#who doesn't need to but he's still out leading his troops into battle

[andy-clutterbuck]

Rick Grimes Season 1 | Season 11

#my Precious Little Woodland Creature became The Great King of the Forest #Rick Grimes #twdedit #* #rg #S1 #S11 #gray hairs are sustenance #i don't make the rules #they just are #the apocalypse added so much flavor #like a gracefully aging king #who doesn't need to but he's still out leading his troops into battle #AND THE BEARD ON HIS CHIN WAS AS WHITE AS THE SNOW

[smhalltheurlsaretaken]

I've said all of this stuff already but I'm pissed rn and it's therapeutic to type it out:

Maul's presence on Mandalore in TCW s7 is NOT a priority. The political situation on Mandalore, while shitty, has been the same for the civilian population since s5, with or without Maul there. Things can wait a bit.

Sure, capturing Maul is possibly time sensitive (since they don't know how long he'll be on-planet), but taking back Mandalore isn't. If Maul leaves before they show up the planet is just as easy to take. Bo-Katan is using his presence as an incentive because she doesn't have the necessary forces to win, whether or not he's there. The situation is only urgent for her because if Maul leaves then the Republic has no reason to help her cause. The situation is not urgent for Mandalore because, again, it's been the same for basically a year - Maul's presence has little impact on the people, his forces are the problem and they have never left.

The Republic didn't "refuse" to help after s5, they just had no more reason to. Almec is still legitimately Prime Minister (accepted by the people) and Mandalore is an independent sovereign system that has spent actual years refusing outside interference. The second Maul bails "helping" goes back to being called "invading".

Capturing Maul is also not even a priority to the Republic (Republic =/= Jedi Order) because Palpatine ordered the Jedi to stop bothering with him in s5. Officially Maul is 'just' a crime lord, and he's not allied with the Separatists or even attacking the Republic. It's well established in TCW that the Jedi don't have the manpower to deal with the underworld anymore. What's the point of dismantling black markets and crime rings if the planet gets bombed into oblivion the next day? Priorities.

The Jedi can't do what they want with Republic resources. As awful as it is, the Clones belong to the Republic. The Jedi can be ordered to pull out of a situation whenever the Senate pleases. (see above)

Capturing Maul (what would be the Jedi's goal going to Mandalore) would really best be accomplished somewhere he doesn't have all his forces backing him up (again, confronting there is for Bo-Katan's benefit because her own goal isn't just to capture Maul but to beat his forces which she wants the Republic to do for her)

The Battle of Coruscant is ABSOLUTELY a pivotal point in the war and the main priority. The second the Separatists show up above the Republic's central seat of power? The political and military capital? The most densely populated planet in the Galaxy? It's time to drop literally everything else. The Senate is there. The Temple is there. A LOT of their troops are stationed there. There are hundreds of thousands of billions of people living there. Even pulling forces out of allied worlds to go help Coruscant wouldn't be a dick move, just a desperate one - nevermind waiting to send troops to a neutral-on-a-good-day-and-more-or-less-enemy-the-rest-of-the-time world.

The Jedi don't even refuse to help.

They don't.

Why am I typing all of this to defend their refusal to help? They don't refuse to help.

Obi-Wan wants to take a hot minute to THINK ABOUT the implications of going guns blazing into neutral sovereign territory to confront a dude who has an extremely personal vendetta against him and is known to set traps of precisely this kind. (And Obi-Wan is right to consider these things because HEY! IT IS A TRAP! MAUL SLAUGHTERS A BUNCH OF CLONES AS A BREADCRUMBS TRAIL TO LEAD SOMEONE HE HOPES TO BE OBI-WAN INTO A TRAP!)

Obi-Wan also answers to the rest of Council, just like every other Council member. Bo-Katan gets pissy that he's not giving an answer right that instant because SHE needs Maul to still be there, but thinking things through is literally Obi-Wan's job description.

And after all this, after the attack on Coruscant and the political considerations, THE JEDI DON'T EVEN REFUSE TO HELP.

The Mandalorian traditionalists' favorite pastime is attempting to kill Jedi. Not too long ago, Bo was right there when Pre was trying to kill Obi-Wan. And then trying to kill Ahsoka. And then allying with the Sith (who notoriously want to kill all the Jedi) on two separate occasions (Dooku and Maul). The Mandos PRIDE THEMSELVES on hating the Jedi. There has never been in canon an instance of a Prequels-era Mando warrior helping a Jedi out for altruistic motives.

Bo-Katan is appealing to the Order's decency (saying that her people suffer etc etc) but she doesn't even have the honesty to couch it as a real, desperate plea for help. Instead she presents the situation as transactional, as though she was bringing anything concrete onto the table. If the Republic comes in, takes Mandalore for her and captures Maul, she has contributed to the effort how, exactly? What has she given the Republic? How many people fight for her is left pretty vague but we really don't see that many of them. Plus it's her planet. Fighting for it isn't her giving the Republic anything, it's still her helping herself. And yet she gets incredibly pissed when Obi-Wan takes time to examine the 'deal.'

In light of the two previous arguments, the Jedi would in fact have been perfectly justified in telling Bo to eat some freaking humble pie.

THE JEDI. DON'T REFUSE. TO HELP.

Sure it's Obi-Wan specifically who okays the operation, before the rest of the Council can make a decision, but do they order the troops to pull out afterwards? Nope. Do they sanction him? Nope.

They do help.

They really shouldn't have let Bo-Katan in charge but hey, they get all massacred after that and the Republic's backing is literally what gives Bo-Katan legitimacy in the eyes of many clans for decades after (see the Protectors' position in Rebels. Her legitimacy stems from SATINE'S and the Republic apparently backing her up as Satine's heir. It's not from kicking Maul out.)

(I love Bo-Katan as a character but as a person she's. huh. a lot. She changed from outright villain to morally gray character because the villains got a lot worse not bc she got better lmo)

So the Jedi absolutely did help afgfdsdfgfdsdfd why are people getting pissy about Obi-Wan - who has a complicated history with Mandalore that involves a loved one getting murdered in front of his eyes by Maul - hesitating to help

They really didn't refuse to help.

They really had every reason to

It would have been perfectly reasonable in fact

Yeah they have a mandate to protect innocent people but there were a lot more innocent people on Coruscant

Innocent people who did want their help instead of yelling GTFO every time they showed up

Because the Mando civilians sure didn't want them there

Oh and also? They didn't refuse to help

#jedi order #tcw season 7 #siege of mandalore #bo-katan kryze #darth maul #obi-wan kenobi #long post #meta #my meta #more like me ranting #sw talk #the great siege of mandalore diatribe

[nevis-the-skeleton]

Would Starscream make a good leader?

So today I'm going to answer a new question about Starscream. Yes I really like this character, so it's often on him that I do analyses X). Anyway ! The question is: Would Starscream make a good leader?

Here, I will answer on each series that I know, except RID15 since it's linked to TFP. So, I will be presenting on these series: G1, Animated, Prime, and Cyberverse.

*

G1:

First, the G1! So I honestly think yes, he could be a good leader. In Decepticon logic. Let me explain. Starscream is rather quite head-burned in this series, it's true, as well as a little oblivious sometimes (not to say often).

But that is what is expected of a soldier, and especially of the leader of the Seekers. If he doesn't set an example for his troops, it's not Thundercraker and Skywarp who will go into battle, very clearly…

The Decepticons need a leader who does not hesitate to fight, and Starscream never hesitates, he is even the first indignant when Megatron sounds the retreat. In fact, the G1 Starscream is the bravest of the Starscreams. The only thing that seems to scare him is Megatron (and still, not that much).

He proved himself capable of creating effective plans, and his scientific knowledge kept the Decepticons out of terrible trouble.

Also, I remember an episode where everything went wrong with the Decepticons, mainly because Megatron was not there, but also Starscream, because of Blitzwing and Astrotrain. And just because the leader and the SIC were absent it became a huge mess!

To summarize: Astrotrain created an army of trains, Blitzwing took a football field hostage, and the Constructicons created a large labyrinth, at the request of Blitzwing. And in the end, it ended in a general fight against Blitzwing and the Constructicons. While Astrotrain was flooding the city…

Starscream and Megatron were out for an hour maximum, and the other Decepticons had time to do all this disaster…

Also, some of those who reblogd my blog "Why Megatron keeps Starscream in his ranks" talked about a theory that said Megaton didn't kill Starscream, because he kept him always alert. And that if Starscream was able to defeat Megatron, that would mean the Seeker deserved the place of leader. Well, of course this is a theory that can clearly only work in the G1… In Prime, that would greatly surprise me, and let's not talk about the other series. But, in the G1, it could easly be true. It's in fact a really good theory.

But, therefore, that would mean that Megatron sees leadership potential in Starscream, otherwise he wouldn't give him a chance of living.

* Animated:

Next, let's see for Animated. So, I'll be honest: no, he clearly wouldn't make a good leader… I remind you that he isn't even capable of managing his clones…

And those are just parts of himself, so kind of like him. Plus, there are some that aren't necessarily insubordinate, but the original Starscream can't even handle those…

Imagine the carnage it would be with an entire army… Not to mention that as soon as Megatron “died” all the Decepticons jumped ship, leaving Starscream in the lurch… He's a strong fighter, but he hasn't really shown anything that proves any form of leadership abilities.

*

Prime:

Now let's see for the Starscream from Transformers Prime. So, my answer is simple: yes definitely! There's no doubt that he would make a good leader. In fact, the only thing stopping him from being one are his doubts and psychological issues, most of them because of Megatron.

Without Megatron, Starscream has proven to be far more capable and gifted. It's Megatron who blocking him, but in truth, he would surely make a better leader than him.

As a reminder, he lead the Decepticons for 3 years on Earth. He allowed them to have one of the most thriving energon mines, he didn't specifically mess with the Autobots for a long time, simply because it wasn't necessary. In fact, prior to Megatron's return, the Decepticon cause was doing extremely well. And even better.

Also, if Starscream led the Decepticons during Megatron's absence, it was because the latter asked him to. Megatron realizes that Starscream is capable of leading, if he wasn't, he would never have given him leadership. Whatever Megatron says afterwards, telling him that Starscream mishandled things. It was clearly a lie to belittle Starscream, so that the latter would lose the self-confidence he had regained during the absence of the leader of the Decepticons.

But it could also indicate that Megatron sees Starscream as a threat. I think that's why Megatron hurts Starscream so badly it's because even if the Seeker is power hungry, he would still make an excellent leader, and Megatron know it.

Not to mention that Starscream was a political leader of Vos, and the Commander of the Seekers on Cybertron. He has leadership experience, no doubt on that. Also, he was the one who created most of the attack plans, not Megatron. He is practically the mastermind of the Decepticons, Megatron is just the representation.

Without forgetting that when things degenerate, Starscream is aware that it's not necessary to be stubborn! Kof Like facing a space bridge that explodes Kof. So, even if Megatron is intelligent, it does not prevent Starscream from being more thoughtful and less oblivious than him (running away from a space bridge which is about to explode is not cowardice but common sense).

*

Cyberverse:

And finally, Cyberverse. So in the series, after "killing" Megatron, he seemed incapable of making decisions. When the others asked him what to do, he just looked confused.

But I just feel like the directors forgot he's the leader of the Seekers. In addition, he seems to be perfectly respected by them. So if he can lead the Seekers, why can't he lead the Decepticons? Even though it was quite comical, I still found it quite strange. The Seekers are still more loyal to Starscream than to Megatron, so that means they respect his leadership, right? * So, it can be concluded that basically Starscream has the abilities to be a leader, and even a good leader. It's just that his own issues and flaws prevent him from fully reaching that potential. * So, that was my answer on a few series. Of course I can't answer all of them, simply because there are some that I haven't seen ^^; … But, whatever X).

Do not hesitate to suggest me analyzes that you would like me to do ;). Have a nice day (～￣▽￣)～.

#tfp #transformers prime #starscream #tfp starscream #tf g1 #transformers g1 #g1 starscream #tf animated #tfa #tfa starscream #starscream cyberverse #tf cyberverse #cyberverse #analyse #leadership #starscream can be a good leader #particulary in Prime #and G1 #maccadam

[felixcloud6288]

Fullmetal Alchemist Chapter 107

I've never commented on any of the title pages but I really want to talk about the one for this chapter.

When I first saw this image, I made it my computer background for a long while. There's just something about people coming together for a united and just cause that makes me emotional.

And there's just the wonderful touch that this includes EVERYONE who is united under this cause, including those who could not or did not make it. We can see the hands (and hairbun) of Hughes, Foo, Havoc, Pinako, Winry, Buccaneer, and ...

KIMBLEE!?! So yeah, Pride's actions last chapter disgusted Kimblee so much that he opted to throw his full support (meager as it was for he was just a single soul in Pride's body at that point) into stopping Father. If he was still alive, he more than likely would have fought alongside the heroes in the final battle.

An alternate joke interpretation: They're all playing rock-paper-scissors and Xiao Mei won cause she was the only one who chose paper while everyone else chose rock.

What's the point of having powers if you can't use them for more mundane purposes like protecting yourself from bits of debris.

And that's a nice little detail that Greed is protecting Lanfan from it as well. He doesn't get along with her at all, but he's still going to protect her because it's just in his nature.

And look at the elegant craftmanship that could only be created by the beauty of Alex Louis Armstrong's Alchemy.

Olivier Mira Armstrong finally trusts her brother to lead.

There is so much out-of-context Royai bait this chapter.

Major General Armstrong didn't get the memo that Scar is on her side. Her troops all have guns pointed at him.

Now that there's nothing else for her to do, Olivier is able to take time to process Buccaneer's death and grieve.

Before there was Smash Ultimate, this fight was where the phrase "Everyone is Here!" applied. Anyone who could make it participated in the final battle and it was the most hype thing ever.

Imagine you're playing an RPG where you only ever get to use 5 party members max during the whole game. Then you go into the final battle and you pick your 5 mains. And when you press Confirm, a message pops up saying "All party members must be selected."

This is a fight where the hype is due to how everyone is getting to participate. And it does an excellent job because the entire strategy is keep Father on the defensive and burn out his stone. He cannot attack and defend at the same time so it will take a whole army to beat him because anything less will not be able to keep up the consistent pressure.

Once again, I feel like a page is missing in the chapter. Ed is pinned and Father is going to try stealing his soul. And Al immediately decides to trade his soul so Ed can regain his arm. Maybe I'm just spoiled because the final battle in the anime managed to be even more hype and we have a scene of Al screaming and trying to crawl his way toward Father only to realize his bloodrune was about to be damaged by the crack in his armor.

He understands his soul is about to get separated permanently, so he might as well use it to give Ed a fighting chance.

Every shot of Ed's right shoulder after really makes me wince. The metal socket for his automail is still there. His arm was just attached over it. He's going to need surgery after this is over.

Ed transmuted the exact same spear he made in chapter 1 and he finally got to use it.

And seeing all this, this "ultimate power" being utterly defeated and everyone putting their hopes on Ed, Greed has a moment of self-reflection.

He's spent his life trying to get that power Father has gained, and it is nothing. But he hears everyone cheering Ed on and he realizes that's what he'd like.

Greed is his own person, but he still has many of Father's faults. In particular, he can't feel content with anything because he's always looking up at those with more than him.

He wishes he had friends and companionship so strong that everyone would put their trust in him.

I used the below image and NASA's simulation of the 2023 eclipse to estimate how long it took the heroes to beat Father.

He was defeated roughly 35 minutes after achieving a goal he'd spent over 350 years working toward.

back

#fullmetal alchemist reread #fullmetal alchemist

[wheneclipsefalls]

Can we know a little more of Tamil and Pulo?

Yes of course! I love answering questions, especially ones about some of my original characters. I'm not sure what exactly you want to know but here is some random tid bits about them.

Tamil, Pulo, and Kxolo have been friends since childhood. When they were younger they were known for causing a lot of mischief (unfortunate for Kxolo who had a harsh father that was constantly putting him back into line, reminding him that he is future Olo'eyktan). They've stayed close and developed a friendship with Epok over the years.

Both Tamil and Pulo serve high rankings in the clan, each acting as unofficials second in commands to Kxolo, however they have different strengths. Pulo is known for his ability to motivate and rally troops, captivating an audience with his motivational speeches and screeching war cries. He has done more than his fair share of leading groups of warriors into battles when needed, although their clan has only had the very ocassional disturbance from the Sky People. Tamil's strengths too are related to combat, being known for his stealth and efficency in the heat of battle, but this is a side of himself he prefers not to share unless necessary. He prefers to involve himself instead with the day to day negotiations and preparations required to keep the village running smoothly. He is the first man Kxolo wants by his side when discussing matters with other clans. Although, not a usually talkative male, Tamil has a calming presence and ability to craft sentences carefully that can put others at ease.

Tamil is a gentle and sensitive alpha. He only sheds blood when necessary, a thought that crosses his mind more often now that he has a mate and daughter to worry about. His daughter is only a few months old and her name is Vili. As a first time father he constantly worries that he is not doing things properly. He spent more than his fair share of time listening to the women in his life, in search of every tid bit that would help him. His mate had to reassure him over and over that Eywa would guide him when the time would come but that doesn't stop him from doing everything in his power to prepare for the small angel. Now, he makes sure to balance his responsibilites and social life with his home life. He is not afraid to sneak away from the circle of his friends at the sight of his gorgeous mate holding that energetic bundle of joy. Tamil isn't quiet out of shyness, but rather he knows how to determine which things are worth saying. All of that goes out the window though if his daughter is brought up. He bosts about every milestone that his little Vili has accomplished in the few months, showing off each songchord bead to aid his stories.

Pulo and his mate have been married for almost a year now and their relationship is very much so fire meets fire. She pushes him in a way that no one else can, finally finding ways to get under his skin. They grew up together, training in the same groups. He considers himself someone with thick skin. People can tease and poke at him all day long, but it does nothing to shatter his confidence. However, Resaal was known to flare his temper to new extremes throughout their adolescence. Her ability to achieve every warrior milestone better and sooner than him was a great sore spot while growing up. He can still remember the cocky wink she sent him after surfacing back on her new ikran after he had failed his iknamaya. His temper would simmer to a boil while she would simply send him coy smiles and prance along the village with the grace of an etherial being. It took him getting over his own adolescent pride and stubborn feuds to finally admit his feelings for her. Although, the entire village saw it coming, especially Kxolo who teased him about it constantly. Now they are considered the ultimate power couple, training and strategizing together. Most of their sparring ends in sensual love making, no matter the scene. Now, she is currenly on an expedition to the south, protecting a group of Na'vi that are harvesting special herbs collected yearly for invaluable medicines. He misses her greatly, but his best distraction is interacting with his friends and focusing on work.

Both males are ecstatic to finally see their friend that has suffered through so much, find happiness.

Let me know if you have any specific questions, but hopefully this gives a little more insight.

#ma neteyam #neteyam fanfiction #sub neteyam

[sombredancer]

Some 27-36 episodes critique

Although I ADORE this drama and absolutely IN LOVE with it, I have some critique to say (because this beautiful thing could be more beautiful).

First 26 episodes of drama are perfect, I can`t say anything against. But then the tempo of storytelling rushes forward and the timing of scenes goes wibbly-wobbly. And it causes some problems:

💔 After a huge catharsis in ep. 26, instead of solving the main problem that disturbs heroes from being together, the plot revolves around Girl being future Moon Queen. But the conflict is still running and Girl didn't take Devil's side in it! There should be more political things in order to solve the main problem. Girl could try to convince Changheng in nessesarity to stop the war (since he became friends with Devil and knows that demons didn't kill 3000 immortal soldiers. The friendship with Devil is a Chekhov gun that unfortunately didn't fire). Maybe there could be somehow solved the problem of Changheng mother's crime or even of the betrayal of the First Moon Supreme. Instead of it there was a bunch of unnessesary masochistic acts and sufferings (and screenwriters even forgot about bone-piercing spikes immediately after showing us their effect). Not to mention the fact that receiving of these spikes and spitting out the antidote against Heart Curse is the biggest act of stupidity of a man who knows that everyone in Demon Realm wants to kill him if he is weak and that the war against his people can start at any moment. So, 12 hours per day he was being unable to lead his troops and at the time of Fuju Cave he is 24 out of 24 hours was unable to do something and even to defend himself.

💔 The Battle in ep. 31 is not epic enough and ends up in a strange way. They all were dead and then they are resurrected. They respect Goddes of Xishan but will it stop them from proceeding? Devil is in coma, Heavenly Emperor is still prejudiced and would take an opportunity to wipe demons away for good. So why did this truce start? I need more screen time for explanation.

💔 If there is a truce, show us widows who get their husbands back from the battlefield! It`s quite more interesting than half-of-episode-Jieli's-family-problems. 💔 Speaking of Jieli, the plot line about her being daughter of a fairy and a demon leads to nowhere. It didn't help to get peace between tribes, her father didn't persuade Heavenly Emperor not to kill demon people out of love for his daughter and lover, demon sister didn't force Danyin to do something to prevent war. This plotline is useless and takes too much time out of the main story in the final series. Jieli's story is fine, but everything in the scenario should work for the main story and this plotline doesn't. I would explain about Jieli`s fate much shorter.

💔 Demons are nice. Even little jerk Xunfeng is very loyal. Their Lord is not almighty anymore and tries to commit suicide because his heart is broken and they all respect him anyway and are not trying to kill him and take his place now, when the situation is not fatal anymore. Why then it was stated at the beginning of the story that demons adore only power and will kill everyone for it? I saw many viewers were nice surprised that Xunfeng was not hypocrite but this sudden loyalty of all demons feels unrealistic according to the rules of this certain universe. 💔 I don't think that «Oh, Chidi was right, it's Melkor!» and «Oh, Dongfang Qingcang is demon but can drive compassionate fire, not all demons are scum» was enough for Heavenly Emperor to change his mind. I understand that it`s uncommon for Chinese dramas to punish Emperor for his mistakes, but I definitely needed more intrigues at the Heavenly Court. Maybe Changheng should have stood up for his friend Devil (because in this drama is was stated that they are friends but no one did anything friend-like for another). Maybe Changheng should have found out the truth about his mother's crime or betrayal of the first Moon Supreme that could solve some misunderstanding between tribes. (It was hinted that there was something interesting behind GoW's mother's and Demon Tribe founder's stories but it never played out.) Or even more, Changheng could show to everyone that his brother is hypocrite who wants to achieve his goals even if it means to kill those who are not guilty and Jieli`s father and Danyin could support GoW to overthrown his brother. 💔 I think it should be known by viewers pretty earlier that Melkor wants to posess an immortal body and there are only two of them – Chidi's and Qingcang's. It would make suspense thicker and a tragedy of Rong Hao deeper. And I would give them more screen time to show that Chidi is strongly against her reviving at such cost. 💔 The moment when demons come to save Three realms by Devil`s order (to kill him) is nice but looks not so epic as it could. I would like to see that before demon reinforcement came fairies were exhausted and half dead, they were near to failure. So it would cause more feelings in viewers. 💔 Returning of Qingcang's powers was not epic enough. Only by rewatching it for the fourth time I understood that Girl wakes his consciousness up and he drives his new Fire to take Melkor aback for some moments. I would give this fight more time. (Here is a pretty complicated situation – this fire should be activated because of great love and to be seen by Heavenly Emperor in order to stop him being such a jerk, but in the moment when it appears, the main hero is Girl, so Devil can't rise and shine. So maybe it should be just an extended scene of Devil resisting Melkor.) 💔 In this drama there were a lot of hints (Chekhov guns) that didn't play out. The most memorable for me – the pill against every type of poision that Devil gives to Girl as betrothal gift. I waited for Jieli to steal it to cure herself. Why didn't she? And another thing: that was stated that only one who can defeat Melkor (when there is no Goddess) is Devil and, besides, his Fire can cleanse everything evil. But when his Fire came back even more powerful than before, he couldn`t fight Melkor, he only won a few moments of consciousness for himself. Why?

💔 It stated that Goddess' powers should be activated after her marriage (OK, let's leave the mechanics of it aside). It was activated in the final battle while she was kissing possessed Devil, but we couldn`t see it in a full glory. The same green light was in mortal realm when she protected Devil from evil spirits, nothing special. Why?

💔 Devil's Blood of Heart coming to Girls hand is a nice visual parallel with Xishan grass seed coming right into Devil's (not Changheng's!) hand, but I didn't understand why. It would be more logical (and more soul-tearing), if Girl would fight for it in that Galactic Mind Palace or would go to mourn her beloved into Demon Realm and would find there in some of Devil's caskets Bone Orchid bracelet. At last it would be better than this straightforward cheating with «Look! Everyone's primordial spirit vanishes without trace and only Devil left a huge piece of his! How mysterious!». 💔 I would like to watch Girl raising his soul, talking to it, making magic/healing manipulations just as we saw him doing it for her (and it was nice). 💔 I would like to see a normal epilogue. These 42 seconds of reunion feel like a fever dream of a poor Girl. (The same feeling I have got when I watched «Blue Whisper». I absolutely sure that merman made his girlfriend up inside his mind at the very end while waiting for her to come back out of volcano and no one can make me change my mind). This type of endings is very typical for Chinese xianxia dramas (It is some kind of curse indeed, only «Love and Redemption» ended in satisfying way). Maybe it`s the attempt to sit on two chairs: HE-lovers could see here HE and BE-lovers could see here BE, but I would like to see 20 minutes more of what happened after their reunion.

💔 Because of what I said above the ending of the story doesn`t bring the cathartic feelings. I think that the end of the mortal story arch was more satisfying and the battle in ep. 31 was more epic (still not enough, but though) than the very end of the story. These beautiful characters and the whole awesome story deserved better! I had higher expectations from the ending of this drama because first 26 episodes were P.E.R.F.E.C.T. so I was a little bit upset. But even if I have some critique to voice, the scenario was adorable, so many things were tied up together and mirrored each other! I don`t know if I ever can write something so well played out! These are not screenwriter problems. These are scene timing problems.

I LOVE to chat, so feel free to write your opinion to me.

#love between fairy and devil #苍兰诀 #cdrama #cang lan jue #critique #opinion #iqiyi drama #clj #lbfad #SDaboutLBFAD

[dragoncharming]

The problem with the final arc of A Journey to Love is that it steps on the face of the previous 85% of the show. They make it explicitly clear that they're in this mess because emperor made 3 critical errors:

not properly utitlizing intelligence assests.

casualities should be avoided wherever possible. when not possible, exchange each drop of blood for maximum results.

don't let commanding officers run around in the middle of the battlefield bc they want to.

And then guess what the last few episodes consists of? Did we follow any of our own instructions.* How many strategy meetings and information reports are there? The main characters are spies, agents, assassins, and guards. They are not rank-and-file soldiers so the show should not be about slamming a block of soldiers against the other guy's block of soldiers and seeing who dies faster.

Starting from when they arrive in He County, the initial confrontation, yes, should be messy. The command doesn't fully believe them yet and they are scrambling to get prepared. But that encounted lasted three days. So after the first night, a scene where they are debating how many of the few Liudao hall members they have to send out to gather information and sabotage vs. how many to keep to guard the emperor. Second day goes a little differently. Yuan Lu had time to build things and Sun Lang advised the local commanders on rearranging some of their formations. Then when we get to the third day's strike on the prince, it follows from the build up they've been working towards.

The finale should be a microcosm of the show. We have hostages and we have a king for Ruyi to put a sword to. This is a greatest hits concert, bangers only, with the whole gang working together. War table with everyone around it. They get intelligence from their field agents there are hostages. Li Tongguan does immediately try to rush out of the room calling for troops, but he's stopped by Ning Yuanzhou before he can leave with a "Then what? So you can watch them get slaughtered?" and a laugh. This confrontation and relationship growth happens here.

Everyone working together towards a singular goal. Li Tongguan does lead the army out to ensure that suspicions aren't raised. Yang Ying comes over before he heads to make sure his acting is on point. The Crimson Guard follow Ren Ruyi to slip behind enemy lines. Liudao Hall gets the hostages out. It's still cool badass battle scenes, but just change it to half the artillery hitting the wall and half blowig themselves up because they've already been spiked.

I'm not saying it needs to be a flawless victory. It's a story about the serious cost that war and even peace has on the people in charge of protecting that peace. Great, love that, but that doesn't have to mean everyone dies. Their happy ending, retired and disabled, not silent and "remembered" as heroes but messy and real. There is poety in that.

Yu Shisan, the archer and lover of beauty, going through the rest of his life blind. Qian Zhao, unbending, rolling around the Imperial Palace in a wheelchair because his spine is not going to recover. Sun Lang, everyone else's defense, not able to hold a shield again because when he threw his shield to cover Yu Shisan he could only catch the arrows aimed for him in his own arm. Not to mention, an emperor they so badly needed to write an edict not able to write again for years or even ever due to the burns on his hands.

Ning Yuanzhou was introduced pretending to be dead on a battlefield. How else is his arc supposed to end, other than him hiding among the dead again, except this time he is found by people hoping he is alive.

*Li Tongguan caveat. It is, in fact, good characterization for him to lose rationality over sentimentality. However, we can simply do that in a different frame.

#anna watches cdramas #listen it's not that i want to rewrite the entire thing. i kept a surprising amount of canon #i just want to change... A Lot. cause it's dumb. but also... #He county the general gives up the commander's quarters to the emperor bc rank and stuff #and the emperor just puts qian's zhao's comatose body in the bed bc they're all going be in here strategizing anyway #more satisfying whump vs manpain for all of one episode before that sad man is also dead. you kno #ok but i don't remember this bit. qian zhao gave a ~life saving pill~ to ning yuanzhou. did that get used??? #is chekov's gun over there just sitting on the mantle i need to know

[tangledbea]

Anon from earlier about fathers. I definitely don’t think that every father was poorly written either. I personally think Quirin is the best of them, but then I read fics where he is overly harsh with Var to the point that he yells at him, and then I feel uncomfortable. But I don’t think that Quirin yells at Varian. At least, I didn’t get the impression. I got that he might be strict with Varian. Overly so. But I didn’t think he would yell at Varian. Did you get that impression?

Well, that's the fic writers. A lot of Varian fans (for the angst or because they just perceive Varian as beat upon by the world as possible) think Quirin is abusive, verbally if not physically. And all because he yelled at him a little about questioning why Quirin had lied to Frederic about what was going on with the rocks, and because Varian responded, "Yes, sir."

We, as viewers, know that Quirin was yelling because he was stressed out and didn't want his and Frederic's secret pact blown by his inquisitive son, but that doesn't make it a regular occurrence. I agree he likely intended to be strict, but Varian didn't really listen, so Quirin was frustrated, but not abusive. I never got the impression that Varian was afraid of him on a regular basis. Just cowed when Quirin really put his foot down.

Here's the thing, though: all the dads in TTS mess up in different ways. I don't think I need to go into Frederic's shortcomings. Quirin keep secrets from Varian and tries to temper his creative urges, but that's for his own safety. If he had encouraged him to do his experiments in a safe and controlled way, that likely would have prevented a lot of the S1 mishaps between Varian and Quirin.

Edmund sent Eugene away for his own safety. But he also sent his entire kingdom away for its own safety. The only difference there was that he didn't want Eugene to know where he came from, so that he'd never attempt to return and potentially be killed by the Moonstone. This is not a bad thing. The bad thing was that he kept tabs on him, but let him grow up a pauper, and that he then tried to force a relationship with him as an adult.

The Captain adopted an abandoned girl the minute she was abandoned. He raised her as his own and allowed her to grow and thrive. He did, however, attempt to bar her from the career she wanted, again, for her own safety. But he also gave her a chance at it, provided she fulfilled her other obligations beforehand. Cassandra was permitted to be a guard twice, and lead the troops into battle once. That Cassandra was mad at him for not telling her her mother was Gothel is more on Cassandra than the Captain. We have no way of knowing if they ever had conversations about her past before then. We don't know if he knew for a fact she didn't know Gothel was her mother, or if she had forgotten the woman's name and face.

And Lance, who only officially became a father in the epilogue of the series, still spent a lot of his time with the girls who he eventually adopted coaching them on how to be better thieves. He's a new father, and chose the role with a couple of preteens when he's in his 20s. Of all the dads in the series, I think he's the one who has the potential to not make any major mistakes with his kids, in part because the dynamic is completely different.

#Tangled #Tangled the Series #King Frederic #Quirin #King Edmund #Captain of the Guard #Lance Strongbow #TTS #Answered

[makerkenzie]

In your opinion, what immediate changes would there be if Robett Glover was given command of the forces at the battle of the Greenfork, and Roose Bolton was subsequently killed while fighting in the vanguard? Obviously, this means no Red Wedding down the line, but how do you think this would affect the rest of the Stark/Tully war effort, in the months following?

I am hardly an expert on the Glovers.

But if Roose Bolton is killed early on? Then, yeah, a lot of stuff happens differently. Doesn't necessarily mean the Red Wedding (or something equally heinous) doesn't happen.

If Roose is killed at the Green Fork, then first of all, there's no more House Bolton. The Dreadfort castle and lands are up for grabs. So, that's a reward Robb can dangle in front of his loyal bannermen. And that...can go a lot of ways.

It also means the Bolton troops may or may not keep fighting for Robb. That depends a lot on how he works with them. If they decide to pack it in, then, that already takes a chunk out of the Starks' forces.

Even so: without Roose Bolton involving himself in Robb's strategy, there are no pointless sieges of Darry and Duskendale, so Robb doesn't lose a third of his troops on castles that nobody cares about. All other factors being equal, that means Robb isn't nearly so desperate to get the Freys back on his side. He still needs them, though. He just doesn't need to march straight to the Twins to do the Apology Dance for Walder Frey, which means he doesn't need to pressure Uncle Edmure to marry a Frey girl.

But speaking of getting the Freys back on his side, the bigger questions for the war going differently are: 1. Do the Lannister-Tyrells still win at the Blackwater? 2+: Does Robb still renege on his marriage pact with the Freys?

With or without Roose Bolton, we've still got the Greyjoys taking over the North, and the littlest Stark boys missing and presumed dead. We've still got Rickard Karstark throwing tantrums. We've still got the North/Riverlands alliance assuming they can negotiate independence with Stannis Baratheon, and their being completely mistaken about that. We've still got the Riverlands being surrounded on all sides by the remaining kingdoms. We've still got Robb and Cat butting heads over what to do with Jaime. We've still got Robb and Uncle Brynden failing to communicate with Uncle Edmure.

Regardless of who's in charge at the Green Fork, presumably Tywin still gets his ass handed to him at Whispering Wood, which means he needs to rethink his strategy. Without Roose Bolton, however, Tywin needs to seek out other weak links in the alliance. But here's the thing: there are plenty of weak links, especially the Freys.

If Tywin still wins at the Blackwater, then the Freys still abandon the Starks, and that's a problem for the Starks even if there's no Red Wedding. If Stannis wins at the Blackwater, meanwhile, then the Stark-Tully alliance is still in for a rude awakening when the new Baratheon regime refuses to discuss independence. The primary difference is in how much longer the war drags on.

If Robb doesn't end up married to the wrong lord's daughter, then the Freys abandon him without murdering him. It's still a problem when they abandon him following the Lannister victory at the Blackwater.

What leads up to Robb getting married to Jeyne Westerling, though? That's part of Tywin's strategy of peeling away the Starks' allies, and I doubt Roose Bolton was necessary for Sybell Spicer and Uncle Rolph to get in touch with Tywin. If Robb still marries Jeyne, then Walder Frey is still determined to host Murderous Spite Theater, and the Freys still butcher the Starks & Co. by violating guest right.

Without Roose Bolton to help plan the massacre, Murderous Spite Theater is...probably less elegant. I feel like it was Roose's idea to have the musicians play the Rains of Castamere right before the murders began. If there's no one playing the Rains of Castamere at the event of murdering the Starks, then it's easier for the Lannister regime to distance themselves from the murders, which is better for them in the long term.

With or without Roose Bolton, the North can't win the war.

#red wedding countdown #asoiaf what if #roose bolton #robb stark #walder frey #war of five kings #tywin lannister #battle of blackwater #stannis baratheon

[toku-explained]

Mission 3: Pairs

Decker: Spheres drive off a TPU squad guarding Neomegas' remains, and assimilate them to form Sphere-Neomegas. GUTS-Select are on high alert, Asakahe installs the proper control system for Terraphaser into Hanejiro, and Kanata starts thinking about goals. In battle, any damage GUTS Gryphon does is immediately regenerated by Spheres, and Decker fights, but is defeated when protecting Ichika and Ryumon, Sphere-Neomegas then starts spreading something like roots below the ground, as Spheresaurus did a year ago. Murahoshi blames himself for Kanata being shot down, but he tries to focus on training. After the members discuss bettering themselves, Hanejiro requests to Murahoshi and AsKahe they use TR Mega Buster. Unlike Spheresaurus taking energy, Sphere-Neomegas is putting it in. Hanejiro pilots Terraphaser to battle while Kaizaki leads aground team. Unable to get an opening, Hanejiro creates a distraction so Kanata can become Decker. The TR Mega Buster is so powerful that several troops on the ground are sent flying, and Terraphaser is damaged just by firing it, but Sphere-Neomegas is destroyed. Examining Hanejiro's data later so he can make adjustments, Asakahe discovers a folder Hanejiro has super encrypted, and opens it, discovering Kanata is Decker.

Geats: Michinaga had a friend, Toru, who was lost to a previous DGP, which is part of his resentment towards Ace, so he is annoyed when he finds himself working on a house of Ace's for a TV show. The latest mission is pairs, the Riders split in pairs, the lowest scoring team will be eliminated. By lottery, Ace is paired with Neon, Keiwa with Michinaga, and Mary is given DGP staffer Kamen Rider Punkjack. Each pair is also given a lootbox, Keiwa getting another Boost Buckle, Neon a Claw Buckle, and Mary a Chain-Array Buckle, lending Punkjack his Shield Buckle. In the first round of battle no one scores, every time a Trump Jamato seems to be defeated it gets back up. In the break Keiwa negotiates to get the Zombie Buckle for Michinaga after hearing certain buckles are suited to certain riders, Neon accepts the trade if he hands over Boost as well as Magnum. In the second round, Neon and Ace have worked out they need to defeat 2 matching Jamato at the same time, and so are the only scorers. In the next break, Mary is annoyed about Punkjack, thinking him a crutch, so the host informs him he can use Desire Money to buy a ticket to reroll the lottery. At first this seems to be rejected, but after Michinaga tells Ace he wants to see him gone from the world, Mary approaches, revealing he bought the ticket.

Donbrothers: I do love that Jiro is the only one who knew Inuzaka was InuBrother, Kaito of course knows, but isn't telling. In the battle with the weight obsessed TensouKi, InuBrother is still disturbed by what he saw, and hardly hears Don Momotaro telling him to meet them at Donbura afterwards, and then a bunch of dogs do actually turn up. Inui Ryuji is a struggling musician, the one person who supported him, Shoko, recently disappeared. In the next attempt to catch him InuBrother goes flying, and lands headfirst into Ryuji, dropping his sunglasses before being teleported back without them. A confused Ryuji is assumed to be InuBrother, and roped into the next battle, struggling with the circumstances. Inuzaka is left wondering what is up with them, and then sees he has a price on his head and thinks Don Momotaro planned to take him in, but only for a moment, before stumbling upon the battle after finding he lost the glasses, taking his powers back when Ryuji loses them. TensouKi escapes again, only to decide to take advantage of an all-you-can-eat offer, where the owner is impressed with his appetite and she tells him he doesn't need to diet, the love awakening in him chasing him to expel TensouKi. Inuzaka and Ryuji talk, and Inuzaka encourages him to be InuBrother, if only so they don't try to capture him again. He joins up, but plays up the loner edgy black hero image, impressing the others with his cool lines. Inuzaka goes to Kijino in private. Turns out Kijino met Miho as a salon customer, coming every day to profess his love, until sue accepted his feelings the day she gave him his current haircut. Inuzaka is reminded of Natsumii's beautician dream, but is still not 100% certain. When he sees her coming though, he is more certain, running before Kijino can introduce her, only for Ryuji to run up believing her to be Shoko, Kijino and Ryuji coming to blows and before Inuzaka can do anything he has to run from police, while the two refuse to work together. The two are about to actually fight, but Miho arrives, points out she married Kijino, and so Ryuji is irrelevant, and demonstrates their love, Ryuji in despair becomes possessed by TensouKi. The fight begins and the glasses return to Inuzaka, who becomes aware he's caused the situation and joins in. Jiro joins, and blocks an attack by becoming Dratorajin, so Don Onitaijin follows suit, and quickly defeats him. Shoko, who looks nothing like Miho, returns to Ryuji, and Inuzaka reflects on his loneliness and heads to Donbura, where the team discuss the continuing mystery.

Futo PI: In the Shadow Futo, Brachiosaurus chases down and consumes a man. Tokime has been troubled by the fact she was a Dopant, especially after Phillip was able to identify her Memory as being the Joker Memory, Shotaro assures her they'll work through things together if they manage to get it working. The current client is 12 year old Rando Ritsuka, who brings them to her father Reiichi at Rando Engineering Workshop, who are a highly respected parts manufacturer, a client came for an estimate on a certain part, which Reiichi's father, the company founder Rentaro, took on and produced a prototype, he disappeared when delivering it to the client, Ritsuka had seen the client seemingly vanish in a dead end alleyway before. They get an image, and encounter Jinno and Terui, who have started a police investigation after another department ignored the missing persons report. While they investigate the handover location, Tokime is drawn to an alleyway by sensing Bando, and seeing a card touches it, which opens and socks her into Shadow Futo. Shotaro tries to find where she wandered off, as Tokime, now in Shadow Futo, remembers the city is full of Dopants like Beast, Sweets and Triceratops, and wonders why she thought she shouldn't leave. A Dopant lakes at her and us destroyed by Brachiosaurus, and remembering more she runs to try and get back to Shotaro. The others discuss, Rentaro questioned the true purpose of the part and was probably kidnapped for that. Shotaro hears Tokime's voice, as she manages to escape back into the hideout from Shadow Futo. She starts warning, but is dragged back by Brachiosaurus. W and Accel leap in, and find the client, who tells them Bando must have invited Tokime and Rentaro after working it the valve's purpose ran off into the city. This man, Nikaido Mamoru, will the the City's next executive, as the power source of Shadow Futo, he becomes the Reactor Dopant. In a bid to resist this output they use HeatMetal, but even two Maximum Drives do nothing, while Tokime awakens, and Brachiosaurus reminds her this is her home, deactivating his transformation, and showing he is just a schoolboy, as he greets Tokime.

#avataro sentai donbrothers #ultraman decker #toku explained #kamen rider geats

[wishesunderthestars]

I had a few ideas for new stories and I thought I would share them with you because I'm really excited for all of them. I'm still working on the names and the aesthetic were hastily made.

1. Poison Queen AU

♔ Taehyung x Reader

♔ The mc is the next-in-line for the throne of a very powerful queendom. All female daughters of the queen are blessed by the Goddess and are immune to poison. To show their status and power, they breed snakes in the Castle and every daughter born by the queen chooses a snake that stays with her her whole life.

♔ The Queen, the MC's mother, is ready to step down and offer her place to the mc but to do that, the law states that she has to be married. Although the mc wants to be crowned, she despises the idea of getting married and insists that she doesn't need a man to rule.

♔ Meanwhile, all the other kingdoms are eagerly offering their princes as potential husbands, aiming to secure an alliance with the most powerful nation. Angry with her mother, the mc announces that she will marry the prince of the one kingdom her mother had warned her not to.

2. Olyssos

❃ Reader x Namjoon x Jimin

❃ The mc is working as a tourist guide at a Greek island, Olyssos. Olyssos isn't a real island, I used a Greek city name generator... The island isn't as famous as Santorini or Mykonos but it is a popular destination for those who want to relax and spend their days at the beach. The mc is gathering money to attend university courses on tourism and languages while she is working at the only tourist agency on the island.

❃ This story is partly inspired by this is me trying by Taylor Swift. In the past, she had been studying to become a lawyer but dropped out of university after a huge fight with her parents. She used to be so ahead of everyone else in high school and she got into one of the best universities in Greece only to give up because she realized that that wasn't what she wanted to do. Her parents told her that they wouldn't offer her any support until she came back to her senses and returned to university. That's how she found herself at Olyssos and got her job at the agency. She's the greatest disappointment of her family and she's so far behind everyone else but at least she's trying.

❃ One spring famous singer Park Jimin and his manager Kim Namjoon visit during Jimin's break and she is hired to act as their tourist guide around the island. Days roaming the narrow streets of picturesque villages and laying on the golden sand and nights of bonfires and whispering under the stars, they're all getting tangled up in ways they shouldn't.

3. The King's Advisor

♛ Advisor! Reader x King! Yoongi

♛ This is the least developed idea and will probably be the shortest one, around 30k-40k words.

♛ The mc has been the king advisor's for years, he trusts her judgment and always listens to her opinions and advice. They are a formidable pair but behind closed doors, the king and his advisor bicker and throw back-handed insults at each other more often than not. The feelings of dislike are very much mutual. The mc is a champion at testing the King's patience because she knows she is too valuable to his rule to face any repercussions. So it's bickering and sarcasm dripping from their lips-

♛ Until war breaks out. And Yoongi has to ride out to the front and lead the troops. He orders her to stay at the Castle but she doesn't listen to him. She insists she should go with him, she's his advisor she should be by his side. He tells her he would leave the kingdom to her, that she should rule in his stead but she's too stubborn. She knows about battles, about strategy and plans. Yoongi is on the verge of begging her not to go with him, not to leave the castle (not to put herself in danger). But after so many years she knows how to talk Yoongi into anything.

Please let me know what you think about them and comment which one is your favorite!

#bts x reader #taehyung x reader #yoongi x reader #namjoon x reader #jimin x reader #namjoon x reader x jimin #bts #bts fanfiction #bts scenarios #Fanfiction ideas

[andy-clutterbuck]

9x03 | Deleted Scene

#HELLO MY GORGEOUS OLD MAN #Rick Grimes #* #rg #S9 #deleting papa bear is a crime tbh #it's been 5 years and i #still want to rub his head like it's a crystal ball and i'm a cheap ass fortune teller at a county fair #💕 Fuzzy Daddy 💕 #like a gracefully aging king #who doesn't need to but he's still out leading his troops into battle #remember when i didn't have a favorite rick look? lol #lol lol lol #FLUFFY REGAL SANTA TEDDY BEAR FACE #timeshare in the Santa Beard #pack your bags I'm driving the bus 🚍 #his open collar would a nice place to rest your face #im just sayin #Papa Bear 🐻💕 #look at his big beautiful rectangle head #i love it

[omegas-spaghettios]

In Defense of Hunter, Wrecker, Tech, and Echo

I want to clarify that I like Crosshair. I used to love him and I just kinda like him now, but he's a great character. I hold nothing against his fans. I just want to talk about how people are slandering these 4 like they did everything wrong when everything they did was pretty justified.

I need to talk about Crosshair's chip, because that affects how we all view these final episodes. While I agree things don't add up completely, Cross has no scar, nursing a headache, etc., his behavior DOES indicate he is telling the truth.

Chipped clones have been shown to show loyalty to the Empire above all else. They killed the jedi, they'll kill innocents, they forget all sentimentality, and we see with Jesse that they will more than happily die to accomplish the chip's commands. The Batch has experience with this with Captain Grey in the premiere and later Wrecker. Chipped clones are basically battle droids.

Crosshair does not act like that at all. He shows sentiment and loyalty to personal history, he defies orders to even kill his fellow imperials, and he puts aside his anger in order to escape Kamino. NONE of those things are congruent with him having a chip in at all. So while it doesn't add up completely either way, the evidence honestly seems to favor that he's telling the truth as his behavior is a huge tell that has not been shown to be able to be countered for more than a few seconds (love you Rex) while an absence of a scar could indicate a variety of things and the headache can honestly just be chronic pain from his insane head injury in Episode 8. I'm not saying that is the truth, but what I am saying is the evidence provided can easily line up to more than make it believable that Wrecker, Echo, and Tech believe he has it out.

Wrecker does know what a chip feels like, so we all expected more empathy from him, but Crosshair is not acting the way did Wrecker did AT ALL. Wrecker lost all control and immediately tried to kill the people he loves most, while as stated Crosshair is exhibiting almost opposite behavior. Wrecker knows what a chip does to you and Crosshair is definetly not showing that, so why would Wrecker show empathy for it? Wrecker knows first hand that is not what the chip does to you so it more than makes sense that he sees Crosshair's behavior and story and believes it.

Crosshair's intense feelings of Supremacy and loyalty to the Empire are not out of no where. We see in TCW that he is incredibly cruel about regs, he has always hated them. So considering the journey he went on this season it does feel like a realistic progression of belief.

Crosshair also is hurting his own cause here. Now we as the audience know for sure he had it in for Episode 1, we are shown explicit evidence. We have no idea when he got it out though due to the lack of a scar, and his refusal to specify hurts him here because what he actually did as himself vs. chipped is VERY important. I also want to say that while the audience knows Crosshair has the chip in in Episode 1, no evidence is provided to the Batch to know that, so Crosshair saying he had it out "a long time ago" means it is reasonable that the Batch could even suspect everything he did since Episode 1 was him. And here's a quick rundown of some things he did this season that the Batch would know about:

Obeyed Order 66 and shot at a child jedi even when ordered to stand down

Advocated to kill civilians to the others

Shot Wrecker and used him as bait to lure the others out

Lead dozens of Troopers to Bracca to kill them

Went out of his way to order his troops to kill Omega during that confrontation within earshot of Hunter

Tried to burn them all alive with an Ion Engine

Contributed to the oppression of Ryloth

Arrested Howzer, a clone who was trying to do the right thing

Spouted supremacist jargon about how they are superior to regs (something Hunter, Tech, and Wrecker have been shown to be softening up on)

Said the might of the Empire was the only way and basically gave them all the choice to join or die.

And remember, our heroes just got the revelation that potentially all of those actions were taken of Crosshair's own free will. They have every right to be harsh or unwelcoming after that. Sure they didn't try to rescue him but he also tried to put multiple blaster bolts through their heads, no one is innocent.

So the general coldness and harshness is more than understandable considering that Crosshair just admitted to trying to get them all killed on multiple occasions on his own free will, that would sour your relationship with anyone I reckon, so why are they expected to be okay with Crosshair doing all of that?

Anyway, to specifics. When Wrecker says Crosshair never even tried to come back and that they would have taken him, there is truth to that. During both Bracca and Ryloth, Crosshair was right there and had opportunities to turn heel and help them all escape, but he never did. I've seen this described as victim-blaming but you guys need to realize that Crosshair has potentially done ALL of this of his own free will and is actively trying to pull the others to the Empire. Wrecker is right, Crosshair put more effort into killing or converting them than he ever did in returning. It's harsh but it's true.

And Tech saying it's in his nature is like, classic Tech. I don't necessarily agree that they all have set paths due to their biology like Tech does, but Tech began this season rattling off about how Wrecker was made to be the way he was, this is just how Tech rolls.

The one I see a lot is after Crosshair rescues Omega and they still have the guns up and then never thank him. First of all, Crosshair never thanked them either for saving his life so let's not go around expecting any shows of gratitude from everyone. But more importantly, how were they supposed to know that Crosshair was saving Omega? As a viewer I legit thought he was aiming for Hunter there, it makes more than enough sense that they pulled their weapons on him. And considering their recent history, it makes sense that all three of them keep their weapons up longer than needed, both Hunter and Omega are potentially at risk. We all saw how quickly all of them drew their weapons in Episode 13 at even the slightest hint of danger to Omega. Considering everything before, it makes sense they kept them up until he disarmed himself, that's just good self defense honestly.

And my final point:

CROSSHAIR WAS NOT ABANDONED AT THE END OF THE SEASON

He was given multiple invitations and opportunities to join. Sure, he was not made to feel all that welcome, but even after all of the season and the finale, Wrecker stops to ask if he is coming and Hunter gives him one last chance. He was given many opportunities to go with them. He said he made his choice, that isn't abandonment, that's stepping away.

In Conclusion

Honestly all 6 of the main characters really dropped the ball on this season's conflict and no one is blameless or unjustified.

I'm not mad about it because it makes for compelling character drama, but everyone involved kinda didn't do their best, so maybe let's not slander one side over the other?

(Small lists of commenters who showed interest is seeing this: @violettavie @shilsvampsinger @rain-over-kamino )

#star wars #the bad batch #tbb #clone force 99 #ct 9904 #crosshair #hunter #omega #tech #wrecker #echo

[youbloodymadgenius]

Too Late (Ivar x reader)

A/N: This is my entry to @fuchsiagrasshopper's 200 Followers Writing Challenge. Congratulations again, love 💝

This is a variation on Ivar's death. Consider yourself warned. And... sorry 😔

The prompt, from the song Too Late, by Ashes Divides, is in bold and italics.

@zuxiezendler - Thank you for reassuring me (I needed it) and for beta reading this for me 🌺

Let me know if you want to be tagged 😊

Divider by @firefly-graphics

Summary: Ivar is about to go to war against Alfred. His eyes are very blue, though.

Warnings: major character death; mention of blood and fatal wound (nothing graphic).

Words: 1815

When a hand lingers on his forehead, Ivar slowly opens his eyes before shifting in the makeshift bed and eventually sitting upright, allowing you to take a seat next to him. Looking at him with concern, you tilt your head to the side, one of your hands resting lightly on his chest while the other grazes his thigh.

Studying him, you bite your lower lip. "Your eyes have turned deep blue, Ivar. You know what that means, remember?" Ivar snorts and then rolls his eyes, visibly annoyed. You don't stop, though. "Hvitserk told me. Your brothers used to watch over you. They knew that when your eyes turned blue that you were in great danger of breaking your bones. And they would say 'Not today, Ivar. Not today.'"

Knitting his brow, your lover wearily rubs a filthy hand over his face, his eyes never leaving yours. "I remember." He finally nods, a half-smile curling his lips. "I know."

"You could let Hvitserk take command, Ivar. You'd stay behind, for once. I could even stay with you." You know you're walking on eggshells, but when Ivar answers, there's surprisingly no anger in his voice. Though the calm determination in his gaze tells you that arguing is pointless.

"No, Y/N." He shakes his head and grabs your hand, playing absently with your fingers. "No," he repeats, "Hvitserk must lead the back-up troops, it has to be someone I trust. As for you, I need you on the battlefield. You're our best shieldmaiden, and you know that. And...", he tilts his head, lightly shrugging, "I don't think we can defeat Alfred if I'm not there too... You know..." He taps his forehead with his pointer finger and you know exactly what he means. He's right. His men are fearsome warriors, but they sometimes – most of the time – need guidance when fighting, and who else could do that better than Ivar, with his cunning and extraordinary strategic mind?

No. He won't change his mind.

For the briefest moment, you think you should tell him. But no. It wouldn't change anything. You're not deluding yourself, he'd still go. And he'd demand that you stay behind. And that's not happening. It's an option you refuse to even consider. If he goes, you go. That's who you are. Both of you. A king – a warrior – and a shieldmaiden.

You'll tell him afterwards. Once it's all over. Once Alfred is defeated.

"Okay, then." Leaning in, you give him a peck on the lips before standing up. "Promise you'll be careful."

Flashing you a reassuring yet tired smile, he nods. "I always am."

The battle rages for hours now and you know you should feel it in your bones. The pain. The exhaustion. But you don't. Unharmed and powerful, a shield in your left hand, it's like you're flying, dodging blow after blow, slicing throat after throat, driving your trustworthy sword into chests or guts, as you slash your way through the enemies. Exhilarated, you shout war cries and you know that if they are cathartic to you, they scare the Saxon soldiers. The thought makes you laugh – and indeed a crazy laugh escapes your throat as you run forward, swinging your blade from side to side, momentarily crouching down as an axe flies over your head.

Attacking a Saxon with your shield, you beat him savagely with repeated blows to his skull before skewering him with your sword. As he falls to the ground, already dead, you look up to the sky for a second, and silently thank the gods, a beaming smile adorning your face. You love that. You're never more alive than on the battlefield. As you lower your gaze, eager to slaughter more and more Christians, your eyes catch something on the left.

And it's like the world stops spinning.

Like your heart stops beating.

And you stop breathing.

Petrified, you can't comprehend what you're seeing. It doesn't make sense. It can't make sense. Why is this Saxon stabbing Ivar? How can it be? Why isn't your lover fighting back? Why is he bleeding? Your shield and sword slipping out of your hands, the ringing in your ears is suddenly deafening, and for a fleeting second, you think you might throw up. But you won't. Because that can't be real. You're hallucinating, for sure. It can't be happening. It doesn't make sense. It can't. It simply can't.

A sudden cry of pain and the distinctive and all too familiar sound of a broken bone snap you out of your stupor and you rush over to your lover – 'Not today, Ivar, not today, no' – dropping to the ground next to him, your hand grazing his cheek. As you see the state he's in – his left leg unnaturally bent at the knee with exposed bone; his stomach covered with blood – a shiver runs down your spine and you gasp, filled with horror. You want to cry, and scream, and shout but instead you inhale deeply, blinking several times before locking eyes with his bloodied ones. Your man needs you.

"I'm here, Ivar, I'm here." As you carefully place his head on your lap, his hand grabs your arm, squeezing it. His eyelids flutter as he tries to focus his gaze on you. Weakly raising his free hand, he fails to touch your face and something between a sob and a whine escapes his lips. Gently intertwining his fingers with yours, you can't help but repeat yourself. "I'm here, my love, I'm here."

A faint shake of his head and then he speaks, his voice hoarse and barely a whisper. "You... You should leave... Leave, Y/N.." He swallows painfully, and a sob chokes in your throat as you see blood running out of his mouth. You shake your head, not trusting your voice, but Ivar, your stubborn lover, keeps speaking, mustering all his strength. "Leave, my love, you're... not safe... here..." He then lets out a shuddering breath, loosening his grip on your arm.

Raising your head and looking around, you see that your fellow warriors are gone. Someone, Haakon probably – you always saw Ivar's second in command as a coward – must have sounded the retreat, now that their king is down. You don't have time to dwell on it though as you realize that the two of you are now surrounded by Saxon soldiers, their swords pointed at you. You coldly glare at them for a few brief seconds before meeting King Alfred's gaze. The Saxon commander seems shocked as he looks with wide open eyes at the man lying in front of you.

"Lower your weapons!" You barely hear Alfred's order, your mind taken with other thoughts, and you don't bother to see if his soldiers obey. The truth is, Alfred and his men are the least of your concerns right now. No matter what happens, no matter what they do, you're not going anywhere.

Once more, giving your undivided attention to your lover, you shake your head, speaking with conviction and determination. "I'm not leaving your side, my love."

Ivar frowns and winces. "I want you to... be safe..." He mutters with great effort, clearly in terrible pain. "It makes... no difference if... if you stay. I'm..." He squeezes his eyes shut, and you're suddenly aware of how pale he is, his hand on your arm now ice cold. He eventually speaks again, his breathing ragged and shallow. "I'm going to... die anyway. Y/N," his voice is choked, and your eyes are full of tears, "I'm...dying."

He's right. He's dying. There's no denying it. As heartbreaking as this thought may be, it is no less true. You've been in enough battles, seen enough fatal injuries to not delude yourself. With a wound that bad, there's no chance of survival. Absolutely none. You know it won't take long.

But it doesn't change a single thing. How could you leave him here, in this foreign land, surrounded by strangers – by enemies? How could you? You don't want to be safe, you want to be with him, as long as you can.

You may not be able to save him, but you can be there. You want to be there.

I will not lose you to a world that doesn't care

To the monsters that would have you.

Your hand cups his face as you swallow thickly, blinking back tears. "And I want to be here. I won't leave you alone." The pain in your heart is such that you can hardly speak. Taking the deepest breath you can, you then bite your inner cheek so hard that you can taste the blood in your mouth. "You're not alone, my love. You don't have to face this alone."

Ivar's eyes are closed, and for a moment, you're not sure he heard you. If you're being honest, you're not sure he's still there with you, even if he's still breathing.

But then, his eyelids flutter open, revealing glassy eyes. There's no more light in them; no more fight. "Not today..." He mumbles, despair clear in his voice. And suddenly his face crumples and his eyes are full of tears and you can almost physically feel the panic coursing through his battered body. When he speaks, sobbing very hard, it's to say what you never thought you'd hear him say, his voice as shaky as your hand on his face.

"I'm afraid."

It rips your heart out.

"I'm afraid."

It tears you to pieces.

"I'm afraid."

It destroys you.

You hiccup, a hand moving to cover your mouth. You want to take his pain away, you want to die and let him live. Your head is spinning, you're dying from the inside, you're not sure you can do it, but you have to. You know you have to.

So, gathering the courage you thought you didn't have, you nod. With tears rolling down your face, you swallow hard and say, "I won't tell anyone." Shaking with long, racking sobs, you try to smile. "No one will ever forget Ivar the Boneless. And I will never forget you, my love."

The fear in his haunted eyes almost unbearable, you can just soothe him, a reassuring hand on his cheek. Your tears join his, splashing on his face as you whisper again and again. "You're not alone, my love... I'm right here, next to you... You're not alone..." Sliding your arm under his head, you clumsily lie down next to him, curling your limbs around his body, cradling him.

Never surrender you, I always be there

I will be there to wrap myself around you.

And then, with a last gasp, your lover stops breathing.

And your whole world just shatters around you over and over and over...

Time loses all meaning.

You can't move.

Can't think.

Can't cry.

Can't feel.

He's gone.

And you realize you never had a chance to tell him...

He's gone.

Tagging: @waiting4inspiration @honestsycrets @lisinfleur @saldelys @gearhead66 @inforapound @readsalot73 @milkkygirls @xbellaxcarolinax @shannygoatgruff @zuxiezendler @a-mess-of-fandoms @hecohansen31 @lonewolf471 @ivarthebloodyking @fuckindiva @tgrrose @didiintheblog @peachyboneless @pieces-by-me @funmadnessandbadassvikings @ethereallysimple @destynelseclipsa @cocovikings23 @xceafh @mrsalwayswrite @deans-ch-ch-cherrypie @pomegranates-and-blood @jadelynlace @grimeundglow @quantumlocked310 @fuchsiagrasshopper

#fuchsiagrasshopper200 #ivar #ivar x reader #ivar the boneless #ivar ragnarsson #ivar the boneless x reader #ivar ragnarsson x reader #ivar fanfic #ivar fanfiction #ivar fic #ivar imagine #ivar vikings #vikings ivar #vikings imagine

[renova-writes]

The Silver Shadow

Summary: The Avengers come up with a plan to capture you. Unfortunately, you are not a stupid girl. They know this and must come up with something that is foolproof. Everyone knows that this is their only chance for decades to get you and they are not messing around. You make your way to one of your many safe houses only to get captured. But, as it turns out, the Avengers want you alive.

Words: 2,007

Warnings: swearing, violence, talk of suicide

Tags: @shadowolf993 @daisy116

Other Chapters: Masterlist

A/N: I’ve got my plan for this fic FINALLY laid out. I’m sorry it’s taken so long for this chapter. I’ve been busy with the end of the school year and stuff like that. Anyways I hope you enjoy this chapter. If you do you should totally ask to join the tag list for this fic or request your own. And remember: comments and asks are always okay. 🖤🖤

Chapter 4: What was the point?

"Where do you think she is?" Rhodes asked. Fury had called him in from the Military to find you. He and the rest of the Avengers were in Tony's penthouse living room. The floor-to-ceiling windows showed off just how high up the room was. Not only displaying the might of the building, but it also had a near-perfect view of Manhattan. The city that never sleeps was illuminated by the pinkish-orange glow of the sunset.

"According to my calculations and the report of the Special Ops on the train that reported her. She is approximately 80 miles outside of Quebec. "Vision said, "Whether she is aware of that proximity or not, our best move would be to have a watch in the city."

"Definitely," Steve agreed, "I'll talk to the mayor and call in a few favors."

"What if she never makes it to Quebec? She's probably not stupid. What if all those eyes cause her to stay off the grid? Then we'll never catch her." Tony criticized. It was true; you weren't stupid. If you got wind of an alert to look out for someone who looked even remotely like you, you were going to stay as far away if you could.

One time, you had left a witness, and they reported you to the police. Like clockwork, they put out a wanted alert. It was 1985, and you were in Los Angeles, so they had more significant issues to deal with. You got lucky because, at the time, it was the height of the terror caused by the Night Stalker.

To be honest, you had never really understood serial killers. You were technically one, but the psychopathic killers—the crazy cannibal sadists. HYDRA had checked your mental health, and the results had come back pretty standard. There was a bit of crazy in you, but hey, who doesn't have any?

Since everyone was so scared of the Night Stalker, they didn't pay too much attention to someone who had killed one minor, uninfluential politician. No one reported you, and no one cared. You left Los Angeles unscathed but a little rattled.

What if someone had reported me?... What would happen?... Thank God it didn't happen this time?... I need to be more careful…

You had learned your lesson. If you got wind someone was looking for you, they were never, ever going to find you—end of story.

"He's right," Bucky said as he walked into the room. After Steve talked to him, he went back to his room to clean up before joining the rest of the Avengers in coming up with a plan to catch you. "She's careful. There's too much on the line for her."

"Then what do we do?" Wanda asked, "How do we catch her?"

"Hear me out… We still do a watch and tell the mayor. But we don't release it to the public. We let law enforcement know and send them as many troops as we can." Clint suggested.

"With undercover cops?" Banner asked.

"Exactly," He responded. "Let Y/N think that everything is normal. That no one's looking for her."

"All in favor?" Steve asked. Everyone voted yes. It was a good idea. You didn't know it yet, but it was an excellent idea. "I'll let the mayor and police chief know then."

Steve walked out and made his way to one of the comm rooms. The rest of the avengers looked among one another. They were all on edge. Sam Wilson, who had absolutely no idea how dangerous you were, was the least worried. To him, you were just another common criminal who would be caught. On the other side of the spectrum, Bucky could barely keep himself together. After excusing himself, he walked to the bathroom, locked the door, and wasn't heard from for a few hours.

Everyone else waited for a while to see if they were still needed before making their way to various spots. Some, like Nat and Wanda, went to their rooms. Banner went to the lab with Tony, and Clint went to the gym.

---------------------------------------

You were no better off than you were yesterday. Maybe you had clothes, sure, but you also managed to have sex with an asshole and assault the guy. Alex wasn't going to remember it, but that didn't make it right. Out of all of the things you had done, your conscience said that was the worst. You had acted like a monster. Hopefully, he would be okay. You wouldn't.

After storming out of the King's Treason, you found yourself on a dirt road through a forest. It was the middle of the night, and all the stars were awake. You wondered what was up there. After watching the Battle of New York unfold on television, you were well aware that you weren't alone in the universe. Thor had made that clear. But you still didn't know precisely what there was. In your mind, the galaxy was rich with alien life. Things that looked like humans but with rainbow-colored skin. Somethings that looked nothing like humans. You wondered if it was like Star Wars showed it. That would be cool. But you didn't know, because you had never seen an alien in real life before.

When you stared at the stars, there was always one that stood out to you. It wasn't the biggest or the brightest, but it was the most beautiful. If someone asked you if you wanted to go to space and you could go to any star or place, that would be the one. It didn't matter if nothing was there, but you knew there was. You just knew. The moon was bright tonight too. It dimed out the light of the surrounding stars and made the night on Earth a little brighter.

There was only one road to follow. Since all roads lead somewhere, you picked one and started walking. The night was peaceful and quiet. That was what you needed. You looked at your watch that had a compass on it. You were heading southeast.

The scenery remained the same for the first few miles. Suddenly the forest began shifting into the countryside. The rolling hills morphed into gated suburbs. A quick glance at your GPS told you that you were in Quebec.

Quebec…. I have a safe house here… Finally some peace and quiet…

You walked for an hour until you found the road that led to the neighborhood your house was in. It had been a few years since you had gone to his house. Everything was the same, but a little different. The streets were emptied in the early morning air, but it wasn't the same Quebec that you remembered. The barbershop on the corner was gone. The window that had once said Chez Berruby's Barbers had been changed to an ice cream store.

The more you looked, the more you saw the changes. That was never a good sign. But you ignored it and kept walking down the street until you got to Rue Saint-Paul. That was your street. You were right; everything was changing. Every single house on the street looked well kept and trimmed. The bushes were perfect, and the grass was green. Then there was your safe house. The yard was brown, and the windows were cracked. It stuck out like a sore thumb, which meant you would stick out too.

It's only for a night… Or two… We'll move on again…

You looked in a small notebook you kept in your supply belt for where you had hidden the key. Under the pot shaped like a frog. Was it on the front steps? No. After searching the side gate area, the garage, and the balcony over it, you concluded that there was no frog pot. There might have been a few years ago. But a lot can happen in a year. Let alone three or four.

"Well fuck it," you muttered. You got a knife out and picked the lock. A click told you the door was unlocked, so you went inside. You opened the door and stepped inside. The house was musty and smelled like cat pee. You followed the hallway past the stairs and into the kitchen.

To be honest, you didn't know what you were expecting when you opened the fridge. Definitely not food. To your surprise, there was a moldy pizza and flat Coca-Cola. You were not that desperate. After rummaging through the cabinets, you found some cans of kidney beans. The expiration date was last week, but they'd have to do.

Halfway through the can of rancid beans, you heard the fists banging against the door.

"Y/n Y/L/N? We know you're in there." A deep voice yelled, "Turn yourself in now, and we can do this quickly and quietly. I will give you a minute to come out, and then we will come in. Understood?"

No. They were most definitely not understood. You would not be going out without a fight. They were probably going to execute you right there on the steps. If they wanted to kill you. They were going to need to catch you first.

How about a game of cat and mouse?... Maybe this mouse will bite you in the nose... Who nose...

But you couldn't take it anymore. Fear took over. Instead of fighting, your first instinct was to hide. You flew upstairs and flung yourself into the top shelf of a closet. Who cared if it wouldn't be able to hold you? You were hiding for your life. Fear crept up your spine as you saw the end come into sight. Movies always showed the last moments of someone's life as an emotional roller coaster. Maybe if you lived longer, you could have seen some more movies. But they were right.

What had you done with your life? Lie? Kill? For what? For who? What was the point? You had never trusted anyone. Never loved anyone. You didn't even know what love was supposed to feel like. If you could live again, you would try to be a regular person. To live and love. For a trip to Starbucks for an Iced Latte be a normal thing. Not something you had to plan for months for. For friends. People you could trust and care about.

You wished that you could be dying in a huge comfortable bed, with your lover holding your hand. Surrounded by friends and family. Reflecting on your life and having no regrets. You could have a beautiful funeral where people flocked from near and far to celebrate the life of the girl they all loved. Your family would get so many flowers that all the bees of the world would come and dance on your grave.

But that was a fantasy.

Instead, you were alone. Scared out of your mind on a shelf in a closet. In a house that wasn't yours. Alone.

Tears fell down your face as you compared what your life could have been to what it was. You almost wanted them to kill you so it could be over.

It's all over… And I'm… Happy?...

"Anyone in here?" A soldier called. You were surprised he couldn't hear your heart hammering through your chest. Or the hurricane in your eyes.

The footsteps of three other soldiers entered the room and began tearing it apart.

Five… Four… Three… Two… On-

"Found her!" He shouted. He opened the closet door and barely had time to get the sentence out before you shot him. You didn't even have room in your mind to feel sorry. You were numb and tired and scared for your life.

You jumped out of the closet and aimed your gun at the next guy.

He fell down. And the next. You only got shots onto those two before everything went dark.

Am I dead?... Please tell me I'm dead… Shit…

The darkness faded into blinding white. After that faded, you saw that you were in a prison cell. And not dead. Fuck.

#loki #marvel #loki laufeyson #marvel imagine #loki odinson #marvel tv show #tom hiddleston #hiddlestoners #hot hiddleston #disney plus #loki smut #loki (marvel) #loki x you #loki x y/n #loki x reader #avengers x you #avengers x reader #bucky x y/n #bucky x you #bucky x reader #avengers fic #the silver shadow

[imagines-by-a-typical-fangirl]

Unexpected Places (Pt. 09 of 11)

Pairing: Ivar the Boneless X Reader/Bjorn X Reader

Word count: 2.6 K

Summary: As a princess, you've lived in a golden cage all your life, always a piece on someone else's game. But everything changed when the Norsemen came crushing down on Wessex, like waves in a violent storm. Their king spared your life and decided to take you with him to his kingdom, in what felt more like a rescue than a kidnapping. There, you were not only confronted with a completely different culture and lifestyle, but also with two of his sons. The oldest one has his eyes set on you, but it's the youngest one, Ivar, who gets who claimed your attention since the first sight. And he seems to have an unnamed interest in you. Of course you hoped whatever that was would pass, but when unexpected feelings start to flow a different way, things begin to change.

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{Vikings Masterlist}

×

Make Me Fly

It has been an interesting week. Bjorn hasn't been around lately, since he and Ragnar are starting to gather people for the next raid. Winter will be over soon enough, and apparently, they start getting ready a long time before sailing. You're trying not to think too much about it, since you know Ivar is going.

But that's an issue for when the winter is over, and it isn't yet, and won't be for quite a while. On Ivar's bed, already dressed for the day, you're kneeled behind him, braiding his hair. You've been sleeping here now, and of course, the news got out, even though you don't really know how. Hvitserk was the first to know, so he told Aslaug and Ubbe. Ragnar found out quickly after, meaning it got to Bjorn's ears as well. Then, you started noticing people staring, and some rumors, according to Helga. You were under Aslaug's protection, but the rumor that you're with Ivar makes people scared of you. You don't mind though, but you still haven't spoken with Ivar about it. You want things to just happen instead of pushing it because of what people are saying.

“There you go.” You say when the braids are done. “I'm getting really good at this.”

Ivar runs his fingers through his hair, tugging on the braids softly. His hair is long now, and he agreed on not cutting it short again. “You're getting great at this.” He says, grabbing your hand and pulling you down again, so you have both your arms around his neck. “I want to show you something today.”

“What?” You ask hands on his chest.

“I'm gonna show you how I ride on the battlefield.” His voice gets a little darker, and you know he's not joking. “I know you've been asking yourself that.”

“I know you can fight.” Getting up from the bed, you move to stand before him. “I just don't know how, but I don't doubt it.”

“We still have some weeks, but I'll be sailing to England again.” Ivar takes his clutch and gets up to his feet. “No need to hide it, I know you're worried.”

“Worried isn't the right word... Maybe anxious.” You start making your way to the door, and Ivar unlocks and pulls it open for you. “I know some people don't come back and I've never been through anything like that. I don't how those who stay deal with the waiting.” You set a comfortable pace, walking side by side with him.

“You'll get used to it. That's the way things have always been here.”

“I know.” When you cross the main hall, you wave at Hvitserk and Ubbe, muttering a ‘hello’ to Bjorn, since you've been trying to ease the ever-growing tension between the two brothers.

Ivar guides you through the city and then through the forest to a wooden structure built among the trees. There are some men around, and the doors are open. You're way too curious about it, but you manage to wait until you reach the building. There are several horses inside, some war equipment and ballistic devices you don't recognize, many shields and swords.

“Storage?” You ask.

“Yes. But that's the only thing that really matters.” He gestures at the very end of the barn, and that's when you see it.

“What's that?” Walking faster, you make your way towards it, ignoring everyone around. You've never seen anything like it. They keep a certain distance from it, you noticed. You wonder how many times they had Ivar yelling at them to stay away from his things.

“It's a war chariot.” He answers as you walk around it, stepping up and inside. “With it, I can march into battle. Lead troops in combat.”

In the center, there's a structure for Ivar to sit, so you walk around it, standing on the edge. You can't help but imagine how it must feel to be in such a position, in the middle of war. “I wish I could see you in action. It must feel like flying.” You expected him to say something, but several seconds go by and you're still in silence, broken only by the low chattering of the men working here. Looking over your shoulder, you spot Ivar still on the ground, looking up at you. “What?” You giggle, turning around.

“Get my chariot ready.” He commands, raising his voice. “Now.”

“You're kidding, right?” You ask, unable to hold back the smile.

Ivar doesn't answer, he just pulls himself to the chariot, taking his place. Everything is done quickly, and once the horse is attached to the chariot, the doors on the back of the barn are pushed open. Ivar is seated on the bench made for him, and you stand on the front, hands tightly holding on the edge.

“Are you ready?” Ivar inquires, and you give him a look over your shoulder, biting your lip.

You've never seen this look on his face. You have seen him smiling many times, but this is different. Ivar looks truly happy, comfortable, secure. Wild, even. And you absolutely love this look on him. “Make me fly.” You mutter, and the moment he moves his arms to whip the horse, you turn around.

Soon enough you find you picked the right word to describe it. Flying. Ivar keeps the horse's pace so fast that it takes your breath away. It's nothing like riding. It's something entirely new. The chariot rocks a little through the woods, but when it reaches a road, the speed only increases, and you're laughing like a little kid. It's just amazing to ride this into battle, and you can only imagine what his enemies feel when they see Ivar on this thing, flying to meet them. They must be terrified. Ivar's reputation is the worst, or the best, depending on the point of view, and men must tremble like leaves at the sight of him.

“You alright there?” He yells above the wind, and you glance at him.

“Never been better!” Assuring him, you focus on the road again, seeing how close you are to Kattegat. “Turn around! Or else we'll enter the town.”

“And what's the problem with that?”

Laughing again, you decide you don't care if he doesn't care. And into the town you go, making people jump out of the way. Nobody dares to say anything though, just making sure to warn those ahead to watch out. The space gets a little narrow, and Ivar starts to struggle a little until he gives up, knocking some stores down and getting some angry yells. You're not really thinking right now, looking down at the people as you pass by, too fast. You can hear his laughter too, filling your ears.

“Ivar!” A different voice reaches you, and as soon as you spot Ragnar riding on your left, Ivar pulls the horse, making it reduce its pace until you stop completely.

“Father. Hi.” He mutters, in that tone that means he did something bad but doesn't care one bit.

“Will you take this thing back? Look at all the mess you two made.” He complains, gesturing at the market place. You give it a quick look, noticing way too many broken things. “Move it around and take the chariot back,” Ragnar says before riding away.

With a dramatic eye roll, Ivar does what he's told, and this time, since he's riding slower, you have your back at the landscape, staring at him instead. “Weren't you seeing where you were going?”

“Of course not.” He snaps back, shrugging his shoulders. “I was too busy looking at you.”

Blushing, you look down, and a rock on the road makes the chariot shake, making you jerk forward, bumping on the support on which Ivar can rest his chest. “Ouch.”

“Come here.” He says, moving back a little. “Good thing you're wearing pants. Sit here.” Raising an eyebrow, you do as he says, bringing one leg over the structure and straddling it. The moment you sit down on it, you feel Ivar's chest pressing against your back. “Better?”

“A little.” You mumble, feeling as his arms surround you, so you place your hands on top of his, holding the halters. “That's nice.” You whisper, the cold air suddenly not bothering you anymore.

“It is.” Ivar let go of the halters, letting it to your control. “I never allowed anyone to do that. And I don't think I ever will.” He whispers in your ear, and you feel a shiver rolling down your spine.

“Really?”

“Really.” He repeats, hands on your hips. “Ever since I started raiding with my father and brothers, I never truly had anyone to come back to.” You feel yourself relax onto him, for a brief moment forgetting you're the one controlling the chariot. “So I need to know if that changed.”

This is important, so you pull the halters, making the horse stop. Once you're motionless, you move to the side and turn your head a little, just enough to look into his eyes. “What exactly are you asking, Ivar?”

He brings a hand to caress your cheek, cold fingertips running through your skin, painfully slow, leaving a trail of fire. “I'm asking if you will be waiting for my return.”

“I–”

“Prince Ivar.” Someone calls, and you're cut short.

“What?” He hisses, as you stand up and move out of the made chair.

“Your father asked us to take your chariot back. He needs to speak with you.”

“Why didn't he said it himself?” Despite being annoyed, Ivar steps out of the chariot, and you do the same. It doesn't go unnoticed that the men don't ride it. They simply pull the horse. It's like an unspoken rule, that doesn't need to be reassured. People just know.

Then, you're left alone in the woods, the sound of the chariot being taken away slowly fading. “Guess we should go now.” You say, but before you give the first step back to Kattegat, Ivar grabs your arm, forcing you to stop and turn to look at him.

“First answer me.” There's insecurity in his voice, fear even. You wonder if this side of Ivar will ever heal. Maybe it won't, but, as long as you're around, you'll do everything you can to make him see that he's not less of a man because of his disability. You know he's still scared that you'll pick Bjorn over him, the reason for the insane jealously going on between the two brothers, but the truth is you already made your choice. And you're not changing your mind.

“Of course I'll wait for you.” You say, not a hint of doubt on your voice. “I'll be on the decks, watching the boats arriving, searching for you among the people.” When Ivar smiles, you do the same, tiptoeing to place a kiss on his cheek. But when you feel his flesh, you're quick to notice you met his lips instead.

At the same time you freeze, you feel your entire body heating up. But then, you're fast to move, a hand coming to cup cheek as the other grabs the hard material of his vest, holding him close. You don't pull away, how could you? Not when you just realized you've been wanting to do this for so long. Smiling a little, you let him deepen the kiss, his free hand on your waist, pressing your body against his even more. Wrapping your arms around his neck, you feel completely inebriated by the warmth of his lips, his taste, everything.

But you still need to breathe, so you're forced to pull away, still standing close to him. You feel your cheeks burning, a smile on your lips that you just can't hold back. “That was something.” You mutter, clearing your throat.

“If I come back from this raid, tell me you'll be mine,” Ivar whispers, and you look up to meet those bright blue eyes once again. “I promise I won't ever take or love another woman.”

There's only one possible answer for this, but the truth is that somehow, you have been his since the beginning, you just didn't know. “You'll be mine, and I'll be yours.” Tiptoeing again, you place a quick kiss on his lips.

“And so it'll be.”

• • •

You both agreed on not letting the word out until after the raids. So, as the days and weeks pass by, you watch as people get ready, and you enjoy the many feasts Ragnar throws, but also the meals you share with the family alone. Hvitserk is the only one who knows about you and Ivar since he got you kissing by Ivar's bedroom door. But he won't tell anyone, or else, you swore to use him as a target to practice with the ax. But you trust him, you know he'll keep the secret as long as you want him to.

Bjorn is struggling. In the beginning, when he found out you were sleeping in Ivar's bedroom, he had this constant angry stare. Now, you're not sure what his plans are, but you know he hasn't given up yet. Ubbe told you that Bjorn still doesn't believe you made up your mind, because to him, it's insane that any woman would prefer Ivar over him. You don't care though. What he thinks doesn't matter. But you do catch him staring, and you're tired of trying not to let Ivar notice. It's almost always useless.

Tonight, it's a goodbye feast. They're sailing first thing tomorrow, many to their deaths, so today, everyone celebrates. You're dressed in a brand new dress, with the necklace Ivar gave you, as well as rings and earrings that we're also gifts from him. You're happy tonight, despite the anxiety building up in your chest.

“So. Do you want anything from your homeland?” Ivar asks, his mouth close to your ear to make himself heard above all the noise.

“I want you.” You answer, stealing a chicken wing from his plate and taking a bite. Ivar looks at you with an annoyed stare, eyes rolling at your audacity.

“You already have me.” He simply answers.

“Are you guys serious?” Hvitserk complains, dropping to the bench beside you. “If I ever fall in love and start acting like this, I give you both permission to punch me in the face.”

“You know I'll never forget this, right?.” You tell him, an arm around his shoulders. “I have a good memory, my friend.”

“You'll regret saying that,” Ivar warns him, and you giggle.

The night was long, but it ended too soon. You were awakened before the sun, so you could help Ivar with the last preparations. You did you're best not to look worried, but right now, walking next to him to the boat, you have to clench your hands into fists so nobody will see them shaking.

“That's it.” He says, turning to look at you. “Don't worry too much. I'll come back.”

“I know, Ivar the Boneless.” Some people pass by, so you look down at your feet. “Just be careful, alright?”

“I will.”

“Alright.” You know you've been keeping this a secret until he's back, but right now, it doesn't matter. Standing on your toes, you kiss him, slow and passionately, not minding the many eyes on both of you. It just doesn't matter. Pulling away, you smile, hoping this won't be the last kiss.

“So much for keeping a secret.” He says, smirking.

“Shut up.” You mutter, resting your head on his chest. “Just remember I'll be waiting.”

“I will,” Ivar says in a low voice, and with one more kiss, you let him get in the boat, making your way back to the decks, standing next to Aslaug.

The Queen has a look on her face, and you know she saw the kiss.

“Won't you say anything?” You mutter, feeling your cheeks burning.

“No.” She smiles, glancing at you. “I just think it'll be a long summer. For both of you.”

And, of course, Queen Aslaug was right.

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