#Luka and Doe -> Finch

[mydearestdarlingdead]

I love how all my couples have that one character that's just preaching the whole 'They're meant for eachother!' thing and no one listens to them

[onionjulius]

Alright so, ER rewatch is happening, but I'm swamped with work and so I'll have to wait for episode posts. For now, an initial inventory of my remembrance of the main characters/my opinion of them:

Love: Carol Hathaway, Mark Greene, Susan Lewis, Kerry Weaver, Abby Lockhart, Luka Kovač

Really like: John Carter, Doug Ross, Peter Benton, Elizabeth Corday, Lucy Knight, Jing-Mei Chen, Greg Pratt

Like: Jeanie Boulet*, Cleo Finch, Michael Gallant

Unlikeable but not devoid of complexity: Robert Romano, Dave Malucci

I remember your existence: Neela Rasgotra, Anna Del Amico

I don't remember your existence: Sam Taggert, Ray Barnett, Archie Morris, Tony Gates, Simon Brenner, Cate Banfield

*Jeanie's on the cusp between Like and Really like.

I'll be curious to see if my opinions change much watching this show 15-30 years after it initially aired. No doubt there will be cringe "Oh wow that aged poorly" moments, but hopefully also some that hold up well. It'll also be interesting to watch a pre-Prestige TV critical hit post-Prestige TV (and yeah, nostalgic, I'm getting quite nostalgic in my old age). And I'm wondering how my impressions of the characters will hold up in a close watch; I think I'm much more analytical now, and I'm pretty sure my opinions reflect the characters at their best without necessarily accounting for them at their worst. Although maybe that's not a bad thing as long as it's consistent.

More character recollections, some quite spoilery:

Mark's death slew me. It was so protracted too, he was suffering so much and his family was fraying at the seams and I just remember him trying so hard to handle things the best he could with that understated irony of his and just feeling so terribly for him. There was that thing with the guy in the elevator that he just let die, I don't remember what became of that ...

I love so much that Mark is really just Some Guy trying to do his job well while having normal Some Guy things like a wife and kids and basketball breaks. He's smart, decisive, dedicated, compassionate, a good teacher, and truly a deserving leader.

I know that Jeanie had at least one great story, which of course is the HIV story. I'm actually struggling to recall much before that, so that'll be fun.

I just ... I remember having such complex reactions to Kerry, and all these years later that has registered in my memory as love. I love Kerry, warts and all. You could feel so bad for her while simultaneously hate what she was saying or doing, and I do think she learned things over time. She was an outsider, a party pooper, ambitious and career-driven, a disabled lesbian, oil to Doug Ross' water. She was not easy to love, and so I loved her. Also, she was ER Mom. Love you, Mom!

I also loved Kim/Kerry. They felt so real and human and not simply an "issues" story. I find myself not recalling much of her relationship afterward, so looking forward to seeing if it is a worthy follow-up.

I loved Mark/Susan. They were such easy friends, so natural and believable together, so bright and breezy and (mostly) supportive and wonderful. I think they would have made a fine endgame, it was so easy to want good things for each of them, and what an unforgettable, lovely and bittersweet moment when she left Chicago on that train.

For all that though, I liked Mark with Elizabeth. It's true there wasn't the same will-they-won't they (and I remember feeling like her thing with Peter ended rather abruptly) but their domesticity was very sweet and she was a kick-ass character, strong and funny.

Romano was ... Problematic ... but his bond of some sort with Elizabeth was probably the best thing about his character.

I remember feeling that Peter was shafted, but that said he did last 8 years and I remember some good stories with his mother and sister, work vs parenthood, the custody battle, and of course (of course) his evolving dynamic with Carter.

Seriously though. Benton/Carter.

And on the topic of BroTPs: Mark/Doug!

There's something about the two most ambitious characters being Peter, a black man, and Kerry, a woman, that I kinda love.

Upon reflection, it seems to me that at least some of my affinity for Susan and Abby have to do with their family stories--particularly, having to deal with flawed family members, walking the line between loving and enabling, battling the desire to hope because of the need to protect against disappointment. It's ... interesting? ... because I don't have any deadbeat family members or family members who refuse to take responsibility for their illnesses, but something about how they use sarcasm to deal with life resonates with me, even though Susan in my head was a sunny character while Abby was a little black raincloud.

I loved Abby. Abby was a hot mess, a human disaster, a trashfire. Abby was strong, but also a coward. Abby was full of contradictions, Abby mistook self-abnegation for independence, Abby was only happy when it rained. Abby was hard to love, and so I loved her.

There was something about Abby/Luka that I found compulsively watchable. Something probably having to do with being really messed up and dysfunctional and full of maladaptive habits, but nevertheless wanting love like any other human being. There was a brooding intensity and understatedness to them that I remember just eating up. I was an undercover emo kid, what can I say.

That said, there was a phase in which he was truly insufferable (which I know was them taking a page out of the Doug Ross book ... but he isn't Doug Ross, even though he was brought on as a direct replacement). I'm curious if, on my rewatch, it will feel like an organic arc given how sweet, patient, gentlemanly and sensitive I recall him being at the start. Oh tragic little meow meow.

The final scene between Carol and Luka is so etched in my brain. "Because I'm still in love with him. I've been in love with him since I was 23 years old. He's everything to me. I feel complete when I'm with him and I feel empty when we're apart. He's the father of my children, and he's my soulmate." Yes, Doug was a manbaby and yes I was so hurt on Carol's behalf that he left her for Seattle, but really Doug/Carol were the Truth. You bought their connection so thoroughly and George Clooney's chemistry with Juliana Margulies was critical to that.

I remember thinking that Peter/Cleo's chemistry was nothing in particular to write home about (you know, not bad, but not special) ... but hell if they weren't beautiful together. Michael Michelle was just so stunning.

I really thought that they were heading for a lot of yummy Carter-denying-his-feelings-for-med-student-Lucy angst, which I was so there for. But I can't deny that what ended up happening (you know ...) was unforgettable television.

On that note, Carter was never the same after That. There's such a sad lost innocence about his character, given how earnest and caring and even hapless he was at the start. That's not necessarily a bad direction to go, narratively speaking, but one would hope for some eventual hard-won optimism for him all the same.

And yeah, at some point ER became darker and soapier, but I honestly have good memories of a few of those years, before becoming bored.

Like, another scene seared into my brain is Maggie Wyczenski turning on a dime and going postal right in the middle of the ER, screaming "I'm leaving! I'm leaving! I'm leaving! Iiii'm leaving!" and "You're my daughter you bitch!". God did Sally Field earn that Emmy or did she earn that Emmy. I wouldn't want to have missed out on that story, for all that it was such a downer.

Apparently Sam, Ray, Archie, and Tony came on more or less when Neela did, but she's the only one I remember. How'd that happen? Though I can't say I remember her stories, so there is that.

I remember watching with my sophomore year roommate the night that Romano freaking lost his arm to a helicopter. It was crazy. And I really thought it couldn't get any crazier, but then, as you know ...

The look of the show really changed from beginning to end, which, given that it lasted fifteen years, is probably to be expected. But I remember most the constantly moving camera in so many of the medical emergency scenes, and I hope that doesn't go away.

Mark's daughter and Peter's son were impossibly cute. Impossibly cute. So so cute. So so so so so cute.

Speaking of Chicago in the 90s, goddamn do y'all remember how incredible the Bulls were? I don't know why I'm putting that in this post, but I guess I am.

Carter/Jing Mei were such great friends, they never stopped being competitive with each other but they nevertheless grew up together and I love that the show never hooked them up.

I don't recall quite why but I feel like Doug and his dad were reminiscent of Riker and his dad from Star Trek. I don't know.

Okay yeah that's all for now.

[mydarlingdearestdead]

"So..." Finch methodically picked each raisin from his muffin. His work dusted the table with crumbs, though he hardly seemed to notice. "Y'all still singing together at that café?"

Doe's laughter was startled, incredulous even. She covered her mouth with her hand in an elegant, polite motion, speaking only when all the humour dispelled, "No, not in the café. Little more big time, both of us."

"But you're still... You know, together, right?" Finch chuckled nervously. He flicked the final raisin to the floor- Much to Doe's irritation- and lifted the carcass to his lips.

Doe found herself utterly disarmed, her shortbread discarded on its napkin before her. She wore a red wool cardigan and now pulled it more tightly around her shoulders.

Finally, she muttered, "We're engaged."

"Fucking called it!"

"Oh, shut up." She snapped, "We get it. You and the rest of the population..." For a moment, Doe hesitated, unsure whether Finch could possibly understand what she was to attempt to convey. Eventually, it occurred to her that the antagonistic light in which she had taken to portraying Finch no longer flattered him as it had a decade previous.

"I'm not wearing white."

Finch's smile was naturally kind. He reached for her hand across the table, despite his crumbed fingers.

"Nor should you." He told her with an understanding nod of his head.

"Thank you." She whispered in reply, "Really, thank you so much, Finch. For everything."

"My pleasure, Mrs Divine."

[m0thb0x]

name ideas pt2: ft - our name list

here are all the names on our name list for new alters (we got most these from tumblr) A Aaron/Aarron, Abbey/Abby/Abbie, Abyssette, Acid, Addison, Aero/Arrow, Aira/Ira, Akios, Alastor/Alostar, Alcreia/Alcreya, Alena, Alice, Alli, Allium, Alloy, Altan, Amber, Amyth/Ameth, Apollo, Arcane, Arsenick/Arsonix, Artemis, Aurelio, Ash, Asher, Ashley/Ashly, Ashton, Astro, Aurora, Ava, Aven, Avery, Avi, Aviary, Avis, Axiom, Azurite B Bam, Bandit, Baron, Bat, Bea, Beira, Biscuit, Blaze, Blade/Blayde/Blaidd, Bleiz, Bream, Breeze/Brease, Button C Cal, Calico, Callisto, Cam/Cameron, Canni/Canny, Capri, Casey/Kasey, Casper, Cass/Kass/Cas/Kas, Cassian/Caspian, Castor, Cecily, Celest/Selest, Celestine/Selestine, Cherri/Cherry, Cirrus, Cisco, Citrine, Cleasea/Clesee, Clipse/Clypse, Clove, Crew, Crimson/Crymson, Coco, Coley, Comet, Conri, Corbin, Cory, Cowen, Cypher, Cypress, Cyril/Syril D Dace, Daisy, Daggyr/Dagger, Dahlia, Dakota, Danio, Dash, Decay, Devario, Dewey, Deon, Doe, Dorian, Dmitri/Dimitri/Dmitrius, Dusk E Echo, Elianna, Elix, Ember, Embry, Emil, Eret, Erith, Esme, Esper, Espin, Ester, Eva, Ezra, Eztli F Fable, Fade/Fayde, Fannar, Faron, Faolan, Faye/Fae, Fig, Finch, Finley/Finlay, Finn, Fleischer/Fletcher, Florin, Flower, Foenestra, Forest G Gambit, Geniva/Genyva, Genli, Ghost, Glitch, Griffen H Haunt, Havok/Havik, Hayes/Haze, Helle/Hell, Hex, Hollow, Howl I Ike, Imp, Iris, Isley, Iviran, Ivy J Jester/Jaster, Jett, Jinx/Jynx, Joker, Juni/Junie, Juniper, Jupiter K Kairy/Cary/Kary/Kari, Kali, Kap, Kasen/Casen, Kestrel/Castrel, Kilson, Kip, Kirsea/Kirsey, Kix/Kyx, Knox, Koda, Kodiak/Kodak/Kodax, Koi, Kori, Krane/Crane, Krater/Crater L Lavender, Lavernia/Laverne, Lazuli, Leaf/Leif, Lidar, Lilac, Lilith, Loki, Luka, Lumi, Luna, Lupin M Maestia, Magnus, Makira, Mars, Malik, Maveon, Maverick, Melotone, Mercury, Micah/Mica, Milo, Minos/Minoes/Minose, Mirage, Mist/Misty, Mordechai, Moss, Myelin, Mynah, Myth, Myti N Nathan, Nell, Neptune/Naptune, Nero/Knero, Neutrix, Neve, Nihil/Nyhil, Nikko, Nimbus, Noah, Nocturne, Noir, Nyne/Nine, Nyx O Octavian, Okapi, Ollie, Onive/Onyve, Onyx, Orbbi P Paisley/Payslei, Parallax/Paralyx, Parsec, Patches, Pearl, Peridot, Phantom, Piper, Pluto, Pylon, Pyro/Pyrho R Radix, Ravenna, Ray, Rebus, Rez/Reznik, Rhea, Riley, Rima, Rin, Rio, Riri, River, Robin, Rocket, Rocc/Rocco, Ruby, Rumen, Ryker, Ryver S Sade, Saithe, Salem, Salome, Sapphire, Scarlet/Scarlett/Scarlyt, Secro, Shadow, Siv, Sketch, Skye, Soda, Sorren, Sparrow, Spectre/Spector, Spyke/Spike, Stitch, Strix, Sunny, Sunray, Styx, Sylver/Silver T Talon, Taryn/Tarin, Tavi, Teddy, Tetris, Thatcher, Theo, Thero/Thearon, Thorne, Tobias, Tobin, Topaz, Torin/Torian, Tova, Tovin, Trahira, Tulin, Tulip V Valerian/Valeryan, Valor/Vallar, Vampii, Vapour/Vapor, Vespin, Vivienne, Vix/Vex, Volan W Wally, Wisp, Wither X Xeno/Zeno Z Zev, Ziggy, Zin, Zion, Zumi

Written by: Eris 🍂🕯 Q: what does your name mean? A: my name eris means discord or strife banner by alien-emoji-art on tumblr

[news4usonline]

Timberwolves finish off the Lakers 

Los Angeles, CA (News4usOnline) - Luka and LeBron could not save the Lakers. The Minnesota Timberwolves proved themselves to be a better team in their first-round NBA playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers. The Timberwolves pushed Luka Doncic and LeBron James and the rest of the Lakers out of the postseason in five games.  “We executed great in the fourth quarter. Missed shots at the rim, missed a bunch of threes, shot 12-for-52 for the series in the fourth quarter from three,” Lakers head coach JJ Redick said after the game.  “On top of that, you lose two games in Minnesota – minus 12 on scoring opportunities and minus 13, and then you lose by 20 tonight. Just too many turnovers, too many offensive rebounds, and then you know. I think given the struggles scoring the ball, particularly early in the series, there is a tradeoff. There is always a tradeoff,” he added. 

Los Angeles, CA - Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James is greeted by his teammates during pregame introductions before Game 1 of a Western Conference playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Photo credit: Mark Hammond/News4usOnline The final insult for the Lakers was a 103-96 defeat to the Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena. Mineesota beat the Lakers in three straight games to claim the series and the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, a crushing and humbling exit from the playoffs.  “I think there’s always a mix of disappointment and gratitude, but certainly disappointed and not something that I’ve ever envisioned with this team,” Redick said. “I mean, to go in and talk to them after losing the first round. But give Minnesota a lot of credit, they’re a really good basketball team. I think our guys played hard enough and did all the right things. We tried to make it work with what we had and came up a little short.”  The Lakers fell far short of the goal they had set out to achieve when they went out and hired Redick to become the head coach. In his rookie season, Redick was able to guide the Lakers through the minefield that is called the Western Conference and had his team at the No. 3 spot once the regular season had concluded.  The postseason is all about matchups. And one of the worst teams the Lakers could have matched up with were the Timberwolves, a younger, much deeper and more physical squad. And it showed throughout the series as the Timberwolves sort of bullied the Lakers out of their customary mojo.  Game 5 was a perfect example of this. Minnesota made just 7 of 47 3-pointers and still won the ballgame. That’s 14 percent. On almost every other night, those kinds of numbers would result in a loss. Well, the Timberwolves managed to offset their porous shooting percentage from three-point range by outrebounding the Lakers, 54-37.  When it came to points in the paint, Minnesota was a lot more effective in that area than Los Angeles, finishing the night with a 56-40 advantage. The Timberwolves, influenced greatly by the sensational performance by center Rudy Gobert, were dominant on the boards.  The Lakers had no answer for Gobert in Game 5. In Game 4, Anthony Edwards was the showman for the Timberwolves with 43 points. Well, Edwards was bottled up for most of the night, converting just 5 of 19 shots from the field for 15 points. So, someone had to take up the slack.

Los Angeles, CA - Though he had a quiet Game 5 with just 15 points after only making just 5 of 19 shots from the field, Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves was the one factor the Los Angeles Lakers did not have an answer for in their first-round NBA playoff series for. Photo credit: Mark Hammond/News4usOnline That someone was Gobert. Gobert posted 27 points and 24 rebounds in 38 minutes of work, and literally took the breath away from the Lakers.  “Rudy's a winner at the highest level. He drives winning,” Minnesota head coach Chris Finch said. “You can not like who he is, how he does it, what he looks like, et cetera, but when you have this guy on your team, you understand what a professional and a winner is. He's just such a competitor as well. He doesn't listen to the outside noise. We don't listen to the outside noise. No one's happier for Rudy than his teammates right now, particularly Anthony .” The combination of the super duo of Doncic and James was not enough to move the past the first round. And now with James edging ever so close to retirement, the Lakers are looking at some hard realities. LA has a lot to ponder about this offseason.  One of them being that the Western Conference is stacked with young teams positioning themselves to knock the Lakers around. The Memphis Grizzlies, Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, SacramentoKings, and the Timberwolves are looking like the future, while the Lakers remain stuck in past glory.  Getting Doncic in a trade was a great acquisition to build around.With Redick being a first-year coach, there need for improvement don’t just land at the players’ doorsteps. Redick said he can get better as well.    “I’ll use my own thoughts to evaluate myself, and I’ll use what my players say and my coaching staff say to evaluate,” said Redick. “I know I can be better, and I know I will get better. I don’t necessarily take any satisfaction from how the year went. That’s not to say I’m not proud of what the group was able to do and how we were able to figure things out on the fly and put ourselves in a position to have home court the first round. There’s always ways to get better and I can get a lot better.” Read the full article

[home-inspiration-blog]

Lakers preparing for evolved Anthony Edwards

EL SEGUNDO — The Minnesota Timberwolves using 37-year-old Joe Ingles on their scout team to play the role of Lakers star Luka Doncic in preparation for Saturday’s playoff opener was far from just Internet fodder. “It’s hard to replicate everything [Doncic] does,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said after his team’s practice on Tuesday. “We have Joe Ingles kind of simulating things, who gives us a…

[terramythos]

TerraMythos’ 2020 Reading Challenge In Review - 8/10s!

See Master Post 

Here’s the 8/10s! This is basically the mid-level “stuff I liked” rating. 

1. How Long ‘Til Black Future Month? by N. K. Jemisin (Full Review Here)

The 8/10 on this is a little misleading, as it’s an average score among 22 stories. Anthologies are basically never going to be my highest-rated works because to me short fiction is hit-or-miss. As you can tell from my actual write-up, there are a lot of great stories here; Jemisin is just a fantastic writer. The Trojan Girl, Valedictorian, The Evaluators, The Narcomancer, and Too Many Yesterdays/Not Enough Tomorrows all live in my head rent-free. There’s just some that also didn’t click with me. 

2. All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries #1) by Martha Wells (Full Review Here) 

If you peeked at the 9 and 10 lists you know I loved this series, lol. This one ranked a little lower than the others because it’s super short! Just as I started getting attached to Murderbot and interested in the world, the book ended. It was a good hook to get me further into the series but hard to rank on its own. The other novellas ranked higher since I was more familiar with Murderbot by then.  I’m very glad I stuck with it and kept reading! 

3. City of Saints and Madmen��(Ambergris #1) by Jeff VanderMeer (Full Review Here) 

This is the first book in the pseudo-trilogy that is the Ambergris series. It’s basically a short story collection, and boy is it weird! There’s clearly something wrong with Ambergris as a city, and it’s hard to parse fact from fiction when the stories intentionally contradict each other or obfuscate information. There’s a ton of hints that don’t pay off until Finch, which is totally bonkers. Anyway, I really liked the horror/historical stories (yes those are basically the same when it comes to Ambergris) -- The Hoegbotton Guide to the Early History of Ambergris, The Transformation of Martin Lake, King Squid, and my personal favorite The Cage. The other stories just ranged from mildly interesting to meh. 

4. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz (Full Review Here)

I can totally see why this is a classic in LGBT YA fiction. The writing and love story are both fantastic. As someone perpetually closeted in real life, the struggle of Ari realizing he’s in love with his best friend hits close to home, and is clearly drawn from the author’s own relationship with his sexuality. I really like that both of the leads’ families are integral to the story, and while Ari’s personal arc is a family conflict, it’s refreshingly not due to the LGBT stuff. This book would be an easy 10/10 but something happened near the middle that totally killed the pace for me. Thankfully it does get better in the last third or so. 

5. The Siren Depths (The Books of the Raksura #3) by Martha Wells (Full Review Here) 

This book is probably my favorite in the original trilogy; I like the reveal of Moon’s past and the complicated emotions associated with that. The Fell are genuinely creepy villains played to their full potential as well. The Siren Depths also introduces two of my favorite characters, Malachite and Shade. It’s got the emotions! It’s got the action! It’s got the kinda-horror! The main thing that dragged down the score is the ending, which felt rushed and tied up way too quickly. 

6. The Cloud Roads (The Books of the Raksura #1) by Martha Wells (Full Review Here) 

As an introduction to the Raksura series, I really liked this book! There’s a sense of this huge setting with lots of interesting worldbuilding and development. I’ve said it a lot, but I like that it’s a fantasy setting with zero humans or recognizable fantasy races. It’s also super cool to have the main characters able to shapeshift and fly! Moon learning about the Raksura and their culture feels natural because he’s an outsider. I also like his arc; how he mistrusts/allies with the Raksura for convenience, then gradually finds his place among them. At this point in the series the Fell weren’t especially interesting villains, but (spoiler) the series does eventually address this. 

7. Middlegame by Seanan McGuire (Full Review Here) 

So I really like the concept behind this one -- twins created by shady alchemical experiments get tossed into the real world in order to observe their natural development. While intentionally kept apart, they manage to find each other nevertheless via telepathy. There’s this grand scheme for the villains to steal the twins’ power and become a god? And at some point the reader realizes there’s time loops and stuff where they’re trying to prevent certain bad endings (hello Zero Escape)? Platonic soulmates?! Just... a lot of interesting stuff going on. I think what kept this from a 9 or a 10 for me is much of the book reads like contemporary coming-of-age fiction, which isn’t what I was looking for with a concept like this. Technically the “ordinary” nature of the first half is a façade because Plot, but... you still have to read through it. 

8. A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson (Full Review Here) 

This is an interesting nonfiction work that summarizes major scientific knowledge in terms a layman can understand. Bryson is actually a travel writer, but consulted dozens of experts in order to write this book and cites the hell out of everything. I think he does a great job presenting accurate and accessible information. Even stuff I learned in school is explained in ways that make more sense than how I was taught-- like ice ages. I also learned lots of interesting facts! My main issue is there’s a heavy focus on individual scientists, many of whom were boring. And while this isn’t the book’s fault, some of the info is outdated. I think this would benefit from a revised edition. 

9. Wolf by Wolf (Wolf by Wolf #1) by Ryan Graudin (Full Review Here) 

Absolutely fuckin’ bonkers concept. Alternate “the Nazis won” history, starring a Holocaust escapee who can skinshift, posing as a professional motorcyclist, trying to compete and win an annual Reich-sponsored race, in order to get a private audience with Hitler and murder the shit out of him? Probably the most surprising thing about the premise is it mostly works. I really like the deliberate pacing through the tense motorcycle race, the level of deception Yael has to maintain, and the harrowing flashback sequences. Sometimes the symbolism is a little heavy-handed, and I wasn’t a huge fan of the generic antagonistic YA love interest character Luka, but overall I was pleasantly surprised by this one. 

10. A Conspiracy of Truths (A Conspiracy of Truths #1) by Alexandra Rowland (Full Review Here) 

This takes place in a fantasy world with analogues to real-world nations. The main character, an old man named Chant, is a professional storyteller who is arrested for supposed witchcraft in the Eastern Europe-esque country of Nuryevet. While it’s clearly a farce, he’s screwed over by the local political system and imprisoned. Faced with possible execution, Chant uses his gift for storytelling to manipulate local powers, and accidentally starts a political revolution in the country. Whoops! 

I liked the book’s meta-commentary on storytelling, and it features a lot of wonderful side-stories told by Chant and other characters. Oddly enough, the economics are super interesting (a trait shared with the sequel). My main criticism is most of the political intrigue goes down off-screen; we just learn about it through other characters. While that makes sense with an imprisoned protagonist, it’s not the most exciting approach. I ended up liking A Choir of Lies more, but this one was still good. 

11. The Serpent Sea (The Books of the Raksura #2) by Martha Wells (Full Review Here)

Boy did I read a lot of Martha Wells this year. This is the last one! This is probably my least favorite of the series; very much a filler/side-story. Nevertheless, it’s an entertaining entry on its own merits. The leviathan city is distinctively gross, and I liked the evil magister antagonist and his creepy-ass museum. This is also where we learn about Chime’s powers, which continue to be relevant through the series. But I don’t have a whole lot to say beyond that. It’s a solid entry that doesn’t change much.

[the-ever-green-gwen]

Pinned Post

Hello far traveler! If you have stumbled across this post, be welcome and rest. This blog is dedicated to the boisterous and well known hero, Gwendolyn Morningstar! As such it will mostly be aesthetic posting, dnd memes, and all other posts I find pertinent.

If you wish know more, please check out the rest of this post beneath the read more. Happy trails, dear traveler.

💚🌱🌈✨🌌🌄🌙

What's a Gwendolyn Morningstar?

Gwendolyn Morningstar is my Dnd character of about 4 years now. This blog is specifically to reblog posts that I think match her aesthetic, but I can't promise that more general dnd stuff won't be reblogged to. You have been warned!

What kind of character is a Gwendolyn Morningstar?

In dnd terms, Gwen is a 15 lv. LG Half-elf Paladin of the Crown. In character terms, Gwen is an archetypical knight; chivalric, noble, and generous. She is awkward around girls she likes, prefers harsh honesty over white lies, and loves to sing and play her lyre. Her standards for everyone (including her) are a bit unrealistic, but Gwen believes that anyone can be a hero, and even more crucially, a good person.

Sorry, I don't speak dnd-ese. What's a 15 lv. Palindrome of the Crown?

15th level means she's in the upper ranks of dnd characters in terms of power, and has gone toe-to-toe with would be gods, eldritch monsters and ancient Dragons. A big deal, in short.

"LG" means Lawful Good, which for dnd means that this character is mostly benevolent, and believes that to be moral you must follow a code, the law, or some other external standard. Some people will tell you that lawful literally means "the law", and while there's no exact definition any player "needs" to follow, I found the above definition most helpful to my rping :)

Half-elf just means she is a product of human-elf relations, and is a hybrid between those races.

Paladins in dnd are warriors that draw magical power from their oaths, which in exchange bind that character to a cause or service. Most Paladins are religious, and Gwen is no exception. Her patron is Mïlil, the Elven patron goddess of music and art. Her oath, that of the crown, pledges her to serve her world's nations and their leaders, but she grows ever more and more conflicted to the virtuousness of that cause the more she sees of the world.

Is Gwen LGBT :3?

Gwen is a lesbian! Her pronouns are she her, and I haven't thought much on her gender. I would assume ciswoman, but maybe that might change? Who knows?

What's Gwen's Backstory?

Long and elaborate. Suffice it to say she lost what little remained of her family and home, and had to find them again half the world away.

Does Gwen have a girlfriend :3333?

In the campaign Gwen has pined after two characters, both of whom are player characters. The first was unrequited, and the second is still playing out. Will probs invent tags for them as time goes along.

What was Gwen's inspiration?

Gwen was inspired by a couple of different sources. The most prevalent is the association that I noticed (but by no means discovered) between lesbian culture and chivalric romance tropes. Chivalric romance stresses such things as devotion to the beloved lady and the virtue of love for love's sake, which are tropes that map on to how sapphic women talk and think about their lives. From that insight the idea of a sapphic knight just made so much sense. Things like Gwen's Pre-Raphaelite vibes and other things just followed on from that general idea.

Do you have other characters? Have you Dmed?

Yes to both! Too many to list, but right now I am playing three characters;

• Aesop Fableman - warforged and aspiring wizard. Very anxious but determined.

• Lukas "Lucky" Finch - Human Bard/Warlock multiclass. Stereotypical bard whore. Tried to cheat a deity and was Shanghaied into being an adventurer.

And yes, I have two games right now that I'm Dming. Expect some homebrew posted :3

[mydarlingdearestdead]

"You know what I think?" Finch yawned, laying her chin delicately in her palm, content simply to observe as Ambrose sketched. When he did not reply, she reiterated, "Do you want to know what I think about Doe?"

Absently, he nodded and, voice vaguely pleasant but sounding terribly distant, replied, "Mhm.. Yeah."

"I think," Finch stressed the word tremendously, overcome by the gravity of what she spoke, "That Doe doesn't want Harlow at all. She wants the wedding but not the groom."

And, truly, she prayed that the words which she spoke- which she had convinced herself off lying under Ambrose's makeshift canopy in the wee hours- were utterly and entirely false. However, to hope is one thing, to believe is another.

Suddenly, Ambrose's hand stilled. Swiftly, he turned to face them, a persistent crease between his eyebrows.

"She would pick Luka, wouldn't she?" He asked, a horrified note in his voice.

Soberly, Finch told him, "Blindfolded in a sea of strangers, she would pick Luka." Then, she shocked herself with a bout of laughter, "And that's what the wedding'll be- A sea of fucking strangers. I bet you my life savings-"

"Of which you have none."

"-That she won't make it to the altar, and if she does, she won't stay there."

Ambrose nodded, returning to his work, "Bet the dress will be a work of art, though. Knowing Doe."

[mydarlingdearestdead]

"I just mean that she isn't like warm or cuddly. She's certainly no Doe-" Finch laughed sharply, "I mean, the girl's more cactus than deer. I can't understand why you bother with her. Crushes come and go, Luka, but girls like that... They're poisonous. You-"

"Don't call her that." Luka muttered, "You- You don't know shit about her. You pretend to. You read the news stories and watch the documentaries and pretend you're a part of her life but you're not." His voice took on a vicious edge, sharp as a razor's edge, "You're no different from the bullies, Finch. Jesus-"

"Oh!" Finch slammed her hand down atop the oak veneer. Luka was already on his feet and she grasped his sleeve in one taloned hand, "You're seriously gonna side with her? With Doe Harbour? Seriously, Luka?"

He laughed mirthlessly, wrenching his arm from her grasp. Sunlight filtered through the high-set stained glass windows and bathed him a bright, angelic glow. He spoke with a dreamy quality, "Doe-" And he said her name with such reverence, "-Means more to me than you ever could."

Masterlist

[mydarlingdearestdead]

I hate it because it fits him so well. Luka Divine. He is divine, after all. He is perfect. Like a greek god. But Destiny 'Doe' Divine. Can't you just hear the wedding bells?

Finch felt the bitterness in those words. To think, smudges of graphite of paper can empty an overflowing heart with such ease.

His mother came with two steaming mugs, capped with thick whipped cream and soft, snow-white marshmallows. She handed the first of the two- A yellow and white mug, emblazoned with a stylised sun emblem- to Finch, who took it gratefully and sipped with gusto.

"What about this one?" His mother asked, gesturing to the pink notebook laying upon the desk.

Finch spared it a final glance, swallowing roughly.

"Chuck it." He said, grasping the mug with both calloused hands, "It's just fifteen year old ramblings. Nothing I need or want."

His mother shrugged, taking a dainty sip from her own mug- Pink polka dots.

"You're the boss, dear."

[mydarlingdearestdead]

Original Character Profile Masterlist

Decline:

Karma Ellis Remus Kenning Allie James Katie Thatcher Ivory Miller Jan Lewandoski Maria Kenning-White Charles White

Atlas and Rosalyn:

Atlas Carraway Rosalyn Carraway Madeline 'Linney' Lowell Narrator

Elton and Orion:

Elton Rhymes Orion O'Hara August O'Hara Eliza Landhoff

Odessa and Loyal:

Dr. Odessa Halliway Hayden Loyal Lottie Baviere Atticus Marriot Alys Loyal

Fairly:

Ambrose Manalo Finch Kralj Lennon Reid Desta Phillips Maya Santos Avery Corona Luka Devine Destiny 'Doe' Harbour Harlow Booker Hai 'Herring' Wright

Dawson and Jude:

Jude Bright Dawson Lacey Evaline 'Eva' Astor Arden Astor

Others:

Haven Desmond Wren Emerson Isadora 'Dory' Perry Hope Graceland

[mydarlingdearestdead]

Original Characters Masterlist

Atlas and Rosalyn:

Siren Song Precious Time "I prayed to god for the purpose in believing in god." "...But a sin." "Whether I'm attracting flies or not." "Wanna know a secret?" "Happy birthday, my love." "It's almost midnight." - Rosalyn and Narrator "That kind of day." - Linney and Narrator Assigning Blame - Linney and Narrator Obligation "Heaven to a sinner." Wounds Abigail

Icarus:

In the Last Strains of Sunlight - Remus, Maria and Emmeline "I pick hell." - Remus and Allie "The final straw!" - Remus and Maria "I don't think I care." - Remus and Maria A Threadbare, Baby Blue Bear - Remus and Jan "Charlie..." - Maria and Charles Crocodile Expression - Maria and Charles Glitter-Free - Remus, Maria and Charles "Happy birthday, Remus..." - Remus and Karma "God forbid your mother has friends." - Remus, Karma, Allie and Maria Muffins are a fair price - Remus, Allie and Jan Halloween - Remus and Allie "Dyslexia strikes again." - Remus, Karma and Allie "Cats and dogs." - Remus, Karma, Allie and Nyx

Elton and Orion:

"Let me guess..." Silver Pepper of the Stars Sweet as Sugar "How to make a guy feel special." Kiss the Girl Eliza Puzzle Rings "This year..." Wedding Crasher AU pt. 1 Wedding Crasher AU pt. 2 "Are you blushing?" Maybe Love

Arachne:

"Affection for Mr Loyal..." - Odessa Miss Charlotte De Baviere - Lottie "Technically a genius." - Odessa, Loyal and Marriot Dr Odessa Halliway - Loyal and Dinah Ethics - Odessa, Loyal and Marriot "You're brilliant!" - Odessa and Loyal "You get it." - Odessa and Loyal "Friend or therapist?" - Odessa and Arthur "I get it." - Odessa and Loyal Scars and Stories - Loyal and Lottie All Good Things Arrive Haphazardly - Odessa and Loyal "My circus, my monkeys." - Odessa, Loyal and Marriot "Not that girl." - Odessa and Loyal Salt and Sugar - Lottie and Marriot

Fairly:

For Finch - Ambrose and Finch "Running through the airport love?" - Ambrose and Finch His Touch can Ruin or Rebuild my Life as he Sees Fit. - Ambrose and Finch Built to Preform - Luka and Doe Him or Her - Harlow Supposed True Love - Luka and Doe Amateur - Luka, Doe and Harlow (au) Doe Eyes - Luka and Doe "A very pretty Soprano!" - Luka and Doe Harlow! - Harlow and Luka "Hai..." - Harlow and Herring He is divine - Finch and Luka "I want it to be perfect." - Ambrose and Desta "Running through the airport love?" - Maya and Finch Status Quo - Ambrose and Finch "Time to go home." - Ambrose and Finch "They'll kill you." - Ambrose and Lennon Wonders of the World - Luka (and Doe) Doe Divine - Doe (Au) "If Freud wouldn't have a field day with that." - Ambrose and Finch Third Party Revenge - Ambrose, Desta and Meredith All the Wonders of the World - Luka "She doesn't deserve any of that." - Ambrose and Finch (and Doe) "Made for each other." - Ambrose, Finch, Luka and Doe "Doe." - Luka and Doe "Do I know you from somewhere?" - Doe and Desta "What is he punishing himself for?" - Desta and Meredith (and Ambrose) "Nothing special." - Ambrose and Finch Snow - Luka and Doe "We always won." - Luka and Doe Technicolour - Doe and Finch True Solace - Luka and Doe

Dawson and Jude:

"Looking for myself..." "I'm Dawson."//"My name is Jude." "How I missed you." "Like he hopped out of a storybook." - Jude and Lennon Jude's Homicidal Skillset (Or lack thereof) - Jude and Lennon "Someone they like." "Extra-curriculars." - Jude, Dawson, Eva and Arden

Salem:

Facade of Blame

[mydarlingdearestdead]

Fairly Masterlist

Ambrose and Finch

For Finch - Ambrose and Finch "Running through the airport love?" - Ambrose and Finch His Touch can Ruin or Rebuild my Life as he Sees Fit. - Ambrose and Finch "Time to go home." - Ambrose and Finch Status Quo - Ambrose and Finch "Nothing special." - Ambrose and Finch "She doesn't deserve any of that." - Ambrose and Finch (and Doe) "If Freud wouldn't have a field day with that." - Ambrose and Finch "Running through the airport love?" - Maya and Finch Happy You're Happy - Ambrose, Finch and Selene "Infatuation. It's a horrible disease." - Maya and Finch Cruel Symbol - Ambrose narration Stunning - Ambrose and Finch Light and Darkness - Maya narration "But you knew who I meant." - Luka and Finch Parents - Ambrose and Finch (Ambrose Lore) "Going home?" - Ambrose and Finch Lucky - Ambrose and Finch Humanity - Ambrose and Finch Smoke and Oil Paint - Ambrose and Finch A Child's Realm - Ambrose and Finch The Majesty of Flame - Ambrose and Finch

Luka and Doe

Built to Preform - Luka and Doe Supposed True Love - Luka and Doe Doe Eyes - Luka and Doe "A very pretty Soprano!" - Luka and Doe "She doesn't deserve any of that." - Ambrose and Finch (and Doe lore) Wonders of the World - Luka (and Doe) "Doe Divine." - Doe (Titanic au) All the Wonders of the World - Luka "Made for each other." - Ambrose, Finch, Luka and Doe "Doe." - Luka and Doe Snow - Luka and Doe "We always won." - Luka and Doe Technicolour - Doe and Finch True Solace - Luka and Doe "Y'know... Together?" - Finch and Doe "Nobody's alone." - Luka and Doe A Dear - Doe "It's a party." - Luka and Doe Easier Methods - Luka and Doe "My name is Doe Divine." - Doe and Monica "Always won." - Luka and Doe Technicolour - Doe and Finch As Flawless as Luka Divine - Doe "The girl's more cactus than deer." - Luka and Finch A Long-Standing Tradition - Luka and Doe A Sea of Strangers - Ambrose and Finch "Mrs Divine." - Luka and Doe Bambi - Luka and Doe Simple Trust - Luka and Doe "Nothing less than all my affection." - Luka and Doe

Other

Him or Her - Harlow Amateur - Luka, Doe and Harlow (au) Harlow! - Harlow and Luka "Hai..." - Harlow and Herring He is divine - Finch and Luka "I want it to be perfect." - Ambrose and Desta "They'll kill you." - Ambrose and Lennon "Do I know you from somewhere?" - Doe and Desta "What is he punishing himself for?" - Desta and Meredith (and Ambrose) Third Party Revenge - Ambrose, Desta and Meredith Worthwhile Effort - Maya, Avery and Finch Idiot - Doe and Harlow A Petulant Child - Harlow Breakfast! - Ambrose and Finch (And Maya) Elaborate - Maya and Avery Cheap Embrace - Doe and Harlow Too Perfect - Maya and Avery Dear, Sweet Harlow - Harlow and Doe The Vampire Diaries - Finch, Desta and Meredith "Our little angel." - Monica (And Doe) "He looks like he plays hopscotch." - Luka and Doe Angels - Herring and Finch (and Harlow) Subtle - Maya and Avery Some Faith - Ambrose and Lennon

The Fairly WIP is named for the Andromeda Apartment building on Fairly Street where at least one half of all the pairings live.

Luka and Doe are musical theatre friends turned love. They represent blind love to me because, frankly, Doe is callous and cruel when she wishes. Luka is willing to blindly defend her at every turn because he believes that love transcends that. He is incapable of recognising her faults, only catering to them.

Ambrose and Finch centre around how an artist's work is appreciated and adored by fanatics. Ambrose is the artist, while Finch is utterly obsessed with stroke of his brush. In return, he cherishes their eye and objectivity. Although he is hopelessly vain, Finch allows him his indulgences.

Maya and Avery are a supporting couple and a very physical one at that. Maya is Finch's roommate and sole friend aside from Ambrose himself. Meanwhile, Desta and Meredith are Ambrose's collegues- Not artists, but rather tour guides/security officers at the gallery. They all share the same day-job while awaiting stardom to find them. Lennon is a character which connects this WIP and Dawson and Jude's. She is Jude's best friend but also Ambrose's ex-girlfriend.

Characters:

Ambrose Manalo Finch Kralj Destiny 'Doe' Harbour Luka Divine Harlow Booker Hai 'Herring' Wright Maya Santos Avery Corona Desta Phillips Meredith Blackwood Selene Manalo Lennon Reid

NOTE: If any links are missing, it's because I haven't gotten around to creating them yet.

[mydarlingdearestdead]

While Ambrose lulled by xer side, Finch approached an intriguing couple, seemingly the nucleus of the gathering.

A young man and woman, they recieved Finch reasonably well- Him with an open warmth, her with a hesitant toleration. The woman, dressed incomprehensively in pure, snow-white, leaned on her companions arm. He clung to her with a certain joyous disbelief, as if he could hardly believe this to be his reality.

"This is Ambrose." Finch told them, thrusting him forward, "Ambrose, this is Luka and Doe."

Ambrose outstretched an anxious hand. The man took it first, "Luka Divine." He said, grinning, "Nice to meet you!"

The woman took hold of him next. Her nails, Ambrose noted, were not white, but rather a light pink.

"Doe Harbour."

"No," Finch interrupted, "That's not what her parents named her."

Apparently pleading ignorance, Doe turned from xem, dragging Luka in her wake. He offered no apology.

Ambrose, unashamed, watched the two take their leave.

"They're made for each other, aren't they?" He asked, undoubtedly awe-struck. He could not have vocalised a reason for such a feeling should you have asked him, neither on the night or years later.

Finch blanched. Frankly, xey looked horrified at the prospect, but they swallowed the apparent fear with a smile.

"Yeah." They sighed, "They always have been."

Masterlist

[mydarlingdearestdead]

"She looks like you." Finch said abruptly, "Just in technicolour."

Doe rolled her eyes, "Don't you ever just stay out of other people's business?"

Her hostility was tell-tale and yet it never did lose its bite. That was Doe's true talent, not her voice or her pretty face. The prettiest rose with the sharpest thorn, eager for blood.

Finch shrugged vaguely, "You already hurt him once, Doe. Sure,h e likes Delilah but he loves you. Don't fuck it up again." Doe made to protest but Finch clapped a hasty hand over her mouth and her eyes widened with terror, "Wait! I- I need to say something before Luka ends up depressed in fuckin' Italy or somewhere. I remember you doodling Doe Divine in your margins, come on. Be that fourteen year old girl again and give him a chance."

He removed his hand but Doe simply stared in stunned silence until they made to retreat. Only then did she grasp his sleeve in her free hand- That which was not handling a glass of champagne, though she soon swallowed the remainder in one gulp and handed the flute off on a passing's waiter's arm.

"What if he changed his mind?" She whispered, tears forming in her eyes, "What if you're wrong and my chance is already gone? He is all I have, Finch, and I can not drive him away."

Finch grinned, "You've been writing Doe Divine in the margins of notebooks since you were fourteen, right? Well he's been writing Luka Harbour since before you even bothered givin' him the time of day."

Masterlist