his Empire has completely failed if he dies and deserves to be punished. O.... kay then.

(Granted, Palpatine is a crazed narcissist, but... there’s like no way this makes logical sense, right? And Rax doesn’t even think “oh, that’s insane, but I have to agree to stay alive”. Even at this juncture, when he barely knows Palpatine at all, he’s completely swallowed the Kool-Aid. Which is odd because he’s very skeptical about other things.)

Anyway, Palps repeats it because it’s his guiding principle: “If an Empire cannot protect its Emperor then that Empire must be deemed a failure. It collapses not only because its central figure is gone, but because it must not be allowed to remain.”

He’s so incensed he nearly strangles Galli, but then he relents, and says Galli is “the Contigency” and if he fails, he’ll be replaced, because literally, “destiny”. Then they go watch opera, because Palps hasn’t found anyone to watch opera with him since that one time with Anakin and... Vader isn’t into that, lol.

(The problem with making opera Galli’s thing is that ALL OF THOSE SCENES ARE FLASHBACKS or referred to in passing in the narrative rather than viewed directly. So we don’t see him poised at the opera, plotting, the way Palps did in ROTS, or contemplating art like Thrawn does. So it’s easy to forget that he has this quirk. Also, it makes him feel like a Thrawn knock-off. But I do like that it’s canon that he’s just the Biggest Drama Queen ever, though.)

I’ve said this before in earlier rants, but to repeat: I do not see Palpatine as having the relative humility needed to even consider his own death seriously. in ROTJ, he acts 100% confident that he’s gonna come out the winner. So to come up with an entire elaborate plot, on the off chance that someone might off him seems just... kinda OOC?

Sure, he’s the type to have wheels within wheels and all kinds of schemes going on simultaneously, but... this one involves placing a lot of trust in Galli Rax going along with the script, and I just... don’t get why he would assume Rax would automatically go along with it, or be able to. There are just so many variables that the novel doesn’t seem to address and it’s just hard for me to imagine Palpatine doing this without making other/additional Contigencies, not just one.

Anyway, so it turns out “the Contingency” is to lure both the Imperial remnant and the New Republic fleets to Jakku and then literally blow the entire planet up to take everyone out at once, while a handful of specially chosen loyalist ride off in Palpatine’s Space Yacht for the Unknown Regions to form a new Empire. Which... okay, sure, why not. In theory, this sounds pretty cool and it involves all of Palpatine’s favor tricks, including a planet-destroying superweapon.

Where it actually breaks down is in the details, of course. And Palpatine is still dead, of course, so it does shit-all for him, except for some vindictive satisfaction while still alive, I guess. 

(And if he is planning on coming back, it seems weird to burn down the house you plan on re-occupying later? I guess? *shrugs*)

Anyway, it turns out that Palpatine has a whole network of Observatories, where he does all kinds of secret, evil things:

Palpatine began establishing the Observatories before the start of the Galactic Empire, infusing each with purpose: Some were meant to house ancient Sith artificats, others designed to host powerful weapons designs (or the weapons themselves), others still meant as prisons harnessing the lifeforces of those captured within for a variety of strange purposes.

(which, given that the Ashmead’s Lock prison on Kashyyyk is powered by its inhabitants’ life force a la The Matrix, strongly suggests that it, too, is an Observatory, although the book does not say that directly and canon will probably never mention the energy-harvesting thing again despite ALL OF THE QUESTIONS THE EXISTENCE OF SUCH TECH RAISES.)

I’m okay with this passage, because it means that the Maw Installation, the Eye of Palpatine, and Wayland are all part of this system. It feels very much in-character. However, only Jakku is part of the Contigency, at least according to Galli, but--tbh, I kinda doubt it, because when have we ever known Palpatine to tell the truth? Or have Only One Plan?

Anyway, for decades, the Observatory computers have been plotting a route through hyperspace into the Unknown Regions. (I thought this was something only Jedi could do, since they were supposedly hard-core Space Navigators? Otherwise, what was even the point? *shrugs* Why do you even need a “Sith Wayfinder” anyway? *cough cough*) Then there’s an obligatory Thrawn reference, since Thrawn is canon, but Rax is pretty dismissive and says that the only reason Palps tolerated Thrawn was for his secret navigational insights into the Unknown Regions.

So if Palps loses his original demesne, he’s just gonna go conquer the Chiss or something? Except he can’t, because he’s dead, so what ever. I don’t even know, okay? Does anyone know what happened to Thrawn or the Chiss post-OT in the Disney ‘verse??

Anyway, Palps is convinced there’s something in the dark side waiting for him out there, which Galli is dismissive of. You’d think a guy who had literally been Force-choked would be more accepting of this instead of assuming it was just wishful thinking, but okay then. This is pretty clearly meant to be an obvious Snoke reference, which gets wonky with the TROS retcon that Snoke was a clone-puppet of Palpatine the entire time!

Anyway, Rax gets Yupe Tashu all geared up with Secret Evil Sith Gear and a Magic Kyber Crystal and tosses him into the planet’s core, and it starts the self-destruct process. Except it doesn’t because Rae Sloane kills Rax at the last moment, puts a stop to it, and steals the yacht full of feral children and flies off into the sunset to carry on Rax’s master plan because the New Republic destroyed the Imperial fleet while she was distracted and she apparently is tired of all this shit? Okay.

Anyway, she makes a deal with Armitage Hux that she’ll keep Brendol from abusing him if he keeps the feral kids from attacking her, and apparently it works out. This is supposed to be the origin of the First Order, and I guess they find Snoke or something, but none of the details are ever explained in any material I can find, so.... *shrugs*

I just really don’t understand how the First Order can be functional under the conditions herein described and how it logically evolves from This One Ship to a massive, disciplined force capable of wiping out the New Republic.

So I finished the book and... was kind of mad, because it just felt like a complete waste of my time. Overally, this whole thing just seems like a lot of build-up that doesn’t go anywhere, and provides weird backstory that only raises more unaddressed questions for things that really didn’t need it. 

also, it’s darkly amusing to me that this book comes out saying, “yup, the ST is a literal game-board reset of the OT, and Palps fully intended for it to be that way, even though we at Disney had no plans to bring him back as a villain at first” and I just... well, props for honesty, I guess?

anyway, the whole thing is a mess from a world-building perspective, and even though Star Wars is Fake and In Space, I just get grumpy when things don’t line up, especially since that was supposed to be one of the major selling points of this new canon in the first place.

#star wars #WHY DISNEY WHY

[jackyjango]

Dark Phoenix Review

I saw Dark Phoenix yesterday and I wanted to bank in my reactions until Saturday, because many more would have watched the film by then, but it turns out that I’m not very good at keeping my opinions to myself. I almost didn’t sleep the whole night (which isn’t healthy. lol)

So I’ll empty my guts here and leave it. You can read it now, or after you’ve watched the movie or not at all. Life’s full of options.

Oh, and 1 more thing, spoilers come free with my opinions

Who is that man in a wheelchair with a bald head and? They say he’s Charles Xavier. Listen, you want to portray Charles in grey shades, be my guest. Charles does have many dark qualities. He’s prideful, he’s manipulative, but one thing he’s not is selfish. He wouldn’t put his interests before the lives of someone he loves and cares. In fact, one of Charles’ greatest downfall is that he loves and cares too much. The man who practically drunk himself to death over Raven leaving him doesn’t shed a tear when she dies, instead gives a speech on what a hero she was.That, to me is not Charles Xavier. You get to see the real Charles Xavier only for the first 5 and last 15 minutes of the film, which is quite a tragedy in itself.

Jean making Charles walk up a flight of stairs while he pleads for her to stop was SO painful to watch. I can hate this movie for that scene alone. Using Charles’ disability against him is all kinds of screwed up.

The Helmet and the wheelchair has become symbolic of Erik and Charles in a way. I understand Jean destroying both of those is metaphorical and all, but they could have done it without putting Charles through that pain and humiliation.

I absolutely don’t understand Raven’s characterisation. Now, she’s suddenly the one to lecture about family (She’s not Mystique anymore). Wasn’t she the one giving speeches on how they’re not kids anymore and that they need to fight and not hide behind walls? And suddenly, they’re kids all over again? (They’re in their late twenties for fuck’s sake) The friction between her and Charles is really tiring.

Telling a little girl that she was responsible for her mother’s death and that her father didn’t want her because he thought that she was a freak is apparently the right thing to do. Brave XMCU! Blaming Charles for hiding that truth away and sending them on dangerous missions while he stays back is a low blow (He didn’t think about himself when he passed out using the cerebro, did he Raven? Is that dangerous enough for you!!?) Urghhh! I won’t even understand that trajectory, so fuck it. It pisses me off to no end.

As I expected, the friction between Charles and Hank is just baseless. Blaming Charles for Raven’s death (come on man, that was an ACCIDENT!!!) and running away to kill Jean was contradicting. Because Raven dies trying to save Jean and Hank now wants to do everything that Raven would have done? (Uhhhh? Where is the logic, exactly?)

I don’t know who wrote that scene where Hank forces Charles to admit that Raven’s death was his fault, because I’m sure I’ll tear that person to shreds if I meet them) ‘Come on, man. Admit it. Admit it to me right now!’ It’s not a juvenile version of ‘Truth or Dare’ where you force your friend to admit that they have a crush on someone.

Hank and Erik “bonding” over the fact they both loved Raven. You know what, I don’t even want to get started on that shit trail.

Why portray Charles as an almost-alcoholic? Was it really required? What did you want to show? That he’s drowning his sorrows and short comings in alcohol.? Well, in order to do that, you have to portray his sorrows first, you geniuses. It’s some shitty story telling.

Why bring in the storyline of Quicksilver being Mag’s son when you’re not going to broach the topic at all? Not once, not even in passing.

Hey, you know what? I’m terrible at writing dialogues. I write shit dialogues. But I thought that I could write better dialogues than who ever has written it in this movie. And if I can write better than them, just imagine how bad it is: In no universe I know would Charles say things like, ‘Yep’ and ‘Damn it man’. And in no universe would Erik say, ‘Save your ‘old friend’ shit Charles’. Listen, Erik might be a lot of things, but he isn’t the one to disrespect relationships. Above all else, Charles is the only meaningful relationship he has in his life (and need not be in a romantic way). He would in no way disrespect it. ‘So… yeah, I have killed people’ IS THAT THE BEST DIALOGUE YOU COULD HAVE COME UP WITH, YOU IDIOTS!? Bad dialogues are not new to the X-Men movies, but the actors have always pulled them off. Some of them in this are so bad that even James and Michael sound stupid saying it.

Some scenes are so bad that I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. Jean just taking off after Raven dies. That’s so uncharacteristic!! You would shoo away a dog better than how Erik sends Jean away from Genosha.’Go! Leave now!’ Really? I almost died out of second hand embarrassment.

The aliens feel SO WEIRD in an X-Men movie. I thought I could get used to the idea, but… no. Didn't happen. You simply cannot associate aliens with an X-Men movie. Avengers, sure. Just not an X-Men movie. It’s not a bad thing necessarily, just weird.

No matter what, I can’t root for Jean and Scott’s relationship in this. The chemistry just falls flat. They look more like brother and sister. And since their relationship plays an important role, that whole branch of that arc doesn't entice me at all.

The trope of ‘someone important in Erik’s life dying to turn him bad again’ isn’t cute the fourth time around.

I knew the ending even before I went to see the movie, so I knew that Charles would leave his school to Scott (as it is in the comics), and I was thrilled at the prospect of cherik being canon. While I’m thrilled for the cherik ending, I feel like Charles was almost forced out of his own school. Okay, he lied to Jean to protect her from the truth, so what, he’s not fit to be a teacher anymore? He’s not the same man who guided and gave you guys a home and showed you how to control your powers, you ungrateful shits? There should have been some sort of closure where Charles chooses to retire voluntarily and says goodbye before leaving.

Well, there ARE some really good aspects to the movie as well. It’s not completely bad. I really enjoyed it in many ways:

The movie is actually centred around Jean, start to end. It shows her struggling with her powers and the story doesn’t stray away from her, so that’s definitely done better than last stand, where Jean was just a fuming bulldozer. I also love how powerful they’ve portrayed her to be.

Genosha is really nice and I especially like Erik’s flat/container/living situation. It’s very rusty and cool. Suits him (I would like that very narrow single bed to turn into a double bed once Charles is there) I also loved Erik’s and Charles’ wardrobes. (Though I prefer Charles in cardigans, suits do him good)

I didn’t like the fight sequence in New York because there were too many unwanted things going on, but I did like the fight sequence in the train. Mags especially! AWESOME!!

All of them fighting together. That’s what I always wanted.

The music is really good. But that’s expected from Hans Zimmers.

These movies would have hit rock bottom if not for the actors. Sophie is AMAZING!! Everyone as well. But Sophie stands out.

The officers in the train scene who are transporting the x-men are called ‘Mutant Containment Unit’. In short, they have MCU (also known as Marvel Cinematic Universe) plastered on their uniforms. Erik telling them ‘you need us’ was brilliant. If it was intentionally put in there, it’s a stroke of genius, else it’s just luck.

There’s a scene in the train sequence where Erik protects Charles, Scott and Jean by closing the compartment they’re in with metal. I literally clapped my hands. Similar to what Sir Ian did it in ‘Days of Future Past’. Not as obvious and grandiose in gesture as the ‘X’ in XMA, but it’s enough to satisfy my little cherik heart. 

I LOVED the chess proposal at the end!! And when Erik said, ‘You gave me a home once and I’d like to return the favour’ I think my heart exploded in my chest. If your OTP flirting with each other in the city of love while one proposes of moving in doesn’t make them canon, then I don’t know what does!!

In short, you’ll love the movie if you only love Jean Grey and Raven. If you love everyone else along with them, well…tough luck.

I said that I’ll be happy as long as they give me a cherik ending.

They did give me a cherik ending and all I want now is to read a fic where Charles and Erik are cuddled up on Erik’s very narrow bed while Erik re-assures Charles with kisses that nothing was his fault. (I’ve deleted the part where Charles loses his hair in XMA from my brain, so Charles still has his luscious locks intact in this fic I want to read)

It’s certainly a private joke to me that 19 years of X-Men ended with cherik being canon. The thing with X-Men, you can love it and hate it at the same time and somehow not get tired of it.

#dark phoenix #xmdp #cherik #spoilers #xmdp spoilers #i'm all for discussions when you watch the movie #but if you want to convince me that charles was wrong- don't even try #and that his characterisation is interesting or whatever they're calling it #don't even try because I won't get convinced #xmdp review #jackyj.txt

[ghostly-thorn]

Behind The Writing - 3 - Castling - Entering The Game

🎵 A bit of Ambiance 🎵

Well Hello!

Here we are again with a BTW post about this 3rd Chapter. If you’re here, I’m assuming you’ve already read it so no need for a spoiler warning.

And we start off with the meaning of the Title. “Castling”. It’s a move in Chess I found quite representative of Zera’s state in here. According to Wikipedia, it goes as follow: “A simultaneous move (the only one in chess) whereby king and rook move past each other”. In this metaphor, Rose is obviously the King (♔), whereas Zera is a mere Rook (♖). A Rook doesn’t have much value until the end of the game where it can deal some serious damage, as Zera will. But that’s not all, this very move implies that both the King and the Rook move past each other, something Zera and Rose have done in this Chapter. She hasn’t laid eye on him ever since he chased her down the corridor 7 years ago. And yet here they are, running into each other after the opening session. I thought this was a clever way to staart the Chapter and I’m sure you’ll love it

Moving on to the Wild Area. As I’ve told you, I played throughout the whole game and managed to map out all my Fic. Not only did I go through the whole story, I also went as far as to write EVERY TINY DETAILS. Not gonna lie, it was long and tiring, but worth it in the end and now 50% of the work is done, I only have to perfect my WIPs. That’s the cost of a realistic Fanfic... Anyway, I tried to make the Wild Area as vivid as possible and I’m positive I succeeded at it. Every Pokémon Zera encountered I’ve encountered in the game: The Combees, Hoothoots, Tyrogues and the Vileplum (It was even female as well!) Just to show you to the lengths I would go to to please you guys...

Let’s talk about Sonia. I know some of you might not like the way I wrote the interactions with us, but I assure you in the end she and Zera will become good friends, best friends even. It’s just that we’re at the very start of the adventure and Zera has a big crush on Leon, who seems not to have noticed. And Sonia’s so pretty, so cool, she has greater chance at winning the Champion’s heart than Zee. So of course she feels jealous and she has a hard time containing her contempt for the girl

I found it would be funny to have Sonia constantly shipping Hop and Zera together, much like a running gag.

Then she started twirling her hair nervously as she tried to imitate her grandmother with her brogue accent, cracking her voice from time to time like the Professor would… She was quite successful in her endeavour you might add.

-        “Those two young trainers are setting out on a journey, but what are you doing with your life?” ⌫ Can you hear it? Can you hear it? Maggie Smith in all her glory voicing our dear Magnolia. If you haven’t already, go check out my Voice Headcanons post. It’ll help you hear the characters’ voices I chose for them

-        “It’s a Pokémon Box link. It allows you to access the storage system while you’re on the road”

-        “Storage system ?”

-        “If you’re to catch more than 6 Pokémons, they’ll automatically be transferred to one of your boxes at the Pokécenter”

-        “But why would I do that?” (You asked, genuinely curious as to why people would enslave more Pokémons than they need) ⌫ Here we have Zera caring a great deal for Pokémons. She wishes not to capture more Pokémons that she needs, that’s why she’ll never complete her Pokédex. She’s too caring my girl...

I really enjoyed writing Hop and Zera’s trip throughout the Wild Area. In fact, I was so inspired I took me only an afternoon and I had written up 4K words already!!! Hop is this young and naive boy that sometimes puts himself in danger, whereas Zera is more collected and cool. I tried to balance it as I didn’t want neither to be superior to the other. They both have their personnalities set and there’s no other way. Hoped you liked it!

Also I really had fun writing the parts with Zera’s RotomPhone. I like to think that it was flawed in its design, or rather it grew a personnality (Like R2-D2 and C3P0 in Star Wars)

I sent a draft of the texting session with Leon to a friend and she loved it! I hope you did too cause It was really fun to write. Let me know if ou like the format or if I should change it. I figure the ✉ could be handy to let the reader now it was a text.

After describing the Wild Area I got to a point where I told myself: I HAVE to write some Camping session. And immediately my brain muled over all the tracks I had listened to in the past and it chose only one: Living Death from Nicholas Hooper. If it sounds familiar it’s that you’ve watched Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. This track comes from the scene where Harry and his class are brewing potions for the first time this year. Because Harry is in the possession of Snape’s book he brewed a perfect potion and earned the Felix Felicis. Anyway, back to Camping, I thought it was a fun and uplifting track to use and you’ve got to admit, the way Zera pitched her tent is quite magical wouldn’t you say?

Also the idea where Scorbunny kicks Zera inadvertedly came from this pic i saw. Credits to the artist.

There’s a whole deal I’ve written about “Misunderstood creatures”, firstly with that poor Duskull Zera encounters. It seemed to be avoiding the tower because it was afraid of Gengar’s mood swings. Yet, it found comfort in her, even went as to hurl in her arms. I like the thought of ghost pokemons being shunned away, and Zera being the one to see them for their true worth. Think about it, most ghost types Gym Leaders are either freaks or weirdos. And I think that’s unfair. All these spooky boys deserve some loving

I wanted to write a somehwat funny/scary part with Ghosts and the Tower was the perfect excuse to. At first I chose the Old Chateau theme from Diamond and Pearl (Forever in my heart, Sinnoh Lover all the way) but it wasn’t as haunting as I wanted to, I mean, not the way I was looking for. So I kept looking and contempted myself with the Theme from Sun and Moon. It’s eerie and sizzling, exactly what i was looking for

The hand on the shoulder is a nod to the Tower episode from the first season of the Pokemon anime, where I found out Gengar was the bestest of boys <3

WARNING FOR THE NEXT GIF, IT’S SCARY

“Us and our Kin” was the perfect theme to represent the ghost community. Over years, Gengar’s memory was twisted and he did not remember Zera, hence why he attacked her. I mentioned it in the text, but in the Alolan Pokédex entry it is said that Gengar was once human and that it’s looking for a companion. At this point I’m just making up stuff, but I think all Gengars have the potential to turn humans into their kin. And who knows, maybe that tower Gengar used to be human too?

I knew I wanted Gastly to evolve before she reached Motostoke. It was her highest level Pokémon, which makes sense since she’s had him for the longest time. I loved the whole “Hands coming out of nothing” deal. As you’ve found out later on, Haunter cares a great deal about his new hands. Even goes as to play with Zera’s hair, holding her shoulders or clapping for her. What a great friend...

Also, Gengar lifts off the other Haunter’s curse. According to their Pokédex entry, Haunter’s lick is deadly and their victim will shiver until they die. So Gengar runs his hand through Zera’s body and lifts off the curse. What a swell guy

Yet again, Zera shows true justice at heart by saving that Mareanie from her comrades. Beauty is relative, whereas the others shunned her away, Zee found true beauty in that danger urchin and decided to adopt her.

Zera trying to keep her cool as Sonia is harassing her yet again

Here’s Leon’s League Card that made Zera’s knees weak

and here is Zera’s

The Card’s a good way for me to talk about something I had trouble with...: her outfit!!! I had designed her apperance long before replaying the game, and upon returning to it I realized that the Motorcycle oufit is only available in Wyndon! (Well F-ck...). So I felt really down. All the screenshots I took were worthless, but for the sake of the story we’ll say that she DID buy the Motorcycle outfit and the Ghost Uniform in Motstoke (Though in my Chapter I mentioned she bought only the Cap and the Bag. She’ll get the outfit in Turrfield next chapter)

Here’s her Outfit for the rest of the Game. Make sure you remember it, I won’t get back to it everytime

Oh yeah. I always found creepy how Nurse Joy would always wish you to come again heal your Pokémons. Maybe It’s cause I’m a Nurse myself, I don’t know, but can we agree that’s she’s wishing for our Pokémons to get injured again? That’s not very Nurse-like...

Zera when people mention how great her father is...

Zera whenever she sees Leon

I wonder why I mentioned the Libero ability... 👀

A few people were gathered at the entrance, including some weirdo disguised in a Pokeball. As you approached him, he stopped you in your tracks, rather stood in front of you (rude) and offered you a Pokeball before shouting a “Tadah!”. You gave him an annoyed look, not being in the mood and said

-        “Oh wow, a pokeball, how convenient”

He slightly moved his head, triggered, as if to “Listen here you little shit” you but then he carried on his thingie, unfazed. ⌫ Memes... They’re great. Why not use them?

You were too busy staring at the young boy. He seemed to notice as he scoffed and then said to you

-        “Didn't your parents ever teach you it's wrong to stare at people?”

Your eyes narrowed and you retorted with a dangerous voice.

-        “They taught me other things that were far more useful...” ⌫ By that, Zera meant she’s learned a great deal from her parents. From her mother, a former thief, she learned how to pick locks and fight back even in the most dire situations. And from her father, she learned that mankind is able of the worst. By answering this to Bede she’s actually telling the truth

I’m a Virgo. So Number 7 has always had a great significance for me. and since Zera and I share the zodiac sign, well I couldn’t chose any other number.

Marnie was the only girl to be decent as Zera as she entered the locker room. Whereas the other girls were gossiping about you and how you came to be endorsed by the Champion, Marnie was just sitting in a corner (you might have guessed it) listening to her older brother's new Album. Once again, if you haven't seen my Voice Headcanons post, I invite you to do so as in it Piers is voiced by Jonathan Davis, the singer of Korn.

To add further into Marnie's character, at least my depiction of it, I like to think of her as this quiet girl that doesn't speak much, but when she does, boy you better hide. We later on see what happens to those Team Yell Grunts!

The Hear Me Roar part was actually a post I made a few days ago. I wasn't sure whether I was going to keep it or not, but I ended up doing so. It would be such a waste not to use Ramin Djawadi's talent

Then you heard voices in your back. The first melted your heart, and the second instantly froze it like the Winds of Winter  ⌫ Get it? I know someone gets it...

BOY!!!!! I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO WRITE THE FIRST "ENCOUNTER" WITH ROSE AND I DID NOT DISAPPOINT. Words came to me so easily, it was witchcraft I swear! I Hope you loved it, because man it was fun writing it. I wanted it to be some kind of psychological stand off "à la Kira vs L" from Death Note, but I didn't go much further because Rose was in a hurry. But you just wait till we reach the Hulbury Chapter "Deceiving Waters". In the game, the MC meet up with Rose at the seafood restaurant yes? Well, for your greatest please, I'm going to drag out this scene and make Rose so inquisitive you'll swear he has unmasked even you the reader. Stay Tuned friends!

Also, Rose has an old looking phone because I was thinking since he's a CEO he could fall victim to corporate espionnage. also, call me crazy, but i thought of Putin and the whole "we're being watched deal" we had a few years ago. We found out the NSA was spying on everyone, including Merkel, Macron and so on and Putin merely laughed at their faces because he had one of those old f-cking phones. Yeah... not comparing Rose to Putin, but still... fun fact.

Seeing that the silence was becoming more and more embarrassing, Leon was about to furnish the discussion when suddenly an inhuman confidence took over you. You put on your most delicate smile and extended your hand to him.

-        “Chairman… It’s, such an honour” ⌫ Zera growing so confident she makes her dead momma proud...

Zera seeing Sonia again at the Hotel being like: “aha-ha... not you again”

Zera's too tired to deal with Team Yell's sh-t, hence why she tackles them head on. I felt the Chapter was already long enough as it was, so I didn't drag out on the battle. I mean, even in the game they last like 2 minutes and then you're done. I did want to make it more realistic, that's why I had Scorbunny use an Ember that caused ACTUAL DAMAGE to the property. Also, I mentioned he used High-Jump Kick. For those who don't know, It cannot learn it on its own. It's learned only through breeding, and all my Pokémons are competetively bred.

(as mentioned earlier on, Zera has the outfit I shared, not the one on this pic)

Here’s Morpeko being cute as ever. Protec the smol rodent boi

You’ve guessed it: Marnie has a crush on Hop. Oh boy, so many love triangles...

Boy... I promised you I would give you Raihan, AND I DELIVERED! I hope you contained your orgasms (as requested from me last time). I put a tag on my AO3, but here might as well be a reminded that "My" Raihan is a cocky bastard who cares about nothing else but ladies. He's a player. He knows how to flirt, and how to make women weak for him. He has yet to do that with Zera as we'll see in further Chapters (Even dedicated Chapter 7 to him only).

To finish with this Behind The Writing, here are a bunch of pictures that inspired me to write him that way

Fiddling on his phone as Zera opens the door

Noticing that she’s here

Sitting on his lap

Flirty mode enabled. Current objective updated: make this fangirl faint.

Waltzing in, not caring at all about the fainted girl.

Changing her phone background with a selfie where he does a peace sign. What a troll

Exchanging a beer with a friend (1)

Exchanging a beer with a friend (2)

Granting her one last hug before leaving

Aaaaaand that’s it lads. This marks the end of my Behind The Writing post. I hope you enjoyed it, maybe you’ve even picked on my every references, who knows.

Y’all take care and see you for the next chapter: 4 - The Turrfield Gym - Uplifting Roots

#pokemon #pokemon sword and shield #fanfic #fanfiction #writing #behindthewriting #3