#lulas's snippets;;;

[lian-fang-zun]

Oberon couldn't say when the summoning happened, exactly.

All he knew was that when he blinked, the glowing summoning chamber of Novum Chaldea greeted his sight instead of the endless abyss.

And there, in front of him, was one Miya Osamu.

What the hell...?

Chaldea's master clearly hadn't even changed his clothes since their last encounter within the Abyssal Worm. The Mystic Code Osamu wore still bore scratches and rips from the harrowing journey through Faerie Britain, and his hair was distinctly uncombed. The Demi-Servant girl standing next to him -- Mash Kyrielight? -- looked no better, even though she'd at least changed out of her armor. Both of them sported bemused expressions, as though Oberon had been the last individual they expected to appear.

(Although he could detect something like joy in Osamu's expression, too. Which was bewildering, given their last face-to-face confrontation had involved Osamu attempting to take a swing at him.)

Oh, well. That wasn't any of his business, he supposed.

Huffing in resigned annoyance, Oberon broke the silence first.

"...Oh, I see. Lies will keep on circulating till the Human Order stabilizes?" Another sigh. "Fine, fine, I give up. That's just the kind of person you are. My name is Oberon. Since you called me, I'll help out. Even if it disgusts me to the core."

Silence. One could, as they say, hear crickets chirping.

Then Osamu spoke, his voice hoarse.

"Oberon...is it really you?"

Oberon's sarcastic smile fell into pursed lips.

"Hah? Who else could it -- ?"

The last syllable barely left his lips when Osamu suddenly surged forward. There was (almost) no hostility in the hug he pulled Oberon into, nor were there any in Mash's faint smile from behind them.

(This was all bemusing in the best of times. Really, wouldn't it have made sense for Osamu to treat him more coldly? Or for Mash to be more reticent in letting Osamu run toward him at all?)

Regardless, Oberon couldn't find it in himself to push Osamu away, either.

[ilcuoreardendo-fic]

Lula (A Place Called Home snippet)

By the time Echo was released and made his way to the Batch’s private barracks—Tech’s map having proved easy to follow—he was drained, achy and wanting nothing more than to pull a blanket over his head and ignore the world. Even if the idea of sleeping, of dreaming, made him faintly sick.

He wasn’t sure what he expected of the Batch’s barracks. They were, as far as he knew, the only squad to get their own private quarters; the privacy was a trade off for peace among the ranks, he’d gathered.

When the door opened, the first thing he noticed was the stark contrast between the brightly lit hallway and the room that was lit only by the individual bunk lights and a goose-neck lamp sitting atop a crowded workbench.

The second thing he noticed, stepping inside, was the smell. Dirty laundry and stale food and something unidentifiable that he didn’t want to think about, not with the pulse of pain beginning behind his eyes.

Echo explored the room, finding his bed strung up between what could only be Tech’s bunk, with its collection of diagrams pinned to the wall and small unidentifiable contraptions scattered across the mattress, and the window frame behind a large, out of place couch.

Tech’s message attached to the map now made sense.

There was not time or material to kit out a proper bunk for you. But from what you said about the comfort of the med-bay bunks on Anaxes, I think you will prefer the hammock to our mattresses.

With a small grin, Echo unstrapped his boots, fairly ripped the armor from his body and rolled himself, hands free, into the middle of the hammock. It swayed under his weight, but held. The heavy cloth cradled him perfectly, pressing in on the parts that needed support and skimming past his pressure points.

Save for one.

Reaching beneath his hip, Echo pulled out a bundled up Kamino issue blanket. Inside, someone had placed a thin pillow, a now half squashed pair of dumplings wrapped in a napkin and a worn, black and red Tooka doll.

“Lula,” Echo murmured, tracing a finger over a set of thick and clumsy red stitches that reattached an arm. Another set, smaller and neater than the first, reinforced the eye. Wrecker’s stitches on the first? He wondered who did the second set.

Read more - Chapter 1: A Place Called Home

[krispyweiss]

Roger McGuinn at Midland Theatre, Newark, Ohio, Aug. 22, 2023

There’s no need for Roger McGuinn to write a book. His Songs and Stories With … tour is his autobiography. And hearing the man speak and sing about his incredible life and career is much more enjoyable than reading about it anyway.

As the jangle of an electric guitar playing the Byrds’ arrangement of “My Back Pages” filled the hall - “My ‘My Way,’” McGuinn called it - he walked on stage, stepped to a mic and began to sing. At 81, McGuinn’s voice betrayed some fragility at various points during his two-set, 110-minute performance inside Newark, Ohio’s, three-quarters-full Midland Theatre. But he still plays and sings like a Byrd.

After the opener, McGuinn, dressed in all black save for a red feather in his fedora, took a seat and, surrounded by a banjo, 12- and six-string acoustic guitars, his trusty electric Rickenbacker and tropical plants, proceeded to tell his life’s story. And the concert had the arc of a book, beginning with his childhood in Chicago where he first heard “Heartbreak Hotel” and “Be-Bop-A-Lula” - snippets of which he played - before he went to the Old Town School of Folk Music and got turned on to Bob Gibson and Lead Belly, leading McGuinn to offer full versions of “Daddy Roll ’Em” and “On Easter Morn’ He Rose.”

A teenaged McGuinn then met Pete Seeger, from whom he learned “Turn! Turn! Turn!,” played on electric, and “Rolling Down to Old Maui,” rendered acoustically. He was hired by the Limeliters, met David Crosby in California and Joan Baez (“Virgin Mary”) in New York. He traveled to South America and was inspired to write what would become the bridge of “Chestnut Mare” while sitting on a cliff and eventually went to work for Bobby Darin in Las Vegas - McGuinn was there when Darin discovered Wayne Newton. This was all before McGuinn met Peter Fonda, which prompted “The Ballad of Easy Rider.”

McGuinn wrapped the first set with “I Wasn’t Born to Follow” and “Mr. Spaceman.” He opened set two the way he’d opened the gig, with the sounds of “So You Want to be a Rock ’n’ Roll Star” announcing his arrival and “Lover of the Bayou” following. And despite any wear and tear on his vocal cords, the McGuinn of 2023 is smoother than the raspy McGuinn of 1970’s (Untitled).

From here, McGuinn’s storytelling turned nonlinear as he talked about his friendship with Tom Petty (“King of the Hill”); touring Europe with him and Bob Dylan (a singalong “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”); and the shenanigans of Dylan’s Rolling Thunder trek. It was here that McGuinn got permission to record Joni Mitchell’s “Dreamland,” also performed, and was inspired to write “Jolly Roger” by the pirate-like nature of the cross-country escapade in a retrofitted Greyhound bus borrowed from Frank Zappa

McGuinn plucked the banjo on “Old Blue” and recalled working in the Brill Building and nicking the Beach Boys to write and record “Beach Ball” with the the City Surfers, featuring the Bee Gees on background vocals. He then went on to explain how the Byrds ripped off the Beatles not only in their name but by taking the latter’s idea of using folk chords in rock music and - sampling “I Want to Hold Your Hand” to demonstrate - as inspiration for creating folk-rock with songs like “The Water is Wide” and “You Showed Me.”

The Byrd was as enthusiastic as a small child with a new toy when he talked about reconnecting with Crosby and joining forces with Gene Clark, Michael Clarke and Chris Hillman; meeting the Beatles and the Stones in England; and serving as the opening act for Hoyt Axton, whose mother wrote the aforementioned “Heartbreak Hotel,” thus bringing the story full circle.

The set proper closed with McGuinn showing off his substantial lead-guitar chops on a lengthy acoustic rendering of “Eight Miles High,” before he walked off without a word. He walked back on without a word, preceded again by the telltale jangle, and performed “I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better,” “She Don’t Care about Time” and “May the Road Rise to Meet You” while standing at the off-center mic.

Including parts or all of 30 songs in total, the set and its stories left even the most knowledgable McGuinn fans even more so. And no one left a stranger.

Grade card: Roger McGuinn at Midland Theatre - 8/22/23 - A-

8/23/23

[parcequecestnotreprojeeeet]

I love how much E. is celebrating Lula’s victory. Like of course he would be the first to congratulate him. And I am obsessed with the fact he’s so vocal about this with how he has impatiently waited for this moment in what is clearly an allusion to what he said after Bolsonaro first made his comments about B. (I can’t remember exactly but it was something to the effect of I hope soon that Brazil has a leader worthy of them) because even though he is acting like a diplomatic head of state, he’s also a very protective husband who has clearly never forgiven or forgotten what he said. I know his “nous” meant France in the snippet of the call they released, but you know he and B. celebrated last night (he probably woke her up to tell her, lol). I’m just glad they are finally getting their last laugh.

Emmanuel is happy with the fact that Bolsoshit is out and he is not even trying to hide it! And we all know why. He can take all the shit of the world on him but just do not bloody touch Brigitte. 🔪

(Gossip time now: the press reporting that Bolsoshit and his wife stopped following each other on Instagram 🍿 )

[emperor-palpaminty]

Hobbies

Just some snippet about the Batch's hobbies and habits in their free time! And yes Crosshair is here, let me be happy

Whittle

A whistle escaped his lips as he sat back in the dirt, smelling the clean air and fresh wood in his fingers. The soothing sound of the blade running over the grain of the wood, the slow pull of his hands, the gentle creation under him.

Hunter's knife was often used in battle. Destruction and wrath came from it, from his hands. His fingers hosted thousands of little cuts and scrapes from practicing with it, fighting with it, throwing it. Even he felt the pain from the weapon he used.

Softly, he examined the small shape in his hands it was small for him, but perfect for Omega. He smiled and carved a dip between the ears of the Lula doll, whistling again. The notes were clear, cool in the fresh air, resonanting among the trees around and stars above. He ran the knife, a gentle touch, around the edge of each ear, designating the color change.

Quietly, he pulled it away, and smiled at his little creation.

___

Doodle

Sighing, Tech shook his head and walked back into the cockpit, settling down at his chair and looking down at the work of art he had half-finished under him. He rubbed the graphite off his face as he smiled, picking up the paper. Innocent eyes beamed, a bright smile settled on the girl's face. Tech chuckled and set down the drawing of Omega, careful to not smudge it, and he sat down to finish it for her. Her room needed some decor, after all, and every kid needed art to hang up.

Tech awoke with a start. He was interrupted mid-snore by a clang in the ship. His pencil rolled, and Tech quickly darted out, long fingers catching it out of the air. He exhaled in relief, slowly standing to peer into the hull. The door was open, and he heard Wrecker laughing outside.

It was nice to take a break from drawing diagrams or medical charts. For once, he could draw simply how he saw Omega, and hope it could convey some of the joy she brought them all.

___

Chef

Crosshair’s lips submitted to a small frown as he glanced at the small jars. The spices were plentiful, but none of the spices he needed. The flavors would work for Hunter, who needed the food somewhat bland, but Crosshair needed it to be good. 

He picked up a jar and opened it slightly, sniffing it. The herby-sweet odor filled him and he paused, pursing his lips in thought before giving the shelf its jar back. Crosshair shook his head, murmering slightly to himself. He glanced around and tugged his hood up more, approaching the counter. “Pardon,” The plea was dry in his throat, “Do you have any... warmer spices?”

The pantorian behind the counter smiled, tying lavender hair back. “Certianly. We’re low on them, so they’re in the back. What’s out front is what’s plentiful.”

A grin tugged at his lips- ah! A chance at a good meal, at last. “Can I see them?”

The hesitated. “They will be pricer-”

“Any price is worth good spices, especially since they make the necessity of food all the better.” Crosshair affirmed. 

The woman nodded, smiling, ducking into the curtianed off back room to dig out more flavors.

Minuites later Crosshair exited, a few credits lighter and a couple jars heavier. He smiled, running his fingers over the lids of the jars and sighing happily. Dinner would be good tonight, and he would make sure that his brothers and Omega got the good taste they deserved. Joy, he decided as he made his way back towards the ship, was giving others what he felt like they should recieve, and they deserved the best.

___

Mend

___

Wrecker grimaced, tongue sticking from the side of his mouth as he worked dilligently on the shirt. Omega had torn it, playing with Hunter's knife.

Poor kid, Wrecker thought as he broke the thread in his teeth. She deserved everything that kids did- clean clothes, toys, playgrounds, beach days... Wrecker smiled to himself and held up the fabric, gently, admiring the seamless patch. The red thread stood out against the black shirt, and he smiled, reaching for the grey thread.

Omega was a member of the Bad Batch, Wrecker chuckled, outlining a skull with the thread, and she needed to look the part.

Dirge

Daughter

Echo didn't realize the power a song had until he couldn't sleep. He rolled over, hammock swaying in the dim night.

He heard little gasps, little tears from outside. Omega sometimes had a hard time adjusting, especially when it was just her on the ship, or at least she thought.

Echo hummed, a soft vibration in his chest, and honey melted in his throat. He opened his lips, voice emitting softly from the resonance of his larynx.

"I've met some folks who say that I'm a dreamer," He sung, words echoing in the bunk room. The sobs hushed and he heard the curtains in Omega's little makeshift room swish as she opened them. "And I've no doubt there's truth in what they say..."

He heard Omega yawn, and the tears were quiet. Echo smiled, singing the lullaby, remembering how Fives, Cutup, his other brothers settling around him after a long day of training or patrolling or battle. He was alone, but the next one he could comfort was in the room next to him. So he would sing- not a dirge, but a lullaby.

___

Omega had never felt so loved. She laid back in her bunk, curled up in the comfortable shirt and she ran her fingers on the skull that rested on her sleeve. Her belly was full from a good meal, ears with a good song, and she turned towards the stars at her window. The paper tacked up on the wall, a little portrait, rustle, and the little wooden lula statue that Hunter carved. Omega smiled, curling up, the love surrounding her. She was more than a genetic replication.

She was a daughter.

[thecoffeelorian]

[Copying and pasting a quick snippet from a new fic now, since I might not get the chance tomorrow...]

It's some time before he lets himself surrender, before he goes over completely and gives in to the silence--but as soon as he relaxes and drifts off, his eyes closing, his head drooping, and every tensed muscle in his body finally loosening up--that's when I feel myself relax, too. In fact, I'm almost celebrating inside my head, because...because it's sooo much better up here than it ever was back there. Back when we were all separated two times over, and I didn't know when I might see any of them again.

Now, however, I'm glad I don't have to wonder any more.

"Hey, you."

I've got one hand on the surface of his bacta tank, the other still carrying Lula. My voice stays low and steady, all the better not to startle him as he sleeps. He's going to need a lot of that, especially while we're here.

"I know it's been a really long time since either of us were here last, but um...I hope you'll listen to me anyway, okay?"

[thepeachgreentea]

this got Real Long Real Quick...

I wanna know more about Luka's soul song gift - like how much do emotions or personality play into it? ((I’m going with a lot)) Does it only work in person?? Or can he get like snippets from videos or vibes from pictures? Like it would make sense if it was only in person...... But where's the fun I'm that? Realistically it wouldn't be as strong as in person but I could see him getting some stuff. Pictures it probably wouldn't be a lot, or even much of anything, unless the soul song really didn't match the picture...

Which means Luka is one of the first people to realize something is Up with Adrien (and the Agrestes in general)

The ads around the city never felt right, never matched up with the snippets/vibes he was able to get - unless Adrien was supposed to be sad or melancholy. Which is... yikes...

Then the Adrien The Fragrance commercial happens. And that's an additional big Fucking Yikes

Like I can only imagine that Adrien isn't particularly big on modelling in general from what we've seen (with the Marinette-exception) so the filming of that could have only been Worse than normal. How many times did it take to get the emotions at the ‘right’ level? How long did it take to get the angles and all the action done?

Anyway: after the first time Luka literally cannot stomach watching it or even listening to it because it is so Wrong. The soul song snippets from the video are longer and more intense and it is just so discordant that Luka can't deal

Adrien is most certainly NOT feeling carefree. Or radiant. Or remotely dreamy. He's goddamn exhausted, frustrated, resigned, depressed, sweaty, anxious, awkward, stressed. It is a whole stew of (teen) angst offset with that upbeat music and the bright blue sky & all that w h i t e and the jumping for joy

It is such a strong dichotomy Luka has a visceral reaction every time and has to either leave the room or mute it and look away,

All of that means that after he meets Adrien in person, and gets to hear his soul song in a couple different situations and can see his emotions matching internally and externally he basically tells him they will always have space for him on the Liberty. (Also the first time he saw the LB + CN movie and heard Adrien's voice acting he only picked up some nerves - easily attributed to a new situation rather than a secret identity - but he was clearly enjoying himself even if it was a terrible script)

Therefore, Luka doesn't have particularly good feelings towards Gabriel, even before seeing any videos of him.

Style Queen was a Time. He was happy for Adrien but the bits he was getting from Gabriel were so rigid and tight... And rather selfish to boot. Which was weird given the situation

He has to try very very hard to not sneer or snarl at the tablet he first "meets" him on - probably at a Kitty Section practice or concert or at some class + family event.

I can also v easily picture him meeting him in person and being super uncomfortable at the sheer amount of manipulation and self-aggrandizing, selfishness, etc that rolls off of Gabriel, basically choking out his soul song. Either Lula barely refrains from punching Gabriel and manages to shake his hand but then desperately needs to clean his hands. Orrrr he does punch him and then basically coats his hands in sanitizer (either way he is Nino’s absolute favorite person for this alone)

Also, this would not be the first time Luka has figured out an abusive situation. It has happened with both his own and Juleka's friends & classmates. He is v much a protective older brother at heart

And because I damn well can have some Lila salt, some of which has been touched on before, unlike with Gabriel:

He had heard about her from Juleka and Kitty Section and was a bit confused about it but it wasn't until Rose was over and the girls were telling him about some of Lila's stories that he saw a picture of her.

And that was The Strongest he had ever reacted to a picture before: instant chills up his spine and an actual hiss escaped him

All 3 of them are shocked. Luka then has to explain that reaction as best as he can. Which is hard when you aren't great at words and while the soul song fragments are rather clear he would never make his guitar suffer trying to recreate them.

He manages tho and Julerose are at least wary of her afterwards. They start observing her more and a lot of her behavior and the way she talks can be very off-putting. They start noticing some of the digs that she makes at others, that she contradicts herself 5 different ways, and how she is constantly bringing the attention back to herself.

During all this they start noticing how both Marinette and Adrien react to her and it is Not Good. Mari gets defensive and will often try to bring up those contradictions that they started noticing. But jealousy is only a minor factor, at most. In certain situations it is possible that it could be involved... except those only happen when Adrien is looking very uncomfortable and Marinette notices or they make eye contact and then Marinette creates an opportunity for him to escape

Which is something that no one else is noticing which is really terrible and unhealthy...

Around this time is when Ivan has started to figure out something is up. and then he definitely knows when Julerose show Luka a video at a private band practice.

Because video and in person interactions make the BadBadBAD feelings worse and Ivan, while he often struggles with understanding & expressing emotions, has definitely noticed Lila - even though she is not actually there - causes a lot of stress and anxiety to Luka and he has gotten really good at methods of lessening those.

So, Luka sees the video with/of Lila and has an even stronger reaction than the picture before. His eyes get huge, and his face pales (gets slightly sickly?), and he hisses even stronger than the first time

He refuses to try to play her soul song because something like that is nearly impossible to recreate but also doesn’t need to be put out into the world but does his best to try and describe it

Possible: her soul song feels like it is drowning in toxic sludge - there is just so much negativeness that it is barely intelligible. It is being smothered by self-satisfaction and importance, narcissism, aggressive manipulation, pettiness, vile maliciousness, etc

In person interactions are awful. Luka avoids physical interaction as much as possible. Even more than he would with Gabriel, and he wants as little to do with that man as possible, ideally none. But Lila is worse...

There have been multiple times that he has had to step out/away to be able to get some fresh air and breathe again. At least once where he has been or almost has been sick - usually following a hug that he did not consent to or something similar

Ivan is definitely in the fold now, and Julerose share what they have noticed from taking their step back. He realizes he has noticed a lot of those same things but he wasn’t analyzing them and didn’t have the same context for them at the time that Luka, Juleka, and Rose did. But afterwards he picks up on them more clearly, and some other things they hadn’t - benefits of being one of the quiet kids (and a lesser target of Lila’s focus). He is part of the driving force in bringing Marinette and Adrien in first before going to others.

Marinette breaks down because more people believe her?? and support her and Adrien? it is a huge relief of tension. And she didn’t even have to convince them herself!! what a concept... but it is definitely a safe space for her and she can share her own experiences and that certainly is nice

they had all suspected Something was Up but weren’t expecting that so there are lots of hugs and tears and support and mutters of payback 

Adrien eventually cries because Kitty Section + Marinette give him a TedTalk about consent and personal autonomy. And now he has so many people (!!!) telling him he can say no and make his own choices, mistakes, and decisions. (Marinette’s part is largely “I told you so / do you believe us now?” because the Dupain-Chengs have probably already given this same talk as a family but that is just A family’s opinion, others probably think differently) And this is the first time he really truly believes it and... oooof there are a lot of emotions and interactions to unpack and reconsider

but now he knows he really needs to and that he can and should which is new, but so is having an actual support system...

Thus, Luka is ready to fight a bitch the first time he sees Lila and Adrien interacting. There is so much clinging and touching, and Adrien is panicking and no one is doing anything or is being waved off. And (unfortunately) this is one of the things that causes some people to start questioning things about Lila. Because most of them know of Luka as a really chill, laid-back guy who is open and accepting of people. and besides he has no reason to be jealous (((👀👀👀👀 too much to think about and unpack t h e r e))) so why would he be upset about Lila leaning on Adrien and holding his arm??

So, the questioning of Lila and what she says spreads out from Kitty Section and Adrinette to the rest of the class. They take a different approach. They slowly, carefully approach their classmates and take them aside when possible to talk about the situation

This allows them to be able to get their undivided attention and lay out what they have found out in a logical and cohesive manner, rather than attempting something rash or in the heat of the moment. Marinette grumbled about this method initially but when there were actual results and the burden was shared it was a huge relief for her.

In fact, others start coming to them about Lila.

because of the work of Kitty Section and Adrinette Lila’s audience has been steadily decreasing and it is getting easier to notice things. With a smaller audience the focus doesn’t get split as much and there are less questions for her to build off of or go on tangents from and the contradictions start standing out more, or she’s making more to try and keep them around her by holding their interest with different details

Plus, the comments about those outside Her Circle are getting meaner and more frequent. Usually they are still sneaky or underhanded but nowhere near as subtle as they were originally (were they ever, really?) and it is raising suspicions and hackles.

Eventually, Lila is left without an audience because the class has all been brought out of the cloud of manipulation and are working on trust and listening to each other more/better. and on how to not disregard other’s feelings (which is esp important with the high butterfly population in Paris, but is a v good life lesson in general). they are young and will make mistakes and will have to learn from them. but trials, growth, and change are all part of life so it is good for them.

But it essentially all stems from Luka and his ability to hear soul songs and reacting to those songs, or the lack thereof when they are being choked by evil intentions/emotions/actions/what have you

[clansayeed]

Hey Jack! I wanted to know what your thoughts are on Rheya. Was she really a villain to you? Were her motives justifiable? Was she a good villain? Did you think she deserved to have a redemption arc in chapter 16? What could have been written to make her have a better character story? Any thoughts at all about Rheya!

FOREWARNING: Anon... I accidentally wrote you a 2500 word essay. I shit you not this thing is 2,528 words long. So... I don’t know whether to say you’re welcome or I’m sorry. Just letting you know in advance.

ADD-ON POST-POSTING: I’m fully aware this is an app game. A three book series written with sexying vampires in mind. Where the medium is limited both size and content-wise, where you can’t go into much detail because they can only have so many panels in a chapter, etc. Still thinking what I think though. And if you get paid to create content professionally the least you can do for your own paycheck is go back and double-check your work.

Actually this ask came at a good time since I have to work on some character motivations for her for my series... and I always break down the in-canon versions before working on my own. So anon, let’s talk... are you a mind reader?

Kidding! mostly

So. Rheya.

I actually just finished my first replay of book 2 and at the moment I’ve only ever played book 3 the once. I played it as it was releasing so there were some memory gaps in some places and needed-refreshers in others. But on a whole I have similar thoughts about Rheya as I do Xenocrates, and you can find those thoughts here.

Overall she was a solid setup, good design and potential, and PB pretty much wasted her execution.

I wanna start with a genuine question to the fandom since I’ve never actually been able to ask this... but y’all like... totally saw the Bloodkeeper being related to her coming, right? Like I was so convinced of it that when it was revealed in some big dramatic point at the end I was like “yeah... they told us this...?” and it turns out they fuckin didn’t??? Like I could not understand the people who were like super into her sprite like yes she looks good but here I was thinking she was our ancestor from the get-go so I was... confused to say the least.

Not gonna lie when they started pushing in snippets of Rheya’s past trauma in book 2 (things like her yelling “you know what they did to me/took from me” which is paraphrased but you know what I mean) I really hoped they weren’t gonna do what they did. So of course they did it.

But I wish they’d like... just given her the kid. Just give her Iola and leave the weird suddenly random husband out of it. At this point we know Gaius has an unhealthy idolatry for her, we know Xenocrates adored her in his own way in his youth... but we know fuckall about Demetrius up to and including his existence until literally book 3. Sloppy, IMO. They took something not being mentioned and used it to put in a plot device when the omission should have been strategical.

TBH I thought the whole “you know what they did to me” was gonna get hella dark RE: Rheya and King Kaelisus’ obsession with her. That’s as far as I’ll go there.

But you have a Priestess, a known Priestess, who was definitely faithful enough not to stray even when she thought she was walking to her own death. It’s pretty easy to assume (as I did ngl) that she would be completely devoted to Phampira, including romantically/sexually. It would have been a good setup to explain why she never gave Gaius the goods if anything.

And there’s nothing wrong with having said Priestess have her own family while still being devoted. I just wish PB would have used some fucking forethought and hinted at that earlier on than they did. Because they didn’t hint. They dropped this random fisherman-something husband on us and told us she cared enough about his opinion to make him part of her advisory board but not... to like... mention him in any of her conversations in any of the flashbacks... including those in which he would have been alive.

On that note the whole timeline there is really messy, they obviously threw him and Iola in later on after some things were established/couldn’t be taken back. I’ve studied this shit extensively and it’s really muddled exactly how long Rheya ruled, when shit went down with her family, how much time had passed when Xenocrates staked her, etc.

I would have loved for Iola’s father not to have been there. Give me a strong woman, a strong single mother, who would burn the world for the loss of her daughter. Doesn’t matter who did the deed, Iola was hers and the Sons/Order took that from her and the world would have to pay the price.

If I had been given that I would end all of my complaints right here. I would, genuinely. Because then her descent into madness, her paranoia, her megalomania would all have been explained. And they still technically are but -- maybe it’s just me -- there’s something about her having to factor in Demetrius that just... takes me out of it. IDK.

I didn’t mind the guy... though him being a talking tree of doom was a little much for me... though by that point I had accepted the plot was off the goddamn rails and just kept nodding and going with it. But his presence made the story okay when his absence could have made the story impactful and powerful and emotional. That’s just my thoughts. Which you asked for. You did this.

No takesies-backsies.

Was she a villain? Hells to the yes.

It’s a classic case of obtaining ultimate power and abusing it; of crossing the line between justice and vengeance. Not that she wasn’t justified in her freak-out over the death of her family. But everything after up to and including her fatal feeding schedule was totally unnecessary. For a villain, yes necessary. 

For a vampire goddess who could have easily used Gaius’ influence over the vampires of the modern world to form a cult following around herself with an open dialogue about her big ass appetite and probably would have ended up with swaths of willing adorers ready to lend their blood to her cause thus eliminating the need for secrecy and subsequent feeling of betrayal...

You tell me.

I feel like she was definitely more than a little hyped up though. Not even going into my whole-ass issue with the entire Unchained plot and thus the first like 4-5 chapters of book 3, she was hyped up in myth and kind of a let down in person. She could FLY. Walk in the SUN. Heal the DYING. She’s vampire JESUS.

*ADDED IN LATER: She took out THE ENTIRE ORDER OF THE DAWN, WHO HAVE RAVAGED THE VAMPIRE POPULATION FOR LITERALLY 3000 YEARS since they were around in her time after all IN LIKE A THREE-MOVE COMBO BREAK. ALL THIS SHIT THEY HYPED WITH THE ORDER and their entire ERADICATION isn’t even an ON-SCREEN THING. Unless you pay.

Dude if they had kept Xenocrates and the Order and used the two of them against each other; the Order’s long-standing influence on the modern world versus the new world Rheya wanted to create with the human populations not knowing the history behind their hatred, where like the first half of the book is Rheya and MC and gang taking out the Order and Xenocrates only to find out in the middle point that she’s been doing it for selfish reasons and they were on the wrong team the whole time and THEN Rheya becomes the big bad... I would have enjoyed the shit out of that.

Anyway. “She’s vampire JESUS...” and her big evil plan is to... suck face on national television? IDK. It didn’t play the mood right for me. I can see from a writer’s perspective how they kind of played out all of their options and went with a quick and easy solution... but it didn’t work for me. That’s a no from me dawg.

Do I think she deserved a redemption arc? I don’t think anybody deserved a god damn redemption arc, unless they are done with extreme care and attention to detail before/during/after said arc they go horribly, and overall tend to be the plot device pick of lazy writers.

And I take nothing back. No like I think I might have gone into how much I fucking hated Gaius’ “reDEmPtiON aRc” before or at least I have somewhere and to someone. Probably Sofia... no most definitely Sofia. But anyway. They spend TWO GOD DAMN BOOKS hyping Gaius as this ultimately irredeemable bad guy. 

OMG I was literally playing the book 2 finale and got a quote hold on... HERE. Adrian literally says about Gaius in 2.16 “It’s like there’s no humanity left.” And that’s just one actual example of the tons of times they make him out to be devoted to Rheya of his own volition, the ultimate example of the line between believing in something and being blinded to everything by it, etc. Like a huge chunk of Kamilah’s and Adrian’s arcs RE: Gaius are about how he was definitely a monster, he turns the people around him into monsters, and while they have worked their asses off to be good and right their wrongs he has not, will not, and would not ever do such a thing.

Then suddenly he’s brainwashed, tried to turn Rheya down and was made into a loony toon because of it, and everything he made MC’s loved ones do that they blamed themselves for but needed to blame him for is suddenly Rheya’s fault and now we should blame her for.

Mmmmmkay sweetie. I’m good, thanks.

But really -- that was the last straw for me when it came to both Gaius and Rheya. There’s a difference between giving the villain something they see as a just cause (ex. Rheya avenging her family) and giving the villain a cop-out that absolves them of guilt (ex. Gaius and... everything about him). Like yes I know MC didn’t have to forgive him, I know Kamilah didn’t really forgive him, but it’s pretty fuckin obvious from how it was put out into the world story that the writers were trying to lean you towards blaming Rheya and letting Gaius off the hook.

I mean... making him save Lula for real when Rheya saved her for fake earlier on in the book, using Lula as a stand-in metaphor for her own child daughter that she finds out she was the cause of her death for, etc? That symbolism is so transparent I could put it in the asset database.

And I’ll only briefly touch on this since I could write a whole other essay on the matter RE: PB and their fucking constant repetition of this, but “let’s give both bad guys similar moral quandaries but suddenly reveal it was a consent issue and the woman is wholly to blame and now gets the man’s crimes piled on with her own” is super common in fiction and hella. fucking. sexist.

But that isn’t to say all of this is necessarily bad.

When done right, everything I’ve complained about above can be a part of a really good story. What “done right” means is different for everyone, everyone has a different example and different thoughts on it. These are mine. I think the better term would be done well. It was not done WELL.

But given things like PB’s weird obsession with redeeming the attractive (apparently) bad guy, PB’s history with narrowing a woman down to one trait or part of her (ex. Rheya’s power corruption centered around her role as a wife and mother and not... a super all powerful vampire goddess...), their obvious lack of attention to detail and overall lack of vision when it comes to the big picture* and more, I personally don’t think they knew what the fuck they wanted by book 3 and were already well into transitioning into whatever adultery-obsessed lingerie shenanery they’re fixated on now; so much so that it’s almost a disservice to the writing done in earlier book 1 and a decent chunk of book 2 when calling it a whole series.

*I keep bringing this up only because it means I can back up stuff like this with real examples of theirs: these guys did not write the plot of this series as a cohesive story. I get that, as a writer writing a big series myself I get the fuck out of that. But you have to solidify some things early on in the development process in order to avoid writing yourself into a hole or, like with this, having to result in trope-y plot devices that work in theory but on paper don’t give the story the full-circle fulfillment it deserves. 

Their timelines are out of whack, they contradict themselves in quite a few places, constantly wishy-washy their own lore, and definitely didn’t go back and double check if they’d said something already... and that’s not including where they focused on the details of one unimportant thing and left another more important thing to just be “and this is the way it is moving on.”

I literally have no way/idea how to summarize any of this bullshittery going on in this ask. Did I like Rheya? The character personality, design, and overall idea as this big ass badass power/hungry goddess demanding fealty was pretty cool. Did I like Rheya when they narrowed her story down to her grief over her family (which, again, is valid, but just seemed really disjointed and rushed when compared to everything else they had given about her/shown of her by the beginning of book 3)? Not... as much.

I think they wanted her to seem like she could be redeemed. I mean FFS in the “big battle” she literally just stands there and lets you do the thing. 3000 years imprisoned and however many centuries before that spent taking the power that she was denied all because some bad dudes in masks killed the mortal husband and daughter you would have eventually lost to old age anyway...? And she just stands there??? 

Even knowing she was really behind Iola’s death they could have stuck with the “madness consumed” plotline and had her be like well... what’s done is done back to taking over now thank you.

But sometimes a bad guy just has to be a bad guy. Rourke from ES, mister capitalism -- can’t remember them trying to redeem him. If they had I don’t think I would have liked it so much. Who else... UGH. Thomas in NB. Crazy zombie man wants all monsters dead because one killed his family (can we stop using dead families for grief porn please and thanks...) another example of a useless villain. Hence why I removed him from my NB rewrite don’t even get me going...

What’s his face in TCATF! Luther! You join up with him and he still tries to kill you in the end! Now that was fucking classic. Hex, who suddenly is forgiven for the literal enslavement of a race of people and the thoughtless murder of a civilization that didn’t agree with her.. and all because she was ‘like a mother’ to the kid genius? Not so much.

I could go on and on and go search out tons of examples but in the end the one thing you can say PB does well is that they stay consistent in their ideas of redemption, of who deserves it and who isn’t, and just how far they’re willing to stretch the fucking story to forgive a character if 1. the sprite is hot or 2. the sprite had a little sprite family somewhere in there.

legit just talk to me about bb/nb

[amorgignitamore]

the last two episodes have been hinting very heavily about Daphne’s home life and things she might be keeping hidden away AND have also mentioned Eliott’s MI and generally made him more talked about/seen. This + the coffee posts with robin Lula and Maxence + the new info about vildes and even remakes not allowed a season of their own by nrk + españa having a viri pov due to not giving her a full season are convincing me that s6 will be a split season btwn Daphné and Eliott. What do you think?

hey nonny, thank you so much for sending this is!! I’ve been meaning to write what i think season 6 will be about and about this blocked characters thing, so this ask couldn’t have been on a better time! 

First, about the blocked characters i think Julie has written seasons or snippets about those characters and the only way she would maybe allow it is if she was the one doing it but i’m probably wrong.

Now about s6, so like a month ago i theorised about this with my friends and i really believe that (even though i don’t necessarily want or like it) this is what’s going to happen

let me explain my train of thought:

if there are indeed blocked characters and there’s no way to make seasons about them, like a season about Daphné or Eliott or even alexia from what i read, there are very few characters left;

with this being said i believe that the blocked characters are the ones who had a clip on the split pov episode meaning those characters would be: Vilde, PChris, Jonas, Chris, Even, William and Eskild/Linn. 

with what i saw from the filming pics shared i believe there is a high possibility of making the season a shared pov one. And it will either be a daphné and Eliott slip season talking about living with an MI like everyone has been saying or a farewell season with episodes focusing on a different character each week and those weeks would be the bigger versions of the pov from skam og’s finale. This would ensure closure on all the current characters and open space to a new-gen if they decide to do seasons 7 and 8.

My problem with this is this would mean an episode with Ch*rles and i refuse to watch that (even if this explained why Michel had a script and was on set) and i don’t think one week is enough to explore each character’s issues. 

so if my theory was right and if they followed the order of the finale i think it would be a season with a general main theme connecting all the characters through their final weeks of school:

ep 1 - Alexia, her relationship with Arthur after everything they went through and a more in-depth look at her life and future choices;

ep 2 - Basile instead of Alex since he has more connections to all of the characters and it would be a way of further explore daphné;

ep 3 - Yann and exploring his friendships, opinions and passions, his relationship with Emma and Lucas, because he deserves more protagonism!;

ep 4 - Ch*rles being thrown in the seine river several times as he realises he an asshole and Manon realises she’s happier with just herself (please don’t let this ep happen);

ep 5 - Mika/Lisa and how different their lifes are now that they live alone and Manon moving back in with them and just found family trope wholesomeness;

ep 6 - Sofiane/Idriss (i don’t know if Moussa was on set), rebuilding their relationship with Eliott and showing snippets of how imane is doing; (even better ditch the charles ep and we can have a sofiane ep and an idriss ep)

ep 7 and 8 - Eliott, (after the coffee posts i think Eliott and Daphné would have more screen time if this happened so two eps each) managing school, work and his mental health while living with his boyfriend;

ep 9 and 10 - Daphné, her home life, living with her mom, planning her future, recovering from her ed and coming to terms with who she really is (a lesbian) and the final clip would be the end of school party.

this way the final season would start and end with the remaining elements from the girl squad that started it all! 

Of course, this is just a big dumb theory that’s 100% wrong and I have no idea what season 6 is about but this was fun to write

[acdvsocialistas]

Menu Diário do Brasil MAIS LIDAS NAS ÚLTIMAS 24HS PF descobre dinheiro da Globo no Instituto Lula Sarney e a aposentadoria 'tripla' de R$ 73 mil Jurista explica xeque-mate de Bolsonaro no caso do “juiz de garantias” Os 10 mandamentos do comunismo: "Corrompa os jovens ... desarme a população ..." Palácio do Planalto foi palco de magia negra durante anos You are here: Home COTIDIANOVidente conhecido no meio político ‘crava’ morte de Lula em 2020 Vidente conhecido no meio político ‘crava’ morte de Lula em 2020 Edson Jorge Silveira | 27/12/2019 | 1:15 PM | COTIDIANO WhatsAppEmailTelegramFacebookTwitter Want create site? Find Free WordPress Themes and plugins. De acordo com o vidente José Acleildo (o mesmo que previu a reeleição do ex-presidente petista em 2006), Lula será vítima de problemas respiratórios e ‘passará desta para melhor’ no próximo ano. O vidente, que é um pernambucano radicado em Brasília, também fez previsões para a política do Distrito Federal a pedido do blog Correio Brasiliense.: “Em 2020, vão haver muitas mortes de políticos antigos, que é o caso do ex-presidente Lula, que vai morrer por problemas respiratórios”, previu. Além da morte do ex-presidente petista, José Acleildo alerta para a possibilidade de problemas judiciais na capital do país: “Uma importante figura do Executivo local poderá se envolver em problemas judiciais … os quatro ventos do Ministério Público estarão voltados contra ele”, declarou. Na década de 90, o vidente se submeteu a estudos em universidades norte-americanas que comprovaram suas faculdades paranormais. O reconhecimento como ‘guru espiritual’ surgiu depois que ele atendeu algumas pessoas da sociedade. Em pouco tempo, a fama se espalhou por Brasília e ele passou a atender políticos de alto escalão, artistas, médicos e desembargadores. Did you find apk for android? You can find new Free Android Games and apps. WhatsAppEmailTelegramFacebookTwitter BUSCA SEARCH FOR: Search … SEARCH MAIS LIDAS NAS ÚLTIMAS 24HS PF descobre dinheiro da Globo no Instituto LulaPF descobre dinheiro da Globo no Instituto Lula Sarney e a aposentadoria 'tripla' de R$ 73 milSarney e a aposentadoria 'tripla' de R$ 73 mil Jurista explica xeque-mate de Bolsonaro no caso do “juiz de garantias”Jurista explica xeque-mate de Bolsonaro no caso do “juiz de garantias” Os 10 mandamentos do comunismo: "Corrompa os jovens ... desarme a população ..."Os 10 mandamentos do comunismo: "Corrompa os jovens ... desarme a população ..." Palácio do Planalto foi palco de magia negra durante anosPalácio do Planalto foi palco de magia negra durante anos Globo dispensa veteranos e demissões podem chegar a 4.000, diz colunistaGlobo dispensa veteranos e demissões podem chegar a 4.000, diz colunista Vidente conhecido no meio político 'crava' morte de Lula em 2020Vidente conhecido no meio político 'crava' morte de Lula em 2020 O prefeito que cativou o Brasil: Ele pinta pontes, faz canteiros, pega na enxada e participa de mutirõesO prefeito que cativou o Brasil: Ele pinta pontes, faz canteiros, pega na enxada e participa de mutirões Delação de Cunha será o "fim do mundo", diz cientista politicoDelação de Cunha será o "fim do mundo", diz cientista politico Ernesto Geisel, o profeta: "Chegará um tempo em que o povo sentirá saudades dos militares"Ernesto Geisel, o profeta: "Chegará um tempo em que o povo sentirá saudades dos militares" ® 2014 Diário do Brasil facebook: fb.com/diariodobrasil sitediariodobrasil@gmail.com PHP Code Snippets Powered By : XYZScripts.com

[lian-fang-zun]

random fgo snippet -- jiang ziya/taigong wang and arjuna

“So this is where the Awarded Hero was! And here I was thinking my hunch to check Novum Chaldea’s library was a fluke.”

As though prompted by Jiang Ziya’s declaration, Arjuna’s gaze lifted from the book he had been perusing, eyebrows slightly pinched. “...Were you looking for me?”

Undeterred by the short, bemused answer, Jiang Ziya simply maintained his usual smile as he paused at the table Arjuna sat at, one hand gliding over the top of the chair across from the Pandavan prince. “You could say I was, Prince,” the former Duke of Qi replied, tone remaining light. “Is it that much of a surprise that someone would seek you out like this? I hear King David does much the same with you, after all.”

Perhaps he shouldn’t have brought that up so casually, but Arjuna’s lack of hostility at the remark was promising to observe. “...I suppose,” was all he replied with, after an audible pause. Clearly not missing Jiang Ziya’s silent gesture with the chair, Arjuna went on with evident carefulness in his words, “...You’re welcome to sit in that chair if you wish. I only ask that you abstain from disturbing anyone else in the library.”

[ilcuoreardendo-fic]

Echo & the Batch Snippets (1/5)

The first thing I’ve shared in months. I think I majorly sprained my writing muscle with work projects last year and it’s been an epically slow recovery. I’m still not out of the woods. And...I’m starting yet another storyboard, for a two hour course, this coming week.

FFS.

But I’ve had this idea in my head for a while (as a precursor to another set of fics/ficlets) and...yeah.

Part of a series of small, meaningful moments Echo shares with his new squad, taking place in the days and weeks after he joins the Batch.

__________________________

Echo came awake with a shudder and a shout that rang inside his head like an explosion but was, he realized, as he struggled out from under the weight of his dream, only a bit of strangled breath escaping him.

“Nightmare?”

Echo swallowed, turned his head toward the voice.

Wrecker sat on the floor just across from the fold-out bunks, leaned against the bulkhead and the small inset sliver of cabinet and counter top that served as the Marauder’s galley. He had a datapad resting on his drawn up knees; his thick fingers tapped out a pattern on the edge of the casing. Echo’s heart and breath slowed as he listened to it.

And gradually other sounds filtered in, both familiar and strange.

The comforting beep of shipboard monitors, the hum of the air recirculator. The hushed murmur of his new squad’s voices in the cockpit. What he was coming to recognize as Tech’s precise tones when he was explaining a concept he was passionate about and Hunter’s soft gravel as he humored his brother.

Above Echo, the second cot had been folded out and he knew Crosshair slept there, could smell the light scent of leather, fire and the lingering tang of solvent the sniper used to clean his rifle.

“Echo?”

“Yeah,” Echo ran his left hand over his face. “It was. How’d you know?”

“Your breathing changed.”

“Were you watching me sleep?” Echo winced. It came out rougher than he intended. He’d snapped at Kix like that too; before they left Anaxes, the medic had muscled his way on board the Marauder to give Echo one final check up and gentle, but firm, admonishment about taking it slowly to get back on his feet.

Wrecker ducked his head. “Not on purpose.” He shrugged. “Just...there’s not much to do on this ship and not a lot of space to do it in. Tech already kicked me out of the flight deck for fidgetin’ too much.” Wrecker flipped the data pad in his hands, nearly dropped it. “You need anythin’? Hunter likes tea after...after.”

“Yeah,” Echo said, curling up and swinging his legs to the floor, clasping his hands—hand...and scomp link—between his knees. “Tea would be good.”

Wrecker jumped to his feet with a quietness and agility that surprised Echo, and rummaged through the galley cabinet. He only fumbled the tin mug once, resulting in a muffled grumble from Crosshair.

Wrecker talked as he made the tea, voice alternating between a whisper-shout and a low rumble. By the time he pressed the mug into Echo’s hand, he’d caught Echo up on a roster of previous missions the Batch had been on, ending with one on a planet that had—conveniently left out of their mission briefing—less than docile wildlife that tried to make a meal out of the passing sniper.

“It came up right out of the swamp. Screaming. And wrapped itself around Crosshair. I cut into it with my knife. Thing was all teeth and a black mouth. No eyes.” Wrecker shuddered. “I still see ‘em sometimes. Wake up sweatin’, cold, creeped out. Eh. Lula helps.”

“Lula?”

“Oh,” Wrecker rubbed the back of his neck. “She’s my Tooka doll. Crosshair gave her to me, when were cadets. When we started our specialized training...I had a hard time sleeping. Lula helps,” Wrecker said, firmly, as if he feared Echo might make fun of him.

“Why tell me all this?”

Wrecker looked confused. “So you know you’re not alone.”

As they docked on Kamino, a place Echo had never thought he’d see again—and wasn’t sure at all that he’d missed—a sexless, placid Kaminoan voice came over the radio and requested CT-1409 report immediately to the medical wing for evaluation.

Heading down the ramp as a unit, Tech handed Echo a datapad. “Yours. Standard issue for commando squads, but I’ve taken the liberty of...upgrading it. You’ll also find a map to our barracks.” Tech pushed his goggles up his nose, looked like he wanted to say something else, but turned and disappeared into a sea of their brothers.

Crosshair brushed by him, nearly toppling the datapad from Echo’s hands, and gave no acknowledgment or apology. But Echo thought he heard the words “Good luck, reg” rasped under Crosshair’s breath. Then again, it might have just been the ship settling.

“I can come with you,” Hunter said. “Pull rank as your commanding officer, insist on observing?”

“No,” Echo said. “They think I need hand holding, they’ll consider me a defective unit.”

Hunter looked grim, but nodded and raised his chin at Wrecker before turning on his heel and melding into the crowd. Wrecker clasped Echo’s shoulder, said, “Bring you somethin’ from the mess for after they’re done poking you,” before following Hunter.

The stark, sterile white rooms of the medical wing brought back every ache and chill and pang of grief Echo experienced in his brief moments of lucidity in the cryopod on Skako; the sting of bacta in his nose took him back to the surgeries on Anaxes, the cold burn of his upgraded legs, the heat of the healing wounds along his spine.

He’d give anything for Kix’s blunt bedside manner and overbearing concern in the wake of Nala Se’s sharp, clinical gaze. Even as a cadet, he was always certain she could see straight through to his insides and would find him lacking in the function that would make a proper clone trooper.

That feeling returned as she ran diagnostics on his cybernetics, scanned his human parts and then pushed him through physical tests he hadn’t taken since he’d been part of Domino Squad.

At the end of it all, his jaw hurt from clenching his teeth and his nails had left half moon marks in the centers of his palms.

By the time Echo was released and made his way to the Batch’s private barracks—Tech’s map having proved easy to follow—he was drained, achy and wanting nothing more than to pull a blanket over his head and ignore the world. Even if the idea of sleeping, of dreaming, made him faintly sick.

He wasn’t sure what he expected of the Batch’s barracks. They were, as far as he knew, the only squad to get their own private quarters; the privacy being a trade off for peace among the ranks, he’d gathered.

When the door opened, the first thing he noticed was the stark contrast between the brightly lit hallway and the room which was lit only by the individual bunk lights and a goose-neck lamp sat atop a crowded workbench that could only be Tech’s.

The second thing he noticed, stepping inside, the door sliding shut behind him, was the smell. Dirty laundry and stale food and something unidentifiable that he didn’t want to think about, not with the pulse of pain beginning behind his eyes.

Given none of the others were around, Echo explored the room on his own, spotting his bed strung up between what could only be Tech’s bunk, with its collection of diagrams pinned to the wall and small unidentifiable contraptions scattered across the mattress, and the window frame behind a large, out of place couch.

Tech’s message that had been attached to the map now made sense.

There wasn’t time or material to kit out a proper bunk for you. But from what you said about the comfort of the med-bay bunks on Anaxes, I think you’ll prefer the hammock to our mattresses.

With a small grin, Echo unstrapped his boots, fairly ripped the armor from his body and rolled himself, hands free, into the middle of the hammock. It swayed under his weight, but held. The heavy cloth cradled him perfectly, pressing in on the parts that needed support and skimming past his pressure points.

Save for one.

Reaching beneath his hip, Echo pulled out a bundled up Kamino issue blanket. Inside, someone had placed a thin pillow, a now half squashed pair of dumplings wrapped in a napkin and a worn, black and red Tooka doll.

“Lula,” Echo murmured, tracing a finger over a set of thick and clumsy red stitches that reattached an arm. Another set, smaller and neater than the first, reinforced the eye. Wrecker’s stitches on the first? He wondered who did the second set.

Sighing, Echo popped the dumplings in his mouth—they were scantly filled, more dough than anything, but savory and some of the best food to come out of the Kaminoan cafeteria—crumbled the napkin, dropping it to the floor to pick up later, and tucked Lula under his chin.

The doll smelled faintly of soap, blaster fire. It was a familiar smell. One he’d come to associate with his brothers, with home. Outside, the rain fell, the pattern of it on the glass also familiar enough to keep more recent memories at bay, returning Echo to a time when it was just him and Fives and the rest of Domino Squad, huddled together in a barrack not too unlike this one, listening to the same rain.

[dykecassidy]

1 9 10 12 17 18 19 20 27 30 for the writing ask meme! pick and choose tho if u dont wanna do all/any of em!

writer asks

1.  Do you listen to music when you write?

yes! it cant be new stuff, though. it has to be well listened to, familiar, bc otherwise i start paying attention to the lyrics and thinking of stuff other than what im writing.

9.    Current WIP

like as in open right now, is chapter 17 of wyw. i got like 5 paragraphs.

10. Do you set yourself deadlines?

i try to? i dont have much success with that. i need to have the outside expectation, like i told someone i would write it for them and i said i could do it in a certain time frame. i do pretty good with the twbb and twrpzine deadlines, tho i am still usually crunched at the end.

12 answered!!

17.  What writing habits or rituals do you have?

i outline so so so much. i love it. i do it when i dont want to commit to starting an idea, when i feel i cant write it fully, when i just want it down and out as quick as possible. its just bullet points and “so like”. its just spitballing with myself. i can [whatever] the perfect word until later, i can “so he was like ‘lmao’” bc i know what that dialogue feels like, i can commentate about how wild it is, and note about how i need to fix it.

18. If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be, and what would you write about?

funnily enough i was searching my blog for archie and i found a post i tagged them in about a kind of challenge where you alternate chapters and try to write completely different genres, wrestling the story from one another.

i also constantly want to collab with all my friends that write; me, foleh, and lula are almost kind of constantly working collaboratively and very rarely “formally writing”. i wanna do comedy action with emma, where sung shrieks and everyone stares. i wanna do Weird fuckshit with cleo where havve is.... havve and phobos is phogoin’.

19. How do you keep yourself motivated?

i get excited about what im making! i get excited about making a story and seeing the end, and sharing that snippet of a world with other people.

20. How many WIPs and story ideas do you have?

ddont do this to me

in terms of like, pure outlines? things i have plotted out? like. im gonna low ball and say at least a dozen. even things i have no intentions of actually finishing, things that are like parts of a larger series (wyw and next big au). 

i have many many story ideas; i have a folder of notes on my phone thats just ‘fic’ and its inspiration, seeds, drawings for things. a lot of them are vague ideas, dialogue snippets, even just lyrics. idk what ill do with them, but theyre there.

27. Favourite line/scene

ohh.

okay i scrolled down gdocs and picked something at random. i picked a fic from the v creatively named ‘angel au’. 

A mop of golden brown hair, curls sticking up, bedhead. Big dark eyes looking at Rob, on a face covered with freckles, almost glowing, almost glittery. Rob’s hand on their face, his skin looking light and rosy next to theirs. Their mouth moved, the same shapes over and over, head shaking. 

“It’s okay,” [Josh] could hear Rob say, “just go slow. I’m here.”

30. Favourite idea you haven’t started on yet

my next human au!!! im keeping to kind of the same theme, where only one (1) member of tarp is actually a human, and this time around itll be phobos. Sung is his dog, who is still perfectly named doctor sung bc cmon thats a rly good dog name and hes like a corgie/retriever/mutt mix. i have 3 chapters outline at least partially, the first one half started, and im deliberately being tight lipped on it.

[thedroidsyouarelookingfor]

2022 Reading Challenge:

Star Wars the High Republic Adventures Vol. 2 

★★★½

My thoughts below…

This volume collects HRA #6-8, HRA Free Comic Book Day 2021, and HRA Annual #1.

Here’s my thoughts I typed out as I read...

“Attack on the Republic Fair” FCBD 2021

Ram is really cool. I love his use of the force with technology. This was really, really short though and basically just a small snippet of what Ram, Lula and Zeen went through in Race to Crashpoint Tower. Seeing Ty on the dragon was awesome. I mentioned in my review for HR Vol 2 that I enjoy the comics for being a visual way to see some of the cool things about the High Republic era, and that is certainly true here too. Except in this particular case you wouldn’t understand what was happening unless you read The Rising Storm and Race to Crashpoint Tower (which you needed to read HRA Vol 1 to truly get too). Interconnectivity mess.

“Mission to Bilbousa”

I assume this takes place during the events of Crashpoint Tower. Lula’s two Jedi padawan pals (Farzala and Qort) and Mushroom-head Jedi Master Oberatuk are traveling to Nal Hutta with Affie’s crew (from Into the Dark). 

Mushroom guy is in an unexpected hybernation and can’t go negotiate a lasting peace treaty with the Hutts, so Farzala and Leox go, while Qort stays onboard the Vessel with Affie and Geode. Affie questions why Qort wears a skull on his head, but he doesn’t answer. 

He and Geode quickly bond. Geode is definitely a highlight wherever he finds himself. 

Jabba must not want a peace treaty, because he hires some thugs to highjack the Vessel and shoot up Skarabda the Hutt (the sister of Myarga, the Hutt allied to Avar to quell the Drengir threat). The Hutts obvs think this was purposeful and put Farzala and Leox in jail. They send fighters to attack the Vessel, but Geode escapes Jabba’s men and flies away from the attackers. 

Flashbacks to baby younglings very cute, especially Qort. 

Jabba’s men have lost Affie, Qort, and Geode aboard the Vessel. One of the crew is a droid that keeps malfunctioning. He sounds like he’s repeating lines from a Holo-drama. He corners Affie, who has cornered a Jabba goon, who has cornered Geode flying the Vessel. The Mushroom destroys the droid. Mushroom man has many arms, and thus he wields many lightsabers--each forged in memory of a previous padawan (since he can live for over a thousand years). 

He raises the Hutts on comms and Jabba is exposed. 

I really like these two padawans. They were a highlight of the first volume of these comics as well. The moral of the story is that life isn’t like the holo-dramas. There is no shame in feeling fear, because feeling fear gives a Jedi an opportunity to overcome it and realize they’re never alone. These comics are for kids, so a “moral of the story” is fine with me.

“Back Together and Away Again”

The Hutt “muscle” that grew to trust Farzala in the last comic is with him now on Starlight Beacon. Her name is iSHNAR TI-KHARATAL. And I messed up caps lock but i’m not retyping that. Lula and Zeen have also brought Ram. They’re all introducing each other. It’s right after Valo. We are so close to getting the weird Pluto/Goofy moments between Ram’s bat-like sentient mechanic friends and Zeen’s pet cru. Sadly it did not happen in this volume, even though the two different types of bat-like creatures were both featured separately. 

Zeen’s lame ex-bestie, Krix, is still here, licking tHE Eye’s boots. Krix’s art makes him look a bit more grown up now. Meanwhile, the Eye has blue skin… and I’m pretty sure he has pale skin on the cover of Eye of the Storm. I’ll double check that later.

Krix is the worst part about these comics. To the point of really dragging down my feelings about them as a whole. So many of the youthful characters portrayed in the HR have their personalities defined by completely asinine and unrealistic things. It’s like very little thought was put into them being believable and nuanced. Krix as a character, his whole conflict derives from the fact that his friend kept that she was a force user a secret. Even though we are given no legit reason why he should care so vehemently about force users. Their clan forbade force use, said the force wasn’t to be trusted or used, but that wasn’t really explained either. So the whole thing seems like a stupid overreaction… especially considering Zeen used her force abilities to save Krix’s undeserving little butt. He just went from 0 to 100 instantly. But what’s even more unbelievable is that the Eye would even look twice at this little punk. There is absolutely no reason for him to take this kid under his wing. None. And him doing so in these comics, actively takes away from his menacing persona in the main adult books. And Ro put this kid in charge of a Storm?? He’s like…8. Not believable at. all.

Krix’s Nihil attack the Jedi Temple on Takodana. Blatant Sequel plug. They couldn’t even show the temple without having Maz’s cantina literally right in the background lol. Must be a SMALL PLANET. The Jedi on duty makes quick work of them. Their name is Sav Malagán.

Buckets of Blood and Kantam confirm to the padawans that someone is researching what turned Loden into dust (TRS). Also, Kantam was Yoda’s padawan. Reminder: Yoda is with an elder of Krix and Zeen’s people. They’re searching for another part of the thing that is Ro’s secret weapon..I am having a hard time keeping this straight. The thing he got out of the cave in TRS or the thing used on Keeve in HR Vol 2? Maybe they’re the same thing. I don’t know.

Ends with Krix regrouping and determined to destroy the temple on Takodana. He’s probably just cranky because he missed his nap time.

Okay, so even though this was HRA Vol. 2, that’s it for our group of padawans. If I judge this collection for what it is, without looking at the bigger picture, it’s not great. Too little progression for these characters, who are supposed to be our focus.

HRA Annual #1 

“Set for Life” 

Bell and Loden adventure before Light of the Jedi. This is by far the best little contained story in this collection. Yes, I’m extremely biased. Bell and Ember are my favorite characters in the whole of this initiative. And Loden was taken from us much too soon.

“No Stone Unturned”

Just a very brief look into a gig that Leox and crew were on. Very forgettable.

“First Mission”

When Vernestra first met Stellan. Weird that she’d be assigned to him before they even met. I like Stellan. Not crazy about Vernestra. I think the story of these two as master and apprentice would be much more interesting than the content we actually are getting. And frankly, I would even say it’s needed to flesh out these characters better.

“Crash and the Crew: Do What They Do”

A security team in Coronet City works to protect Chancellor Soh. Some evil dude (Sabata?) was pleased. Said it all went according to plan. I don't know.

The art was very different in this one. Reminded me of Doug.

“The Haul”

Lourna Dee tries to steal a haul from another Storm, but they both are in for a surprise…it’s Porter Engle! He set a trap for them. Lourna runs away, Portal captures the other guy. End of story. Porter was cool in Light of the Jedi and really hasn’t been around much since, so it’s nice to see him here even if a bit random.

I am very glad to see some of the novel characters in comic book form, but these stories were all a bit too short. They felt kind of pointless at the end of it all. They weren’t long enough to be that interesting or important to the overall story. Forgettable and inconsequential. 

[darthsassacre]

I got tagged in some last line thing by @revanchxst and I decided to actually not forget to do it this time, but I have several WIPs so... yeah there's gonna be a small list here.

First up is KOTOR (and yes I know I missed my update this weekend, Malak refuses to give me words that aren't just fucking moping about what could have been, so I'm having to get creative):

"Davik did too, he just didn't have time to call up."

Next up is my Star Queers Queer Week thing, which I am currently writing the final day of and. sweet lord help me the fluff is real and I love Lula Talisola so much:

They were a really good listener and honestly if Lula could be half the Jedi they were... she'd be a pretty damn good Jedi.

Uh... next is a snippet of my swbb which is the only thing alek is letting me have words for right now:

The former Jedi rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

Aaaand next is my fluffy february thing which is. one very tired teacher and their gaggle of padawans. It's also two sentences because that last one was three words and doesn't count:

To Kantam, it was a great way to prepare them for the future. Win all around.

Can't forget the next chapter of Unreasonably Lethal Avians featuring a tired mando, Avar Kriss being a girlboss, and Vernestra because WHERE IS SHE IS SHE OKAY:

"She is now a prisoner of the Republic Defense Coalition... again."

Last but not least is a list of angst prompts I'm working through and. the firebrands polycule is real and no I cannot be convinced otherwise:

His seat on the Council, everything he'd worked for... it meant nothing without them there with him, his song and his sea.

Anyway I have too fucking many WIPs going at the same time again someone help me. I'm gonna throw shit at some of y'all... please do not have this many WIPs y'all I'm just a dumbass so... @tarrevizsla @milfdarthrevan @basilissa-bastila grant me those WIP lines I wish to see them.

[newretrowave]

Wonderful new sounds from @newarcades feat @lulasoundofficial Snippet via #nrwdailyaudio Song: inhale by New Arcades featuring Lula #newretrowave