#but meh that’s best saved for another post

[bluerose5]

Nostalgia

"Tell me something about yourself."

Anders’s hands stopped in their tracks. Golden brown eyes glanced up at Garrett, curious about what brought on such a request.

He returned to healing Garrett's wound, brow furrowed as he concentrated on knitting the flesh together. Slowly but surely, the large gash on his arm started to seal closed.

"Like what?" Anders asked. "Have we not been getting to know each other all this time?"

"Well, we have," Garrett said, then added, "in a way. Even then, I feel like so much of you is still a mystery. The Grey Warden thing, I get. The apostate thing, I get. Even the whole merging with Justice thing, I get."

"But...?" Anders trailed off.

"But you don't tell me much about you." Garrett watched him closely, searching for any change in his expression. "I've seen you joke around with the others. Then, as soon as I walk into the room, you get all serious and quiet. You've told me plenty about the mages' plight, which is fine, but I just want to know more, you know?"

"Is that your way of telling me that I need to lighten up?" Anders questioned, head cocked to the side as he peered over at him.

Even after the wound was healed, Anders’s touch lingered on his arm.

Neither one of them tried to move away.

"If that's how you choose to take it." Garrett shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't mind being that guy that you can vent to about your frustrations. I'm glad that you trust me enough to share your concerns; but if I'm right about you —and something is telling me that I am— then there's more to you than you let on."

"Okay, and if there is?"

Garrett leaned in with a roguish grin, dark curls falling into warm, brown eyes.

Anders swallowed thickly.

His heart skipped a beat.

"Then I plan on finding out what."

"Heh," Anders laughed in an attempt to cover up how flustered he was. He dropped Garrett's arm as if his skin was on fire, taking a second to brush his hair back behind his ears. "What a tease you are, Garrett Hawke." After a slight pause, he glanced over at him. "What would you know of me?"

Garrett's grin softened into a smile.

"Oh, that's easy," he hummed. "Favorite color?"

"Red," Anders answered without skipping a beat.

Walking around the clinic, he started to straighten up, cleaning every surface as best as he could while taking inventory of his supplies.

"Really?"

"Yeah." For some reason, Anders felt the need to explain further. "It's a very versatile color. Bold and passionate, dangerous yet warm..."

"I'll have to keep that in mind."

Right.

"Anything else, or was this all just an excuse to find out what my favorite color is?"

Garrett snorted.

"I'm just getting started." He leaned his weight back onto his hands, kicking his legs out from the crate he was sitting on. "Tell me, when you're not out striving for mages' freedom, what do you do in your free time?" Garrett thought it over, then took a guess, not even giving Anders a chance to respond first. "Do you like to write?"

Anders wrinkled his nose.

"Not particularly."

"Seriously?" Garrett blinked owlishly at him. "Huh. Interesting."

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing. It's just that you're so good at it."

Wait, did that mean...

"Garrett Hawke," Anders said, "did you actually read my manifesto?"

"Perhaps." Garrett beamed at him, his eyes crinkled at the corners. "Does this mean you'll stop leaving copies all over my estate?"

"Maybe." With his back to Garrett, Anders clutched a pile of clean linens to his chest in an attempt to muffle the pounding of his heart. Anders wouldn't be surprised if Garrett could hear it from across the room. "Maybe I could leave other notes for you to find."

"Now, that's a challenge that I would gladly accept."

"Guess my Circle education is finally paying off," Anders joked. "As for hobbies, though." Anders sighed, chewing on the inside of his cheek. "Oh, I don't know. Ever since I last escaped, I can't honestly remember when I've done anything for myself. Back then, I was with the Wardens. After I got away from them, all of my time here has been split between the clinic and the Mage Underground."

"When you're not with me, at least."

"True." He shrugged. "So, yeah. When I'm not playing cards with you lot at The Hanged Man, I don't do much. Pathetic, right?"

"No," Garrett huffed, glaring at him for making that jab at himself. "It means you're dedicated to what you do."

"That's one way of looking at it."

Humming in contemplation, Garrett sat there, deep in thought.

Eventually, he spoke up.

"Well, what would you like to do?"

"Excuse me?"

Garrett rolled his eyes, shaking his head at Anders with a fond smile.

"What would you like to do?" he repeated. "You and Justice?"

"Justice?"

"Is there an echo in here?" Garrett teased. "Yes, you and Justice. Say what you want. You may not 'hear' him, but he must have some kind of influence if you're both two halves of a whole."

"Such a huge simplification of our... arrangement."

"Yet you don't deny it. Come on," Garrett insisted. "The clinic is empty at the moment. I know for certain that today has been a quiet one for the Underground, so let's go have some fun. Alone. Together."

"What do you have in mind?" Anders asked, wary.

"Whatever you want."

Anders considered his options.

Setting the linens aside, the words came to him, unbidden.

"I'd like to go fishing."

At Garrett's surprised look, Anders grimaced.

"My father, he was always a stern man," he explained. A wistful sense of nostalgia settled deep into his bones. "But he was a proud father before my magic manifested."

Anders stared down at his hands, flexing them through the aches from years of healing and spellcasting.

"He used to take me to a lake not far outside of our village. We would take to the docks for hours. I would run around with fistfuls of worms and bugs for bait." Anders scoffed. "Every time I caught something, even if it was just trash, I would get so excited. I could have caught the smallest minnow, and he would brag about how strong I was."

And all it took to destroy that bond was fear.

Anders wouldn't linger on that, though.

"I mean, we don't have to fish, but perhaps we can take a walk down to the docks. Clear our heads a little?" Already, he could see the rhythmic motion of the waves, smell the tang of salt in the air. "Well, if you can sit still for that long."

Garrett chuckled.

Jumping down from his perch, he approached Anders’s position, hesitating before he took his hand into his own.

"For you, I'll try my best."

[heywriters]

how to make a tumblr post (and get notes!)

Have never seen any post discuss these exact things, so i'm sharing my insights with y'all*

Use images. They don't have to be good or spectacular like this extremely coherent thing I just made. They just need to catch the eye break up dashboard monotony.

The gif search feature is an unreliable wild card at best and a NSFW eye gouge at worst, but it gives credit to the op of the gif

If you're an artist your whole post is your images, so skip to the links and tags section of this post because the rest won't help much.

-> Image Descriptions

When making a post that contains images, hover over an image and click the meatballs icon in the lower right corner of the image. Click "update description" to add a description. It isn't always necessary, but it is very courteous for a variety of accessibility reasons.

-> Text

Break up your text. Run-on sentences are standard here, lack of punctuation too, you can really do whatever you want, but avoid massive blocks of text. unless you've got a really incendiary opening line and the entire center of that granite chunk of text is actually comedy gold, hard-hitting tumblr journalism, or one of those zany confessional posts that can be followed up by the drive thru meme

break up

your text.

and go light on the ALL CAPS. save it for emphasis or when you're feeling very unhinged or saRcAStiC y'know how that goes, i don't need to explain it. this site has a very dry tone to its posts so caps are rare. also periods

Bullet points and numbered posts are good and fine. The "Chat" post option is used less often these days, but different groups found uses for it so it sticks around.

Titles Matter

they help break up text and put people at ease. they are best for informative, mature posts but can make you look like a square in more relaxed conversations. sometimes they are also great for emphasis in a comedic sh*tpost (censorship is entirely up to you, btw. you don't have to censor much on tumblr except titties and genitals).

Tumblr automatically shortens long posts now, but etiquette asks that you tag #long post if you want to avoid clogging up someone's dash. It don't matter too much though, this is the "color of the sky" site, so get used to posts being too long

That being said "READ MORE" is a fantastic feature. Use it when you want some level of privacy like "hey, only click below if you want to hear about my problems" or "click below to read my 18+ fanfic." Read more is also great in case you want to delete something forever. If a reblogged post has a read more, but op deleted the og post, that content is gone (readmore has to be on the og post at time of posting for this to work, btw; edits to og post do not span all reblogs)

the other bells and whistles like colored font or italics are helpful in improving text, but we don't really rely on them. every mode of looking at this site alters those aspects somehow so we often ignore them

-> Links

Hint: People don't want to click links. We don't know where they're taking us. Most of us are on our phone and don't want to open another tab or leave the app to go on the browser. We're cozy here on Tumblr and do not wish to be whisked away (unless it's a rickroll)

Don't leave the link thumbnail to do all the work, like so

add a little sneak peak info, maybe your favorite line from the article or a reason why it's important for people to know the info on the other side of that link. Sell it!

When you're adding a link into a list, i.e. no large thumbnail just a line of text leading you to another site, try not to copy/paste the link as is

"https://......"

No one wants to click on that it's gross and scary. It's screams "meh, i'll click later if i feel like it." If the build up to the link is too good to resist ("if you want to save the orphaned puppies here's the link") then that http mess is sufficient.

Otherwise, dress your links up a little by including the title or a description of what the link goes to:

Or, if it's an informal post where you're just popping info in to back up whatever insane thing you just said, just write something like "link here" or "(x)" and hyperlink it.

-> Tags

artists, writers, and other creators: leave a tag on your creative content that makes it easy for blog visitors to see it all at once. e.g. "My work" and we click on that while on your blog and see only your works

You can have up to thirty tags on any post. All will make your post show up in searches and followed tags (it used to be only the first five tags that got you traction). However,

Please. Do not tag everything you can possibly imagine being relevant to your post because

It's called tag spam and it's against TOS

Everyone here hates that

No one is going to check all those tags ever. Someone might search one five years from now and accidentally find your post hanging out in the ether and they'll still ignore it.

Your imagination is wicked tiny because I guarantee the perfect tag is going to be something indecipherable and seemingly niche.

Follow popular tags (or at least be aware of them)

If yours is an off-the-cuff post and you don't have time to find out what a niche group is into then wing it, sure, idc. this is also the shitposting site do whatever you want

Don't put your hate in the fan tags. This is the unapologetically-like-dumb-things site and your negativity is not wanted. You can still complain, just avoid tagging to get the attention of the fans of whatever you're complaining about. That enables pvp and even nonfans will know you deserve the backlash

-> Audio & Video

clickable by nature because we all love noise and moving images so there's no special way to share posts like this. just post them with good tags and maybe a one-liner, and they'll sell themselves

Tip: it's nice to add descriptions to these too but it isn't common

Protip: if the audio is the best part of the video (e.g. a baby burps REALLY loudly and it's hilarious) please caption or tag "Unmute!"

-> mkay bye

that's all i can think of right now. will update later if i remember something

---

*this is year eleven of my time on tumbles and i studied marketing in college for like six of those years and have been applying that bupkis to tumblr ever since. every post i see that gets no traction and every lovely artist that goes nowhere on here bothers me so deeply and i sincerely want y'all to succeed <3 <3

+ If you find this helpful and want to support my blog, I have a ko-fi!

+ If you're concerned about my mental health from being on Tumblr so long and want to contribute to my "get better" fund, I have a ko-fi!

[linkspooky]

Hey. Long time follower here. Your metas, your discussions of "bad victims", your nuanced view of heroes and victims, your favoritism towards "losers"...not only did you heavily influence my own writing and my own favorites in different medias (I'm entirely blaming you for me being a Makima stan) but you helped through an extremely dark time in my life. I don't think that you just made me a better writer, you also sort of saved my life. I'll always be grateful for that.

There's something I want to ask. You answered to another ask that you don't regret reading MHA because focusing on what doesn't work about it made your writing stronger. Do you feel the same about Homestuck? Or about the more disappointing parts of Tokyo Ghoul (and, while we're being candid here, Avatar?).

Thank you for your compliments they're very encouraging to read.

At this point this blog is becoming the bad victim lovers support group where we all hug each other and cry over how MHA is treating all of its bad victims.

HOMESTUCK: Honestly, my main problem with Homestuck is that ACT 6 was so long and uneventful full of characters not doing anything that by the end of it the only character I was invested in was Vriska. ACT 6 also did go out of it's way to kill my enthusiasm for everything I liked in ACT 5, especially John Vriska. I've never seen a comic throw out all of its previous development that the audience was invested in and like everything that was foreshadowed - oh wait My Hero Academia. Unfortunately Vriska is an all-time-fave so I still write Homestuck Fanfic about her to this day. I used to like think the finale of Homestuck was one big "meh" but after years to reflect upon it, I do like Vriska's arc ending on a final note of Terezi searching for her in the void, possibly forever, and the ambiguity of whether they'll reunite.

TOKYO GHOUL: I remember being mad about Kaneki getting a happy ending that he didn't earn. Kaneki was a character that really frustrated me for a long time, but I came to realize that if you like remove Kaneki from his group of codependent enablers he's actually a really interesting character when he's alone. So he's a character I love to explore in fic, even if I disliked what they did with him in canon. Also, Tokyo Ghoul killed off its biggest victims Furuta and Rize in a really cruel way, but it didn't kill off every single victim so it just disappoints me instead of making me sick to my stomach like MHA does.

ATLA: I actually think the Avatar the Last Airbender ending is fine. Which like, isn't saying much because I think the Season 1 finale and Season 2 finales are some of the best things ever put to television. The worst sin that the ending does is number one lack of foreshadowing in earlier in the season and number two rushed plot points. Aang not wanting to kill the Fire Lord makes sense. I think the reason a lot of people criticize this and call it an ass pull is that it's not even BROUGHT UP until the finale. Vash the Stampede is pacifist and one of my favorite characters, but it's established from episode 1 that Vash is constantly up against people who want to kill him and he either has to run away or find a way to fight back nonlethally. Azula's insanity and mental instability could have been a thing, but it's not foreshadowed at all so all it ends up doing is conveniently nerf Azula for Zuko, and also being ableist. The worst problem is while there are epic fights it doesn't feel like an ending, because everyone's character arcs are 3/4ths of the way through. ESPECIALLY ZUKO's. Like people say Zuko is acting out of character in the comics, but I think Zuko is the only person in character in the comics because that's how Zuko without a proper end to his character arc would act. It really feels like they had plans for a fourth season that they didn't get, and their solution was to cram an entire season worth of development in everything post the eclipse on season 3. The fact that Azula is left as such a hanging thread is like proof of that, and the fact that Azula's last shot in the series is just her crying and screaming with like no follow up afterwards is something I've been bitter about for fourteen years.

I could write an entire post about how Zuko's redemption arc is unfinished though. It's like the same problem as Catra. I like both characters and I'm glad they got redeemed but they crammed in the entire redemption arc into 1/2 of the last season and that simply wasn't enough time.

[mayasdeluca]

Wynonna Earp: Vengeance Thoughts

I've watched the special twice now so I've put some thoughts together on how I felt about it. Overall I thought it was really good and Emily did a good job of balancing both appealing it to new viewers who may not be attached to these characters but having a plot that they could be intrigued by and also still going back to the show's roots and making it about everything we know and love with these characters. I'm going to put more detailed thoughts under the cut, feel free to share yours either on the post or by messaging me and we can discuss! And also keep watching so we give it a bunch of views and a good chance to have more than just this special :)

The beginning of the movie starting with Nedley and Mercedes was unexpected but so good. Sad that Mercedes had to be sacrificed right away, Dani Kind is awesome but the way they did that with her body spelling out ‘Earp’ was insane ad fit this show perfectly.

Wynonna walking through the casino to ‘Tell That Devil’ was perfect and gave me all the feels. 

Wayhaught’s first scene was adorable and so them. The Bunny interruption was perfect too. Loved her little involvement lol

I never really liked Wynonna and Doc romantically (Team Dolls all the way) so a lot of their involvement I didn’t really care for (though I do love Tim so it’s hard to not care for Doc completely). Their dynamic has always been sort of odd to me though. 

Wynonna putting on the leather jacket before making her way back to Purgatory was another iconic moment. 😭❤️

All the Wynonna/Waverly/Nicole scenes in the movie were perfect. I wish we had more. Wynonna teasing them any chance she could and Nicole giving it to her right back. The scene when Wynonna just returns home was one of my favorites in the whole special. The stairs comment was my favorite Kat’s delivery of ‘Shut your mouth’ 😂 her comment on the chore wheel “It’s your turn to clean the baseboards…whatever that means in gay’ 😂

Wynonna and Waverly drunk at Mercedes wake and Nicole having to deal with their stupidity 😂 that whole sequence was absolute chaos in the best way

Loved Nicole and Nedley’s heart to heart ❤️ their dynamic is so special and important 

They really put Nicole through hell (as usual) and we got to see her be badass which I love. Also kudos to Kat for doing all this physical stuff while being pregnant. She’s amazing. 

Waverly and Wynonna having a heart to heart in front of the fire just like old times ❤️

The scene of Waverly, Wynonna, Nicole and Doc at the table really felt so right. The four of them are so good together. 

The flashbacks of younger Wynonna to tie in her connection to the villain were really well done and especially the shots of present Wynonna seeing some of it. Great directing choice.

Nicole and Wynonna telling each other the hard truths all while being incredibly entertaining is my favorite thing. And in contrast seeing Doc and Waverley’s relationship is so great too. 

This Black Badge Agent was incredibly underwhelming. A poor man’s Dolls and did nothing for me. I saw Emily’s explanation about not wanting to have too many familiar characters (as a reason why Jeremy wasn’t more involved) but this guy was just..meh. 

The way they just casually dropped a kids mention with Wayhaught only to be interrupted right after…I think it makes sense that Nicole is ready for kids and Waverly isn’t (yet) because she still needs to explore and do things she hasn’t been able to yet but I do hope if they are able to do more that it’s brought up again

Nicole having to save Waverly from a dark goo (again) was a nice touch and I loved seeing that whole sequence (acted brilliantly by both Dom and Kat) Also all the times Nicole said fuck 😂

Wynonna and Doc porch scenes are always so heartbreaking. 😭 I don’t have much of an attachment to them together but Mel and Tim are so good in these kinds of scenes. 

The amount of ‘baby’ mentions for Wayhaught in this special made me super happy 😍

This Wayhaught convo about Waverly needing to go do her thing with Black Badge and Nicole assuring her they can handle it was so good. They are so in love and precious. “I wish I could be the one to show you the world.” 😭 My favorite line. Ugh I want that for them so bad! 

The Wynonna and Nedley convo at the cemetery was so good too. I love that this show/cast can basically put any two people together in a scene and they’re so good together in said scene. 

Wayhaught on stakeout duty up top while Wynonna and Doc handle things on the ground was epic. And then when Nedley joined in…amazing lol

Loved seeing Wynonna being the badass we know her to be and taking care of things in her chaotic way and getting Nicole’s wedding ring back 🥰

I’m still shocked they went there with Doc and killing him but I do think it will end up being temporary if they end up doing more. It’s so sad to do that to Wynonna AGAIN too after she dealt with Dolls dying on top of everything else…stop torturing this poor woman already!! 

It also seemed odd to me how none of them really had a reaction to Doc’s death…wonder if that was supposed to mean something. I’m glad they had Jeremy show up at this point though. 

Wayhaught’s goodbye before Waverly leaves 😭 and Waverly saying goodbye to Wynonna too 😭…but excited for Waverly to have this journey and now Wynonna and Nicole working together…it leaves so much left for them to still do which I like. 

Nedley watching Nicole and Wynonna like a proud dad ❤️ great ending with the last shot being that sign and Earp mailbox...very well done! 

I do wish Rachel could have been involved (I loved her dynamic with Nicole especially in Season 4 and she is so Wayhaught's child) but Emily kind of explained that we'll see why she wasn't involved in the audiobook thing so I'm intrigued by that.

I also was kind of hoping we'd get more of just Wayhaught in general but of course I'm biased since they're my favorite part of the show/series and that we'd get more of them being intimate together but it was a lot more of it being implied (which I did enjoy and found funny especially in the way Wynonna would do it) and I get they only had a certain amount of time but now it's just made me want more of them in general so I do hope we get more now 🤞🏻

[wolfnesta]

I’ve sort of stopped posting rant peices because meh I feel like everything that’s needed to be said has been said but I just kind of caught myself analyzing SJM’s writing after my reread of the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and it led me to a comparison that somewhat allowed me to pin point why I just couldn’t really get into Feyre’s character. This is not anti Feyre before people get carried away but I do suggest you ignore this post if you’re a diehard fan even if it’s mostly an SJM critique.

For context during my first read of acotar I was a hardcore Hunger Games fan (the books because I loathe the movies). I’m talking obsessed since even before Mockingjay, the book, came out. And so Feyre somewhat gave me Katniss vibes with the whole bow and arrow/hunting theme but I say somewhat because the whole theme was ditched after the first few pages of acotar. Which isn’t a problem I mean they’re two different characters, two different stories, two different genres. (Note: absolutely no one can compare to Katniss. Additionally, Sarah can’t compare to Suzanne. But that’s just me) So the reason I still chose to do this comparison is because it sort of helped me understand why I could obsess over one character but reject the other when they hold similar traits. I think the best way I could describe it is from the beginning Suzanne Collins created a distinction between the protagonist and the situation which is so important because this allows the reader to understand details of characters surrounding Katniss and her demise while also understanding the responses she has to them as her own character. Maybe a bit confusing so let me give an example. It is explained why certain characters play a hand in Katniss’s demise like her mother, the tributes, her mentors etc very clearly, as in, we can grasp all the tragedies of their own while also understanding Katniss’s response to them separate than the readers eg. Katniss never being able to forgive her mother’s neglect at the same time that the reader understands the mother had untreated depression, the Careers trying to kill her with malicious intent but also understanding they’re basically puppets of the Capitol, Haymitch being a detoriating alcoholic she finds culpable for the lack of District winners but also knowing it’s his only way to cope with his ptsd. Anything about those characters after that is character development from what was already clearly established, more examples: the reveal of Finnick Odair’s promiscuity then learning he was being sold for sex, realizing Johanna’s lack of self preservation is because everyone she loved was murdered, and basically the whole entire book for President Snow’s character in The Balllad of Songbirds and Snakes which wasn’t even a redemption story it was just— 🤌

Whereas Sarah decides to bring up things at random when readers are suppose to have already made up their minds about Feyre’s demise. Cue in Tamlin going from having decent qualities to sudden complete douche, Nesta’s spiteful comments to suddenly she’ll save her, Lucien being a friend to suddenly he’s in debted to her, heck even —no especially Rhys’s ‘did bad things but turns out they were all for the greater good’ characterization throughout the books and everything he does is fine because of it. Because SJM uses Feyre as a way to make the readers believe how bad/good so and so is vs Suzanne who uses Katniss to provide to readers how Katniss believe’s so and so is. Then the way Sarah throws vague cryptic things to make characters seem traumatized which I’d go as far as to say is cringe borderline disrespectful the way they seem to be presented just for ‘aesthetic’ purposes instead of the very real things those topics entail (I’m looking at you Nesta’s SA plus others) but that’s another topic, I’m derailing.

Which is why I will definitely always say that from the very beginning of acotar the whole Elain and Nesta constituting Feyre’s wicked family trope fell extremely flat to me. Like I was completely unbothered— I couldn’t even bring myself to dislike them because it felt almost too obvious the way they were written plus the lack of explanation as to why?? There is this disconnection because sjm doesn’t clearly explain their behavior until way later which results in just a weird retcon type situation. Not only that but she goes on to build from it giving the sisters more importance in the series.

But whatever, that’s just my opinion. Which I’m sure has been said before in different terms.

Yet still I enjoyed Feyre book 1, although, as I made myself complete the series it seems by acosf she’s almost entirely different except for her self sacrificing qualities that tend to remain in all MC’s. I mean I really don’t think Feyre book 1 or maybe even book 2 would’ve let Rhys get away with that horrid pregnancy trope thing going on but 🤷🏻‍♀️ I’m not the owner of any of these characters so. In the end she’s an okay character to me, she’s a determined, loving person, but I just wouldn’t consider her a fave of mine.

[stardusted-queerness]

Writing Resources

I've been writing all my life, and I've been saving resources I use over the past couple of years. I'm gonna post them all here, so that others can use them because some of these are rather obscure.

Resource: Character Profile Desc: a 20 page PDF file that helps you better flesh out your character. PDF is editable directly. Very useful for any type of character.

Resource: Character Sheet Desc: a very long character sheet hosted on DeviantArt. I'm not sure if it's still being updated, but it is VERY extensive and covers everything from the basics to pet peeves. Best used for the main cast.

Resource: Name Generator Desc: a site that hosts a number of name generators. You add a few variables, and it gives you a list of names. Has everything from a "quick name" generator to a "plot generator". Very useful for a variety of things (not just writing).

Resource: Worldbuilding Prompts Desc: a site with writing prompts. Pretty good for getting the basis of your world

Resource: World Anvil Desc: a site to house all of your worldbuilding. Basically acts like a wiki, but for worlds. Has a premium version, but the free version works just fine (but you're limited to 2 worlds and ~175 articles for each world). Can be used for any type of writing: creative, screenplay, even ttrpgs like DnD.

Resource: Inkarnate Desc: Map-making site. Pretty cool, and has assets that allow creation of dungeon maps, world maps, and even scene maps. The free version is a bit meh on the assets, while the pro version ($5/month or $25/year) is a lot better. Additionally, the free version limits you to 10 maps, while with the pro version, you can create ~1,500 maps. If you use pro and then cancel your subscription, any maps that you created while using pro will be locked. You will not be able to edit them. I learned this the hard way.

Resource: Gallery of Faces Desc: pretty much like the "thispersondoesnotexist" site, just under a different name. AI-generated human photos. Can edit the settings to include a specific age group, a specific sex, etc. Really good for people who aren't good artists and need/like having a visual of their character.

Resource: Fantasy Calendars Desc: Allows you to make a completely new calendar. You can choose the names of the months, weekdays, everything. It's an absolutely wonderful tool and really helps if you don't want to use a modern calendar. This is the calendar I made myself. It's just an example of what you can do.

Resource: Word Combiner Desc: a tool to combine up to 4 words together. Shows just about any and every possibility. Found this useful when trying to make a name or a language.

Resource: Fantasy Language Generator Desc: another generator, but for languages instead. There's a few variables you can mess with, and it'll generate counterparts to the 30,000 most commonly used words in English. You can save the language as a file and load it on the site at a later time. Completely free.

Resource: Word Counter Desc: Just a word-counting site. Useful if you frequent Discord & use bots like WriterBot or Sprinto (writing sprint bots), as you only have 2 minutes after the sprint ends to submit word count.

Resource: Worldbuilding Checklist :) Desc: a very extensive worldbuilding checklist. Covers everything from races to the economy to the current fashion trends. Really awesome resource.

All of these have proven to be really useful to me, so I wanted to share these. I just hope these are useful to others ^_^

[thesilverlady]

Who do you think the most whitewashed/changed 5 characters in hotd and why?

Alicent

I've explained it here so I'm adding the post instead of copy-paste

Rhaenyra

Also ranted a bit about it here

Daemon

His entire existence in the show is about Viserys and to an extend Rhaenyra. I know many many many people enjoyed him in the show but meh, I blame the Matt Smith magic. He's just a beloved actor. Daemon in the show was drastically changed; he doesn't seem to have any ambition, he's a shitty father in every sense of the word, add terrible spouse to all three since none of the women play a role in his life because, as it's been confirmed he's kinda in love with his brother? If we ignore Ryan's bs, it's still hard not to see that daemon at best is always seeking his brother's attention like a kicked puppy and his "funny" moments are him acting like a clown... idk this character was George's favorite, and the old man didn't hide it. Daemon is the character you get the most stuff and info to work with so they don't even have the excuse "the book was vague" about it. They just wanted him to be loser in an agent-of-chaos way and it worked

Criston

Do I really need to say it? They took/ tranformed the creep who preyed on the princess and had the ambition as high as the sky into some "poor working knight" who princess sorta betrayed him? His whole thing with rhaenyra in the show is a mess and deserves a seperate post on its own but they rewrote this character to be some noble self sacrificing heartbroken man whose dedication to the queen isn't because he was spiteful over being rejected but because the queen "saved" him from offing himself. Not to mention, they made him fully dornish aka the quickest way to have team anti targ ride on his dick even though canonically he was simple born in the Stormlands and wasn't even poor. He was the son of a steward who served a highlord

Viserys

He was a flawed man in the book (definitely deserves some lashes) don't get me wrong. He forced Rhaenyra into a terrible marriage while ignoring the tension between her & alicent to have a happy marriage, he essentially caused Mysaria to miscarriage, and caused all the more misery to daemon and Rhaenyra who loved ones another because he didn't trust that said love.

With that being said, he's also a man who was willing to turn the blind eye for tons of other things daemon did. He loved his brother and that went unquestionable. I'd even boldly claim that he put daemon above rhaenyra before his "heir of the day" toast.

He loved all of his children one way or another; he adored the grandkids from both helaena and rhaenyra and seem to take the most joy in family moments.

Meanwhile show viserys is just a full of yikes. He willingly murdered his first wife, married his daughter's best friend because compared to the other bride (laena) she was old enough to carry a child, he was constantly berating rhaenyra, never acknowledged helaena's existence, the only time he turned to his grandson & sons was when they were fighting. And to add the cherry on top after decades of show alicent taking care of his rotting ass he still pins after his first wife - y'know the one he gave the ok to be butchered?

so yeah, all of these characters are day and night to the canon material and non of the changes brought any benefits or new perspectives to the story

[artficlly]

the horselords of naraik [chapter one]

A quiet civil war has raged across the kingdom of Garwic for nearly three decades. The cruelty of the Duke of Garwic knows no end, bringing death and misery with each raid upon the lower-class. The horselords of naraik have fought to protect those suffering under the Duke's violence. The reader being the daughter of the duke is captured and held for ransom, only things are not as they seem. The reader can only hope that the horselords recognise her as a victim rather than a villain before it is too late.

Pairing: horselord!bucky x duchess!witch!reader

Warnings: huge selfharm warning, self mutilation, suicidal thoughts, violence, blood, death, swearing, yelling, angst, tension, animal death, mention of sickness, lmk if i've missed anything

Word Count: 6.4k

A/N: i've been sitting on this draft for months now. i thought i might as well get around to posting it, super rough i was gonna go back and rework it but meh. i've written most of this fic except for the last 1/2 chapters. so i'll post the other chapters while i work on the end. i'm aiming for 25kish in total but it's already sitting at 18k soooooo i might have an writing over my goal length lol. not proof read - sorry for any typos

chapter masterlist | main masterlist

The metal of the blade had grown warm, the handle sticky against your palm. The manor house stood silent, not even the footsteps of maids and footmen to disturb you. You fantasized about moments like these, alone with just the hardwood floors, velvet curtains, exotic rugs and ornate furniture. A moment to breathe alone with the blade, feeling every groove and indentation intricately carved into the handle. Your fingers would slide across the smooth metal, memorizing every gouge and how the smooth steel narrowed to a point. It was your mothers blade, an athame. 

Your eyes lifted, dark kohl lined eyelashes fluttering as you inspected your own reflection. The mirror was the length of you, maybe taller. A symbol of luxury - sculptured and carved designs twirling around the reflection were painted gold. You despised it. You despised most things about this place, the furniture, the people, the food, the etiquette but most of all you despised your father. You hardly even considered him that. A father was supposed to be kind, caring and protective. All you had ever known was his cruelty. 

You twisted the blade in your palm once more, admiring how the steel caught the light. A part of you sang at the sight of it, craving the sharp sensation. You wanted to feel the shooting, throbbing pain that engulfed you. A feeling of desire always consumed you when watching the way your skin would split apart and scarlet blood would bloom to the surface. Those wounds would save you. Blood wasn’t something to be feared, it was powerful and potent. The essence of everything - the piece that tied you to your ancestors. It could give as easily as it could take. 

The sigil you had carved below your sternum was long healed, raised white scars twisting their way across your skin. You missed the throbbing sensation as it healed, your little secret. A piece of savagery your father had tried to beat out of you but had once again been proved unsuccessful. It brought you joy to think of all the spaces across the manor house that you had hidden sigils - carved into the floor under rugs, furniture and at the back of wardrobes - so many pieces of evidence and so many warnings that his lessons weren’t working. Having that sigil carved into your flesh, that was the best of all. Right under your father’s nose. His work, his daughter, his property - despite all of his plans - was just another Idamiran Witch. 

Your gaze remained steady, fastened on your reflection. You hardly recognised who you had become, what your father had made you. The dress you wore was made of an expensive dyed fabric, lace and embroidery layered with precise detail. The sleeves and hem were long, hiding any amount of flesh beneath. The jeweled earrings, rings and necklaces were obnoxious and expensive. It made you sick, seeing such luxury placed upon you to be paraded around. 

Your hand jerked upwards, the tip of the blade pressed against your throat. Your stare was hard, heart fluttering wildly in your chest. The flesh at your throat bent beneath the sharpened tip as the pressure increased. You could do it, end this suffering with the power of blood. Your father wouldn’t hear about your death until he returned. So many months you had suffered, ripped away from all you knew. You had tried to adjust, tried to make sense of your fate. Now you knew it was useless, now you knew why you were here and where you would go if you continued to hold on. A fate worse than death, so death you would welcome. You could end it all, one final spiteful moment to prove you were not his. If you were to die, it would be at your own hand. The blade was mere seconds away from piercing the flesh when a piercing scream echoed through the silent manor. 

As soon as it came - it was gone. A thick blanket of tension washed over the halls as the towering structure fell silent once more. A sharp exhale left your nose, hand jerking back down to your side as your skin prickled in fright. Your own heartbeat thundered loudly in your ears, the rushing of your blood partially obscuring the sound of heavy footsteps climbing the staircase. 

There was another moment of quiet, hesitation creeping through the walls. You angled your body to face the heavy wood doors, watching to see if the handle would turn. Nothing. The silence became suffocating, your feet restless with worry and so cautiously you moved towards the doors. Another scream broke the silence, your hand hesitating over the door handle. The scream is met by another, and then another. The house became full of a symphony of screaming, shouting, violent thumps and the sound of wet slicing. The sound grew distant as if deep within the bowels of the house, the top floor silent once more. 

In the unsettling quiet, you feel your gut twist in fear. You recognised the sounds of a slaughter, you had repeated it so many times in your mind. Every night you would try to sleep and hear the screams again and again. It haunted you, but as haunted and suffocating as the manor house was, this was not another dream. If the house was truly under attack, you would need to move to safety. It would not be long before the room was searched, you would need to hide. Your hand settled over the doorknob, a numbness settling over your mind as you recognised you must disconnect in order to survive. Before you can act, you jolt backwards in fright as an ear-splitting scream sounds from directly outside the door. The sounds of scuffling and grunting ensue, only growing silent as a loud thump sounds outside the door. Breath held, you listen cautiously to the sounds of shouting and banging rattle the walls, thundering steps storming back down the staircase, barking out orders to those below. 

Slick, crimson blood pools from beneath the door, staining the polished wood below. You stare at it in numb acceptance for a moment, watching as the puddle reaches the tip of your shoe. You had seen blood pools like this before during the Grawic Raids, sticky deep red liquid flowing from lifeless bodies. Whoever was on the other side of the door was not alive, you knew that to be true. 

A creeping sensation of grief begins to consume your body, a shuddering breath leaving your lips. You squeeze your eyes closed, head pressed against the cool wood door as you hear the screams continue below. Your hand trembles around your mothers athame, bile rising in your throat. Behind your eyelids all you could see was memories of the past, vast fires that consumed villages whole, bloodied screaming children clinging to the lifeless bodies of their mothers. You could see your mother, face covered with soot and ash. Run. Run! She had screamed, pressing her athame into your palm. Something between a sigh and a sob leaves your chest, steadying your hand as you twist the door handle. 

You can’t let your grief consume you, can’t let your fear paralyze you like once before. You are numb as the open door reveals the crumbled body of a maid – Sylvia had been her name. Her mouth is open in a silent scream, throat slashed open. Her maids uniform is stained crimson, her hands weakly curled around her neck like she had attempted to stop the bleeding. Another body. Another face imprinted into your mind. 

You don’t allow yourself to dwell on it long, forcing your feet to step over the body. You swallow a dry lump in your throat, creeping across the landing to one of the nearby rooms. The upstairs had grown eerily quiet, the only sounds being shouting and laughing echoing up the staircase. You squeezed the blade tighter in your palm, peeking into one of the rooms. The door had been shoved open, furniture overthrown. In front of the fireplace the firepokers had been knocked over, staining the wood floors with ash, coal and wood scattered across room. You remind yourself to keep your breathing shallow, keeping your panic to a minimum as you quickly examine the papers scattered across the floor. 

You didn’t expect these men were looking for papers or money - rather they would be looking for your father. The accents of the men sounded like they originated from southern Grawic. Perhaps from The Enghin Plains or The Valley of Empyrean. These men were angry, fuelled by revenge not greed. You didn’t dare let your mind wander to who you dreaded it might be. No, with any hope it would just be disgruntled southern farmers. 

With any hope you could hide, survive this attack. Your father would assume you were taken or killed during the attack – this could be your escape from this place. The months of contemplating death left your body like a shuddering breath as you considered your next move. 

A floorboard behind you creaked and you spun around. In the doorframe stood a slender, lean woman. Her face was pulled into a delighted sneer, red hair loose with bits of braids framing her face. You flinch backwards, noting the white and blue war paint lathered onto her exposed skin and straps of leather which held countless weapons. No, it couldn’t be, The Horde never traveled this far north. 

A soft grunt leaves your lips as she prowls forwards, striking you with her fist before you can react. You hit the floor hard, twisted onto your stomach. The pin in your hair clatters to the floors, hair unraveling down your back as you brace your palms on the hardwood floor. The redhead woman laughs, catching the attention of someone nearby. You can make out the sound of boots, planks creaking beneath the weight. 

“Take her downstairs.” A man rasps, voice deep and gutural. Your gaze files across the room, noticing a maid who is hidden beneath the bed parallel to you. Her hand is pressed over her mouth, muffling the breaths and silent sobs that escape her. You stare at the tears flowing down her cheeks, gasping as you claw and crawl away from the woman. 

Your mother’s athame had slid across the floor, slipping from your hand at the woman's blow. It is too far for you to reach in time, you can already feel the woman stalking towards you once more. Instead, you twist your body, seizing a nearby fire poker which had tumbled to the floor in front of the fireplace. It wasn't sharp, but it would do to fend off your attacker. 

Spinning yourself around, you strike the metal fire poker across the woman’s face. She grunts in pain, stumbling backwards into the chest of the male. He chuckles in surprise, his short blond beard flecked with blood and braided with bits of bone. You scramble to your feet, stumbling over your long skirts as the man slides his axe into its holster. 

“She got you good, Nat.” He says to the redhead woman, voice deep and thick. Her amused sneer had turned into a look of rage, cradling a bleeding cheek where the skin split at your blow. You raise the fire poker at the blond man defiantly, arching an eyebrow as he chuckles at you once again. “Fine. I’ll take you downstairs.” 

He is twice the size of you, a hulking mass of muscle, paint and scars. His blue eyes survey you with a look of amusement, quickly closing the distance between the two of you. Your intended strike doesn’t land, his large palms catching the tip of the fire poker and easily twisting it from your grip. A yelp leaves your lips as he snatches you by your waist, hauling you over his shoulder with little strain. Your palms brace against his muscled shoulders, trying to push yourself from his grip as you kick and struggle wildly. Across the room, the maid under the bed decides to dash from the room while the two attackers are distracted. 

The blond man is moving quickly, strides long as he quickly carries you from the room. The last thing you see is your mothers athame discarded on the floor, alongside the ash and scattered paper. Blood sprays across the yellowing papers as the redhead woman throws an axe into the back of the retreating maid. You don’t see the maid connect with the floor, instead only hearing the deranged screaming and wet thumping as the redhead woman butchers the wailing maid in a fit of rage. 

Your struggling stills, a sense of nausea consuming your body as the man descends the stairs. Maid’s and footmen’s bodies line the staircase and halls, blood making the hardwood floors shiny and slick. You can’t find the words to speak or to protest what is happening. Instead, you find yourself trying not to slip back into memories. The smoke, the screams, the sticky blood across your skin. Behind you the redhead woman is descending the stairs, scraping her bloody axe along the railing of the staircase.

The front doors to the manor had been thrown open, the butler brutalized in a pool of blood. The foyer is filled with shouting and laughter, reality only snapping into place as pain bites your skin. The blonde man dumps you onto the floor, teeth clattering together as you slam into the hardwood. You scramble to your knees, cautiously watching as large, hulking, muscled men and women circle you like vultures. You recognise the paint that decorates them, the bits of bone and colorful beads that are woven hair and beards. Beyond the doors, a herd of saddled horses stand in the garden having trampled the flowers and bushes. 

You had seen these people before, only at a distance or in the height of battle. Like many people of Grawic, they despised your father for his poor leadership and tendency to default to violence. During the Grawic Raids, these people had provided aid to many villages victim to the cruelty. They had supplied men, weapons and food. Although many whispered of their presence in fear, it was clear that The Horselords of Naraik were a good people, until you were on the other side of their wrath. The Horde may have smiled kindly on you in Idamir, but in these decorated luxury silks and encrusted with jewels? They would despise you. 

“Found this one upstairs, Buck. Gave Nat a good blow.” The blond man calls out, standing close as you survey the gathering crowd. Your hair, now loose, spills around your waist. You use the strands to partially obscure your face, your gaze darting as you access your options. There was no use in running or fighting back – you would be dead in seconds. 

“Let me kill her Bucky, I’m sure she would squeal.” Nat hisses from nearby, you shudder as you feel her creep closer. Her axe is in hand, dripping with blood and chunks of flesh. You dip your eyes before you can see her face, holding your tongue between your teeth to stop yourself from sobbing. Another face for the dreams that plagued you – the young maid pressed beneath the bed, silent tears streaming down her face. 

“Who is this?” A new voice grunts, the foyer falling quiet. The air in the room shifted, the speaker commanding a sense of respect and power. You dare to let your eyes flutter upwards, clenching your jaw to stop any emotions leaking forth. 

The commanding man steps forward, the crowd parting to let him through. Tall and muscular as the blond man, he stands shirtless. His exposed nature allows you to see the muscles that ripple beneath, scars flecked across his sun kissed skin. One large, raised scar dominates them all, curving around his left shoulder and arm. He is decorated with the same lathered blue and white paint, an axe holstered at his hip and a curved sword in hand. His chest, neck and face are speckled with blood, dark stubble lining his defined jaw. His hair a dark brunet, dusting above his shoulders. Although it is pushed back, only a few strands falling into his face, you can see the bits of bone and colorful beads braided within. His azure eyes bore into you with interest, kohl lazily smudged around the socket in a messy contrast to your own kohl which was delicately lined. 

He prowls forward slowly, assessing you with a predator's gaze. “The duke's wife is dead, and I have heard of no replacement. I would say a governess, but I know his son is fully grown. You’re not a maid, you are dressed like nobility. Who are you? An unfortunate visitor? A mistress?” 

You hold his gaze, nails digging into your palm. Even if mere hours ago you had been contemplating slitting your own throat, you were afraid. The deaths the horselords had delivered upon the maids and footmen were a mercy – quick and brutal. You had heard stories of the ways these men tortured the nobility they captured. They despised the upper class for all they had done – consuming all the food and wealth while the lower class starved and suffered. They despised your father for not acknowledging the thousands that endured famine and plague, instead killing any who protested or fought back. 

“She was carrying this when I found her.” Nat says breaking the tense silence, handing your mothers blade to the brunet man. He eyes the blade with a tilt of his head, callused fingers running down the smooth metal. 

“It’s Idamiran make,” Bucky hums, eyes lifting as he points the blade at you. “You’re the Dukes illegitimate daughter.” 

You remain silent, nails digging deeper into your palm. You use the pain to ground yourself and steady your breath as the horselords circle tighter. Your eyes flick between the crowd, a fixed gaze observing the sneers, flashes of metal and splatters of blood. They did not know the full story – no one did. No one even knew you were the daughter of the Duke until he came to claim you. You would receive no pity, no kindness. If anything, the horselords would despise you more, a simple Idamiran girl turned Duchess. They would never imagine how you might have suffered, the way you would imagine turning the blade in against your own skin. They would only see you as another whore, ready to sell herself for wealth and glory without a care for the other lower class citizens of Grawic. 

“Tell me, is your mother hiding in the house as well?” Bucky asks, waving your mothers blade in the direction of the stairs. He seems annoyed that you are silent, accepting of your situation rather than wailing for mercy. You supposed the horselords liked it when the nobility begged, only to watch the life drain from their eyes. 

“No. She died in the Grawic Raids.” You speak for the first time, your accent nearly as thick as theirs. You both originated from the southern lands of Grawic – though your accent hailed from the west - rather than the eastern Plains of Naraik. Your father had tried hard to lash out any rolled ‘r’s, rid you of your throaty and guttural pronunciations.

“And so you came crawling to the Duke to claim your inheritance?” Bucky says with a sneer, creeping closer. You lift your chin defiantly, strands of hair finally moving to reveal your face fully. 

“I did not willingly come here, if that is what you are implying.” You reply curtly, eyes narrowing at the towering brunet. The horde bristles, a murmuring capturing the room. Bucky doesn’t seem to believe your words, brows lowering into a scowl. 

“You seem quite comfortable and willing, wearing their silks and jewels.” He observes, gesturing to the expensive fabric which pools around your legs where you kneel. You press your palms onto your thighs, watching how the crowd grows conflicted. Maybe if you were younger, more naive, you could have believed maybe these horselords could have helped you. They had saved Idamir once before, but you knew they would never believe you. Even if you were Idamiran, born and raised in the small village, you were still of your fathers blood. They would kill you just for that. Your blood, so potent and powerful, was also your curse. 

“You shouldn’t speak of things you don’t understand.” You finally utter after a long pause. Bucky chuckles, lips curling into a sneer once again. The rest of the horde chuckles alongside him, restlessly shifting their weight, looking between each other with heartless smirks. Bucky slides the athame into his belt, knuckles growing white around the tilt of his sword. There was no winning this situation, it was easier to offer no further information and let death claim you. You could only hope they would make it quick. 

“You even speak like them.” Bucky snarls, which is met with agreement from the horde. He points the tip of his sword in your direction. “Tell me, where are your father and brother?”

“They are away on a hunting trip.” You are slow to reply, tongue feeling thick in your mouth. You are unsure of how to interpret Bucky’s next moves as he places the sword under your chin. You resist the urge to close your eyes, to let memories over your mothers face and touch consume you as the cold metal pressed into your skin. It wasn’t supposed to end like this – you were supposed to die by the athame. One final ritual – one final insult to your father. 

“And when do they return?” He asks, voice low. You look up at him through your lashes, swallowing thickly as the tip of the blade traces down your throat. 

“Not until the end of the month.” 

“Pity. And what a shame that they left you unguarded like this.” The tip of the sword dips to your chest, pulling tight one of the lacing strings that lay in line across your cleavage. Your chest heaves with a sharp intake of breath, heels of your palms digging deeper into the tops of your thighs. His eyes are dark, pupils blown as his tongue darts out to wet his bottom lip.  

“Tell me, is it true that your mother is a witch? That she put a love spell on your father to gain riches and nobility?” He asks, blade pulling down each strand of lacing down the front of your dress, until it finally stills over your stomach. You hold your breath, silent. 

“You shouldn’t speak ill of the dead, they listen.” You utter, eyes flashing in warning.

Bucky chuckled darkly, running his tongue over his teeth as he looked at the blond man. Whatever spell you had held over him was finally broken. He pulled the sword away, a sharp exhale leaving your lips as you nearly slump over as some of the tension leaves your body. Bucky doesn’t offer you a second glance, instead barking out orders. 

“Tie her up. We will hold her for ransom. Maybe that will finally get the Duke's attention.” 

xxx

The rest of the day had been spent on horseback, wedged between the pommel of the saddle and the hulking body of your captor. The Horde were nomads, never staying in one place longer than a few days. They traveled with the seasons, sticking to the rivers and lakes during the warmer months and further south into the plains during the colder months. This party was a smaller one, meaning the men and women who traveled this far north were a part of a hunting and raiding party. Although their camp was large you knew an even larger camp lay in the Plains of Naraik awaiting their return. 

You had clasped your bound hands around the horn of the saddle, steadying yourself with each sway of the horse's stride. Bucky had one hand lazily splayed over your waist to hold you in place, hardly paying attention to you as he continued to direct orders and laugh with the blond man. It hadn’t taken long for you to decode the dynamic of the horde – Bucky being the leader and the blond his second. The blond – who was oddly familiar – was named Steve. Through the ride you and Steve had exchanged uncomfortable glances, like you were both trying to place the recognition. Ever since your father had taken you, you had been isolated in the manor until you could be made into an acceptable lady for society. If you recognised Steve from anywhere, it would have been from Idamir. The Grawic Raids had spanned nearly three decades - the horselords involvement nearly two. You could have met Steve or any of the horde in the past without realizing you would meet again under such circumstances. 

You had been silent the entire ride, and continued to stay voiceless once the herd eventually returned to the small encampment. The camp was as you imagined, a collection of colorfully dyed tents which bustled in the wind. Horses grazed nearby, manes and tails braided with painted symbols lathered into their coats. Despite it being a raiding party, many women and children roamed around, greeting the returning riders. At the center of the camp stood a large campfire, women using it to cook food and boil water from the nearby river. Near the edge of the encampment stood a small blacksmith tent which had been constructed around a sturdy sledge which held the forge. The forge reminded you of Idamir, glowing embers and steam. Idamir was known for its blacksmithery as equally as its witch healers. 

The women eye you with a cautious interest, noting your expensive clothing and bound hands. They rightfully keep their distance, instead congratulating the warriors on their kills. You allow your eyes to wander, committing the scene before you to memory. The camp had no walls, instead guards posted at lookout fires further out. There was a small forest to one side, centered around the side of the river. In order to escape you would either have to bypass the lookouts through the grazing horses, or attempt to cross the rapidly flowing river. Both options also weighed on the likelihood of you escaping your binds and reaching the outskirts of the camp. You felt defeated and exhausted from the day's events - these recent months had made you a pessimist. Nat who sat on her mare nearby watches your wandering gaze, lip pulled into a snarl. 

“You should have blindfolded her, they say witches can enchant you with just their eyes.” She says to Bucky, gesturing to you. Bucky gives her a long look, grunting as he dismounts his stallion. 

“You really think she is a witch?” He asks the redhead with a chuckle, hands gripping your waist as he roughly hoists you from the saddle. You manage to catch yourself before your legs buckle, a part of your dignity left intact. It had been months since you had ridden, your muscles aching and sore from the long trek. 

“Well, if she is anything like her whore mother… I would want to be safe.” Nat replies, an amused smirk stretching across her lips as you glare at her. She leans forward in the saddle, spitting a glob of saliva at your feet in insult. Bucky is quiet, fingers finding your chin as he forces you to look at him. 

“I don’t think she is. She is too little… and weak.” He muses examining your eyes, Nat barks out a laugh in response. Your gaze dart between the two of them, Nat giving you one last sneer before she guides her chestnut mare away. You watch her leave, listening as Bucky commands a nearby warrior to retrieve a length of rope. 

“You are so quiet, do you never speak? Not a single word the entire ride – usually the nobles scream and cry for their lives.” Bucky asks, you take a step backwards. Your back is flush against his stallions flank, the horse as still and calm as Bucky corners you. “Do you think yourself better than everyone?” 

You consider staying silent and biting your tongue in protest. Instead you exhale sharply, holding his piercing gaze. “I am not afraid of death.” 

His stare darkens, only breaking as he nods a silent thank you to the warrior who retrieved the rope. He winds the rope between his palm and fingers, it reminded you of the way your father would weave the end of his whip through his palm. Bucky tilts his head as he examines you with a predatory gleam. “Then I will make you afraid.”

xxx

Your mothers face was smeared with ash, blood pouring from her temple. Around her, the village burned. Women and children screamed, retreating to the river where they were slaughtered by Grawic soldiers on horseback. In the distance, a crack of a whip pierced through the mayhem.

‘You must run, you must hide! He is coming for you, he will take you. I know it. I know it to be true!’

The blade was cool in your palm, the sounds of horselord’s battle cries echoing throughout the carnage. Warriors with swords and axes weaving through the bodies and burning piles, blood splattered across their bare chests, bloodlust dizzying their vision. 

‘But how can you know Mother? How can you know he will find me?’

You cried to her, reaching out for her warm embrace. Further behind her, a blond man sat astride a white stallion among the smoke and flames. The stallion's coat was stained red with blood, the man’s chest heaving as he held his axe in an unshaking fist. 

‘I have seen it. I had a vision. You must run. Run. Run!’

Run!

You jolt awake, chest and stomach straining against the rope tied tightly around you. It was early in the morning, the sun had not yet risen. A chill has set in overnight, a layer of dew developing over your clothes and skin. Your neck and back stiff from your sleeping position - tied directly against the trunk of a tree. Your hair damp and tangled, bits of bark and moss having fallen onto you during your sleep. 

Eyes adjusted to the darkness, you cast your gaze upwards to the stars. The sky was clear, allowing you to see each twinkling light in detail. The Idamiran people used the stars to track the change of season, using it as a guide for sowing crops and calling in livestock from the wilds. Your mother had taught you how to navigate with the stars, every night since your capture by the horde you had tracked your journey south east with the stars. 

“You talk more in your sleep than when you are awake.” Steve grumbles from nearby. He sat hunched over the fire, whittling a piece of wood with his knife. 

The past few nights you had always been left with a rotating selection of guards to watch you. During the day you would ride with Bucky, at night you would be left to sleep while tied to a post or tree. Steve had quickly become your favorite guard, he was quiet and paid little attention to you. Nat was the worst, mocking and sneering at you for hours while you glared. Many turned a blind eye when she struck or kicked you - you hadn’t been able to change your clothes since your capture but you knew there would be bruises along your skin. 

“I cannot help it.” You reply quietly, shuffling in place as you leant your head back against the trunk with a sigh. 

“What do you dream of?” He asks, back still facing you. He doesn’t even spare a glance, instead engrossed in his small carving. 

“Death. Faces of the dead. Visions of the past.” 

He muses on your words for a second, before casting a side-long glance at you over his burly shoulder. His eyes are dark without the glow of the fire, just peeking over the furs that he had wrapped over his shoulders. “I remember you from the raids. I don’t know why I did not place how I recognised you before.”

You had placed it together too, but hadn’t spoken a word of it. That night, when your mother had told you to run, you hadn’t. You had found her body, skewered upon a spear in the center of the village. You had screamed and sobbed next to her body, only releasing her when Steve had scooped you up. He had forced you onto his horse, dragging you away from your mother as he told you to be quiet. Soldiers of Grawic still crawled, executing anyone left alive. The two of you had weaved through bodies and burning buildings, the menacing sound of the whip looming closer and closer.

The two of you hadn’t made it far, his stallion downed by an arrow to the chest. You still remembered the animals' pained screams, the way Steve had muttered a prayer as he slit the creature's throat to end its suffering. He had tried to save you, drag you to safety. Your father had been too quick - recognising you for your looks. A near replica of your mother. He hadn’t been looking for you, rather described it as a blessing in disguise that he had run into you. Your mother’s visions had come true, despite her efforts to stop the wheel of fate. That night the whipping sounds you had heard finally had a face. Your father had stood there, a cruel smile etched into his face. Blood had dripped from the barbed tip of his whip, leaving you wondering how many had suffered at his hand. Steve had escaped with his life, fought off by the force of Grawic soldiers. You however, had been captured and taken to the manor. 

“It does not matter now. It is the past.” You say dismissively, staring into the distant camp as some of the women and men began to rise. The horses needed to be readied early in the morning, or else the horde would not be able to travel a sufficient amount of land throughout the day. 

“I believe that you are telling the truth, about how you were taken against your will. It does not mean that I will stop Bucky from killing you.” Steve says, you bite down on your tongue as you cast him an annoyed look.

“I wish he would get it over with, I am sick of sleeping tied to a tree.” 

Steve shakes his head with a slight chuckle, breaking the serious scowl he usually held. “We are awaiting news from your father over the ransom demands.” 

It would take weeks, if not months to hear back from your father. The ransom note would not reach him until the end of the month when he returned from his hunting trip. The lands of Grawic were long to traverse, taking weeks at a time to reach the northern point to the southern. It could be months from now before the ransom was finally settled, or if not until you met the release of death. 

Across the camp, you watched as the camp began bustling once more, the sun breaking the horizon finally. You let out a soft groan as the sun hits your skin, allowing the warmth to soak into your stiff joints. The people of the horde barely spared you a glance as they worked saddling the horses and putting out fires. Nearby, the blacksmith was working on dismantling his tent. You stared at the back of his head hard, recognising the dark brown locks and shorter frame.

“Peter?” You call out before you can think better of it. Steve twisted where he sat and looked between you and the blacksmith in confusion. Peter turned around, a confused look dominating his features as he looked for the source of your voice. As he stepped closer, abandoning the tent pole he had been holding, his confused look melted into one of surprise. 

A genuine smile crossed his boyish features, brown eyes softening as he closed the distance between the two of you. As your name slipped past his lips in a surprised gasp, a momentary cautious glance was sent in Steve’s direction as Peter kneeled next to you. Steve grunted in a mixture of acceptance and annoyance, holstering the knife he held. 

“I’m sorry - when they said they had captured the duchess I didn’t think they meant you!” He expressed, worried eyes searching the length of rope binding you to the tree. 

“What are you doing here?” You ask, leaning forward in your restraints. 

“After that final raid, I knew I had to get my aunt to a safer place. The horselords offered me protection if I worked as a blacksmith for them.” He explained, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. Peter was close to your age, a couple years younger than yourself. You had both grown up in Idamir, Peter apprenticing as a blacksmith while you helped your mother with her work. 

“How is your Aunt? Is she still unwell?” You question, observing his clothes. He didn’t dress like the horselords, instead clothed in a loose cotton shirt and pants. He didn’t decorate his face with kohl, paint or braid his hair. You imagined his leather apron and belt would be stored safely away with his forge while traveling.

Peter’s face fell into a frown, a sigh escaping his lips as you tilt your head with a look of worry. “She still has the cough, it worsened after your mother… I was sorry to hear about what happened to her. She was always kind to me.”

Steve eyed the interaction from his post, body now fully turned to observe you both. “Thank you… I… it means a lot. Have the healers here been able to help May?”  

“They’ve tried, but it hasn't been as successful as your mother’s remedies. It’s worsened due to all of the travel I think, these last few days she’s developed a fever that will not break.”

“I can help her. I mean, I can try if you bring me herbs.” You say, leaning closer. 

“You would do that? Are you allowed to do that?” Peter asked, glancing at Steve who answered with a shrug. 

“As long as she remains tied to that tree, I don’t see why not.” Steve replied, glancing over his shoulder at the camp. “Be quick, we ride within the hour.”

CHAPTER TWO

[linos-luna]

Just giving a little life update…

Ignore if you want. Just giving explanation for my sporadic posts.

So I’ve been recovering from my car accident from 3 weeks ago. Really messed up my back so I’ve been treating with chiropractor. I also had a bad concussion so I had to recover from that. I think it’s fine now. I still have light headaches but I think that’s from the whiplash.

Life has been meh.

I recently got diagnosed with ADHD so now I’m trying to manage that on top of my already severe depression and anxiety. Depression also has been hitting pretty hard. I turn 25 in a month and it’s making me incredibly depressed.

On another note, I’ve been working on my art more lately (specifically my digital art.)

I was always told that going to art school is useless but I’m thinking of going to community college to get an art degree(community college is free in California luckily). I really really wanna be a storyboard artist. It’s something I’ve wanted since I was little.

Anyways, I’m coming back slowly. Now that I have a stable job, I’m also doing my best to save more. I’ll be posting more soon 🫰🏽

[boysplanetrecaps]

The BUILD UP BRAPPIES, 3x3 Death Match edition

Time to take a another brief break from my MNET Build Up Recap Project to hand out some BRAPPY Awards for Excellence in the Field of Excellence! In this post, I’ll be giving out BRAPPIES based on how everyone did in the 3x3 Death Match Mission. Let’s go!

Before we dive in to the BRAPPIES, I just want to say thanks again for being part of this! I enjoy shows like this more if I spend time on them, because otherwise they just sort of go in one eye and out the other, so thanks for hanging out with me while I do.

Favorite Performance Overall

And the BRAPPY goes to...

Bad News!

I mean, my overall favorite (Bain) on a team with two other favorites, performing a great song by my favorite rookie group…? And doing well? And all three of them surviving? YES! 

Favorite Song Discovery

This was tough because there were two really sharp contenders -- Nakka by Akmu, which I have had stuck in my head since I watched the show, and Enough by Hoppipolla, which I listened to in a one-hour loop twice through while working online. 

And the BRAPPY goes to…

Nakka by Akmu!

“Wow, BPR-Noona chose our song as the one she was happiest to find out about via watching Build Up! That’s such a surprise because I’ve never heard of Build Up or BPR Noona! But I guess it’s nice to win another award. We’ll put it on the shelf with the others and then eventually turn it into a cat toy. We’ll get a cat just so we can make it a cat toy. Thanks!” 

Favorite Performance of a Song I Don’t Like:

I’m going to give this one to Pray. I find the song itself a bit meh, but their performance was impeccable. 

Honorable mention: Fever 

Best stage outfits:

And the BRAPPY goes to…

Jeup’s team, specifically, Jeup! 

Jeup, would you like to accept the award?

Oh, you don’t want it?

That’s cool, it’s just an AI generated image anyway. See you later! 

Worst Stage Outfits:

Team Sweeties, with their paper towel blazers. 

I just don’t understand the thinking. There had to be other white outfits that wouldn’t have looked quite so… absorbent. 

Oh no, Sunyoul, don’t look at me like that!

Ok, I’m sorry. I’ll give it to Neon’s team instead. Neon’s sweater was inexplicable, and they all just sort of look like they’re wearing whatever they happened to be wearing today. 

Oh no, they’re sad now.

Well as long as Sunyoul is happy, I’m happy. 

Performance Helped Most By Song Choice:

And the BRAPPY goes to….

Team Underestimated for Enough.

I think these are all really great singers, and I also know they didn’t even win, but I think that this song is part of what helped them almost make it, and what weighed in to the judges’ decision to save Woong. 

Performance Hindered Most By Song Choice:

And the BRAPPY goes to: Team Forest! It seems obvious that the song was a bad choice overall and allowed only Sanghyun to really sing well, which was bad for the team as a whole. But hold on, team Forest -- there’s another Brappy coming your way….

Teammate Most Screwed Over By a Teammate:

And the BRAPPY goes to: Neon and Taewoo! They were both royally screwed over by Sanghyun, who would not go out of his extremely limited comfort zone and then managed to get all three of them eliminated. Thanks, Sanghyun! Thanghyun. 

Don’t worry, I’ll mail those Brappies out to you soon. 

Team Most Screwed Over By The Team Itself:

And the BRAPPY goes to...

Team Maknae!

Don’t get me wrong -- I think this was a great team. All three of them are great singers and their voices blend well. I just think judges are biased against young members and automatically discount them. If they had been split up amongst different teams, I think they would have had better outcomes, and we might have able to keep Joohee somehow. 

Biggest Glow Up from Previous Round:

And the BRAPPY goes to…. Seunghun!

Seunghun looks great in a suit and that shade of ash-blonde suits him pretty well. (I think he looks even better with his original dark hair, but still, he is just looking great over all!) 

Honorable mention: Bain

I think this is the best he’s looked this whole series. As his hair gets less orange, he gets more handsome. 

Best judging face

So many great nominees for this one! 

Wendy during Fever

Solar during Pray

VCG during Bad News

Eunkwang during Forest

Baekho watching Geonu dance:

And the BRAPPY goes to…

This was tough, you guys, but I had to give it to Baekho for just… expressing the truth about Geonu’s dancing. 

Hey, how do you feel about this blog, Baekho?

Aww, you’re so welcome! Anything else?

Oh, if you have to go, you have to go. Sorry your shirt fell off. See you later!

Most Irritating Judging Moment:

It’s a tie: (1) when they gave the win to Team Taco over Team Maknae, and (2) when they decided not to save Neon. Fuck that shit. 

Honorable mentions: Not saving Park Joohee.

Best Sweater:

And the BRAPPY goes to…

This fuzzy delight, worn by Jeon Woong! 

Honorable mention for obvious reasons:

Team That Seemed To Have the Most Fun:

Obviously, Team Taco. 

Team That Probably Cried The Most:

The BRAPPY goes to Sunyoul’s team, since they had to change from Piano Man to Drawing Our Moments at the last minute.

Biggest Coat-tail Rider:

Geonu again. 

Baekho, what do you think?

Yeah. Yeah, I know. 

Funniest judging moment:

And the BRAPPY goes to…

When Baekho told Jeup he’ll “lose his muscles” if he keeps crying. 

I feel like there’s a certain… theme to my BRAPPY awards? But I can’t quite put a finger on what it is. 

Oh, Jeup put a finger on it. Thanks, buddy. 

Best Dahee moment:

The moment she decided to wear this. Whatever this is. 

I love her. 

But also when she was so happy for Team Badnews when they got so much praise from the judges:

Ok, that’s it for the BRAPPIES for this round!

See you soon! <3 Click here for the next one: Drowning.

[chirpymoth]

Another Moth info post.

What got you into G/T? This info will date me. ./// . For me it was the book "Castle in the Attic" (with this cover)

Really only the first part. Where the tiny knight comes back to life. The last half is going into the knight's world and saving the kingdom. At the time I created my own "OC" knight named Erdrick (Yeah from Dragon Warrior... I was like... 7~8 at the time) Then there was the Nickleodeon shows like The Lil' Bits (A show about tiny elves/fairies/gnomes) that went and had adventures with their animal friends. I always wanted them to meet a human but they never did to my knowledge. IT WAS ALSO AN ANIME. (Mori no Youki na Kobitotachi: Berufi to Rirubitto [Little Pixies of the Forest: Belfie and Lilbit]) And thanks to Unico, Grimm's Fairy Tales, The Little Prince, Noozles and Lil' Bits... it was my anime awakening. This was also done by Tasunoko Productions of Speed Racer, Gatchaman and SDF Macross <- (more later)

(1995 is the wrong year. It was from 1980)

Around 1985~1990 on TV it was The Littles, which I was very opinionated about at the time as I like my tinies being fully human and not "With tails and buckteeth". Thanks children's media for maligning buckteeth to me. Seeing it now I've been told this was basically "OC Borrowers"

You can watch the show on Pluto TV now and there was 2 DVD re-releases. Today being an adult the teeth and tails don't bother me. Also Dinky is the best. From 1995~1999 was kind of a wasteland for me. I had to rely on my imagination! (Yes I know Robotech was a thing, but I didn't see it on TV). I didn't know what I was looking on the internet for so I wandered around for a bit. Everything I saw was aimed at men and was... kinda gross and a bit misogynistic. (Yeah I would have ~16 at this time)

Come 1999 I was told about Chiisana Kyojin Microman (Small Giant Microman). A show about 8cm tall super"humans" (They are really aliens) that save the world from evil tiny aliens. Lest to say I was sold for life! G/T content and IT'S ANIME!

This show was remake/reboot of the late 1970s~1980s toyline "Microman" that ALSO was the origin of Transformers! (People claim it was Diaclone and really Diaclone was dragged into the whole thing that was to be Transformers in the US) It was known as "Micronauts" in the US and THAT became something else in comicbooks. I'm not a comicbook fan. So I had to buy the toys and stuff and try to get any info about the show. They even had repros of the 70s stuff as well as a PSX game based on that. (The PSX game is alright.) Then the anime got a PSX game (Generation 2000) After the 1999 series died off (No thanks to bad marketing decisions) there was a re-reboot around 2003 that was aimed more for collectors and adults where they were no longer from space and were instead genetically engineered. It has some pretty men, but the story is kinda meh. However there are now Microwomen so I guess that's the trade off. Now it was after this point around 2005 where I was introduced to SDF Macross. SDF Macross of course has the opposite of Microman with giant aliens (That are trying to take back the SDF and conquer Earth)

Kamjin the really only hot Zentraedi from the series until Macross 7

So of course I watched it, however not really into SDF Macross and more into Macross 7 where they keep the Zentraedi and even have some G/T stuff with Mylene and Basara. Where the butchered Robotech just.. makes them all human as they had to cram 3 different series together. I don't really like Macross Frontier as it injected a "genetic problem" in the way of Klan Klan for Zentraedi where she's either a giant large breasted woman or pedophile pandering. (Of course it's only a woman we see this affect) They also kill my fave character. We do get Ai-kun which is the only good thing.

Macross Delta seems to have just.. gone away from the whole G/T completely and now panders to the idol otaku fully. And then the wasteland continued until really around now as again, looking up macro/micro would only bring up furry stuff (not really my thing) and GTS (GianTeSs?) was only for horny men and I couldn't find the GT stuff as again.... only stuff for men popped up.

So it's really cool that I tried again (on tumblr) and found stuff. Currently the only G/T anime I watch is Sugar Apple Fairy Tale that has the tiny fairies. Mythril Lid Pod is the best wingman.

Mithril Lid Pod (left) and Benjamin

And that's where I am today. Also finally indulging my fantasies and writing about them. I can do so many words!

Edit: Oh and I got into EDF (Earth Defense Force) after watching people play #5 and they had some giant aliens in it and OH the camera is so good at making your soldiers look tiny.

[frostycatblr-fandom-files]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

I saw @clonethirstingisreal's version and (since tagging was open season) I thought this looked fun and wanted give it a go!

**Some questions have been modified slightly since I have an account but don't post on Ao3.**

1.) How many works do you have on [Tumblr]?

Excluding an OC storyline, my breakdown looks something like this:

The Bad Batch: 23 published fics The Clone Wars: 11 published fics The Mandalorian: 2 published fics + four more Clone fics in a "mixed" category

Assuming I did my math right: 40 published fics

2.) What's your total [Tumblr] word count?

Excluding same storyline as before, drumroll please........

Upwards of 186,744 words! [Four fics did not have word counts] That's a lot of yappin'.

3.) What fandoms do you write for?

Within the Star Wars franchise, TBB, TCW, and Mando.

4.) What are your top five fics by [Notes]?

I didn't check specifics, but the earlier chapters of my Sorry, Wrong Comms! series have likely racked up the most likes and reblogs of anything I've published.

5.) Do you respond to comments?

I do! 🩷 I do my best to respond to everything; but things have inevitably slipped under the radar I'm sure...

6.) What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I would say an installment out of the OC storyline has that achievement, currently. Non-OC, I'm less certain, if I'm honest.

7.) What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Maybe the Hunter x Reader request I'm currently working on?

8.) Do you get hate on fics?

It's happened a (small) handful of times. Unfortunate, but expected.

Once was racially charged in nature, think it was after I published Tide Pools? Deleted it. Don't remember what it said anymore.

The other was just today, accusing me of "disguised clonecest". Meh.

9.) Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

No, I'm not quite comfortable with writing smut outside of a fantasy side project I've been working on. It's... not really all that spicy, anyhow. 😅

10.) Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

Haven't written a good ol' crossover in a long time, I'm afraid!

[ERROR 404: QUESTION 11 NOT FOUND]

12.) Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope.

13.) Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Also nope. But I would be willing, with the right person.

14.) What's your favorite ship?

Clones x Happy AUs.

15.) What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I have a Savage Opress fic buried somewhere that I think about time to time... but I don't know where it is saved, sadly.

16.) What are your writing strengths?

Coming up with a lot of creative ideas. Descriptive writing.

17.) What are your writing weaknesses?

Sticking to an idea... Maybe too much descriptive writing...

18.) Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in a fic?

Has good narrative uses! I like doing it myself for SW fics. Just have to balance a wobbly line of not overdoing it.

19.) First fandom you wrote for?

The Avengers, most likely?

20.) Favorite fic you've written?

Maybe the S,WC! series honestly. There are parts I've looked back on a year later and know I could write a whole lot better now, but given that the series was my first major fanfic project after years of writer's block, I appreciate it for what it is.

A standalone fic might be Fireside Friendship.

No Pressure Tags: Open season! 🩷

[inkonfreshnewpaper]

Tag Game! (Two for Two in a week! Saved for later so I'd have something different to write about) (Saved it for so long I've got a ton to write about)

Tagged by @bacchanalium

3) Last song: Love Me Like You Used To - Lord Huron. It hits in that good melancholy country mood for me.

4) Last film: Portrait of a Girl on Fire. I'm so behind on essential queer films, so I finally got around to watching it. Honestly, surprised at the lack of music in movie. It's saved for a moment at the end that absolutely hit. Bit slow, but in a good way. Seven Samurai. It's Seven Samurai. It's a good movie. I don't have much to say other than, movie good. Wasn't expecting Mifune's character to be as feral as he was, or how affecting the movie was. The Thing. It's The Thing, I wanna be you. The first time I saw it was Halloween 2020 during my horror movie marathon. This time I watched it in my university's movie theatre with a nearly full audience. People gasped during Child's "Then we're wrong" line delivery and laughed a bunch throughout. Seeing it on the big screen was incredible. 10/10. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (2022). This was a weird one. Gonna have to actually post my thoughts on it because I'm still chewing on it. It focuses entirely on Utterson, but the adaption decides to put him through a negative character arc. Does it work? Stay tuned.

5) Currently reading: The Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (finished it but at what cost). It wasn't very good. I got YA vibes from the character descriptions in the how they focus exclusively on eye and hair colour. Pacing was all over the place. Would spend way too long in one scene, way too short in another. The characters felt way too modern in a supposed fantasy world, mostly due to the dialogue. (Protag's best friend called her and her love interest 'slow burn' and I had to put the book down for a minute after that). The magic system felt like an excuse to get the main couple together and nothing else. That's my biggest critique of the novel. Everything just feels paper thin in this world. Things are set up, but resolved so quickly it doesn't feel satisfying. The school is set up as super dangerous and everyone is trying to kill each other 24/7, and the protag makes a best friend first day and they stay best friends. And further confirmation that no one knows how to write enemies-to-lovers, just 'didn't like you at the start'. Love interest says he loved her since he first saw her. WEAK. Why'd I read it? A bookstore clerk recommended it, I was on the library wait list for months. I needed to dissect this book thoroughly to justify me reading it. I'm also reading The Butterfly Collector by Tea Cooper. It's an okay mystery set in 1920s Australia. Garden of Earth Bodies by Sally Oliver. I'm compelled. It's horror-lite about grief, but the twist hasn't happened yet, so who's to say if it's good yet. Definitely reads as a debut novel - very dramatic prose, feels like it's trying too hard to grab my attention. It's meh so far, but I want to see where it goes.

6) Currently watching: Currently Delicious in Dungeon as it comes out. Studio Trigger is doing such a good job with the adaptation. I'm also watching Revue Starlight, which was way better than I was expecting. Episode 8 launched Hikari to all time favourite characters for me. Haven't finished it yet.

7) Currently consuming: Some tea.

8) Currently craving: Nice and full from dinner with Delicious in Dungeon. No better way to spend a Thursday night.

Tagging: @thefollow-spot, @whoawhataconcept, @fate-motif, @ishmaels, @flubz, @scootbloop, @dying-suffering-french-stalkers, @kafkastan, @sacrerouges, @violasmirabiles, @owlmylove

[calliethetrekkie]

Star Trek TOS S01E11: Miri

Original Thoughts

"Miri was very much one of those ‘don’t watch during a pandemic’ episodes due to it involving a spreading disease and all. Also thinking that maybe this was what inspired Children of the Corn. But yeah, it was meh. Not horrible, but not great either. My biggest issue is how Miri betrayed the group just because she was jealous of Rand. But TBF Jim sweet-talking probably didn’t help and while he DOES have a mostly good reason for it and it was mostly just sweet-talking with nothing gross intended, it just looks SO wrong nowadays. Likely unintentional and they DID need her help to figure out what was going on and her crush on Kirk was the best place to appeal to her and again nothing gross behind anything, but yeah another sign of the show’s age cause that would NOT fly nowadays. But mainly the whole disease thing while we’re nearing a year into the pandemic… didn’t help make me get into the episode. It’s okay, but not one to revisit for a good while."

(Original Post)

Rewatch Thoughts

I've been feeling mixed about coming back to this one. On the one hand, it has one of my favorite Spones scenes ever (I hadn't gotten into the ship yet, hence why the original post doesn't mention it). On the other hand, it's Kirk manipulating a girl who is physically and mentally a young teenager. Do I even need to explain how f-ed up that is? But I expected to hate episodes like Charlie X on rewatch, and I didn't. Plus, I'm watching this as the pandemic has cooled down, at least in comparison to early 2021. So, how did this one fair this time around?

Eeeeeehhhhh?

It's not horrible, but I didn't really care for it either? There's stuff I like, but a lot of it is just... icky. I liked the scenes with the Triumvirate and he overall atmosphere, but most everything else... just didn't do it for me.

Having kid actors can go various ways. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. It worked here, the kids come across as creepy as you'd expect after being stuck alone for 300 years. Which that in and of itself is confusing as heck. I don't know, the scenes do their job I guess, but it's just not my thing. Like I said in the original post, it gives me major Children of the Corn vibes, and that just is not my thing.

There's also the matter of Miri herself. Reading back through my old watchthrough... I was really hard on her, and I shouldn't have been. This is a young kid, whose been alone for who knows how long in an incredibly unstable world where the adults are all dead and others are slowly turning the same way, herself included. Of course she'd be willing to betray the adults because she saw Kirk with Rand. She's a confused child who is being used by said adults. Plus, she's very clearly in denial about the disease, which I failed to take into account the last time. When rewatching this, I just felt pity for the poor girl.

That being said, there are several things with Miri and the kids that I don't like. The implications that puberty means you don't like the stuff you did as a kid is annoying, but I'll let that slide. The biggest issue honestly is Kirk himself. I love the man... but Dear God this might be him at his most awful thus far. I know he's playing into Miri's crush for the sake of saving himself and the others, and he doesn't do anything gross. But even knowing that, it just feels so freakin' wrong. And no, Miri actually being hundreds of years old does not deter anything because she is very clearly still a teenager mentally. Again, I understand why, but that doesn't make it any less uncomfortable to watch.

Really, I'd have probably been fine had they just had the Landing Party beam onto an Earth-like world, unaware that a disease either killed everyone or drove them insane. Then they have to try and figure out a cure to save themselves while dealing with the monstrous survivors and to not lose themselves to the virus. That can still make for a good plot and keep the drama since you could have Kirk and McCoy at each other's throats, Spock being the only one immune/not going insane trying to keep everything together, etc. You can still have the aging virus and the implications as you imagine what had to have happened to the kids without adults and that the survivors are most likely the surviving older kids that have now turned. It could be the ST equivalent of a zombie apocalypse, at least in setting and atmosphere. That would have been a Hell of a lot better than 'Kirk manipulates a 300-year-old teenage girl' and allowed for some good character/thriller drama. I'm just saying.

While I think she has one or two more appearances after this, this is as I recall Rand's last major episode, so I feel that this is a good time to voice my thoughts about her. I really I just feel bad for her. She's crushing on a man who's going to choose to be a captain first, had a really horrible encounter with said man a few episodes ago, and really just thinking about this episode, The Enemy Within, and Charlie X, her time on the Enterprise feels like a nightmare. It's worse if you know why her actress left the show, which makes it all the more disgusting to look back at. I liked Rand well enough, and I'm disappointed that she was wasted like she was. But I also don't know what else she could have done since Spock and McCoy are around for Jim to talk with and otherwise doesn't have much purpose except as Kirk's possible love interest. One that we know he wuldn't be able to commit to. The worst part is that the show really lost nothing when she left, which just shows how much they really didn't care at the end of the day. Hopefully her time later under Sulu's command was better.

Spock and McCoy were the best part of this episode, bar none. They're not as in focus as Kirk, but they have some of the best moments. The scenes with just them and Kirk interacting (and Rand) were fantastic, with Shatner, Nimoy, and Kelley bouncing off each other so well. Even small moments like McCoy lingering with the broken tricycle? Such excellent bits that add so much to the characters. Of course the best Spock/McCoy scene, and the best scene of the whole episode tbh, is at the end when McCoy injects himself with the untested vaccine. He knew full well that what he was doing was dangerous, but there's no time left, and the episode has made it painfully clear that he's going to be the one who goes insane from the disease first. If it works, then they're saved. If not and he dies, at least they'll know, and he won't be able to hurt anyone. This is such a defining moment for him.

Spock of course disagreed because it was too dangerous, but as soon as he's gone, McCoy does it. Spock checks his vitals before grasping onto his hands, watching his face and staying there even when Jim comes back and even as the marks fade. Watching McCOy is one thing, but holding his hands? Were's the logic there Spock? The two bicker, and bicker even more as the show continues. Even here, Spock couldn't help but try to prod at McCoy (and yes, he started it) just because McCoy said the disease didn't like green blood, but as soon as it looks like the doctor may die? He's right there and doesn't leave him until most likely McCoy regained consciousness, or they were able to beam him up now that he was cured. Now that's a missing scene I'd have loved to have seen. This is the section of S1 where we really start establishing the Spock and McCoy relationship a lot more, and this was by far one of those moments.

But is that enough to make me like the episode as a whole? Mmm... no. There's enough scattered moments to keep it from rating lower than Mudd's Women, but it doesn't make me want to watch it outside those moments either. Even without the pandemic, the episode made me uncomfortable and unlike The Enemy Within, where it's just one or two scenes that happen early on, it doesn't have enough to make me willing to sit through it. There's certainly good in it, but overall? It's a pass for me.

Original Rating: 3/5 Rewatch Rating: 5/10

[My TOS Reviews]

[TOS S1 Reviews]

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[roseicicles]

Looks at Aki. I have no idea how they do it. They can keep the KING JACK ATLAS at KING level but they still cant keep a competent female through arc-V. They either die, are humor only, or fade into obscurity sadly

Yugioh doesn't, and never has known how to write badass female characters. They either start out strong, or can be good, but all end up just being either non existent, or as you said, fade into obscurity.

Like lets go series by series.

OG Yugioh: Mai? Mai? The girl who basically lost most of her duels, was pretty much used as canon fodder. As in just to showcase Ra, and give reason for Joey's epic duel vs Marik. To then join up with the whole Dartz thing, only to then STILL feel like a poor duelist. Sure, she and Joey had an epic duel, but then after that....Meh. Then after that season she was g o n e.

GX: Alexis could've been a great character. She had links to the shadows through her missing brother, she was best friends with the school's top duelist. But after her good start, she gets captured lol. Sure, she does get her payback, but I swear, after that it's mostly downhill for her development. While everyone around her goes down a major path of development and character.

Another point going to Blair, cause what could've been for her. When you consider her Tag Force 3 deck. Imagine if she had Lightsworns in the show. She'd be a unit, but nah, she just became a cheerleader sadly, and a damsel during the Yubel later stages.

5DS: Honestly, the Blackwings are at fault here LOL. Akiza had such a grand opening, and then the second half/rest dropped the ball SUPER hard. Hell, you could argue all the females here had great starts, only for it to go downhill, or just nothing. Carly, Misty, Luna even((Mina doesn't count as she's just more a proper side character)). Of course later we had Sherry, whom we should've had a epic Sherry vs Aki duel one on one. But what did we get? Shery vs Aki AND Crow. Like least Jack having Leo and Luna made sense, as it was to set up Life Stream's birth from Power Tool, but jfc.

Zexal: Rio huh. Honestly like I said, she has a good opener, but then later just becomes basically worth nothing. Even when the big reveal happens. She's not threatening, or important. We also have Anna who had fucking trains, yet was barely used.

Arc-V: OK. Now here is where I first talked about it. Cause honestly, THESE FOUR GALS DESERVE BETTER. Yuzu has a good growth period, but after basically Serena takes her spot, Yuzu basically becomes NOTHING. While Serena kicks ass like a true badass, and becomes a great character. Her duel with Yugo is honestly one of my favorites. It helped her realize that maybe dueling can be fun. But what do we get after that? Oh, she's taken away in the most bullshit plot armor way, and mind controlled lmao. Rin and Ruri? We get told they're great through flashbacks, do we get to see it? Nop, they're controlled. Then the end, only Yuzu gets to be free basically. What a mess.

Vrains: How many times do you want to fuck Blue Angel/Aoi did you say? Like, what important duel did she win? Every important duel, she loses. She came off as a really good character, and everything good and cool they threw at her, they then decide to make her LOSE. I'm not saying she has to win to become relevant and good, but it just felt like she became a punching bag, and only Playmaker and later Soulburner COULD save the day.

Sevens: Sevens is more of kid Yugioh honestly, so I can't really expect too much from it, as comparing it to other series, yeah. Sevens isn't bad, just...Alright. Though I will say, it had some pretty good female characters. But like the dudes in this show, pretty average gdigsdidg. Will say though, Romin surprisingly had a positive dueling record. With 11 duels. One not shown, three loses, and SEVEN WINS. There are some notable characters too, like Luke's sister, and the construction crew girl. But in terms of what my post is mainly following, can't put that there.

Go Rush: Same can be said here tbh. Might be some 'nice' characters, but none fitting the mold.

I'm not making all this to say, 'oh the female characters are complete shit' when they're not. I love em for a reason, I just get so sad when their writing goes to sour shit, as if they get the rug pulled from under them, while the dudes continue forward, and get the lime light.

It's why if Yugioh ever goes serious again, I'd love a female lead. A female lead that would kick ass, and not go down a more forgetful or poor writing path like these have before.

[freyayuki]

Final Fantasy Record Keeper Final Fantasy VII Free Relic Draw

In the Final Fantasy Record Keeper (FFRK) mobile game, we sometimes get free draws. One of these is from a Final Fantasy VII banner.

Or at least I think this particular draw is from a Final Fantasy VII (#ad) banner. Unfortunately, this banner showed up a really long time ago so can’t remember all the exact details and information anymore.

Looks like I forgot or just somehow wasn’t able to take more notes regarding this banner. I’m pretty sure my pull on this banner was free though and that said banner is related to Final Fantasy VII based on the relics that I got.

This multi-draw gave me 2 6-stars, one new and one dupe. The new 6-star I got was one of the Ultra Soul Breaks (USB) of Vincent Valentine from Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VII.

This Ultra may be new but meh. Wasn’t really pleased to see this since Ultras are kinda outdated by now.

The dupe I got was the Arcane Overstrike Soul Break (AOSB) of Genesis Rhapsodos from Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII.

Arcanes can be honed by making use of dupes or Scrolls of Honing. Once an Arcane has been honed to the max, it will now only cost 2 bars to cast instead of 3.

So getting a dupe AOSB isn’t that bad. But of course, it’s still better to get something new.

Normally, I wouldn’t have bothered to take a screenshot of a pull like this because getting an Ultra and an Arcane isn’t really something I’d classify as good even if both had been new.

The reason why I bothered to take a screenshot of this draw though was because of Genesis. Currently, he’s my absolute, most fave Final Fantasy char. He’s the reason why I’m playing Final Fantasy Record Keeper.

So unsurprisingly, I already have all of his currently available relics. I pulled for said Soul Breaks the moment they’d been introduced in FFRK.

Now I’m just saving and waiting for whenever Genesis will get something new. Because of course all of Genesis’s Soul Breaks are must-haves for me.

Anyway, admittedly, I was disappointed when I saw the dupe of Genesis’s AOSB. But a part of me was still kinda, sorta not that sad upon seeing it.

I guess I wasn’t as annoyed as I normally would have been had this been a dupe of another char’s Soul Break.

Of course, still would have preferred to get something new, especially if it’s something new and it belongs to Genesis. Really hoping he’ll get a new Soul Break soon.

Anyway, Genesis’s Arcane Overstrike Soul Break is called SOLDIER’s Epic. It comes from a light armor-type item called Genesis’s Guise (VII-CC). This is Genesis’s red leather coat from Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII.

The animation for Genesis’s Arcane features his best friend, Angeal Hewley from Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII.

Conclusion

So, what about you? What did you get from pulling on this Final Fantasy VII banner? Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions by leaving a comment below or by reblogging or replying to this post.

Notes:

screenshots are from my Final Fantasy Record Keeper game account