#Third Generation Firebird

[blackros78]

[carsthatnevermadeitetc]

Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Turbo, 1989. A limited edition third generation Firebird 20th Anniversary Turbo Trans Am, which was the Indianapolis 500 Pace Car that year. The 20th Anniversary model featured a 3.8-litre turbocharged Buick V6 engine. It was the first Indy Pace Car to not require mechanical modifications to lead the field.

[artist-issues]

BAM SURPRISE you are the head writer at Disney or whatever (the entire corporation for all their companies and movies, not just Disney animated) for one week and anything that you do during that time cannot be changed/altered later. What are you doing

Oh geez

Okay, besides torching all the sin-affirming stuff they do—

I would mandate that no more Live Action Remakes be made. Like, ever. I would cancel all upcoming sequels. I would force only Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Studios to work on new animated films coming out—no utilizing the studio in Vancouver or outsourcing the work to AI or Japan or anywhere outside the U.S.

I would do that in the hopes that the animators who understand our specific culture would be forced to meet the challenges posed by new projects, instead of taking computer-generated-AI shortcuts to solving hard-art problems. And, when they make a movie that takes inspiration from other cultures, it forces them to learn about those cultures, themselves. Then, when they make movies, their unique American-in-Fill-in-the-Blank-Culture perspective adds depth, flavor, and my favorite thing, earnestness, to the design of the movie.

Next! I would hire Chris Sanders back. I would pay him literally anything he wanted. Probably by selling all our holdings in Marvel, because Marvel is dead as a doornail.

With that cash flow I would also LOWER THE PRICES TO GET INTO DISNEY WORLD AND DISNEY LAND. The prices get lowered. I don’t care. I don’t care. I don’t care if the whole company goes belly-up because I did that; I would drop the prices considerably to get into the parks. And to get Resort Packages. And then I’m jacking up the prices for the overseas parks.

Know what else I would do? Fix the Yeti in Expedition Everest, add the Hatbox Ghost into the Haunted Mansion, and blitz social media telling everyone about it. While I’m there I’ll make a post about how we’re destroying Genie+ and the Lightning Lanes. Utterly gone. Nobody gets to purchase cut-in-line time slots. Everybody waits in line together. Because guess what, forcing the normal-people line to completely halt while you let traffic from the gave-up-my-firstborn-to-purchase-a-faster-line-experience line go first every three minutes is CAUSING the wait times FOR BOTH to get LONGER, tricking people into purchasing “faster” line experiences that are actually still horrifyingly slow, and ruining the already-overpriced day for everybody involved.

Ahem.

Meanwhile, we’re getting that money back, because I’m putting Chris Sanders on a brand new project; he’s going to pitch me two ideas. One idea is all his own, it can be anything he wants. The other has to be an adaptation of The Firebird fairy tale. But he can be as liberal as he wants with the details, like he was for Beauty & the Beast.

He gets to direct his own, obviously, but since directing two projects would be really hard, I would bring in Roger Allen and Rob Minkoff to handle The Firebird.

Once we have the money, I’m funding four new projects in Disney World. The first is, Pizza Planet is becoming the new restaurant at Disney Springs.

The second is, the Rock n Rollercoaster is getting replaced by Phineas & Ferb’s coaster—just in time for the new season to come out on Disney+!

The third is; Avatar: The Way of Water-themed Resort which connects to the park, but guests may only cross over into the theme park during special After-Hours, when regular guests have had to leave because it’s closed. But it would be over the water, and have its own water park.

There are those indestructible glass windows making holes in the floor and the sides, and the rooms are all suspended over real water (with carefully-constructed foliage so that even though it feels open to the air like in the movie you actually have complete privacy, nobody can see into the rooms. And we’ll add curtains for the faint of heart, whatever) The windows in the floor double as screens which you can turn off or on; if the screens are on, a randomized animated loop fools the eye so that every once in a while, Avatar characters and marine life swim by or interact with guests.

Fourth thing in Disney World: additions to all the lands they’ve hobbled together in the last twenty years.

For example, New Fantasyland gets a Tangled ride where you’re following Rapunzel’s hair trail through the environments of the movie, and you and Flynn Rider are trying to catch up to her; but at certain crossroads the people in the vehicle can choose between multiple paths for your ride vehicle to travel down. This way, you and your party can be racing one another, so there’s an element of competition like there is in Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin.

Also! Galaxy’s Edge gets walk-around droids, two new hangout-style open-air restaurants, and an elaborate playground area made up of of nets, rope courses, and simple alien animatronics like you’re exploring a Resistance Base that was constructed by Ewoks.

Dinoland U.S.A. Is scrapped (except for the Dinosur Ride which is relocated) to make room for The Pridelands. You heard me. You thought I was going to say Zootopia, but no, that’s not jungly enough for Animal Kingdom.

The Pridelands has another the-most-elaborate-playground-in-the-world section, which is huge and sprawly, and full of things like fake tunnels which connect to the hollow skulls of elephants in an elephant-graveyard section, with screens made to look like windows that peer down into the geyser-bubbling lair of Scar. And of course there’s a Pride Rock, but it’s made like Rapunzel’s tower, so it looks far away in perspective, and occasionally an animatronic Zazu hops out onto the ledge, looks around, and hops away, or Simba prowls out, roars, and backs up out of sight again. Like a giant incredible cuckoo clock.

There are three rides to start with. One is a zany Timon-and-Pumbaa ride/game where you’re basically doing the Space-Ranger-Spin thing, looking for grubs. Another is a rollercoaster called “Escape the Stampede” and you’re basically hurtling along as if you’re galloping just ahead of the wildebeest in the gorge.

The third is a walkthrough of the events of the film, but with Avatar-level-advanced animatronics and hyenas come lurching out from behind things to snap at you.

The Pridelands has two restaurants; one is counter-service and it’s called “Timon & Pumbaa’s Grub Hub” and it’s all pasta bars, and Mac-n-cheese, so you can pretend you’re slurping up grubs if you’re a kid. The other is a reservation-only restaurant made to look like the beautiful forest Timon & Pumbaa live in, with built-in waterfall features and a ceiling that changes color and lighting effects to look like a starry sky or a dazzling sunrise depending on the time of day. It’s very atmospheric and the idea is to go on dates there. There’s also live African music.

And we’ll relocate the Festival of the Lion King here, too.

I’d also make a video game that is open-world and online-multiplayer, like Destiny, BUT it’s an elaborate retro-futuristic world with its own story based on Tomorrowland. The story would be impacted by what the players all around the world choose to do in-majority, and I’ll have three or four different routes it can go—but the main thrust of the game’s long, ongoing plot is a metaphor for the hard, passionate work of being innovative versus the dangers of cutting corners to make a profit in the name of “progress.”

For our Live-Action Department, they’re going to be working on a new series of Westerns based loosely on Big Thunder Mountain. It will be a trilogy, and it will star Matt Lanter as the hero, villain-character played by Chris Pratt, and Tim Allen (Tim Allen is Matt Lanter’s estranged father.) When they’re done with that they get to make a Space Mountain movie starring Letitia Wright. That’s what our Live Action Department gets to work on—original dramas based, if anything, on our original theme park attractions that nobody else in the world has.

And for our television studio, Tom Bancroft and his brother Tony are hired to make an animated series called “Escape Schism” and it’s about a young girl who discovers she has the ability to escape her dystopian-future world by jumping through television screens into movies. Each movie is a loose parody of iconic movies in the real world. The catch is, she can only stay in those movie-worlds for one day, and she can only take one object from the movie-world back into the real world after each visit. Other characters include the little brother she’s always trying to protect from the dystopia of their reality, and her older sister who works as a detective for the evil corporation that’s functioning as the government.

It’s lighthearted, it gets great views.

Then I’d hire @doverstar to make a series on Disney+ as a sequel to Lilo & Stitch: the Series. It can be Stitch & Ani.

Then I’d put the guy who did The Lion Guard in charge of Disney Junior, spearheading two new shows—one is a show about Robin Hood and Maid Marion’s life before the events of the animated movie, and the other is an original show called “Gift Shop” and it’s about a gift-shop owner who is actually a fairy godmother, and has to figure out the exact-right gift to give the fairy tale characters who stop by every once in a while. But it’s told from the perspective of her pet owl, Dusty.

Aaaand finally I’d completely destroy the Haunted Mansion movie in favor of a new, three-part television-film, (like the ones they do on SyFy) told from the perspective of the Groundskeeper. In this treatment, a young man named Kyle is terrified of really making the most of his life because of a fear of failure. He made one big mistake and it cost the family their ancestral home when he was a senior in college, and he can’t get over it. He becomes groundskeeper of the Haunted Mansion because of the exorbitant amount of money offered to do the job, thinking it can help him buy back the family house. Instead, he encounters the Hatbox Ghost—who enlists the new Groundskeeper’s help adventuring to break the control Constance Hatchaway has over the 999 Haunts living there. The Hatbox Ghost and she used to be in love. Kyle has to help them solve that in order to free himself from the position as Groundskeeper—but he thinks there’s something the Hatbox Ghost isn’t telling him.

While we’re at it, I’d remake Wish and The Rise of Skywalker. Because nobody can undo what I’m doing but I can undo what they did, right?

[hayleylovesjessica]

Drop some classical recs, babe!

Okay, this is very weird and idiosyncratic on my part, but one of the first pieces of classical music to get me into that whole genre was String Quartet No. 8 by Dmitri Shostakovich, the preeminent composer of Soviet Russia. In his youth in the 1920s, he was an idealistic communist, but by the 1960s, he was incredibly jaded with the Soviet state. So, as an elder statesman of Soviet cultural life, when he was, at long last, forced by the state to join the Party, he wrote this piece as a su*c!de note. (BTW, the biographical and historical contexts are so important with Shostakovich's music. With him, you can't separate the personal and the political.) The four-note motif that recurs throughout consists of his initials in German musical notation (D-S-C-H), and there are lots of self-quotations from earlier works of his throughout. In the event, he didn't unalive himself, which is a good thing, but in some sense it doesn't matter: It's an absolutely haunting work that's a great intro to Shosti in particular and to chamber music in general.

The recording of Shostakovich's String Quartet No. 8 made back in the early 1990s by the Kronos Quartet is the greatest that I've ever heard. In fact, the entire KQ album that it appears on, Black Angels, where all the pieces are in some sense about war and atrocity, is fascinating. What's more, all the classic KQ albums from the early to late 1990s are completely worth hearing because they're all thematically conceptualized in some way -- one is an African album (Pieces of Africa), another is a late/post-Soviet album (Night Prayers), one is a medieval and early Renaissance album (Early Music (Lachrymæ Antiquæ)), another is an American album (Howl, U.S.A.), etc.

It's also well worth hearing Shostakovich's large-scale symphonic works, which are vital parts of the 20th-century repertoire, particularly Symphonies Nos. 4, 5, 7, and 10. They've all been recorded so many times. So, for these four symphonies, I recommend the recordings by Neeme Järvi (Nos. 4 and 5), Yuri Temirkanov (No. 7), and Herbert von Karajan (No. 10). Shostakovich's Violin Concerto No. 1 is practically a symphony in construction, and most violinists consider among the greatest ever composed, alongside those by Beethoven and Brahms. There are awesome recordings of it featuring the violinists Lisa Batiashvili, Maxim Vengerov (my personal fave), and Nicola Benedetti.

Along with Shostakovich, the other two great 20th-century Russians, Rachmaninoff and Stravinsky, were my point of entry into classical. (I'm leaving out Prokofiev because I just don't think he was as strong, but by God he wrote some great pieces: Piano Concertos Nos. 2 and 3, Violin Concerto No. 1, Romeo and Juliet, Piano Sonatas Nos. 6-8.)

With Rachmaninoff, it's all about two things: The first is his Symphony No. 2. There are great recordings by Ivan Fischer, Mikhail Pletnev, and Andre Previn/London Symphony. His Third Symphony and Symphonic Dances are also really good and worth seeking out. The second thing is his piano concertos, especially Nos. 2 and 3 and the work known as the Paganini Rhapsody. These are the Mount Everest of pianists in the classical music world. The best recordings, IMHO, are Krystian Zimerman in No. 2 with Simon Rattle/Berlin Philharmonic, Martha Argerich in No. 3 with Riccardo Chailly/Berlin Radio Symphony, and Daniil Trifonov in the Paganini Rhapsody with Yannick Nézet-Séguin/Philadelphia Orchestra.

As for Stravinsky, most people would say that the four great ballets (The Firebird, Petrushka, The Rite of Spring, and Apollo) are the must-hears. They're all SO different from one another, and at the same time, they're all so unmistakably cut from the same musical cloth. I would also add another less-well-known ballet, Les Noces (The Wedding), which was written for chamber choir, four pianos, and lots of percussion (awesome textures, a really cool and fun piece), and the Symphony of Psalms, which is Stravinsky's statement on humanity's relationship with God, mortality, and faith. I'm agnostic, but I find the work extremely moving, as well as endlessly compositionally interesting. Pierre Boulez, who was probably one of the two greatest composer-conductors of the 20th century after Mahler, made what are probably the best Stravinsky recordings. Some prefer his early recordings for Columbia, which later became Sony Classical, but I've always preferred his later recordings for Deutsche Grammophon. With Les Noces, there are two standout recordings, those led by Valery Gergiev and Teodor Currentzis.

Mahler's music is life-changing, period. Bernstein, who was the other greatest post-Mahlerian composer-conductor, is king in this repertoire. Like Boulez and Stravinsky, he began his recording career with Columbia and then moved to DG. I'm just not a big fan of his Columbia Mahler recordings, though mainly because the engineering just doesn't do these works justice. DG's engineers create a sound picture that really lets the glory of these works come through. I started with Mahler's end, his Symphony No. 9, and I have no regrets. It's emotionally and spiritually epic, and at times, its beauty is shattering.

As I said, Bernstein is the way to go when listening to Mahler, but there's one exception, Das Lied von der Erde, a kind of song-symphony that's basically sui generis in the repertoire. Pierre Boulez made a gorgeous recording with the Vienna Philharmonic, Michael Schade, and Violeta Urmana. Better singers have sung the six songs that comprise this work, but no orchestra-conductor tandem has ever played it better, and the way the last chord just hangs in the air, a C major chord with an augmented sixth that never resolves, like a glimpse onto eternity... I have no words...

Jaycee, I could do another post just as long on solo piano music (Bach! Beethoven! Chopin! Liszt! Debussy!), in addition to a long-ass post on OTHER orchestral works. Let me know if you want 'em!

[savethegrishaverse]

Like the Firebird, we rise! We are SO excited to announce: the Third Army Summit!

We will be holding a LIVE Q/A with Leigh Bardugo and Eric Heisserer on Tuesday August 13th, 2024 at 11am PDT/2pm EDT!

Do you have any burning questions for Leigh and Eric, submit them in the form below!

This form is available until July 26th-27th, at 11:59pm PDT/2:59am EDT!

There will also be a closed captioner present to provide CART services for all Deaf fans in attendance. If you have any more questions or concerns regarding accessibility, please reach us at savesabandsoc@gmail.com!

Please note, questions submitted to the form will need to be vetted by Leigh’s and Eric’s reps and should be kept to the show and Grishaverse in general. Submitting a question is not a guarantee it will be asked.

[mrcompass]

Fun Facts about Gingka Hagane

1. Gingka Hagane is the main protagonist of the Metal Saga for the first three seasons and the second main protagonist of the Beyblade franchise overall. The first being Takao Takao Kinomiya.

2. That said, he is the first to have a successor in his own universe—Zyro Kurogane who takes the spot of main character for Zero-G.

3. Fittingly, he gave Zyro his Samurai Ifrit in the anime, but in the manga, this was done by Gingka's father, Ryusei.

4. Both Zyro and Gingka use the Samurai element wheel.

5. Beyblade X seemingly paid homage to this with Samurai Saber, whose holder, Tenka Shiroboshi (whose name translate to "white star"), has special moves/Extreme Dash with the word star in it. Her Samurai Saber is even associated to a shooting star.

6. Gingka means Galaxy, and Hagane means Steel, so his name roughly translates to Steel Galaxy, which is fitting considering the Metal Saga named Beys after constellations and celestial bodies. Also them having metal was the main "gimmick" of the series.

7. Gingka’s design encompasses all the possible colors of stars (yellow, red, orange, white, blue, etc.).

8. His scarf is similar to that of Kai Hiwatari, possibly as a tribute to him. It might also be a direct reference to the wings of Pegasus.

10. Additionally, Ryusei Hagane, Gingka’s father, also wears a similar scarf and used a Phoenix/Firebird Bey, just like Kai.

11. Gingka and Takao Kinomiya (the main protagonist of the first generation of beyblade) both had a relative who tested them while wearing a mask and using a different identity. In Gingka's case it was his father.

12. Gingka is the first main protagonist to use only right-spin Beyblades, as well as a blue Bey with three blades—something later protagonists like Valt Aoi in Beyblade Burst and Ekusu Kurosu in Beyblade X also share.

13. His hairstyle resembles orange leaves associated with autumn, and he is the Legendary Blader of Autumn.

14. His voice actress’s given name is Aki, which is the Japanese word for Autumn.

15. In Shogun Steel, his hairstyle resembles Phoenix’s.

16. Gingka is the first character to own a Pegasus Bey in MFB by order of appearence, but not the first in the Beyblade franchise—he is technically the fifth. The first was Amo Karou, a blader who only appeared in the video games. The second and third were Julia and Raul Fernandez, while the fourth was Ryo Hagane (the original owner of Storm Pegasus).

17. Other notable Pegasus beyblade includes Sora's Cyber Pegasus, Heaven Pegasus of Beyblade Burst owned by Pheng Hope and Aero Pegasus from Beyblade X.

18. Aero Pegasus is a direct hommage to Gingka's Pegasus Beys. And it is the first hommage of a Metal Figth Bey. As a result a diamond can be seen on the background of the motif which pay tribute the MFB's facebolts.

19. All of Gingka’s main opponents are direct opposites of him—they are ruthless and arrogant, while Gingka is sympathetic and has a sense of humility. They use others to gain power, while Gingka is strong thanks to his talent and the support of his friends.

20. He is the first character to defeat a left-spinning Beyblade and the first to beat Ryuga.

21. In all of the final battles, Gingka ends up riding Pegasus’s avatar, making him the first person to interact with a Bey Beast in such a way.

22. He is also the first character to defeat a Bey representing the creator of his Bey’s avatar—not just once, but twice—since he defeated both Reiji and Julian’s versions of Medusa.

23. He had three different auras in the shows. Gingka’s red aura of anger only appears in one episode. He temporarily gains a golden aura when receiving the power of the entire world. And he usually has a sky blue aura.

24. Like some shonen protagonists, Gingka is presented as a Christ-like, messianic figure—he is wise and sometimes spiritual, he has a positive influence on people, and through his victories, he is able to perform miraculous acts (such as freeing everyone’s soul from L-Drago). He is associated with the divine, was resurrected in the manga, and his enemies are tied to hell, darkness, and demons.

25. Gingka also shares similarities with Son Goku from Dragon Ball—both are the main protagonists of their respective series, have unique hairstyles, are avid eaters, lead their respective groups, and are extremely powerful. They both have a close rival who wishes to surpass them (Kyoya and Vegeta, respectively). They both defeated an evil entity of destruction (Majin Buu and Nemesis) by receiving power/life energy from others.

26. Though Gingka had many enemies, his most consistent opponent was Daidoji, as he was the only one who wasn’t redeemed (like Ryuga) or permanently defeated (like Damian and Rago) before the end of the series. Ironically, Daidoji and Gingka were the only two characters to battle in Zero-G who previously appeared in the show.

27. Gingka had the most battles with Kyoya, and his last battle in the original trilogy—which wasn’t shown—was also against him.

28. The first major character Gingka battled was Benkei, and the second was Kyoya.

29. However, the first major character using a non-generic Bey that he fought was Kyoya, as Benkei didn’t have Dark Bull yet.

30. In the anime, Gingka used the highest number of Beys:

Storm Pegasus

Galaxy Pegasus

Big Bang Pegasus

Samurai Pegasus

31. He is the first character whose name is referenced in one of his Beys—Galaxy in Galaxy Pegasus.

32. Galaxy Pegasus is also the only Bey he owned that had paint on the fusion wheel.

33. The W105R²F combo was used twice—for both Galaxy Pegasus and Samurai Pegasus.

34. While the energy rings of Pegasus are generally dark blue (safe for Galaxy), the spirit itself is sky blue, almost white.

35. Though Storm Pegasus and Galaxy Pegasus are two different Beyblades, it seems they contain the same spirit, as seen in Gingka’s reaction when he reunites with Pegasus and the fact that Galaxy Pegasus was completely different after Gingka received it.

36. It is implied that Samurai Pegasus is an evolution of Big Bang Pegasus, since Kira and Daidoji said it had the power of the Star Fragment.

37. Although all Pegasus Beys are depicted as powerfull in the anime, their competitive viability is debatable—the most useful part is often the tip/driver.

38. His special moves mainly reference storm, stars and galaxies.

39. Gingka used all the different types of launchers Takara Tomy commercialized for MFB.

40. He is the only character that appeared as an active blader in every seasons.

41. His first defeat was against Tetsuya, who cheated, which left Gingka in shock (albeit in a comedic way). His second defeat—and first fair loss—was against Ryuga, which greatly impacted him.

42. When Gingka and Ryuga partnered to stop the Spiral Force, they adopted roles that would typically belong to the other—Pegasus absorbed the energy while L-Drago stopped the turbine, despite L-Drago being famous for its ability to absorb.

43. When releasing the energy, Gingka created a new light, unintentionally fulfilling King Hades' prophecy.

44. Gingka is the strongest Blader in Japan, having won Battle Bladers.

45. He is also the leader of the strongest team in the world, Gan GanGalaxy, which is partially named after him.

46. He is the only member of his team who battled in each stage of the world championship, as Masamune and Tsubasa didn’t fight against the Russian team, and Yu didn’t participate in the battle against Wang Hu Zhong.

47. Gingka awakened his Star Fragment and evolved his Bey at the same time as Kyoya.

48. He was the first character to change Beyblade and the only one who did so while retaining the same avatar without an evolution.

49. Like other protagonists (except Zyro), Gingka’s silhouette was seen among the people who defeated Quinn Manju in Beyblade X.

50. Beyblade X will release an adapted version of Storm Pegasus along with the Beys of the other protagonists.

51. However, this is only the second (technically third) MFB Bey to receive this treatment—the first was Lightning L-Drago, which was released in both of its modes.

52. Though Gingka mostly fought alone, his main partners in team battles were Masamune and Yuki.

53. According to Takafumi Adachi, the series' creator, Gingka’s parents are separated.

54. He is the second character whose parent is seen on-screen, the first being Hikaru.

55. Storm Pegasus is said to be a legendary Bey, though other Beys use the Storm fusion wheel, such as Storm Capricorn.

56. Gingka has battled almost every zodiac-themed Beyblade except for Scorpio and Gemios, though he encountered Busujima, Lera, Damure, and the Sodo Twins.

57. Gingka changed his headband between Metal Masters and Fury. In the manga, it was explained that his new headband originally belonged to his father, who gave it to him during the final battle of the World Championship.

58. His Pegasus Beys are always the first Beys to be featured in the title card for every season. Galaxy and Big Bang Pegasus are also the only (first and second) bey to have a silhouette featured.

[ofdarklands]

hmmm 16 & 17 for The Mitr'a? 👁👁

16) what primal fits their vibe the most?

third version of this answer!

i find it so interesting that it's sort of canon that the wol manages to vibe so much with phoenix after ew that they can turn into it. if you did that rising event at least!

this also intersects with my convoluted and mostly irrelevant backstory that he both was and wasn't at cartenau due to louisoix doing a time shenanigan, so i'm still workshopping how coils went. but he definitely heard and absorbed what was revealed there, but maybe only truly viscerally understood at the end in ultima thule. something like that

also with dynamis everything is possible so jot that down. yeah he could turn into a firebird with some effort. surprisingly not as useful, as often, as you'd think!

17) is there a particular NPC you could save or alter their canon fate or death? did your oc change this for them?

i think most ambient shroud quests went differently in his canon. one because he approached them from different ends, at different times, or didn't do them at all

the coeurl king is dead for being an offense to keeperhood, and most of the keeper related leves went differently as well. there's a new clan in the area that's suddenly become very good at avoiding gridanian sentries somehow

the archer quests were completely derailed because he killed silvairre at some point and fed him to a tree. he never even found out who he was. just some asshole interrupting his gathering

he didn't do the lancer quests so while he met foulques and learnt a bit from him that interaction went completely differently. dunno what happened to him, i haven't decided

a serpent squadron is led by the little bipedal cat from monster hunter because he's not doing that shit himself

maybe post ew zenos is trapped in hildibrand hell instead of the wol

generally while i try to follow msq rather strictly in events and such, i consider sidequests a lot more free for all as long as the lore remains mostly right. if i think of something else i'll add it

[stargirlie25]

How I feel about Vassien and Elriel  🙄

Elriel:

Hate this ship for the following reasons

Elain has always been full of light and does not belong in the NC or at least Feyres court.

Azriel is darkness and shadows, something that Elain wants to chase away in her darkest times.

Azriel has been silently in love with someone for centuries waiting for a mate.

He clearly already believes he is not worth anything with Mor and now with Elain. *SJM loves growth* *that's not growth* He feels unworthy of holding Nyx possibly because of his hands. Same bullshit with Elain.

You can't say not feeling like you deserve your partner is a pattern because Rhysand and nessian. First of all, Rhys felt unworthy of feyre because he did horrible shit to her. Nessian said horrible shit to each other. Therefore they feel unworthy. Azriel has done nothing to Elain yet he feels unworthy to ''taint her with his presence'' HE FEELS UNWORTHY OF HER BECAUSE OF HIS OWN TRAUMA. His job (torturing people and spying) while he said to Cass that it suits him. Hell even Mor feared his ruthless side and Elain has never seen it. Gwyn has seen him acting violently. She was assaulted and Azriel came in and did not hesitate to rip them apart. Then he wrapped Gwyn in his cloak. Does Gwyn fear him? Nah. Last I remember, she was broadly smiling at him during the winter solstice.

Or the fact that their relationship would have to be a secret and they would not be able to showcase it like their peers. That both of them have been hiding from different things all their life and they continue to do so? It would break them. LIKE GOD NO ONE CARES IF THE TROPE IS FORBIDDEN LOVE IF THE CHARACTERS ARE MISERABLE FROM THE GET-GO.

Generally the worst pairing along with Vassien

His shadows chose to vanish around her (just like Mor)

they would have to be a secret which would break her and him. (just like silently loving Mor did to him)

He feels unworthy of his trauma and generally around her (like Mor)

His character is the worst when it comes to Elain. He wants to kill a person for Elain for no good reason. (just like Mor)

He wants a mate (which is fine) and Elains reason for not wanting Lucien was because the mate aspect is not because of Lucien.

He simply pleasured himself to fucking her and that was it.

Rhysand who said Elain will be supported if she rejects the mating bond declines Az of pursuing Elain (relax Rhys he just wants to fuck her) and goes on to say in defense of Elucien that Lucien is fiercely loyal and has all rights to call a blood duel.

His sole reason for wanting to kiss her was because ‘’3 sisters and 3 brothers’’ and calling Elain the third as if she could be anyone but his argument would still stand.

Gives away the necklace he got for her because she returned it and feels good about it.

Vassien:

*Disclaimer: I do not hate Vassa in any way. I LOVE HER because I love the band of exiles*

I fucking hate this ship so much.JUST SAY YOU WANT LUCIEN OUT OF THE WAY! STOP BEING A PUSSIE AND SHIPPING A SIBLING LIKE RELATIONSHIP! LUCIEN FOUND FRIENDS. CAN HE PLEASE HAVE FRIENDS OR ARE YOU GOING TO SHIP HIM WITH EVERYONE TO GET HIM OUT OF THE WAY?

First of all the famous ''BiRd Of FLaME aNd LoRd OF FiRe''

Vassa being a bird of flame is her curse. One of the reasons her character and plot exists in the first place.

''I had not forgotten her plea to me that night after the last battle with Hybern. To break the curse that kept her human by night, firebird by day''

Lucien will be Lord of day and everybody in the Autumn hates him :( so I guarantee he does not want that title especially because he does not even want his last name. Eris is Lord of fire though.

Or Lucien blushing around Vassa. Noooooo. He was once again blushing because of Elain.

The scene:

''Not for long—not if Vassa has anything to do with it.``''You sound like an acolyte.” Lucien blushed, glancing at Elain. “She’s got a foul temper and a fouler mouth.” He cut me a wry look. “You’ll get along just fine.”

I nudged him in the ribs.''

This scene alone proves two things.

Lucien was blushing because feyre said he sounded like an acolyte In front of Elain and he blushed because being an acolyte is like worshiping

Lucien sees Vassa and Feyre in the same light. Although feyciens not endgame 🙄

Also the spark in Lucien's eye and a twitch of his lips.

The scene:

“Jurian ...” Lucien blew out a breath, scanning the carved wood ceiling above. “Thank the Cauldron for him. I never thought I’d say that, but it’s true.” He ran a hand through his silken red hair. “He’s keeping everything running. I think he’d have been crowned king by now if it wasn’t for Vassa.” A twitch of the lips, a spark in that russet eye.''

This is not a romantic gesture, this is an example of Lucien being amused by Vassa and Jurians dynamic. The spark alone is not even romantic even if it was solely directed at Vassa. Its recognition. Just like how Elain's eye sparked when seeing Lucien because she recognizes him. Amarantha's eye sparked when she realized that Rhysand was jealous of Tamlin and Feyre kissing. This literally could be him recognizing something between Jurian and Vassa. That Jurian could be king but the only force stopping him is Vassa.

Lucien lost his Lover,friend,and best friend-Jesminda,Feyre,Tamlin

Its safe to say that Jurian is his true best friend,Vassa is his true friend, Elain is his true mate/love.

Another thing E/riels like to say about Vassien is that Vassa can be immortal for Lucien or Lucien will become human

First of all, Lucien's role as heir to the day court is highly important in the upcoming books. Helion and Eris being featured so much in ACOSF was not for nothing. Also speaking about Beron and Tamlin? All linked to Lucien. All links to an Elucien book.

Coming back to Vassa:

'A once-proud queen—still proud, yes, but desperate to reclaim her freedom.Her human body. Her kingdom.

Saying she will be Faerie for Lucien is unfair to Vassas character. Once again Lucien's place at the Day court is very important and do you think Vassa would move in with him there? Leave her kingdom?

Ms girl is DESPERATE for her human body. She wants to be free. She does not want to be in Faerie realms. She has her site set and her goal.

Bye i could literally talk about this for hours and publish a whole novel but to sum it up i hate elriel and vassien (its the same thing) and this whole post has the reasons why!

[forgeline]

The winning formula. The Forgeline FB3C is a throwback to the original 20-slot wheel found on the third-generation Pontiac Firebird Formula. But unlike the original, the FB3C is a modern custom made-to-order 3-piece wheel that is manufactured from fully forged 6061-T6 aluminum centers using the latest engineering and manufacturing technology. With its unique concave 20-slot design (5 sets of 4 slots), integrated lug holes, and creative machining details, the FB3C evokes a 1980s muscle car flavor while delivering modern technology and performance. The FB3C is built with true forged 6061-T6 aluminum centers, aircraft-quality ARP stainless steel hidden fasteners, and heat-treated rim sections. Learn more about the FB3C (including sizes and pricing) at: https://www.forgeline.com/fb3c/p414 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 ---------------- Wheel: Forgeline FB3C Type: Three Piece Forged Series: Heritage Series Size: 19x12.0 Finish: Silver/HTM Centers with Polished Stepped Lip Outers

[stromuprisahat]

https://at.tumblr.com/stromuprisahat/what-are-your-favorite-darkling-theories/emz8m8ymr9tx

What are your favorite grishaverse theories?

That Malyen wasn't truly the third amplifier- if it was made the way remaining two were, Baghra's sister- Vasilka (another theory- she's the firebird Saint)- would be "it" and immortal. Her descendants either simply possessed similar traits, or they weren't compatible with the original two to begin with, because Ilya didn't spend as much time on his daughter as he did on his previous work.

That either this, or the fact merzost seems to be affected by will, caused Alina's loss of power. And Ilya never intended to rob a Grisha of their essence.

This is more of a wish- Aleksander was the true third amplifier. If we're to pretend their properties don't change through generations, it would fit the story better. His and Alina's Bond works with it beautifully, she'd need to kill the person, who understands and accepts the worst in her, to gain enough power to erase his mistake, then I'd make her deal with the same responsibility he had for generations and try to handle it better. Plus the knowledge her "greed" for power made her kill her soulmate. Was it worth it?

[needlesandnilbogs]

top 5 femslash rarepairs

why do you ask me the hardest questions artemisssssss.

not counting arada/overse bc that's not really a rarepair any more (mostly through my own efforts but there are still 30ish ao3 works that aren't mine and also they're canon and people generally like them as a couple so it doesn't feel rare the same way). one ship per media

0. monty/magpie. i've been shipping them since book 2 and it's just. okay the most happy they can be canon-compliantly involves lying and murders and having to hide for years. the actually canon compliant version in my head is about betrayal by your best friend and realizing your whole relationship has been a lie for a very long time. i rotate them in my head constantly.

aida/amneris, while i'm on an opera kick. they could have made each other either better or worse but they would have changed each other. i can count on one hand the number of existing fics about their relationship be it platonic or romantic.

cat/scarlett aurora cycle. disappointed the authors went with the het ships because they had the same banter that cat and ty did and i think they definitely hooked up at the academy a few times. booo compulsory heterosexuality (tell me why exactly the canon ships were ALL het except for one surprise book 3 pairing with the character who was very clearly autistic aspec-adjacent lesbian from the beginning. gee i wonder why this is typical ya scifi.)

cimorene/morwen enchanted forest chronicles. this is more lowkey and background shipping but i think they'd marry for practicality reasons and to force cimorene's parents to get less homophobic and less weird about magic real fast. mostly i see this as married and living quite happily in their separate homes, you wouldn't know they're married to each other unless you happened to ask them. kazul is the third parent to any and all of their kids.

tie: kat/char but in the most aspec not-relationship way possible. like more qpr situation than anything. it's not exactly healthy but it's also not entirely toxic either. or sydney/tabitha which has been background for me since book 3 and honestly it's more @fishyupmywishy 's ship than mine but it's a good setup for a lot of plots and has bonus angst potential.

bonus ones with minimal explanation: monty/clementine: unrequited precanon pining, cameryn coyle/bryden bandweth/adrienne attoms: polycule with mckeyla completely misunderstanding everything, odette/odile: angsty lovers to enemies, sugar plum fairy/rose/snow queen: girlboss polycule, maddie hatter/raven queen: friends with benefits (the benefits: therapy), duchess swan eah/raven girl (modern ballet)/firebird (stravinsky)/maybe-odile-or-odette-if-it-wouldn't-technically-be-incest-given-duchess: angsty bird girls ballet polycule (they met at a support group)

[thgfanfictionlibrary]

Authors On THG Writing Hiatus Masterlist

***Active (on this blog) is defined as a blog/writer who has updated within the past year. Inactive (on this blog) is defined as a blog/writer that has not been updated at all in the past year+. On THG Writing Hiatus (on this blog) is a blog/writer who has updated within the past year but has not posted a fanfic in the fandom in the past year BUT they may return to writing in the future. Lists will be updated as needed based on activity. ***

Created: January 5th, 2024

Last Checked:----

ashyblondwaves :: ao3, ff.net

Popular fic: Synchronicity: A collection of one shots and stories examining Katniss and Peeta's relationship post-Mockingjay. Peeta's POV.

atetheredmind :: ao3, tumblr

Popular Fic: The Act: The Victors are a new, up-and-coming band on a meteoric rise to stardom propelled by Katniss Everdeen's ethereal voice, Peeta Mellark's guitar-slinging charm, and the duo's undeniable chemistry on stage. Too bad they hate each other. (@muttpeeta)

bookmarkedpage :: ao3, tumblr

Popular Fic: The Mockingjay is Hijacked: After the arena for the third Quarter Quell comes crumbling down, Katniss and Finnick are captured and taken to the Capitol. Snow plans to make examples of them in live, televised trials, to show the rest of Panem what will happen to those found guilty of aiding the rebels.

booksrockmyface aka HGfanonezillion :: ao3, ffnet, tumblr (general), Everlark Birthday Gifts

Popular Fic: Worry is CallingHow can a person go on when the love of their life is ripped away from them and they are forced to marry someone else? This is the dilemma Katniss, Peeta, Finnick, and Annie must all face. And only whispers of revolution could possibly bring them back together. But will there be a chance for reuniting after years of marriage to someone else? (@booksrockmyface)

chele20035 :: ao3, ffnet, tumblr

Popular Fic: Twisted: Katniss is so excited, Prim finally made it medical school, on a full scholarship too. What sisters don't expect is how much it all costs. When Katniss goes looking for a part time job, it leads her to photographer, Peeta Mellark. (@chele20035)

dandelionsandberries :: ao3, ff.net, tumblr

Popular Fic: Netflix & Chill: When her best friend ask Katniss to come to his dorm to watch a movie, she’s simply happy to spend a night chilling. But when her roommate insinuates he means something completely different, she begins to worry. And, perhaps, hope for something more. Written for Prompts in Panem Round 8 Day 2 and Day 4.

Demona424 :: ao3, tumblr archive, tumblr post

Popular Fic: The Surrogate: In the Capitol it’s all the rage, your own personal sex surrogate. When you’re rich, why not get one or two to fit all your marriage needs. Sometimes having sex with your spouse can be just so boring, but you can bring the spice back into your lives with someone who will do whatever you please. And with a surrogates from every district to choose from, you can have whomever you choose.

dracoisalooker76 :: ao3, ffnet, tumblr

Popular Fic: Anywhere I Would Have Followed You: A drunken kiss at a Christmas party starts five months worth of firsts for college junior Katniss Everdeen and begins a journey she's not entirely sure she wants to go on. Banner by Ro Nordmann.

ellembee :: ao3, ff.net, tumblr

Popular Fic: All the World Drops Dead: Peeta’s voice has been inside her head since she turned 14. She doesn’t know why they share a connection, and she doesn’t care. She likes having him with her. They comfort each other. Protect each other. Until he goes where she cannot follow. Until he enters the arena. (Based loosely on the film “In Your Eyes.”)

merciki :: ao3, ff.net, tumblr

Popular Fic: The Firebird: Meet Katniss Everdeen, who has only one dream. Become the best dancer at the National Ballet. There's only one problem. She's too closed off to really give a heartfelt performance. Could a tango dancer coming into her life change that? Read if you want to find out :)

[transport-methodology-101]

1981 Pontiac Trans Am Turbo V-8

1st generation of Firebirds ran from 1967 to 1969, very short lived but it made a generation impact setting up many more gutsy Firebirds combined with rugged good looks that lasted for four generations, with models in production from 1967 through 2002. These 1st Pontiac Firebirds would evolve into the most iconic muscle cars to ever hit the market during that time period.

These first Firebirds came with a 3.8 L6 engine that offered 220 horsepower. It hit a top speed of 114 mph and go 0-60 in just over 10 seconds. Optional was an upgraded 6.6-liter V8 engine that packed 340 horsepower and torque of 240 lb.ft. These Firebirds got off to a slow start which prompted Pontiac to release in 1969 a Trans Am Performance and Appearance Package and cost $725. Its name was inspired by the Name Trans American racing series nationwide fitted with a 60-inch airfoil across the rear deck.

Along with the polar white background were blue racing stripes The base engine that came with the Trans Am was a 400-cid V-8 engine that had a brake horsepower of 335. Other performance advantages Trans Ams gave buyers included a one-inch front stabilizer bar, a heavy-duty suspension system, variable-ratio power steering and seven-inch-wide rims featuring Polyglas F70xl4s.

1970 models saw four different engines and three transmissions but only tepid power. Pontiac quickly put out a stronger 6.6-liter Ram Air IV motor. In 1971, buyers had access to a 7.5-liter engine. Though it looked like the sky was the limit for the Firebird’s.

By 1974 regulations relating to limiting carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon also made it so ignition timing took longer, and cams weren’t as aggressive. Choked so bad, the optional V8 engine would put out 200 hp. It started with a 6.6L V8 engine and progressed to a 7.5 L V8 engine, but by the end of their run were down to their top engine being a 4.9 L Pontiac turbo V8.

The third generation of Firebirds from 1982 to 1992 would be a strong one with movie roles.

[rose-sophia-isabella-rogers]

A Tide That Turned Everything: Chapter IV - I Still Think of You as My Friend

Chapter Summary: You leave to find Morozova's workshop and, hopefully, some clues about the Firebird. You meet Alina and you two finally have an honest conversation. Can you find out where to look for the third amplifier and convince Alina to join Aleksander's side?

Pairing: Aleksander Kirigan/Reader, Alina Starkov/Mal Oretsev, Ivan/Fedyor Kaminsky

Characters: Aleksander Kirigan, Reader, Alina Starkov, Fruzsi, Baghra, Fedyor Kaminsky, Ivan, Vatra, Mal Oretsev

Word Count: 4345

A/N: Inspired by prompts: https://pl.pinterest.com/pin/207306389089584618/ https://pl.pinterest.com/pin/207306389089684652/ https://pl.pinterest.com/pin/207306389089571712/ https://pl.pinterest.com/pin/207306389089683698/ https://pl.pinterest.com/pin/207306389089559872/ https://pl.pinterest.com/pin/207306389089571708/ https://pl.pinterest.com/pin/207306389089683673/ This chapter also contains some plot from episode six of the second season, and one dialogue from the episode fifth of the second season.

Tag list (let me know if you want to be added or removed):

@budugu

@intothesoul

@mizelophsun11

@pansexualwitchwhoneedstherapy

@zeeader

You pack things in your chambers. Most of them aren't really yours. You didn't bring anything from the Spinning Wheel. And earlier you didn't bring much from the Little Palace. It makes you a bit sad. Thinking how much you have lost.

There's a knock on the door. You don't turn. Part of you hopes it's Aleksander. Part of you hopes it isn't.

'Come in,' you call. The door opens and someone walks in. Two people. Not Aleksander, then. You're both relieved and disappointed.

'Already packing?' Fedyor asks. You turn. Two of your favourite Heartrenders look at you. Kaminsky is smiling.

'If I want to stand a chance in being there before Alina, then I should leave soon,' you explain.

'You mean "we",' Ivan says. You blink. They straighten up. You smile and shake your head.

'You should stay with General,' you say. They open their mouth to protest. You silence them with a raised hand.

'I will leave feeling better, knowing he has you two by his side,' you say and look at them pleadingly. 'Please.'

Fedyor sighs, while Ivan exhales slowly. You relax, knowing you've won.

'Have it your way,' Kaminsky says and smiles. You smile slightly back and look away.

'But you have to let us choose who's coming with you,' Fedyor says seriously. 'We have to make sure you're going to be safe.'

'Go ahead,' you say with a nod. Fedyor nods back and exchanges a look with Ivan. Kaminsky leaves the room. You turn and return to packing. The Heartrender stares at you in silence.

'Is there something you want to say?' you ask after a moment. Ivan doesn't answer. You look behind your arm and see him staring at you with furrowed eyebrows.

'Ivan?' you ask, confused.

'I thought you'd want to stay close to General after weeks of being separated,' Ivan finally speaks up. Ah. You turn your sight.

'I can be more of use by going after the Firebird and Alina,' you say. 'I'm more than his lover, you know.’

'I know that,' Ivan says. 'I… We just thought…'

'Yes?' you ask. You turn to look at him again. Ivan stares at you.

'We thought that after all that happen you and General would be alright again,' he finishes. You smile sadly at him.

'I thought so, too,' you say and look down. 'I hoped for it. But he…'

You trail off. You remember how suddenly he pushed away. And how he keeps to the shadows whenever he speaks with you.

'I feel we're even further away than before,' you say. 'I still love him and I'll fight for us, but… it hurts.'

Ivan walks to you. He puts a hand on your shoulder.

'Fedyor was there when you called him,' he says. 'He later told me how they were talking and suddenly, he froze. He's always calm and collected, but at that moment emotions flashed on his face. Disbelief, hope, joy… and then fear, panic, anger. He told us all to get ready at once. He loves you. I don't know why he acts like that… but you must know he cares about you more than about anyone.'

You smile sadly at him. Ivan looks at you softly and pulls you in for a hug. You close your eyes, stopping the tears from falling. You press yourself against him, needing this hug so much.

There's another knock on the door. Ivan pulls away from you. You take a step back.

'Come in,' you call. The door opens and Aleksander walks in. Your heart skips a beat. He puts his hands behind his back.

'Ivan, can I have a moment alone with [Y/N]?' he asks.

'Certainly, General,' Ivan says. He squeezes your shoulder and leaves, closing the door behind him. You look at Aleksander. His eyes meet yours.

'Are you here to convince me to not go?' you ask. Aleksander shakes his head.

'I know you well enough not to do this,' he denies. 'I just… want to ask you to be careful.'

'I will,' you promise, nodding your head. For a moment you stare at each other in silence.

'Is there something else?' you ask, barely managing to mask hope. Aleksander exhales slowly.

'There is,' he answers. 'I… Since there's a chance you'll meet with Miss Starkov, I want to be the one to tell you this, rather than her.'

Your heart stops. No. He can't mean… Saints, no. You can't lose him to her again. Anything but that.

'Tell me what?' you ask. Aleksander gulps.

'Because of the Stag… there is a… connection between her and me,' he explains, causing you to frown. 'We've met a few times in dreams, both of us thinking it's just that. But they're not. I was also able to… show myself to her as a projection. She saw me and I saw her, but my body wasn't there.'

You try to process it. Then, you remember how the day you arrived here he was in his room, his back to you, his hand extended.

'That's what you were doing after we got here,' you say quietly. Aleksander doesn't deny.

'She can do that as well,' he says and your eyes snap to his. 'She visited me once. I think she was hoping to break the connection. I didn't let her get close enough to me to do it.'

'Why?' you ask before you can stop yourself.

'It can prove useful,' Aleksander explains and hesitates before slowly taking your hand in his. 'It's nothing more, milaya. You're the one on my mind. In fact, I dreamt of you more often than of her.'

You look at him with hope. He smiles softly at you.

'You dreamt of me?' you ask quietly. Aleksander moves his hand to your neck. You almost close your eyes.

'Very often,' he says. 'We were talking, missing each other. I wished so much our conversations were real. And that you'd tell me where you are. You were always so sad. Once, you said that you want to see me. Hold me. Hug me. Touch me. Kiss me. Cuddle with me. Love me. That it would stop you from being sad.'

You freeze. No. No way.

'And I told you that-' Aleksander starts.

'That you want it,' you interrupt him. 'So much.'

Aleksander stares at you with surprise. Your heart is beating fast.

'You said I looked beautiful on the night of the fete,' you continue. 'And that I was extraordinary during my performance.'

Aleksander's eyes go wide. You shake your head, still not believing it.

'So, it was real?' you ask. 'We… But how? We don't have such connection as you and Alina.'

'I think we do,' Aleksander says and grabs your necklace with his hand. On this hand is his ring that is the pair to it.

'David did a better job than we thought,' he says and cups your face. '[Y/N], I want you to know-'

He's interrupted by a knock. He closes his eyes, controlling his emotions.

'I'm very popular today,' you say, amused. 'Come in.'

The door opens. Fruzsi enters and puts her arms behind her back.

'I'm sorry, General, but you are needed,' she says. Aleksander nods, not looking away from you.

'Promise me you'll use it if you need it,' he asks. You smile slightly.

'I will,' you swear. Aleksander kisses your forehead. You hope for more but he turns and leaves with Fruzsi. Things are still not okay between you two. But you have now hope they will be.

*

Along with you are five Grisha. One Healer named Ted (Aleksander, Fedyor and Ivan insisted), one Squaller named Jordan, one Durast named Gerard and two Inferni – Vatra and Stefan. They're not very talkative. And neither are you. You have hand on your chest, feeling a little vial hidden there, and think about your conversation with Aleksander before your departure.

I need to ask you a favour.

You know you can ask me anything.

I need your blood.

… Come again?

I don't understand most of Morozova's writings. But the topic of blood comes up very often. I'm sure he has some security measures defending his workshop. I suspect something that involves his blood. And the blood of his descendant-

May be the key. Yes. That may be true. My brilliant [Y/N].

He went to Vladim for a vial and cut his forearm without hesitation. He put it in the vial and handed it to you, then a Healer patched him up. You were touched by how much he trusts you. Enough to give you his own blood.

'How far yet?' Jordan asks. 'Should we start searching for a place for a camp?'

'No,' you deny, shaking your head. 'If I'm right, it should be somewhere here.'

True enough, not long after you come to a place hidden by roots of a tree. It looks like a tomb.

'Now what?' Ted asks. 'The roots are covering the door.'

'I can burn them,' Stefan offers. You shake your head.

'We can't let anyone know we're here,' you say and tilt your head. 'I remember from school that plants are up to 90% water. What if…'

You bring your hands together and focus on the roots. After a nervous moment they slowly move, uncovering the door covered with markings. You smile, while others stare at you, impressed.

'There is no doorknob,' Jordan points out and looks at Gerard. 'Can you open it? Or we can try pushing it?'

You climb to the door. You take out the vial and pour some of Aleksander's blood on your finger. Then you press it to the place where normally would be a doorknob. The door rumble and open.

'Not at all omnious,' Vatra murmurs.

'Come on,' you say and take a step forward. But the Stefan grabs your arm. You look at him, surprised.

'General would kill us of something happened to you,' he says, giving you a pointed look. He walks in first, creating a ball of fire to give you some light. You all follow him. You with a blush on your cheeks. You force the roots to go back to their place and close the door.

Inside you find two tombs. You walk past them. You walk into another chamber that used to be Morozova's workshop. It looks as if it was suddenly abandoned. As if the owner was going to come back here.

'So, what are we looking for?' Vatra asks.

'For any mention of the Firebird,' you answer. 'Start looking through the journals. Something must be here.'

You and your companions start searching. Until suddenly you hear a rumbling, letting you know the door is opening. You all freeze, alarmed.

'Hide, now,' you order. You all quickly back away from the workshop. The Infernis blow out the fireballs and you hide in some nook. Just in time, as Alina, Mal and Baghra walk past you. Thankfully, they don't notice you.

You listen to their conversations with tension in your bodies. You fear to be discovered. Your heart breaks for Alina, listening how Mal lets her go so she could stitch Ravka back together. Then he follows Baghra to the room with tombs. You nod at two Infernis, They follow carefully behind them, to listen to their conversation. A moment later you see them leaving.

'When they will be coming back, warn me and slow them down,' you say to the remaining three. 'Don't interrupt us. And don't you dare hurting Mal nor Baghra. No matter what.'

Your companions hesitate, but leave. You take in a deep breath. It's time for a confrontation with Alina.

Slowly, you enter the workshop. Alina's back is turned to you. She's looking thorough the journals and papers. You put your hands behind your back.

'Fancy meeting you here,' you speak up. Alina jumps, startled, and whirls around with a ball of light in her hands. She freezes, seeing you. You raise your eyebrows. The light goes out.

'[Y/N],' Alina gasps and takes a step forward, as if wanting to hug you. But she stops herself and eyes you carefully. You calmly stare back at her.

'How did you get in here?' she asks and then her eyes widen in fright. 'Mal-'

'He's safe,' you interrupt her and slowly walk around the room. 'I do not wish him harm. Nor you.'

'And yet you left with Aleksander,' Alina says. 'Why? After everything he's done, all the suffering he caused-'

'Because he's all I have,' you interrupt her. She looks at you with hurt.

'What about me?' she asks. 'And Mal?'

You scoff and shake your head. Alina frowns at you.

'You never noticed how much pain you were causing me,' you say bitterly. 'Or in how big pain I was in the Spinning Wheel.'

'Why didn't you say something?' Alina fires back. 'I would have listened to you. I would… stop pursuing Aleksander. I would be your friend. But I had no idea how you feel.'

'Oh, don't be a child,' you scoff. 'I'm sure you heard rumours. About me and Aleksander. Maybe not that we're in love with each other but that we're sleeping together.'

Alina blushes and looks away. Of course she heard.

'You never confirmed them to me,' she defends herself.

'You don't confirm such things,' you say, shaking your head. Alina gets frustrated.

'But how could you fall for him?' she asks.

'Same way you did,' you answer, staring back at your friend. 'I saw magic in his eyes. Dirty, black, beautiful magic.'

You smile softly. You think about your special moments with Aleksander.

'From the moment we met, he's seen me like no one else does,' you say. 'He knew right from the start I was special. He was ready to be with me even when I still was just a servant… an otkazat'sya. He sees me, Alina. He sees me and… he calls me beautiful like it's my name. No one has ever made me feel like he does.'

'And how many times did he put you in danger?' Alina asks.

'And all but once he came to save me,' you retort. 'And I know he will continue to do it. I trust him with my life. I trust him with my heart.'

'[Y/N]… he's… he's evil,' Alina tries to put some sense into you. 'He's… he's devil or maybe even worse! How can you love someone like that?'

'Do you remember how my parents treated me? Even before I was Grisha? Even before my sister died? I've… felt unloved for such a long time. Aleksander was the first one to show me I deserve to be loved.'

'Tommy loves you as well. I know he does. I saw how he looks at you. Natasha and Jana also confirmed he has feelings for you.'

'I know. But I needed something he can't give me. I wanted something more. Surely you understand that.'

Alina looks away. Because she does. She feels what Aleksander told her. That she was meant for more. She wants that more.

'I don't care if I fall in love with a devil, as long as that devil will long me the way he loves hell,' you say softly. Alina looks at you with a hard look.

'Then why he was hiding your relationship from everyone?' she asks. 'Why was he hurting you? Why I'm the one that shares a bond with him?'

Her words feel like a slap. Because she says what you feel. It hurts he was never honest how he feels about you with others. It hurts how he was flirting with Alina, how he kissed her, how he still thinks of her. But that bond…

'You're not the only one that was meeting with him in dreams,' you say. Starkov looks at you with surprise. You touch your necklace. You're sure David has already told her about it. She looks at it and you see she understands.

'You lied to David telling him you had lost it,' she says, her tone accusatory. You sigh and look down.

'Believe me, I feel bad about it,' you say. 'But I couldn't have any of you knowing about it. I needed this in case…'

You trail off and exhale shakily. Alina frowns. She opens her mouth, ready to ask you why did you call him in the end. But you're quicker.

'He hurt me, yes,' you say. 'He hurt many other people. No, he's not perfect. He's human and flawed, but he's perfect to me and that's all that matters.'

Alina looks at you pleadingly. You know this situation hurts her and you hate it. But you can't abandon Aleksander.

'[Y/N], please,' Starkov says. 'I know you hate seeing people hurt. And if you side with Aleksander, more people will get hurt. Please, choose the right side.'

'Don't,' you say harshly. 'Don't do that. Don't make me choose. Every time I'll pick him. Every time. And I can't have you hate me for that.'

You have tears in your eyes. So does Alina. But you manage to give her a sure look.

'I'm with him,' you say. 'For better or for worse.'

'It'll probably be worse,' Alina points out. You smile.

'I knew that the day I met him,' you say, remembering how you were sent to bring him breakfast after his former personal servant was moved to the Grand Palace. How things have changed since then…

'I believe in him, Alina,' you say. 'He can fix this country. Make it so Grisha can feel safe.'

'So can Nikolay and he can do it without killing those that oppose him,' Alina says, her look hardening. 'He believes that Grisha and otkazat'sya can live together in harmony. He can keep everyone safe.'

'And where was he when his brother's soldiers tortured me and even-' you spat with venom but cut yourself off. Alina looks at you with wide eyes. She starts to suspect what happened. You take in a deep breath.

'When they attacked the Little Palace, I rushed to get children out safely,' you say. 'I did it but I had to buy them some time. I got caught. I wasn't imprisoned long, but during those days they hurt my body in ways I never imagined. I was beaten, cut, tied and hung in very uncomfortable positions. They didn't even realise who I am at first. So, all of that was because I am a Grisha. And when they realised who I am they planned on worse things. But I managed to escape before it. But not completely. They did it to me in the end…'

'"Worse things"?' Alina asks, dreading the answer. Your look darkens.

'One day Vasily came to my room,' you say. 'In the Spinning Wheel. He wanted to… how did he put it… "a bit attention from me whenever he asks".'

Alina stares at you with wide eyes. You smile wryly at her.

'I refused, of course,' you say. 'Same as I did when he asked me to spy on Aleksander for him. He made my life difficult then… and this time as well. His soldiers, same that had tortured me, entered. He left, because he wanted me to come for this to him. Naive fool. But his soldiers… they… took advantage of me.'

You exhale shakily. Alina looks at you with pain. You blink away the tears.

'I was… scared… and alone… and it hurt so much… I just wanted to feel safe… loved…' you say. 'So, I called Aleksander.'

'Why didn't you say something?' Alina asks, crying for you. 'To me, to Nikolay, to anyone…?'

'It was my word against theirs,' you explain, shaking your head. 'Before someone would believe me, I'd already be executed for treason.'

Alina opens her mouth. She wants to deny it… but she knows you're right.

'Nikolay is different,' she says. You smile.

'I know,' you agree. 'And it hurt me to turn my back on him.'

'You can still come back,' Alina says with hope.

'No one will welcome me or trust me now,' you say, shaking your head. 'There's no coming back for me now. But you can still change your mind. You and Aleksander can change the world. Let Grisha feel save.'

'Would you really let me to get close to him again?' Alina asks. You smile sadly.

'To save Grisha?' you ask. 'Yes.'

Alina stares at you with disbelief. She opens her mouth to say something. But is interrupted by a roar of fire.

*

You and Alina run out of the workshop to find complete chaos. Everything is on fire. Baghra and Mal are trying to block Grisha's attacks. It looks like they're all going to be dead soon.

'I seem to remember telling them not to hurt Mal nor Baghra,' you sigh, pinching your nose. 'Unless that's their idea of a distraction…'

'Well, it's distracting enough,' Alina scoffs and calls on the light. You grab her hand. She glares at you. You glare back at her.

'Don't you dare hurting them,' you growl.

'Oh, and they can hurt us?' Alina says through gritted teeth. You squeeze her hand.

'Let me get through to them and we will leave,' you say.

'Do you really expect me to just let you go?' Alina asks with disbelief.

'You could come with us,' you say quietly. Starkov shakes her head.

'No,' she says. 'I will never join you. Tell that to Aleksander.'

You stare at each other sadly. You know that next time you see each other, it will be on the battlefield, on opposite sites. You let go of her.

'I'll never forget our friendship,' you say and turn.

'Neither will I,' Alina calls after you. 'I can't say the same about him. Just ask him what he did to Genya.'

You stand still for a moment, then walk away. Infernis notice you at once and force flames not to hurt you. You join your Grisha.

'That's your idea of a distraction?' you ask. Jordan shrugs.

'It worked,' he says. He puts barrier of air around you and you walk out of the cave. But before you do, your eyes meet Baghra's. She mouths something to you.

Save him.

You nod and leave. You rush to your horses. You climb on top of them and gallop away toward your hideout.

'So, I'm guessing she's not changing sides?' Gerard asks. You shake your head.

'It was a complete waste of time,' you sigh.

'Not exactly…' Stefan says slowly. You turn your head, frowning.

'Explain,' you say. Others exchange a look.

'We heard Baghra and the tracker talking,' Vatra says. 'And we watched them.'

They tell you what Baghra told Mal. About her sister being resurrected by Morozova as a third amplifier. How this ability passed on through generations… until Mal. She proved it to him by telling him to open the door with his blood. It opened. You can't believe it.

'Not a word of it to General,' you order and see their confused faces. 'I… I'll explain everything to him. When I'll be telling him about my conversation with Alina.'

They accept this explanation. For some time, you continue to ride in silence. Until you hear a twig snap.

You all stop, alerted. This is a mistake, as at once you find yourself surrounded by a small party of the First Army.

'The Darkling's Grisha,' one of them spats. 'Get them!'

'Can we hurt them?' Stefan asks. You nod grimly. The party advances on you… and the fight begins.

It's not long. There's more of them, but not much and you have your powers. But still one of them manages to take you by surprise.

You gasp when you suddenly feel pain in your side. You fall on your knees and prepare for death. But Vatra saves you.

'Saints, we're dead,' she groans and turns. 'Ted, we need-'

She cuts herself off. You know what she's looking at. You noticed it a second before your fall. Ted is dead. So is Gerard. You feel tears in your eyes. You failed them.

'We're near our hideout,' Jordan says. 'While I don't like how close to it they were, we can manage to get her to others in time.'

'And then General will kill us all,' Stefan says grimly. They manage to put you on your horse. They climb on theirs and you gallop to your hideout. You are bended forward and grip reins tightly. You can do it. You can do it…

You almost cry with relief when you ride on the courtyard. Your companions jump off their horses.

'Healer!' Vatra shouts. 'Now!'

Your vision blurs. But you still see Aleksander coming out of the mansion. He rushes downstairs.

'What's going on?' he asks and freezes, seeing your pale face and bloodied kefta. '[Y/N]…'

'Aleksander…' you say with relief and fall from your horse. Straight into Aleksander's arms.

'[Y/N], no,' he says, panicked, and cups your face. 'Stay with me. Stay with me, do you hear me?! Please! I can't lose you! Not again…'

He cries. You smile weakly at him. You caress his face, breathing heavily. You're slipping. You can feel it.

'Healer!' Aleksander screams. Just then someone kneels by your side. You sigh, feeling the pain lessening. You close your eyes and soon you're unconscious.

'She'll be alright, General,' the Healer says quietly. Aleksander caresses your relaxed face.

'How did this happen?' he asks coldly.

'A party of the First Army sneaked out on us not far from here,' Stefan answers. 'We lost Ted and Gerard.'

Aleksander nods and picks you up bridal style. He turns to the door but first looks at gathered Grisha.

'Fruzsi?' he asks. The Tidemaker comes forward.

'General?' she asks.

'Take down the First Army encampments,' he orders.

'Understood,' Fruzsi says with a smile. 'We will refocus our efforts. And what of the Sun Summoner?'

Aleksander looks at your face. He feels anger boiling in him.

'The whole world will hear it… when I make her scream,' he answers and climbs up the stairs to the mansion.

A/N: Thank you for reading! Let me know your thoughts! Reblog, like and comment if you could.

This can also be found on Archive of Our Own: https://archiveofourown.org/works/49965037/chapters/126532174

[thefandommind]

UNCONVENTIONAL PAIRINGS LETS GO

Happy Valentines day whateves, here I have some of the best pairings for you to consider. Spoilers for the books ahead.

Alric and Miranda. This is interesting, never would have come up with this myself, but I found at least two old posts about this ship from 2012 so its starting off our list. Pros, Alric is pretty fucking cool, and Miranda can do anything she puts her mind to. Spirit Court and League of Storms is a pretty good pairing. That being said, cons, Alric is middle aged and immortal on top of that, and Miranda is 24-25 over the course of the series, and that age gap is a little uncomfortable.

Sparrow and Miranda. They hate each other, but doesn't that add to the tension? I don't really have much arguments here other then Miranda had to deal with admittedly-pretty-blond-long-haired Renaud trying to kill her and enslave everything and being a general ass of a wizard, and then she almost immediately had to deal with foppish-blond-long-haired Sparrow who's not even a wizard but just as insufferable. I don't think they'd be a great couple, but I'm sure she could top him. Possible shipnames include Firebird, BirdSpirit, and SpiritLung. just horrible, but its a great time.

Sparrow and Sara. Yes I know what you're thinking, how are you going to have Sparrow and Miranda and then go and have Sparrow and Sara in the same list? And to that I say this list obviously doesn't have to be happening all at once or in the same AUs. And Sparrow doesn't have a canon age, only parameters we got is he's been with Sara for ten years of servitude and he was presumably an adult when he started since he was going around murdering Whitefalls. Now, yes, Sparrow tried to kill Sara, I would too, that doesn't mean they could have some hot chemistry. I mean they have been together for ten years, why not, and it's not like Sara is particularly tied to her marriage. EDIT: CALL THAT SHIP SMOKERS LUNG

Tesset and Sparrow. Partners traveling on the road together, why not let them bang. I wish we could have gotten more of the two of them together, duo was very good in the third book. This where I'd make a joke about Tesset being in the Red Fist, but I'll refrain.

Sara and Tesset. Why not, they don't even seem to have the power imbalance that her and Sparrow have.

Sara, Tesset, and Sparrow. Cause I mean I've laid it out before you, why not. Three is better then two yk? I just don't have a good shipname for any of them.

Renaud and Coriano. They don't have a lot of space for a relationship, but they were just so slay of a duo, so what if they kissed? Dialogue between two people that goes something like "You." "Me." makes me giddy and that's literally them.

Alric and the Lord of Storms. Coworkers? For the last thousand years, there's potential.

Den and Sted. Big evil men should bang other big evil men. Their shipname could be Ded, which is great because they are dead and I doubt they even knew how to spell.

Nico and Miranda. What if unattainable wlws. Spiritualist and demonseed. Criminal and Bounty Hunter? Could be named SpiritSeed, or SpiritDemon. Idk I only claim to be creative

Nico and Adela. WHat about toxic yuri huh? Hwat if they healed their differences by banging.

[archoneddzs15]

PC Engine - Knight Rider Special

Title: Knight Rider Special / ナイトライダー・スペシャル

Developer/Publisher: Pack-in-Video (Victor Company of Japan)

Release date: 22 December 1989

Catalogue No.: PV1003

Genre: Action / Racing

Format: HuCard

Knight Rider Special is the PC Engine's take on a video game based on the 1982 TV series. It plays very similarly to the NES version but is played in a third-person perspective. The player takes control over KITT (the Knight Industries Two Thousand), the speaking car based on the third-generation 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am.

The main goal of the game is to finish each course within a time limit. However, the presence of other cars and trucks (which may shoot at KITT or are simply in the way) make this difficult. Those can be overcome by either shooting them with one of the build-in weapon systems, jumping over them with the turbo boost or simply passing by. It is also important to keep on the road because ramming against lamp posts is unhealthy. KITT's abilities can be upgraded during the course of the game.