#but what about anyone who got their period in season 1 and early season 2

[danieyells]

@2flowerz NOW I CAN POST THEM LOL HERE'S ED TO START WITH

PERVY OLD VAMPIRE IS AN ABSOLUTE GOOBER. . .he's also very very tired. But he has a very nice reaper taking care of him and a friendly dog that wants him to go outside more, so he has people who love and care for him even though he's. . .a little troublesome haha.

also I changed the format from previous posts and added the specific times and seasons and such for each dialogue! this should help lessen some confusion about how to get them.

Hello: (the first time the game is opened after that character is set as home screen NPC. Only happens once per day, unless the character is switched out and back.)

"Ah, there you are. I've a favor to ask of you— come to my room and I'll explain."

You've Got Mail: (whenever there's something in the inbox, usually Arena rewards)

"Oh? It appears we have some letters. Alas, my eyesight is not what it used to be. Read them out to me, would you?"

well maybe if you didn't stare at your tablet all day. . . .

Default: (requires no affinity, has no time constraints)

"I have much to learn about the human world... Rui is teaching me a lot, but I cannot seem to divorce myself of careless blunders."

y'know, it's good he's trying to learn anyway. 400 years old is never too late.

"What did I do before Darkwick? I eked out a humble existence in Eastern Europe. Hm? The most powerful vampire? No, those are just rumors. "

didn't you confirm it yourself in the main story though--also if he was living in eastern europe for the past 400-ish years i wonder if he saw lyca when he was young, even if in passing? then again eastern europe isn't exactly small.

"I was taken by a sudden whim to travel abroad. I had heard good things about Japan so I came over to play, but alas, I was captured."

so he went to japan just to have a nice time for a while but the Institute decided to keep him trapped in Darkwick. . .and then they didn't listen to any warnings or concerns he had. . .no wonder he doesn't give a shit what's going on around here, why would he? They abducted him while he was on vacation--and for what?

"I have no interest in harming humans. After all, they die so quickly. They should enjoy their short lives while they can."

"(cough cough) Oh, it's you... I'm feeling worse than usual today. I don't suppose you could carry me to bed?"

Affinity 1: (between 5am and 11am)

"(yawn) Good morning... What time is it? ...Still that early? Wake me up again at midday, would you?"

honestly Ed? Mood.

Affinity 2: (between 11am and 4pm)

"If this is about a mission, I can't help you, I'm afraid. I leave such day-to-day duties to Rui, so I suggest you ask him instead."

Affinity 3: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"I'm more or less confined to this house most days, for various reasons. I'm on my best behavior. But I'll do what I can to support you from the sidelines."

y'know, he's offering to help a little even at Affinity 3 and that counts for something in my book.

Affinity 4: (between 8pm and 5am)

"My favorite channel should be posting a new video at any moment... Sorry, but could we continue this tomorrow?"

you have not yet reached the stage of friendliness where you're more important than a youtube video lmao

Affinity 5: (between 8pm and 5am)

"I don't suppose you know where Rui is? How troubling... My YouTube video has stopped playing..."

well at this hour i'd check either the bar or his room???

Affinity 6: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"Oh, it hurts... I cannot seem to shake this ache in the place Rui touched me earlier... I think I'll rest a while."

so it seems like either his limbs pop off/part of him breaks open when Rui touches him, or he suffers a great deal of pain for an extended period of time, maybe his body actively fighting extremely rapid necrosis? Rui did say that he basically insta-kills anyone who isn't super strong, so Ed being in excruciating pain instead of dying or losing a limb now and then makes sense.

Affinity 7: (between 11am and 4pm)

"I can't survive much sunlight. Without my parasol, I can barely go outside... (sigh) It really is quite punishing..."

Affinity 8: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"Sounds like Lyca's having fun, from all that yapping. I think it's good for him to develop some temporary bonds with humans at this time in his life."

Affinity 9: (between 8pm and 5am)

"I felt the urge to go stargazing, so I went to a hill nearby, but Towa was there already and he chased me away."

TOWA STOP BEING MEAN HE actually he probably would have bothered you and if he smells like a corpse to you that would have been annoying even if he didn't talk to you BUT STILL DON'T BE MEAN.

Affinity 10: (between 10pm and midnight)

"You ought to be getting ready for bed. Me? Oh, I'll turn in soon... Just one more YouTube video."

Affinity 11: (between 5am and 11am)

"Are you going for a walk? Take care not to spend too long in the garden. Humans are rather susceptible to the miasma there."

WE NEVER DID LEARN ABOUT THE MIASMA. WHAT'S UP WITH THE MIASMA WHY'S THE AIR IN OBSCUARY FUNKY.

Affinity 12: (between 11am and 4pm)

"Do you realize that human society is controlled by a shady cabal of elites? There are many videos about it on YouTube."

I AM ONCE AGAIN ASKING FOR HIS LAPTOP TO BE TAKEN AWAY OR TIME ON IT RESTRICTED. . .HE'S INTO CONSPIRACY THEORY YOUTUBERS HE'S GONE TOO FAR DOWN THE RABBITHOLE

Affinity 13: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"The ghouls are rioting again? Ah ha ha ha, they certainly are full of energy. If you'll excuse me, I was in the middle of a YouTube video."

he simply does NOT GIVE A FUCK lmao the ghouls could be dying out there and he'd probably shrug it off. Maybe keep an eye on things with his sixth sense or have some bats watch. Maybe that's part of why so many ghouls dislike him? he doesn't have any concerns for their plights and problems?

Affinity 14: (between 5am and 11am)

"How strange... I can't find my other sock. I could have sworn I put it here... Have you seen it?"

Affinity 15: (between 5am and 11am)

"Lyca made a mess again? Ah ha ha ha. Try not to judge him too harshly—he's not human, after all."

i think even for non-humans there's some cleanliness to be strived for. . .even pigs are pretty clean animals from what I hear. . . .

Affinity 16: (between 11am and 4pm)

"Rui? Is my lunch ready yet? ...Oh, it's you. You wouldn't happen to be feeling heartsore, would you?"

he's asking if you're sad because he feeds off of tears more than blood. . . . .he wanted to see if you'd cry for him. . . . . . .wait how does Rui usually go about doing this!? Does he cry every day for him???

Affinity 17: (between 10pm and midnight)

"Rui has his tavern work at this hour. He made sure I had everything I needed before he left, though."

ed's all cozy in bed with a nice bottle of tears and his fully charged tablet, all the dirty laundry's off his floor and everything--and now you're here! everything is perfect.

Affinity 18: (between 8pm and 5am)

"Has night fallen already? Do keep in mind that my vitality returns at this hour. You really should be more careful."

i'm kinda getting Taiga vibes here where as his affinity goes up he kind of clearly wants to eat you more, except where Taiga kinda tried to keep away from doing it until Affinity 24 where he snaps and ties you down and starts hurting you, Ed just starts warning you 'you're in danger being around me right now' lol. When he tells you to be careful he makes the sadist face, so he is telling you to be careful around him specifically. . . .

Affinity 19: (between 10pm and midnight)

"You can't sleep? Come, close your eyes. I'll hold you in my arms until you surrender yourself to the land of slumber."

isn't Ed's skin cold. . .I feel like it may be hard to sleep like that for most people lol then again maybe he'd be perfect for temperature regulation?

Affinity 20: (between 5am and 11am)

"Ah, thank you for coming so early. I slept even worse than usual last night... The cleaning can wait. Let me rest my head on your lap, would you?"

'the cleaning can wait' huh. . .is this another Jin situation where he's started to expect you to clean up his room all the time lmao I MEAN RUI ONLY CLEANS IT ONCE A MONTH SO A LITTLE SUPPLEMENTARY CLEANING WOULDN'T HURT. . . .

Affinity 21: (between 11am and 4pm)

"How are you finding Obscuary? Anomalies live quite differently to humans, so you're adapting to it remarkably well... Perhaps you're predisposed?"

'hey i know you're probably scared about becoming an anomaly that will harm your loved ones and all but you may already be showing signs so you should just stop worrying and join us!' also do they really live so differently. . .so far the main difference is cleanliness lmao

Affinity 22: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"My, where did the time go? Talking to you is just so relaxing. Why? Perhaps it's because I know I could feast upon you at any moment."

in Japanese he says something like "The sense of security of being able to strike at any moment"--he's saying he could bite you and you're so comfortable with him you wouldn't even put up a fight before he could do it. He's making his 'sadist' face, but I think he means it in a 'you're relaxed around me, and it makes me feel comfortable to' way. . . .or not. He could just mean that he appreciates you as easy prey 8D

Affinity 23: (between 8pm and 5am)

"Really. You became embroiled in another petty human dispute? How absurd you humans are. Come here."

he feels so bad for you and always getting involved in some shit. . .you know you wouldn't have to do any of this if you abandoned your humanity and just became an anomaly?

Affinity 24: (between 10pm and midnight)

"So, you've come sneaking into my room in the middle of the night? You really are a wicked girl. What were you hoping for? Go on, say it."

Do you want him to feed off of you? Or do you want him to feast upon you? Or were you just that starved for his company? I feel like he's willing to put aside his tablet for you at this point, especially if you're coming into his window late at night for a little tryst.

Affinity 25(max): (no time constraints)

"Being with you brings up old, old memories... Perhaps it's because you remind me a little of her."

well he is hundreds of years old, so of course he had lovers in the past. . .I wonder if she was also mortal, and if he refuses to see humans and anomalies as compatible because of heartbreak. Or maybe he doesn't get heartbroken like some humans do, and it's just nostalgia. But for someone who struggles to remember things sometimes to have old memories stirred up, I think that's a good thing. He must feel quite old at this point, but having someone around who reminds him of being even a little younger must be nice, even if he doesn't think it will last. . .then again maybe that's part of why he seems like he encourages you to become an anomaly in his character stories. Because he'll get to have you around for longer.

Spring: (March-May) (between 5am and 11am)

"The plants in our garden become rather lively in the spring. See? There's a little cannibalism going on over there."

(between 11am and 4pm)

"My favorite channels have been updating more frequently than usual of late. I suppose humans really do experience spring fever."

(between 4pm and 8pm)

"(yawn) I look more tired than usual? Must be the spring weather... Goodnight."

(between 8pm and 5am)

"Cherry blossoms are fascinating organisms. Born carrying the stench of death and falling all too soon... Just like humans, really."

i don't think most humans smell like death(unless we're referencing the poem about sakura trees having corpses beneath them to make the petals pink again) but go off i guess--also it makes it seem like he wishes humans lived longer? funny thing for a guy who thinks humans aren't compatible to say.

Summer: (June-August) (between 5am and 11am)

"Obscuary is lovely in summer. It's so dark and cool, with a lovely miasma breeze. I've no desire to step outside its confines."

honestly living in eternal night during the summer doesn't sound bad aside from all the bugs. but the tentacle plant in the garden probably keeps most of them away, so. . .obscuary in summer sounds lovely.

(between 11am and 4pm)

"How the sun mocks me... Vampires across the nation are advised to avoid going outdoors unless absolutely necessary."

(between 4pm and 8pm)

"It was so hot this morning that Rui was walking around after his shower in just a towel. A sight for sore eyes, I must say."

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH HE IS BISEXUAL. in Japanese he says that Rui was walking around soaking wet and that he's incredibly handsome but doesn't mention the towel--so Rui may have been wet and bare naked walking around Obscuary. . . .

(between 8pm and 5am)

"My air-conditioner? I believe I have it set to 64 degrees. Hm? You're cold? Humans truly are such fragile creatures."

that is almost 18 degrees celcius for the non-americans! it's not that cold imo but it's definitely a little chillier than most people like their personal space.

Autumn: (September-November) (between 5am and 11am)

"Humans take extra delight in their meals during the harvest season, do they? Interesting. Perhaps I'll follow suit."

lap up your tears nice and slow and sensual--

(between 11am and 4pm)

"The stamina and physical strength of a vampire is dozens of times that of a human. We don't need to work ou— (cough) (wheeze)"

YOU GOOD BUDDY YOU STARTED COUGHING WITHOUT EVEN MOVING i mean i get it i have asthma but still--

(between 4pm and 8pm)

"Ah, the curtain of night closes. Now that the days are becoming shorter, my physical and mental health have much improved."

does that mean you don't need help getting dressed for a while--

(between 8pm and 5am)

"How beautiful the moon looks tonight. Its light is such a comfort to us non-humans. You look rather lovely bathed in it too."

Winter: (December-February) (between 5am and 11am)

"(sigh) Even in the dead of winter, Lyca is so full of energy in the mornings... Just try to imagine waking to him barking in your ear."

that explains why you lock him out of your room lmaoooo

(between 11am and 4pm)

"What do you think of my dressing gown? Rui made it for me. It's surprisingly warm."

MOM RUI STRIKES AGAIN MAKING HIS BOY COZY CLOTHES FOR THE WINTER

(between 4pm and 8pm)

"(cough cough) I only took a few steps outside, yet I felt as though my heart froze over... It's best not to leave one's room on days like this."

(between 8pm and 5am)

"They say that on cold nights like this, humans long for the warmth of another. Well? Shall I provide it for you?"

DO YOU POSSESS THE WARMTH OF ANOTHER SIR I RECALL YOUR SKIN BEING DESCRIBED AS COLD

His birthday: (November 10th)

"Having you celebrate my birthday makes all these long years of life worth it. How old am I? A gentleman doesn't tell."

given your estimate was 'idk 400 i stopped counting around 300' i think it's less you won't tell and more you can't tell lmaoooo

Your birthday:

"It's your birthday, is it? I'll have to give you a present. What do you want? Go on, tell me."

New Years: (January 1st)

"Happy New Year. I heard it's a tradition in this country to impart small monetary gifts. Here, for you."

OTOSHIDAMA GET!!!!

Valentine's Day: (February 14th)

"My, is this for me? I'm touched. I don't usually partake of human food, but I suppose I'll make an exception."

it's about the symbolism! it's the principle of the thing, even if the chocolate tastes bland to your vampire taste buds!

White Day: (March 13th)

"It seems that today those who received chocolates on Valentine's Day are supposed to return the favor. What a conscientious country this is..."

yeah but what'd you get them tho--

April Fool's Day: (April 1st)

"Oh, I'm burning up... I'm not long for this world... Won't you grant me one last request? ...No need to make that face. I'm joking, of course."

Halloween: (October 31st)

"Trick or treat. I'm a real vampire, you know. Give me your blood, or I'll play a trick on you."

probably the only time he's directly stated wanting to drink your blood lol

Christmas: (December 25th)

"Merry Christmas. Rather amusing for a vampire to celebrate a holy day, don't you think? Let's fill tonight with magic and wonder."

Idle: (about 20 seconds without interacting with the game) (below 13 affinity)

"I'm going to lie down a while. If you need something, ask Rui."

(13 affinity and above)

"Hello? Oh good, there you are. It would be troublesome for me if you were to disappear. Let me know next time you decide to wander off."

WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'D BE TROUBLESOME. I guess it's because you clean up after him and help him and stuff. . .and at higher affinities maybe he feeds off of your tears and/or blood. . . .

Absent: (logging in for the first time in 2 or more days?)

"Well, hello there. It's been a while. Come over here—I've been looking forward to your return."

OUR SLOPPY LIL VAMPIRE BOY. Flirts, drinks tears, minds his own business, and is on his best behavior despite that he was abducted by Darkwick. They should be thankful he's not angrier, considering he's apparently strong enough to LEVEL A BUILDING ON HIS OWN. As his affinity goes up he seems to be more comfortable around you, although that comes with the concern that he expresses less human thoughts more openly. . .which isn't a bad thing, imo. He should be allowed to be an anomaly. He's not harming or preying on you, just saying he could and that he's dangerous. But he also just seems to like physical affection and flirting and having you do chores for him so he can be lazy. . . .

I love him lol he's stinky

[buckybarnesss]

I don't know own if you've stated this before, but what is your theory on Eli's existence?

I love reading everyone's theories on how Derek came to parent this adorable mini-Stiles.

i've speculated a little before. mostly tongue-in-cheek (or was it hem).

like, we talk a lot about teen wolf's messy timeline but eli hale existence breaks it on a fundamental level. the teen wolf movie takes place in 2026 and eli is 15 years old. this makes him born in 2011.

season 1-3B all take place in 2011 and it's a very tight timeline.

i would like jeff davis to sit down and tell me when derek hale had not only the time but the desire to go have sex during s1-2. eli couldn't have been conceived any later than maybe april to still be born in 2011 and that's pushing it.

like, derek was very busy going through The Horrors in season 1 in which he was trying to find out who murdered his sister, dealing with scott and stiles, jackson's needy ass, being tormented by kate and feral peter.

season 2 picks up almost immediately after s1 as lydia's still in the hospital and takes place over a few weeks. during this time derek's trying to find out who the kanima is, dealing with the argents and attempting to build a pack (and starting to become aware the alpha pack is coming).

derek ain't got the fucking time.

and no jennifer cannot be the mother because jennifer fucking died and also jennifer and derek didn't meet until like early september.

and also no braeden cannot be the mother because derek and her didn't even meet until 3B which was in late october and they didn't fuck until season 4 which takes place in 2012. it's too late.

and no it's not kate. fucking gross.

but heather, you ask, maybe the conception happened prior to wolf moon?

it's possible but i have such a hard time seeing that version of derek engaging with anyone beyond a surface level that the only way it makes sense is if eli's an accidental baby and the mother couldn't get in contact with derek for a significant period of time.

we know by age 3 eli was with derek as scott had seen him. which coincidentally would've made it 2014 the same year the show actually ends.

(never mind that the final final scene of them all in the parking lot is supposedly 2 years after that making it 2016 putting eli around 5 but i guess no one saw him despite them all hanging out but whatever).

conclusion: jeff davis pulled eli hale out of his goddamn ass

and i can already hear oh but what if he was laura's or what if eli was adopted from another pack and those are good scenarios but in terms of canon itself jeff fully intended eli to be derek's biological son.

so my theories are this:

derek accidentally got someone pregnant shortly before wolf moon and she was unable to reach him but knew his name. at some point before eli is 3 derek comes into custody of eli.

it was the nemeton and eli just straight up exists out of some kind of magic.

tl:dr

[majorbaby]

i really enjoyed your post on sidney freedman!!!! i'm wondering, what do you think of radar, as a character or as a storytelling device or both? imagine my little anon sunglasses face resting on my hands smiling so smittenly and kicking my feet. i adore your thoughts theyre SO fun and interesting to read

hi! thank you for your kind words.

In Dear Sigmund good ol’ Sidney tells us rather than shows us the Radar character thesis:

Actually Sigmund, it’s a wonder more people around here don’t take a vacation from reality. Some people even manage to grow - Radar for instance. In so many ways he’s still as innocent and naïve as the local orphans he plays with. And yet this boy keeps this unit, this state of chaos running smoothly. 

The early years establish that pretty well without actually saying it outright. I do find Radar very enjoyable during that period, but he had to be completely re-tooled alongside the rest of the show as of Season 4. The reason for that is Radar and Henry were a package deal, maybe even in a more effective way than Trapper and Hawkeye because the former pair gives you some contrast. The gag with Radar-Henry was that Henry was this privileged, middle-aged dude, a surgeon, and the CO at the 4077th, but he’d run the camp into the ground were it not for Radar, an almost-legal child. The point of that seems very clear to me, this lower-class kid from rural Iowa with nothing but street smarts going for him is far more competent than anyone else in the camp. I love that. Without Radar, Trapper and Hawkeye can’t pull off a lot of their hijinks. Henry can be something of a wild card, in theory he’s on HawkTrap’s side, definitely more than I can say Potter was ever on HawkBeej’s side, but the thing with Henry is he likes to be liked by others, including by the army brass, whereas HawkTrap and Radar don’t give a shit about that. 

That early version of Radar takes a huge hit when Potter rolls in, and we see Radar’s subversive role diminished significantly. Actually if I were a Radar stan I’d be pretty pissed off about that, but usually my annoyance is reserved for the Potter-Klinger relationship. As a class-dynamics stan, I am heartbroken. Think about what we got instead in the mid-late years when it came to class… Rizzo whose class is the butt of the joke 90% of the time, Klinger who gets really into moneymaking schemes for some reason (think about why the only brown character on the show got that as a character beat) and uh… tha’s it. The next person on the ladder might be Hawkeye. Radar is still around until season 8 but they lean really hard into his being “simple” and infantilizing him and he’s no longer this scrappy, street-wise kid, who Charles frequently refers to as a “bumpkin”. I get why Gary Burghoff might’ve started to tire of playing that, he was nearing 40 by the time he left MASH. The early years allowed his character to be much more complicated in my opinion, and tbh, he was funny as fuck back then. 

Radar does get some solid content in 4 - 8. Burghoff is a great actor and he convincingly sells the more dramatic moments like in The Interview, Bug Out, Dear Sigmund, End Run, and Mail Call… Again. I don’t care for the framing of Fallen Idol but I think Burghoff and Alda have good chemistry and it was fun to see some conflict in their relationship. My problem with Radar-centric episodes in that era is they rely on “... and now Radar is all grown up!” as the moral of the story, but that only lasts until the next Radar episode rolls around and he’s a little kid again. I prefer episodes where we get to see him have fun. Your Hit Parade has always been a favourite of mine, I love Radio-DJ Radar. 

Unfortunately I think the moment Radar is truly seen as “grown up” on the show is Goodbye Radar parts 1 and 2, which is embarrassingly late imo. We see that he’s now grown up in a few ways: his role as the backbone of the 4077th has a noticeably different tone – people outwardly express their reliance on him, and Radar himself “takes on” the burden of running the unit rather than it magically falling to him, and he argues with Hawkeye on his level about staying. Before all that stuff about Radar was unsaid, and the one time Sidney does say it its preceded by “this 19-year-old is as childlike as the 4-to-5-year-old local Korean kids”. In Goodbye Radar it’s called out multiple times in the open. The other way we see that Radar has “come of age” is he takes more of an assertive role during his encounter with his love interest, Patty. We see him actually go for what he wants, trying to delay his flight, making the first move to kiss her and being noticeably disgruntled at having to leave her behind. I suppose it happens so late because they couldn’t manage him past that point, which is why he continues to be stagnant until that point.

When he does finally “come of age” it doesn’t land well for me because it’s so sudden. This is the same Radar who 10 episodes ago sought advice from the whole camp on how to talk to a pretty nurse in Hot Lips is Back in Town. I think that was the third or fourth time we saw that plot. I love a coming-of-age story but they need to be gradual for them to be effective, and that’s not easy to do on a episodic show. Really with the exception of Margaret and maybe Charles, I don’t know that any of the characters on MASH have a concrete character arc. I’ve gone back and forth with BJ - I like to see an arc there, but I have no clue how intentional it was. And with Margaret and Charles it might be a bit easier because they start out as antagonists. 

To be clear though, I don’t think “character development” is a surefire sign of a good character or a good show. I think Hawkeye is a fantastic character and he doesn’t develop much. But when the show made the shift to character drama, certain characters suffered a lot. Radar was one of them, Frank was another which is why Linville’s exit makes so much sense to me and he literally said of Frank, “there’s no where else for this character to go”. So that’s it really – I think Radar was a character who couldn’t quite land the leap to the show’s new format, but who was a fan favourite. He shows up less and less throughout season 7 and the excuse we’re given is that he’s “off on R&R”, so you almost get used to him not being there. 

To properly answer your actual question: I think he really worked well as a device in the early years. He buttresses the messaging of the show, he’s on the side of the “anti-regular-army” and – something that I think gets overlooked a lot – he’s fucking horny lmao. He may be virginal but he leers at women, he wants to have sex and go on dates with them, he can be devious and he’s not always automatically on Hawkeye’s side, sometimes he wants something in exchange for his help. It was a very fun vibe. So it was weird for me to see him go from that to this delicate little cherub who is only looking for a pure, lasting love – that was what his character was based around in the character drama years and I don’t care for it. Let Radar fuck tbh. He isn’t 10 years old, he’s 18-19-20. 

There is also this thing I wrote about him that got way more traction than I could’ve imagined. It started out as a meta post but I kinda hit flow with it and just started writing… it’s half-way between meta and prose and it generally sums up my feelings about Radar in a less analytical way that I’ve done here.

Thank you so much for the interesting ask!

[bergoozter]

Hey it’s the Connie M anon with my newly revised theory about the season. I’ll be sending my evidence supporting a specific part of this theory later, but here’s the overarching one (1/7)

After the events of season 4, Shane goes to the puppet theater to see what happened and finds that the Devil is still there. Not wanting to have to end the show he produces, Shane makes a deal with The Devil to get The Professor back. The Devil agrees, as long as Shane builds The Box, which will serve as a projector for a hologram/replacement Professor, as well as a Time Machine. Shane agrees and hooks the box up to the theater. (2/?)

However, the Devil doesn’t tell Shane what his full plan is, just what The Box will do. He and Asmodeus kidnap Randy and use him to masquerade as The Professor for the fifth season. Additionally, The Box cannot function as both a projector and a Time Machine simultaneously. To power it into a Time Machine, you need a human’s energy. Now, because he needs to open a portal to the Cretaceous, The Devil will probably have to kill someone to make The Box operational. (3/?)

Now, who’s going to be that human sacrifice? Ryan, who is so close to blowing their cover. The Devil knew that Ryan could uncover the truth about the hologram and would have the motive to reveal this, as the Devil lied to him last season about not harming The Professor. Still, he’s The Devil, and allows Ryan to be suspicious. (4/?)

He makes the lesson plan for the season focused around betrayal and early deaths. He makes sure that the songs (for the most part) are fun for the guest but would put someone who is suspicious over the Holo-Professor’s intentions on edge. He has been making sure that Ryan won’t have any means of fully uncovering what happened. He has Asmodeus, possessing Randy, stalk Ryan while he’s at the Watcher Studio. He disguises himself as one of the Professor plushies so he can do this. (5/?)

Because The Devil and Asmodeus were the ones who set up the original auction of the Genie’s Lamp, they can’t bid as themselves. So, they hack into The Professor’s account and bid for it that way. The two supernatural forces cause unexplained things to happen around the Puppet History set, which would obviously unnerve Ryan. (6/?)

stop i need fanart of The Devil and asmodeus hunched over a laptop in a bidding war w ryan right now i love it

The Devil’s facade is cracking, though. He obviously can’t answer Ryan’s questions about being in the Cretaceous Period, and when asked about his family, he answers as if he knows they were tortured, when The Professor has answered about his extended family but not being able to remember anyone else. To fix these cracks, he begins looking at what people are saying online, most notably by doing the C-Dogs but and getting rid of the B Bit. (7/?)

The Devil also has Ryan win each episode so he can give him the Puppet Crème, which will allow for Ryan to be possessed at the end of the season. Ryan will be used as a sacrifice to power the Time Machine and bring The Professor back, which is why his bones were missing, even though his parents were there. He arrives and The Devil has won. Do I think the season will end on a cliffhanger? Probably. Do I want Ryan to be a ghost in s6 to prove the Boogaras right and have the show continue? Yes

sorry for the spam again, the theory just got really long lol

executive producer shane creating this expansive ruse in order to give ryan the ghost win he’s always dreamed of by turning ryan into one himself — genius

[hushhushplzzz]

I loved your analysis of Terri Porter as a character and her relationship with Gina and potential relationship with Ricky. Just wanted to ask if you had any idea about the Valentine's Day chocolates. Because even if Terri and Ricky have not officially met before, the implication seems to be that they have had a conversation centred around Gina before 4×07. At a period of time that Terri now knows Gina was not very happy during because of this very boy. Do you think that interaction could have accounted for the obvious tension between them in Gina's bedroom? Apart from everything else.

Asking the hard questions I see haha 😅

the implication seems to be that they have had a conversation centred around Gina before 4x07

So the only info we have regarding Ricky and Terri’s possible connection in the chocolates ordeal is:

The way I kinda see it? If we’re being technically technical, there isn’t actually explicit implication that she’s had a conversation with Ricky before, much less about getting Gina chocolates. All she mentions is what’s in the above screenshot text message, and though you could potentially connect the two given the timeline of events (and I know I and many others did back in the day), it’s still not confirmed. Could still be anything that allowed her to find a way to send it last minute. We have the screenshot of the old script idea which did confirm it, but the thing is, like the hoco car scene no-one-saw-it-coming smooch that got scrapped and Jennzara talking in the middle of LYF and I’m sure countless other early scripts, this Ricky confession was scrapped too. So for all intents and purposes, Ricky never canonically interacted with Gina’s mom until the Halloween party in s4.

If they’d ever had any kind of communication prior to s4 encounters, we wouldn’t have gotten this brutal ass scene:

Gina introduces him for the first time, and the name drop doesn’t spark any recognition on Terri’s face at all. Plus, Ricky nods after Gina says “I don’t think you two have ever met”. So I don’t think they’ve interacted at all before.

Do you think that interaction could have accounted for the obvious tension between them in Gina’s bedroom?

(As in… like most moms wouldn’t be, Terri wasn’t pleased that Ricky’s girlfriend having ass got her daughter chocolates on VDay the way a boyfriend would lmao?)

I have 3 overall thoughts:

1) I personally don’t think it was a factor. When Gina tells her mom about the last several months and what went down, at the time, she herself still doesn’t even know Ricky gave her the chocolates so Terri wouldn’t know that Ricky was involved. Ricky doesn’t show up with the new box until later that evening, so could she have learned that later? Sure, but I don’t think so. My general view is that this potential Ricky/Terri collab is a plot hole Tim just wants us to forget about and move on from lol, evidenced by Ricky just dropping the box of chocolates on the ground and it never being addressed directly. Seems like one of those things that were scrapped or changed in scripts, but previous occurrences/dialogue etc was not accounted for to corroborate this adjustment. (For example, Kourtney saying Ricky and Nini met in the 7th grade, a dialogue point that is then later confused by them being revealed as childhood friends from a young age at the end of the season).

2) They could still have collab’ed. In which case, the argument now becomes how to prove that she did recognise Ricky’s name which is a little harder. But in that case, if the collab is canon, I would choose as possible evidence the fact that Terri kind of goes from recoiling when Ricky taps her arm to addressing him with a "warm" smile (warm for Terri). That maybe she does remember the dear friend who got her daughter chocolates and so he gets “special treatment” with direct interaction instead of the borderline dismissive way she generally acts towards the theatre group. Because in this whole scene, she doesn't look at anyone else in the room at all until right before she leaves and even then it's just a quick glance and smile. But she looks at Ricky straight on lmao, hence "special treatment".

So in that case, yeah, the chocolates might be a factor in her disdain in e7, barring other issues she has with him. Knowing he did the nice gesture for her daughter could also explain why she seems kind of fond of him in that confrontation in Gina’s room despite having barely talked. A 'he may not meet her standards as a boyfriend for her daughter, but he exceeds every expectation for her daughter as a friend and she still is grateful for that' type of thing.

And 3) I headcanon with my sis that Terri actually did send Gina some fancy chocolate package or gift outside of Ricky through some delivery service, but her gift got delivered to the wrong address. It would explain why Terri texted so late at night: she'd checked tracking and seen the package was delivered, but didn't receive a confirmation text from Gina all day and evening that she’d gotten the gift that likely had a card attached. If it had been delivered to the right place, Gina would have gotten two chocolate gifts that night. And with this headcanon, it removes Ricky being involved with Terri’s plan in any capacity, it explains Terri’s last minute gift of chocolates to Gina, keeps Ricky as the sole giver of the box we did see, and keeps the chocolates drama from s2 (Gina thinking it was from her mom and Ricky’s stupid joking about something he really did do), and thus, solves the plot hole lol.

All this to say, that after s4, I do see some part of Terri’s reluctance to accept Ricky as overprotectiveness because he’s hurt Gina in the past, however unintentional, but I don’t think the chocolates play a role. The way everything went down, I don’t personally think we’re supposed to connect Ricky and Terri in the chocolate narrative point anymore, but I could obviously be wrong! Nothing was confirmed so sky’s the limit on whatever we want to imagine.

Thanks for the ask and for reading that meta! :3

[elithilanor]

Happy Early Friday! If you are having a 3 day weekend I hope you enjoy it!

Totally random asks, but you invited them, so... 😊

1. Which actresses (however many you wish to mention) do you find most physically attractive?

2. Emilia Clarke or Alba Baptista? (cause I know you like them both but gosh they look so much alike!!)

3. Daenerys or Rhaenyra -- who is the better Queen?

4. Name a favorite personal headcanon about Elrond during the Second Age, before his life with Celebrian.

5. What would be your "last meal" dish?

Sorry for the randomness! 😂

Hello!!! Thank you for the ask! I hope you’re feeling better.

Don’t apologize for randomness! I love all asks and love randomness. My favorite pastime is answering questions honestly lol.

It’s an early Friday because work has been insane and I needed a day off or else I was going to lose what sanity I had left this week 😅🤣

1. I don’t find anyone genuinely attractive - physically or sexually - because I’m aspec so. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I like voices though like Jamie Alexander and Gal Gadot; gravelly. But Cate Blanchett as Hela can step on me.

2. Emilia Clarke is the better actress in my opinion! I’m a lil worried about her though, she looks a bit too thin atm.

3. Daenerys! I haven’t seen HoD really but Rhaenyra doesn’t actually rule people in the show really? Just Dragonstone. And in the books, her reign is very short and quite bloody. Daenerys takes kingdoms for good reason and attempts to mitigate issues and learns and grows from them. In the world of GoT, she’s an effective and capable leader who is fairly ethical. I don’t consider s6-s8 to be truly canon unless GRRM writes it that way. Either way, the way the ending gets there I think he’d write better in the characters actual motives etc. The characterization of the last seasons was awful. (Also I’m always a Daenerys Stan. Missandei should have been Hand to the Queen instead of Tyrion. I’m still so mad about the end XD)

4. Oh jeez; I’d really have to think about it! But I’m really a fan of Gil-galad/Elrond! So I definitely love their relationship and the idea of like them basically being ldr during this period. I also like the idea of a really warrior based Elrond kind of struggling with finding the balance with his healing, especially during the Imladris sieges. Strong feral Elrond and Erestor doing random guerrilla warfare vibes during this period.

5. Oh jeez I don’t know! I’d really have to think on it. I like so many foods from so many cultures and often mix them in a day or meal. Too many favorites! I think it’d probably depend on my mood.

[iamonlyhereforthefreefood]

Kate brings up that’s she’s definitely not pregnant which makes me think... what did they do when they go their period? Did they just use leaves? Did poor Claire have to use a bunch of leaves post partum? Are there Dharma brand pads and tampons?

[absolutebl]

BL - The Second Coming

Your favorite BL is getting a second season! Should you be scared or excited? Let's look at data. 

Are they generally worse than the first? Is that just Thailand? Has any other country done a second season? What about the minsode epilogues? Korea has two second seasons in production (Color Rush 2 and To My Star 2), should we be nervous? 

These questions and more tackled by @heretherebedork​ in this ask on their blog.

I decided to delve into the data (or what data I have).

Now second seasons “better or worse” is a value judgement and I only keep track of my own ratings. I could look them up on MDL but I don’t trust their ratings anymore than I trust the comment sections, so frankly this is what you get.

Japan 

Takumi-kun 1 (2007) is universally considered worse than Takumi-kun 2 (2009). But that’s because the cast changed. However Takumi-kun 3 (2010) is slightly less good than 2, and it has the same cast as 2, does it count as the actual second season? 

I’m open about my dislike of Ossan’s Love (2018) but I think most of those who do like it think the original is the best of the series. 

Pornographer series I have only seen the 3 core movies and not the supplemental installments, but of those three the first is the best, without question. 

China 

Like Love 1 (2014) is better than Like Love 2 (2015) I don’t think the 8 other people on the planet who have seen it would argue with me, but it’d be a dumb argument if it happened since both seasons are pants. 

2016′s Irresistible Love Secret of the Valet is not as good as Irresistible Love 2 Uncontrolled Love, but that’s because it has a bad ending and cliff hanger. But I also think the story for 2 is slightly better. Still this series is a cluster fuck, so... shrug. 

Thailand 

Love Sick (2014) is a hard one, I prefer season 2 (2015) because I like the actor playing Ohm better and it ends happily. But it is way too long and bloated. 

Make it Right (2016) and Make it Right 2 (2017) are the same situation as Love Sick, except season 2 is tighter than LS’s 2. As a result, I think MIR 2 can probably be considered superior. MIR also got a minisode spin off which is HORRIBLE. 

Puppy Honey 2 (2017) is better than PH1 (2016) but the BL is a subplot. Do we count it? What the hell. Let’s.

I like SOTUS S better than SOTUS but it certainly isn’t actually better. That’s just me excited about an office romance. I also think the Our Skyy minisode is very good, but still season 1 takes it. 

I like Present Still Perfect slightly better than Present Perfect (2017) but I think on a purely cinematic appraisal the first one is better. 

Together with Me (2016) is vastly superior to Together With Me the Next Chapter. I don’t think anyone would argue that. 

Very few consider 2 Moons better than 2 Moons 2 but also it’s not really a second season, like Takumi-kun they did a complete recast but unlike Takumi-kun they also refilmed the first installment. So It’s more like a reboot than a season 2. 

I’m not sure it really counts, but Love By Chance (2018) is better than Love by Chance 2: A Chance at Love (2020). Period. END. OF. DISCUSSION. 

Love Poison (2020) is a piece of shit but I managed to finish it, Love Poison 2 (2021) is unwatchable. And that’s coming from someone who managed ALL of China’s and Japan’s early offerings so... it’s really bad.

TharnType 2 (2020) is a dumpster fire I try not to think about. TharnType (2019) is a garbage can campfire that I will roast marshmallows over like the trash panda I am. The wedding installment special is fine. 

I like Still 2gether (2020) well enough, but 2gether (2020) was iconic. Not sure what it’s iconic of, but it is iconic. 

Sirs Not Appearing in this Summation

HIStory is a franchise, not a series, so I decided not to count it. 

Ai no Kotodama 1 (2008) can’t really be compared to Ai no Kotodama 2: Sekai no Hate Made (2010). Different cast, different story and different everything. I don’t think it can rightly be called a second season, in fact, I think Japan is just messing with us. 

I Am Your King is eliminated on the grounds of being a franchise as well, with different cast and not a true second season. 

2013′s Love Place 1: Hakanaki Kata Omoi - Gaiya no Koi is better than Love Place 2: Shiawase no Katachi, because 2 has very little story and is kinda boring (although I actually like it better because it’s less rough). Frankly, I don’t like either very much so it’s hard to judge. I’m leaving them out of calculations.

His the movie is better than His the series but also they aren’t really connected. I’m leaving them off. 

We Best Love like Seven Days I consider completed only with both installments. I’m not gonna justify this decision because MY BABIES.

I’m Not Qualified to Judge

Gameboys

Boy Foretold by Stars

I Told The Sunset About You

Call it What You Want

It’s September 2021, We are still waiting on Gen Y 2, Between Us (UWMA 2), My Engineer 2, Because of You 2, and a whole lot more. so... this data may change. Also I may have missed a few more obscure ones.

Minisode/special adds to cannon 

SOTUS Our Skyy 

InSun (My Dear Loser) Our Skyy 

TeeMork My Tee Our Skyy 

SaifahZon Story (Why R U?)

YYY Special 

Tien Bromance EXTRA 

TharnType Wedding Special 

BoomPeak (Make it Right) walk on in Why R U?

TharnType walk on in Why R U?

BoXiang & ZhiGang (HIStory 3:MODC) guest starring in HIStory 4

HaoTing & XiGu (HIStory 3:MODC) walk on in Life: Love on the Line

Minisode/special fails the cannon

Make it Right (Make it Live on the Beach)

Reminders (Love By Chance + Love Sick alt reality) 

Be Loved in House: I Do special 

Minisode/special doesn’t matter 

PeteKao Dark Blue Kiss Our Skyy

PickRome Puppy Honey Our Skyy

Theory of Love special 

We Best Love extra cuts and specials 

Cherry Magic specials 1 & 2 

CONCLUSION: Thumbs up on Minisodes, Specials, & Epilogues 

In Thailand a minisode/special is more likely to add to the cannon or be neutral than detract. So *waves airy had* proceed with the Thai BL epilogues. But Taiwan and Japan don’t need to bother. 

No matter what, we always enjoy seeing an old favorite couple from a different series have a guest appearance. 

Korea and Japan do good when they recut and add extra content back into their series/movies: Life: Love on the Line directors cut and Wish You the movie (as opposed to the series) are both considerably better than their original installments. 

Season/Installment 1 is better

Takumi-kun DaiMo cast (Japan)

Like Love (China)

Present Perfect (Thailand)

Together with Me (Thailand)

SOTUS (Thailand)

Ossan’s Love (Japan)

Pornographer series (Japan)

Love By Chance (Thailand)

TharnType (Thailand)

Love Poison (Thailand)

2gether (Thailand)

Season/Installment 2 is better

Takumi-kun full series (Japan)

Love Sick (Thailand)

Irresistible Love (China)

Make it Right (Thailand)

Puppy Honey (Thailand)

2 Moons 2 (Thailand)

CONCLUSION: Season 1s Are Better 

If the first season is left in a cliffhanger or ends sadly then the 2nd season is more likely to be positively received. 

Also if it’s recast and the second cast has more chemistry, then it gets popular. 

If the first season ended fine, then the second season will always feel inferior to the original.

(source)

[pixelnrd]

Historical Simblr Tag Game

Thank you for tagging me @antiquatedplumbobs, @sinclairesimblr and @thesim-tea!

For anyone interested my answers are below the cut ✨

1. What has been your favorite time period to play in or which one are you most excited for?

The Victorian/Edwardian era always holds a soft spot in my heart. Particularly in the kind of gameplay I do - which is the Decades Challenge - there is something very engaging about those first generations of starting from scratch, with all the added challenges of the lack of modern amenities and strict social norms that you have to enforce in game etc. I also love the fashions of this decade, and dressing my sims to fit the theme is a lot of fun.

As I get further into modern times, it gets a lot easier to play. I still enjoy creating the immersion of each decade though through the fashion and styles of the era. In that respect, I'm really looking forward to wreaking havoc in the 60s, 70s and 80s!

2. Do you have a favorite piece of historical cc? (CAS or BB)

I mean, I have heaps. I don't think I could list all of them!

3. Who is your favorite sim currently?

Well I'm playing my 1950s heir Maggie and I love her! She's a real wicked sim.

4. What is your favorite world?

Britechester is one of my favourites because of its architecture. I also enjoy Brindleton Bay - I love the seaside life. And of course Henford, which has the best backdrop for historical gameplay.

5. Are you more gameplay or story focused?

I go through 'seasons'. Sometimes what I am posting is gameplay focussed as I start to push through time in-game, but then I try to develop story around my individual characters and their personalities to demonstrate where their lives will lead. Right now I am in a bit of a storytelling phase as I wind up Maggie's arc. I prefer gameplay though.

6. Do you like to play with pets in your historical saves?

I love to because I love pets and have multiple irl, but often I don't have enough room for them in the family - especially when I've got multiple generations living under one roof, in an era where couples had lots of kids.

7. What's your biggest immersion breaking pet peeve with the game?

Townies wearing auto-generated outfits that incorporate bits of historical CC. Just tear out my eyes please.

Oh and every time someone rings me to ask if I want to go to a festival. No, I don't. Ever. EVER.

8. What's your favorite in-game historical item? (CAS or BB)

The bushes for sims to use as a toilet. Life-saving in historically-acurate houses with 1x toilet and 8 sims.

9. What would you like to see as a new pack or asset to the game?

I really want music - mainly BANDS! As I enter the mid-century, I am reminded that music in this period of history TOOK OFF. My sims want to be the next Beatles please.

Other than this, I would like something that expands upon families, like generations, or maybe something with a high school focus would be good too.

10. What pack do you think is invaluable as a historical simmer?

Cottage Living for sure. The gameplay it brings can be enjoyed in all decades.

11. Do you have a favorite mod to enhance historical gameplay?

I don't really use mods, other than MCCC and Wonderful Whims. I try to keep my game clean to avoid corruption as I'm running a very large save file.

12. What's your ideal family size for playing?

Probably 5 sims. Although I seem to always have 7-8. Can't wait for the family sizes to reduce a bit!

13. Do you use poses?

Yes, quite a lot!

14. Do you use any overrides in your game?

I use a baby skin override, and a crib replacement. I also use an override for mops, and homework books.

15. Do you, or did you, play off-the-grid during your game?

I did not - a lot of the cc I use wasn't off-the-grid compatible in the early decades. It was easier to just do without the physical constraint of the lot trait.

16. What lifespan do you play on?

I always play on normal. I am OK with saying goodbye to my sims when their time comes. I like the challenge of trying to get enough done in their lifetimes.

17. What inspired you to start playing historically?

I first played the Upgrowth Challenge in 2017 after I read about it on reddit - around this time I had finally gotten into Sims 4 after pets and toddlers returned. I thought it was a fun way to play and so I completed that. Then I got into the original History Challenge - I found saw @budgie2budgie's History Challenge (waaaay back in 2018!) and was so inspired by it that I decided to try my own. I toiled away with that as a relaxing side hobby while I was doing my Masters.

Then the pandemic hit and I started playing sims more, and I saw @deadlymodern, @sims-and-pixels and @applesaucesims Decades Challenges. By this point I had clocked the History Challenge and wanted to try something even bigger - and the rest, as they say, is history.

I tag anyone who would like to do this to give it a go!

[emmamayhews]

you know what they say about hyperfixations. They don't go extinct, they just lay dormant until there's content to revive them 😁

I have so many theories about season 3 daxton and how Des comes into play. I also have very little expectations because I don't want to be burned, so I needed to type out my predictions and explore all the possibilities. Remember, this is all spec based on the spoilers I know so I might’ve missed some that null my theories.

Let's start with the worst case scenario #tome

#1 Daxton break up early, for reasons: Devi's insecurities, Nalini, Paxton going to college, I don't know. I read there's a time jump. Then the show spends the rest of the season building up Devi/Des. The still from episode 8 "Never Have I Ever Hooked Up With My Boyfriend" could be a misdirect. Paxton surprises Devi with a friendly visit? He just wants a friendly platonic chat. It's a stretch but we're in the worst case scenario. Moral of the story, he’s not the boyfriend in question. Like I said, this would be everything I don’t want. I would hate it because they wouldn't have properly explored Daxton but the upside is Devi wouldn't have emotionally cheated on Paxton and there's a chance of them getting back together down the line. I think emotional cheating would be my actual worst case scenario, besides cheating period. This would effectively kill the love triangle because it should logically morph into a Ben/Devi/Des triangle in season 4. Yet I heard he’s not in season 4. For so many reasons listed above, I think this is the least likely scenario.

Now for the brighter more positive theories.

#2 Des is a misdirect. It starts as a flirtatious type of banter with Devi but neither of them are interested or he ends up falling for someone else. Maybe Aneesa because she will be dealing with B*nvi insecurities and jealousy. Trailers are misleading but it's interesting that the little b*nvi tease we got was from Aneesa's POV. Again, I don't think Devi will do anything with Ben and I don't think this will be much of a story for Devi or Daxton this year. It will be drama for Ben and Aneesa. I don't know if they survive this season and I would rather not because I think Aneesa deserves better. If I had my ideal scenario, she breaks up with Ben because she makes him realize that she's not a consolation prize. Ben second guessed his relationship with her the moment he realized she's not as anal about school as he is but that's not the first thing anyone should be looking for in a relationship, no matter how smart you are. I don't know if he's trying to turn her into Devi because he hasn't dealt with his feelings for her or if he's just a typical superficial teenage boy who doesn't know how to be in a relationship yet because he's a teenage boy. I would prefer the latter because Aneesa. deserves. better. There's also the gross, and borderline racist, element of Mindy confirming Ben only dated Aneesa because she was the new cooler indian girl aka the better Devi. Which brings me to my next theory....

#3 Des is the midgame love interest. He's the guy that comes in the 2nd installment of the trilogy in new age netflix rom coms. The seemingly "better" option but not the right option for the imperfectly perfect main character. It's very telling that the producers described him as a mix of Paxton and Ben because of his good looks and his academic achievements. (kind of like the writers had everyone call Aneesa the cooler Devi to kickstart her spiral). Smart and Hot are the most superficial traits that describe Ben and Paxton respectively, but with the advantage of Nalini's approval. Ben is more than his good grades just like Paxton is more than his good looks. We'll see how Des is written. Maybe his arrival is ultimately more about him encouraging Devi to embrace her indian culture. This would be my preferred scenario and lines up with the episode 9 title if it really says "Never Have I Ever had an Indian Boyfriend". Which brings me to my last theory, finally…

#4 Des is Devi's fake boyfriend. Daxton are together the entire season but when Nalini finds out, she ships the perfect future gender from India for Devi. Isn’t Nalini friends with Des’s mother? So daxton and des all decide to play the moms by sneaking around while Des is Devi’s arm candy in front of the fam. I don't know what's in it for Des. Maybe they could be strictly platonic (because of theory #2, he and Aneesa fall for each other or he has his eyes on someone else. Or he's just not interested). Or the writers use the fake dating trope to bring Devi and Des closer together. I can't see the latter happening because the writing made sex a big deal for Devi's character and daxton's development. Their hook up, that has been foreshadowed since the pilot, will be undermined if Devi moves on to another boyfriend in literally the following episode. Daxton have sex for the first time in episode 8 while her and Des make it official in episode 9? It doesn't add up unless... Devi/Des is all a charade. I don't know how I feel about this one because I'm a big advocate for Nalini and Paxton forming a relationship at least by the end of the season.

5 days to go! Start forming the prayer circle around Devi, Paxton, their relationship and especially their character development. Nervousness aside, I’m excited to see my messy babies again. Bring on season 3!!!

[simplysnowbarry]

SNOWBARRY WEEK 2021 - ANNIVERSARY EDITION

Snowbarry Week 2021 is going ahead, albeit on different dates. New dates have been chosen in November, coinciding with the week before Season 8 airs, and also to avoid clashing with major holidays. We wanted to ensure everyone had plenty of time to create.

We’ve also chosen the prompts so as to speed the process along; these prompts were chosen from those submitted to us. As promised, each day has 2 prompts - you can do one or the other, or both if you like! - and we’ve also got extras for artists, as well as a few song prompts.

day 1, Nov 8th - “Five years is a long time” + in the spotlight

day 2, Nov 9th - mistaken identity / disguise + domestic fic

day 3, Nov 10th – scientific terms + morning after

day 4, Nov 11th - FREE DAY + any past prompts

day 5, Nov 12th – period drama + missing canon moments

day 6, Nov 13th – action / adventure + outsider POV

day 7, Nov 14th – established relationship + party / ball

extras for artists:

fall / autumn aesthetic (examples: x x x)

jewel tones colored gifs / graphics (example: x)

musical / theater related

song prompts:

What’s Up Ahead by Yeng Constantino feat. Yan Asuncion 

The Ballad of Barry Allen by Jim’s Big Ego

Your favorite song for the pairing

We apologize if the new dates inconvenience anyone, but to make up for it we are allowing posting indefinitely after the dates have passed. If you finish your work in December, or next year, we’ll still reblog it as a Snowbarry Week entry. Posting guidelines will be posted closer to the date. We hope to see you all in November, and in the mean time, HAPPY CREATING!

(!) F.A.Q

Who can participate in Snowbarry Week?

ANYONE! Writers, giffers, manip-ers (?), fan artists smol and toll. We welcome fan fiction, gifsets, manips, fanart, fanmixes, …

Can days be combined?

YES! Outsider POV for a period drama? Or established relationship, and mistaken identity? All joking aside, you can combine whichever prompts you’d like.

Can I create work for both the artists prompts and the writer prompts?

ABSOLUTELY YES!

Can I use the artists prompts for a fic, or the writer prompts for art work?

GO CRAZY!

If I want to contribute something do I have to do something for every day?

Not at all. You’re free to commit to a single day, and we will be so flipping excited to see it. The point is just to have fun with the prompts, even if it’s just the one.

Can I post a WIP that I started working on before that fits a Snowbarry Week theme?

Yes, of course! We’re not a Big Bang, or even a Mini Bang, we don’t require art or fic to have been created from scratch for exactly this week.

I’m going to be busy/out of town during Snowbarry Week. Can I post early/late?

We’d really like to avoid early posting. If you’re out of town or too busy the week itself you can always schedule posts for the correct dates.

Posting late shouldn’t be a problem. Posting Day 1 on Day 3 is also perfectly fine, just make sure we can tell which day you’re posting for, so our heads don’t start spinning.

What does free day mean?

Basically, free day is where you decide what prompt you want to do something with. As long as it’s Snowbarry, you’re okay to do whatever you want. A free day in the middle of the week might also provide some much needed breathing space for all the contributors.

And since this is our bumper anniversary edition Snowbarry Week, our free day also doubles as an opportunity to create for any of our past prompts! If there was a prompt you didn’t manage to finish something for, or just always liked the sound of doing but missed the opportunity, we’d love to see that for this day to have a fun revival of some of the great prompts from past events.

What does [insert theme] mean?

Oh man, this is a hard one to answer. In the spotlight could mean a Celebrity or Politician AU, or it could be about team karaoke, or even a talent show in high school! We can’t tell you which roles to cast your characters in, because everyone has different interpretations. If you can justify the connection, we’re pretty sure you’re good.

Does my idea fit the theme?

Like we said above, if you can justify it, we’re pretty sure you’re good. If you’re really not sure, hit us up!

If there are more questions, please don’t hesitate to drop us an ask. Any questions you don’t want published, feel free to come off anon and ask us as well - we promise we won’t publish what you’re not comfortable with, just let us know if you want it answered privately.

[likesrandomstuff]

Avalance Fic Recommendations Part 4

The final part of this series. Thanks to everyone who reblogged and liked, and a huge shout-out to @heywhereisperry who encouraged and motivated me into doing this.

As I said in Part 1, feel free to add any more stories you think should be recognised to any of these posts, and my ask box is open if you would like more detail on anything.

Part 1: Bite Sized

Part 2: Snacks

Part 3: Meals

Banquets (Over 75,000 words)

When you do not have anything you need to do in the next couple of days

You're My Miracle by bihexualmess

My tags: Ava is FBI, Sara is a Private Investigator, Rip brings Sara on for a case

This just got updated the other week and ruined multiple nights of sleep for me. At almost 350k words, still going, I don’t know how to explain without spoiling stuff that happens a long way in. There are so many layers to both Ava and Sara here, and the trauma, and the issues, and the fact they will not talk to each other about anything. I jumped on this a bit late, as the title and description didn’t grab me, but oh boy, I was missing out. I did get to read a heap of it in one go, but that doesn’t help the slow burn. I would start this even though it’s still a WIP, just because it will take you a while, to read, and also the storylines need time to settle in, because they are heavy, but just amazing. It is now the longest Avalance fic with the latest update.

this is the way that we love (like it's forever) by CoffeeAndArrows, moonlitprincess

My tags: College Avalance dated and broke up, five years later they meet again, Ava’s dating someone else

This fic had me crying in the lunchroom during my second week of work because I couldn’t not read during my lunch break, and it was hitting me so hard. That was after starting it at 10pm, reading to 2am, sleeping until 6am, reading until 11am a couple of days before. Warning for major character deaths; the funeral for one is alluded to in the description. If anyone says something bad about Jordan, I will not be happy; one of the best original characters I have ever read in a fic. Sara’s not in a great place initially, but she gets there. And there’s some cute flashbacks to college Legends too.

you make me smile (please stay for a while now) by CoffeeAndArrows, moonlitprincess

My tags: High School Rivals AU, Ava’s class president, Sara is the superstar soccer captain, they have more in common than they thought

I just looked at the word count for this, and it must be the first time I have, because wow! It is a journey! There’s a couple of prequel, sequel and interjection stories in this universe too. Ava has to deal with her family not being super supportive when she comes out. Sara has to deal with Laurel struggling and their mum having a clear favourite (Laurel). Most of the Legends have really great arcs in here as well. Ava’s family is great. I wanna hang out with her little sister. Don’t be like 2018 me who gives up after the first chapter because they are mad about what Laurel is going through. She’s fine, and there’s a heap of great Sara and Laurel moments. I recently re-read the last 10 chapters, and I still couldn’t stop myself from reading like it was the first time.

i am who you used to love (and you are just a memory) by justpalsbeingals

My tags: The Vow AU, but Ava makes some better choices early on, they’re married, Ava gets into an accident and loses all memory of Sara

I hate the movie this fic is based on. The movie’s fine, and it was a delight seeing Tatiana Maslany in it while I was watching Orphan Black, but basically it is my worst-case scenario, losing my memory. The fact that this fic kept me hooked despite that, is a testament to the quality. The fic itself says “light angst”, I say it’s much, much heavier than that, but that’s just me. Warning, there are some intense twists in here, and everyone is a bit OOC to me, memory loss being considered, which might not be your thing.

and i will stumble and fall (i'm still learning to love) by lucylikestowrite

My tags: SwanQueen kid fic AU, yes, I know go with me on this, Ava adopted Sara’s unexpected baby, said kid finds Sara years later

In general, as I’ve mentioned before, I don’t like kid fics. Fics with future children coming back to meet their parents, or the couple going into the future? Some of my favourites ever. This has no time travel, but I trust Lucy. This story is under 75k, but the sequel is almost as long, so combined they’re over. The sequel is a WIP. I didn’t watch Once Upon a Time, but it’s the plot of the start of that, except the gay actually happens. There are a lot of issues our girls have to work through here, but the kid is so cute.

and we could try by plinys

My tags: it’s a story mostly told on twitter through fake screen shots of social media, Sara drunk messages Ava, Ava doesn’t block her

I’m sure this format of storytelling is not for everyone, and that’s okay! I was so confused by it at first. I would recommend starting with the shorter one, I can be your hero (in Part 2), just to see if you like it, before jumping into this. I read this when the epilogue, the fic, was released, and I was up until 5am because I couldn’t stop. It became part of my personality. Story wise, Sara and Ava are on different coasts, but both know Nate, Ray and Nora. Ray and Nora get engaged, and Avalance have to deal with planning that wedding, and whatever is going on with them.

take my hands now by plinys

My tags: Another Social Media twitter AU, Sara is The Canary, Ava is trying to arrest vigilantes, Nate accidently gives Ava Sara’s number

Another brilliant twitter story. Some of our gang is trying to arrest the other half. Sara knows who Ava is, Ava doesn’t know that Sara is the person she’s chasing. Everyone has public twitter accounts. Sara actually gets [spoiler villain] to stop an attack by sending them money for a drink.

your eyes, they shine so bright by plinys

My tags: Social Media AU, everyone works for not Buzzfeed, a colab series is pitched, Sara and Ava’s teams have to work together

Ava makes factual videos, Sara does not, they are forced to work together. Nate is everyone’s boss technically, but they do what they want. Nate and Ava are non-biological siblings, and Satan Camp is a running gag. Oh, fake dating is in there too!

right to the top, don't hold back by SJAandDWfan

My tags: American Ninja Warrior AU, Sara’s a veteran and the Legends train together, Ava’s a rookie, rivals to training partners to friends to …

I re-read this every year when the new Australian season comes out. It’s so burned into my brain that when I was watching the speed climbing at the Olympics I genuinely thought “I wonder how Amaya would go in this?”. Amaya’s pre-Ninja experience is rock climbing in this fic. I learnt so much about Ninja Warrior and how the show (at least in this universe) works, and it’s fascinating. Would recommend watching some clips if you’re unfamiliar with the concept. The story goes pretty in detail about the courses. For recommendations, either Jessie Gaff, who was a S1 Supergirl stuntwoman, or Australia’s own Olivia Vivian, who is just stages better than our next female.

biding our time (until tomorrow) by TheTruthAboutLove

My tags: Period setting AU, Ava’s too noble for her own good, Oliver’s dad is the villain

This was a really cool experiment. Basically, told in lots of mini chapters like a soap opera. I do not know much about this period of American history, but it did not matter. A lot of different Arrow-verse peeps show up along the way. I’m sure I complained out loud “you’re allowed to want things Ava!” at some point. There’s an attempt for fake dating, and it’s not the homophobia but the second daughter problem that gets them.

Click here to see all the parts

[feather-dancer]

Tales of Arcadia Fanfic Recommendations - Part 6

I do admittedly have things left to read in my tabs I’d normally prefer to clear out before posting one of these but when you sail past the 30 mark I think it’s about time to get it out my drafts, yeah? Most importantly means this will be out before Rise of the Titans comes and emotionally destroys us all.

Needless to say soon as this is posted I give it 24 hours before 7 starts, we’ve got some amazing writers in this fandom and there’s a couple I juuust want one more chapter before I feel I can recommend it. Hope you find something you enjoy :)

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5

If at all interested in my own writing you can find it here!

General Trollhunters

Romeo, Question Mark - Jim is figuring himself out and has a question for Toby though nervous of how he might react. Honestly the support Aromantic’s need when they’re either questioning or coming out, Toby is a gem.

By The Book - After his dad left changing his world Jim had moments in his life where he needed to wrangle things in a way he could understand them with some moral support along the way that wasn’t there to do it for him, just give a light nudge the right direction. Comes with light Jilaire fluff.

That I Could Fear a Door - Jim was pulled from the Darklands whole but you cannot escape the trauma of your experiences quite so easily. It will take a little time, a lot of patience and perhaps the right ear to listen but with it can come hope.

Lest Back the Awful Door Should Spring - Sequel to the above, Jim’s capture to be sentenced by the tribunal echoes his experiences in the Darklands a little too closely sending all his careful progress hurtling back in one fell swoop. Is it any wonder he chose a false freedom that Unkar offered?

Façade - The confirmation that Mr. Strickler is not the man you thought he was probably was not going to be an easy one, Jim’s thoughts sit ill after that dinner.

Fashion - All changelings take root somewhere in a human life before their changeling one succeeds it and Nomura is no different. She felt love she could not understand and the ache of loss will follow for as she meanders through this world by the Whisper Man’s orders and her own volition of needing to belong somewhere. She will try her hand with the humans and the trolls, paint the road with blood as much as indulging herself with the arts and even risking her heart until everything leads her to Arcadia’s doorstep.

In Deep Trouble - What happened in the Deep during Season 2?

Aftermath - Just after the finale of Season 2 the Market trolls are forced to run leaving their homes behind and follow the Trollhunter they had dismissed so many times into the great unknown before them.

Don’t think - Jim weighs up his options and attempts to settle his thoughts before making the final decision whether or not to go through with using Merlin’s potion.

Nocturne for a Trollhunter - Jim learns a new hobby that gives him another way to relax that doesn’t involve cooking, one that follows him beyond Arcadia.

The Asteroid - A rare 3Below fic for my lists if centered on a certain hedge witch and Wizard. The end of the world is coming but not by Morgana’s hand and Merlin certainly never warned Douxie about it so if this truly is the end then it’s the best time to bring your loved ones close so you won’t be going out alone. Yes it’s Zouxie.

A bright future so it seemed (but that light grew a little less bright) - Claire’s parents (Or more specifically Ophelia) set her on the perfectionist’s path early, even a little slip can feel like the end of the world

Rest, Master Jim - You might be able to escape the Darklands but you cannot escape the consequences of being trapped there for so long as easily.

General Wizards

Not Found - So why did neither Douxie or Archie find the two remaining changelings in Arcadia or bring back the sole Akiridion when Merlin asked?

Place of Power - A lovely bit of shameless Zouxie fluff in that brief period the gang was at Hex Tech before the plot came to get them.

Bitter Water - Only two of the old team remain in Arcadia and those were Jim and Krel, the rest having left to pursue educational pursuits and in one particular case kept away for Nari’s safety. For the Akiridion he is still here with reminders of his heritage and what it took to have this life on earth chasing him all the way. It’s always good to have friends with a listening ear and hot chocolate.

Together, Dearest - The very act of resting is a potential invitation for nightmares and Nari is no different but when once more in the waking world you will find you’re not alone, there are hugs available.

The Night Belongs To Us - Lovingly described Skraelroc fluff during their long hunt for Merlin and the strangeness that can be observed on clearer nights.

Nineteen Plus Nine Hundred, Give Or Take - 900 years is a long time by anyone’s standards but perhaps during that Douxie can figure out how to truly live.

Twelfth Century Wizard, Twenty-First Century Witch - The follow up to the above, when you’ve lived a long and interesting life things can still pop up in odd ways... Even if you haven’t quite mastered the sacred art of texting yet.

ERAS TÚ (It was you). | Tales of Arcadia One-Shot - Would you want to live forever if it meant leaving everyone behind? Jilaire.

the only way for us to go - From his rescue from the streets of Camelot to the eventual guardian of this realm, Douxie has come a very, very long way. Through the frustrations of trying to learn magic, the belittling of others, the faith of Morgana and the power of music his experiences throughout 900 years truly make him what he is.

lay down your head - Even the mightiest can be plagued with the not so humble migraine. Skraelroc fluff.

Stricklake

Merry Christmas, Doctor Lake - Some Christmas gifts are worth going all out for and getting your friends and family to help out to make it extra special.

Grocery Run - After the incident where Merlin dismissed Strickler for being a changeling it is time for an excuse to get out the house for a bit and have a frank discussion about their relationship, the future beyond the incoming battle and lingering insecurities of two worlds colliding.

Alternate Universe

Fashionista, How Do You Look? - An AU that very much takes the term very literally here where everyone is human, Skrael, Bellroc and Nari are fashion designers plus many other ToA characters we know and love are either in the industry in some way themselves or on the fringes because of their jobs/who they know. Sometimes you work with catty bitches and want to kick back and watch the fireworks you know? Contains friends to almost to enemies to friends to maybe we’ll get our shit together this time but the odds aren’t great Skraelroc. There’s also a Zouxie oneshot in this collection that was a gift for meee because of the corner I dug in the AU.

Atlas, Fallen - When a star falls from the sky it is a punishment so when Atlas suddenly finds himself amongst the humans he had observed from above for countless ages in a flesh body like theirs he fears his Mother is punishing him and unable understand what he did wrong. While trying to find his way back home he gets a crash course in what it’s like to be human making friends along the way. Slow burn Jilaire.

she once was a true love of mine - I put this under the AU section even though it wavers between that and not, a mixture of classical Arthurian mythos and the glimpses of the Camelot in Tales of Arcadia where one kingdom collapses from war another strengthens by taking their princess as queen. While Arthur might have turned her head once it is the sibling that seems to be catching Gwen’s eye of late as much as her thoughts. Morgwen but in the department of pining.

Pulled From The Ocean - AU doesn’t quite fit this one but it feels a bit more fitting than general. A little oneshot snapshot of Jim living with deafness and the contrast of one world that falls easily into supporting that whereas the other tries their best but it makes the slip ups sting even more.

you are a stranger here, why have you come? - Fate is a funny old thing, something happens a little bit differently such as a father not leaving alone and everything can change so drastically. Nari’s fondness for children strikes again and this time it involves a 5-year old Jim Lake Jr. ending in the Order’s care and their foray into found family. Somehow Jim is even more of a disaster and as likely surmised from the fact I write this trope myself I am very weak for it.

go into your local forest and you will find a friend and a boy - Toby was unlucky in the friend department and by the time he is ten he still feels miserable and lonely having to endure Steve’s increasing bullying all the while. This is of course until he finds a blue half-troll hiding out the daylight hours munching cans in the local woods...

[puckinginsane]

Just a little thing l did this season (2021). Wrote down all of the quotes from Bones (and a few others) about Jamie's leadership.

Under The Cut

Bones 4.26.2021 : I think he loves these situations where he can put the team on his back and say ‘Let’s go,’ And he’s been doing that for a long time this season. It’s great to see. He’s giving us great leadership on the bench, in the room. It’s nice to see him be rewarded. He’s just not going to be denied.

Jake Oettinger : 4.26.2021 : Everyone loves that guy. He’s the best captain I’ve ever played for and he’s a guy that you want out there when the game’s on the line. He wants to win more than anyone and he wants to lead this team into the playoffs. Just really happy for him. A lot of people don’t see what type of person he is off the ice or to the guys or the type of leadership that he brings on a daily basis.

NBCSN Broadcast (Joe Micheletti) : 4.19.2021 : On the weekend I talked to Stars GM Jim Nill and  I also talked to Stars head coach Rick Bowness separately and we talked about all the issues that they’ve had this season and what they’ve had to go through and we’ve mentioned the injuries and then COVID and they miss the start of the season then the terrible storm that Texas put up with and more postponements. And I said well how've you been able to stay in it? And both of them said, unprovoked, separate conversations, Jamie Benn has been unbelievable on and off the ice for us. His leadership and what he’s provided has kept everybody in the moment and kept everybody thinking the same way. That’s how good he’s been for them. Jamie Benn means an awful lot to this organization.

Bones : 4.15.2021 : Jamie’s been playing fantastic at center. He’s been playing his heart out. So it all starts to me with Jamie and he drives the bus here, and when he’s playing as hard as he has at center then everyone else has to feed off of that.

Bones : 4.10.2021 : He’s been skating really well and you can see it. He’s had a lot of jump in his legs and I also think he’s relishing the role he has with the team that’s fighting for its life for a playoff spot. He’s relishing the leadership that comes...and the responsibility that comes with the role or the position we’re in so I really like the way he’s skating. He’s doing a lot of good things behind the scenes that you don’t see, but he’s also doing great things on the ice and leading by example so that’s what we need from him and he’s delivering.

Bones : 4.8.2021 : (Asked about Jamie’s overall game that night.) Great. He played very well. Big faceoff guy. He’s been playing really, really well. He hasn’t had the support on his line that I would like to see and that’s why I put him at center. To…’cause he’s been skating really well. He’s been a physical force. He’s been a dominant player but he still needs to get some more help from his line mates so we’re working on that. We all have full faith in Jamie. Ok we need you to play center tonight. And he was good on the faceoffs. He liked that tonight. I know he’d probably prefer left wing but he’s such a great leader on this team. We need you to play center tonight. There’s no talk, no conversation. Just ok. Whatever you need, coach. I gotta love that.

John Stevens : 4.5.2021 : The leadership in the group is really strong, starting with Jamie Benn.

Bones : 4.3.2021 : I’ll tell you who did an incredible job tonight was Jamie Benn. That’s two games in a row. He got a huge goal for us at the right time of the game. I’ve been complaining about that all year. Where’s that timely goal? He did it in Nashville early in that third period. He did it tonight. We’re down 2-1, get a power play, and came up huge for us. He was great on the bench, competed hard, he’s done a great job leading. Those third and fourth line guys, when that happens they want to contribute, they want to chip in because they see their leader out there busting his butt doing all of the things we need to do to win.

Bones : 4.2.2021 : Jamie had a great game tonight. That’s one of his better games, regardless, I know that he got that power play goal, he needed it. But he did a great job tonight on the bench, in the room, and on the ice he played very very well. Very hard.

Bones : 3.17.2021 : (asked about Jamie’s game that night) He got the big goal for us. He battles hard. He’s great on the bench and when things aren’t going good you see him trying his best out there to get things going.

Bones : 1.31.2021 : (First game back from injury) When he found his legs he was a dominant force out there. You know, that penalty he takes, it’s right in front of our bench and those are the ones that you absolutely have to kill. He did that to get the team going, to light a fire under us and that’s just the type of leader he is. And then it’s up to the penalty killers to go out and do the job and they did a fantastic job on that penalty. So, when your leader’s out there doing that and throwing the body around and laying it on the line then takes a penalty, we’ll kill those. We have to kill those and our guys did a great job. But when Jamie got his legs he was a dominant force out there.

[daisiesflower]

Black Sails Female Costumes: Nassau and London Dresses

This post will delve into what women of the early 18th century would have been wearing and compare that to the costumes worn by many of the women in Black Sails. We’ll look at Max’s costumes once she becomes a madame, Eleanor’s costumes in season 3 onwards, Miranda Barlow/Hamilton’s costumes in both Nassau and London, plus some costumes of minor characters (Mrs Hudson, Abigail Ashe, and Madame Guthrie).

Now, the main thing that the show got right in terms of historical accuracy with these dresses is silhouette. The conical shape of the bodices, the round skirts without the use of panniers, wide and round necklines, use of mantuas for the most part, and sleeves that end below the elbow (though the shape of the sleeves often leaves much to be desired). There are some issues with silhouette - mostly in the posture the women adopt, at the very least Miranda in London and Max in later seasons should be wearing stays that pull their shoulders much farther back to create a more erect posture. 

The biggest grievances I have with the women’s costumes in terms of accuracy are color, sleeve shape, and the fact that many stomachers appear to be incorrectly attached, which I will discuss in a moment. Many costumes are also made from modern fabrics with very modern patterns, though I personally am a fan of using modern fabrics on historical dresses. 

The main defining feature of early 18th century fashion is the mantua. Essentially the mantua is the outer dress worn during the time, with a stiff bodice and a round skirt. The mantua could be worn in a variety of ways, with the skirt open in the front to reveal a colorful petticoat, with the bodice open in the front to reveal a fancy stomacher, with the bodice loose in the back for a more informal style, or with the skirt bunched up or slightly short with a matching petticoat underneath.

A stomacher was a triangular piece that would have attached to the stays (stays are discussed in my post about the prostitute fashion), with much decoration, that an open fronted mantua would have been worn over and then pinned to. The main problem of the Black Sails stomachers is the way that they are attached. Rather than being worn underneath the mantua, they are simply sewn straight onto it. For fashionistas, the modern equivalent would be wearing a lacy bralette under a low cut top, but then just cutting the lace off and resewing it to the shirt. It’s a minor thing, but it does make a difference. 

The other main issue I mentioned are the sleeves. Eleanor is the biggest offender of this, while Miranda (who overall has the most accurate outfits) never seems to have this issue. Sleeves of the time period were not tight. They ended just below the elbow and were either a wide bell shape, or were tight and then flared out in a trumpet shape. Both designs were to show off the lace of their chemise underneath (once again, see my post on prostitutes). Many of the dresses in Black Sails feature long, straight sleeves that end either at the wrist or just below the elbow (and I personally blame the 2004 Marie Antoinette film for starting the trend of 3/4 length tight sleeves on 18th century gowns).

I mentioned Miranda has the overall most accurate outfits, which especially holds true for her Nassau gowns. The colors are very correct - pastels were favored in this time period, and she has the wide bell shaped sleeves that show off her white chemise underneath. When she’s at home, we often see her in a very loose mantua (known as a robe à la française or a sack back gown, which was worn in many different styles and many different circumstances), a popular choice for more informal wear. She’s also the only women who we ever see wearing a lace covering on her hair, a very accurate look.

In London, we see her wearing a very different style, though still very accurate. Despite the fact that these scenes take place 10 years prior to the show time period, fashion did not change drastically between 1705-1715. Her mantuas in London are not open front, and make up the entirety of her dress. Though the draping of the fabric on the bodices makes them appear more rounded, they do in fact have the same conical, pointed shape that was popular during the period. Her silks would have been very accurate for a noblewoman in London, however the color is completely wrong - she would have been wearing pastel silks, with perhaps a bit more decoration.

Eleanor Guthrie-Rodgers in seasons 3 and 4 shifts from wearing her pirate garb to the dresses of the ladies of London. Her and Mrs Hudson wear practically identical styles of dresses, with identical inaccuracies. There are quite a few things wrong with her dresses. As mentioned before, she is the worst offender when it comes to sleeves, at no point does she ever wear historically accurate sleeves. She is also the worst offender when it comes to the incorrectly attached stomachers, and while she does have one or two paler dresses, she mostly wears jewel tones as opposed to pastels. That being said, I am a fan of the style of her manutas. The tighter bodice with the pleated skirt is what was known as a robe à l’anglaise or a close bodied gown, and what I like about them is that the mantua is all one gown. To explain, at first glance I thought they had made Eleanor’s bodices seperate pieces from her skirts, which is often what period costumers do when they want the appearance of a close bodied gown while cutting some corners. However, to my delight upon closer inspection, every one of Eleanor’s gowns is a full mantua with a visible waist seam and very accurate pleating on the skirt. It’s a shame the designer went to painstaking lengths to get this one detail accurate, while leaving the sleeves and stomacher as incorrect as they are. It’s interesting to note that her grandmother wears a very similar style to her (though her sleeves are a more accurate shape).

This is getting very long and we haven’t even started talking about the fashion icon that is Max! Max wears probably the most outfits of anyone on the show, which means that her costumes vary wildly from having very accurate details to very inaccurate ones. She wears some gorgeous mantuas, but some of her dresses have seperate bodices from skirts (as mentioned with Eleanor); some of her sleeves are wider bell shapes and some are straight and narrow; many of her very accurate stomachers are very inaccurately attached; while she wears some accurate colors and decorations, many are very modern or a much darker color scheme than would have been seen during that time period. For that reason rather than going into her overall look, I’m going to include pictures of her and simply add labels discussing each outfit to the pictures so you can see how overall she is a blend of accurate and inaccurate. 

(Dress 1, top left: Bell sleeves and a mantua, however the mantua is laced in the front, not something that normally would have been done, and the dress is very dark. Dress 2, top middle: Tight sleeves, a separate bodice and skirt, incorrect stomacher, and modern fabrics, patterns, and colors. Dress 3, top right: Incorrect stomacher, a separate bodice and top, and tight sleeves, however the colors and decorations are lovely. )

(Dress 4, bottom left: A very nice open front mantua with a light petticoat, unfortunately there is an incorrect stomacher, tight sleeves, and very dark colors. Dress 5, bottom middle: A mantua with bell sleeves, however it is a very modern fabric in very dark colors. Dress 6, bottom right: Narrow sleeves, a separate bodice and skirt, and very dark modern decorations, but the color is very nice.)

(Dress 1, top left: Nice color with a lace chemise under the sleeves, but the sleeves are narrow, the skirt is separate from the bodice, and the decorations are very dark and modern. Dress 2, top middle: A mantua in a nice color, but with very dark decorations and tight sleeves. Dress 3, top right: She is wearing a mantua but it has an incorrect stomacher, tight sleeves, and dark colors)

(Dress 4, bottom left: A mantua with wide sleeves, an incorrect stomacher, dark colors and modern fabrics. Dress 5, bottom middle: Very dark with tight sleeves and an incorrect stomacher. Dress 6, bottom right: What is this??? What is this bodice??? What are those sleeves??? What is that waistcoat??? A pretty skirt fabric though)

As I did with the prostitute post, I’m going to end this with mentioning my personal favorite dress of this style in terms of accuracy - Abigail Ashe. Exactly the right color, a very pretty mantua with a perfect amount of decoration for someone of her monetary situation, and while the sleeves are a little too tight for my tastes we can clearly see the lace of her chemise underneath. All in all, very lovely.

[0carkki0]

NPCxOC?

People have gotten mad when I and many others have put their character with an NPC, and this has often started awful drama. I think it’s fine as long as you are making just stories by yourself about your characters. But when others are involved, like you guys start to role play as your characters, that’s when you should start have conversations and compromises what is allowed and what is not. 

I personally am still struggling with TaiViv (Taimi x Vividatt), since anyone who gets to be the victim of Vividatt’s strong yet deep feelings will get also something physically... pleasing. And this area is also something people still are very hush hush about. 

My solution to this is the automatic yes or no -answering program. You ask the question in your head, and then press the button or whatever triggers the program to react and give you an answer. This I do, because I feel like I’m being too greedy if I just decide that Taimi is in love with my character. And I can’t ask the AreneNet this question, like would Taimi actually fall for someone like Vividatt? If they disagree, I would be very disappointed. But then I would know to move on and think of something else. 

Anyway... With this program I kind of let the fate decide. ^^; 

I made a list of the story seasons in the game, including the personal story, and with each season I asked would Taimi’s interest grow in this season. I know that Taimi is only 12 when the personal story takes place, but let’s not forget that girls’ puberty starts really early. (My periods began at the age of ten.) Vividatt at the time was also still a teen, but his teen ages were about to come to an end, since he was 19. Which makes Taimi seven years younger. 

No, Vividatt is not a pedophile. He couldn’t be less sexually interested in the progeny. Taimi in this world is a reincarnation of Vivs’ childhood sweetheart, who died when Vivs was 7 years old. And even if asura are tiny, and probably even as adults remind norn and the humans of their own children, asura most likely can easily tell progeny from the adults. Even if the progeny was really tall for their age. 

Anyway... Out of all the 9 seasons, the program gave me ‘yes’ answer on 6 of them, which I take like these are the seasons when Taimi’s interest grew. Out of these 6 seasons’ episodes 22/59 including prologues, and not including epilogues were yes. 

Personal Story: 2/8 episodes were yes. Out of these 2 episodes 10 chapters were yes. 7/10 were mental interest. 6/10 were physical. 

Of course these were most likely from the stories she heard of the Commander. And she got curious what would this rumored Commander look like. Those two episodes were The Battle of the Claw Island and Forming the Pact. 

If the answer to the episode was no, or both physical and mental attraction were no, I asked which one was more interesting at that moment, Vividatt or Gorrik. Vividatt was ‘yes’ and Gorrik was ‘no’. Because there were times when the program gave me the answer ‘yes’ but gave me no on both physical and mental attraction, so it was something else that rose her interest in those cases. But what could have that something be? 

Well, whatever it was, I had to ask the Vivs vs. Gorrik question. 

The yes answers were as follows.... 

Seasons: 6/9 

Episodes: 20/55. 

50 chapters were ‘yes’, but I couldn’t count properly how many those were out of, since the season 1 is still not finished. 

But in season 1 her mental interest was 1 out of 5 chapters. Physical was 2. 

Season 2: Mental: 5/24 Physical: 6/24

Heart of Thorns: Mental: 4/9 Physical: 2/9 + prologue

Season 3 had none. 

Path of Fire: Mental: 4/7 Physical: 3/7 + prologue 

Season 4 had none. 

Icebrood Saga: Mental: 8/20 Physical: 8/20 

End of Dragons has none. 

When it came to that Vividatt versus Gorrik, it was 29 - 33. Gorrik won by 4 points but this does not include the times when it was about mental and/or physical attraction. But if you include those, Vivs won. 

If there was no any kind of attraction, I take it in a way that the interest pretty much stayed at the same levels. 

Taimi 12 years old. Vividatt 19. At the Personal Story, she most likely was impressed by how he got involved in this huge army that was formed to fight the Elder Dragons. Surprisingly she was not impressed at all by Vivs and the Destiny’s Edge defeating Zhaitan, but it could be that she had already some info about Scarlet, since it was very strange that a sylvari had gotten into the asura colleges. 

Taimi 13 years old. Vividatt 20. At the season 1, the beginning she probably did see Vivs live, but he did not see her. At first, she probably was impressed how someone so puny could fight side by side with a norn, so she got little physical attraction there. And well, she was teen, so that might have been partly also for the hormones. I can just imagine her getting a physically a bit... excited while she was trying to concentrate into studying, and then mumbles something ‘Stupid hormones...’. Also was little impressed how he survived the attack at the Molten Facility. What Zojja had told her about the Commander must have been mostly true. In later episodes she felt something else when meeting with him. Probably some kind of weird nostalgia, although she didn’t understand why. But since Braham was closer to her age, she stuck with him. 

Taimi 14 years old. Vividatt 21. At the season 2 at the beginning Taimi was getting more and more attracted to Vivs, at times feeling mental attraction and at times physical. After the Phluntastrofy, it was again something else. Was she again being nostalgic by something? Maybe how Vivs was more calm than she was. Somehow that triggered something inside. AFter fighting the Shadow of a Dragon, they return back to the camp. She still feels nostalgic, but did she take a recording of teh commander while they were talking? Does she watch from time to time? Also hearing about his exploits keeps impressing her and reminding her about something... 

Taimi 15. Vividatt 22. At the Heart of Thorns, at the beginning just seeing the Commander again makes Taimi’s hormones go a bit wild again. She tries to ignore them. After going deeper in the jungle, Taimi notices that the Commander talks more than usual. Again nostalgia. And at the time they find the old magitech and Exalted tech computer, Taimi feels like spending time alone with the Commander feels somehow so easy. No need to explain too much to him, and she felt lie she could talk to him about anything really, without getting too much judged. While trying to get to the Rata Novus, she was worried if Vivs could find the group, but he found them after making some deals with locals. The Commander did manage on his own quite good. Taimi had to at least impress the Commander, since he was the leader of this group and at the moment the whole army, since the army’s actual leader was gone. That was all. If Taimi managed to impress the Commander, she would most likely become the official member of this group. A perfect opportunity to make a name of yourself! That’s all it was. And Taimi manages to impress Vivs. And after Taimi hears about the battle that took place with the Elder Dragon of nature, she was as well. 

Taimi 16. Vividatt 23. Season 3, Taimi is very determined to make the Commander really notice her... This was a good opportunity, since the others were a bit gathered all around the world, and only Taimi and the Commander had the communicator. Well, till The Commander met this weird solder that talked like she was flirting all the time. Taimi didn’t like her, but gave that woman a communicator as well, just so the Commander and her could work more easily. Well, should probably make more of them. The communicator was faster than the letter dove. 

Around here, Taimi learns more about Vividatt’s dark secrets... 

Taimi 17. Vividatt 24. Path of Fire. Hearing from the Commander felt good. Right now just hearing his voice gets Taimi in the better mood. Too bad the communicator at Elona only worked if Vivs was high enough location. Hormones... Emotions... And that annoying Phlunt makes Taimi wish she was at the Elona already. Emotinal and physical attraction keeps growing, since Vivs has started to show interest as well. Vivs’ interest and treatment of the local mounts triggered nostalgia again. And after the Commander almost died made Taimi realize that she has to hurry, so she can go and help the Commander by standing right next to him. With this line of work, every word could be the last. And Taimi really wants to hear how the Commander survived the death. And of course the Commander managed to kill the God of Fire with Aurene. Is there anything he can’t do? Well, he says he can’t eat sauerkraut. 

Taimi 18. Vividatt 25. Ups and downs. Real roller coaster of feelings. Anger, Sadness, Fear and Joy. Interest remains as the same. And Vivs shows a bit jealousy. 

Taimi 19. (The age of Vivs when he started this journey!) Vividatt 26. Icebrood Saga. While Vivs went to celebrate with others to the charr homelands, Taimi stayed at the Rata Sum to write the thing about the Elder Dragons. Taimi learns later what happened, since she gave her communicators to the people who traveled with the Commander. Mental and physical interest grows, since Vividatt somehow seems to be excited about this cold and creepy atmosphere. And so was Taimi... She could imagine the Commander to fight in the middle of all these tall charr and norn, still appearing very great and respected individual. After they hear about the Primordus rising as well, after witnessing the Commander running around Tyria defending people with his allies, while Taimi again kept contact with the communicator. And how Vivs told Ryland to ‘suck his dick’ when he was suggesting the Commander feeling threatened since he wasn’t now the only Elder Dragon Champion in the world of the mortal species. And later at the Arcane Council chamber, Vivs couldn’t care less what he others were saying. He clearly was focusing on what Taimi had to say. Somehow the Commander seemed a bit fed up with the other people. He mumbles before he leaves the chamber that the ability to mind control would be a nice ability to have at the moment. Taimi also was glad to notice that the Commander had been listening to her this whole time. Especially now that the time of making two dragons go at each other was finally here. 

Taimi 20. Vividatt 27. End of Dragons. Taimi and Vividatt have reached the peak of their attraction towards each other. They still keep them hidden and in control. But there are moments when they just have to be all over each other. 

X3 Sorry if this sounds very confusing. I have stayed up all night and I’m really sleepy at the moment. I hope you understand even just a little bit of what I have been babbling here. I just love writing about Vividatt. XP Thank you for reading if you read it all, or even if just some of it! XB I’m now gone to sleep! Good night! ... Wait it’s morning... Good morning? ^^; Anyway. I’m off to sleep.