#could be a great conversation for newbies and spark some great entertainment for those of us that already know

[last-of-the-lot]

Something I didn't know I wanted so bad before seeing a post about how the dragons would be handled in season three, but I want season three to open in medias res in draconia against Vorugal or on Glintshore, and we slowly get the full story of the encounter with Raishan in the council room and how we got to the fight we were dropped into as we progress through the season.

I'm usually not a fan of flash backs, but I feel like it would really suit the talk. Wouldn't feel like Raishan is dumping so much on the party so quickly, and instead we get fights interspersed with progression.

[gracesloveletters]

with love. profiles

masterlist

profiles: 

💌 y/n 💌 : Your passion for art, history, and literature has led you to the extremes of being the top of your history class, and being stuck in the library surrounded by textbooks during every spare moment (willingly). You’re very involved in high school life as a Student Council member, Student Mentor, and a writer for a column in the school paper. Despite your academic reputation, however, your hopeless romantic antics threaten to ruin your final year of of high school. Honestly, you’re just trying your best. 

contact: 😪 how are we even bffs? 💖

mingyu: Somehow the universe had destined for you and Mingyu to become best friends, and that is what the two of you have been since childhood. As polar opposites, Mingyu had always encouraged you to go on adventures, meet new people, live a little. In return you would encourage him to stop failing classes and spend more time in the library with you rather than on the running track. You trust each other completely, so why is it that lately you’ve both been hiding something from the other?

groupchat: ✨ golden boys ✨️

Seungcheol: The school’s #1 golden boy. He has a few important titles under his belt; Captain of the Track and Field Team, member of the Student Council, Student Mentor, top of all of his classes (except for history because of a certain someone), so it only makes sense that he’s in the running for valedictorian. The boy exudes kindness, confidence and honesty, but there’s one skeleton he’s been desperately trying to hide in the closet. Just like you, he’s only trying his best. 

Jeonghan: With ethereal beauty and an angelic voice on his side, Yoon Jeonghan is the school’s second official golden boy. As a member of the Student Council and the choir throughout his entire high school life, he’s developed many connections. Although this golden boy has a golden voice, don’t put it past him to cause a little mayhem every now and then. However, becoming the emergency-voted Student Council Vice President halfway through the year was certainly not part of the plan. 

joshua: Joshua Hong completes the trio as the final golden boy; possibly everyone’s favourite if they absolutely had to choose. A member of the Student Council, a Student Mentor, in the choir, and known to volunteer outside of school on the weekends, how could anyone not think highly of him? He’s considered the most quiet and reserved of the golden trio, but everyone knows Jeonghan couldn’t possibly get up to all that mischief on his own. 

groupchat: 🎶🎨 creative leaders 📚🌟

jun: Jun didn’t really know what he was expecting when he moved high schools a few years ago, but becoming the exchange-student-turned-International-Leader was definitely not it. Anyone from the outside looking in would say he’s perfect for the role; he’s obviously from another country, he’s smart, polite, well-spoken, not to mention he’s been doing a great job with International Leader “affairs” and “responsibilities”. But if you asked him about his role in the school, he would politely excuse himself from the conversation. Not because he doesn’t like the attention, but rather he kind of has no idea what he’s doing... fake it ‘til you make it, right?

soonyoung: The amount of times you have witnessed this boy challenge unsuspecting new students to dance battles in the hallway is quite ridiculous, but unsurprising. Soonyoung, who would prefer it if you called him “Hoshi”, wears the title of Dance Captain like a badge of honour; his apparent life mission being to recruit the school’s most talented and promising dancers into the Dance Team. Everyone in the school could vouch that Soonyoung was the most passionate dancer on the team, whether they were a friend of his or not. The newest recruit has especially impressed him, but there’s someone else entirely that’s caught his eye. 

wonwoo: Outside of attending classes, there are two things you could safely bet on that Jeon Wonwoo would be doing; manning the desk in the library, or busily editing the school paper, so bumping into each other is more likely than not for the two of you. School life, and life in general, is quiet for Wonwoo, and he prefers it that way. However, a mysterious letter changes everything, and suddenly Wonwoo finds himself receiving a lot of unwanted attention. 

jihoon: Band Captain, Student Council Vice President, and first-chair clarinet were the titles Lee Jihoon unexpectedly dropped halfway though the year, sparking the school’s latest rumour mill. He had caught everyone by surprise with his sudden resignation from those previous responsibilities. Even the teachers knew that no one could ever fill those now-empty shoes. You of all people would know, because you were the first friend he ever made in high school. 

seokmin: If Dance Captain Soonyoung had any competition in the passion department, it would come from none other than Choir Captain Seokmin. When he’s not in the choir practice room, you can easily locate him by following the sound of intense vocal warm-ups. Seokmin’s popular in school for being an all-round entertainer and having a smile that could help stop wars. So why did finding  a peculiar letter in his locker one day turn that signature smile into a frown. 

minghao: Although he’s been attending high school just as long as you have, Minghao continues to remain a mystery to most. One thing that’s for certain about the boy is that you can always find him with a camera in hand; dedicated to his job as the photographer for the school paper, and posting artistic shots on his Instagram. Soonyoung has been begging him to join the dance club nearly everyday for a year after Jun let it slip that Minghao used to b-boy under the alias The8, who seems to be the only one who knows anything about the photographer. 

groupchat: y/n + the three musketeers 💯

Seungkwan: When the Student Mentor program was first introduced, you were assigned two new students, Seungkwan being one of them. He and Vernon started the Outside-In podcast during their first year of high school and have gained a significant following ever since. Having made an impression on the boys whilst mentoring them, Seungkwan has dedicated himself to being your loyal supporter and friend, threatening that anyone would “catch these hands” if they dared to even look at you funny. If he’s not hanging out with Vernon, you will most likely find him in the choir practice room.

Vernon: The second student you were assigned with when the Student Mentor program was first introduced. As the other half of the Outside-In podcast, a member of the basketball team, an employee at the convenience store near the school, and a regular at the skate bowl, everyone and their dog knows who Vernon is. He and Seungkwan have attracted the attention of many both in and outside of high school with their (unscientific) advice, coverage of school “news”, and stories of their hectic adventures. So with word coming in about some seniors receiving mysterious love letters in school, what do the duo have to say? 

Chan: The latest student to be assigned to you under the Student Mentor program, and you’ve taken him under your wing ever since. Resultantly, so have Seungkwan and Vernon. Although he’s no longer a newbie at school, Chan always comes to you with whatever problems he has (homework-related or not). You spend many after school sessions tutoring him in the library. Chan has also made a great first impression on those in the arts department as the newest and youngest member to be recruited into the Dance Team. 

---

really long a/n: hi! this came way later than I wanted it to, sorry if you were semi-anticipating it. i wanted to make some cute profiles for everyone (which took way too long lmao) and give y’all some insight on how they’re going to be in this au. also it’s important to mention that i wrote everyone except seungkwan, vernon and chan as being the same age (seniors), i know that’s super unrealistic and hectic but it’s an au just roll with it. oh also i’m kind of mashing up every single high school trope in history the rules don’t apply here i’m sorry. i’m having second thoughts about going ahead with this fic because uni’s just started for the year and i’m going to get real busy real quick hahaha... but hopefully i’ll be able to update whenever i can. in saying that i’m planning on having pretty big updates/chapters because i have a full on storyline planned out in my head which means a lot of time will be spent on drafting rather than posting, but i’ll try to post filler/smaller updates to compensate. this is probably overly ambitious because i’m the most unmotivated person ever, but i hope to just really enjoy writing this. please be patient with me and i hope you all enjoy reading along xx

[vmheadquarters]

Fifteen years ago, our favorite female sleuth made her first appearance on UPN (later turned CW) in Veronica Mars. Three television seasons, a Kickstarter-backed film, and two books later, Veronica Mars is being revived thanks to the beloved streaming platform Hulu.

From the get go, Veronica Mars has sparked the conversation on many ‘controversial’ topics – well ahead of its time – that were handled so well and subtly, you never felt like you were being lectured to. Within the first season, writer-creator Rob Thomas tackled topics like rape, slut-shaming, transphobia, racial stereotypes, and the most prevalent theme at hand is the war and divide between “the have and the have-nots”.

Kristen Bell’s portrayal of Veronica Mars and V’s sassy, yet endearing, personality has taken the marshmallow community by storm. The character is one that is efficacious and sharp, but is not without flaws. Veronica allows each of us to resonate with her as a person, with her struggles, with her traumas; she is and remains a grounded, human character.

The Murder Mystery

Set five years after the Veronica Mars Kickstarter film, three young spring breakers and a motel manager are dead after a bomb explodes in the office of the Neptune Sea Sprite Motel. This is the first of more to come, all of which are hurting the Spring Break destination and beachfront businesses. Hired by the Maloof’s, a wealthy and politically rich family of one of the injured victims, Mars Investigations is on the case to figure out who this serial bomber could be.

Meanwhile, Veronica finally gets a Pony, Logan (Jason Dohring) – a navy intelligence officer – returns home into the arms of Veronica, Papa Mars (Enrico Colantoni) is physically recovering from the car accident that occured in the film and reeling through the emotions of a potentially serious medical issue, Wallace (Percy Daggs III) seems to be happily solidified in his married life and career as a teacher at Neptune High, and Weevil (Francis Capra) must face the formidable consequences that occurred between the film and present-day. Max Greenfield reprises his role as Leo D’Amato, except this time as an FBI agent working with Veronica on the case. Even if you’re a LoVer, Leo’s presence back on the screen is one that deliberately toys with our emotions, but leaves us with a happy sensation coursing through our veins.

The plot has a heavy focus on the main mystery in a serialized fashion, so that any newbie can come fresh into this season without even the basic concept and still be able to follow along. The characters are introduced in a manner that subtly recaps their backstory without being overly explanatory, which allows the new faces to scoop in, but gives enough of the nostalgic factors to cater to those long-term marshmallows. Book readers might notice some similarities between this story line and the content of the books, and while some of it seems to be derived from them, this is not an exclusive adaptation.

There is a noticeable lack of mini-mysteries in each episode set within the confines of the larger, long-con mystery that the previous seasons managed to execute so well. A bit of a letdown since those episodic stories also helped provide teachable moments, and without them we’re almost without the moral compass that creator Rob Thomas has perfected in years past. But when you see how twisted this bombing story turns out to be, in hindsight it’s understandable.

The Nostalgia Doesn’t Outweigh the Modernization

Longtime fans are already on the edge of their seats waiting for this revival and eager to figure out what is so “controversial” about it that warrants Bell’s contemplation of falling off of social media during its release (per an interview with E! News). While they will eat up every moment of the new series, Bell is not wrong in that this is arguably the most controversial season of Veronica Mars simply for the arcs in the storyline. With fellow critics having early-screening access and all eight episodes dropping on day one, caution is advised on social media and within articles, as this season is one you do not want to be spoiled on.

Albeit some pandering to LoVe-rs (the acronym for fans who ship Logan and Veronica), which I am all on board for, Veronica Mars isn’t willing to sacrifice its authenticity and realness simply to keep solidified fans happy. Veronica and Logan have been together for a solid five years now and with a particular state of affairs that arise, Veronica must fight a battle within herself and decide what’s more important: the love of her life or protecting herself from her fears? This is not a plot device created in order to cultivate some rundown teenage emotions, but rather to reflect on the characters we have come to know and love.

Veronica desires chaos because that is all she has known; she has found comfort in it and the only way she has learned to cope with life is by fighting that chaos. ‘Classic Logan’ is in reservation as he’s been working with a therapist, but that doesn’t mean we don’t see those sparks inside of him. For what it’s worth, this is the most likeable and stable Logan has ever been. The chemistry between Bell and Dohring on-screen is on fire more than ever before, and they’re much more compelling now that they’re adults with real issues to discuss.

Hulu doesn’t try to recapture the exact essence of the original three seasons and film, which may be somewhat jarring to old fans. This is new, this is different, and this is an emotional roller coaster you need to prepare yourself for in a completely different way. Thomas and Ruggiero-Wright have managed to take the crux of Veronica Mars & Co., encapsulating who she is and what built her to this phase in life, and expand upon it.

We’re no longer looking at a teenage girl whose life is constantly at battles with every rich kid who wants to dual it out, but we still have good ‘ole Veronica Mars. She’s the same in the way that she still has a hard time letting her guard down – both physically and emotionally – and will smack you in the face with her brutal honesty like a baseball coming out of left field. But Veronica is grown up and we needed this version of her. Sure, they could recycle the same character and we’d still love it, but Veronica aging and growing with her original viewers is a great way to give a nod to those fans and simultaneously grow the show.

New Players Pull Up Their Sleeves and the Old Ones Need More Face Time

When Veronica Mars originally aired, there was an overwhelming number of guest stars on the show that later became top notch actors/actresses. Season four’s casting announcements have generated huge buzz, from big names like J.K. Simmons to Patton Oswalt, and Kirby Howell-Baptiste to Clifton Collins Jr as guest stars.

Simmons plays Clyde Pickett, an ex-con who works for Richard Casablancas a.k.a. “Big Dick (David Starzyk) after meeting during their incarceration in Chino. The two are an entertaining pair who receive a huge chunk of screentime but in relevancy to the over-arching story. You know they’re good when they can fit naturally into the Mars world and hold a light to the insanely talented OG casting. A handful of other guest appearances from the original to tease the fandom will leave you with your hands in the air cheering and send your heart racing (good and bad).

Other criminal syndicates include the fantastic addition of Alonzo (Clifton Collins Jr.), who manages to bring laughter and fun to a character that is a literal drug cartel hitman for El Despiadado.

Alonzo and his new partner are in Neptune looking for the at-fault bomber that killed his boss’s nephew. Unfortunately, the El Despiadado storyline is pretty minute and would be a fun side-story to pursue in the next season. If you’ve seen Collins’ other work, you know just how talented he is, and his persona here is no exception. The vicious and brutal pair might give you a chuckle but you know they mean business.

Two other characters that definitely received their fair amount of attention is Patton Oswalt’s Penn Epner and Kirby Howell-Baptiste’s Nicole. Oswalt is a Cho’s Pizza delivery driver (yes, THAT Cho’s), a true crime obsessee and “murder-head” participant. He’s the kind of pain in the arse we love to have around.

But Nicole. What a character. She’s a strong-willed (and seemingly strong-fisted) business owner of the local spring breaker bar, making waves calling out Big Dick and punching douchebag guys in her establishment. Big Dick is advocating for a movement (N.U.T.S) which seeks to remove the spring-breakers and their trash behavior from Neptune, but he also wants to buy up the real estate on the boardwalk, including that of Matty Ross (Izabela Vidovic).

Matty is the deceased motel manager’s daughter and now property owner of Sea Sprite Motel (somehow, even though she’s still in high school). As V’s new protege, Matty seems to have the same lived experiences as Veronica, leading her to the same determined and resiliant personality that Veronica most definitely can resonate with. She’s an entertaining watch when she gets her screen time, but with as much is packed in to this 8 episode mini-series, there just doesn’t seem to be enough time for the characters growing on us and those we remember with a fondness – like Weevil and Wallace.

Wallace is living his best life – married with a son (who happens to be played by Percy’s ACTUAL daughter) – and working at Neptune High. The absolute disappointment here is that we just don’t get enough of him. We spend so much time focusing on the case at hand and the LoVe relationship, it’s like Wallace was cast to the side a bit. While we can all certainly relate to getting older and losing touch with our close friends, it seems odd that Wallace wouldn’t want to extend his help with this case or that Veronica wouldn’t want to rely on him for some advice. This is the biggest letdown in the revival.

And then there’s Weevil (Francis Capra). Why is he one of the most underrated and incredible castings on the show? Probably because he has a deep heart of gold, he’s beyond loyal to Veronica, and Capra knows how to steal the show with a powerful performance. But again, this is another character we needed more of. One of the most beloved in the show and a character that’s still integral to this storyline, Weevil feels underserved and underutilized.

A Girl Needs Closure

There’s no doubt that this is top-tier content from within the Veronica Mars world, a needed step up from season 3 and the film. But if you’re a marshmallow Weevil’s been loving long time, you’ll need to accept what the writers are doing here and understand why.

It’s not sunshine and rainbows. Rob Thomas always desired Veronica Mars be a dark noir and season four absolutely delivers on this principle. It’s a worthwhile investment that most definitely has a clear conclusion, but with enough content and characters that if Hulu were to appease us, a fifth season is a must.

The shocking ending will leave you speechless and have you wondering how Veronica could possibly recover, taking us back to the roots of what makes Ms. Mars the person she is. As V herself said in season one, “Tragedy blows through your life like a tornado, uprooting everything, creating chaos. You wait for the dust to settle, and then you choose. You can live in the wreckage and pretend it’s still the mansion you remember. Or you can crawl from the rubble and slowly rebuild. Because after disaster strikes, the important thing is that you move on. But if you’re like me, you just keep chasing the storm. The problem with chasing the storm is that it wears you down, breaks your spirit. Even the experts agree, a girl needs closure.”

With edgier and more adult content, Veronica Mars is cussin’ back with Mr. Sparky (her taser) in her hand and dusting the wreckage off her shoulders. The private eye achieves her closure, and we are left with enough hope that Mars Investigations will soon be back in business.