#it starts with some intriguing lore oooh

[halinski]

We watching Viking Wolf tonight peeps!

[thechekhov]

Alright, alright, I caved.

After a slot opened up in me to be able to take on another show emotionally, I decided to invest in OwlHouse. I thought I would probably like it, but it won me over faster than I thought it would.

I’ve already watched a few episodes, but I realized that it might be more fun to do liveblogs, so here I am - with a liveblog...

I will be doing this episode by episode, and probably releasing them every once in a while. Everything will be under a cut, however, to save you all dash space.

If you’d like to follow, please track the #chekhov watches owlhouse tag!

(I’d also like to dedicate this post to the Tumblr Staff Rob, who did his best to restore this post for me when tumblr queue ate it.)

Without further ado...

Episode 1!!

Fair warning - this is technically not a ‘live’ blog, because I have already watched some of the show before deciding to do this, but I’ll still react to them to round things out.

Immediately, this reminds me of Little Witch Academia... Anyone? No? Only me? I feel like maybe I’m getting my wires crossed, but there HAD to have been some inspiration taken from there?

“No-- my only weakness! Dying!!“

Same, big snake monster. Same.

Oh, backup snakes? This girl is READY.

Please don’t mistreat the snakes.

Spider breath... This kid is on my wavelength. That griffin seems to be waiting to be put out of its misery though, and I don’t blame it.

My child... where did you get that pigeon head though.....

Nurse mother, do you REALLY think signing up your spider-summoning daughter for summer camp will actively make her antics slow down instead of ramp up to 60?

Awww, baby makes AMVs... But also, NO ONE TOLD YOU TO THROW AWAY THE BOOK??? I know it’s symbolic, but goodness, isn’t that a bit much???

wait a sec, is that Eda????

Love the realistic bilingual kid experience of replying in English when your mom talks to you in your native language. Universal.

Love this introduction of Eda’s character. She’s got that little green scarf on and everything. Like a tiny trash grandma.

Oooh, okay, let’s extrapolate...

Lots of bones everywhere. I kinda love the aesthetic here - it’s gross and visceral, kind of like what Luz was making with her school projects. Yet in the middle of it all we have a rather clear gothic looking structure. Is this a power imbalance in the supposed kingdom?

The five circles of stained glass seem to perhaps indicate something like Hogwarts houses? Several different types of magic?

But Luz has no reason to freak out as much as she is - she LOVES weird stuff! Haha... No, I kid, I kid. I get it.

“Am I in the bad place?“

Eyyyyy, gotta love shows referencing other shows. :)

“Oh dear child... I’m not like you.”

Wow, what a DRAMATIC reveal for some pointy ears. :) I love her.

We should all aspire to have such cool and stylistically well put together wanted posters. You can tell the commissioned artist really respects her craft.

Steven Universe fans watching this:

I’m looking too.

Okay, okay, enough shenanigans, let’s have some LORE.

I love this landscape. Teeth or bones, or whatever they are, this is one of the more unique settings we’ve gotten, though maybe I’m prejudiced because I love body horror and bones. The darker orange and red themes fit really well here.

Things I’m desperate for: Giraffe Lore 

Things I’m more desperate for: Eda lore. Why do her limbs fall off? Is she a zombie?

Things I’m not quite as desperate for: Hooty lore. He can keep that to himself.

well hello there mysterious chekhov’s glyph which will DEFINITELY not be relevant in the second chapter (or end of season? Maybe? Idk it just seems important).

Ah, yes. That would have been my reaction as well, to be fair. Somehow I didn’t expect to see this guy so early on. I figured he would be a low stress early villain that got assimilated into the Found Family. Kinda psyched that he’s just there from the start.

....I’m just gonna presume this is all true and accept it at face value.

Old Escape The Cops Lady and Tiny Little Demon King, I need your backstory. How did you meet.

I love looking at background details, because like... you can tell the BG artists had fun. I particularly love how the 3 eyed toad doesn’t actually have any reward attached to her. Though the Knife Baby does intrigue me!

“I write fanfics of food falling in love.”

Why am I being called out...

“Noo! My weak nerd arms!”

Finally, a realistic portrayal of a protagonist thrust into a fantasy setting!

.....................

Okay but. If only humans could pass through the barrier... wouldn’t that mean a human had to have deposited those things in there? Do they have a human on staff in this weird pseudo-prison??? Suspicious....

Confession - when I initially saw ads for this show, I expected Eda to be a villain, not a loveable middle aged witch aunt figure. I am shockingly even MORE drawn to her this way. I expected betrayal. I expected her to be a lowkey threat?? But no. She’s just wholesome in the way a solid raccoon is.

“Eda, are you okay?!”

“Yeah, this just happens when you get older...”

“........does it..?”

If I had to pinpoint the exact moment this show won me over...... it would probably be this one.

I know it’s probably the wrong thing to focus on, but what is that insignia? Wings??? Like.... the kind OWLS HAVE?????

COINCIDENCE??? I THINK NOT!!!

I’m really loving the landscape here. And those fireworks are... hmm... intricate?

Gotta love the old tried and true Witch Apprentice Actually A Live In Intern trope. :)

Hold up...

Is that

Is that Hooty? I thought he was just a door....

Eda: This is my room for human stuff. I will also put my human in there.

. . .

Overall rating: I think this is a cute overall beginning. The prison break went hard! I enjoyed the characters and it kind of surprised me in a lot of ways. It definitely does a great job setting up a world with a lot more to explore while giving us a small taste of cool magic stuff and witchy battles. :)

Now on to Episode 2!!

Read the liveblogs in order by clicking here!

[geek-and-destroy]

Wheel of Time - New Perspectives

This is post 4 in The Wheel of Time Read - see the previous post - covering chapters 19-25. Edit: the next post is here.

A few days ago, I started reading The Eye of The World by Robert Jordan, book one in The Wheel of Time. And because I have nothing better to do, I decided to post my thoughts on the internet, a few chapters at a time. This post talks about my first impressions of chapters 19 (Shadow's Waiting) through 25 (The Travelling People). Chapter summaries can be found here (I’m not putting links to the individual chapters, I don’t want to venture too far into the wiki).

Oooh, lookee what we have here... some shiny new POV characters! And I am here for them. Already, Perrin Aybara has been catapulted from near-irrelevant sidekick to my second or third favourite character in this book so far! (Lan fluctuates between 2 and 3, but Moiraine remains numero uno) As if his excellently written thoughts weren't enough, Robert J gave him nascent wolf-talking abilities. What can I say to that, now?

Seriously, a fantasy protagonist who is as thoughtful as Perrin has been so far is rare. I stan.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's talk about Aridhol first. I can tell Jordan has put a lot of effort into this, because a lot of detail went about in describing the current state as well as the history of this ghost city. It actually felt like a city once lived in rather than just a set of ruins with a backstory. Well, once lived in except for one guy.

When I read Mordeth's appearance, this was my reaction, as written right when Rand saw he had no shadow:

Yeah, I wasn't in the coolest of moods right then. I was expecting them to be rescued by Moiraine and/or Lan but well. I think this is probably my first real criticism of this book, in that Mat never showed much love for gold so far, and neither is he poor, so it felt a bit out of the blue. As it stands, I peg him most likely to convert to the dark side, temporarily or maybe even permanently.

Well, now the gang is separated, and on three different routes. We have the adults all clumped together, minus Thom. Three very strong characters, both in terms of ability and interesting personalities. The Aes Sedai lore was quite intriguing. I liked how the dialogue, while expository, wasn't as tiring as it could've been. They will likely have much less trouble finding Perrin and Egwene than they will Mat and Rand and Thom, even though they're going farther off. Mostly because Perrin still has his coin, but also because of whatever bad juju the stolen dagger is gonna cause for Rand and Mat at Whitebridge.

I'm really loving the dynamic between Perrin and Egwene here. She supposedly 'bullies him around,' though I don't know if counts as bullying if she's insisting on not letting someone walk miles and miles while she rides comfy. I think they're headed towards becoming a thing later on, but I'm not sure. The vision girl at the Baerlon inn (Min I think?) did say Rand and Egwene is never going to happen. Although it got me thinking, I think Rand and Egwene are heading towards becoming Warder and Aes Sedai, and I am so here for it.

Well, I think this is it. I have some thoughts about Perrin and his wolf abilities, as well as about Elyas, but they're super disorganized at the moment, mainly consisting of SQUEEEEEEEEEEE, so I'll leave them out for now.

Perrin, Moiraine - do NOT die. Aaaagh.

[titilationexpress]

StarscreamxReader-Sweet Dreams are made of Screams Ch.1

First ever lemon. Please give your input. Reposting from my Ao3.

You haven’t been able to sleep properly for weeks now. And frankly, you’re wondering if you ever will again in your lifetime.

Yet what caused you to have such a problem with something that once came to you so easily? Ok, maybe not easily. No, scratch that. It was never easy. You had to take some sleeping pills every night to even get a few hours in. Still, how did it happen?

Well, the trouble had started back not long ago. In fact, from what you could recall, it hadn’t even been a full month before your ‘problem’ started. See, you were a fairly average individual. You had your quirks, your habits, the little things that make each person an individual. One particular interest you had though was quite specific, and even more, came from a decade long before you were born.

Transformers.

Oh yes, your beginnings were humble when you first started with the franchise, and you looked with wide, awe-filled eyes. Your starting place was where you first discovered it, the one show that will remain in your heart forever. From that, you got into the characters, the story, the lore of what started as a toyline for young boys (though it was clear now that both sexes had a love for it), all of it. And from there, you went on to past and future generations from your starting point, and now, you were a certified Transformers fan! Hell, one of your favorite sites ever is TFWiki.

With this entrance into the fandom, you took to devouring everything that you could: the cartoons and animes, the books, the movies, fanfiction, fanart, fan comics, doujinshi, anything and everything that you could get your hands on, you did. And not long after, you began contributing yourself, drawing, writing, whatever you could to make your stand and have your place in the community. At first, it worked well enough, you weren’t exactly prolific, yet you were doing well enough. You managed to get a few requests for certain things to be drawn/written, believe it or not, but still, you weren’t overly big.

And then came your discovery of the Reader genre.

What is the Reader genre? Why, as far as you were concerned, only one of the greatest genres ever to be conceived! Well, to be more accurate, the form of writing wasn’t anything new, remembering the ‘Choose Your Adventure’ books. It seemed said genre now spread everywhere, you being very aware of the numerous games and dating sims that ranged from well done and engaging to outright ridiculous and stupid (but those were fun in their unique way). And since you didn’t have any knowledge or time to do that, you settled for writing them yourself. Your first piece was a simple Optimus x Reader with the standard plot and standard outcome, which was a declaration of love and a resulting kiss with the Autobot Leader. You were NOT expecting the overflow of response that it had gotten. You were quite shocked, but at the same time, overjoyed. Soon, you decided to try your luck with another one, this one being of Bumblebee, the scenario being mostly the same, albeit with a bit more cutesy fluff, as in your mind, Bumblebee was always the little guy. This one was just as successful, and you beamed, having finally found your calling.

Since then, you were getting requests left and right for more and more choices, all spanning different universes. From the animated cartoons to the comics, different universes, everything that spanned from the most well-known incarnations to the more obscure. It was through these that you managed to get even more into the Transformers multiverse as a whole and even discovered some truly overlooked gems. You opened yourself up to the people and declared that you would write whatever they requested, but you had some taboos that you wouldn’t touch. But any scenario, character, and universe, all of that was fair game.

You had originally begun working on more mundane, typical stories with expected outcomes (but sweet ones nonetheless), yet over time, the requests and your imagination began getting more creative and crazy. Soon, you were delving into several different areas that you had never touched. Elves, goblins, mermaids, vampires, forbidden love, love triangles, all of these were laid at your feet. And while it took a bit to find your rhythm, all of this having come on you so fast, you eventually got it and soon, you had a wide collection of X Reader stories, ranging from G1 to Prime and IDW’s run.

You mainly did Autobots, for you had to admit that writing for them, while they were still complex characters, came somewhat easier for you. True, each of them had their faults and quirks (both from canon and headcanons people had come up with), yet they were still the good guys, and even those with more questionable morality still came out as heroes in the end. But then one day came where you were asked to write about a Decepticon. This threw you for a loop, as, while the thought had intrigued you, you had been writing for good guys for some time, so a total shift in direction was somewhat off-putting and scary. Possibilities of it being too saccharine or sweet, or getting the characters wrong or out of character scared you a bit, yet still, you wanted to test the waters and see if you could do it. And if you could, this would open up so much more for you.

And judging from the input, you had just struck gold yet again.

Soon, not only were you flooded with requests for Autobots, but now their foes were also available, and, as you found out, people had just as much an attraction for the darkness as they did for the light. Again, the same scenarios were implemented, yet now, they had something of a darker edge to them, which allowed you to explore some subjects you couldn’t touch with the Autobots without toning it back somewhat. In a way, the Decepticons provided you with more freedom. Ironic, seeing as Megatron’s motto was “Peace through Tyranny.”

That said, you went through the list of available characters throughout the generations, and so far, those had been garnering quite a following as well, your Autobot and Decepticon stories neck and neck in popularity. Everything seemed to be going well for you.

Then that one question came.

‘Hey, where’s Starscream?’

Then another.

‘Could you write one about Starscream?’’

Then another.

‘Hey, hate to bother you, yet I think that Starscream could use some love here.’

More and more questions and requests for the particular Decepticon filled your messages, and frankly, you were at a loss on what to do. Truth be told, you and Starscream had something of a complicated history. When you had gotten into Transformers, you had heard of the character, yet at first, you never saw why he had gained such a large fanbase. True, he wasn’t a bad character, yet he wasn’t your favorite. But over time, as you wrote more and more for the Decepticons, as well as read X Reader stories from other people, you slowly began to, as one would say, gain an interest in the winged robot. And soon, you found yourself enamored by the smug jerk as well.

But this only made you reluctant to write for him.

True, when you started writing for the Decepticons, you were allowed to experiment with some more intimate and extreme situations, yet with Starscream...it was different. It was hard to explain, yet whenever you got a request to write for him, your brain seemed to seize up. Thoughts came to your head that you had tried to banish, thoughts that came every time you saw the Seeker’s name. You had no idea what was going on or why this was so difficult, yet it seemed the Silver Snake had taken to making your fingers not touch the keyboard.

You had no idea at all. Or at least, that’s what you told yourself.

And since you had gotten the slew of requests, your sleep problems began. The moment you shut your eyes, the scenario began all over again.

…

You needed no introduction to where you were or what you were seeing, it all quite familiar to you now. Around you were towering walls of a silvery mauve color, the only available light from above sparse and leaving several areas coated in darkness. This place was all too familiar, for you had seen it many times in your watching and reading of Transformers.

You were in Decepticon headquarters.

Your dreams had been filled with the base of the enemy faction of the Autobots, and at first, it had shocked you as to why you were here at all. But over time, night after night, you came here, and soon, you grew accustomed to the sight of it. You took on the form of your Transformers persona/OC or remained in your regular, human form, whatever pleased you as if you had some control over this environment. Yet as you grew more familiar (you were never sure if you’d be comfortable), you began to explore the place, finding that, to your surprise, there was no one here. No signs of any sort of life aboard the ship, and while it took a good while, you traveled everywhere you could think of, and still, nothing. No Megatron, no other Decepticons, no one but you had been aboard.

At least, that was what you believed when you first had this dream. Then, you heard it. The voice. His voice.

“Oooh, I’m the Boogie Man,”

Singing, serenading, just loud enough for you to hear, yet low enough for you to know it was far away. It always started this way.

“The terrible, horrible Boogie Man,”

Your ears/audio receptors registered the voice as it echoed throughout the ship. When the dreams had begun, you knew immediately who was singing, and then you were more surprised at how it sounded. Sure, it had its infamous high pitch, yet it wasn’t bad to listen to. Daresay, it was rather enjoyable in its own way.

“I come in the middle of the night and frighten bad little girls like you.”

The first few times you had this dream, it would almost always startle you, yet it led you to look down the other balls and corridors of the ship. The results were always the same though: no one was aboard. No one but you...and him.

“Beware, better have a care,”

The song changed each and every time you entered the dream, tonight being a track you heard on a video game you played not too long ago (Bioshock 2 you believed). Yet the songs always had the same effect on you.

“I’m going to follow you everywhere.”

Despite your trepidation, you wanted...needed to follow it.

“I crawl through the ceiling and the wall and call on bad little girls like you.”

Walking, then running, you traversed the winding path before you, taking several left and right turns, having no sense of direction but that voice. A voice that, despite its infamous sound, held power to it, a siren’s song in a way. Ironic, you thought. Still, you followed, for you had reached your limit. You knew what would happen if you didn’t find him.

“I’ll torture you and hunt you,”

And never leave.

I’ve got you where I want you,”

And never let you escape this dream.

“A victim of my dark and dirty plot.”

And he knew it too. He knew he had power over you. And you hated it.

“And at the slightest whim, I’ll tear you limb from limb,”

Or…

“In other words, I’ll put you on the spot.”

Did you?

“Oooh, I’m the Boogie Man,”

You were close. So dangerously close.

“The terrible, horrible Boogie Man.”

Just a turn around the corner.

“I come in the middle of the night and frighten…”

He paused, you stopping in your tracks at what you saw. There he was. Situated behind violet bars of energy in a cell, the Decepticon stood there with his arms folded and looking upon you with satisfied, hungry red eyes.

“...bad little girls like you.”

It was him.

Starscream.

Your favorite incarnation of Starscream, those ruby orbs boring into your own eyes/optics. You stepped back from the cell, eyes/optics wide at what was before you. Sure, if you were to go by dream logic, some part of you always knew that it was ‘him’ that awaited you at the end of this journey, but still, to actually see him, standing there so casually when it looked like he was locked up, it chilled you. As if he had absolutely nothing to worry about.

“My, my, so you finally found me,” he said, his voice perfectly matching the incarnation that stood before you. “Or rather, I found you. Whichever way it goes, it doesn’t matter,” he smirked. “For I already know the outcome.”

You blinked a few times, still trying to see if who was before you had truly been there. “St…” you began nervously. “Starscream?”

The Decepticon chuckled and stepped out of the shadows, allowing you to fully see him. “In the mesh,” he said. “And I see that introductions won’t need to be made either, will they, Y/N?” your eyes/optics went wide. “That’s right, pet, I know everything. This IS your mind after all.”

“Wh-What?” you stammered. “I don’t understand.”

Starscream’s grin only grew wider. “You will soon. You will understand EVERYTHING.”

Just what was he talking about? From the looks of it, he seemed to be enjoying your tension and trepidation, very amused. Your mind went into fan mode, recalling every fact you had known of Starscream and his various incarnations, which then led to you going on the defensive. “You…” albeit, it took you a try or two. “You’re the one that’s been doing this to me. Giving me these...these weird dreams.” the Decepticon didn’t answer, yet it was clear that he already knew that the secret was out (even if it wasn’t much of one). “You’re also the one that’s not letting me have one decent night’s sleep without being trapped here!”

“Or me serenading you?” he added in. “How do you like it? I don’t do it often, yet if I wish, I can stretch out my vocal components if I want.”

Your cheeks grew hot. Damn, this bastard was already making you too wound up, and you had only gotten a few words in! “Well...I’m here now,” you said, trying to sound confident, and, ironically enough, trying to channel Megatron’s dominating aura. “So, what do you want?”

This didn’t phase him in the slightest. Despite him being the one locked up, you were the one who felt like his prisoner. “I think you already know that dear Y/N,” he said. “But to put it simply, I’m feeling left out.”

You were confused. “Left out?” You asked. “Left out of…” you paused. Indeed, you knew well what he was talking about. “My...my reader inserts.”

Starscream nodded. “Quite an extensive library you’ve built up over time.” He told you. “Though your choices could be much better.” he scoffed. “Of course goody-good Prime would be on the list, along with the rest of the Auto-dolts.” Then he grimaced. “Yet there are those that actually want to FRAG Megatron? Ugh! No taste at all!” He then looked back at you. “You’ve written for everyone, from either faction, of every series,” he then pouted. “But none for me. Truly, Y/N, I’m hurt.”

You felt quite awkward. True, while you were known online for your stories, it was your username and persona they were seeing. They weren’t someone that was right around the corner that could walk in and see you writing these things. While you loved doing it, the thought of your family or friends discovering you wrote in this genre was a thought you dared not entertain, as you swore that you’d die from embarrassment. Thus, you were very careful whenever you did it, your room completely locked tight so you could focus without fear of someone barging in. The only times you left during your writing periods were for bathroom breaks and/or to eat/drink something. It was a big secret...and thinking about it now, it was a secret no more to the most infamous backstabber in all of Transformers. You had been found out.

“Well...so what? Are you going to keep haunting me until I do?” you asked. “You can’t do that!”

Starscream didn’t seem phased by this at all. That damned smirk of his both frustrated and made you excited, a combination that left you very unsure. “Can’t I?” he asked.

You didn’t like his tone. “What do you mean?”

“Well, let’s consider for a moment, Y/N,” he said. “You believe that I’m merely a figment of your imagination, yes? A stubborn thought that is lodged in your subconscious. Am I right?” you shifted a bit, knowing well what he was saying would lead to something else. Something that probably would flip everything on its head. “Well...who’s to say that I am?”

“I...I don’t understand.”

“Of course you don’t. But what I say might just jog your memory.” he then went on. “In your last X Reader, you spoke of multiple versions of the characters, such as Prime and...yes, even Megatron,” Starscream scoffed. “And how it would’ve been peculiar if they met. Then, one of your readers linked you to a page on the TFWiki.” Starscream then chuckled. “Quite an array of knowledge, I must say. Especially for a primitive species such as yourselves. Anyway, said page spoke of what is labeled as the Transformers Multiverse, which, if I may say, is an excuse for you all to toy with and shape us into what YOU want. But back on track, you did a small amount of research on that, then went on about your business.”

“...and what does this have to do with why you’re here?”

Starscream smirked. “Then, after some time, you went and read the entries of me from various series and incarnations. To get a better feel for what you were thinking of writing. What you wanted to write. Only, you never did.” You were about to speak again, but the seeker spoke again before you could. “There was one detail from my earliest incarnation that spoke of a ‘ghost’, an immortal spark that couldn’t be snuffed out. One that could travel through space and time.” He drew closer to the bars. “And then discovered a way to travel through dimensions. Wherein, I found out all about how so many humans have seen my reality behind a television screen.”

What was he talking about? What did any of what he said mean? It was then that it all clicked for you. Sparks were essentially the ‘soul’ of a Transformer, which Starscream’s was indestructible. You read that he made an appearance in Beast Wars, and had made cameos elsewhere. What was before you right now...mere feet away…” Are you.. “ you stammered. “Are you really…”

The Decepticon nodded. “Yes. Yes, I am, Y/N.”

You were left speechless. No. No, this...this was impossible. It...it couldn’t be him! It couldn’t be the REAL Starscream! He was a cartoon, no, a toy! A damn toy! A toy from the eighties that were made to be marketable to young boys (and the girls that were secretly into it) among several other toys that were made be marketable to young boys (and again, the girls that were secretly into it)! There was NO way he was in your mind right now! He wasn’t real! He wasn’t real! He wasn’t-

“You step out into the chilled air, wrapping your arms around yourself as you do.” the Decepticon suddenly began. “He’s there to pick you up. He’s there to pick you up. You’re both terrified and exhilarated, eager to start the night, but also to make it fly by just enough so nothing embarrassing would happen between the two of you.” your jaw dropped when you heard him say that. How did he- “Know that you recently read over your very first entry? The one that started it all?” he then ‘rolled’ his eyes. “The one that clearly displayed that you had little taste at first?”

Of course, you did! That was from your very first X Reader story! It told of Optimus Prime and you, a human, in a relationship. Odd start, you knew, especially given that Transformer x Human relations was sort of controversial, yet overall, it wasn’t a bad one. Still, the fact he knew that…” No.” you said aloud. “It can’t be.”

He smiled. “I am.”

You stepped back until you hit a wall. “S-Starscream.” you stuttered. “You’re him. You’re the...the real one.” he was quite satisfied with your reaction, you clearly flustered yet cautious at the same time. The sensation drove you mad. But then you remember, this was just a dream! You were just making up all this stuff! You were relieved by this revelation...yet at the same time, you were...curious. Just where would this go if you continued? “Well...well, what are you doing here? What do you want?”

“Exactly as I said before, I feel left out,” Starscream told you. “And considering my popularity in this universe, I’d think me being here should tell you something.”

You knew what he wanted. “You want me to write about you.” it was obvious. “I-I know. I mean, I’ve been wanting to. Really, I have. But...but I...I just…” you sighed. If you knew Starscream (and you had at least a decent enough faith you did), you knew that this could potentially earn you his anger. Yet, to your surprise, he didn’t try to order you around. Instead, he seemed like he already knew you were going to say that.

“You can’t,” he said for you. “Understand, I’m the one in YOUR mind. Thus, you could say, I know everything about you. A perk of being something that, in this universe, started out as a drawing on a piece of paper.” you were confused, this seemed to humor Starscream even more. “Oh, come now. Surely you know that concept art exists, right?”

All of this was so insane for you, yet it was then that you felt the urge to speak up and say something for yourself for once. “Well, if you’re here from the...well, YOUR universe, what are you doing here in the first place?”

“Why, this is one of the few places I win!” Starscream exclaimed. “Of course, when I first came here, I was quite perplexed about how I and many others were known as products from a company called ‘Hasbro’. But overtime, I discovered your version of the internet, and, well, as you flesh bags say, the rest is history.” he then continued, not giving you a chance to speak. “And bring that I am an idea in this universe, I can go freely as I wish, peering into minds,” his red eyes looked upon you. “Become one’s permanent muse or vice versa.”

God, you felt weird. You felt so confused and conflicted. You wanted to sink into the wall to get away, but you also wanted to know more about this. You had to know more. You needed to know more. “So…?”

“So, I’ve come to you, as you’re truly in need of some inspiration,” Starscream said. “As well as some changes in your thinking.”

“Like what? Worshiping the ground you walk on?” you ask, feeling a little bolder.

“Oh, you already do.” he said. “If you didn’t desire me, I wouldn’t be here.” he grinned at your shocked expression. “That’s right, Y/N, I know what truly holds you back from writing about me. Your fears, your anxieties, your loves and lusts.” you had no words. “You fear that you may get me wrong if you will. That I won’t be in character. Or you fear that you won’t be able to satisfy the wants of your readers, as I AM so highly anticipated. Or…” he leaned closer to the bars, the only barrier separating you two. “You fear exploring those more intimate pleasures with me. You’re intimidated and unsure. After all, writing for Autobots is easy, yet us Decepticons are more difficult. But it HAS awakened things in you that you wish to explore on either side. Things that you are dying to let out.”

You had no words, he was completely right. Damn him! The smug bastard knew he had you in the palm of his hand...and yet also probably knew that’s what made you so hot and bothered right now! “So...what? Are you here to force me to write those things with you in them?”

“Dear Y/N, I can’t technically make you do anything,” Starscream told you. “Oh yes, I can stay and torment you night after night until either I pass onto another universe or I grow bored of you, but my reason being here is for both our benefits.”

“How?”

“It’s quite simple,” he said. “We shall go through those scenarios in your head.” his ruby red optics bore into yours/your eyes. “Together.” he then reached out from in between the bars and traced a digit around your jawline. “Believe it or not, I want to help you, Y/N.” his voice was smooth and sultry, something you never expected from a voice like his. “But only you can allow me to do so.” he then stepped back from the bars. “This prison of mine is something you’ve constructed from your fears and insecurities. Allow yourself to embrace what you fear…” he then extended his hand again, yet stepped back as well, sinking into the darkness. “Only then, will you truly be free.”

You were at a standstill. You knew what he wanted, and, to your horror, you were wanting to give it to him. Deny it all you want, this was something that had been in your mind ever since you got the first request for the Seeker. You approached the bars, trying to get some sign that he was still there. Surely he hadn’t left you, had he? No, he hadn’t. He was still there, you could feel him. Watching, waiting, and perhaps, knowing what you would do before you did.

Yet would you do it? Would you bite into that forbidden fruit?

Some while after pondering this question, you looked at the cell, the energy bars vanishing. Why fight it when you could already taste the sweet tartness of said fruit in the back of your throat?

[ironverseocs]

if it's okay for me to ask: could you please tell me more about harper? i very much enjoy the vibes that story's got going on. love the genre. love the little blurb. i am, as the cool kids say, intrigued.

Oooh yes of course! Thank you for the ask <3

First, some backstory of this story's creation: Harper's world was created in January of last year when I was deep in an AJR rabbithole and the lyric "my favourite colour is you" haunted me day in, day out. I've always been obsessed with the multiverse as well as with physics of sound/light/and frequencies, so my brain naturally started thinking about a question: what if every universe vibrated at a different frequency, layered over one another but invisible to the eyes of a different frequency? And what if each universe thus had a different "colour" that corresponded with what they vibrated at? Thus, what I then dubbed as "my rainbow road lore" was born, and to this day it's my most expansive project yet!

Now, for some character tidbits:

Harper was born and raised in a universe that vibrated at a higher frequency than most, and the colour it corresponds to is between a standard purple and indigo.

In this universe, technology is slightly more advanced than ours yet their knowledge leans more heavily on theoretical-, quantum-, and astrophysics than other fields, hence there being a slightly skewed modern aesthetic in comparison to ours (us today but to the "left", so to speak).

Harper was born to two theoretical physicists who, for two decades, worked under government funding to explore experimental fields such as the multiverse. However, they were unable to discover much of multiverse in the time allotted by their contracts, and thus their funding ran out.

When Harper was barely five years old, they closed their labs and found jobs elsewhere, other labs less experimental and theoretical than what they were used to. Their old facilities were locked away behind a wired fence and barbed wire, allowed to get sucked in by overgrowth and crumble away. Most of their equipment, they sold to support their domestic life. All in all, their bold scientific ventures were all but forgotten as the scientists focused on raising their two children instead.

Like her parents, Harper has a scientific mind, and like them in their youth, it wandered. Coupled with how her heart beats to the mantra "curiosity killed the cat; satisfaction brought it back", she became a hard soul to contain. (It caused several sighs from her parents, but as they knew how much they were like that once, a raised voice was rarely used on her.)

Harper developed a strong mind because of her upbringing: analytical, thoughtful, as well as restless. But, while she can enjoy alternate perspectives in stem fields, it's hard for her to wrap her mind around differing personalities, specifically stagnant ones. i.e. How can someone be okay with just standing there, or sitting there, content with how things are? She can never feel okay with just treading water, can never leave well enough alone.

This is what leads her to discovering her parents' old facilities: the catalyst of her story.

In her first five years of age, though she doesn't remember, she was brought to the lab more than once. She didn't remember how her parents breached (temporarily) across dimensions. She didn't remember the golden energy that surged around her one time as her parents tried to contain what they've done. But being inside the facilities again tugged at something in the back of her mind.

The past experiments left the dimensional barrier weaker than all elsewhere. Some energy still seeped through; like a leaky faucet, it doesn't affect much at once, but fifteen years since the shutdown and ten since they naively stopped monitoring the abandoned halls for "excess radiation" (as it was called) caused enough interdimensional energy to fill up the halls. The deeper Harper ventured, the warmer the air became, suddenly ending up all enveloped in gold once again.

It does something to her on a molecular level, something she doesn't realise long after leaving but something that changes her world view (or should I say, worlds-view) forever.

That's as much as I'm going to say on that, for I can't spoil everything about Harper and her story! As much as I'd love to continue rambling. ;) Everything above is the exposition that will occur within the first few chapters, and where I left off is right at the inciting incident, so stay tuned!

Thank you so much for the ask! Hope you have a lovely day, anon :) ~Lilly

—

Forever tag list: @ocfairygodmother @foxesandmagic — want to be added? leave an ask in my inbox or shoot me a dm, I don't bite!

[yeet-noir]

Okay the Gabriel/Ageste storyline has to start giving some pay off because it’s dangerously close to really intriguing and mysterious to convoluted and confusing. What we know: Gabriel and Emilie the year before traveled to Tibet and found the missing miraculous and the grimoire, Emilie messed around with the broken peacock and is in a magical coma barely hanging onto life.

Gabriel needs the two most powerful miraculous to make a wish and fix a mistake they made in the past. He’s also very possessive of their wedding rings from his wife’s side. And now we learn he knew about the prodigious for 15 years that’s before Adrien. However he’s claiming them now to I assume get the miraculous? Also he’s always looking to collect more miraculous and make the Kwami his slaves. Not to mention whatever Audrey and Madam Tsrugi are somehow intertwined.

See like we’re still largely in the dark on the full picture here. I mean maybe the upcoming episode Gabriel Agreste will finally give us a clue as to what’s going on but we need something instead of piling on to, “oooh Gabriel’s up to something he knows secret stuff what’s he gonna doooo ohhhhhh” know what I mean?

I totally understand what you mean! This arc clearly has a lot to cover and it will be a total game changer for the show because of the lore and conflict it will offer. 

We do keep seeing details sprinkled throughout the episodes and I personally like getting a little at a time and seeing how it plays out, but the spacing out of the show and episodes does make it easy to forget the relevancy of past plot points and when it premieres out of order it seems confusing. I really do think season 4 we will get more direct answers, seems like Gabriel’s plan is coming together more and hopefully we have episodes dedicated to fleshing it out!

[kinetic-elaboration]

February 17: 2x07 Catspaw

It’s not Halloween but it is my mom’s birthday so a very good opportunity to watch Catspaw.

So we start with Sulu and Scotty missing on an away mission but why exactly the Enterprise is here and what the away mission was is not explained...

Also speaking of interesting and unusual combos--Scotty and Sulu!

“I have a bad feeling about this.”

I like Uhura’s nails. They go so well with her communications board. Even her job is stylish.

Oooh, possessed dead mannequin crew member warning the ship that it has been cursed?? Very promising.

Also falling like that was an impressive stunt.

Lol Assistant Chief Engineer Dealle is in charge because the first and second in command are going after the third and fourth in command. What would TNG have to say about that??

According to the Amazon trivia, Uhura was supposed to be the next in command and in charge of the ship in this ep but NBC didn’t want a woman in charge and can I just say that if this is true we were ROBBED.

Oooh mysterious fog.

Chekov and his terrible wig. Should have left him in charge.

Also it’s interesting that this is the first Chekov episode in production order and he’s actually not the navigator. He’s Spock’s backup.

This is like a game of telephone: Chekov tells Desalle to tell Uhura to tell Kirk.

This is a very serious, creepy, mysterious opening in a lot of ways (the dead crewman mystery) but I remember this as more of a goofy, silly episode. (But actually upon having now seen the whole thing... it’s more serious than I remembered in its sci fi concepts! I guess I was just remembering the witches lol.)

Honestly those witches... I guess Macbeth is a pretty big part of Earth Lore lol. I think McCoy is alarmed and unsettled by this while Spock is more intrigued and Kirk just thinks it’s dumb.

I love Kirk’s face when Spock’s only comment is “bad poetry.” Hilarious. Like “I love you but please be more helpful. This is Serious Time not time to play games and fuck with me.”

I really like Kirk in this episode. He’s giving off smart, curious explorer vibes. (Although I will say, with the whole episode down... he is very harsh on the aliens. I mean he lost a man in the opening and so he’s not down to clown but still.. I think he overestimates their hostility some.)

Creepy castle. Trick-or-treating. I want the deleted scene where Kirk explains Trick-or-Treating to Spock.

Kirk looks so frustrated by the cat.

“I’m not that green.” Lol.

What a talented cat actor!! Trot trot trot.

“Bones? I mean...the other Bones?” Maybe a different nickname today. That’s a really underrated joke.

I wish they’d picked up on Spock and put some Vulcan horror in there too. (Although I guess creating horror tropes wasn’t exactly their intention...) I wonder what Vulcan subconscious horror is like.

That was actually a pretty cool transition from the dungeon to the dining room.

Kirk would be more impressed with all this if they hadn’t killed someone. He’s never up for fun and games when someone’s dead. He’s very dubious about all of this, especially the cat.

Hmm, they are not native.

Kirk’s face just screams: “So the cat...is talking...to you?” (Actually you know what, I do think it’s very interesting that Korob can understand Sylvia even when she’s speaking in a different language.)

I bet young Spocks read about wizards and familiars and was super taken with the idea.

I don’t believe for one second that Spock’s thoughts are black and white lol. This decadent bitch? No way.

None of this is Kirk’s interest. Illusions, weird tricks, people who don’t give straight answers. This is not the way to impress him or make him want to help you in any way.

McCoy the jewel expert. These look real!

You like shiny stuff right humans? Pretty crystalline forms for you?? Not in a post-scarcity utopia!

McCoy has just realized this woman IS the cat.

Hmmm, telepathy, like Spock’s?

I want that Enterprise necklace!!

“You do with your minds what we do with tools.”

Lol at Kirk thinking he’s won because he can send another search party. Like... how’d the last search party work out for you?

Mmm, Kirk looking at the necklace. That’s some Acting.

Credits to navy beans.

“An Earthman like yourself...”

These aliens are very interesting. Very, totally alien, as Spock says. This idea that they tried to read the humans’ minds and missed their target is just so cool. Like, they weren’t trying to create a weird Halloween experience, they thought they were creating a familiar home for the aliens. “Oh, a castle, just like home!”

So it sounds like this planet is not that far away from Earth. The aliens are coming closer...

Haha Sylvia says she’s not a puppet but ironically--she is exactly, literally a puppet.

I’m just going to say it: Sylvia is one of the best female characters in TOS. Like should I be insulted that the lady alien went insane and emotional and messed everything up? Probably but I prefer to think of it as her being intrigued and invested in her own power and possibilities and then she goes overboard.

Anyway this is Macbeth whoops

“You torture our specimens.”

So what is their mission??

Hmm, she’s really into Kirk. And he knows just how to manipulate her: telling her she’s not really a woman, she’s not real, then transitioning into Honeypot Mode.

“I can be many women,” she says and just puts on different wigs.

Whoops she found his conscious mind. So much for manipulating her.

And so the familiar becomes the wizard.

This is sad; they could have become friends with the aliens. Korob doesn’t seem so bad.

Big cat!! Really big cat! Not the most terrifying creature at all; the nicest and softest. I'm not convinced that cat is big; I think it's pretty obvious the hallway is just small. However, I like the idea. I wish I had a super big cat to be friends with.

[Cat screams continue]

“Well at least we found them.”

Spock is so unruffled. "Hmmm, this is most unpleasant. If only we had some kind of weapon or something..."

“I got the transmuter. It’s mine now.”

Sylvia is obviously still into him lol.

“Don’t let her touch the wand.” It’s a transmuter Spock have you not been listening?

THE PUPPETS.

Spock wants to study them. Of course he does. And so the specimen becomes the scientist and the scientist the specimen.

...Overall an interesting ep. But I do have some questions. One of those eps that leaves a lot of world bulding unsaid, which leaves room for fun speculation.

So, first, these aliens came from very far away, and now they’re in our galaxy. Mom question if it was an “invasion.” I think so, at least in a neutral sense. But what was their purpose? Why were they traveling to new planets? Do they need something their planet can’t give them? Or are they just exploring for fun/curiosity--as we ourselves do?

Sometimes they’d speak as if they had some greater mission--the references to the old ones, their insistence on getting the humans’ help as if they relied on it, their “tests” like they were looking for something specific--but the actual mission was never stated or even hinted at. So I guess it’s just as possible they were exploring as intelligent beings do, and then found these humans, and came to really like them and just thought the alliance (or possible further study) could be advantageous.

Are these two the only aliens left or are there others back home? I assume there are others but it wasn’t completely clear if the “old ones” were memories or beings with, like, literal oversight.

Also, why were Scotty and Sulu on the planet in the first place? Spock says the planet has never known to have beings on it. So was the Enterprise just like triple checking that or did they have a reason to go down? Did Korob and Sylvia lure them? Because I felt like Kirk's annoyance with them was rather unfounded if his men just invaded their home first. I tend to think that they were in the area and something on the planet attracted them--that the aliens specifically wanted them to come down. That, and the killing of Jackson, would make Kirk’s reaction to them more reasonable.

I’m not saying I don’t have sympathy for the aliens because I definitely do. Like, we would absolutely do the same thing: find the interesting specimens and examine them. These are curious aliens. A lot of what they do seems to be in fun also--providing the humans with a setting they think the humans will like; offering them things; playing around with illusion. Of course then there are hostile actions--like killing Jackson, manipulating Scotty, Sulu, and Bones, and harming the Enterprise. But it’s not entirely clear to me if these are meant to be hostile actions, or if they just don’t see them as that serious--or perhaps, serious but worth it. Also some of it might just be Sylvia going power-mad (like the Enterprise torture, which Korob didn’t like).

I wonder what the aliens were doing on the planet before the Enterprise arrived. Were they in their real forms, or were they creating other illusions? They took these forms (human and cat) from the Enterprise crew’s mind so one would assume they looked different before the Enterprise got there. Were they on their way somewhere else? Could they have already known about Earth, even?

I like these aliens because they really do feel alien. I think that’s very difficult; a lot of sci fi (including Star Trek, often) presents aliens against the bar of humans: how are they different from humans, as opposed to, what are they like? These aliens have some very impressive powers: mind-reading, mental control, shapeshifting, “magic.” But their powers also have limits: they don’t always read minds correctly, for example, and Sylvia is so easily corrupted by her newfound love of sensation. And like I said before, their actions seem erratic and the morality of them hard to parse, perhaps because they’re just operating on a completely different moral plane than people.

Like, why DID they kill Jackson? Did Sylvia do it just because she could? Was it part of the test? Korob says later “you were warned not to come and you came anyway, that shows loyalty,” and the nature of the warning--the curse--was also taken from the horror subconscious. So maybe they thought this is how you communicate with humans, and the idea that killing one of them was so egregious didn’t occur to them, either because they see the humans as specimens, and would no more mourn our deaths than we mourn the deaths of lab rats (or than Kirk et.al. mourned the aliens tbqh), or because they just have a different relationship to death on their planet.

And what was the purpose of taking control of Scotty, Sulu, and Bones? Some of the dialogue implies that control is part of their telepathy--and yet they seem more than capable of reading minds without actually altering what the object of the mind reading does. Do they gain control when they go particularly deep in their interrogations? Why are they interrogating that deeply at all, and what are they STILL looking for after taking control of 3 people?

Another possibility is that they had too many specimens and didn’t know enough about them to feel comfortable letting them all roam free. They were outnumbered 5 to 2. The fewer people who are free, the easier to interrogate them and learn about them--they also use physical restraints at times, and after they try talking to 3 and find it too much, they switch to talking to 1 at a time.

And then finally, as with the killing of Jackson--it might just be something they did because they can. And I have to say, humans would be the same. Like if we had a group of aliens, we’d use the tools at our disposal to corral and restrain them and then learn about them, not necessarily malevolently, but for our own safety and sense of power and control. And some people probably would cross lines. Like, Korob and Sylvia aren’t entirely benevolent OR malevolent. They’re just alien.

The transmuter was very weird. I have to say, it didn’t really make sense. They seemed to use their powers just fine without it most of the time, which is why I’m inclined to think Sylvia wasn’t lying when she said it just magnified their abilities. BUT then why did destroying it destroy all the illusion? It seems pretty obviously just a plot device that would allow the episode to wrap up in an hour.

I’m also confused and intrigued by the line that they used the transmuter to get to the planet. How do you use it to travel?

And...why did they die in the end? If those were their real forms, you’d think being returned to them wouldn’t harm them in any way. And yet they seemed to disintegrate right there. They did seem very delicate and we don’t know what their native planet was like. Perhaps they needed the transmuter/their shape-shifting abilities to survive on this planet at all.

Actually just occurred to me--the transmuter. Maybe their mind reading abilities are inherent but their shape-shifting isn’t. Although that raises the question of how they could have built something so big when they are so small--does the wand itself change shape and size?

One interesting thing about these aliens is that even though they appear as humans without being humans, they are NOT energy beings like a lot of other aliens who shape-shift to human forms. They haven’t transcended to a state beyond teh physical form. Unlike the Organians or the aliens from Return to Tomorrow, there’s no sense that they are purposefully evolving or striving toward being so mentally powerful that they no longer need the body--they do have bodies and they are physical beings, but one of their, imo, inherent powers is this extreme mental capacity, including a version of telepathy and a version of shapeshifting.

The Amazon summary says they are “aliens on a mission of conquest” but I don’t think that’s true.

Anyway idk if I had other thoughts but I’m becoming decreasingly coherent so I think it’s time for bed!

Next up is I, Mudd. I’m not a big Harvery Mudd fan but I seem to remember there were some funny bits in that ep so it should be fun.

[ghosty-schnibibit]

new taz graduation ep liveblog! ^u^

i haven't seen any spoilers but i did see a tweet from travis  about how he's excited for us to hear this ep because a lot of stuff happens and i am hyped!!!

i have never heard bursar pronounced with that hard an “a”

wait do they not... get to keep their items??? jesus that sucks 

fitz my sweet boy

ilu firbolg buddy

play in this space with us justin

fitz is so done and i am as well

literally no one has ever said this firbolg

am i the only one who is getting mad evil vibes off this guy

"snippers, honey-" he loves this dear sweet crab

"i set him on my lap" snippers ilu

HOLY SHIT this is big! go fitzroy :D

ooooh shit, on no, oh my poor boy

this music is ominous and i am worried as hell

are you sure villian doesn't fit you fitroy because wow

i was not assuming the dynamics were going to change this much only six episodes in, hot damn

...huh. this is because of what happened last episode isn't it. hieronymus is giving him a promotion in order to keep him from suspecting anything's wrong with the school. i am very concerned about this

i would very much love to learn about trees from bud

firblog and argo's friendship makes me so happy

i legit thought he said "throat"

"now here is a hungry boy for bark" justin you've killed me

argo what the fuck

he was trolling him the entire time oh my god

oh fun we're doing argo's scene first

OH SHIT, it's the water and stone thing from the second ep

well that's not great :|

never mind, back to bud

how much time has passed exactly??? because with all this talk of new semesters and the baby pegasus having grown so much it sounds like it's been months since the first ep. i like having concrete timelines for things, idk if that's important or not but it feels like it

aww, buddies :')

this background noise is wonderful

i'm gonna cry, firblog my baby

"breeze through the willow" pretty

i cannot overstate how much i love firbolg’s emotional intelligence

demons??? how the heck do demons work in dnd, i need to look this up

this music is so beautiful but i am so worried

travis you are destroying me emotionally

"scarred and beautiful" t r a v i s

aaand theres the ad break! yes it is great so far travis, i am loving this!

i still haven't listened to the live candlenights ep, i need to do that 

yes give me your thought process griffin i want to know the inner thoughts of my boy, give me that emotional complexity

what the fuck is this scene even

i love the idea that fitzroy got told specifically "hey maybe don't tell anybody about this" and he immediately decided to turn around and tell his friends 

TURTLE BUDDY :D

aww poor clint, feel better soon :(

"always" ilu firbolg

a quasit??? the fuck

i was halfway to google already there trav

YEAH THAT'S NOT GREAT

oooh that's some interesting lore there, filing that away for later

firbolg has a better record for remembering library books than i do lmao

i love this so much

"i give you permission to speak as justin" pfffff

i love you agro, also clint you're murdering me here

wait didn't hieronymus say they were coming together

oh dang, good to know there’s less of a hench/sidekick split

i'm glad on a narrative standpoint that fitzroy is sharing the fact that he has misgivings about being villian typecast with argo, and i'm also nervous that argo is so worried about being a villian

justin what the flying fuck are you talking about

i can hear justin trying not to laugh

thunderman of the sea

what the fuck is even going on with this, i have no goddamn idea

"it's what i do best!" so gary is a bug essentially

griffin what the fuck has been the last 10 minutes of this podcast

oh yay, the raccoon :D

oh fun, ranier's birthday :D

why does fitzroy have jellybeans, i want to know this

how would a perception check in a dream go, that's wild

oh what the fuck that is creepy

there's only like ten minutes left in this ep and i am worried for argo

that's a good ol' merle roll lmao

oh god i forgot how much i hate the jackal voice holy shit

is it just me or are some of the mics cutting off at the end and going quiet in places, clint's and travis’s in particular

i just had flashbacks to that one fucking scene in amnesty where the shifter took boyd's voice mid sentence and i'm really not a fan of that

so mom is shebry and the ship is the mariah

what happened, i want to know so bad

what the fuck is going on holy shit i am so intrigued

blood and bone, rain and stone

so his mom is gone, and she wanted him to eventually get him to join, and jackal is involved... oh i cannot wait to see how this goes

i am so worried for all of my sons

well that was a significantly funnier post credits scene lmao

so a lot of things happened in this episode! dang!!! only six episodes into the new season and we’ve already hit some major shakeups in terms of the boy’s situations at the school, it seems like the plot is really starting to gain some steam and i’m still super excited to see where it goes from here

see you all next right thursday! 

[takaraphoenix]

#10 for the ask game, let's say for couple of shows you watch, you decide which ones

Thanks for asking, this is a really intersting one! :3

10. Most disliked arc? Why?

Huuuh, okay, lemme go through the shows I’m currently watching, see what I come up with. *tilts head*

Avengers Assemble: The current Black Panther’s Quest. But let me clarify: I don’t dislike the story of this arc itself; I dislike how it’s so awkwardly placed as an arc within Avengers Assemble. This should have been a spin-off, not a whole entire season’s arc of an Avengers show, considering the show has never given the individual Avengers huge standalone arcs like this before. As the plot for its own show this would be an amazing arc, but considering the show it’s on it’s... completely hijacking the show and that does bother me because when I watch an Avengers cartoon, I kind of want to see the Avengers in it, all of them, not just one? Just give him a spin-off, additionally to a real proper all-Avengers focused season of Avengers Assemble. It really ain’t that hard.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: I am... absolutely startled to read that most of the fandom seems to dislike season 7 the most?? When in fact season 5 was the worst. The storyline of Dawn was so bad. Not just the retconning in of Sudden Little Sister and just how unlikable the character herself is, but also that the offered out wasn’t used. Just kill off Dawn in the end, use her as the key she is so this obnoxious character doesn’t have to be carried over to the next season, but nope, instead Buffy dies for her. IT was so dumb and so annoying and I find the overly religious story-arcs - whatever the religion - really creepy...

Doctor Who: I really disliked Clara’s post-resolution arc. She was such a good character and I really-really liked her and then the Impossible Girl was finally resolved... and she stayed. That was when she should have left. But that whole nonsense with Danny and how spiteful Clara turned toward the Doctor then and she still stayed around. Usually, this show cuts characters out too early, but in Clara’s case, she overstayed her welcome and the arc they forced there was just really not fun to watch...

Game of Thrones: I am mainly watching it for Dany’s arc, though also the Lannisters and Arya interest me. The others, not so much, but the worst arc is most definitely Bran. I just... care so little about him and what he’s up to, to the point that the one season where he wasn’t in it, I didn’t even notice he was missing. Only that then the next season, he was suddenly back and I was like “oooh... eeeh...”. He’s so boring and bad, I could do without him; the show has so much going on already.

My Little Pony: That last season. The story arc of the kids. This show is very distinctively about the Mane Six. And it was already stretching my patience when it went all about Starlight Glimmer, but now this attempt at making it about a next gen and their whole Elements of Harmony story arc? It was just... not interesting? There are enough established characters to focus on, even beyond the Mane Six. More about their families, more focus on the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Spike, heck the background ponies like Octavia. Those kids...? I just... really did not care about them, I don’t remember a single name of theirs. The kids could have been used to further the Mane Six’s plotlines, as mentee and giving each a bond with one of the Mane Six. But this entirely separate own plot for those six new characters... was just not what I was interested in, not after seven whole years and seasons of caring about the Mane Six. Seriously, they could have had the Cutie Mark Crusaders make new friends and focus more on them as the next generation, but introducing fully unrelated, new characters... did not make me care...

Once Upon a Time: This might surprise some, but it’s actually not the Fr0zen arc, because that... at the very least... did a rather okay job at trying to fix the massive plotholes in the movie. I can appreciate that. It ain’t the soft-reboot either considering I refuse to watch that; can’t judge what I haven’t actually seen. I really disliked 5A the most; the whole Dark Emma nonsense and just how emo she was, I also really hate the storytelling tool of “here have a shocking now and let’s unravel it all in flashbacks”, that was so tiresome to watch. I dislike how King Arthur, the King Arthur, was turned into a fucking villain and how unnecessarily dramatic it was.

One Piece: Fishman Island Arc. It used to be Skypiea, but honestly I just dislike Shirahoshi so much. I find her brand of character absolutely nerve-grading. There was not really anything happening in the arc, it pretty much felt like a filler arc even though it was a major one. Waste of time.

Riverdale: The... damn how do I decide? This show started off so good as a fun murder mystery with intriguing characters. Haven’t seen season 3 yet so can only judge the first two. But Betty’s father suddenly turning serial killer was just such a horrendously over the top and unnecessary plot?? Veronica’s dad being a mastermind criminal had at least been set up from the get-go and even Jughead’s dad being the head of a gang and honestly was anyone surprised Cheryl’s mom would send her to conversion therapy? Okay, okay, I will buy all of that. But Betty’s father doing the serial killer bullshit was just way too much and unnecessary and just bad.

Shadowhunters: The addiction arc. It was the worst to watch for me so far. For one, because I am hard against drugs and really dislike addiction and drug arcs in general, but for another because it was just so badly written. That Isabelle, a brilliant scientist with a brain, would just cheerfully agree to take this risky drug from Aldertree to begin with, the utter lack of motivation as to why Aldertree would deliberately get her addicted to drugs aside from it being convenient for drama, then just how Raphael was completely reduced to a tool to further Isabelle’s plot and we did not treat him like a character facing addiction himself. It was so bad.

Stranger Things: The “let’s hide Eleven in my cabin and start to have secrets!”-arc? The reason I really loved the first season was because it was very up-front and open. No unnecessary miscommunication. So to then, in the second season force this miscommunication between characters who had already developed trust with each other... it was so cringeworthy. Eleven hiding from the boys, the sheriff not talking to them either. There was absolutely no reason to it aside from padding the runtime of the season. And that’s what defines a bad plotline; if it serves no actual purpose and has no grounding foundation, no reason behind it aside from “plot required it”.

Suits: The removal of one of their main characters?? This show? Literally? Has? Two? Main? Characters? And only one of them is the actual lead that separates this show from every other lawyer show. And... then... they remove him? The entire season leading up to that had such a good arc that was setting a separation between Mike and his girlfriend up because there were problems and there was distrust and they grew apart so much and I figured “Okay well the actress is getting married to a literal prince and leaving the show so they’re going to make them break up, huh?” and then in the last second, they decide to kit this and make Mike move away with her? I haven’t seen the new season yet but I... really can’t imagine it working out...

Teen Wolf: I feel like I should say 6B, but... I seem to hate that so much that my brain actually managed to forget it? And that’s... rare, but it happens occasionally. When something is really very bad and awful, my brain manages to forget about it. I clearly remember Jackson and Ethan making out and the whole FBI!Stiles thing and that it was about A Nazi, but... what the Nazi did and what actually happened and what, aside from the Nazi, I hated so much about that half-season... I can not for the life of me remember. Thank the gods. So I gotta go with 3A, because the True Alpha arc was the biggest bullshit. Don’t break your mythology. Don’t. Just don’t. Suddenly, a pack can be made up of all-alphas? How? The other alphas shoulda fall into being betas after joining Deucalion?? They should have become omegas after killing their pack because by definition they had no pack anymore?? They should not have gotten more powerful for killing their own pack? It made absolutely no sense at all and completely contradicted the lore this show had set up so far? And that Scott was somehow a ~True Alpha~... I still don’t see what the fuck’s so special about that if it doesn’t come with actual natural leadership abilities, which it should if you are a true and thus natural alpha, aka leader?? It was dumb and forced and you could taste the “Oh shit we want The Main Character to become alpha but we accidentally created a world where you can only become alpha by killing and of course can we not have The Main Character kill anyone!!!”... So dumb. So stupid. Do not like.

Wynonna Earp: THE BIBLE NONSENSE. This show started out so strong. And there was absolutely no reason to pull a sudden Bible on it. Bulshar could have just stayed his own OC demon self and this show could have kept its own mythology, but to suddenly make him the snake from the Garden Eden? To suddenly involve angels? Season 3′s Bible arc was just so absolutely unnecessary.

Salty Ask List

[starwood-stranded-archived]

Lair Review for Raire #24178

(My lair review thread is here. If images don't display, please view this post on a blog rather than on the dashboard.)

Starting off right at the beginning, this is a very nice accent, and I particularly like that you've matched it with the Thresher's Flatfins. I think the pattern on the fins pairs really well with the interplay of sunlight and water shown on the accent. Also, I like the way that the highnoon hat cuts off the upper portion of the flatfins -- nice layering!

Ooh, gold ... pretty! I like how the transparent colors of the accent's wings highlight the colors already present in the shimmer secondary. Very nice choice of a dragon to go with that accent!

OK, three for three here at the start of your lair. I happen to like Spruce quite a lot, but what I really admire here is how well her colors match the celebration sage stuff -- it's as if that set were made for her! You've got the same shades of orange, red, and green in the apparel that you do in the dragon. Also, the slight orange tint to her pearl? Choice.

That's such a pretty, subtle accent and you've found a great dragon for it. There's almost a parchment or tattoo effect that comes from that accent over her secondary. I enjoy how her tertiary matches her secondary and how the accent purple in her primary matches the subtle purples in the accent.

The subtle circuit on his wings is really cool; combined with the accent, he gives me Subnautica or Abzu vibes: ancient ruins deep in the ocean. Also love the color match between his apparel, especially the collar, and his iridescent. And I like how the glowing clawtips mimic the little glowy spots in the accent.

This is a gorgeous skin to start with but I think the Marigold Flower Crown really adds to it. Nice choice!

Beach dragon beach dragon! The Seashell Mantle can be pretty hard to work with -- I've only managed to work it into an outfit once. But this is a great use of it; I love that you found an accent that matches it so well. Nice job on familiar matching, too. Okeanos' genes are really nicely coordinated as well: normally I'm not a big fan of Freckle, but of course it works very well for a beach-themed dragon.

Ooh, more fantastic accent use. I love the way this accent matches his primary and secondary but I especially love the little hints of Sand Hex peeking out at the top of his wings -- it gives this sweet almost aquarium-like look, making me envision the shore near which all these sharks are swimming.

I love the neat, subtle accents on Galaxy and Borealis, too.

Wow, her crackle does an amazing job matching that accent and giving an impression of ice. It looks especially good against her darker primary.

Oooh, bioluminescence! I love your choice of skin here and even though you've only used one apparel item, it's chosen perfectly. Plus, her tert matches the accent color of her primary and secondary, which is always a big plus for me.

I really like this skin, first off, and I also like how the coppery buckles and such on his clothing match his orange eyes.

A gorgeous skin that you've combined with great apparel! Purple and gold is a great, regal color combination, and I especially like how her eyes match her body colors. And, even though bios aren't the focus of this review, I enjoyed her bio as well. She and my Talise would get along well, I suspect.

I like the accent you've chosen for Hubble but what I really like is his lore. It's cool that he's tied into Nebula not only in her role as a seer but as a star-themed dragon, and the notion of Nebula looking at him and instantly knowing he needs a home is very sweet. I just like him TBH; he seems like he would be a nice dragon to know.

Wow, that skin is gorgeous, and it works so well with his primary! Nice choice.

I've never seen Orca Iridescent before and good lord, it's gorgeous. Also, nice lore! I really like the idea of him working very hard for justice and truth in ways that are typically underappreciated. (And having a legal department or law firm among your dragons is a very cool and original idea.)

Ohhhh. What an accent! What a dragon to use for that accent! She's gorgeous! I also love the art in her bio, especially the pixels and chibis.

Another great accent, and I like how you've matched it to the green silks, the Voltaic Stormclaws, and to her existing Circuit. A very nice choice! I also enjoyed how you've described her in her bio. I definitely got a picture of her personality!

I like the way the curve of the accent at the edge of her wing mimics the curve of the seraph gene on at the middle of her wing. And Stonewash Seraph matches her Ice primary and tert beautifully.

I love the muted colors produced by her Stained -- it's a fantastic gene that creates beautiful color combinations. Also, the way you've layered the sylvan stuff to create similar muted colors is absolutely gorgeous.

Ooh, I really like the way his colors go together. I love the green tint to the White Shimmer and also the way it turns brownish at the edge of the wings, matching the Beige and Stone.

Moooore scales! Such a cool accent. And I enjoy the match between the accent color in the Tarnish Poison and the Abyss.

What a cool accent! And a nice choice of dragon to go with it; I especially like the okapi on his tail, which matches the heavy black lines in the accent, and the splash of color across his eyes.

I really like Fragari's lore -- the idea that he was happy with himself but had to come to terms with his perception of others' expectations. That's an important thing for anyone to be able to do, and I liked reading about how he'd realized that he and his desires were enough.

As with Sargasso: rad accent and very nice color matching.

Oh, he looks so good in the Tree Warden's Garb! And I like the effect of the accent on his tail. (Also I just noticed that his tongue matches his tert, which is neat.)

Satellite's colors are just neat. I love the backlit look of his wings.

That combination of Shimmer and Ghost looks very nice. It's also cool to see so much of the Lightning festival apparel together.

What a cool accent, and what a good dragon to put it on. Her primary and tertiary match the corals very nicely, while her dark secondary provides a good backdrop for the accent's focus. Also, that scarf goes excellently with her colors, especially her little pink toenails.

Copper is a really cool color, and the match between it, Robin, and the accent and apparel you've used is great to see. The way the accent layers over the opal on his leg is especially nice. And good job on the matching familiar, too.

Ooooh. Good skin. Nice choice of name for a Fire ambassador, too.

Wow, Tarnish Tapir and Camo Shimmer look really good together. And the layering of the cloaks creates a beautiful color that matches the bluish green on her face and legs excellently.

Oh ... pretty! I can definitely see the name "Universe" for him. That accent goes so nicely with his colors, as does the kelpie mane.

Wow, she works really well with all the Lightning stuff -- very nice colors. Nice matching familiar, too.

Now she looks like she's up to some cool stuff -- I'm getting monster hunter / supernatural detective vibes. I like her name, and another good accent.

Oh, I love that Aqua Thylacine -- it goes beautifully with the Ivory Shimmer! Look at her little green tongue. It's great.

Such good, soft colors -- I love the Platinum Facet and Lavendar Okapi together. And, once again, nice accent.

I like how the sakura flowers match her secondary, and the silks do a nice job of bringing out the little hint of green from her tert.

His outfit looks so simple and clean -- it's nice! I like how the waistcoat and vest layer together.

Ooh, that accent -- you've found the perfect dragon to use it on. Nice job accessorizing it, too.

I love how that accent looks against the blue of his wings. A very sunshiney, stained-glass vibe ... It reminds me of the art in Tangled, actually.

Beeeees! A very fun accent and a nice choice of dragon to go with it. I especially like how the Sunshine Facet matches the drips of honey on his body.

Ooh, her colors are so nice! I thought she had stained for a second because that's usually the case when I see nice muted colors like that, but nope. Love the Silver Shimmer and Slate Iridescent together.

All the eerie cyan stuff is so pretty on her. At first I thought she was wearing another great accent, actually, with the pendants and stuff. Once again, a great layering job with the two grasps -- I love how you've created a shade of blue-green that matches her very well. Also, some really intriguing lore there. Thank you for showing me your lair; I quite enjoyed it!

[vorthosjay]

Let’s Talk About Chronicle of Bolas: The First Lesson

Chronicle of Bolas: The First Lesson came out today, and it’s a fascinating story without the sort of lore baggage that would require me to say much about it. So read and enjoy!

Art by Even Amundsen

"We all die, now or later," replied her Grandmother in her most maddeningly calm tone. "This could be a trap on the part of Ojutai to find me."

"So you are Yasova, keeper of the past and guardian of the unwritten now."

Unwritten was the name of the story where Yasova first appeared.

He took in several ragged breaths to build strength for more words. "Ojutai destroyed the records Shu Yun preserved for so many generations. He wants to destroy our memory of the past, and of our ancestors, so our people know only what the dragonlords wish them to know. But the story the Spirit Dragon told to the first shamans has survived because it wasn't only written down. It has also been passed down from master to student, memorized and handed on to the next generation."

Grandmother's brow wrinkled. A glimmer woke in her eyes, a flash of excitement, a thrill of fear and hope. "The Spirit Dragon spoke to your shamans?"

There’s also a secret archive, but this person doesn’t seem to know of it (or isn’t sharing that information). It would be rediscovered by Narset a millennia later.

My own story is a simple one. The one I loved best in all the worlds is the one who killed me.

How did it happen? That is less simple, and will take longer to tell. Listen carefully, for he may come here someday, and if that happens, then you must beware, for whatever words he speaks to flatter and persuade you will be lies.

Grandmother hissed sharply.

Yasova was tricked by Nicol Bolas into aiding him in killing Ugin.

If you should ever have the misfortune of meeting him, I would never recommend anyone suggest to him that he at any point in his long life has felt fear.

HA! Leshrac did this, and paid with his life for it.

"I want to know who those hunters are, and where they come from, and how we can destroy them. They've learned they can kill one of us now, so they will not fear us."

This story is great at telling us who Nicol Bolas is. Bolas can’t suffer others to feel confident against him. He must break them.

"I do not guess. Dragons are born with the gift of names. It is in our nature to know names without being told them. Just as we knew our own names at the moment we woke into consciousness." He closed his eyes, not at all afraid of us, then opened them to examine us with a keen and unrelenting gaze that irritated me because he was so sure of himself. But his curiosity and confidence also intrigued me. "Why do you each only have one name?"

Oooh, as some have suggested, Bolas was not originally part of Nicol’s name.

I sniffed at the dead animal, seeking from what lingered of its spirit some indication of its name and substance: it was an ibex, old for its kind; it had had a peaceful life, and that gave its blood and meat a certain pleasing odor.

I tore off a hunk of flesh. It was pleasurable to eat, even if a little tough.

This... is interesting. Weird that this comes from Ugin.

That which decays is also being consumed.

The revelation swept over me like a storm's hot rush: within the invisible web that is life and death, nothing goes to waste.

"Death is merely part of a greater cycle," I said, quite struck by my amazing wisdom.

This is important, as this is part of Ugin’s transcending color, most likely. The great cycle.

"I want to kill something," said Nicol. "Are you coming?"

It was the second time he'd asked if I was coming with him. To be fair, we'd never been apart, had never walked or flown the slightest span without the other within earshot. I couldn't imagine being in the world without him beside me.

Ugin thinks Bolas asking is because they can’t bear to be apart, but I wonder if right from the start he was challenging Ugin, prepared to leave him.

I ate thoughtfully, considering his words. It was true we had hunted in the manner of our older sister, each hunting alone, relying on our individual speed and strength. What if there was a better way?

Bolas and Ugin both begin to learn planning and coordination, important to their schemes later.

We spent years, as you Jeskai would measure the span of days, perfecting various techniques for hunting in tandem.

Hey, this might be the first indication we’ve had post-mending of the different measurements of time on different planes.

Several times we were chased by a big ugly dragon named Vaevictis Asmadi who, with his siblings, furiously guarded a territory they claimed for their own hunting grounds even though it had plenty of space and game enough for many hunters to cull.

The story also mentions even more dragons, which is great! It means there is enough for a true Elder Dragon War.

One day, we settled on a hill amid a richly forested plain. From this vantage, we found ourselves looking over a riverside settlement inhabited by the bipeds called humans. In general, we avoided humans. They didn't taste good, and I didn't like eating things that could talk.

THEY DIDN’T TASTE GOOD.

Just a reminder: Ugin has eaten people.

"I didn't realize humans would trust dragons," he said.

This is another important moment for Nicol, who is beginning to realize humans can be of use to him.

Death was no longer a stranger to me, for we had killed our share of prey, but the screams of the dying soldiers troubled me in a way that the last moments of the animals we'd hunted had not.

This is good! It’s too bad Ugin would lose sight of this somewhat when he became a planeswalker and messed with the fundamental natures of planes.

"You are the twins, Nicol and Ugin."

"I am Nicol Bolas," said Nicol.

"You are?" I asked. "When did that happen?"

"I have two names. All proper dragons have two names."

"Ugin is fine for me," I said, dismissing this as another of Nicol's quicksilver mood changes. I turned politely back to our older brother. "Brother Arcades, why did the humans attack us when we approached?"

Another great character moment. Nicol names himself Bolas. Ugin doesn’t feel the need. Very interesting.

And Vaevictis's mob. They're quite the gang of marauders. And more besides them, some flying alone and some flocking together. I protect the humans from the other dragons who roam this land. But I am also teaching the humans to a better path of life, one ruled not just by their own primitive, violent tendencies."

Here is the rest of the dragons I mentioned earlier. It’s interesting that Vaevictis is the leader of his own group.

I also find it very interesting that it is Arcades Sabboth who taught civilization to humanity! We previously knew NOTHING about him. Now, he founded human civilization!

Unlike our kind, they work together. Do you want to come see? You may visit for a little while as my honored guests, as long as you follow the rules of law and order I have established in this colony." 

So, it was then that we accompanied Arcades back to the town. He made us known to the people there, and they greeted us with awe and respect, although, perhaps not quite as much awe and respect as they showed to Arcades, whom they called "Dragonlord."

So that’s where the title Dragonlord comes from. For elder dragons who rule a human civilization, Ugin taught the name to the Jeskai. I wonder if we’ll be getting Dragonlord Arcades as his actual card?

I poked my snout into everything, and made particular friends with an old holy elder named Te Ju Ki, whose sole purpose in life, it seemed, was to think about things that could not be seen.

I’m not sure who Te Ju Ki is, but the name is so specific it feels like it has to be referenced somewhere, no?

Nicol had no patience for her possessionless way of being in the world; he wanted to be where Arcades was, guiding and advising the people. Nicol made himself useful in a hundred ways, digging into every crevice of human life and emotion. But the greed and excitement and anxiety and competitiveness of humans tired me when I was around it too much, so the solitude of Te Ju Ki's way attracted me. I soaked up the calm wisdom she exuded.

Nicol Bolas: Guider and Adviser.

In reality, Bolas was learning how to run a civilization, because he wanted to rule, not adjudicate.

Entire days would pass in silence as she and I sat in her circular chamber. Its roof had long since fallen in, and she informed me once that the half-collapsed tower was an artifact of builders who had bided here before the people who now lived in this place.

"We are not the first, and we will not be the last," she said. "We see only our hand before our face, but there have been other hands here before ours, and there will come others after us. Even this world is but one layer amid many others."

She knew many schemes as an aid to meditation, but I best liked it when she spun globes of light in the air. Translucent threads of magic tethered each of the globes to the others so that, as they whirled in the air, they remained both separate and yet linked by connections too mysterious for me to comprehend. She called each one a "plane," although I did not know what she meant by the word at that time. When I asked if the globes were a thought experiment or if they really existed, she said it did not matter because no physical being could cross between planes. But I didn't care about that. The way the radiant globes interlocked and moved in and around each other fascinated me as much as the wisdom she uttered in her whispery rasp of a voice.

"Everything that lives is interwoven. Everything that dies is consumed by something else, by another animal or by decay. In this rot lies the kernel of new life, for it passes back into the world as seeds take root and grow. There is no end, just endless cycles of transformation."

Ugin learns about the Multiverse!

The guards took him away. As a steward directed the body be removed and the blood washed off the stones, I raised my eyes to the roof of one of the nearby buildings. Nicol lounged there, stretched along the ridgeline, watching the scene with an avid gaze.

"What did you do?" I demanded in dragon speech.

"What did I do? I have not moved from here."

"You stood by and let it happen? You could have intervened."

A smirk of satisfaction creased his visage. "What if I did?"

The prickling sensation intensified. "What do you mean? What did you do, Nicol?"

"I have discovered a better way to get revenge. Are you coming or are you going to stay with your mealy-mouthed sage and her bland tidbits of wisdom?"

So... Bolas definitely used magic to make that guy kill the other guy, right?

I wonder what Bolas’s revenge will end up being.

[squirenonny]

what would the duality aliens think about the idea of constellations?

Oooh, good question!

Balmerans: Used tohave a great many constellations that changed as the Balmeramigrated. Navigation was a highly prized skill—it requiredunderstanding your place in the universe and tracking the changes,both subtle and drastic, in the stars as the Balmera roved around. Balmera will follow a pretty consistent migratory path, but one cycleis about a thousand years, so they had phenomenal written records andstar charts to be able to recognize their place in the cycle.

TheGalra occupation destroyed virtually all of these records, though,and the modern Balmerans wouldn’t recognize any of theirconstellations, though they do still talk about stellar navigation.Shay loves star-gazing with Hunk and making up constellations. Shealso spends a lot of time in the castle’s star dome familiarizingherself with the motion of stars from the (simulated) surface of aroving Balmera. She would like to be a navigator someday.

Olkari: Have asimilar relationship to constellations as do humans, i.e. there are many nations/cultures/traditions, each with their own constellations, which were used for a variety of reasons--to track seasons, to navigate, to divine omens and predict the future. They were particularly fascinated with the movement of celestial bodies (more so than specific constellations) and several cultures developed extensive solar calendars, star charts, and records of comets, eclipses, and the like. (Most of this was before they developed their modern tech, and now constellations are mostly the realm of astronomers and historians.)

Ryner hasn’t spent alot of time studying the stars, so she could point out maybe two orthree constellations, plus Olkarion’s north star. She’s intriguedby the humans’ stories about constellations identified by variousEarth cultures, but it’s an idle curiosity more than anything else.

Alteans: Firstidentified constellations in the early days of their civilization,much like Earthlings and Olkari, but maintained a fascination withstars and their arrangements well past the dawn of computer-based navigation. When they developed the capacity forlong-range space travel, they set out to map the constellations inthree dimensions. They still recognize a lot of ancientconstellations from the culture that eventually gave rise to theCastle of Lions, and they’re still used as the basis for theancient Altean coordinate system. (e.g. from the reference point of Altea’s equator on thewinter solstice, your heading is an X degree adjustment from the nthstar in this constellation. Continue on for so many light-years. You have to know your position relative to Altea to navigate between any two points, which makes it a kind of clunky system, but hey! That’s what the AI’s for.)

Allura knows the stories behind most of their constellations (especially the newer ones that include the Lions--the four Cardinal Lions each reign over a season: Blue over (the equivalent of) winter, Green over spring, Red over summer, and Yellow over autumn. And Black sits in the center of the sky watching over all the rest.) AndCoran knows how navigation works. Both of them are more than happyto talk stars with the humans.

Galra: The AncientGalra had some constellations, but prior to the destruction of Galrait put out a lot of natural light pollution, which made it difficultto see the stars. So there were only a few constellations (albeitones with extensive legends surrounding them.) Zarkon has pretty muchstamped out those legends along with the rest of ancient Galraculture, and modern Galra are so often ship-bound that there’s nota real strong interest in constellations. They’re aware of them as a concept,but the army generally considers constellations primitive superstitions and takesno interest in the lore of whatever planet they’re on currently.

Keith’s very confused by the others’ descriptions ofconstellations; he doesn’t really see what they’re talking about.(You think stars are people??) But he knows that Shiro used to try to find pictures in the skywhenever he got the chance, so he’s not all that surprised when theother humans start doing the same. He figures it’s part of thehomesickness and leaves them to it. Interestingly, Matt’s the onlyone who can actually explain it in a way Keith understands, maybebecause Keith’s been in Matt’s head and seen his obsession withastronomy.

[ghosty-schnibibit]

finally found time to listen to the first ep of graduation and holy shit!!! i love it so much!!!!! liveblog below ^u^

so i’ve stayed off tumblr for the last five days to avoid any spoilers and damn it was both hard and worth the wait, i am so hype for the rest of this season!!! i think this may be the longest liveblog i’ve ever done so apologies in advance to mobile users if the readmore doesn’t work.

oh dang! starting off with narration!

newa? oh cool we're not in faerun

“a blessing of unicorns” travis i am in love with your world already

loving the spookiness of the place names

trav i love it but this is so much lore so quickly bud i've had to pause to take notes like three times

"and our deaths become all but inevitable" jesus travis

i am so excited, this is going to be so much fun

this music is giving me such dreamworks vibes

AND A CAT :D

SPECTRAL CAT :O

and here's the other three boys!

griffin is getting out years of dm saltiness and i love it

a handsome half elf boy, neat

agro keen! nice name clint

his voice is like griffin put artemis sterling and indrid in a blender

sir fitzroy maplecourt, i love him already

clint no, i am too a ace for this

water genasi, that sounds fun

i cannot wait to see the fanart of this dude, he sounds so pretty

"you had me until the mustashe" same griffy, same

JUSTIN THIS CANNOT BE THE VOICE YOU USE FOR THE WHOLE CAMPAIGN, JUSTIN W H Y

clint started off vaguely crunchy and veered right into ned

this is untenable justin

just throwing this out there, just purely based on the voices, i think fitzroy is my fave so far

oh fun! like caduceus 

"that's an absolute unit!" mood

i need art of this dude so bad

... so the same name you gave the nitpicker lol

GARY THE GARGOYLE

fitzroy you precious baby boy

oh god this is bringing back memories

"what is a bunked bed?" says griffin 'every fantasy world i create contains elevators' mcelroy

"there is no shame in this" what does that mean justin

fitzroy is my sweet boy and i love him so much, my wee aristocratic dipshit

nice! 17 for the first roll of the campaign!

huh, nice! i like this mechanic

clint ilu

you mentioned maps in the ttazz trav, give me the maps

loving the verb usage lol

oh god its hagrid

i'm loving bud more and more each time he talks

"that's groundsy's place" that's where groundsy hides the bodies of students who displease him

ARGO WTF ARE YOU DOING

"both in different ways" dang

barn and battleground side... this sounds fun

does fitzroy want to be a knight? i love this

love the use of the word smooshed

hippocamp? oooooh horse mermaid, fun

BABY :D

nice, that sounds cool as hell

TRAVIS HOW HAVE YOU MADE ME CRY, THIS IS LITERALLY THE FIRST EP AND I'M LITERALLY IN TEARS OVER THIS BABY

y'know what, his voice has grown on me

justin you are crushing this entire scene and i love it

we're already getting some foreshadowing here and i am loving it

oh this music is so choice

YEAAAH first competent woman of the arc! :D

nice, go argo

"oooh, you're sir fitzroy" why does my boy have a reputation already

did my boy get kicked out of the hero tract without knowing it???

is he crying?????

"i had my feelings hurt by a strong man" b a b y  b o y

who's the asshole?

argo my sweet sarcastic boy

oh fun, new npc buddies :D

i'm getting some wicked malfoy vibes from this guy

argo is being a dick but in a very deserved way

travis was not kidding about the sheer volume of npcs, holy shit, i'm only about 45 minutes in and i think that's seven different npcs with names and distinct personalities

oh fun! fantasy wheelchair 0u0

make that ten named npcs

his full name is argonaut, cool!

i am so excited for her holy shit, i need to draw every single pc and npc but i want to draw her the most, i love her so much

fitzroy is a dipshit and i love him

ooooh i get it now, so it's almost more like an acting school, i am digging this setting so much trav

damn that is confident

... are they the only ones clapping?

higglemis is such a mood

justin ilu holy shit

i love leon so much already, he's so soft spoken and sweet

"you would not survive that" fair call lol

griffin no you're going to destroy me with second hand embarrassment

what are you doing fitzroy my dumb dumb boy

"i'm in heck" g r i f f i n

oh my sweet summer child. oh my poor baby :(

yes, what is your class my sweet failure boy

so he's a wizard boy, love it

thank you for trying bud ilu

f i t z r o y  2

druid boy!

rouge buddies :D

so we've got a druid, a wizard, and a rouge, nice balance, a little heavy to magic users but so was balance lol

... i am terrified to know what this squirrel thing is

never mind that is actually freakin adorable, and i love her so much

oh goody malfoy's back

... it's hazing. he's going to haze them.

trav’s doing a really good job of giving npcs with similar pitches of voice different cadences to their speech

the fuck griffin

"that would put me right off lemons" a r g o

oh he has a cape... i know i kept thinking of him as a sort of malfoy character but now i can't stop picturing eridan

i am genuinely loving all the hp digs, this is so good

SNEAKERY

oh nice! birdy teacher :D

griffin what owl character are you referring to??????

i love how mundane this is, no joke, it makes it feel really grounded

good to know since they don't really have a healer

they have a dedicated party class, i love this

are they actual skeletons??? holy shit travis i love this so much

he's such a nervous baby, awww

DAMN GRIFFIN NICE

i love how supportive these boys are

how did you manage that trav, dang

HE'S A WHAT GRIFFIN??? I'VE BEEN PICTURING HIM AS A LIL NERD BOY THE WHOLE TIME, HE'S A BARBARIAN????? H O W

"we don't talk about it" i love this

is that a spell? i need to look that up

i love this skeleton friend so much

clint's tradition of naming his weapons continues and i love it

clint what are you d o i n g

NICE! go argo :D

"fuck life lessons!" jesus fitzroy

so it's more of like... a vocational school, size-wise, which aligns with a lot of the background info trav's given us. nice, easy to mentally picture

blame taking???

"you're the one whose magic came and ruined everything!" i am so eager to know this magic barbarian boy's backstory

agro's going for a more errol flynn aesthetic lol

puppy :D

"we feel settled on bud" i just realized this is the second character justin's playing that we don't know the real name of lol

i am so eager to learn what the heck this is and i just know it's going to end in a cliffhanger with only 11 minutes left in the ep

"does a plant cry out? it is plant!" i love this sweet firbolg boy

awww, ranier is a sweety, i love her so much, she's my favorite npc so far

bud’s giving himself some larry bird boots lol

everyone but bud are dumb dumbs lol

this music is so good

i am so intrigued travis holy shit this is so good

a credit to trav, this is the first npc that's made me think of magnus in terms of vocal cadence and tone

oh groundsy

poor fitzroy lmao

I AM SO READY FOR THIS

in conclusion: i am so incredibly hype for the new season!!! i know this ep was mostly setup but i’m already super interested in everyone’s characters and the mystery of whatever’s going on in the spooky forest, and i’m loving the direction travis is taking with the world and how he’s combining the magical with the mundane to make a grounded yet fantastical setting! i can’t wait for the next ep and for all the great things to come this season with everyone ^u^