#i haven't watched the willow show yet

[tending-the-hearth]

Willow: I made you a friendship bracelet. Madmartigan: You know, I'm not really a jewelry person. Willow: Well, you don't have to wear it if you don't want to— Madmartigan: No, I'm gonna wear it forever! Back off!

[swashbucklery]

WHAT UP NERDS IT’S A DRAFTTTTTTTT.

[welcometogrouchland]

Okay I think I actually love the Brazilian dub of toh (<- I do not speak Portuguese)

[wingsyliveblogs]

So! While I was poking through my ask tag for this post, I found this response I wrote to an ask back when I’d just finished watching Episode 6 and was hit with a sudden realisation.

See, at the time, I speculated that Amity was in denial about Willow’s abilities as a witch, because she kept making a point about Willow not being powerful even though she’d already seen what Willow was capable of in Episode 3. That seemed to be the only possible explanation for why she wouldn’t acknowledge how strong Willow was.

But now, Episode 15 has revealed that Amity cutting Willow off had nothing to do with her being “weak” - in reality, it was because of Amity’s parents, and Willow’s supposed lack of strength was just an excuse Amity used because she couldn’t admit the truth...

...which means that it now makes perfect sense that Amity would continue to claim that Willow wasn’t strong when she had plenty of evidence to the contrary, because she never truly believed Willow was weak in the first place. (Though exactly why she felt the need to keep up appearances so long after the fact is something I’m still not sure of: was she still afraid of what her parents might do? Was she simply ashamed of what she’d done and wanted to avoid dealing with it at all? At the moment, I can only speculate, but it’s quite possible this may be addressed in future episodes, so I guess we’ll see!)

Amity must have known that Willow was strong the whole time, but she couldn’t bring herself to say it until she realised that her deception was hurting Willow far more. And having just rewatched Episode 15, that’s really getting to me too because she clearly didn’t understand how much she’d hurt Willow - how much what she said was affecting her. That’s... really the only way I can read her “why are you doing this?” line because she should’ve known why Willow was upset, because she was trying to avoid that memory too, but it almost seems like there was a disconnect between how she felt about what happened and how she thought Willow felt. She didn’t understand how much Willow cared.

Amity really thought that refusing to acknowledge Willow in any way forever would fix the problem and that Willow would be fine with it, and it took almost getting incinerated by the manifestation of Willow’s mind who was also on fire for her to realise that things weren’t fine at all. So I guess she was in denial about Willow after all - just not the way I initially thought!

[metalandmagi]

I WANT MORE SILLY SWORD FIGHTING LESBIANS DAMN IT!!!! NOT EVERY FANTASY HAS TO BE GAME OF THRONES OR LORD OF THE RINGS TO BE ENJOYABLE!

[jesncin]

I feel like your criticisms of how She-Ra handles race could also apply to The Owl House. 3/5 of the main kids are POC (or at least coded in Willow and Gus's case ig??) yet no mention of how that relates to the main villain literally being a guy from the 1600s who literally colonized an entire realm and set up institutions that were stifling so he could more easily control the people??? Any mentions of Luz feeling like an unwanted comes purely from her being a 'weirdo' and aside from her saying a couple Spanish words nothing about her gives nods to her heritage much less her being Dominican. I've seen plenty of fans assume she was Mexican, Cuban, etc because she's just that vaguely Hispanic to viewers. Idk I'm Latino and I love the Owl House but it just doesn't feel right to me if that makes sense??

I haven't watched the Owl House (I really should, I'm just busy and preoccupying myself with niche stuff lol) so I can't say much about it, but I've definitely heard a good bunch of the inter-community criticism regarding how that show represents certain identities.

That mention of how Luz speaks a few Spanish words just not being quite enough to specify her as Dominican is interesting to me. From personal experience for my Clois comics, I knew Lois would've been mistaken for Malaysian (because our languages are similar) in the Dyslexia/Typos comic, but I was always planning for Private Interview to make it clear that she was Chinese Indonesian specifically. I think it's telling that Owl House thought those few Spanish words was enough, in comparison. It does make me glad that folks like you are critical enough to not just accept that as representation, because indeed, it's not enough if she could still be read in a monolithic way.

I do get bummed out that a show like Owl House (and to an extent Steven Universe and She-Ra) can get popular for its proximity to whiteness while things like Kipo and the Wonderbeasts isn't talked about as much.

[sheisaquarius-blog]

hi! for anthony’s day can you do something with ianthony getting together with jealous!anthony? btw i love your fics you’re so talented!!!

OH BOY CAN I, I LOVE JEALOUS ANTHONY!!! i'm sure you wanted something sweet and fluffy, but i am on my usual bullshit and made it long and angsty OTL sorry!!! i hope it's still an enjoyable read! and it ends happy!

ps- sorry i'm late! if you sent me an anthony's day prompt and i haven't posted it yet, you WILL see it! i just over estimated how fast i can write, but i'm going to fill each and every one!

Anthony thinks a lot. Not that other people don’t, he just suspects that they have an easier time turning off the faucet of thoughts, or at least letting it fade into the white noise of their minds. Anthony has trouble with that. A lot of trouble. Every one of his thoughts is loud and demanding and takes up the limited space he has in his brain. Most of the time it doesn’t bother him because he’s learned to make peace with a lot of it. He’s learned to acknowledge those thoughts for what they are and control them, channel them. Pain and anxiety were hard, but he’s managed. He has outlets, mantras, things that keep him firmly in reality when those thoughts start to overwhelm his mind and make him burn from the inside out.

His real problem is jealousy. Its roots are wrapped so deep in his bones he’d need to pull back the layers of calcium to extract the tendrils from his marrow where they nestle and feed off him. Pain and anxiety are water, they rain on him, he could drown in them if he isn’t careful, but in the end, they are things that pour over him. He fears his jealousy has always grown out of him, is intrinsic to him.

He hides it well for most of his life. Not so well that no one notices, but well enough they think it’s just normal, average jealousy. A bit childish, maybe, but not the more sinister, dark, suffocating thing that’s truly inside him.

As he grows, he manages it well enough to not make it other people’s problems (most of the time), but it eats away at him in a way he can’t control.

Not everything spikes it. He doesn’t mind sharing the spotlight—in fact he greatly prefers it. He isn’t bothered by friends’ accomplishments—those are their own.

What does bother him is singular attention. That’s the best way he knows how to put it. For an audience, Anthony would much rather be a part of something than the whole; he built two channels out of that. Smosh isn’t a one man show, and interviews don’t work very well with just one person, but when it comes to being the most important thing to one single person, Anthony is not particularly willing to share.

He's jealous in relationships, he knows that. It’s caused plenty of arguments. It worries him, he doesn’t want to be toxic, but he needs to be the most important thing to them. He can feel himself choking on his jealousy when things change and he isn’t that precious thing anymore. It’s a slow death he suffers through each time.

Apparently, that goes double for business partners because Anthony truly, genuinely worried he was going to suffocate when Anthony asked Ian to leave with him and he didn’t. His body felt hollow and burned through, like everything important in him was drained.

He’s gotten marginally better in their years apart. He doesn’t think he’s any less jealous, but he lets his flares bounce back against himself rather than out at other people.

Damn if it doesn’t catch him off guard every once in a while, though, which is how Anthony ends up breathing through his teeth at a dark, loud, too-cool party, watching Ian laugh at someone’s joke across the room as some guy clasps his shoulder to keep from doubling over.

Anthony already hates parties. It’s a manageable hate, but he does. This, though—watching Ian laugh and smile and talk and treasure someone else makes that jealousy rip through him, choking him by the throat like a fucked-up willow is trying to grow out of there. He wants to leave, except he doesn’t, because then he has to leave Ian and, well, he did that once already. He isn’t sure he’ll get a third chance. Ian does catch his eye, and there’s something of a balm for that awful thing inside him. It’s blue eyes that see him. He doesn’t realize he’s smiling until Ian crosses the dark room towards him.

“Hey,” Ian says. “You ready to go?”

Anthony shakes his head. He can’t make himself say the word ‘no,’ it’s too big of a lie, but he can deal with this for Ian’s sake. He has Ian’s attention right now, so he could endure a lot worse to keep it.

Ian takes a sip of his drink without letting his eyes leave Anthony, bright blue in this dark room. “Well, I think I’m done, but we can hang here if you want, I guess.” Anthony can’t lie, but he’s jealous. Ian isn’t jealous, but he can lie. Like a snake eating its own tail, chasing itself in circles.

“You don’t have to be done,” Anthony says. His eyes flicker to that guy Anthony definitely knows of but can’t name, who’s staring at Ian across the way, a little longing and a little awestruck. He doesn’t blame him, but he doesn’t forgive him either. “But maybe we should get some air?” he suggests.

Ian nods. “Sure.”

They wander outside together, past loud conversation and louder music, into the much lighter LA night air. A breeze rustles through the patio and it makes Anthony aware of how warm he was inside, catching on the light sheen of sweat on his skin. Ian sighs and leans against the side of the house-slash-mansion. It’s quiet between them, but Anthony likes it, until those gnarled fingers dig into him, and he starts to wonder: is Ian here with him or still back inside?

“Who was that?” he asks casually.

Ian rubs under the bridge of his glasses. “Theo? I dunno, I guess he’s, like, a food guy or something. I met him guesting on a podcast last year.”

“Cool,” Anthony says. “Yeah, I was surprised he remembered me.” Anthony nods. He exhales through his nose, but he doesn’t feel like he’s breathing.

Ian shrugs. “We really can go if you want. I’m pretty much done here.”

“Pretty much?” Anthony asks before he can stop himself.

Ian gives him a look. Anthony thinks he should be able to read it, there’s something so direct in Ian’s gaze. “Just a figure of speech. C’mon, let’s just go.”

Anthony can’t help himself; this is where his jealousy is layered too deep, this is his instinct, his nature. “You wanna say bye to Theo first?”

“No,” Ian says without a second thought or a moment of hesitation, like Anthony wasn’t just the brattiest, pettiest person he knows. “He’s fine without me, Anthony.”

“He didn’t look fine when you left.”

“Ok, fine. Well, I don’t care what he looked like. Enough, Anthony. I’m right here.”

Anthony doesn’t say anything. He can still taste that bitter blackness on his tongue.

Ian rolls his eyes. “Your dramatic ass is gonna be the end of me one day,” he mutters, more to himself than anything, then he grabs Anthony’s shirt and pulls him in.

That’s how Anthony ends up kissing Ian for the first time against cool stone at a party he doesn’t want to be at because he can’t keep his jealousy in check. Anthony is probably always going to be jealous, always going to have that bitter, rotten ugliness in there, always going to have to fight it. But maybe it was more to do with missing something he needed. Maybe he’s been trying to feed something that doesn’t want him, or maybe Ian just makes it gentler. Either way, as they break apart, that sharp, craving ache inside Anthony’s bones eases just a bit.

“Dumbass,” Ian smirks, only inches from his face, eyes wandering all over his face like he can’t get enough of Anthony’s stupefied expression.

Anthony swallows, and it tastes like Ian. The beast in his stomach tears into it hungrily, finally sated.

“So, two options,” Ian says. “We leave right now, just bolt for the car. Or,” he takes Anthony’s hand in his, “we go say goodbye to Theo together.”

Anthony can barely process what Ian’s saying, there’s so much room to breathe in his chest, things feel so easy, like all his bones have snapped into alignment. He tries, though, and Ian is patient for him. Before he answers, he kisses Ian again, feels him shift against the side of the house to get closer, to touch more of him, like he wants to be near that deep, ugly, choking jealousy.

“Fuck Theo,” Anthony breathes when they part.

Ian shakes his head. “Nah. Just you.” Anthony laughs. “Okay,” he agrees, leaning in for one more kiss. “Okay.”

[captainmera]

Hey, do you have any advice/tips for writing?

I have this Toh fanfic idea that I've been meaning to write for a while... but every time I try to write it, I end up just staring at the screen instead-

Sure bud! I'm by no means an expert! Just an enthusiast who loves storytelling! :) But I'm happy to help any fellow creative with whatever knowledge I can share!

So, from this ask I am gathering that you are feeling overwhelmed by your own story, yeah?

Well... Here's some things I do to get out of feeling overwhelmed and just kinda:

First thing first - there is no such thing as a block. You are just not working in the area of creativity you need right now. Areas can be: Writing, researching, watching an analysis of a story you like, consume a work that is in the same genre you are trying to write (cartoon, movie, book, etc).

But you're asking about writing itself. So here we go:

The show time trick. Get a ritual of some sort. Wear something every time you write, like a hat or a scarf, a bathrobe. OR just get tea/coffee/whatever. This will Pavlov your brain into triggering a OH IT'S TIME TO BE CREATIVE mode! .

Warm up. Write something else. A poem, a prompt (there's a ton on pinterest to pick from). This will get you into the groove of things. Remember that it's not supposed to be serious, it's just something to get you to write. One exercise I know of is called "random stream", which is where you just write down the first word that pops into your head in a non-stop stream. It doesn't even have to be sensible, just words. Like this: I think I know what this cookie monster can and will not do hi mom grandma basketball fishing rodding down a stream dodging every single flying leaf that a tree throws at me oh no a branch aa help here comes the cavalry and the ships are sailing in to the harbour and this is a good day actually. This will help you get your "vocals" and flows going. And if you in the midst of it feel like "oh! wait! :D" and like your writing-muse just woke up, get off the exercise and start working! :) .

Analyse your work. First - read it all aloud to yourself. You will hear where it sounds off. And then, what you need to do to be able to continue, is to fix that bit first. Second - When you are reading your own text, and you feel like you are skimming past or through a passage of text, that's most likely an indication that something needs work. Cut away or rephrase it better. Things doesn't have to be long to be good, it just needs to do what it needs to do. If it doesn't serve the story or scene, remove it. Now, that's for if you HAVE work to go through. If you haven't written anything yet, write down somewhere what you WANT to write. Analyse your key points. That's much easier than doing the big magus opus right away. T H I S I S O L D A S H E L L N O W : [L I N K] But I made this back in 2019 for anyone who felt stuck writing their (original) story, and needed an interview kind of ballplank to get your thoughts down. I know you're doing a fanfic but maybe it can help? Not all of these questions will be helpful to you but maybe some will. .

Write the fun thing first. You know what it is you REALLY want to write here, right? There's a scene in your head you want to work towards. Yeah? Well... It's a fanfiction. You don't really, not always anyway, need context. You can just get right into it and the context will probably present itself as you write and people read. People aren't dumb, they'll get it lol! If I start a fanfic with this: Hunter waited in the forest not far from Hexside as they had planned. Willow tapped him on the shoulder and he spun around, ready to fight, but lowered his guard when he saw her - and smiled. "Hi." You kinda already figured out, by text alone, that they must have previously decided to meet there and are on friendly terms. Blanks are easily filled in. So feel free to just, like, go for it!

I hope any of that helps!

[mediocre-knight]

WILLOW IS NOT CANCELED AND WE CAN HELP SUPPORT ITS RENEWAL

Here, Jon Kasdan explains that Willow is not canceled, they just haven't decided to film yet. BUT they have already written Volume 2. Here's how we ensure we get to see that story on screen:

1) Keep watching Willow

Watch Willow over and over, just like you have been. Keep recommending it to others. Let's keep this show in the top 10 most watched and maybe even number 1!

2) Keep creating

Keep writing fanfics, making fanart, coming up with theories and analyses, posting memes, whatever!! Keep creating Willow content to keep it relevant!

3) Request more Willow seasons

Follow these steps to request Willow seasons on Disney+!

(This was sent by fellow Questies in our Tanthamore Discord server, message me if you'd like to join.)

4) Write fan mail

If you'd like to write letters (or send acorns as some have suggested), here are the P.O. boxes where you can do that! Please remember to NOT send hate mail! That will get us nowhere, and that isn't what Willow is about.

(This information is from the same Discord server previously mentioned.)

5) "Ignore the bird, follow the river!"

I mainly included this last step because I wanted a fun Willow quote in there, but it is genuinely good advice! As we've gone on this roller coaster of emotions together as Questies, it may be easy to get distracted by frustration (in this metaphor, the bird). But we've all got each other's backs, and we're all in this together. We CAN and we WILL have more Willow! So keep following that river! Keep going, keep being filled with loyalty, adventure, courage, and love. Because hey, we need you up here.

[gotylocks]

Willow Month 2023- Day 3: TV Show (Full Series/Specific Episode) or Movie

If you read my entry for Day one, you'll know I went into the show without seeing the movie. In fact, I actually made a point to wait to watch it until the finale, because it was a rare opportunity where I could watch one of these years later follow ups without nostalgia for the original (unlike, say, Star Wars), so I wanted to see if it worked on its own.

The fact I'm writing this should tell you, I truly believe it does. Now, I don't want this to come off like I don't like the movie, because that is not the case. I love the movie! I'm wearing a Sorsha and Mads shirt as I write this! But I would still love the show just as much without the movie.

Some hard numbers may make my point. I have watched the movie once, and while I often think about watching it again, I haven't yet. By contrast, I have watched the full series 13 times through at this point, and at least 8 of those times were marathon sessions where I went from episodes 1-8 in a single sitting.

Why is that? Well, I think the movie is missing some key ingredients that keep it from hitting that obsession level. Namely, Kit, Jade, (grown up) Elora... ok it's the entire crew. Their interplay, the way their relationships build over the course of the season, and the way that by the end of the finale every single one of them has been improved by the others being present in their lives.

The party of six, all with their beautiful, layered arcs and emotional storylines, they're the ones that make the show something special. I've said in the past that typically in shows with ensemble casts, there's usually at least one character that I find annoying, or one actor that I don't like for one reason or another. That's another thing that makes the show so incredible. I love every single person involved. From the main six, rippling out to the supporting cast and cameos like Hannah Waddingham and Christian Slater. Not only does everyone understand the assignment, they bring their own unique flavor and quirks so nobody feels like they're phoning it in. You can tell everyone is having fun and that translates to the audience.

And while fun is first up on the menu for the show, there's also so many moments of heart-rending drama. As someone who lost their dad at 26, I connect to Kit's feelings of grief and abandonment over the disappearance of her father. I connect with Jade feeling lost and purposeless. I connect with Elora desperately wanting to help despite struggling to believe in herself. I connect with Graydon carrying a lot of guilt over things he had no control over and wanting to prove himself as more than what his father believes he is. I connect with Boorman regretting his selfish choices and wanting to make up for his past mistakes. I even relate to Willow, thrust into a position where he has to be a believer despite feeling like a fraud.

Whether it's due to the run time or the time in which it was made, the movie just can't compete with the variety of character arcs, the layers that get peeled back the more the crew spend time together, the realization how each person has something to learn from the others and how they've grown to rely on each other.

By the time they reach the Immemorial City to fight the Crone, they have grown into one of the best found families I've ever seen. They have each other's backs, they trust each other implicitly, and they're willing to put everything on the line to save the world, sure, but more importantly, save each other and facilitate their rises to greatness.

The dialogue, while not to everyone's taste, I felt was a great choice. It immediately plants a flag on its own territory and says confidently "We are not Game of Thrones. We are not Lord of the Rings. We are our own thing." I love that shit! It is never a show that feels like it's chasing a trend, because it is so uniquely itself. That extends to the music, be it the fantastic score by James Newton Howard and Xander Rodzinski or the fascinating modern song choices deployed in each episode, which while I have opinions about songs I would prefer in different places, I cannot deny that they set the show apart from everything else that has come before. And "Crimson+Clover" by Pom Pom Squad will live in my brain forever thanks to its absolutely pitch perfect use in episode 5.

The fight scenes are fantastic, because they're never there for the sake of having action. Instead, major character beats are woven throughout, making each fight hugely meaningful to everyone involved. Whether it's Willow going from his weakened, nigh magicless state at the start of the show, to being the great sorcerer he was always meant to be thanks to working with Elora, or its Kit and Jade connecting and expressing emotions that words may not be enough for through their shared love language of sword fighting, or Graydon finding the magic within at the moment he needed to and killing one of the Gales pursuing them. Action has a purpose in this story and I love that after so many hollow and emotionless cgi fight scenes we've been inundated with over recent years.

This is why I can't simply choose one favorite episode from the series, because they are so intertwined that I cannot separate them. However, unlike many straight to streaming shows, Willow doesn't just feel like an 8 hour movie chopped into parts (despite my tendency to watch it like one long movie lol). Every episode has a unique identity that I can immediately point to when prompted. Every episode is important to moving both the narrative and character development forward, and there isn't a single one you could cut without everything feeling askew.

So. When I saw this prompt I was like "Maybe I'll make this one short", but we all know now that was going to be impossible. The intense emotional connection I have to this show from front to back just brings this out of me. To the only Fellowship I need in my life. I wouldn't be here without you.

To quote Erin from the making of doc, "These people are my family."

[itisbop]

And now... the moment you've all been waiting for (or not, which is fine)! Let's talk Brawl Talk because OH BOY am I excited.

This is gonna be a pretty long post, so bear with me! I'll go over one section at a time and go over what I liked and disliked. Spoilers ahead! If you haven't watched the latest Brawl Talk, go do so! One more reminder, these are just my thoughts! You don't have to agree with me!

Without further to do... let's talk!

New Brawlers (Angelo and Melodie)

Now, when I first saw Angelo, I immediately went, "HE'S UGLY LMAO." After getting used to him, though, he's actually not that bad. His design is really good and is somewhat of an anti-cupid (perfect for a gal like Willow). Also, his voice actor did such a good job so much energy was put into him.

He doesn't seem like he's gonna be incredibly busted, but he is gonna be good in the right hands (while I'm at it pay your respects to Mortis Mains ya'll, they just took a major l with this guy). Sorry Larry and Lawrie, but you two are gonna have to step aside, I NEED this man as much as I need the next brawler.

I. LOVE. MELODIE!!! I did think she was a League of Legends character at first, lol.

Apparently, I've heard people say she is the first female assassin, which is very interesting! Out of the two, I feel she poses more of a threat. She might be broken, though her main attack is WEAK.

I've been through the Reddit and have seen so many people talk about how she looks like Janet, and I'd like to take the time to bring up a little theory... what if she was Janet and Bonnie's mom? I would go into this further, but we have to keep going!

Overall, I really like these two! Their designs are really good, and the character designers did a great job! Their pins and profile pictures show SO much personality! Expect some art of these two soon! However, if I may say something, I wish their skins were cooler. Why couldn't Angelo have a Sands of Time skin too? 😭

Speaking of Sands of Time...

Sands of Time and Ragnorok + Skins

Out of both seasons, I'm very hyped for Sands of Time. The "Sands of Time" is a very interesting concept that can be used very creatively. Can't wait to see what the animation brings! Though I think we all know why I'm hyped...

My best guest was that this skin was gonna be a Epic/Mythic skin, but a LEGENDARY?????? WHAT?????? Chuck fans we just fucking WON. I've seen the sneak peaks and heard his voice lines, Nicolai did an INCREDIBLE job as always. I'm am SO READY to go broke for this skin, but first, I must purchase some seasonal skins since they've been on my agenda for a while.

Loki Chester has to be the one I'm looking forward to getting the most for the Ragnorok seasons/skins. Plus, it's free! (If you have good luck).

Side note and honorable mention, Thor Bibi was just the icing on the cake for Bibi Mains this update. While I feel like a few more details could be added for this skin to make in truly "legendary," everything else about it great, including the voice acting! Poor Bull, he's the only one in his yet to get a Legendary Skin.

Ranked and The Report System

Okay, not related, but I love how they disses on the community a bit in this section, LOL. They know what, at least Reddit and Twitter are doing (and let's keep it that way, they don't need to know what's going on over here lol).

Anyways, while I'm excited (and scared) for Ranked with modifiers I wanna take this time to talk about a concern... the report system...

Now, I know there's a reason why we have 10 reports; but what's gonna stop so angry guy from reporting me if I didn't do anything? I feel like there's a chance this could backfire, that's all.

Hypercharges and Balance Changes

No Mortis or Poco hypercharge :(

Cordelius was definitely unexpected and very scary. Getting slowed in the shadow realm is a death sentence.

I wish Belle got a little more this update, but I'll take the hypercharge.

Move over Charlie, there's a new spider person in town, and he's a DINOSAUR.

Onto to balance changes. 84???? GOD DAMN. Adrien wasn't fucking around this update. Edgar is dead (and rightfully so FUCK HIM) and Doug might actually stand a chance in this Meta. I'll miss the days when Hypercharges were game breaking just for the community's rage, but it's probably for the greater good.

Whatever the Fuck the Random Skins Were

Now Primo Shark, I can take (though I'm definitely not gonna be able to take Baby Shark as a in game theme, I'm muting music for that entire time period). Pitcher Fang is a good skin too. Squeaky note is very... meh, but it's a rare skin so you can't expect much.

BUT POOP SPIKE.

POOP SPIKE.

What

the

FUCK?

It was tolerable until I saw the losing animation, and to that, I say EWWWWWWWWWW 🤮🤮🤮. WHYYYYY!?!?!? THAT'S SO NASTY!!!

I get that this is an April Fool's skin, but WHYYY THAT??? Thank GOD this skin is expensive. If I catch any of you with this skin, I'm gonna need to ask if you're okay. I don't wanna show a picture of this skin to you all, or else I'm pretty sure Tumblr would kick me to the curve. This is easily what I was least excited for for this update.

Overall Rating and Final Thoughts

Now, it's time to throw the final ratings on screen and say anything else that's on my mind.

New Brawlers - 9.5/10, definitely getting both! Let's hope they get some cool skins soon!

Sands of Time - 7/10, the concept and Chuck carry this season don't fight me on this. /j

Ragnorok - 6.5/10, I'm not as hyped, but I will grind for that Chester skin!

Ranked - 8/10, now I have a reason to actually play this mode. Hopefully, the report system is fair enough...

Hypercharges - 6.5/10, again not as hype, but I will be snatching that Belle Hypercharge since she's the only one out of the 6 I maxed out. She deserved more, though. :(

Balance Changes - 10/10, bye Edgar begone. F for the twins, however; I liked them.

Random Stuff - 3/10, not even Pitched Fang can save us from whatever the devs were on.

Overall Season 24/25 is...

8/10! (Poop Spike ruined it >:( )

And that's it. For those who have read to the end, thank you so much for heating me ramble it means so much. Expect some headcanons and more little theories soon (as in some time this week). Until then, ciao!

[bluestar22x]

The Riding Lesson

Summary: When you are hired at a ranch as a trail guide, the owner asks the foreman to teach you how to ride Western style.

Pairing: Jack Daniels x F!Reader

Rating: 18+ (to be safe)

Warnings: Some sexual tension and thoughts, lots of horsey terms

Word Count: 2,381

Author's Note: AU fic for the @pedrostories 1k celebration. Prompt quote was "Is that the best you've got?"

See my Main Masterlist for other Pedro character fanfics.

xxx

Summers were a busy time at Western Willow Ranch. Not only were there the beef cattle and their calves to tend to, but there were also guests coming and going for both morning and afternoon trail rides.

You were hired as a temporary employee, needed for the surplus of guests they got every year as the weather turned hot. Your role would be to help guide trail rides and keep the tack clean and polished.

Having grown up around horses and competed in jumping competitions back in California, you had plenty of experience for the job, except for one small detail.

You'd never ridden Western before.

You were confident you'd pick it up fast though. English and Western riding were different, but they weren't intimidatingly different. As far as you could tell, the only difference was the saddle shape, the speed of the horse, and the way the reins were held and used.

Though you figured you could probably teach yourself, you'd still agreed with the owner of the ranch to take a riding lesson with his foreman.

You had your riding lesson on your very first day, after you were shown around the farm by a stable hand and shown what a typical morning was like at the ranch.

The foreman was one of the few employees missing from the barn, having been out tending to the cattle.

After lunch in the employee building, you waited for him in the barn aisle as instructed, glancing at your watch every so often. The lesson had been set for one o'clock and it was ten minutes past.

He was worth the wait though.

He strolled into the barn with his mount moments later, the beautiful golden buckskin gelding following behind obediently, and you caught your breath.

Most horsemen didn't catch your attention. More often than not the horse was a lot prettier than their rider, but the foreman was handsome, and that was an understatement. Dark brown hair covered by a black cowboy hat, matching dark eyes, a mustache that fit his face perfectly, a strong jawline, curved nose, and an air of confidence to him, he was worthy of the front cover of every western magazine out there as far as you were concerned.

You couldn't help but feel disappointed he was technically one of your bosses. You didn't like mixing business and pleasure, but... damn... maybe if he didn't mind it, you could make an exception.

You shook your head at that thought. You haven't even said one fucking word to him yet. Down girl.

He said your name and it sounded like honey on his lips. You chewed yours. You really needed to chill, but it wasn't your fault his voice sounded sinful.

"That's me," you managed to say, lamely raising a hand up.

"Sorry about the wait, darlin'," he continued. "One of the calves got into trouble with the fencing."

"Are they alright?" you asked, genuinely concerned. You loved all animals, or at least, all the furry ones.

He nodded. "Yeah, he'll be just fine."

He held out his right hand. "The name's Jack Daniels."

You shook his hand firmly and repeated yours. "So, is this the horse I'm riding?" You nodded at his mount.

Jack shook his head. "Nope. Ace here is a one rider kind of horse. He don't like strangers. But I'm going to have you help me untack and groom him so I can show you the saddle and how to secure the cinch."

It turned out the cinch was like the girth on the English saddle, a strap that ran under the horse's belly to secure the saddle to their back. The cinch wasn't so simple to adjust as a girth was. The strap was longer and needed to be wrapped just right around the ring it looped through multiple times to fit proper.

You picked it up fast though, only needing Jack to show you twice to get it.

When you'd done up the cinch correctly three times in a row Jack let you untack Ace completely and had you carry the saddle back to the tack room. The saddle was probably three times as heavy as an English saddle, mostly due to the extra lift of the seat and the saddle horn. You managed to carry the saddle for the whole two minute walk to the tack room but it was a struggle, not that you'd have admitted it.

Once the tack was cleaned and put away you returned to Jack's side in Ace's stall. He was in the middle of brushing him with a soft brush and you joined in without a word, working on the horse's opposite side.

After Ace was completely groomed you both stepped out of the stall.

"Follow me to your horse of the day," Jack ordered, walking over to a stall at the back of the barn. You did as told and peered over the stall door.

A pretty little black and white mare was on the other side, too busy chewing her afternoon hay to pay attention to you and Jack.

"This here's Puzzle," he informed you. "She's an old gal. Nearly thirty. We don't ride her much anymore, but she's a great beginner horse. She'll be as patient as a lamb with you."

Were lambs patient? you wondered. Was that term even a thing?

Jack patted the saddle and bridle that were hanging over her door. "Had Bettie, one of the stable hands, get this for us this morning. I want you to groom Puzzle and saddle her up all on your own. Think you can do that?"

"No problem," you declared, setting to work.

It really wasn't a problem, though you did fumble on the cinch for a second before your short-term memory kicked in. Most else was pretty straight forward and Jack gave you an approving nod when you were finished.

"Great," he said, "Now she's all set to go, lead her out to the corral and we'll get going on the main part of this lesson."

You nodded and walked out of the stall with Puzzle close beside you. She was a cute thing. You were a bit sad she was too old to be assigned as your mount. Whichever horse you got would be at least a decade younger and more energetic. While those were the horses you were used to, you'd felt like you and Puzzle were already connecting.

Once you slipped into the outdoor corral, a round fenced in pen used for training horses, you settled the reins of the bridle over Puzzle's neck and the saddle horn before glancing to Jack for further instruction.

"Hop on," Jack commanded. "We'll get everything adjusted after."

You nodded and swung up into the saddle easily.

"How do the stirrups feel?" Jack inquired.

You tilted your heels down. "A little long. But they're supposed to be, right? Western isn't so tight?"

"It should still feel comfortable," Jack replied.

"It does."

"Good. Tighten that cinch one more time. Puzzle likes to stick out her gut when the saddle goes on."

You bent and reached to untie the cinch and tightened it, but when it came to securing it back you struggled due to the angle.

"Just takes practice," Jack assured you when you admitted you couldn't figure it out. "Here, let me help."

He approached Puzzle and tapped on your lower leg with a few fingers to signal to you to pull it back, still in the stirrup so he could get access to the cinch.

You did that and watched as he tugged on it once more before finishing the job.

When he was done, he grabbed your left lower leg, guiding it back into place, and the prolonged warm touch of his palm pressed against your jeans sent a spark through you.

What you would give for him to touch you in other places.

Jack stepped away to climb the fence and straddle it and you barely held your composure. Fuck, this job was going to be difficult, and it wasn't because of the new riding style you had to learn.

"Hold the reins with one hand centered over her neck," Jack instructed as he perched on the top railing.

You grabbed the reins and slid your fingers over into the correct position.

"Good, now take her around at a walk for a few turns and then a jog after," Jack said. "A jog's like a slow trot, for you, city girl," he added.

A decade ago teenage you would've stuck out your tongue at him, but mature you simply gave him another nod and followed his orders.

Jack was quiet as you put Puzzle through her paces, until she started jogging and you started pushing yourself up and down out of the saddle with her stride.

"What're doin' darlin'?" Jack questioned, frowning. "You sit in the saddle."

"Oh." You blushed as you sat down and slowed Puzzle. His confusion somehow had made you embarrassed about it. "It's posting. Do you not do that in Western?"

"Nope," Jack answered. "That saddle ain't made for that."

"Okay," you nearly squeaked.

You nudged Puzzle with your heels, encouraging her back into a jog and completed your task sitting down the whole time. You found that the jog was more tolerable to sit than a trot. Riding a trotting horse like that could be rough at times.

You stopped in the center of the round pen when you were done.

"How was that?" you asked almost shyly.

Jack gave you a small smile. "Excellent for your first time. It's obvious how many years you've ridden."

"Thanks."

"I think you're ready for a test run on the trail."

"On Puzzle?" you questioned.

Jack shook his head. "Like I said, she's too old. Gonna have to bring her back to her stall and get two fresh horses saddled up. Shouldn't take too long between the two of us."

You nodded and jumped off Puzzle. "Let's get to it then."

x

An hour later you and Jack were out on the plains of the surrounding Montana landscape, enjoying an easy stroll under the warm afternoon sun on two new mounts.

His was a solid chestnut mare named Trix, and yours was a black mare with a star marking named Karma.

As you moved over the landscape Jack pointed things out to you. The trailheads, the river that bordered the ranch, the cattle in the distance. Everything you'd need to know and would eventually know by the back of your hand.

The sun was beginning to fall westerly when he finished showing you around.

"You will not be alone the first few weeks you guide trail rides so we don't have to worry about checking those out today," Jack told you. "So I figure it's time to turn around."

You nodded and pulled the reins towards east, towards where the ranch house and barn were located. Jack did the same.

"Let's lope for part of the way," Jack decided.

You knew it was another test. "Sure."

He picked up the pace first and you sent Karma after him and Trix, making sure to keep enough distance between the horses as you caught up to them so not to cause them to bump into each other.

He observed you from the corner of his eye, a ghost of a smile on his pouty looking lips.

You tried not to get distracted by it, telling yourself he was only looking because he wanted to see how you were in the saddle at faster speeds, even though you sensed there was something more to it.

You were the first to slow your horse, and when Jack had Trix back at a walk beside you, he raised his eyebrows.

"Is that the best you got?"

You blinked at him, confused. "What do you mean?"

He grinned at you and you realized then that Jack Daniels was a bit of a menace.

He gestured at a fallen log several yards away. "I heard about your jumping skills. Show me?"

You didn't know if Karma had any history jumping, but the log looked harmless, just thick enough to force the mare to jump it instead of walk over it. "Sure."

You kicked the mare and she immediately shot into a lope, headed straight for the log. You focused, got yourself into position as best as you could in the bulky western saddle, and the next thing you knew you were flying over the obstacle. The rush of adrenaline as you did was amazing as always.

After Karma landed on the other side you could hear Jack clapping.

You turned her back towards him as you both settled into a walk again.

"You two make a fine team," Jack said. "Think I'll tell Dusty to assign you to her."

You grinned. "That would be great." You still were kinda stuck on Puzzle, but you really liked Karma too.

You patted her neck and turned her to face the house once more. "Race you back, full gallop."

Jack smiled. "You're on."

x

After you and Jack had settled your horses back into their stalls, he turned to you for a final time that night.

"Any questions before I go?"

You shrugged. "Not really. Just...how was I today?"

He flashed you a charming smile. "You impressed me darlin'. Not that I have any right to be. You obviously know your way around horses and jumping them is not the easiest."

"Why did you test me then?" you inquired.

"Cause you could've lied on your resume," Jack replied.

True enough. But you had ribbons to prove it back home.

"See you around," he finally said, and you could've sworn he gave you a quick once over. When he smirked you were certain he had.

So you weren't the only one interested. This was a mutual thing. Your heart fluttered. There was a chance.

"See you around, cowboy," you returned smoothly.

He beamed at you, delighted that you had used a nickname for him and tipped his head. "Night darlin’."

And with that he left the barn, and left you to watch him go, eyes trained on the shape of his ass in his tight blue jeans.

You hummed appreciatively. This summer is going to be fantastic.

xxx

Tagged: harriedandharassed

xxx

Main Masterlist

xxx

[icy-watch]

Alright, today's episode is Agony of a Witch.

The only thing I think of when I see the word agony is that song from Into the Woods. Y'all know the one. It's uncomfortable and funny. And I can't get it out of my head now.

Think I'll go watch a stage version - I mean, slime tutorial - after this...

Anyway, what witch is in agony? Luz? Amity? Willow? Gus? Eda? Lilith? Some other character we don't know or haven't met yet? Honestly, the answer could be any 1 of those or all of them.

It's probably Luz who's going to go thru it by the end of the episode. She is the protagonist after all, and we're getting close to the season finale, so a LOT has to happen in these last 2 eps to lead up to season 2.

Camila needs to be brought back in, and I'm expecting her to show up soon. Unless she ends up kidnapped by the Emperor and we don't get to see much of her bc of that. That would really suck. She's a great mom, and I want to see more of her.

Speaking of the Emperor. I'm hoping to meet him soon. He's been looming ominously in the corner for the whole season.

Same with his assistant. We haven't really seen her in a while. Hoping she shows up.

My brain just keeping going "Agonyyyyyyyyy! Far more painful than yours", so I'm going to start the episode to try to get the song out of my head.

[crotchety-old-emu]

OLITDP chapter 24 references

as i mentioned in my author's notes of the chapter, there's a few references that i would like to share with those who are interested in them. you don't need to know about them to understand what's going on in the story, obviously, but perhaps it's nice to have some visual aids to go with some of the things that are happening.

if you haven't read the latest chapter yet, and you want to remain spoiler free, it's best to skip this post (or perhaps come back to it later). you can find chapter 24 of our love is these days' piano here!

so here's a short list of things that might be interesting - but definitely not necessary - to know about chapter 24:

penelope's dress at the trowbridge ball is a silvery sea green. the one i had in mind was kind of like this one, from the season three behind the scenes pics. nicola looks stunning in green, especially with the red hair. i found beatrice knight's regency color compendium, a stunning overview of all the fashionable colours of fabric in the regency era, with some fantastic descriptions of how they were made and when they were worn. the willow/sea green colour shown on this page is exactly the hue i was picturing while writing.

lady trowbridge's decorations: i spent days and days researching how lady trowbridge might showcase her wealth and peculiar tastes during this ball, but honestly, i didn't find much info about ballroom decorations and i didn't want to make up things that definitely could not have happened. so i settled on things that i was already fairly certain of were pretty decadent for the era: pineapples and ice cream. after reading up on ice cream in regency times through several sources, i came across the website of ivan day, who is a food historian and has worked on some bbc regency costume dramas. he had a very insightful youtube video on how ice cream was made in those days. in it, he makes one of the ice cream pineapples i mention in the story. ivan day's actual website is under construction, but i found a photo of moulded ice groups, as they were presented in regency times, on another page which was taken from his. it includes ice cream shaped like a swan (which may have been parmesan flavoured, which apparently was a popular ice cream flavour back then).

another food decoration that both eloise and penelope mention is a flummery solomon's temple. i found out about these through watching the bbc documentary pride and prejudice - having a ball, which talks about accurate representation of balls during regency times on television. the part of the doc i'm linking to is the part where ivan day reveals a solomon's temple and explains that this would be a staple on all upper-class tables in those days. the white bits, if i'm not mistaken, are milk-flavoured, the brown is chocolate and/or coffee, the pink is coloured with cochineal.

he also has a page on solomon's temples on his blog, which has a very amusing short clip of how exactly these jellies moved. if you watch it (highly recommend), i'm sure you'll understand why eloise would think it was a good thing to comment on. ivan day himself describes it as:

Because it is made of flummery, which is a kind of opaque milk jelly, the central obelisk wobbles and cavorts in a most entertaining manner, while the four little cones shake, rattle and roll in a very naughty way.

the dance: i must have watched at least fifty different dances that were popular at the time - shoutout to regencydances.org, which not only has a very extensive list of dances, but also a youtube channel and animations showing what the dances would have looked like. i based penelope and anthony's dance on the northdown waltz - which granted, only became a thing from 1820 onwards, so it's technically an anachronism for them to be dancing it. it simply was the only dance that best fit with how i wanted the scene to go. you can find an instruction video on the northdown waltz here. anthony, in this case, would be the red rectangle, penelope the green ellipsis. here's a clip of actual people performing the dance, so you can kind of imagine what it would have looked like. i always knew anthony's confession would happen during a dance, my main inspiration for that was this scene from becoming jane. if you've seen the film, you undoubtedly know exactly which scene i'm talking about without even clicking the link. i remember that when i first saw this part of the film, i stopped breathing for a minute, because it was just such an intense moment, which was exactly what i wanted for anthony's big moment.

there you go, some insight into the tiny things mentioned in the latest chapter that you might perhaps enjoy knowing more about. hope at least some of you found it interesting!

also, i want to mention: i am not a historian, i don't claim that my fic is historically accurate, not in the very least. i try to stick to period-appropriate things, which i do as much research for as i can. but some mistakes will have slipped in there, i am very much aware. so if this is a particular pet peeve for some of the history buffs among you, i apologise.

[beth-will-rise]

I cannot express how much the show Willow means to me. I started it with little interest and no expectation, and yet, by the finale episode I had completely fallen in love with every aspect of the series.

The characters, each beautifully flawed and so much more than they first appear to be in episode one. Each undergo wonderful growth throughout the show, and yet there is so much still left to learn about each them.

The story, so much more than good vs evil but also one of triumphing above one's past mistakes. Becoming more than what you were told to be.

The visuals...they are simply stunning. Episode 7 in particular has some of the best cinematography I have seen in a series or film ever.

Furthermore, the series is simply, fun. It knows when to dial up the drama and emotion, and when to let itself be silly. A perfect balance of comedy and seriousness that, in my opinion, is lacking in many recent fantasy series.

If you haven't already, give Willow a watch. It deserves more appreciation!

[papatundespainknife]

based on the backstory and personalities of the Mikalesons, do you have any headcannons about Mikaelsons + religion?

oh HECKIE YEAH

i think it's honestly SUCH an interesting topic and concept seeing as how their all you know immortals n shit and magics real and etc etc. unlike say, btvs where Willow literally invokes Osiris, tvd doesn't really make any solid references or claims about the whole Deity Situation until apparently legacies but I haven't watched it yet and sounds Kinda Dumb so I'm ignoring that lol. But the rule of thumb with shows like these seems to be that once you say draculas and witches are Super Real then it's open season for Zeus enter stage right like it's an episode of Xena. Which when you look at the Mikaelsons....... Wild.

I think that Freya, Finn and Rebekah are the most unironically straight-forwardly religious and I think they've stuck to the norse/scandinavian beliefs they grew up with. Freya both because of the 1,000 years of Napping Nonsense but also because she's a witch and that's the school she was taught in so she's sticking with it. Finn for similar naptime reasons and also because he doesn't see a reason to change and didn't even when they were in France and hanging out with christians. For Rebekah it's like pure sentimentality. She likes a lot of the aesthetics of mainly catholicism (the swagiest of sects) but at the end of the day she's still out here making offerings to Freya (the goddess not the sister fdjkgdfsdfs) because she's a sappy little sentimental bitch and that's what brings her comfort. I don't think she's particularly religious which I think Freya and Finn are but she enjoys the celebrations and finds comfort in the actions/words/rituals/prayers/etc.

Kol and Elijah are more wiggly in their beliefs. Kol still calls back to his roots a LOT but he's also expanded out over the years since he's still a witch at heart and a curious cat. He's less interested in following any one religion and more in what resonates with him. So his believe system is very eclectic. What he believes in he believes in 10000% and is dead serious about. He's also experimented and educated himself about world religions the most out of all of them. Dude could probably teach a clss tbh.

Elijah is the one who's actually been the closest you can be to an atheist in a world like this. He's had periods of like, religious nihilism and periods were he's a little more hopeful about it. He's just spent so much of his life trying to be the Good Reliable Son and like Niklaus praying for divine intervention both with their father and with Niklaus only to get shit in return that it broke him and he just stopped and abandoned all religion/spirituality and focused only on the tangible. Hope's birth fucking shakes him to the core lol. Generally tho even after her he's still more in the like, "not my scene but i do love a good festivity" camp.

Niklaus is an evangelical's idea of an atheist where it's not "i don't believe in god" but instead "i feel god personally slighted me at my bday party so now i'll hurl rocks at him for the rest of my life out of pure spite". his sense of abandonment, unwantedness and paranoia doesn't stop at the threshold of religion. Ofc, he's old as dirt and literally has his own coven that bitches KEEP FORGETTING HE HAS so he's not in doubt that the divine exists. But Thor didn't protect him from his father's abuse so fuck that guy and jesus didn't fix SHIT for him so equally fuck him.

Wouldn't be shocked tho to see him "ironically" do rites/sacrifices to Odin via shit like the death of an enemy/creatively using old school practices for physical/psychological torture bc he's Like That. Does he also end up carving a mjolnir into Hope's crib and giving her a little one on a necklace? yes but this ain't about that hush.

Kol and Niklaus are also the most likely to have an affinity for gods like Loki and his children for reasons I feel are obvious lol. The holiday arguments this creates between them and Finn are unhinged.