#i think she would have risked this for the possibility of interacting with them later at some point

[threegreenworms]

my new taz headcanon is that when lucretia and the boys are bantering that all the references they make to real life media are actual stuff they saw during the stolen century and lucretia was so careful as to not cut out those memories for this purpose

[former-incel]

TW: Rape, Murder

Women being unclear and indirect is a major cause of the male loneliness epidemic. It often results in well-meaning but ignorant men being unable to pinpoint what they did wrong and what they can do differently. For example, a man has a conversation with a woman, he asks for her phone number, she gives it to him, and he later finds out that it's fake. He then wonders what part of the interaction he fucked up, or if she just gets some kind of pleasure from leading men on.

But I can't blame women for that. Not even a little. Women who are clear and direct are raped and murdered for it. It would be a gross injustice to expect women to risk rape and murder just to help lonely men get laid. It makes perfect sense that women have to prioritize protecting themselves. It makes perfect sense that women don't have the luxury of being able to tell the difference between a dangerous man who wants to hurt her and a socially awkward man who's taking wild guesses at how to pursue her and maybe picked up some bad advice. It makes perfect sense that the best she can do is to get away from him as quickly and easily as possible and to warn other women about him so they know to stay away.

When someone's doing something the wrong way, explaining how to do it the right way in a way that they can understand is hard to do. It takes years to figure out how to do that. And women can't learn how to do that if they've been jumping through hoops to protect themselves from grown men sexually harassing them since elementary school.

My theory is that the system was intentionally designed this way. As the saying goes, the purpose of a system is what it does. Patriarchs want socially awkward men to be doomed to a life of loneliness. Then, patriarchs can sell them patriarchy as the cure. It's how cults work. Cults want people to experience rejection in order to recruit more members.

Now that the internet exists and it's common for any random, average person to have a blog, it's quite easy for women to spell out exactly what bad habits men have that harm women. Then, socially awkward men who read that can think, "Holy shit. I've been doing this. No wonder women didn't like me. Well, I guess I better stop."

I remember wondering why men get so angry when women talk about their bad experiences with men. It's toward the very top of the list of things men violently attack women for doing. Women are practically spoon-feeding advice to men on how to be more likeable to women. And men always complain about how hard it is to understand women. So why would it fill men with rage to have the solution handed to them on a silver platter?

But now, it makes perfect sense. Patriarchs need the male loneliness epidemic in order to maintain their cult recruits. Anything that helps men understand how to interact with women the right way is a threat to them.

"I make women uncomfortable because I see them as my property. And this woman spelled out clearly and directly what I'm doing wrong. But if it becomes common for women to do that, other men can realize their mistakes and stop. Then, men who women actually want to be around will be everywhere. And I'll be the only asshole. I'll no longer be able to convince vulnerable women that the way I treat them is normal. I'll no longer be able to convince socially awkward men that being an asshole is how to get women to like them. I'll have to actually be a decent person in order to be liked. And those other men who I consider woke manginas will have women all over them. I'll be damned if I'm going to let that happen. These women who are being clear and direct must be stopped at all costs."

[ms-demeanor]

(Bat 1/?) I fully support your fight to help those feral cats and all you do to educate people about the importance of keeping your damn cats indoors. I wanted to provide another example to your readers about the importance of staying up to date on rabies vaccines, even for fully indoor kitties. I have seven cats and a dog, most of whom sleep with me. Two years ago, I was woken up at 5 am by what I thought was a broken alarm or some crazy digital screeching. A bat somehow got into the house.

Continued:

(Bat 2/?) I quickly closed the bedroom door, locking the dog and three cats inside. Two cats were hunting the bat and had injured its wing, causing it to flop into a room with another cat. I grabbed Friday before she could kill the bat and threw her into a crate I keep in the studio (crates are out at all times and in every room). I threw a box over the injured bat and then found leather gloves. I slid a folder under the box and transferred the bat to another box lined with paper towels.

(Bat 3/?) I made sure I never touched the bat, even with gloves on. Bat was secured in the box for transport to the wildlife center when they opened. And then I isolated Minnow, Fig, and Friday from the other cats. When I got to the rec center, she said they could repair the bat's wing, but the exposed cats needed to get rabies boosters ASAP and she was required to report the incident to the CDC. My cats rabies vaccines were out of date, but they had them in the past and I had proof.

(Bat 4/4) Having proof of those past vaccines literally saved their lives. The CDC could have seized them and put them down. The vet said I had to quarantine them for 40 days- no petting or handling them; just give them food, water, and clean the boxes. It was hell for them and me and Minnow still won't go near a large crate years later. I escaped needing shots myself because I never touched the bat. So, yeah, get your indoor pets vaccinated! You never know when a bat or raccoon will get in.

That is so scary and such a great example of why it's important to keep vaccines up to date! Good job on your quick thinking with the box to trap the vet, and on isolating your animals to keep them safe! I'm so glad you and your pets weren't hurt beyond the stress of the extended quarantine!

The CDC and local health departments are *extremely, extremely* serious about possible rabies infections, so having proof of vaccination can be a literal lifesaver for your pets and getting them vaccinated is good peace of mind for you.

It *terrifies* me that Tiny Bastard has interacted with skunks recently and I don't think she's gotten close enough to be at risk but even if she had I know exactly when she's due for her rabies vaccine so I know that she's current and safe even though she got closer than I would like to a wild animal.

[cynthiav06]

Thoughts on Thalia? Because I've come across a part of the fandom who deems her a 'class traitor' and I want to see what you think about that?

That is a very tough question. Because there are quite a lot of inconsistencies in Thalia's behavior and what we are told her feelings were. And while they could have been addressed better, she is certainly not a class traitor. I am going to need a bit more context on this if possible because while I see what rudimentary actions might lead to such speculation, surely there aren't enough instances of it to actually bring her anywhere near to deserving such a label.

Alright, so by this definition of a class traitor , everyone in Camp Half Blood would qualify for it. Because the only context I am getting from this is her not joining Luke as the basis for this label which is absurd. Unless it's meant to allude to her thrusting the prophecy on Percy and joining the Hunters to remove herself from Kronos's target line; then that just barely qualifies but in the end it's self preservation and it cannot be called traitorous.

The first thing is that I believe Thalia had some level of semi-sentience in her years of being trapped within the tree. So imagine the first realization after properly waking up and coming back to life is that someone who used to be her best friend or possibly more had poisoned HER tree and endangered the entire camp and all the demigods there. (I know I know his plan was to use the fleece to revive her later on and get her to join Kronos, but that's still an insane risk to take against the last remaining piece of someone you love.) A camp she had died defending and a camp that was meant to be a safe place for people like them; something the three of them had spent forever spent searching for.

Then, if you remember, Luke was positively awful to Annabeth and Percy. Just in TLT, he tried to have Percy openly murdered thrice, and in SoM, he even manipulated and tortured Annabeth, someone who is supposedly very dear to him. Yes, yes, I know everyone remembers all of his torment towards Percy, but there was quite a lot towards Annabeth as well:

“Traveling with a Cyclops,” Luke chided. “Talk about dishonoring Thalia’s memory! I’m surprised at you, Annabeth. You of all people-“ “Stop it!” she shouted (…) I didn’t know what Luke was talking about, but Annabeth buried her head in her hands like she was about to cry. (The Sea of Monsters, Chapter 9)

“Percy,” Luke said calmly, “tell your giant to back down, or I’ll have Oreius bash your friends’ heads together.” Oreius grinned and raised Annabeth and Grover off the ground, kicking and screaming. (The Sea of Monsters, Chapter 17)

He (Luke) advanced slowly, smiling. The edge of his sword was tinged with red. “One thing I want you to watch before you die, Percy.” He looked at the bear-man Oreius, who was still holding Annabeth and Grover by the necks. “You can eat your dinner now, Oreius. Bon appetit.” (The Sea of Monsters, Chapter 18)

He rose unsteadily. "I knew I could count on you." He began to walk away as the trembling blackness threatened to crush Annabeth. "HELP ME!" she pleaded, "Oh, don't worry," Luke said. "Your help is on the way. It's all part of the plan. In the meantime, try not to die." The ceiling of darkness began to crumble again, pushing Annabeth against the ground. (Titan’s Curse, Chapter 5)

These are interactions between Luke and Annabeth just before Thalia wakes or a few days after the Titan’s Curse begins. This is supposed to be from someone who promised he would protect her, made promises about family, and was her mentor/guardian at some point. Not to mention the awful things that he does after.

And while Annabeth dislikes being vulnerable it is unlikely that she kept this from Thalia, her long time best friend. And if she did, Percy certainly didn't. So all this coming from Annabeth or Percy about Luke who was once extremely dear to her and with whom she had promised to take care of Annabeth with doing these things to demigods, to Annabeth must have convinced her beyond all doubt what Luke had become.

We are also led to believe Thalia had a few troubling demigod dreams of her own and was torn over the choice she had to make the entirety of the quest even before.

Another thing to note is that while Annabeth jad very rose tinted glasses on when it came to Luke even after his subsequent betrayals, Thalia did not. In the demigod diaries there's a section where Thalia quotes that Luke was becoming more and more angry, cursing gods, getting into more and more fights for the sake of fighting and endangering all of them. So she might have already expected her death to have terrible impact on him but I don't think Thalia could truly fathom how much until she learned of Percy and Annabeth's experiences.

The fucking problem here is these are all conjectures. If only there was a concrete way of knowing what Thalia thought of Luke, if only we had ONE decent Thalia Luke interaction that you know wasn't the decisive battle at the end then we might actually have confirmed the authenticity of both their claims of loving each other. There should have been a bit more drawn out interaction between them even at the end. When Thalia pushes Luke of the cliff she does seem to feel both guilt and grief and it is implied that it is partly the reason why she joins Hunters of Artemis and swears off of men completely because of the pain she went through with Luke. It seems to be half canon, too, but I am not certain how much I believe that.

Also, class traitor implies Thalia is siding against the benefits of her own people, the demigods, and speaking in favor of the Gods, correct? But this all implies that Luke is doing what's best for demigods, and Thalia is opposing is which is bullshit. Because again everyone siding with CHB will automatically be considered class traitors which is inherently wrong because Luke doesn't give two fucks about demigods. He was ready to send a 12 year old to Tartarus, he was ready to torture Annabeth and Grover, he poisoned the tree to leave the Camp and the demigods vulnerable and even defenseless in case of larger monster attacks which he was planning to sic on the Camp. Which he did sic on the Camp later on in the series. And this is all from the guy who wants to instill Kronos in charge of things. You know hacked his father to pieces, abuse his wife, oppress his kin, eat his children Kronos. Sure most Olympians give zero fucks about their children but Kronos wouldn't even have given negative fucks. The worst of all the Olympians combined wouldn't even come close to Kronos's level. I need people to understand that Luke was all for genocide since Book 1. I am not saying it, Luke is.

"Kronos will rise. You’ve only delayed his plans. He will cast the Olympians into Tartarus and drive humanity back to their caves. All except the strongest—the ones who serve him.”

So no Thalia or Annabeth or anyone else for that matter were NEVER going to join Luke no matter how much they loved him or pitied or empathize with this anger against the gods. Because you are trading a lesser evil for a clearly greater evil and even more gruesome fate. After all some gods cared about their children, rather openly too but Titans? They know no such thing. It would have been slaughter upon slaughter. So no it does not make Thalia or anyone else who sided against Luke a class traitor. In fact Luke is more or less a traitor, a deserter and an active malicious force against the demigods than the Gods were throughout the books.

In fact Thalia is the first to point out how condescending the Hunters behavior is towards the demigods.

She is also seen volunteering to go search for new demigods immediately after her revival.

Despite her history with Luke she sides with the Camp and resists the urge to pursue more power in the face of more power; despite her fatal flaw being Ambition no less all because she wants to fight for demigods and uphold her promise to Annabeth even at the cost of losing Luke.

Even after her initial dislike of the Hunters, she joins them anyway to keep herself out of Kronos's reach and to avoid harming anyone else by falling prey to his whispers.

She neither blames Grover nor Chiron for not being able to protect her. Isn't even bitter towards the camp and is generally seen to take protection of demigods seriously, so I am not sure what reasons are presented to call Thalia a class traitor.

But if you were implying Thalia is a class traitor for giving Percy the prophecy, then well, I am not sure how to refute that per se.

The only thing I can think of is, Thalia knew how much the Luke and the Ophiotaurus thing swayed her and how she might not be able to make the right choice a second time as opposed to someone like Percy who inherently cares more than most people do. She must have believed that Percy would do a much better job than her at keeping the demigods safe and saving the world.

The thing I dislike about Thalia's behavior is how after she wakes up the Camp hero worships her and ostracizes Percy even more despite him saving them numerous times and saving Thalia herself by returning the fleece but she shows little to no acknowledgement or gratitude and let's the Camp keep behaving that way.

She also doesn't come with Percy to give Nico the news when it was also her responsibility now given that she was Lieutenant of the Hunters and Bianca left under Hunters protection.

Thalia also doesn't confide in Percy about her decision to not be the prophecy child before or after her decision considering she does owe Percy that much.

She also seems to not help Percy as much later on with Luke and the things he has been doing even after her promise to do so. (I can only assume that she does so behind the scenes but it should have been mentioned)

Yet another thing I dislike is Thalia not being there for Annabeth later on. She should have explained Luke's changes and how the path he is going down on is so disastrous that neither she nor Annabeth can follow him. Perhaps if she confided a bit more in Annabeth about Luke's situation, Annabeth wouldn't have been so easily susceptible to Luke's manipulations. And given how easily Annabeth dismisses any warnings coming from Percy, she would perhaps be more receptive to ones coming from Thalia.

Don't even get me started on the lack of Thalia's role in HoO. She is a child of the big three. There's only so many of them; she should have had major involvement. This is a criticism of Rick, of course, not of Thalia. Considering he sidelined her afterwards.

Thalia Grace is the most underused pjo character of all time. It's not even close. She should have definitely been one of the Seven and Nico, too. You are telling me it's the greatest threat both the Greeks and the Romans have ever faced and the Greeks sent two demigods who only just realized they were demigods and Annabeth who has no powers to help her if things got awful? Plus, Hazel is a child of big three despite her inexperience, and Frank has the most unique extra ability under his belt, so those two can somehow be justified. So it should have been Percy, Thalia, Nico from the Greeks and Hazel, Frank, Jason from the Romans with Reyna and Annabeth leading armies of respective camps against other monsters and threats elsewhere but that's just our luck with Rick.

[repulsiveliquidation]

“I don’t need you.”

“You don’t, but we do.”

Leah Williamson x Georgia Stanway x Reader

2.8k, I went overboard lol but this was fun to write. Enjoy!

Warnings: mentions of blood and knives. Euros 2022 Final where you’re hurt and the two of them struggle to keep you alive. It gets dark so read at your own risk!

Lionesses v. Germany, Euro 2022 Final. The changing room is tense, all the girls quiet and getting into game mode. You’re in your cubby, listening to a playlist Georgia insisted would get you into the right headspace before a game. Leah sits across from you, leg bouncing and face in a deep frown. Georgia is messing about with Alessia, giggling about some video they saw on Instagram. Everyone has their own way of getting into their headspaces and you find yourself making eye contact with the best captain in the world. Your headphones come off and you walk up to her, eyes softening when you see the fear in her eyes that she so desperately tries to get rid of.

“Come with me for a minute.” You tell her, reaching for her arm.

“I can’t, the game starts in 20 minutes!” Leah loudly whispers but follows you, being dragged into the showers for a little chat.

Georgia had been watching this interaction, excusing herself and following behind Leah quietly. She knew that Leah would be stressed and knew that only you could calm her. She was met with a Leah that was almost in tears and you cradling her head against your chest in the furthest shower stall there was. She sighed softly, heart breaking for Leah. She quietly came towards you, hands wrapping around you both with kisses to both of your foreheads.

“How we doing, Lee?” Georgia asks quietly, hand slowly moving lower to rub her back as you kissed Leah softly and pushed her baby hairs out of her face.

“I feel like my hearts gonna give out. Fuck I can’t catch my breath. What if we lose? What if we just fucking throw this game away and fuck up and it’s all my fault? I really don’t know what Sarina was thinking, picking me as captain. Someone else deserves this arm band, I might just-“

She was cut off by half the team in the showers looking at her and hearing her ramble. She was so in her head that she didn’t notice that Georgia had taken your spot and you went and called the rest of the girls still in the changing rooms into the shower to comfort their captain. Tears stained her cheeks and Georgia did her best to wipe them away. You were beside her again, holding her hand and rubbing her forearm.

“No one would have been able to bring us this far, Lee. Everyone on this team knows you’re the only one who deserves to wear that arm band.” Lucy spoke up, all the girls nodding in agreement.

“You’re the best part of all of us, Leah. Come on, we’ve got a trophy to win alright? Save some of those tears for after will ya? Don’t waste them!” Ella yelled, all the girls cheering their captain on as she finally had a smile on her face. It was the most beautiful smile both you and Georgia had ever seen and you wanted to keep it on her face for as long as possible.

Kick-off

The game was going alright. Germany had maintained good defense over the first half, nearly scoring but Mary Earps was a force to be reckoned with. The second half saw Tooney thrust the Lionesses into the lead with a beautiful chip over the keeper. Germany doubled down and equalized ten minutes after, the wear and tear of the tournament finally showing as the Lionesses let that one slip. Of course, it had to be Chloe Kelly who sent in the winning goal, doing a well-earned shirtless celebration as the final whistle was blown two minutes later. You all piled on top of her, celebrations rampant as the Wembley stadium erupted with the same shouts of celebrations.

You didn’t see him coming. You didn’t see the glint of a 4-inch blade drawn from his back pocket. Security too busy holding out other fans from spilling onto the pitch. He made a beeline for you, eyes dark and angry. He grabbed you by the shoulder and before you knew it, the knife stabbed into the right side of your abdomen. The sheer shock of it all sent you to the ground hunched over, hand pressed to your side as he pulled the knife out and disappeared into the crowd.

Leah notices first. Her eyes looked all over for you till she heard yells from the crowd of your name. A little puddle of red alarmed her as she suddenly saw you laying on the grass in a pool of your own blood.

“Y/N!” she yelled. Crouching down beside you, holding your wound. “FUCKING CALL THE MEDICS!” was what registered next. Georgia suddenly appeared beside you; hand pressed over Leah’s as they both tried to stop the bleeding. The crowd was so silent you could hear a straw drop.

“You’re going to be okay, darling. I need you to stay awake for me, sweet. Keep looking at me baby, shh shh it’s okay. We’re getting you help.”  Georgia spoke but she sounded so far away. Your eyes closed for a second before Leah slapped your face gently and your eyes opened again. She was crying, Georgia was too. “Stay with me, love. I love you so much,” was the last thing you heard before you couldn’t fight the urge to sleep any longer.  

That beeping noise was immensely irritating. Beep, beep, beep. Why were there so many tubes and shit tangled around me? It’s a little chilly in here, would it kill you to turn the heat on? I mean seriously, these tubes are a nightmare. Your thoughts are interrupted by a pair of blue eyes that would make anyone look twice. Leah’s eyes. You could pick them out in a crowd. So blue and so full of emotion you could read her like an open book. What was she doing here?

“Y/N/N, welcome back my darling.” Leah says, her voice still distant but clear.

“She’s awake? Don’t lie to me Leah, it’s not funny.” A second voice enters the room. It’s familiar too, accent thick with worry. Georgia’s dark brown eyes show themselves as they both hover over you. It’s nice, they’re doing you a favor by blocking out those pesky bright lights.

There are suddenly more people in the room than you’d like, poking and prodding at you. Hands that you do not want touching you thankfully do their work fast and efficiently. They switch out your oxygen mask for tubes and give you another pillow and your sad hospital lunch. They’ve left the room in 20 minutes, the two girls whom you want near you finally able to settle on either side of your bed away from prying eyes.

“You scared us half to death, Y/N.” Leah says with a sad voice you never want her to use again. Tears well up in Georgia’s eyes and they both hold your hand that is resting on your stomach.

“What happened? I-I can’t remember it that well, it’s all so hazy.” You say with a sore throat. Georgia is quick to give you some water, holding the straw for you to sip. You drink for a while, thankful for the cold liquid soothing your parched throat.

Leah’s eyes are uncertain, doubtful if she wants to make you relive yesterday morning. The stabbing had sent you into a deep sleep, thankfully only for a day. The ambulance that brought you here was at the pitch within two minutes of the call to 999. The two girls never left your side, Georgia following you into the ambulance as Leah was driven right behind the ambulance by Alessia and the rest of the girls. The win was forgotten, every single one of them only had you on their minds. Leah was a mess in the car, shaking like a leaf as Alessia sped after the ambulance. Tooney and Lucy held her, keeping her calm and reassuring her that you’d be alright. She believed them, telling herself over and over on the quick ride to the hospital that you’d be okay.

Georgia kept it together in the ambulance, one of the loves of her life holding on as much as she could. It was so hard to look at you in the stretcher, beautiful face pale and sickly. Her hands and shirt were covered in your blood, the paramedics managing to stuff your wound with gauze and the bleeding was controlled. She knew you’d be okay, her heart hoping Leah knew that too. She held onto your hand tightly, whispering sweet nothings into your ear as you fell in and out of consciousness. She recognized the white Mercedes weaving through traffic, hazards on and following the speeding ambulance. She told you that the girls were right behind us and that Leah was right there with them. She told you to hold on, she told you they didn’t know if they’d be able to live without you. You heard her, wanting so much to hold her and tell her that you loved her and that you would be okay but, everything hurt and you were too numb to move.

The doctors worked swiftly on your wounds, the knife barely missing your diaphragm and nicking your large intestine. You had lost too much blood and flatlined once, the doctors quick to pounce on your chest and resuscitate you. You were fighting, you knew people relied on you too much for you to give in. The five-hour surgery was a success and soon you were being wheeled into a private room as the doctors told the entire team occupying the waiting room the relieving news. There wasn’t a dry face anywhere, tears of joys pouring out at the news of you making it through the hardest part of this long journey. Leah and Georgia rushed to the room they now knew you were in, the rest of the girls hanging back knowing you only needed them.

The sight of all those annoying tubes broke their hearts. You looked so tired and used, fresh tears falling down their faces. Both girls silently moved to one side each, hands reaching for your cold ones as you slept peacefully. Soon the repetitive beeps of the machines lulled them to sleep, thankful that you were alive and here with them.

Lucy walked in with Alessia and Kiera. They smiled softly at the sight of the three of you sleeping. They gently woke Leah and Georgia, having brought food and a change of clothes for them. The doctors updated them on your condition, Kiera shooting a quick text to the group chat to ease their worries. Leah shot up, eyes red with fatigue and a stiff neck. She reached for Kiera, hugging her tight and thanking her for the food and clothes. Alessia gently helped Georgia wake up, guiding both of them to the table in your room to have some food. They found it hard to swallow anything but tried, knowing they needed to. Alessia and Lucy watched over you as they ate, Less softly brushing your hair out of your face as Lucy rubbed your forearm softly.

Kiera had to force the pair out of the room to change, dragging them away to the showers to force them to take one, their hands still slightly caked with your blood. They showered together, helping one another to clean up which made them feel better to have familiar hands do the work. They couldn’t do it for themselves but they’d be damned if they didn’t take care of the other before themselves. Leah held Georgia’s face in her hands and Georgia stared at her as her hands held her wrists, gaze holding the same tear-filled eyes she had despite standing under the rain shower. They kissed hard, kisses full of too many emotions for them to express any other way. “She’ll be okay, Gee. She’s a fighter, she is.” Leah said softly, willing her heart to believe her own words. Georgia could only nod, muttering a soft “I know,” before leaning in to kiss Leah again. They held each other under the warm water, Kiera having left to give them both a minute.

They walk back into your room looking fresher than before. Hair both damp and wearing clean clothes. They both needed that shower and intimate time with each other, it soothed worries that they did not know how to voice; so glad that their relationship was strong and deep enough that they did not need to use words to express their feelings. “Any changes?” Georgia asks, moving to the couch to snuggle with Alessia as Leah returned to your side. “No Gee, she’s still asleep.” Lucy told her, hand lacing into Leah’s as they both sat with you. Kiera walked in 10 minutes later with steaming cups of coffee and a few more Lionesses. They all hung around, speaking to each other and taking turns watching you. You made noises a few times, shifting in your deep drug-induced sleep which made Leah and Georgia’s hearts leap out of their chests as you merely went back under.

“I’m sorry I scared you girls.” You say after listening to Leah and Georgia fill you in. “I’m okay now, you two look exhausted.”

“Don’t be sorry darling, nothing compared to the day you’ve had, love. They say you can go home tomorrow now that you’re awake, hm?” Leah tells you, eyes happier than you’ve seen in the past two days. Georgia begins to open up your lunch, gently pushing the table over to you to eat. “The girls went over to the house and set up the guest room for us. That way you don’t need to worry about the stairs. Lotte’s got Marlo too so he isn’t a bother for a bit. I think Less and Tooney drove my car over too so we can go home tomorrow, how’s that sound?” Georgia tells you, grimacing at the sickly-looking hospital food.

“Better than that looks, that’s for sure.” You quip, a look of disgust on your face.

This makes Leah laugh, leaning forward and kissing your forehead then whispering “There’s my girl.”

//

The first week back home was unlike anything you have experienced before. The pain was unbearable and the nightmares were something you didn’t wish on your worst enemy. You couldn’t remember your attackers face, but the news refreshed your memory when he was caught just four days after the attack. Cameras from the stadium managed to pick him up leaving the stadium after and they found his car abandoned before he was arrested and convicted. The three of you felt relief wash over you, knowing he was gone from your lives for a long time. You naively thought the nightmares would stop since you were really just worrying about him finding you but they somehow got worse. Leah and Georgia could barely keep you asleep for an hour before you had another one, shaking and sweating with shouts of their names. It frustrated you and broke their hearts into a billion pieces each. Both of them wanted to take your pain away and it physically hurt them to see you suffering.

One night you had another nightmare but somehow didn’t stir the two girls sleeping on either side of you. You carefully crawled out of bed, grabbing a fluffy blanket around your shoulders and walking out to the living room. You sat on the couch, mind racing faster than you liked. You began to rock back and forth, knees pulled to your chest. You couldn’t catch your breath, head spinning as the memories flash before your eyes.

Strong arms suddenly wrap around you, another pair grabbing your crying face. “Y/N, look at me!” Leah said loudly. A wave of anger came over you, pushing both of them away and standing; hot, frustrated tears flowing down your cheeks. “Leave me alone! Why the fuck are you always meddling? I don’t need you to coddle me! I am capable of taking care of myself! I’m not fucking helpless like you think! Just because you don’t have pain or just because you can fucking sleep doesn’t mean you need to pretend to want to help me! I DON’T NEED YOU!” you yell, voice hoarse by the fourth statement you make. You’ve fallen to your knees, Georgia catching you just in time before you crumple to the ground. They both hold you, your frustration let out in huge waves. You cried for half an hour, hearing both of them repeating the same thought you had in the operating room that kept you fighting “You may think you don’t need us baby but we do. We were both a mess when you got hurt, I don’t think either of us would have survived if it wasn’t for you. You hold us together baby, we love you to bits for it, you’re our special girl.”

It made you cry more, their words sinking into your head. You were wrong, you did need them. You needed them more than ever and they weren’t going anywhere.

[disgurrr]

Before the 74th Hunger Games, Katniss proclaims to Gale that she "never wants to have children." This declaration was made after having thoughts on how starvation or lack of food still plunges her and her family's daily lives, despite the hard work of her and her hunting partner.

“I never want to have kids,” I say. “I might. If I didn’t live here,” Says Gale. “But you do,” I say, irritated. “Forget it,” he snaps back. The conversation feels all wrong.

Gale's "I might. If I didn't live here" is met with "But you do." To Katniss, there is no possibility of another world where the oppression of the Capitol does not govern her and her family's lives, and where her basic physiological needs are not met. Her children will be another mouth to feed, her children will be another name in the pool of potential slaughter. And she just can't have that. She took a vow to never bring children into the world of the Hunger Games, where this ugly form of government rules her world. She just can't think of a future where she isn't constantly thinking about hunger, providing food for her family by using her hunting skills. Her role as a provider limits her to any wistful thinking of being anything else. But then something changes, she becomes a real contender in winning the Games, and now, she has...Peeta.

As a Victor, her basic physiological needs will be met and this allows her a “new kind of freedom.” As a Victor, she thinks about what her life will be like back in 12, and even starts to think of her future:

What would my life be like on a daily basis? Most of it has been consumed with the acquisition of food. Take that away and I'm not really sure who I am, what my identity is..."But you won't be alone," I whisper to myself. I have my mother and Prim. Well, for the time being. And then…I don't want to think about then, when Prim has grown up, my mother passed away. I know I'll never marry, never risk bringing a child into the world. Because if there's one thing being a victor doesn't guarantee, it's your children's safety. My kids' names would go right into the reaping balls with everyone else's. And I swear I'll never let that happen.

Even if she thinks about the rewards of being a Victor (poor Katniss), she still rejects the notion of marriage and children. Why? Because as long as the Games exist, she will not risk having them. Her future is still limited, but as she’s having these thoughts, she’s looking at Peeta, almost in a glorious way. And that to me is so telling, and intentional from SC. She starts to think about his future, then their future together:

The sun eventually rises, its light slipping through the cracks and illuminating Peeta's face. Who will he transform into if we make it home?... At least, we'll be friends, I think...And beyond that, he will always be the boy with the bread. Good friends. Anything beyond that though…

To me, she's subconsciously associating children and marriage with Peeta, but most telling, the association of children. Additionally, her mind naturally starts to wonder about the possibility of something more with him. Because they can’t just be friends, no, they always have to be more.

She eventually does consciously make the association of children to Peeta:

That it's no good loving me because I'm never going to get married anyway and he'd just end up hating me later instead of sooner. That if I do have feelings for him, it doesn't matter because I'll never be able to afford the kind of love that leads to a family, to children. And how can he? How can he after what we've just been through?

Even though Peeta has never spoken about wanting children, or has been explicitly narrated interacting with them, Katniss makes this association to him. Simply put, Peeta’s romantic love will end with children. Because to her, Peeta represents rebirth, revitalization, he is simply a “life giver.” He makes life, he creates it, and that is why she associates children with him. The epitome of creation of life.

And notice how she doesn’t want to tell him “I never want I have kids.” No, now it is “…I’ll never be able to afford the kind of love that leads to a family.”To Katniss, the love that she shares with Peeta will end with marriage and children with Peeta, and that is a luxury, a luxury she cannot afford because what it will mean to her life.

In Catching Fire, Katniss repeatedly makes this association. Even saying that it could be true that she would be married and pregnant with his child. In the QQ, she proceeds to tell us that Peeta will be a good father (as he represents safety and protection) and daydreams about his child while thinking of the lullaby her father sang to her as a child. All of this emphasizes the notion that Peeta’s fate is being a father, and her usage of the lullaby tells us she has this maternal longing for his child. It is also foreshadowing the epilogue. At this point of the story, there should be no question who Katniss is in love with, and who she will end up with. But also, what the future will look like for Peeta and Katniss.

In comparison to Gale, she has NEVER thought about having children with Gale, not the way she does it with Peeta. Even when Gale has admitted to wanting them, and has interacted with them like his baby sister. Actually, Peeta is the one who suggests her having children with Gale, and her reaction is that he is mistaken to suggest such a thing, essentially rejects that idea, and to me, is also declaring she will never have children with Gale, “that’s never been part of my plan.”

The idea of Katniss having children with Gale is met with rejection and a sense of wrongness: “it feels all wrong” “it’s a mistake…never been part of my plan” “besides, if he [Gale] wants kids, he won’t have trouble finding a wife.” In other words, if Gale is going to have kids, it is not going to be with her, it’s going to be with someone else.

But, the idea of Katniss having children with Peeta is met with “it could be true” “where Peeta’s child could be safe” “our children.” And after all of this, it is safe to conclude that if she is going to have children, it is going to be with Peeta. Because with him, she only feels safe and secure to have that type of life with. With him, she believes in rebirth, hope, and possibilities.

A future with Peeta does mean children and marriage, and that scares her throughout the story. Because she is scared of wanting all of it badly, because she simply can’t afford it, not when the Hunger Games still exist, and their children will not be safe from the reaping, they will die in the Games.

But then the Rebellion is won, and the Capitol has fallen, Katniss can take whatever journey she wants. And she chooses the journey that she has secretly longed for, the journey where her…no, where her and Peeta’s future children will be safe. It just takes her a long time to be convinced that they are truly in a different world, where nothing will arise and take her children away, take away her joy and happiness.

Side note: I want to say a special thank you to the beloved @tetheredfeathers. For always sharing great insight and beautiful words, and reading all my crazy rambles and thoughts. Thank you ❤️ ❤️

[inkzectz]

Pstpstpsrsttt drop ur ideas and hcs on shepvance and their dynamic … teeeheee

I remember the first time I thought about Adrian and Alyx was a while ago when I was talking with my friend about an idea for a half life game that had to do with both of them. It was a co-op game where Adrian and Alyx are paired up, and that was initially how I first thought of genuine interactions between them besides just little “oh they’re both in stasis”. I think their dynamic is something like Adrian puts up a tough exterior and acts like he needs no one, Alyx pretends to be cool and sly, but around eachother Adrian begins to let loose and allows himself to be vulnerable, and alyx is a cornball and cringe fail.

if you wanna know the details ab the game concept I’ll put them below 👇

the story would be a bit of a play on a scrapped HL2 EP3 concept, but basically Gman gives Alyx a new mission and tells her that it will be too dangerous for her to do it alone, so he provided her with an ‘advocate’ blah blah, one ominous and extremely vague gman monologue later. She blinks and is in the middle of the snowy forest next to a strange man.

I imagine since Gordon had his hev suit taken from him, Adrian would also have his gear taken as well since that too is “government property”. I think first interaction they’d both be scared of each other and probably fight before realizing 1) they’re in the middle of nowhere 2) it’s snowing 3) there are probably bigger dangers than each other. And decide to call truce and help each other figure out what’s exactly going on.

setting wise Alyx soon realizes they’re in white forest, but something is very wrong, it’s abandoned and when they find the resistance base it doesn’t look like anyone had been there for a long time, they find a computer and upon turning it on an old recording of a transmission plays basically letting them know they made it to the borealis but something went wrong, and now both the combine and the resistance were wiped out, and earth is abandoned. Both alyx and Adrian are deeply disturbed by this and they kind of realize they are all that they have now. but before they think all hope is lost they find another recording about the possible whereabouts of some remaining resistance leaders, and they both decide it is worth the risk to go and look for them.

I think some of the aliens are still on the planet (for some threats) and possibly even some new ones? Idk. But in regards to Adrian and Alyx I think they’d begin to grow on each other, especially since they both realize they are kind of all they have, I also think in terms of ‘game play’ Alyx would be the one to work with the combine tech, while Adrian would do a lot more of heavy lifting or more laborious parts of puzzles. What that’d be? Beats me.

filler game stuff, they make the journey and don’t find anyone but do find another resistance base and some research about how to use the borealis for time travel, it seems to be Kleiner’s work, possibly from after whatever happened with the borealis went down, but it seems something happened to him before he could put his work to practice. Alyx and Adrian decide to use his research and both think that they could use the borealis and travel back in time to stop whatever took place from happening.

They go and find the borealis and successfully make their travel back pre- allat.

in my head I imagine this theoretical game as an unnecessarily complicated way of bringing Adrian back and make it make sense in the grand scheme of things (in typical valve fashion of making a whole ass game that barely progresses the story) I don’t know how much it would make sense in the entirety of HL lore since there’s so little information on most of the stuff this concept involves but we ball

idkkk like and subscribe for more of Neil screaming into a void

[violet-moonstone]

Re-writing HTTYD 2

I've made posts about this before but I want to write in more detail why I feel like the second HTTYD film is less thematically consistent than the first, and what changes I would make to address that.

One of the reasons I love the first movie is because it always seemed to me to be first and foremost a movie about identity and being true to oneself. The main conflict, or at least one of the main conflicts, is Hiccup having to choose between: A) the life he always thought he wanted, which comes with social acceptance but requires him to reject who he really is; or B) a life where he defines his identity but risks social rejection from his father and his community.

Ultimately he chooses option B, and luckily for him, the people around him change to realize that Hiccup’s real identity doesn’t have to be rejected, but can be accepted and even change how they see themselves and the world. (Which is why I believe this movie appeals so strongly to viewers who are neurodivergent and/or queer…and as a deconstructed Christian/agnostic with strict parents, this movie really hit home for religious reasons as well.)

There are other plot lines in the film too — like the grown ups trying to find the dragon lair (which directly leads to Hiccup being able to show that his way of interacting with dragons can protect the community) and Astrid’s one-sided rivalry-turned romance with Hiccup (which highlights Hiccup’s discomfort with his new popular role and then later on provides him with an ally who can help save their parents and the dragons). These smaller plot lines help to strengthen the main plot and don’t distract too much from it (although I know there are criticisms about the way Hiccup and Astrid’s romance was written, both in this movie and the franchise as a whole. I think a lot of it is valid but IMO it at least doesn’t detract majorly from the main theme of the first movie).

Following that, we have HTTYD 2. We start with a restless, lost Hiccup who doesn’t know what his future holds but knows that he feels stifled by expectations to be chieftain. The movie unfortunately doesn’t go very far with this. We see him have the title of chieftain put upon him before he’s ready, due to Stoick’s death….and there doesn’t seem to be any tension afterwards. In fact after Stoick’s funeral, we don’t really see Hiccup struggle with his role or his grief in the second or third movie.

Another major plot line is Hiccup’s relationship with his mother. There’s a lot of possibility here to explore conflicting feelings of bitterness and a desire to rekindle their relationship…but this also doesn’t go anywhere. Hiccup immediately forgives his mother for not trying to return to him, and their relationship is smooth-sailing for the rest of the movie and in the third as well.

Finally, we have the plot line with Drago, which does three major things. 1) it leads to Stoick’s death (already discussed); 2) it reinforces the bond between Hiccup and Toothless when they overcome the power of the Alpha's control (very powerful and emotionally moving...I love this moment and I think it's a great parallel to the hand scene in the first movie); and 3) it provides a foil for Hiccup (which is also super interesting but sort of lackluster in comparison to Viggo, who was a more fleshed out character)

I think all of these plot lines are interesting, but because they don’t do very much to enrich each other, they sort of just happen sequentially without enough connective tissue to make any of them as strong as they could be.

I’ve mentioned before that I would prefer the plot of the second movie to be extended into two, with Valka being an antagonist (as she was originally planned to be) in the second and Drago being the main villain of the third movie. Here’s how I would do it:

The second movie should continue the focus of Hiccup’s listlessness and search for a new, more fulfilling identity. Meeting his mother should present him with a new choice, somewhat like the choice he had in the first movie. He could abandon his old life and his responsibilities and stay with his mother, living more freely (but perhaps being pressured to do morally questionable things for what she thinks is the greater good), or he could remain with his father and community but feel stifled by their expectations.

I don’t have the particular events figured out, but I think it would be narratively satisfying if Hiccup’s choice is once again a middle point between extremes. Maybe he does become chieftain, but he finds ways to share the pressure with his friends and community so that it doesn’t overwhelm him. Or maybe he abdicates his position as chief to someone else (cough Astrid cough) but still remains part of the community while having time to explore and live life the way he wants to. (Also at some point in there, Valka has a redemption arc? Maybe after Stoick’s death?…Something like her actions put him in danger and then she has to re-evaluate if she can continue to justify the choices she makes, idk still workshopping)

I do think Drago should be alluded to or even appear and cause chaos in the second movie (maybe Stoick's death is still tied to him in some way?), but mostly to build up tension and suspense so that when he’s properly introduced in the third movie, it’s after a lot of anticipation and fear.

Then the third movie could be wholly devoted to two things: Hiccup dealing with his father’s death, and Hiccup dealing with Drago. And these two things should be strongly related. I think it would be really fascinating if in his grief, he finds himself becoming more and more like Drago — more cruel and willing to do whatever it takes to seek revenge. Then he would have another choice on his hands — does he become like the very man he wants to seek revenge against, or does he stay true to himself and find healthier ways to heal from his grief and trauma? Again I don’t have particular events figured out, but Toothless and Hiccup's friends should be an integral part to all of this. Like I imagine Hiccup increasingly putting Toothless and the other riders in dangerous/exhausting situations trying to find Drago…only to realize that he’s mistreating them in a way very similar to how Drago mistreats his dragons and soldiers. I think that would be very powerful.

So yeah, that’s how I would change the franchise. Still three movies, but with more intention in how the themes are explored.

I feel like…I’ve just given myself more fanfiction homework, lol. I do think it would be fun to write these at some point. Once I’m finished the major fic I’m already working on.

[zeciex]

Fanfic General PSA

Don't do this. Comments like these are no constructive they're just rude. (And wrong)

And if you follow me here, then here's my response on here as well:

This is such a weird take to have. Just full stop weird. 

I will try to be civil, which is more than I feel like is deserved but my mom raised me right. 

Blood and Cheese will happen. There’s nothing in the story that doesn’t allude to it not happening. I’ve literally made breadcrumbs leading towards it. Blood and Cheese will happen. It’s an integral part of F&B/HOTD and it’s an integral part of this story as well. However, it will happen later than in Canon–as I’ve stated multiple times throughout the story in the comments/notes. Some events will happen before B&C that, in canon, happens after. Some things will be changed for the sake of the story. That is fanfiction. 

Daenera is a hostage in all but name. Hostages are kept as hostages. It’s not fun. And as for the ‘torture’(which is really more abuse), that is a storyline that will end soon enough. (it’s been like 14 days or so since Luke’s death.)

I don’t know why you bring Alicent and Crispin into this, they have nothing to do with the chapter or really any of the previous ones. They’re not something I’ve focused on. Sure, they are fucking, but at least I’m not the one writing it. I would suffer too much for that and I’m not about to go through with it for my readers lol It’s a background thing. That’s it. 

Daenera’s existence and her capture/hostage situation in KL changes things. –I cannot emphasize this enough. Every time an OC is added to an existing story it will automatically change things. There be new scenes, new interactions, new storylines. That is what makes fanfiction. You want something solely canon, then go read the canon. 

Which leads into Rhaenyra and TB’s hesitance to do anything!

I don’t know where you got the ‘no plans of attacking’ from because Rhaenyra very much states that they’ll make moves still. They won’t be attacking King’s Landing–like they didn’t attack KL in the show or the books. But there’s so much else that can happen that is not a direct attack on KL. 

Rhaenyra is showing restraint. She doesn’t want to rule over a country of ash. Any ‘hesitance’ she has is for a direct hit against the Greens.  She has lost a son, and a daughter, and she doesn’t want to loose another child. I think it’s only natural for someone to not want to risk that. This hesitance creates conflict. It creates drama. It’s a part of writing a story. 

Most characters will have their canon deaths! That also means TG characters–Otto, Gwayne, Helaena, Maelor. 

If you want to know what happens with the child and how it affects all the characters, you’ll just have to wait patiently and see. 

While Daemon could launch the attack on KL and sacrifice Daenera in doing so, I will still point to canon that IT DIDNT HAPPEN! It is entirely possible it could have worked, but its also entirely possible that it would have cost them greatly, more than just Daenera. 

This story doesn’t end with TB winning, nor does it end with TG winning. It ends in a gray area where nuance thrives. The end hasn’t been set, there’s still a way to go and there’s a lot of things to factor into it, so we’ll see. But no one side wins. 

If Daenera kills Aegon–and this will come up in the story too–that would mean sacrificing herself. If she doesn’t poison herself, she’d be executed. It would paint her as a king/kinslayer and she’d be remembered as such. She doesn’t want that. Removing Aegon could open up the position to Otto having full control through Jaehaerys or Aemond. It would put someone else in opposition to Rhaenyra. Could she kill all of them? Yeah, murder suicide them all. If she survived, Rhaenyra would still have to execute her for it. 

But of course, if your sole desire is to get Rhaenyra on the throne, then this would be the better option. It just wouldn’t make a good story and it certainly isn’t this story. 

Once again you’re speaking as though TG took their dragons and flew to Dragonstone. They didn’t. Dragonstone is a fortress and it’s hard to take. That’s without the dragons. TB has more of them. 

The greens are not always winning? They’re holding no more than they do in the show or books. The playing field is set, the teams are dug in, and we’re just at the very beginning. The blacks are no more at a loss than the show. They’ve just gained the North and the Vale, is that not a win? 

If you think Daenera is weak, then that’s fine. If you have a problem with her, that's also fine. But she’s doing what she can at the moment.

I dont think I’m writing the Dance as one-sided, but you’re entitled to your opinion. I’ve given each side just about what they have in canon. I’ve made a few additions here and there, but overall… 

What offends me the most about this whole thing is the impatience and the disregard of nuance. If you think the story is too slow or its not to your taste, you’re more than welcome to find something else to read. I’m not holding a gun to your head and forcing you through 108 chapters and almost a million words. 

I think it’s basic fandom etiquette to just opt out if it doesn’t suit you. I have no hard feelings if you do.

[neurospiczzzziee]

Do you think Stolas’s downfall during Mastermind and Sinsmas was necessary???

Do you believe Octavia was right to cut ties with Stolas?????

Yes and no.

Okay so I feel like Stolas and Blitzø could have still worked out without the events that happened in mastermind. I do think there would have to be an external force where they would be at the same place at the same time. To be honest I felt as if Mastermind and Sinsmas felt a little rushed. I like the episodes I just wish it was a little drawn out more. Like if Stola's got his own character exploration episode. For his own growth.

That being said I do think the downfall of Stolas was the fastest way possible to get rid of some of the walls that were built between him and Blitzø. And I'm not going to lie. I love Stolas having pupils so much and his new outfits. I love secretary Stolas.

I like Sinsmas a lot. It's one of my favorite episodes.

I don't really think Octavia did the right move by cutting ties, in the sense that I don't think it was a smart choice, however I don't blame her character and the action she made. To me it makes perfect sense the way she reacted, especially with her being only 17.

Okay so I'm going at this from the 1. The perspective as a high school teacher who works with teenagers daily and 2. As a person who grew up in an extremely dysfunctional vitriolic household.

Octavia's reaction makes sense to me. If Stola's hadn't risked his life and gone to see Andy I don't think Octavia would have cut ties with him.

You have to understand that Octavia just witnessed her dad go into full blown suicidal mode and almost die by the hands of her Uncle. Girly is in shock. Her head is probably going crazy. She is rightfully upset. Any child would be upset if they witnessed that.

I do because of all that she lashes out at him especially because she hasn't had time to cool down and process what just happened. I personally don't think she really cut ties with him. Knowing her she is going to try and reach out to him again. She just needs time to process.

Teenagers say and do terrible shit in moments of distress all the time. I've witnessed it countless times. I've had a students swear at me and refer to me as "that woman" to then later on them asking for a hug and turning a complete 180 with all future interactions.

Because of this I think honestly Blitzø would be best with talking to Via. Especially with his experiences with raising Loona. Like think of the times Loona has lashed out at Blitzø. Now I don't want to excuse lashing out behavior. The behavior is not okay; however, the behavior makes sense to me.

A lot of times I look back at Maslow's Hierarchy of needs:

If I think about this because of Stolas leaving Octavia's psychological needs are not being met. With this knowledge mentally I'm a bit more sympathetic with her actions. Like I think there is plenty of room for growth and repair for their relationship.

I hope my rambling makes sense 😊

-✨Neuro✨

[cosmica-galaxy]

I just wanna ramble about Threadville for a moment:

So, the Roblox game currently has my interest and investment, despite just coming out a month ago.

I just keep thinking up ideas and story plots that I hope are touched on at some point, as well as certain aspects I wish were included in the game's story.

Here's a brief list on things I hope appear or get built upon in the world of Threadville:

PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF THE UNIVERSE LET MY GRANDMOTHER AND THE ENTITY HAVE MAJOR BEEF WITH EACH OTHER, OR AT LEAST HAVE SOME FORM OF HISTORY TOGETHER IN THE PAST! There HAS to be a reason why our Grandmother had the mirror and it would be so cool if she was aware of the world within, maybe she even visited it herself many years ago, and she may have encountered the same entity once upon a time. I also saw that people are theorizing that the entity MAY be our Grandfather or someone that our Grandmother may have had a thing with in the past and I would LOVE to see that sweet divorce divorced energy between the two of them. .

The Protagonist and The Entity should have interactions at some point and maybe there is a potential reason for it targeting them specifically? As stated above, maybe the Entity and our Grandmother had a rivalry in the past and it wants revenge or some form of "payback". It also seems to only have eyes on us when it tries to hunt us down and kill us. This is evident by how Rocky turns away from Oliver after throwing him, despite Oliver being vulnerable and unconscious, and that would have made him a perfect target to kill. However, Rocky turns away from a potential victim and tries to go for YOU instead. That means the Entity that was controlling him has personal beef with US and we don't know why just yet. .

If the Entity does communicate with the Protag, it could possibly be through nightmares and a "doppleganger" version of ourselves that looks more akin to the entity's own eyes, colors, ect. It would probably taunt us, express slight curiosity, and would obviously show just how imposing or threatening it can be. I just think some dramatic conflict would enrich this story greatly and help us get more connected to the characters. .

I would love to have some type of item that eventually becomes very important to the story later on. Like, imagine if we pulled something out of the box that resonated with the mirror into activating (or causes the entity to become aware of the mirror) and it would be useful later on during the final act or second to final act? Maybe it can be like a charm that prevents the Entity from assuming control of us and it frustrates it to a great extent? I like to envision a talisman that is in the shape of a ornate needle that prevents the entity from harming us and it serves as an old symbol that connects our grandmother to the entity via lore. .

I do think the beginning needs a bit of an overhaul, because walking into a mirror is cool and all, but being dragged into the mirror by force is far more interesting. Can you imagine the hands of the entity grabbing onto your character and forcefully dragging you into the mirror before falling down into the world of Threadville? It would be a stronger hook for the game's story in my honest opinion. .

On top of that, I do think that act 1 is a little slow and we don't get enough buffer time to get to know any of the characters. We barely get to know Rocky before he is controlled (killed off?) by the entity and Oliver gets hurt to set the scene for the next act. Pacing is a little bit problematic and I think if we get to know the characters a bit more, we may be able to actually feel sad that our beloved characters are at risk of falling under the entity's control. .

Last entry for this ramblefest. PLEASE give the world some cool lore or worldbuilding that involves our grandmother in some way! Maybe she is an old hero that helped the world before and it is now upon our shoulders to save the same world that our Grandmother protected years ago or something interesting like that. Maybe even give us a legendary weapon that is based off of scissors or shears that the hero of old used to wield against the entity. Something like that would be so AWESOME! . Okay. Rambling about Threadville over. Going to start working on my fics and shit...

[thegirlwhowrites642]

Hi, please free to ignore( huge fan of your metas btw)

What are your thoughts on Peter pettigrew? In swm we saw him fanboying over james to being responsible for his death. Just because he was afraid or he never really loved his friends. Many people say James and Sirius treated him shitty thats why he betrayed. Some even say he was just a tag along. Please share your thoughts.

First of all, thank you!

(also, unless they are rude, I don't ignore any questions, it might just take me two years to answer)

Peter Pettigrew

My very controversial opinion on Peter is that I love him (as a character).

To me, Peter is one of those characters who represent how Rowling's clear lack of self-awareness as a person translates in her work into her being unable to recognize her strengths as a writer. The majority of the most interesting things she comes up with are not the ones she focuses on.

And that's the case for Peter Pettigrew, who might be the Marauder with the most interesting story.

It's way too easy to reduce him to a coward as the author seems to want you to believe. And even claiming he didn't love his friends is a flattening of his character.

You can have a tendency to be influenced by peer pressure all you want but you don't become an unregistered animagus to help someone if you don't love the friend you are doing that for and you don't have a bit of courage (especially considering how long the whole thing was and that he wasn't particularly talented). He risked extremely severe consequences on his body due to the possibility of the process going wrong and he risked Azkaban for being unregistered.

That's fundamentally the opposite behavior of the one he later has with the Potters.

I also think it's important to point out how Remus is not a close relative (father, son, brother) and how the help Peter provides is not essential to Remus' survival, it's emotional comfort. The lack of necessity of the animagus matter and the easily cancellable bond with Remus increase the braveness and love of Peter's act (in contrast for example with something like what Narcissa does with her son by lying to Voldemort).

I think Peter's story is the one of someone who lost his courage, not the one of a person who never had it.

Doesn't this also make it so much more delicious how his downfall is caused by the return of a glimpse of honor?

I do agree with the fact that in SWM, James and Sirius don't treat him particularly well, especially Sirius, but I don't think they are that aware of it, especially James. They are a bit crude, and they are arrogant. They are two bright posh 16yo guys in a boarding school in the 70s. I don't expect from them a particularly high level of sensitivity in how they talk to people, especially to someone they take for granted knows to be their friend. Sirius is probably more aware of it, but I believe James to be quite unaware of himself at this point in the timeline. This is before his maturation really kicks in, his whole interaction with Lily shows a lack of self-awareness in how he talks to people (we know Lily turns him into a bit of an idiot, the problem is that he doesn't seem to be aware of it). Sirius on the other hand seems a lot more self-aware than James. A lot of people are not going to like what I'm about to say but: James is canonically a better person than Sirius.

And yet, it is abundantly clear that both James and Sirius love Peter.

James gives into Peter's hands his own life and the ones of his wife and son. Sirius gives in Peter's hands the lives of the family he chose.

In the Shrieking Shack, under all the pain Sirius has for the death of James and Lily, it is evident that there's also the pain that comes from the betrayal of a friend.

"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" roared Black. "DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!" - Chapter 19, Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban

Lily herself is very attached to Peter, in her letter to Sirius, she calls him Wormy (how cute is that?). And, let's remember that she too puts her life and the ones of her husband and son in Peter's hands.

It's too easy to say Peter was just a tagalong, that they didn't love him. It incredibly diminishes the pain of his act.

I also would like to point out that Peter isn't stupid. He was a double agent, he managed to frame Sirius by using in his favor people’s low opinion of his skills (and Remus and Sirius' rocky relationship). James, Sirius, and Remus might have thought of themselves as smarter than Peter but I don't think they actually believed him to be stupid. Considering who the Marauders are, their knowing how good of a liar, and how cunning Peter could be, would be a perfect explanation of why they became friends in the first place.

Does this mean they all loved Peter but Peter only loved Remus out of his friends?

We can't really be sure of his feelings for Sirius, but the admiration he shows for James and the sense of guilt we know he has for his double agent activities don't really align with that image.

I think Peter's fear for his own life ended up winning over the love for his friends.

But why at this point? Why not at Hogwarts?

Something quite interesting is how Peter's father is the only parent of the Marauders who is never mentioned, not in the books, not in any additional material. Doesn't that align just so well with Peter always putting himself at the service of the most important male figure around? First James, and then after school, with the war going on, Voldemort.

Isn't it such a fitting image, Peter growing up without a father, with a too-cuddling mother whom he ends up resenting, faulting her for the absence of the father? It's so natural to paint him as a young man crushed by a sense of inadequacy towards an image of masculinity he idealizes but can't fulfill, supported by a society filled with a very toxic sense of masculinity and an absent father he can sew on any fantasy he wants.

When Peter was at Hogwarts, being friends with James, and being part of the Marauders, gave Peter a sense of security that allowed him to be brave enough to prioritize his love for his friends over himself.

Out in the real world, though, Voldemort is the dominant man and being positioned against the Dark Lord takes away the sense of security he had as a student. Both times Peter goes to Voldemort, he does it because he doesn't feel safe.

It's also abundantly clear how Peter's siding with Voldemort doesn't come from ideology. He becomes an animagus for Remus, he's a dear friend of Lily.

Peter dies because Voldemort doesn't trust him, and he is right in not trusting him. Somewhere in Peter, there's still the boy who risked his life for a friend.

Try to tell me this is not an interesting character.

He's still a coward overall, but a complex one.

Also, Peter Pettigrew is a clear victim of pretty privilege when it comes to the fandom. I'm ready to bet whatever you want that if he had been described as handsome the most popular ship with Sirius would be Sirus/Peter.

Actually, he didn't even have to be described as handsome, he just needed to not be described as ugly. Draco is described as having a pointy face and people have been lying to themselves claiming he's incredibly handsome for the last twenty-five years.

[hyperfixated-homo]

ngl I feel like Ghost got shafted a bit. Like yeah she didn't die after two seconds like Taskmaster (kinda funny how one of the best MCU refonceptualized characters killed one of the worst ones), but of the main team, she got the least focus. For a lot of it she was just there, and she really didn't get enough of a chance to shine on her own, what with the constant use of sonic weaponry against her. She also was the only one in the basement who didn't get a flashback. Hell, could've done something with Bill Foster (Lawrence Fishburne), her adoptive dad. He's not been seen since 2018, and this movie is 2027. Did he die? Was he snapped? Did Ghost? Both? Neither?

Also, there's certain other characters that could've been good in this movie, thiugh they'd risk clogging it.

originally, I thought of Netflix heroes (Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Cloak and Dagger, etc), but they might show up in the (hopefully much more interesting and connected-to-MCU) second season of Daredevil

Karl Mordo hasn't been seen since 2016. We know he's had run-ins with Strange, but that's it. He could've fit very well, maybe even explain that his own magic has gotten weaker from abusing it to steal magic from those he saw as abusing magic

Hercules was tasked by Zeus to attack Earth, but that was 2025. Where is he? Valentina could've made great use of a big strong kinda dumb guy who lives for the fight.

I honestly thought Sharon Carter would have some connection to the Sentry Serum, especially since she was the Power Broker who distributed the Super Soldier Serum to highest bidders.

G'iah could've been sent by Britain to ascertain whether Valentina was making America a threat to other countries. I know everyone besides me hated Secret Imvasion for whatever reason, but I like it.

Even Peter Quill could've fit. Maybe he'll be an Avenger (part of the real Avengers team), but he's also an outlaw. Either way, he's not just gonna sit still with his grandpa in Minnesota.

I do feel that Ghost got less attention than she deserved. She's one of my faves- especially for her abilities, and her actor is. So pretty. So lovely. Oh my god.

I would have loved to see more of an insight into her own mind, especially since (like you said) she was one of the four in the vault!! It would have been pretty easy to slip something in during their escape, but I suppose they didn't want to make the movie repetitive or give audiences too good of an understanding of what exactly was going on with Bob. It would have been fun to see a moment explaining her position on the team a bit better than just "shes a merc with nowhere else to go". Seriously, where is Bill Foster?

Either way, I'm filling that void (ha) with fanfics in the meantime. I try not to get too bogged down with what ifs- anything could have been different in this movie, but we got what we god, and I had fun with it! Questions about certain characters and their motivations and parts to play are always a part of marvel movies, especially ones focusing on multiple "main characters" rather than one specific hero. Half of the fun is coming up with our own justifications and filling in any parts of the story with what we, as the viewers, headcanon. And maybe replacing some parts of canon too. For funsies :3

Tangent aside, I do think it's fun to speculate on who could have shown up! I think it's very possible that these characters could work alongside or join the Thunderbolts in the future, especially if we're considering them to actually be filling some sort of role as the "New Avengers" (or like,,, second Avengers. Maybe. This whole thing with two Avengers is Interesting). You raise a lot of good points about people who could be included and why. Good for theorising, at the very least,,,

I'm just sort of imagining how each of them would interact with the Thunderbolts and it's. Interesting. Very fun. Might mess around with that later.

[freedelusionshere]

The foreshadowing in Forks.

I think the whole Richie and TS thing is so funny because the irony is I don’t think he actually likes her music. It’s all for Eva and also Tiff. He even tells her he needs a break from it. The concert tickets are for Eva but also to make Tiff see he can still make things happen. To try to get them to stay together as a family.

That’s not really the point of this post but it leads into it, and the show’s particular sense of humor.

Richie singing at the top of his lungs in Forks is a sign that he’s reconnected with himself again (overcoming depression, a recurring theme on this show, foreshadowing Carmy doing the same), and he found connection with other people at Ever that made him feel good about himself again.

We also see Tina singing at the karaoke bar expressing her newfound confidence and ability to feel seen. Ayo and Jeremy can both sing. I don’t know about a musical episode but something where they have to sing along together unintentionally would be funny, and then of course they realize how good they are together. Maybe trying to get Nat’a baby to stop crying?

Anyway, Richie had been blocking himself from experience connection and relying totally on Eva while hating himself for not being there for her. Probably trying to protect himself from going through what he did with Mikey all over again, and grieving his marriage and Mikey.

In S1 he tries to bond with Carmy after he goes to jail, and tells Carmy that he’s all he has, but when S2 rolls around he’s sinking because he knows Tiff has moved on and he hasn’t. He’s stuck. (Carmy later becomes stuck in the walk-in).

So when it comes toJess in particular, it’s the idea that Richie could maybe love again and be loved. Jess is also basically a very obvious parallel to Syd. She is better than him and surrounds herself with good people outside of work.

Which is something Syd struggles with; she lives and breathes the restaurant, but she really wants intimacy and connection (just like Carmy) and has been going it alone for so long she doesn’t remember how to get there, or has possibly been hurt so bad, she doesn’t want to try (could be just about her mom, but I think it could also be someone else).

Carmy tried to do what Jess alludes to with Claire, but he’s in love with Syd, so he was fucked, and the restaurant is the obstacle between them getting together. The idea that they can’t have love and work or that their relationship is just only about work is their particular brand of hiding out from taking emotional risks to get what they both really want.

We see in the S4 promo Richie and Syd interacting at wedding stuff and him supporting her. So this gets me thinking that Syd is probably starting to experience signs of depression (associated with the panic attacks) and missing out on what she really wants and kind of going through the motions now. She works with a lot of great people, but she doesn’t really let anyone in. Marcus and Carmy a little. This is sort of similar to Richie’s situation and his inability to open up his heart again. They’re also both the only-child and had an absent parent.

And Richie’s interactions with Garrett in Forks mirrors his relationship with Carmy (which is still unhealed) and foreshadows their reconciliation. He pushes back on Garrett without realizing Garrett is looking out for him and has been through some shit, too. Richie leaves and still is holding onto the idea that Carmy was somehow trying to humiliate him which is so plainly untrue, but Richie is still holding a major grudge against Carmy. Which I think is really about Mikey and him not being accepted as a Berzatto, and will be resolved in S4.

[pinklayla123]

It irks me that Nesta was willing to risk her life to save two strangers she calls strangers but not her blood related sisters . Them she says the vilest things to

I know it seems as if Nesta cares about Emerie and Gwyn much more because of how she treats them compared to Feyre and Elain, but I think it is a direct reflection of where she is mentally more than how much she cares for them. Most of Nesta's harshness with her sisters is concentrated in the first half of ACOSF and before it (e.g. when they were in the cottage).

Nesta resented Feyre when they were human because a) she reminded Nesta of herself and their mother and b) because Nesta wanted her father to do something to help them and Feyre was actively getting in the way of that (in Nesta's eyes. Obviously without Feyre they all would have died but for Nesta she would have taken that risk if it meant their father at least tried for them). However, throughout the books there are various scenes where it is made abundantly clear that Nesta cares deeply for her.

She hired the mercenary in ACOTAR and tried for two weeks (iirc) to get to Feyre in Prythian (y'know, the land humans are warned about from their cradles). When Feyre leaves again for the SC, Nesta is the one to tell her to not come back if she finds a better life there. In ACOSF she tells Feyre about the pregnancy because she sees that they are both in a situation where people are keeping things from them and that her sister deserves to know the truth. She is also more that willing to do anything she can to save Feyre at the end, and she quite literally returns the powers she stole from the Cauldon itself to do so.

With Elain, for the first half of the series she treats her almost like a child, and Elain lets her because she knows Nesta is someone who needs to have a purpose. She starts being mean to her in/before ACOSF because she is in a very dark place, mentally, and is actively pushing everyone away from herself, especially the people who care about her. Nesta's harshness with her sisters here isn't because she doesn't care about them, it's because she is drowning in guilt and rage and sometimes the easiest target unfortunately is the people you care for the most. It's stated throughout the books that Nesta doesn't act the way she does because she doesn't care, it's because she has always cared too much. It is wrong of her to lash out at her sisters like this? Obviously yes. But that doesn't mean she doesn't care about them.

The reason her interactions with Feyre and Elain are so different from those with Emerie and Gwyn is because she is actively trying to put that hard and angry version of herself behind her. Emerie and Gwyn do not know her at all, so Nesta is doing her best to put her best foot forward and to be as nice as possible. In Nesta's mind, Feyre and Elain have already seen Nesta at her worst again and again and again, so what's the point in even trying to be nice when everything she says will be tainted by her actions in the past. Obviously this is not true. Old wounds and grievances can heal if you put in the effort to try and make up for them, which Nesta does near the end of ACOSF. Feyre and Elain also understand that Nesta doesn't hate them, but she does lash out when she is upset and angry. But this is the mentality that Nesta has for the majority of ACOSF, that she is beyond redemption for what she did to her sisters so she shouldn't even bother trying.

Emerie and Gwyn, on the other hand, are a clean slate. They haven't seen Nesta at her angriest, and she is actively trying to avoid being that person here. Her politeness and later friendship with them doesn't mean she doesn't care about them more, only that she is keeping a large part of herself under wraps around them, especially in the beginning, and she doesn't bother to do so with her sisters.

I don't think we can say that Nesta would be willing to save Emerie and Gwyn but not Feyre and Elain. Obviously Emerie and Gwyn are her friends and she cares for them, but that doesn't mean she doesn't care for her sisters. She "forbade" Elain from looking into the Dread Trove, not because she thinks Elain is incapable of doing so but because she doesn't want Elain anywhere near danger. Same thing with how she returned the powers she stole for the knowledge of how to save Feyre. If it had been Feyre and Elain in the Blood Rite with Nesta, she wouldn't have just sat there or decided to go solo. She would have fought just as hard (if not harder) to get her sisters out of there. Just because we haven't seen it doesn't mean it's not true.

In summation: Nesta isn't harsh with her sisters because she hates them or doesn't care for them. It is a reflection of her mental state for a lot of the books, where she lashes out when she is angry at her circumstances. We see a shift in the way she treats her sisters near the end of ACOSF when she starts to heal her wounds and apologize for the way she treated them. She is also working on healing her relationship with her sisters, as seen when she joins them to go visit their father's grave. Her behavior with Emerie and Gwyn is much milder in contrast because she is putting on a mask around them, and trying to leave the angry version of herself behind.

I apologize if this got long or had lots of repetition. I just find the dynamic between these sisters so interesting and I truly love all three of them, individually and as a unit. In fact, the scene I submitted for the BB bracket (which didn't get picked but oh well) was the one where Feyre, Elain, and Nesta are sleeping together in the tent before the final battle with Hybern. We haven't always seen the healthiest interactions between the three of them so far, but I am really excited to see how their relationship with themselves and each other will progress in the next book. Have a good day, anon!

[haydenshill]

Unpopular opinion

I think there’s a misconception that if you are anti- Anidala, then you are pro Jedi.

Anakin was born into slavery and witnessed atrocities like murder and rape, torture and families ripped apart from basically birth. He likely was a victim of abuse physically, emotionally and sexually. If you think for one moment, that Watto would have told Qui gon no if he wanted to borrow Anakin cuz he liked little boys, you’re insane. Watto likely had charged people to use his slaves before. And Anakin understood that he was a product. He knew he was only taken care of so long as he was useful. If he didn’t have something watto could profit from, he’d be sold into the unknown and possibly never see his mother. So he did as he was told to have the small amount of security he could grasp for him and his mother in a very helpless situation.

Anakin mentions a few times how horrific growing up was. The Jedi risked his life for their gain, gambled, and then left his mother behind. From Anakins point of view, this is not unusual behavior. He’s essentially a product that changes hands.

I fully believe that if they would of saved his mother as well, got her settled somewhere safe and allowed him to leave her, knowing she wasn’t still a slave, I think he would of been in a far better mental place.

So now he’s been won as a prize, and is quickly literally a child soldier. He does very well and proves to his new masters that they’ve made a good choice. He knows the only reason that they have rescued him, is they want something from him. If he wasn’t special, they’d never have taken him away from that life.

He wants to trust Qui Gon though and like children tend to do, he doesn’t question his situation, he just believes that Jedi are good. Then his hero Qui Gon dies and he is left with the other guy that obviously doesn’t like him or want him. While Qui Gon was nurturing and warm, Obi is cold and unenthusiastic. Almost resentful.

The nice lady Padme turns out to be a queen/celebrity so she is even more interesting. She’s the only one that’s truly nice to him and acts like a mother or big sister figure with him. He must leave her as well and go with the inexperienced cranky student of his dead master.

He arrives at a city that he can’t believe is real. Everything is clean and all the people appear to have food and slavery doesn’t exist here. There’s vehicles and ships that boggle his mind and then they arrive at the biggest building he’s ever been in, in his life that is filled with magical wizard assassins that the whole galaxy respects and fears. He knows at the back of his mind that they only care about him so long as he benefits them, but what other option is there?

He’s taken to stand before the council so they can surround him and judge him using these mysterious powers that he has no clue what they are or how they work. They are reading his thoughts and emotions, and the little green guy speaks in riddles. The scary dark man is giving him Samuel Jackson level crazy eyes and now he doesn’t know what will happen.

Luckily they agree but now he’s the Chosen One. Everyone knows he’s too old but they accept he’s special. Everyone works their ass off for what comes to him easily. I’m sure he feels like an outsider. All these kids have been together since they were toddlers. They know all the rules and etiquette and then there’s Anakin.

We don’t really get to see how it was adapting to Jedi life, since the attack of the clones picks up a decade later. We do know they’re sheltered and supervised. He’s seems very confident until he gets around Padme and then I attribute that to the fact that not only is she a celebrity, but she’s the one that helped him escape slavery. He is obsessed with her like some people are obsessed with celebrities.

Padme has spent her whole life being put on a pedestal and doesn’t interact with a lot of people her age. She’s constantly under attack and had to grow up fast. I don’t think she has a lot of opportunities to date. She can have crushes but she’s never alone and everyone is always paranoid about her safety so the likelihood of flirting is low.

They stick these two extremely attractive, inexperienced, hormonal young people together on a beautiful planet to frolick and play, and then go get into danger so they have some good trauma bonding. She is there for him with his mom and she hides the fact that he massacred an entire village, ruthlessly hunting down and killing defenseless women and children. Then they get captured and think they’re gonna die, so Padme wants to make it romantic to die with your true love…, except they survive. So they double down and secretly get married.

Now I don’t know how he lived with her through the clone wars and no one noticed. Her building was likely guarded and it’s where all the politicians and rich lived so I’d think they’d notice him there all the time.

Then Anakin almost beats Clovis to death and then lies about it, and Padme goes along with the lie. And she forgives him.

Then he betrays the people who raised him, kills all the Jedi and also kills the tiny children. Obi finds out and shows Padme the video and she goes to find Anakin.

When she finds him, she know he has slaughtered literal babies, as well as all their friends. She knew a lot of the Jedi and had fought with many of them in the clone wars. These weren’t unknown people, they had saved their lives and fought side by side and he slaughtered them all. She should not be begging him to run away with her, she should not be near him.

He sees Obi is with her so he does the only rational thing you do to your heavily pregnant wife, and that’s force choke her till she passes out. Then he doesn’t check on her, he fights Obi and leaves her defenseless surrounded by lava and enemies.

Anakin should not be remembered as anything more than a terrible person. He was a reckless general, a crappy husband and a sociopathic serial killer.

Don’t think I feel bad for Padme. Everyone thinks she’s so compassionate, but if she was, she would have returned to Tattooine and bought Shmi’s freedom. Shmi let them use her son to get what they needed, and then even let them take him. For the cost of one of her elaborate outfits, she could of gone and bought Shmi and given her the option to live free on tattooine, or return to Naboo and she’d get her a respectable position. Especially after Anakin saved her entire planet, you’d think she would free his mother to thank him. Do you think anyone on Naboo would have objected? She didn’t even have to go herself. She could have sent someone in her place, but she never did and that shows me that Padme was self serving. She cared about Naboo and her people and that was about it. Even when Anakin repeatedly massacred people, she still wanted him to run away with her. Doesn’t seem like much of a honorable person to me.

Their story is tragic and they’re both so beautiful but to say they deserved better. No they didn’t. Their selfish obsession with each other, literally destroyed the galaxy. Just saying.

I want to add that I love their story and love the characters. I just think people downplay how terrible they were and tunnel visioned