#especially in the between season downtime | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

byoldervine · 6 months

Text

The Trick To Writing Filler

(TL;DR at the bottom)

Filler is when you spend a chapter padding the length of your story between plot-related events. Filler chapters have little to no impact on the overarching plot and can be self-contained, and thus in TV shows filler episodes are often reran the most as people unfamiliar with the show can casually watch without being confused without the knowledge of prior plot beats

So with the chapter being largely self-contained and acting outside of the plot, what do you use to make the filler chapter engaging? I’m going to use filler episodes from Avatar: The Last Airbender to provide examples

1. Worldbuilding. Zuko Alone depicts Zuko’s travels taking him through an Earth Kingdom village and becoming acquainted to the family that allows him to stay with them, especially their young son. He learns about what the Fire Nation’s impact on this village has been; destroyed houses, families torn apart, constant robbery and other abuses of power and injustices. And even after Zuko defends the villagers and his new friend, he’s venomously cast out from the village by even the little boy because he outed himself as a firebender. This episode explored the impact of the war on the people of the Earth Kingdom, the victims of war that have no involvement in it and no way of defending themselves from it

2. Character exploration. In The Beach, we learn more about Mai, Ty Lee, Azula and Zuko and how their own traumas and personal upbringings have impacted their personalities. For Zuko this is part of a turning point for him, but for the girls it’s more to understand why they are the people we’ve gotten to know over the seasons, especially Ty Lee and Mai. The episode also serves to showcase how Azula and Zuko are so out of place being just normal teenagers; Azula has no idea how to talk to her peers and no identity outside being Princess Azula of the Fire Nation, while Zuko’s hotheadedness and jealousy issues lead him to lash out and be far too confrontational and controlling for his own good. This episode isn’t really used to develop these characters, or at least not the girls, but instead explains and showcases their behaviours and the reasons behind them

3. Character development. Going back to The Beach, Zuko does indeed receive development rather than just character exploration like the girls do; he comes to understand that he’s not just angry at the world or angry in general, but angry with himself. This is a notable turning point for Zuko’s redemption arc, because he now understands fully that he truly regrets betraying Iroh and sacrificing his new start in life in favour of returning to the Fire Nation. He might not yet be fully decided on turning his back on Ozai, but without this moment I don’t know if he’d have gotten there, or at least not as quickly as he did

4. Relationship development. Sokka’s Master has a C plot of Aang, Katara and Toph all being rather bored and lost without Sokka’s presence. The A plot exploring Sokka’s feelings of inadequacy and uselessness in comparison to such powerful and formidable bending masters being contrasted with the Gaang unable to function without him already speaks volumes about their dynamics, but looking deeper into the C plot also shows how much value Sokka really does bring to the team; structure, planning, humour, a quick wit, strategic moves. The Gaang always supported Sokka and never seemed to view him as expendable outside of the occasional teasing, but having it acknowledged so clearly and plainly that they can feel a little aimless and flat without Sokka and being so delighted when he returns really shows us the kind of value Sokka brings to this team and brings us and the characters to further appreciate it

5. Downtime. The Ember Island Players depicts the characters taking a break to watch a comedic play based on their wacky adventures, only to be largely underwhelmed and displeased by how they’re portrayed. There are no stakes to this episode and barely any plot, just the Gaang taking a breather as they react to a bad play. This chance to relax and watch something inconsequential is just as important to the viewers as we’ve got the show’s finale in the next four episodes, which will be very plot-driven and intense. The Ember Island Players also has the additional viewer bonus of recapping the events of the show right before it all ends, giving the viewers time to reflect on the journey they’ve gone on with these characters. In order for the stakes to feel high and the tension to rise, there has to be downtime where there are low stakes and low tension; if things are intense all the time, the moments that are supposed to feel super intense will just feel average in comparison. Resetting that intensity right before such a big event while still acknowledging the looming threat coming soon will feel like the calm before the storm and allow your audience to soak it all up like the characters are

Wow, did I just go through all that without talking about Tales of Ba Sing Se? I’ll save that for another post if people are interested in more

TL;DR - filler provides a moment to breathe, reset the intensity levels the audience are experiencing and take a chance to step away from the external conflict (the overarching plot) in favour of worldbuilding and the characters within your setting. Small moments can amount to something big, and can help make large scale decisions or plot twists feel more build-up and in-character

470 notes · View notes

dollypopup · 2 months

Text

We need to talk about misogyny in the lukola fandom, and how it originated in the rampant misogyny in the Polin fandom and just continued to grow, because unfortunately, the two deeply intersect, and there's been such a lack of nuance in so many discussions

interestingly enough, this is actually being exhibited in a lot of Luke Newton discourse. Not toward him necessarily, but to the women around him, in comparison to him, for better or worse, including Nicola. There's been a lot of discourse especially around Luke being 'jobless' in contrast to Nicola being 'booked and busy'. and even in rejection of that discussion, the defense becomes that she is an exception, because she is exceptional, and that of course others look less ambitious in comparison. And at first, I'm sure this LOOKS like it's praising a woman for her hard work and dunking on a man for what we imagine isn't.

but has anyone ever asked why Nicola is booked and busy, especially? does she want to be? or does she *have* to be?

I want you to think about just how many women over the age of 40 are getting major roles. How many love scenes you've seen that feature more mature women. How in Queen Charlotte, the focus was on a younger actress, how Violet's and Danbury's and Portia's and QCs actresses don't even have a kiss scripted.

How much of that is by design in the entertainment industry

Nicola, in many ways, is creating a recipe for burn out, but she works alongside wonderful actresses who are incredibly talented- and do not get the opportunities they SHOULD. Roles in the entertainment industry are largely written for young women in their 20s, young, conventional women. And Nicola KNOWS this. She's a businesswoman, and her craft IS her business. The clock is, unfortunately, ticking. This is a very insidious aspect of the misogynistic entertainment machine. Yes, Nicola is booked and busy right now- she's building her brand and trying to break out of the awful cycle of female actors getting a few big roles, and then get relegated to side characters or mum number 3. Should the entertainment industry write more roles for women over 40? YES!!! They should be major roles with poignant narratives!! But it isn't the reality we live in. She is actively fighting against the sexism of the industry she is living in, she cannot take a vacation.

Luke Newton, however, *can*. He has privilege as a man to take his time. Whilst Nicola's career is in danger of a downswing, Luke's is, by most statistics? Just beginning. Men continue to get major roles deep into their 30s, 40s, 50s. In fact, I think MOST male actors only build notoriety as they age. So Luke Newton has the privilege of TIME.

And let me very clear: I'm happy he can. And I wish Nicola could, too. Grinding ourselves to dust in the pursuit of the perfect capitalistic darling is only going to breed misery. The fandom is SO caught up in saying 'oh, look at how great it is that xyz has this role!' and 'booo he's unemployed and jobless etc. etc.' that we don't take the time to ask. . .why is it NECESSARY and in fact praise worthy to lick clean the boot of grind culture? Are we not all tired? Do we not all want downtime? Holiday? Vacation?

Luke Newton is doing what is healthy: he's pushing away from Social Media, didn't spend too much time promoting, disengaged from the fandom in online spaces but is still generous with his time in person, poured himself into his craft, did a hell of a promotion tour, and in the time between fitting and costumes and learning lines for Bridgerton Season 4? He's resting.

As. He. Should.

As *Nicola* should. Because she also pushed to continue engaging with a fanbase who she hopes will act as security for her as she ages out of the roles writers are pushing into the world. Nicola SHOULD BE ALLOWED HER REST!!! She should NOT be booked and busy!! She should NOT be grinding herself to dust for the sake of keeping herself in good light to become one of the few women who continue to be big names beyond her 40s.

She, however, can't. Not because of anything Luke Newton has done, he is not, as many people want to believe, a problem. He benefits from the system ALL his male coworkers do, and does his best to uplift the women around him, likely understanding the struggles of such having been raised surrounded by so many women, but he is not perpetuating the system or creating it. Instead of directing our criticism on Luke Newton, we SHOULD be directing it to the entertainment industry. So Luke Newton is on a break from a serial successful production he has a guaranteed role for: so what? He is afforded that privilege. Having downtime is not the death knell of his career as doomsayers are insisting.

The average age of an Academy Award Winner who is an actor is almost 50. The average age of an Academy Award Winner who is an actress is 37. (source)

Should we be mad? Yes.

Is this something to be mad at Luke Newton for specifically? NO. Many male actors take breaks and time in their career trajectory, because they know they have longevity. The discussion in this fandom is misplaced, and the root of that misplacement is twofold: sexism and capitalist worship. It isn't that Luke Newton lacks ambition and should be working harder- I argue he's doing what is best for him and most people in the long term. This is self care, and it's important.

No, the discussion is that Nicola is forced to work in a pressure pot because of the industry, and the fandom continues to praise her for it, all whilst turning noses up at those who don't or do not have to, and continuing to uphold the narrative that women must be a beacon of exceptionalism in order to curry respect. They continue to uphold her grind as a virtue- look how great it is that she's constantly posting, constantly engaging with the fandom, always auditioning, booked and busy- have you not asked if she would LIKE a vacation? she deserves one, same as Luke Newton.

What you're mad at is NOT Luke himself- but the patriarchy. What you're mad at is that women must be held to standards of near unreachable excellence. But instead of working together as women and having any actual discussion about it that's meaningful, it turns into a crock of shit that then shoves everyone in the backspray, especially other women.

The slutshaming misogyny that has been directed at Luke Newton's girlfriend- *yikes*.

Oh, A is a hanger on. She's 'poptart', she's portrayed with an ant emoji, she's 'toilet twerker', she's 'controlling him' or HE should control HER, she 'should be reigned in', she's jobless, she's an infant who needs her big strong boyfriend to take her social media away, she's not been 'claimed' (like luggage, like a THING), look at him, he doesn't feel ANYTHING toward her- not like Nicola.

Our good, darling Nicola versus that awful whore Antonia/Jade/Any Woman in Luke Newton's Circle.

This sexism is deep and pervasive- being angry he's dating her 'because she's thin'. Insisting she's a villain and everything she does is to 'rile up the fandom' or 'stir up trouble' or that she 'hates Nicola'.

You all do NOT know this woman. And I don't either!!! Maybe she IS a shit stirrer, maybe she is thriving in the drama.

But aren't most of y'all, too?

Polin fandom built so much off of putting down other women to uphold Penelope: Marina is a bitch who was TRICKING Colin and Penelope was just doing what she had to do!!! Of course she kept her secret from him, she was SCARED!!! Eloise is a privileged brat breaking the rules and putting herself in danger but Penelope is a rebel who is building her own success off of taking necessary risks!!!

Our good, Darling Penelope versus that evil whore Marina/Eloise/Cressida/Any Other Woman.

This fandom is predominately female. Most of us identify as women. And a lot of us are *mean* to other women. We uphold sexism in our fandoms, uncontested, as often as we please. But we frame it in criticism of a man and so that's okay- as if that in and of itself is somehow uplifting women, being tied to a feminist cause- but putting down other women in conspiracy theories and bullying them, as occurred to Jade, under the guise of 'oh I'm just criticizing Luke!' is disingenuous. It's an excuse. 'I'm mad at him for-' not being your fantasy.

And Nicola isn't, either.

The truth is, the people in this fandom don't have respect for EITHER of them, just in different ways. A pedestal is a pedestal is a pedestal, and no matter what, any human being will fall from it eventually. And this fandom has proven that when that happens, it will NOT be met with empathy.

Now think about who that will actually hurt in the long term.

A lot of people in this fandom have soul searching to do.

#lukola #nicola coughlan #luke newton #bridgerton #polin #can't care don't care some of y'all are beyond 'delulu'- you're just cruel and want an 'acceptable' target to bully #guess what: there isn't one

50 notes · View notes

1-800-cr33py · 1 year

Text

PUSH ME TO THE EDGE

Ghostface x AFAB!Reader

Content Warning: Dub-Con, p in v, outside sex, Ghostface, heavy-ish nsfw, Ghostie is a prick he gets double warnings.

NSFW BELOW <3

Autumn, one of the most bearable seasons within the accursed Entity’s realm, or realms in all actuality. The crisp air, colorful leaves, hazy skies. It would be picturesque if not given everyone’s..circumstances. Especially your’s. Poor little thing.

“ Smile songbird! C’mon won’t you give the camera that award winning smile?” Danny all but cackled, his arm raised with that goddamn camera flashing with every still he took; he returned his attention to you, a squirming mess of wetness and need posed prettily in his lap, legs spread as he almost brought you to the edge once again. This sick cycle was maddening, torturous and fuck did you love it. You loved aching for him, needing him to bring you the simplest of things you could’ve easily brought yourself had he not spoiled you rotten.

“ I said fucking smile. “ Danny deadpanned, his tone flat, low.

Threatening.

A whine erupted from your throat as he retracted his fingers from your sopping cunt to force your chin upward, your wetness staining your cheeks as you gave the weakest smile one could muster, your lover shaking your head as he continued his degrading ramblings into the camera. You were far too dazed to care, simply nodding along with the occasional whine as his hand returned to its spot between your thighs. Your hips jerked as he lay a heavy handed spank onto your clit, Danny cackled, shoving his face into the nape of your neck, your were sure his stubble would leave some kind of mark by the end of this. Danny would leave you like this if he so wished, hell, maybe he’d fuck your throat until you couldn’t talk for the next few trials, or maybe he’d just rub one out, leaving his cum staining your face and an order to not clean it up. You’d do it, anything to keep him appeased, entertained. He brought you to heaven so many time despite being a creature from the deepest depths below Hell itself. A hand chosen by the Entity, graced and cursed alike with her favor and now here you were, a simple toy for him to play with in his downtime.

“ Get out of the pretty head songbird, I ain’t done with that pretty ass yet. “ Danny mused, his fingers a torturous pace by now, your orgasm ebbing away. A guttural whine of need left your mouth, this game had been going on for how long now? Hours? Days? Weeks? Time was such a fickle thing and he seemed to have enough of it to continue this. You could feel his hardness through the rough material of his pants, feel his sharp thrusts against your back every time you moaned his name.

He wanted you just as much if not more.

Danny smiled against your neck, the flush skin littered with hickies and bites alike, though his hand didn’t return to your cunt, instead he lay the cold tips of his fingers against your clit, soft circles leaving your already trembling legs twitching. He cooed sweet nothings, how this was the only way you’d be cumming tonight, his sweet, obedient little girl.

His songbird

The circles turned into slaps, ever the sadist Danny was.

“ Oh dove don’t tell you you thought I was fucking bluffing? “ that earned an especially hard slap, lurking forward as you cried. Fat tears slipping down your face. Oh you sweet thing, always so plaint and ready for anything he throws your way.

So needy, so sweet. It’s a shame really it is. Such a sweet dove doesn’t deserve to be treated this way, but you wanted this. Wanted him. Now here you were, going through this endless cycle of need as the leaves and twigs dug into the back of your thighs. The cool air leaving your already sensitive and bitten nipples pebbled. Your wetness dripping down your thighs and onto the ground below. The scent of sex, Danny, so heavy and thick in the air one could cut it with a dull knife. Yes. Yes this is what you wanted, The excitement, the depravement, oh gods above this is what you’ve dreamed about. Your dull life now filled with as much excitement as one could need. Now all you need to do is hold it. Hold it and he won’t spank your ass purple. Don’t be disobedient now dove, you’ve come so far haven’t you? You want to be good for Danny right? Want to be his good girl, his best girl? Then hold it. Don’t even think about cumming until he give you permission, and even them

Beg.

#1800cr33py #reqs open #dbd x reader #dbd smut #danny johnson #dbd danny johnson #dbd jed olsen #ghostface smut #slasher smut #ghostface #requests are open #1800cr33py’s kinktober #kinktober #mask kink #maskedmen #mod 800

287 notes · View notes

muffinrecord · 3 months

Note

To clarify some continuity stuff between perspectives and stuff, are the events of the Record game essentially the same as what happened in the anime?

Mm, no.

For example: Momoko, Kaede, and Rena never joined the Magius in the anime. Doppel syndrome doesn't exist, which is a big deal because in the anime it implies that the Magius' proposed doppel solution wouldn't have actually worked in the long run. Holy Mami is saved by Yachiyo, not the pmmm girls. Nemu doesn't remember Ui either in the game. Kanagi isn't very present in the anime. Mitama is changed as a character as well. Alina comes across more 2-dimensional and less interesting but some of that is because only the main story was adapted, and content like her two magical girl stories were left out. The ending is obviously very very different.

There are a ton of similarities too, especially in the first season, but the anime and game start to divulge pretty hard in the second.

One of the things that makes the game story so special is the sheer amount of content you get for the characters. For example, Mikazuki Villa become a team and then the next episode they get split up-- you never really have that important "family" aspect that you get in the game. A lot of that is because the anime was only adapting the main story-- which is fair enough, there's a ton of content to get through so adapting the main story and nothing else was already a huge task. But it means you don't see all the downtime of the girls interacting, learning about each other, being there for each other, helping each other. You miss the closeness of the characters.

Doppel Syndrome makes the Magius much more tragic and sympathetic imo. In the game there are very few downsides to using a doppel often-- only a small number of characters have a listed negative at all. In the anime this is a huge deal and it makes the setting all the more bleak. The weaker magical girls are still going to suffer here. They want to join the Magius to be saved, but they're not going to be strong enough to resist doppel syndrome. Become a witch or become a glass ornament... what terrible choices. But people are still trying to save each other, even when the situation looks dire. It's depressing but oddly poignant.

Overall honestly, there are a number of actual differences but I think the biggest one is tone and atmosphere. The anime feels bleak and depressing. It's melancholy. Characters like Kuroe aren't saved. There might be love in there but there's a lot of loneliness and bitterness that you don't quite get in the game.

The game is the opposite. It has its edgy moments, sure, but it's full of light and laughter. A huge deal is made out of the connections between community and how friendship and love save one another. It's very classical magical girl imo.

Like, to me a big one is just how lonely Iroha feels in the game versus the anime. In the game she's always in contact with people-- Kaede, Momoko, Little Kyubey, eventually Yachiyo. This makes sense because the game wants you to care for and eventually roll for these girls. However you also always have new characters to care for who don't show up in the main plot until the very end, who still seem to matter just by virtue of existing and having their stories told.

Meanwhile in the anime we can have large swaths of the story where Iroha is alone, walking slowly in an incomprehensible city. The times that she does reach other and interact with others still manages to come across as closed off.

I'm just rambling at this point akfsjsalkfsa. Sorry.

But yeah, the two are very different and not just be comparing the scenes or facts, but by tone.

#Ask Muffin #Magia Record

44 notes · View notes

fourthwingfan · 7 months

Text

Madness - Chapter 7

Warning: violence, mention of past abuse, swearing etc

I hope you enjoy the new chapter :)

In the best interest of preserving peace within Navarre, no more than three cadets carrying rebellion relics may be assigned to any squad of any quadrant.

– Addendum 5.2, Basgiath War College Code of Conduct

In addition to last year’s changes, marked ones assembling in groups of three or more will now be considered an act of seditious conspiracy and is hereby a capital offense.

– Addendum 5.3, Basgiath War College Code of Conduct

“Damn it” I mutter as my toe catches a rock, and I stumble in the waist-high grass that grows alongside the river beneath the citadel. The moon is nice and full, illuminating my way, but it means I’m sweating to death in this cloak to keep hidden, just in case anyone else is out here wandering after curfew. If on my way back from the General someone questioned me why I was out, then I had a good excuse. But now? It would be troublesome.

The Iakobos River rushes with summer runoff from the peaks above, and the currents are fast and deadly this time of year, especially coming out of the steep drop of the ravine. No wonder that first-year died when he fell in yesterday during our downtime. Since Parapet, we lost two first-years.

I move closer to the river, along the ancient line of oaks where I know one vine of fonilee berries will be coming into season soon. Ripe, the purple berries are tart and barely edible but, picked prematurely and left to dry, will make an excellent weapon in Vi’s hands. She knows a lot about poisonous herbs. She has a book that contains dozens of them.

Spotting the boulder I’ve used as a landmark for the past five years, I count the trees on the riverbank. “One, two, three” I whisper, spotting the exact oak I’ll need. Its branches spread wide and high, some even daring to reach out over the river.

It’s strange. The grass is more trampled around the tree, then I expect if Vi was already here.

“Vi?” I whisper “Are you here?”

Silence. Then…

“Aelin?” I see Violet’s head pop out between two branches near the top.

“How did you get up there with your arm?” I raise an eyebrow.

“It wasn’t really that difficult.” She sighs.

“Then I’ll climb up too and help you gather these berries.” I grab a lowest branch and start to climb toward Vi.

The fonilee vines looks deceptively like ivy as it winds up the trunk, but I’ve scaled this particular tree enough times to know this is the one. The tips of the vine leaves are white at this height, barely visible in the mottled through the canopy, but I grin as I see that Vi found a lot of those berries.

“Here” she whispers and hands me a vial.

Then I pluck just enough berries off the vine to fill the glass and shove the stopper back in.

“There. It should be enough to make it through the next challenges.” I hand it back to her.

“I collected mushrooms and other items, so I’m set for about a month.” She packs back the vial in her bag.

“Good. You’re a genious Vi.” I grin at her and start to climb down the tree.

I’m almost down the tree, only a handful of branches to go, when I spot movement beneath me and pause.

I signal Vi to stop. She pauses and looks at me quiestioningly. I point down and signal her to be silent.

Hopefully it’s just a deer.

But it’s not.

Two figures in black cloaks - apparently tonight’s disguise of choice - walk under the protection of the tree.

Maybe it’s a meeting point we didn’t know. It makes sense that the grass was visibly trampled around the tree.

The smaller one leans back against the lowest limb, removing her hood to reveal a half-shaved head of pink hair I know all too well.

Imogen, Violet’s squadmate who nearly ripped off her arm.

My stomach tightens, then knots as the second rider slips off his own hood.

Xaden Riorson.

Oh shit.

There’s a few feet between us. I can’t do anything to conceal us. If they look up surely they’ll see us.

They begin speaking, but I can’t hear what they’re saying, not with the river rushing by. Relief fills my lungs. If I can’t hear them, they can’t hear me either, as long as we don’t move. Imogen probably can’t see us from her place, but Xaden can. Shit, all it takes is for him to look up, and I’ll be toast, literally if he decides to feed me to that Blue Daggertail of his. Maybe Violet is high enough in the tree not to be seen. The moonlight I was thankful for a few minutes ago has now become our biggest liability.

Slowly, carefully, quietly I move out of the patchy moonlight to the next branch over, cloaking myself in shadow. What is he doing out here with Imogen? Are they lovers? But Xaden said that they aren’t. Friends? It’s absolutely none of my business, and yet I can’t help but wonder if she’s the kind of woman he goes for - one whose beauty is only outmatched by her brutality. They fucking deserve each other.

Xaden turns away from the river, as though he’s looking for someone, and sure enough, more riders arrive, gathering under the tree. They’re all dressed in black cloaks as they shake hands. And they all have rebellion relics.

My eyes widen as I count. There are almost two dozen of them, a few third-years and a couple of seconds, but the rest are all firsts. I know the rules. Marked ones can’t gather in groups larger than three. They’re committing a capital offense simply by being together. It’s obviously a meeting of some sort, and I feel like a cat clinging to the leaf-tipped limbs of this tree while the wolves circle below.

Their gathering could be completely harmless, right? Maybe they’re homesick, like when the cadets from the Morraine province all spend a Saturday at the nearby lake just because it reminds them of the ocean they miss so much.

Or maybe marked ones are plotting to burn Basgiath to the ground and finish what their parents started.

’Report them’ I hear the general’s voice in my head.

No. I don’t know what is this meeting, but if it’s something harmless then I can’t do that. They suffered enough because of a Melgren. I don’t want to be like my father. Never.

Shit. Shit. Shit. I have to get closer.

I signal Vi to don’t move as keeping myself on the opposite side of the trunk and sticking to the shadows that wrap around me, I climb down another branch with sloth-like speed, holding my breath as I test each branch with a fraction of my weight before lowering myself. Their voices are still muffled by the river, but I can hear the loudest of them all, a tall, dark-haired man with pale skin, whose shoulders take up twice the space of any first-year, standing opposite Xaden’s position and wearing the rank of a third-year. That’s Garrick? I only see him talk to Liam once, but he’s always by Xaden’s side.

“We’ve already lost Sutherland and Luperco” he says, but I can’t make out the response.

It takes two more rungs of branches before their words are clear. I’m close enough for any one of them to see if they look hard enough - well, except Xaden, since his back is turned toward me now.

I can see familiar faces from my hiding place. Liam. Another squadmate, Ethan. And some first-years whose name I don’t remember.

“Like it or not, we’re going to have to stick together if you want to survive until graduation” Imogen says.

I just happen to value my own life more than I want revenge at the moment, so I keep my feet to myself.

“And if they’re find out we’re meeting?” a first-year girl with an olive complexion asks, her eyes darting around the circle.

“We’ve done this for two years and they’ve never found out,” Xaden responds, folding his arms and leaning back against the limb below my right. “They’re not going to unless one of you tells. And if you tell, I’ll know.” The threat is obvious in his tone. “Like Garrick said, we’ve already lost two first-years to their own negligence. There are only forty-one of us in the Riders Quadrant, and we don’t want to lose any of you, but we will if you don’t help yourselves. The odds are always stacked against us, and trust me, every other Navarrian in the quadrant will look for reasons to call you a traitor or force you to fail.”

There’s a muttered assent, and my breath hitches at the intensity in his voice. Damn it, I don’t want to find a single thing about Xaden Riorson admirable, and yet here he is, being all annoyingly admirable. Asshole.

Have to admit, it would be nice if a high-ranking rider from my province gave a shit if the rest of us from the province lived or died.

“How many of you are getting your asses handed to you in hand-to-hand?” Xaden asks.

Four hands shoot into the air.

“Shit,” Xaden swears, and I would give anything to see his expression as he lifts a hand to his face.

The big one—Garrick—sighs. “I’ll teach them.” I recognize him now. He’s the Flame Section leader in Fourth Wing.

Xaden shakes his head. “You’re our best fighter—”

“You’re our best fighter,” a second-year near Xaden counters with a quick grin. He’s handsome, with tawny brown skin crowned by a cloud of black curls and a litany of patches on what I can see of his uniform under his cloak. His features are close enough to Xaden’s that they might be related. Cousins, maybe? Fen Riorson had a sister, if I remember correctly. Shit, what was the guy’s name?

“Dirtiest fighter, maybe,” Imogen snarks.

Most everyone laughs, and even the first-years crack a smile.

“Fucking ruthless is more like it,” Garrick adds.

There’s a general consensus of nods, including one from Liam.

“Garrick is our best fighter, but Imogen is right up there with him, and she’s a hell of a lot more patient,” Xaden notes, which is just ludicrous considering she didn’t seem too patient while breaking Violet’s arm. “So the four of you split yourselves up between the two of them for training. A group of three won’t draw any unwanted attention. What else is giving you trouble?”

“I can’t do this,” a gangly first-year says, rolling his shoulders inward and lifting his slim fingers to his face.

“What do you mean?” Xaden asks, his voice taking on a hard edge.

“I can’t do this!” The smaller one shakes his head. “The death. The fighting. Any of it!” The pitch of his voice rises with every statement. “A guy had his neck snapped right in front of me on assessment day! I want to go home! Can you help me with that?”

Every head swings toward Xaden.

“No.” Xaden shrugs. “You’re not going to make it. Best accept it now and not take up more of my time.”

It’s all I can do to smother my gasp, and some of the others in the group don’t bother trying. What. A. Dick. The smaller guy looks stricken, and I can’t help but feel bad for him.

“That was a little harsh, cousin,” the second-year who looks a little like Xaden says, lifting his eyebrows.

“What do you want me to say, Bodhi?” Xaden cocks his head to the side, his voice calm and even. “I can’t save everyone, especially not someone who isn’t willing to work to save themselves.”

“Damn, Xaden.” Garrick rubs the bridge of his nose. “Way to give a pep talk.”

“If they need a fucking pep talk, then we both know they’re not flying out of the quadrant on graduation day. Let’s get real. I can hold their hands and make them a bunch of bullshit empty promises about everyone making it through if that helps them sleep, but in my experience, the truth is far more valuable.” He turns his head, and I can only assume he’s looking at the panicked first-year. “In war, people die. It’s not glorious like the bards sing about, either. It’s snapped necks and two-hundred-foot falls. There’s nothing romantic about scorched earth or the scent of sulfur. This”—he gestures back toward the citadel—“isn’t some fable where everyone makes it out alive. It’s hard, cold, uncaring reality. Not everyone here is going to make it home…to whatever’s left of our homes. And make no mistake, we are at war every time we step foot in the quadrant.” He leans forward slightly. “So if you won’t get your shit together and fight to live, then no. You’re not going to make it.”

Only crickets dare to break the silence.

“Now, someone give me a problem I can actually solve,” Xaden orders.

“Battle Brief,” a first-year I recognize says softly. Her bunk is only a row away from ours. Shit…what’s her name? There are too many women in the hall to know everyone, but I’m certain she’s in Third Wing. “It’s not that I can’t keep up, but the information…” She shrugs.

“That’s a tough one,” Imogen responds, turning to look at Xaden. Her profile in the moonlight is almost unrecognizable as the same person who shredded Vi’s shoulder. That Imogen is cruel, vicious even. But the way she’s looking at Xaden softens her eyes, her mouth, her whole posture as she tucks a short strand of pink hair behind her ear.

“You learn what they teach you,” Xaden says to the first-year, his voice taking a hard edge. “Keep what you know but recite whatever they tell you to.”

My brow furrows. What the hell does he mean by that? Battle Brief is one of the classes taught by scribes to keep the quadrant up-to-date on all nonclassified troop movements and battle lines. The only things we’re asked to recite are recent events and general knowledge of what’s going on near the front lines. At least I thought so, but after the meeting with the General I have a feeling that there’s a lot more going on than they le us know. Otherwise why would he want me to report everything about Xaden and the marked-ones? And that strange dagger. It’s only logical if all of this is somehow connected.

“Anyone else?” Xaden asks. “You’d better ask now. We don’t have all night.”

I realize then—other than being gathered in a group of more than three, there’s nothing wrong with what they’re doing here. There’s no plot, no coup, no danger. It’s just a group of older riders counseling first-years from their province.

“When do we get to kill Violet Sorrengail and Aelin Melgren?” a guy toward the back asks.

My blood turns to ice. The murmur of assent among the group sends a jolt down my spine.

“Yeah, Xaden,” Imogen says sweetly, lifting her pale green eyes to him. “When do we get to finally have our revenge?”

He turns just enough for me to see his profile and the scar that crosses his face as he narrows his eyes at Imogen. “I told you already, the daughters of generals are mine, and I’ll handle them when the time is right.”

He’ll…handle us? My muscles thaw with the heat of indignation. I’m not some inconvenience to be handled. My short-lived admiration of Xaden is over.

“Didn’t you already learn that lesson, Imogen?” the look-alike Xaden chides from halfway down the circle. “What I hear, that Melgren girl did a number on you on the mat.”

Imogen’s head snaps in his direction. “She was just lucky. Besides Sorrengail’s mother is responsible for the execution of my mom and sister. I should have done more than just snap her shoulder.”

“Her mom is responsible for the capture of nearly all our parents,” Garrick counters, folding his arms over his wide chest. “Not her daughter. Punishing children for the sins of their parents is the Navarrian way, not the Tyrrish.”

„The same goes to Aelin.” Liam interjects with arms crossed.

„And you fucking friends with her. How can you do that?” Another first-year shouts.

„As Garrick said, she’s not responsible for her father’s actions. And she’s not a bad person.” He answers with narrowed eyes.

That’s…kind of him. I mean everybody down there hate me but he isn’t. It seems he’s really my friend. I feel somehow relieved.

“So we get conscripted because of what our parents did years ago and shoved into this death sentence of a college—” Imogen starts.

In case you didn’t notice, they’re in the same death sentence of a college,” Garrick retorts. “Seems like they’re already suffering the same fate.”

“Don’t forget the youngest Sorrengail’s brother was Brennan Sorrengail,” Xaden adds. “She has just as much reason to hate us as we do her. And I heard that Melgren grew up with the Sorrengails.” He pointedly looks at Imogen and the first-years who raised the questions. “And I’m not going to tell you again. They’re mine to handle. Anyone feel like arguing?”

Silence reigns.

„Good. Then get back to bed and go in threes.” He motions with his head, and they slowly disperse, walking away in groups of threes just like he ordered. Xaden is the last to leave.

I draw a slow breath. Holy shit, we just might live through this. But I have to be sure they’re gone. I don’t move a muscle, and signal Violet to do the same as I count to five hundred in my head, breathing as evenly as possible to soften the beats of my galloping heart. Only when I’m sure we’re alone, when the squirrels scurry past on the ground, do I finish climbing from the tree, jumping the last four feet to the grassy floor. Violet is almost down too.

A shadow lunges behind me and I open my mouth to shout Violet to run, but my air supply is cut off by an elbow around my neck as I’m yanked against a hard chest.

’Shit. It hurts.’ I thought as pain shots to my cracked ribs.

“Scream and you die,” he whispers, and my stomach plummets as the elbow is replaced by the sharp bite of a dagger at my throat.

I freeze. I’d recognize the rough pitch of Xaden’s voice anywhere. “Fucking Melgren.” His hand yanks back the hood of my cloak.

“How did you know?” My tone is outright indignant, but whatever. If he’s going to kill me, I’m not going down as some simpering little beggar.

He scoffs. “I command shadows, idiot.” He lowers the knife and steps away. „You can come down too, Sorrengail.”

I gasp and briefly touch my ribs. Shit. He eyes my hand curiosly as I lower it as soon as I can. He knows that something is not right. It will give him an advantage.

“Your signet is a shadow wielder? And „idiot”? What happened with the sunshine?” I step away from him, closer to Violet, who lands behind me.

No wonder he’s risen so high in rank. Shadow wielders are incredibly rare and highly coveted in battle, able to disorient entire drifts of gryphons, if not take them down, depending upon the signet’s strength.

“What, Aetos hasn’t warned you not to get caught alone in the dark with me yet?” His voice is like rough velvet along my skin, and I shiver, then draw my own blade from the sheath at my thigh and raise it, ready to defend us to the death.

“If it hadn’t occured to you than Dain and I aren’t exactly friends.” I roll my eyes. „Is this how you plan to handle us?”

“Eavesdropping, were we?” He arches a black brow and sheathes his dagger like I couldn’t possibly pose a threat to him, which only serves to piss me off even more. “Now I might actually have to kill you.” There’s an undertone of truth in those mocking eyes.

This is just…bullshit.

“Then go ahead and get it over with.” I unsheathe another dagger, this one from beneath my cloak where it was strapped in at my ribs, and back up a couple of feet to give me distance. Violet moves with me, daggers in her hands.

He pointedly looks at one dagger, then the other, and sighs, folding his arms across his chest. “You really want to fight with me? You barely won over that second-year and I’m way better than him.”

Cocky bastard.

“I’m better than you think. I’m not some damsel in distress.” I flat-out bluster.

“So I see. I’m quaking in my boots.” The corner of his mouth rises into a mocking smirk.

Fucking. Asshole.

Two daggers shots past me and past his head, one on each side. They land solidly in the trunk of the tree behind him.

“You missed.” He doesn’t even flinch.

Shit, Vi. It’s not a good thing to give him more reason to kill us.

“Did I?” I hear Vi behind me. “Why don’t you back up a couple of steps and test that theory?”

Curiosity flares in his eyes, but it’s gone in the next second, masked by cold, mocking indifference.

Every one of my senses is on high alert, but the shadows around me don’t slide in as he moves backward, his eyes locked with hers. His back hits the tree, and the hilts of her daggers brush his ears.

“Tell me again that I missed,” she threatens.

“Fascinating. You look all frail and breakable, but you’re really a violent little thing, aren’t you?” An appreciative smile curves his perfect lips as shadows dance up the trunk of the oak, taking the form of fingers. They pluck the daggers from the tree and bring them to Xaden’s waiting hands.

My breath abandons me with a sharp exhale. He has the kind of power that could end us without him having to so much as lift a finger —shadow wielding. The futility of even trying to defend myself against him is laughable. But I can’t let him to kill us so easily. I need to buy some time for Vi to run away.

I hate how beautiful he is, how lethal his abilities make him as he strides toward me, shadows curling around his footsteps. His allure is a warning not to get too close, and I am definitely too close. Switching my grip to the hilts of my daggers, I prepare for the attack. He looks ready to slit open my throat.

„Run, Vi!” I order her as I move as fast as I can, as I cut in his direction with my daggers.

He easily dodges, than with a strong blow at my right hand knocks my dagger out of my hand. Swiftly I turn in the other direction to avoid the another attack. It seems he waited for exactly that as he deals a blow with his fist in my side.

The air rushes of my lungs as I drop on my knees. Bloody hell. I cradle my ribs with my hands as I wheeze for air. If they’re not broken now, they never will be.

“You should find another guardian, it seems the current is useless.” He says to Violet as he approaches her. „Show that little trick to Jack Barlowe,” Xaden says, turning his palms upward and offering her the daggers.

Useless? I flinch. That word… A wave of memories tries to drag me under.

“I’m sorry?” She blinks at him.

This is a trick. It has to be a trick.

He moves closer, and she lifts her blade.

My heart stumbles, the beat irregular as fear floods my system. I need to stand up. I push aside the pain, the memories. I need to help Violet.

“The neck-snapping first-year who’s very publicly vowed to slaughter you,” Xaden clarifies. He reaches under her cloak and slides one blade into the sheath at her thigh, then pulls back the side of her cloak and pauses.

I cautiously step beside Vi with another dagger in hand. When I see his face I pause. It’s…strange.

His gaze locks onto the length of her braid where it falls over her shoulder, and I could swear he stops breathing for a heartbeat before he slides the remaining dagger into one of the sheaths at her ribs.

I feel a pang in my chest. What is this feeling? I’m…jealous? Ridiculous.

“He’d probably think twice about plotting your murder if you threw a few daggers at his head.”

This is…this is…bizarre. It has to be some kind of game meant to confuse me, right? And if so, he’s playing it really fucking well.

He actullay likes Violet? He doesn’t hurt her as he did with me.

“Because the honor of my murder belongs to you?” She challenges. “You wanted me dead long before your little club chose my tree to meet under, so I imagine you’ve all but buried me in your mind by now.”

He glances at the dagger poised at his stomach. “Do you plan on telling anyone about my little club?” His eyes meet hers, and there’s nothing but cold, calculating death waiting there.

“No,” she answers.

„Good.” He steps back and turns to me. „And you Melgren? Can you keep shut your mouth?”

„I won’t tell anyone. But not because of you.” I say while sheathing back my daggers. I don’t think he will kill us now.

“Why not?” He tilts his head to the side, examining my face like I’m an oddity. “It’s illegal for the children of separatist officers to assemble in—”

“Groups larger than three. I’m well aware. I’ve lived at Basgiath longer than you.” I lift my chin.

“And you’re not going to run off to Daddy, and tell him we’ve been assembling?” His gaze narrows on mine.

My stomach twists to the mention of the General.

“You were helping them. I don’t see why that should be punished.” It wouldn’t be fair to him or the others. Was their little meeting illegal? Absolutely. Should they die for it? Absolutely not. And that’s exactly what will happen if I tell. Those first-years will be executed for nothing more than asking for tutoring, and the senior cadets will join them just because they helped. “I’m not going to tell.”

He looks at me like he’s trying to see through me, and ice prickles my scalp. My hand is steady, but my nerves tremble at what the next thirty seconds might bring. He can kill us right here, toss our bodies into the river, and no one will know we’re gone until they find us downstream. But I won’t let him end me without drawing his blood first, that’s for damn sure.

“Interesting,” he says softly, then looks at my chest. „What happend with your ribs?”

„Today was assessment day, you know that well.” I lie fluently, I’m good at that.

„Do you mean the second-year whom you fought cracked your ribs?” He raises an eyebrow?

„What other explanation would there be for it?” I’m playing the dumb.

„That’s what I’m curious too.” He crosses his arms. „I watched your match and except from the bruise on your face, the second-year can’t even laid a hand on you. After that I escorted you to the Healers Quadrant. You stayed there until night and with Sorrengail you gone back to the dorms.” He recites my movements with alarming accuracy. „I doubt that you fought someone in the dorms or one of the first-years told us about it.”

„What? Are you watching me that closely?” I try to dodge the topic. He’s smarter than I gave him credit for, and I already knew he’s not an idiot.

„Of course. You’re a threat to all of us, Melgren.” He says. „So where do you get that injury?”

„It’s none of your business, Riorson.” I grit my teeth.

„You told us after Battle Brief that the General wanted to see you after classes.” He thinks out loud. „Someone caught you on your way to, or back from him?” He asks with narrowed eyes.

Violet gasps and I turn my head to her and see the horrified expression on her face.

Shit. I told her years ago that he stopped doing these kind of things. In reality he doesn’t, I just got better hiding the bruises. And now she knows.

„Who hurt you?” He steps closer, with something wavering in his eyes. It’s…pity, and anger? No, it’s impossible, he wants to kill us.

„I say for a last time in case you didn’t hear me earlier, Riorson.” I hiss at him. „It’s none of your fucking business. And if you won’t kill us tonight then we should go back to the dorms.”

“Hm. We’ll see if you keep your word and keep our secret, and if you do, then unfortunately, it looks like I owe you a favor.” Then he steps away, turns, and walks off, heading back toward the staircase in the cliff that leads up to the citadel. Wait. What?

“You’re not going to handle us?” Violet calls after him, shock raising her brows.

I groan. Vi, for fucks sake.

“Not tonight!” he tosses over his shoulder.

She scoffs. “What are you waiting for?”

“It’s no fun if you expect it,” he answers, striding into the darkness. “Now, get back to bed before your wingleader realizes you’re out after curfew.”

“What?” I gawk after him. “You’re our wingleader!”

But he’s already disappeared into the shadows, leaving me talking to myself like a fool.

„Aelin, is the Gen…” Violet turns to me with panick in her eyes.

„Vi.” I hush her. „We’re not going to talk about it. You probably pieced together what happened but that’s all. Someone can hear us.” I look in her eyes with a serious expression.

„But… There has to be a way to stop him.” She says pleadingly.

Sweet, kind Violet. That’s why a lied to her for years.

„Don’t worry, Vi.” I smile at her. „I will handle it. Everything is going to be alright. I won’t see him for who knows how long. It’s another advantage of this quadrant.”

I can’t tell her the General wants weekly reports. She would get herself into trouble on my behalf. I can’t let it.

„I… Okay.” She sighs. „But if I can help you, than you must tell me!” She says firmly.

„Deal.” I smile warmly at her. „Now come, we need to go back. We deserve a good sleep, it was a long day.” I link our arms as we starts our way back to the dorms.

#fanfiction #fourth wing #fourth wing fanfic #liam mairi #the fourth wing #violet sorrengail #xaden riorson #oc #the empyrean #garrick tavis #xaden x oc #xaden riorson x oc

58 notes · View notes

iwritenarrativesandstuff · 6 months

Text

Reasons why taking Dazai temporarily out of action (so people think he’s dead or lost) while everything goes horribly wrong would be fantastic for character development:

Atsushi will have to navigate mostly on his own and cannot rely on Dazai as a fallback. We can have an extension of his interpretations of what the people he knows - Dazai, Akutagawa, etc. - would want him to do as we saw after Teruko told him the truth of the DoA. Eventually, he’ll learn to trust his own judgement more.

I can really see Akutagawa stepping up and taking charge actually. I think he’s matured enough that Dazai being apparently “lost” wouldn’t make him reckless but instead more determined. I can see him being a lot more forthright about relying on Atsushi, and finding value in that partnership. “One last test” to see if he can fix something Dazai couldn’t - and at the end of it, here’s where he finally finds his worth. In the path, and not the goal, ultimately.

We might finally see elaboration on what Chuuya’s reaction was to Dazai leaving the Mafia. We are supposed to get that eventually, and I do think that having him think Dazai is actually gone might mean we get more of him in the main story. I’d like to see him with sskk, anyways.

It would destabilize Kunikida. They care about each other and they work well together. With Kunikida being second in command to Fukuzawa (who is not likely to be handling things well), fresh off of having his ideals torn asunder and psychologically screwed with by Jouno, the loss of his partner may result in Kunikida getting close to that breaking point Dazai hopes he never reaches.

Dazai being gone also saddles Ranpo with a lot more responsibility as the sole remaining genius of the Agency. If Fukuzawa and Kunikida are not in a fit state to lead, that makes the burden even heavier on him. I’m still holding out for a far more ruthless Ranpo than we’ve seen before, desperate as he is to keep the Agency afloat.

Potential reaction from Mori, or more Mafia information?

Opportunity to focus on Kyouka, especially given what might be a connection between her parents’ murder and Fyodor, as well as it being Dazai who gave her that talk about being able to change. Throw in Kouyou maybe, since she was the one who got the info on her parents in the first place. Please.

Reasons why this definitely won’t happen:

It looks like we’ve been isekai’d or reverse isekai’d for the season 5 finale. As such, we’re going to be jumping into the action of the next plot probably right away. These character moments would only really work if there was downtime between the infection arc and this upcoming one.

Dazai is Asagiri’s specialest boy

#storyrambles #bsd #😔#i just want bad ending. I want it so much…

27 notes · View notes

isagrimorie · 8 months

Text

@cleoselene: I feel like the modern shortened tv seasons is the most painful with sci-fi shows. like, there's so much good stuff we don't get because of the shorter seasons when it comes to building character work and experimental episodes and all the good stuff

It really is! Star Trek shows especially, IMO need more than 10 episodes to breathe in between. Even SNW suffers from the 10-episode season because character relationships change so fast within a span of 2 episodes without downtime.

Honestly, I wouldn't even mind if VFX looks a bit crap if it means we get more than 10 episodes a season so we can get more character-building stories and experimental episodes!

#replies #cleoselene

21 notes · View notes

inchidentally · 10 months

Text

(sorry for editing to keep things out of tags) (also preface that I ship pretty much anyone with anyone but that car lando, land oscar and char los are by far my favorites)

ok first and foremost I have to laugh so hard at them choosing Lando and Oscar?? as "pure PR" when

car|ando is quite LITERALLY used as Formula 1 PR ?? the official accounts of Ferr/ari, Mc|aren, Carlos' personal socials, Quad|rant,LN 4, F1, TV networks, Netflix and DTS,the whole of the Vegas race and every. single. sponsor. use car|ando to boost visibility. that's not a commentary on the validity of their friendship at all but it is quite literally a PR bromance that rakes in views and engagement

let's all be honest here the Mc|aren media folks are still hardcore car|ando people and can only bring themselves to remember the land|oscar ship name once in a blue moon (I have mixed feelings about that but I'm also not a fan of containment breaches so ig I'm relieved one of my ships isn't used as social media corporate currency??)

people's biggest complaint/compliment (depending on who's speaking) for Oscar is that he doesn't play up for cameras the way Carlos and Daniel do and struggles at PR !! literally he was only a little bit better at this in Prema and only because he'd known most of those boys for 5+ years already and their audience was tiny!

every single comment from a non fandom F1 fan on land|oscar content is how unusually shy Lando is around Oscar or how Oscar needs to "come out of his shell" and "not make Lando work so hard"

and Daniel "Mr. F1 PR Department" Ricc|ardo????? are they seriously saying Lando and Oscar (who are still trying to figure out how much they can even casually touch each other) are PR when Daniel and dan|do ticks every single bromance box????

like who the hell but a twitter user who ships rpf like it's a government conspiracy would pick land|oscar out of all Lando ships for a fake or publicity friendship when they literally don't do any of the pretend gay stuff or the horseplay or the memes etc. that is literally the wildest take I've heard in yeARS

anyway as usual I thought creepily deeply into this and decided to spend my time unable to sleep typing an essay weeeeeeeeee

see I was mostly lurking part time during the dando era so I wasn't sure but fr why isn't there this "competition" between dando and carlando like there is with carlando landoscar?? dando was MAJOR gay fandom service by comparison and they've consistently spent more time together outside of racing weekends and hobbies than Lando and Carlos since Carlos has always spent most of his travel and downtime during the season with Isa and now Rebecca. Daniel and Lando go on little excursions together even now and he was with Lando much longer as a teammate than Carlos.

so for people who've left reality to the point of thinking these men are in a genuine secret gay romance competition for Lando… surely Daniel/dando should be the ultimate enemy number one?? especially when evidence immediately surfaced that Carlos' thirst posts on Lando's bday were his side of the thirst posts Rebecca did the same day from their holiday right after the Brazilian GP, whereas Daniel took Lando with him in a small group of close friends to the desert after Vegas. if I were someone who thought that all F1 girlfriends are "PR escorts" - or whatever bullshit is the latest sexist woman-hating theory of choice - then I'd be so mad at Carlos for "ditching" Lando for Rebecca and then Daniel posting not one but two beautiful, moody pics of traveling with him. forget that Lando only reposted Oscar's birthday post, surely Daniel posting on the account he only made because of Lando with a camera he only bought because of Lando pictures OF LANDO is the biggest source of betrayal !!

I just. cannot imagine wanting rpf to be this exhausting and enraging when you can just ship all of them and also not create conspiracy theories about girlfriends that keep getting disproved at every turn.

but yeah as anon #2 said it's not even like carlando are super close friends outside of F1 (as Lando himself said) the way George and Alex are but I don't see anyone in rages about galex or their irl relationships or saying they can't be shipped with any other driver?? maybe I just don't see it on my feeds but it's definitely not as big a deal as the carlando exclusivity stuff that's been bubbling up everywhere.

and exactly! as sweet as it is that Lando and Carlos pair up in the few moments the drivers are all doing media duties etc together it's also what every. other. driver. is doing with their buddies. sometimes they stand in larger groups but those moments are when they get to catch up with guys outside their own team. Oscar and Logan find each other every single time and a lot of that time they spend away from the other drivers. Max and Charles, Yuki and Pierre, Esteban and Lance etc etc. much as I would love it if this implied that all of these driver friends are suckin and fuckin their bros on the DL it's tragically not the case.

I feel like maybe?? carlando as a ship developed into part of the fans going larries level of problematic is because the Lando they watched with Carlos was so young and literally formed a lot of his F1 persona around Carlos. that version of Lando is basically a handy self-insert for fans worshiping Carlos.

as we know Carlos does NOT view himself as the number 2 driver even when he in every technical sense is. so it speaks to just how much of a little uncooked chicken nugget Lando was during their season together that Carlos has never once viewed Lando as competition and even now sees him as a lil cub kind of like Max V does with Lando. they're happy Lando succeeds but he's not classed in with the guys they really get pissed off with or perceive as threatening.

Lando talked here about how he spent a lot of that first season in F1 anxious about his performance compared to Carlos and his own future in F1 and that he largely had to work to put on a smiley face for the cameras. I actually think that entire first half of the clip is a great example of how the carlando chemistry came from Carlos being someone who loves being silly and laughing a lot in his time off the track and how convenient that was for Lando to help hide how much he was going through privately. when the media decided that Lando is meant to be adorable and silly all the time, someone as easy to get along with as Carlos was perfect timing. did nothing for Lando's actual personal struggle behind the scenes but it kept up a solid boundary between Lando and the media. I can't find it now but there's that old interview of Carlos being dismayed at Lando one day being sullen and quiet even when Carlos tried to joke with him - he was half kidding but Lando looked a bit uncomfortable and said "yeah I don't know why I'm like that sometimes". then it just got joked off as Lando being a moody teenager (which Lando visibly didn't really like).

so like, this is what their relationship has always been! Carlos represents a place Lando can go to and not have his demons or his problems follow him. and for someone who has always been used to physical affection, Carlos' lack of boundaries has always been extremely welcome as an endorphins boost.

but let's be honest here that's exactly the same super physically comfortable chemistry Carlos had even with Max and now has with Charles. I know the charlos of it all is probably a whole other hornets nest but fact is that to Carlos, Charles is equally a grown man to him and they can do the whole european buddies jokey flirting thing without it being weird. not the same as with Lando…

I've got to point out that when you look at comments not from fangirls, carlando as a "ship" is seen by F1 fans as big brother and baby brother or even dad and son relationship. this video was recently posted again from the stream where Carlos very firmly shut down people asking him to kiss Lando. whereas he'll jokingly ask Charles for a kiss and call him "darling" while being pretend domestic together. it's pretty damn clear that Carlos will joke about the bromance with Lando to an extent but Lando is The Baby and a little brother. Carlos wants to take care of Lando and he does not view him as a contemporary the way he does with Charles.

and considering Lando still suffers from the same anxieties and getting stuck in his own head, I've said before how I love that hanging with Carlos can still clear those cobwebs away. they can golf or just chat about any old bullshit and Lando can escape whatever is hanging over him for a while.

I truly do not know why people find that very real relationship insufficiently sweet and amazing and think that imagining them to be secret boyfriends is so much better ?? I mean absolutely rpf it the way I do for fun! but how bad does someone's gaydar have to be to think Carlos would have a single clue what to do with a penis that's not his own lfhajhfsa. American fans need to spend some time watching European friend groups and realize the insecure nohomo thing does NOT exist outside the US.

idk how many girlfriends have to get harassed or how far the media will push it before Lando or Carlos actually get sick of the whole ship thing but I think I speak for all rational carlando fans when I say that it's well past time to throw this whole conspiracy theory away. folks need to enjoy their friendship and ship them how you want for fun but don't push this thing to the point of even more discomfort. or worse make them change their behavior to get the focus off of them.

especially when you come to the landoscar of it all and deciding that it's a battle of the rpf ships. we've all seen those delusions in other fandoms result in baffling amount of hate that cross over into real life and how ugly it gets. carlando comments are already pretty out of control on Lando content that doesn't even remotely involve Carlos and it's bleeding onto McLaren content that involves Oscar.

I guess if I really make a few leaps in lofic then I can maaaaybe kind of see ? where that insecurity is coming from with those shippers. I do not understand it but if I had to guess it's possibly that we're seeing a totally different side of Lando than usual since he's been teammates with Oscar. and that for once, Lando's growth isn't dictated or based on his teammate being a big PR personality.

professionally he has said many times he's been pushed by Oscar into his own best F1 season yet. he's also matured a huge amount when it comes to his own failures and we've never heard him be so grown up and balanced as when he talks about how happy he is for Oscar and McLaren that Oscar got the sprint win before he did. that the "hurt" he feels over it is entirely because he is angry at himself for making mistakes. him doing the season farewell video and being able to ruefully joke but be genuinely proud of Oscar is so different from little Lando slumped and barely clapping during Carlos' departing speech or Lando looking out of it and a bit annoyed when Daniel would still try to do jokes after a particularly brutal result. Lando is behaving on his own terms in his own team now. he's The Guy.

Lando's grown UP. we're seeing a very finished article in him. and it's not because he's reacting to who Oscar is it's because Oscar's just letting him be. he's seen Oscar choose not to fake it or play up for the media and realized 'oh! I can be upset or depressed if I feel like it and not dance like a puppet when people want me to be fun and silly!'. he saw Oscar's urgency to prove himself after finally getting a seat and Lando realized that Oscar was just assuming that Lando would default be the superior! he saw Oscar backing away or leaving room for Lando to be the fan favorite and Lando's natural instinct was actually to let himself be quieter and take up only as much space as he wanted to! he's spent the whole season being asked to be an F1 global representative all on his own with no bromance attached and Oscar is there back at the garage or the McLaren motor home smiling and congratulating him like always!

in short, Lando suddenly has room and space to be whatever he chooses and Oscar has been open to any and all of it. they became immediate competition for each other without needing to hastily construct a friendship or bromance to negotiate it. Oscar shrugs off his own disappointments and doesn't gloat or overdo his achievements and oh! isn't it nice that he isn't expecting anything from Lando except respect! Lando doesn't have to navigate anyone else!

that's why I refer to them as sort of I guess a plantonic crush? I did this equally huge and weird post about this here. Oscar has admired Lando for a long time and Lando has absolutely loved having a teammate who doesn't view him as a baby or a kid brother. Lando is so intrigued by how calm and solid and strong Oscar is and Oscar still cannot quite believe Lando is right there in his life and as his teammate. the little cautious dance they're doing is absolutely precious but also because it's so intensely earnest. they both have such big long term plans for themselves and they are so happy to be working on those together that they aren't doing the whole let's find a schtick or do a bromance thing. if it takes them a long time to settle what their relationship is then so what!

and I guess for people who want to think that Carlos and Lando's friendship is 'superior' to every other relationship in their lives (as if Max F will ever be dethroned in Lando's life) it's got to take the already unstable mindset and upset it even more to see Lando personally growing into someone they don't really recognize and at least in some part because of Oscar.

because the carlando shipping that I see from these more extreme people (and I fully acknowledge they're a loud minority) basically eradicates Lando's agency and identity outside of finding Carlos hilarious or hot. they misinterpret Carlos being the authoritative role into Carlos being fully in control of carlando and Lando basically dancing to his tune and reacting to him. they never post the serious, slightly darker side of Lando because it's typically not associated with Carlos. unless it's Lando missing Carlos or upset that Carlos isn't around lol.

so I can only imagine that Oscar's arrival coinciding with a more mature and focused Lando who allows himself to want to be taken seriously and no longer spends all of his on-camera time screeching with laughter or flailing around is ummm not to the taste of those people. Lando still has screeching fits sometimes but he's overall a much calmer person and it's nice to know that when he laughs with Oscar it's always genuine since Oscar has no idea how to play up for laughs. it's probably why Those Fans are now aggressively posting Lando and Carlos doing the driver's parade together (again, among all the other paired off drivers lol) with "ALWAYS TOGETHER" AND "ALWAYS COMING BACK TO EACH OTHER" as if fate is trying to stop carlando from being the only thing that matters. because I guess in their minds, Lando can't just be believed when he says that Carlos is an F1 buddy the way other guys have F1 buddies and Lando can't grow up and have a personal best year without Singapore being solely about carlando and how Carlos took care of him (fuck off???? Lando would've gotten P2 or P3 anyway bc he had an excellent race??) and Lando won't be heard when he says actually Silverstone was his favorite race not Singapore because Carlos Carlos Carlos.

of course Lando can't have found a new kind of friend and teammate in a guy like Oscar who is wholly unlike Carlos in every single way imaginable because that would mean there are parts of Lando that don't suit Carlos and carlando. it would also imply that Oscar is a better teammate for Lando than Carlos was (which is true) and that oh no if Lando is no longer pining for Carlos to be his teammate again (he isn't and he said so) then that means Lando exists outside of carlando and that means they're gonna have to pile extra hard onto proving every single instance where carlando is still one of the most important things in Lando's life (it isn't and that wouldn't be healthy). it would also imply that purely platonic friendship between Carlos and Lando is basically pointless no no they've got to be fucking and in romantic love that's what makes them special not just the fact that they love being in each other's company and have full and happy lives outside each other.

I just.

reaalllly hope it all calms down soon and they leave Oscar out of this mess.

and thank FUCK Oscar's gf Lily has been fully accepted by landoscar fans from the start because the amount of vile hate and petty exclusion Rebecca is receiving makes it honestly a little bit hard for me to be ra ra carlando even just for fun right now.

will it stop me being carlando trash in the tags? no. but my conscience is cringing a bit.

#big shock I overthink things that in no way impact my life #I also had to spend a loooot of time considering how much I wanted to go into all of this vs it potentially getting me sht from ppl #hopefully it's too long for anyone to rly care about who might get pissed #inchreplies #wank adjacent

42 notes · View notes

kindlespark · 2 months

Note

hello, this is the anon who sent august that really long fhjy ask - thanks for your thoughts!! they helped me understand some of the season's strengths that weren't as apparent to my tastes - i think you're so right that the temple was a high point and i greatly sympathize with the sentiment of like, it all could've been so much more compelling if the bad kids had keyed into that more (which i think is also partly on brennan's presentation of info as GM, ofc - not saying it's anyone's responsibility alone). i'm still not sold on porter that much, but i can understand your perspective and i do appreciate some of his moments - i enjoyed him being a terrible teacher to gorgug because of the tension it created within the party (isn't this bad teaching? is it not? that self-doubt was really dramatically satisfying, especially in the twist payoff). i also think you're right that the finale truly muddies the waters of what the ratgrinders' thematic positioning was - as much sense as it makes that they're genderbent foils, it feels like each member gets less and less pointed - kipperlily and riz are the clearest parallel followed by kristen and buddy, but then like ruben and fig's interactions were essentially just bits, oisin and adaine basically boil down to differing access to generational wealth, and then gorgug/maryann and ivy/fabian are basically just like rage/apathy and ranged/melee. and i don't necessarily think fleshing this all out would've made the season good, but i think (and i want to say this came up in the podcast) it was overambitious/overcomplex to combine the ratgrinders' story with porter's - hence the very confused finale. on a more positive note, i actually totally agree that the downtime system was fun and thematic! the reason i cited that aspect as a negative is more because of the eventual execution, where a lot of the ratgrinder elements got sidelined and relegated to "we'll resolve that later" - as flavorful as it was, there were times when i felt like it didn't mesh with the beats brennan expected or it stymied the group's efforts to investigate things in favor of siloing them. this is a more meta criticism but another reason i don't quite gel with the porter story is because it's the reason brennan asked emily to play as fig this season even though she didn't want to, and while i trust that she genuinely chose to go along with him in that, it definitely felt like she (and brennan) struggled to find a new throughline/arc for fig (especially since the ruben thing went nowhere) and i don't feel like that sacrifice was worth what we got with regard to porter (and ruben, as her foil) - when i think of fig's storyline this season it just feels kind of empty/reactive. anyway, i hope it's clear i don't say this to argue with your opinions and i certainly don't begrudge anyone hoping for a satisfying narrative from d20 especially considering their past successes (i couldn't agree more that fhsy and tuc are some of their finest work in this regard - easily two of my favorite seasons alongside acofaf!). i'm still exploring my relationship to subtextual readings of actual plays - i love literary criticism so i appreciate many fan theories as emotional/philosophical exercises, but with TTRPGs i often have a harder time as compared to pre-written material given their more improvisatory/fluctuating nature. as such, the shooting schedule looms large here, and i mourn What Could've Been if the cast had gotten to rest and reflect between sessions right alongside you... ah well, there's always another season <3

hello!!! thank u for a really great ask!!! sorry it took me so long to get to it, i literally haven't been logged into tumblr on desktop since i saw it and typing up a good reply on mobile would've been impossible LOL

i pretty much agree with all your points here; especially the one with fig's arc this season. i think emily should've trusted her gut and retired her after her near perfect arc in fhsy, and that brennan shouldn't have had her in this season just for the porter reveal (which could've been a fun twist even with a new character, given that emily would've still had her suspicions). her arc this season is rly meandering and inconclusive which is such a shame. the problem is that i just REALLY love porter as a villain LOL. or rather, i love porter as a concept of the villain he could've been but that was never really treated seriously as such by the show. he represents so much of what i thought this season's themes would address--he's a symbol (as a teacher) of the unfair and fucked up school system and the power it holds over kids, as well as the concepts of rage and manipulation and radicalisation and revenge. that shit is super interesting to me (also as a teacher), and if all of this was engaged with it would've been incredible. alas!

but yeah me and august were talking abt ur ask like ur literally right and we wish we had ur foresight for the season tho LMAO. like perhaps my blinders were on because truly up until the last three episodes brennan was giving me everything, conceptually, that i wanted. i wanted trg to be sympathetic villains, and they were! i wanted kipperlilly and lucy to be best friends and have tragic yuri potential, and they did! i wanted jace to also be a victim of porter's, and he was! there was a moment before the last three episodes where i was convinced nothing could go wrong and this would be my favourite d20 season ever LMFAOOOOOO OH HOW THE PRIDE COMES BEFORE THE FALL

wrt literary criticism and d20, i totally get what you mean. i've been a real hater about this season but i'm usually pretty forgiving about the improvisatory and comedic aspects of d20 seasons believe it or not LMAO. m&m is one of my favourite d20 seasons of all time, i do not care that the ending flopped spectacularly bc of the tone, dice rolls and bad jokes. acoc is another one of my favourite seasons of all time, but the back half of it is super lacklustre in comparison to the first half, and i was completely zoned out of the rushed and anticlimactic final combat until calroy came in. these things did not taint my enjoyment of the show--it's always been forgivable and understandable to me because well, yeah, comes with the improv liveplay territory!! i love analysing the shows thematically and have my critique but ultimately understand there's things no one can predict or account for. i think fhjy's case in particular was just so egregious to me; the themes felt so much more obvious, the character hooks right there, the set-up so good, that i truly had never been so disappointed by a d20 finale helppppp

like i'm used to d20 seasons not having themes that are perfectly executed or followable; when i make my posts about wishing that fhjy was about the unfair school system, it's more like... wishing that anything could've happened that would've made it possible to come to my own conclusions on that theme. i'm ALWAYS reading too deep for my analysis of d20, and i'm super aware of it--this is part of the fun of it for me, thinking about implications and characters the creators didn't have time to, fleshing out ideas and subplots that didn't go anywhere, death of the author and all that. it's just that this season's main plot and themes, more than any other d20 season for me so far, felt so completely incoherent, despite its direction being so completely obvious to me, that i couldn't even pretend to come up with coherent analysis for it and i was left absolutely flabbergasted LOLLL

and maybe that's on me! it's definitely not a mistake i'm going to take into another d20 season, i've actually made my peace with the fact im probably never gonna get another fhsy or tuc or even acoc from d20 again (or at least the main IH cast) and that's okay..... i actually almost relapsed into taz the other day i was so desperate for a good ending AHJFSKFSFSFS

anyway this got long sorry i had a lot of thoughts. thank u for ur messages anon!

#ask #anon #d20 #meta

9 notes · View notes

fancy11schmancy · 2 years

Text

The Adventure/Outdoors outfit concept for 1920’s AU Zelda is all done!!💚✨ I had a ton of fun working on this- Progress for The Chateau Of The Red Moon AU is going along nicely-! Next is her “Royal Court” attire-

Brief lore of Zelda’s role in the AU:

Since travel has been restored between the light realm and the twilight realm, a newfound unity flourished between the two societies. New friends, new towns/cities to explore, never-before-seen technologies and fashions at their disposal-all seemed well...until nefarious rumors of a returning great threat started to spread...

Being a princess about to assume the role of Queen, Zelda’s utmost duty is to her people-especially when it comes to their protection from any unforeseen threat. Once strange happenings and various crimes start to occur in the streets of Castle Town and across Hyrule, Zelda’s the first to spearhead an investigation to discover the cause- (to which her father is very disapproving of).

With the assistance of Link and Midna, Zelda is able to track down leads and clues at a lighting fast pace. However, is she fast enough to discover the causes behind these heinous wrongdoings before the danger becomes something far worse?

As for Zelda herself, she holds herself to a very high standard and always works to the best of her abilities in order to keep everyone she loves safe and sound.

Being a Royal, Zelda has extensive knowledge of Hyrule and the world around her- be it political, scientific, historical or cultural in nature. She loves to learn and is highly exacting and strategic in all of her decision making. Zelda strives for efficiency but she is also very empathetic, being mindful on how consequences affect those around her. She loves any sort of intellectual challenge, especially when it comes to “seemly impossible” mysteries and puzzles. While she does play the part of a refined princess and soon-be-queen, her true passion lies in exploring and going on thrilling and exciting adventures through dark dungeons and forests with her best friend, Link. (and of course, causing occasional trouble with Midna too). In her downtime, when Zelda isn’t reading or studying (or solving a case), she excels at being a seasoned equestrian and practicing various martial arts, being a very capable hand-to-hand combatant and fencer. As she has traveled more with Link and Midna, she has taken a liking to collecting tea tins from various regions around Hyrule- nothing beats a good cup of tea!

#the legend of zelda #zelda au #1920s aesthetic #twilight princess #zelda twilight princess #1920’s x zelda #legend of zelda #the chateau of the red moon #tp zelda #tp princess zelda #the chateau of the red moon au #1920’s fashion

162 notes · View notes

astroesther · 7 months

Text

LIVE AND DIRECT! MERCURY IN ARIES

Mercury is in Aries from March 10 - May 15, 2024.

*All photos were taken by me in Copenhagen.

When Mercury moves into Aries on the same day as the Pisces new moon, it creates a unique blend of energies. These two different yet powerful forces seem to counterbalance each other. The Pisces New Moon provides a sense of tranquility, immersing us in a dreamy and relaxed state of mind. Conversely, the fiery nature of Mercury in Aries has the opposite effect, stimulating our senses and making us alert, similar to the jarring sensation of an alarm going off at 6 am.

During this period, it might feel as though you are disconnected and struggling to adapt, almost as if you're living within a virtual reality. It's akin to those vivid dreams that blur the line between fantasy and reality. Your perception of things might seem distorted or skewed, so it's crucial to take your time. Do not rush to conclusions without first gathering all the facts and understanding the complete picture.

Mercury in Aries often signals a time of accelerated communication. Social media activity may increase, and messages may start hurtling in at a rapid pace. It's as if your wifi connection, which was previously down or weak, suddenly restores itself and springs back to life just as quickly as it had disappeared.

On a more personal note, my Wifi has been down for nearly two weeks, which has been incredibly frustrating since I rely heavily on it for virtually everything. The intermittent silence and lack of connectivity create a level of fear and unease in me that I’d rather not experience!

However, every cloud has a silver lining. In the absence of the constant hustle and bustle of life and the incessant distractions, I found some much-needed time and space to introspect and reflect upon my own thoughts. This period of downtime allowed me to rejuvenate my astrology writing practice and discover new creative projects to pursue. Looking back, I realize that this period of inactivity was, in fact, immensely valuable for me.

This experience has taught me to appreciate the downtimes, like those quiet moments in tube tunnels when there's nothing else to do but think. Or even better, to try not to harbor any terrible thoughts.

Speaking of terrible thoughts, they can be quite intrusive, right? However, with Mercury in Aries, they won’t linger for long. This period prompts us to question our thought patterns—what area of our lives is demanding assertive attention? How can we address these issues to create a healthier and more harmonious balance in our lives?

Remember, this period is a time for growth and self-improvement. Embrace it with an open mind and a willing heart.

READ FOR YOUR SUN AND RISING SIGN

Pisces

The transit might pose a challenge for you, especially considering your self-sacrificing nature. The sudden need to prioritize your desires and needs might seem out of sync with your usual demeanor. More importantly, you might struggle to identify what these needs are. This period may make you feel uncomfortable, nudging you to take center stage, focus exclusively on yourself, and make decisions without seeking the input of others.

Aries

With Mercury being in your sign for a few months, expect a transformational period. It's as if you're setting old burdens on fire, a symbolic act of releasing and purification. This period will allow you to let go of the past and welcome the future. As self-doubt makes way for confidence, you'll find yourself ready to embrace the new phase of your life.

Taurus

Much like Aries, you too are undergoing a significant metamorphosis. It's a time of change and growth, symbolized by the butterfly emerging from the chrysalis, the snake shedding its skin, or the bear ending its hibernation. Mercury, the messenger, is streaking across the sky with a chariot and flame, lighting up your life. This celestial illumination will help you destroy what's unnecessary, making room for reinvention.

Gemini

This season might bring a somber mood, making you feel low and self-reflective. Despite being the trendsetter and early adopter of the zeitgeist, you might feel lonely at the top. Your elevated confidence might highlight others' limitations, leading to potential jealousy and discord.

Cancer

As this season squares your planets, it may not be particularly enjoyable for you. Prepare yourself for complex conversations and strive to express your feelings in a way that respects the other person. It's crucial to see other people's perspectives, especially when their values don't align with yours. Strive to find the common ground where everyone is allowed to be as they are, not as you want them to be.

Leo

Expect a eureka moment, as this period brings innovation and luck your way. Things will move quickly as you align with love and joy. Tune into your intuition and be ready to act swiftly. A rain of ideas is about to pour down, signalling a fertile and creative period in your life. Mercury in Aries is set to bolster your dreams and aspirations.

Virgo

Mercury, your ruler, is in Aries and might not offer the comfort you desire. You're used to Mercury's energy in mutable or earth signs, so its presence in the cardinal fire sign could be unsettling. The sudden shift from rational Pisces to unpredictable Aries might make you feel out of control with your thoughts.

Libra

The current planetary placement opposes your sign but could be advantageous if you need to assert yourself. Remember, a partnership is about two equal individuals coming together, not one person bending over backwards. Maintain your boundaries and ensure balance in all your relationships. It's time to uphold the equilibrium represented by your scales.

Scorpio

This transit brings your co-ruler into the spotlight, making it a favourable time for you. It's almost like celebrating your birthday. Things will start to move your way, with less struggle and more ease, allowing you to plan for your near future. Reflect on the past six months, set goals for the next six, and channel your energy towards the future you envision.

Sagittarius

Rest is the keyword for you at this time. If you're feeling run down or experiencing a low mood, it's a sign that your body and mind are begging for a break. Use this downtime to address any unresolved issues or discomforts. Uncomfortable truths may surface during this period, allowing you to move forward with greater clarity and understanding.

Capricorn

This Mercury period might bring turbulence for you, but remember, you're built to weather the storm. Express your needs and feelings to others, ensuring they understand your expectations. If you're finding it hard to let go of others' burdens, it might be time to seek help. Remember, reaching out for assistance is a sign of strength, not weakness.

Aquarius

Although this transit aligns harmoniously with your house, Mercury in Aries is nudging you to be more assertive. It's time to step up to the plate and let your voice be heard. Your opinion matters, so don't hesitate to express it. During this time, focus on recognizing and leveraging your strengths rather than dwelling on your weaknesses.

11 notes · View notes