#mainly i’m trying to make my pov characters understand while also being angry

[winchesternova-k]

ugh i’m finding this part rlly iffy to write? part of me feels like it’s too melodramatic but like,, it’s a soap opera fic so like that kinda goes w the territory but mainly i feel like these two characters Need to have it out to like actually work together which the show absolutely did not do (and they absolutely would not be able to do it calmly, which is fair since their baggage includes what basically amounts to a *literal murder attempt*)

i’m also super conscious of trying not to turn ebony into a villain for a lot of reasons bc a) she’s an extremely morally grey antagonist who is definitely not a good person but i also don’t think she has no redeeming qualities/is a wholly bad person, b) she has Reasons for being a shitty person. like she’s still unquestionably in the wrong but knowing the shit that she’s dealt w (which most of the characters don’t ofc) means that there’s a level of understanding, and c) she’s Black and all of my pov characters r non Black which adds another level to any interactions that would cast her as in the wrong w no justified reason or w a reaction that’s out of proportion compared to non Black antagonists/villains who have done the same or worse w less consequence

[beyond-far-horizons]

Analysing the Zutara Cave Scene from a Writing and Psychological perspective

Forgive me, I’m an enthusiastic newbie to the ATLA fandom and Zutara (mainly because I knew the ship was perfect for me but was not canon and so I held off watching it for years.) So I know you’ve heard it all before but I wanted to break down this famous scene in more depth from my background as both a writer and a student of psychology. It’s also important since the age old ship wars are being resurrected (which I want no part of) and Zutara and this scene has been looked down on and belittled from some quarters. 

Warning - Wall of Text TM incoming!

The main thing that gets most people is these mortal enemies going from hating each other to being open and vulnerable in about five minutes of screen time. I get the impression more time and therefore more conversation has gone on off screen, but it’s amazing that Katara goes from tirade at the literal face of the Fire Nation (a country whose plagued her people and killed her mother, and Zuko himself who has hunted her and her friends, captured her at least twice and has had several intense fights with her) 

to tenderly touching Zuko’s face and “let me use our one of its kind Holy Water TM to maybe heal your face.” 

Also as others have pointed out Zuko lets this ‘peasant’ (who defeated him, wounded his pride and foiled his lifelong goal several times) touch his scar when he doesn’t let anyone else do that at this point, even girls he’s been close to. 

I doubt many Zutara shippers think this happened because the two suddenly decided the other was hot, even though there might be an unconscious physical attraction under all the animosity. But no-one can deny the writers were trying to show a shared connection that makes them open up to each other. That to me makes the relationship much deeper whether it’s platonic or romantic. 

Katara, despite her understandable rage at Zuko, is surprisingly open to forgiving and helping him as soon as he  -

a) mentions they have something in common - the Fire Nation being responsible in some way for the loss of their mothers.

b) his resolution to make his own destiny and overcome his difficult past associated with the scar.

I just love this about her character. She’s passionate, feisty and full of integrity but she can’t stop herself wanting to help make things better, even to one of her worst enemies. Her compassion is such a strength and it comes out even more when she realises she’s accidentally hurt his feelings re his face.

Zuko in turn is softer with her than I’ve ever seen him with others, even Iroh most of the time. He doesn’t get angry or even really defensive and he opens up about his mother for the first time. Extraordinary considering he’s talking to an enemy.

But this isn’t the first time he’s tried to win Katara over against his normal combative persona. When he captured her in Ep 9 you’d expect him to threaten her, especially surrounded by his men and bloodthirsty pirates. Instead he asks for her understanding and tells her (the little peasant and enemy of the Fire Nation) about his lost honour.

He then goes momentarily into full skeevy villain mode (which I loved) and offers her necklace back by placing it round her neck. (As an aside, yes this was totally the wrong tactic considering it was her mother’s who the Fire Nation killed, but I do love that he unknowingly offered her a Water Tribe betrothal necklace.)

Analysing it more deeply from a writing and psychology perspective, I’d say Katara represents the integrity and vulnerability that is at the core of Zuko’s character - the thing that got him that scar and banishment from his warlike family. 

The same side he struggles with and that Iroh tries to heal and encourage within him. It’s masterly from a writing POV that they brought this mirror up and allowed Zuko to connect and own this aspect of himself again briefly before Azula (the opposite representation and Zuko’s ‘shadow’) literally crashes the party. This is truly his ‘crossroads of destiny’, raising the stakes and therefore making us  - the audience - ache all the more when Zuko makes the wrong but understandable decision to choose Azula and his family’s version of him and betray not just Katara but Iroh too (dat angst.)

(As an aside look at the framing of the above shot. They do this alot showing him literally caught between two sides. In the previous scene with Azula and Iroh, they show both the unscarred and then scarred profile of Zuko to show the ‘two sides of him’ symbolically represented by Azula and Iroh.)

Two sides, Fire and Water, the battle of opposites and the bringing of balance is of course the core of ATLA, and Zuko and Katara’s fraught relationship sums this theme up perfectly. Another reason so many still ship them and feel aggrieved by the non-canon ending. 

I think Zuko is so wounded by Katara’s refusal to forgive him and so determined to earn that forgiveness is because she represents his true ‘honour’ - the right way to be - to fight for balance and justice with integrity no matter what. Thus he must make amends to her, not just as someone he has wronged, but as the mirror of that aspect in himself. 

Thematically this is tied up beautifully in him asking her to join him to defeat Azula in the final season and them working together to do so. 

(As another aside, the theme of balance and Yin and Yang is also mirrored in Zuko and Katara’s relationship and character development. At the start Katara is the caring, altruistic almost motherly sort and Zuko is the angry, aggressive pursuer. However like Yin and Yang that contain an aspect of the other within them, whenever Katara meets Zuko she becomes more aggressive and is allowed to process her grief and anger, unlike with her friends. Zuko, in turn is often softened by her, reawakening his compassion and deeper feelings. Yes these aspects are also fostered by others, but Season 3 highlights this dynamic to Zutara allowing Katara to address her anger and Zuko to practice caregiving and support.)

Coming back to the Cave Scene -  the most poignant part for me isn’t actually the face touch (even though I love it). It’s the final glance between them as Katara and Aang leave. Katara looks back worried, it’s as if she can sense the threshold Zuko is on and feels torn between staying and supporting him and her duty to Aang. I feel if they had had more time together Azula would have had less chance to turn Zuko. 

He looks back at her softly and there’s a beautiful musical cue, hinting at things unsaid and unfinished, she gives him a final lingering glance, still anxious, then goes. 

We all know what happens next. 

Conclusion

Looking at this from a purely plot point of view it - 

raises the emotional stakes and therefore make Zuko’s betrayal hurt worse.

Sets up Zuko knowing about Katara’s healing abilities and Spirit Water so he knows there is a possibility the Avatar could be saved. This all plays into the shenanigans of Book 3, letting Zuko go back to the Fire Nation, Azula giving him the credit and then letting down her father etc.

Giving Zuko more character development work to earn everyone’s trust esp Katara’s when he finally makes the right choice.

However I’m surprised that Bryke didn’t realise how this episode would look to the eyes of most fans esp Zutarians. Yes you could say it’s hetero-normative and why can’t they be just platonic etc but it was the Noughties, it’s a kids show and they are blatantly playing into those well known tropes - Zuko’s previous verging-on flirtatious treatment of Katara, his uncharacteristic softness and openness with her, her touching his scar, the music, their lingering glances, Aang’s jealous look (you could argue it was animosity towards his enemy but while we get this from Zuko, it is definitely played as suspicion about a potential rival so close to ‘his girl’ from Aang’s side.)

Ultimately the writers didn’t choose the romantic route, which I feel is a real shame and missed opportunity because of the depth of feeling and potential there. But what I really resent is when people act like Zutarians were stupid and/or biased for seeing and loving that potential. I hope this analysis has shown that the romantic subtext was strong (and much more believable for me than with Katara and Aang) and in line with the core themes of ATLA itself. This also refutes the suggestion that Zutara was somehow dark, toxic or shallow cos ‘he’s a bad boy’ or something. 

Zuko was owning his own struggles, emotions and destiny in this scene, it’s why Katara finally opens up to him. She doesn’t have to ‘do the work for him’, but she supports him in it as he supports her later on when he earns her forgiveness. And that’s why I love it!

Thank you for coming to my TED talk...

[enderspawn]

It's alright if u don't wanna answer this cuz this argument gets people really riled up but do you think c!Techno is a tyrant or nah?

Cuz many c!techno apologists argue that he isn't just cuz he's an anarchist but I've also read a lot of essays that go against it and it'd be really interesting to see ur opinion on this

i think he, in some contexts, can most definitely be called tyrannical, yes. a tyrant? no.

to avoid spamming ppl w discourse we've all def heard before (and bc this ended up MASSIVE (like 2.3k ish), but fairly in depth bc i didnt wanna speak out of bad faith and wanted to be EXPLICTLY clear-- oops), the rest will be under readmore

so heres the thing i want to preface: i used to really LOVE c!techno. i joined beginning of s2, right when exile started, and he was arguably my favorite character. since then though i've fallen out with him a LOT, to the point i almost... actively despite him at times (though mainly in a toxic kind of way which i can acknowledge is flawed).

in short, his actions started to speak louder than his words and i lost investment in his personal character struggles because of the actions he took (doomsday was my breaking point. i get feeling angry and betrayed, as well as seeking revenge against lmanberg, but his actions went too far for me to CARE and it hurt so many more characters as well.)

so when i speak, i come from a place of disliking him but also somewhat understanding the position c!techno apologists come from: i used to be one of them myself.

NOW, do i think he's a tyrant? no. for reference in my analysis, i try to look up the definition of terms to make sure they are utilized properly. while "tyranny" and "tyrannical" can have multiple uses, tyrant itself is a more specific term. to combine the top two definitions, a tyrant is referring to "an extremely oppressive, unjust, or cruel absolute ruler (who governs without restrictions, especially one who seized power illegally.)"

techno's position as an anarchist, imo, DOES indeed make him unable to be a tyrant. tyrants are rulers with very clear power over others from a structural way. anarchists are about the lack of structure or power over others and instead viewing the people around you as equals in power.

in forming the syndicate, they very explicitly worked to not designate a leader and instead make it so that no one would have any power over the others systemically. techno may have taken a integral role, yes, but it doesn't make him suddenly "the leader", its a role that wouldve had to be filled by someone (even if it was democratic to decide who to invite, they'd need someone to hand over the invite itself yknow? like no matter WHAT there needed to be A ROLE)

one could argue that he IS a leader in the shadow hierarchy of the syndicate (which, yes, is a real and professional term used in management courses despite sounding like it comes from a 4kids yugioh dub) in that everyone CONSIDERS and looks to him a leader without him having any actual structural basis behind it, but to argue that allows him to be a tyrant is in bad faith i believe. especially because to the people he would be "ruling", he ISNT oppressive, unjust, or cruel. they are his friends and support network and critical for a lot of his personal development (since feelings of betrayal and trust issues are critical to his character and why he acts the way he does). I wish we were able to SEE this develop more, but oh well.

but like i said: tyrant is fairly specific in definition. TYRANNY, and thus TYRANNICAL are not as limited. I've discussed their definitions here. originally, i made that post because i was angry at a take i had seen that claimed that, like you said, because techno was an anarchist and not part of any government or leadership position, he couldn't be tyrannical. to which i heartily disagree.

for something to be tyrannical, they simply must have an overarching/oppressive power over someone or something. it would not be inaccurate if i were to say that something is "under the tyranny" of a concept, because what it means is that something is under the power of another thing/concept. you can frankly call anything tyranny if it is widespread/overarching and you don't like it. mask mandates? tyranny, its forcing me to act in "rigorous condition". hell, theres even such things as tyranny of the majority in which people agree too much on one thing and it gives them unfair power or tyranny of the minority where people with minority opinions have too much power (thats a very grossly oversimplified definition of both, but it covers the base idea well enough for my point)

the point im making above isnt meant to be taken as "anything can be worked to be defined as tyranny thus it is a meaningless claim", it is that tyranny (and again, thus tyrannical) are very open and nonrestrictive terms.

to make it easier to define, alongside the definitions provided i want to add an explicit clause that is (imo) implied in the original definition: tyranny is... well, bad. that is to say if someone has power over a group but literally everyone is fine with it and agrees to it, its not tyranny. thats just a group of people getting along and one happens to have power over another. a leader does NOT equal a tyrant (as discussed above), so leadership should not be equated with tyranny.

thus as an example: wilbur acting as president (before the election) may have been "unelected" with power over his citizens, but no one was upset with that power. thus, he is not a tyrant and not acting tyrannically (as well as the fact his power was, arguably, NOT rigourous or absolute but thats another topic for another time). SCHLATT however IS a tyrant, as his power was absolute (he did not consult his cabinet) and forced people to comply instead of them complying willingly, thus he was acting tyrannically.

now to finally get to the damn point of this essay: where does c!techno lie? honest answer? it depends slightly on your perspective, but it depends a LOT on the future of the syndicate.

techno is incredibly clear in his goals: no governments, no corruption. in fighting with pogtopia, he is actively working to topple a tyranny-- he isn't tyrannical for doing that.

when he strikes out on nov 16th, it is because he opposes them forming a new government. when they oppose him and disagree, he launches an attack against them. is this tyranny? maybe, but probably not. he IS trying to impose his own physical strength and power (as well as his resources) over the others to stop them from doing what HE doesn't want them to do.

however its more nuanced than that:

1. hes lashing out emotionally as well as politically. he feels betrayed by those he trusted and he believed that they would destroy the government then go (i'm ignoring any debates on if he did or did not know that they planned another government, though it is a source of debate). but typically idk about you but i dont call tyranny for someone fighting with another person.

2. he also may be acting with good intent again, in HIS EYES. if tubbo was part of manburg, whos to say he wont be just as bad? he, in his pov, is likely trying to stop another tyrant before they rise.

3. and finally, and tbh the most damning from any perspective: he gives up. he quickly leaves then RETIRES without intent to try and attack again until he is later provoked. tyranny is defined by it not just being power, but power being USED. if he doesn't use his power to try and impose any will, then he's not tyrannical.

Doomsday I am also not going to touch very in depth on for much of the same reasons. My answer is again a "maybe", depending on the weight you personally place on each issue:

1. he's lashing out as revenge for the butcher army and as revenge against tommy for "betraying" him (though this one we explicitly know he was ignoring the fact tommy did not want to go through with it, however he still did trust and respect tommy regardless so his feelings are understandable anyway)

2. he sees new lmanberg as corrupt and tyrannical (which is undeniable: house arrest for noncompliance, exile without counsel, execution without trial, etc), and thus obligated to destroy it

but also, theres the implicit understanding he's doing this to send a message: do not form a government, or else. its a display of force that also works to warn others unless they want a similar fate. phil even explicitly states that he is doing so to send that message, so one could assume techno is doing the same alongside his personal reasoning listed above.

what i just described is the use of a oppressive and harsh (physical) power in order to gain compliance from people (that compliance being 'not making a government'). does that sound familiar? exactly. it follows the definition(s) of tyranny given previously. technoblade is acting in a way that is, by very definition, tyrannical.

so the debate shifts: is he valid in doing so because he is trying to PREVENT corruption and tyranny. like i said, new lmanberg was undeniably corrupt at points. i held nothing against techno for trying to topple manburg, so does that apply to new lmanberg as well? short answer: i dont know. it depends on your specific opinion of what is acceptable. its like the paradox of tolerance: to have a truly tolerant society, you have to be intolerant of intolerance. to have a truly non-tyrannical society, do you need to have a tyranny enforcing it?

personally (and bc im a lmanberg loyalist /hj) i say it is. regardless of the corruption of new lmanberg, they are also giving a threat to EVERYONE. even those who are innocent, they are presented with the exact same threat and rule set: if you make a government, you will be destroyed.

(which, small divergence here, is part of why debating c!techno is so frustrating. so many times you end up hitting a "well it depends on your political views" situation and there ISNT a correct answer there. im here to analyze characters for fun, not debate political theory)

so: the syndicate then. this is where this debate really "took off" and i think its due to one very specific miscommunication about its goals and plans. the syndicate, upon formation, declares itself to stand against corruption and tyranny. when they are found, the syndicate would work to destroy it. so heres the golden question: what do THEY define as corruption and tyranny? if you were to go off c!techno's previous statements, seemingly "any government" is a valid answer. however, he also states he's fine with people just being in groups together hanging together.

what then DEFINES A GOVERNMENT for them? what lines do they have to sort out what does "deserve to be destroyed" and what does "deserve to exist freely"

this is a hypothetical i like to post when it comes to syndicate discourse:

i have a group of people. lets say 5 or so for example. they all live together and build together. any decisions made that would impact the entire group they make together and they must have a unanimous agreement in order to proceed, but otherwise they are free to be their own people and do their own thing. when you ask them, they tell you they are their own nation and they have a very clearly defined government: they are a direct democracy. does the syndicate have an obligation to attack?

there is absolutely no hierarchy present. there is no corruption present. but, they ARE indeed a government. is that then inherently negative? my answer is fuck no (see the whole "difference between a tyrant and a leader" thing above).

but THATS where the issue of this discourse LIES. in some people's eyes, the answer to that is YES. techno's made it clear "no government" is his personal view, but does that spread to the syndicate as a whole? do they act preemptively in case it DOES become corrupt? is it inherently corrupt because its a government, regardless of how it is ruled? the fact of the matter is because of how little we've seen the syndicate work as a SYNDICATE, we don't know that answer. so we're left to debate and speculate HOW they would act.

if the syndicate were to let that government exist, then they are not tyrannical. they are showing that they are working to stop tyranny and corruption, just like in pogtopia again.

if the syndicate were to destroy/attack that government, then they are tyrannical. simple as that. they are enforcing a rule of their own creation without any nuance or flexibility under the threat of absolute destruction.

miscommunication in debates comes, in my opinion, in the above. of course theres more points of nuance. for example:

would the syndicate allow a government like i had described with early lmanberg, where there is an established hierarchy but everyone in the country consents to said leadership? on one hand, there is no tyranny or corruption present which is what they are trying to work against. on the other hand, theres more a possibility of it occuring. perhaps they'd find a middle road between the two binary options of "leave or destroy" i am presenting, such as checking in occasionally to ensure no corruption occurs.

but if they were to destroy it without, for lack of a better word, "giving it a chance" they would be, in my opinion, tyrannical. they would be going aginst their words of opposing corruption and instead abusing their power to gain compliance.

your/others opinions may differ, again it depends on if you see it as worth it to possibly stop future tyranny or if a hierarchy is INHERENTLY a negative thing.

part of the reason so many blog gave up this debate, beyond not getting very clear answers for the syndicate, is because of the nuance present. there. is. no. right. answer. every single person will view it differently, because there is no universally agreed upon truth of right or wrong here. BUT, i hope this helps shed some light on the discussion and my thoughts on it

[justauthoring]

Hard To Put Into Words (NRT Bonus Scene)

Request(s): Hi! I'm not sure if you're taking requests for NRT bonus scene -if you're not feel free to ignore this😂- but maybe you could write one with Theo, and how he helped her and she actually opened up to him, or something from his point of view and his true feelings. I love how interesting you made their relationship and I just can't help but want more; also I really love Theo as a character so yeah. Anyway, love your writing.💖

Perhaps a NRT bonus scene showing/explaining the times Theo and (Y/n) spent together? How Theo was able to earn her trust and how she (as mentioned in the story) fell for him? Even just a little?

Hello, I really love nrt and I have a request for a bonus scene from theo's point of view from the moments that he manipulated y/n and when he realized that he actually cares about her I just really love them lol

Requested by: @you-bleed-just-toknowyouarealive​

A/N: This is just a little thank you for you all be so patient with me on taking a break on NRT. I don’t know if anyone else has every requested this, I just know that since season five ended i’ve gotten a lot of asks revolving this sort of storyline/POV! I’m rewatching Teen Wolf with my mom now and I just know that NRT will be finished soon -- but for now, thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoy this bonus scene!

It had been so perfectly and articulately planned out from the beginning.

Your entire pack was entirely in his hands; you were all like puppets to him and Theo found you and the rest all too easily manipulated. 

You were the easiest. While it had been years since he’d seen you, Scott or Stiles; the one thing Theo remembered about you was just how kind you were. You didn’t judge anyone you didn’t know. You gave everyone a chance. Theo very carefully remembered the way you had chased around your brother and Stiles when you were younger, when you followed them around aimlessly and they took every opportunity to impress you. Make you laugh. Make you smile.

The most important thing for Theo was to separate you from the two of them.

And with your sudden incline of power, Scott and Stiles made it all too easy for him.

Having knowledge about witches also helped. He knew that that kind of information was hard to come by, that witches were a long ago forgotten race of supernatural. He knew that you, yourself, barely knew anything. And while it was important to gain your trust and have you realized that he was the one you should be placing all your loyalty to, not Stiles or your brother who barely paid any mind to your true powers, it was also important that you were the strongest you could be. Theo wanted you at your strongest, because he knew you were his strongest member.

Soon-to-be-member.

But then you had looked so afraid. You’d crawled away from him in a fit of panic and terror, falling to your knees with a hard thud on the concrete beneath you. Theo finds himself oddly actually panicked, actually worried, and the way he rushes out of his truck is not an act to gain your trust. You had... You had looked so afraid. 

He pulls you into him, cupping your cheeks, trying to get your wild and terrified eyes to focus on his own familiar ones. It takes coaxing, but eventually you listen to him, head to his warnings, and you’re starting to breathe, and your heart is starting to slow. 

It’s then the way you look at him. Your eyes meet his own, chest rising and falling, breathless, but still managing to look so utterly amazed and... grateful. And no one has ever looked at him like that before.

Not in a long while.

“How... How’d you do that?”

And Theo, unsettled and confused by the emotions swirling deep inside of his chest, just shakes his head; “I just told you’d to breathe. You just needed a little push.”

But then you take his hand in your own and squeeze it so tightly it actually hurts, and Theo doesn’t even mind. He just likes the feeling of having you so close, of being able to hold you in his arms. 

And when your lip juts out, whimpering, and your voice comes out all raw...

“I’m losing control of my powers... and I don’t know what to do.”

Theo means it when he whispers; “I can help. You just have to trust me.”

And then, you defend him in front of your friends. In front of Stiles and Scott, Scott, without an ounce of hesitation. Like the words you speak are nothing but the truth.

Theo has never had anyone stand up for him like that.

When you call him, he swears his heart soars in happiness. Momentarily, and just for a moment, he forgets about his plan, forgets about all he needs to do, and basks in the happiness that you’re trusting him. That you’re going to him for help and not your brother or not Stiles. Him.

You’re like putty in his hands. Theo realizes you’re just the same you’d been when you were younger. You’re too trusting, you give everyone the benefit of the doubt, despite the words Theo is sure Stiles is spouting your way. You still meet him, you still ask him for help. You listen to every single word he says with utmost interested, taking in every word he says carefully and with focus. He knows Scott and Stiles don’t know; that this is secret.

But he finds he doesn’t all much care. If they know or don’t, he can have you more to himself if they don’t.

He sticks close, leans close, touches every bit of you he can. It’s not just to gain your trust anymore, it’s to satisfy the hunger inside of him that craves for you, wants you, completely and wholly all to himself. Theo finds himself resenting Scott even more when he interrupts the moment, where the two of are inches away, your hands are in his own, and you’re hanging onto everyone of his words like there’s nothing else in the entire world.

He resents the interruption even more when he can’t come with you.

Theo finds it a silent victory when you react to his touch like you do. He likes seeing the small blush that flutters onto your cheeks when he gets too close or touches you, happy that he has that kind of effect over you. He doesn’t even much care about the glares Stiles sends his ways, the heavy gaze on his back as he walks into Scott’s house to help with the reading.

It was worth it just for you. The touch of you. The presence of you.

When he hears you scream those words, that cry of “please! Daddy!” Theo realizes maybe you’re just as broken as him. Maybe, you’d understand him better than anyone else. Because it was the way you’d cried out, it was the cracking in your voice, it was fear in your voice that tells Theo there’s something more to it.

He’s the one that coaxes you out of whatever revere you’d been. Whatever nightmare that had come alive before you.

You hold onto him tightly, as if never wanting to let go. Theo relishes in it, even as he reluctantly brings you to Scott. Having you hold onto him like that proves to him he done exactly what he needed, get you to trust him. Theo was just starting to lose sight on for what reason he wanted you to trust him in the first place.

He relishes in the feeling of you holding him, hugging him, praising him for finding Liam and Hayden even though he’d known where they were the entire time. Not that you knew. Of course you didn’t know. You thought him some hero, someone who saved your friends who you obviously cared deeply for. Theo is reminded of the reason why he cares for you so much, your heart. The way you put every bit of your being into caring for others.

No one has ever done that for him.

He knows his plan is working when he manages to calm you down and not Stiles. When you defend him from Stiles, your own boyfriend. The moment had been awkward, Theo wasn’t clueless to that, but he also felt a small bit of victory well deep within him as you trust him over Stiles. Take his side over Stiles’. 

It was working. He was gaining your trust. But truthfully, Theo wasn’t even doing it just for the sake of his pack and plan anymore.

Not now.

But... But then...

It goes wrong. It feels like a slap to the face when you neglect everything he tells you, words your brother had taken in so easily. Believed so easily. You actually don’t believe him about Stiles and Donovan, and that Theo hadn’t been expecting; certainly not from you. He thought... He thought you’d felt the same.

His heart wrenches painfully and uncomfortably, not used to the sensation, as you choose Stiles over him.

Even when you’re angry, even when you fight violently against him, Theo still finds himself drawn towards you. Even though you’d betrayed him and chose Stiles...  He had you now, that’s what mattered the most. His plan had had to happen quicker, not everything had happened the way he wanted (mainly, you) but, it was working.

He can see your focus fading, watching as your eyes lull as he carries you easily over to his truck. 

But Theo just has to say it, before then, to make you understand... that you know... 

“I just need you to know Y/N, that I truly did come back for you. You maybe more than anyone else.”

And he doesn’t articulate it the way wants to. Doesn’t phrase it quite in the right way. But, he knows you hear him and Theo hopes you understand that he means what he’s said. That he truly does care for you. You more than anyone else. And you were the only person that ever made him doubt anything, especially his plan.

You’re the only one.

But, at the end of the day, the most important thing to him was that he had you.

-

Let me know what you thought?

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[toujourspur13]

What’s so interesting about Sirius Black... apart from the obvious?

Well…I feel obliged to jump into this discussion about Sirius and his family.

I actually think that canon Sirius Black is a good example of multidimensional character with a complex personality (rare thing in hp series)…at least the way JKR wrote him implies some psychological depth (hp is mainly teen literature about friendship - the marauders friendship, the golden trio are all great examples of it - but let’s face it - this literature has a tendency to a very specific narrative - maybe that’s the reason for popular Sirius fanon - I mean…Sirius being part of the Harry’s story is seen through the lens of Harry’s problems). The thing is that usually Sirius is greatly simplified when, in fact, he’s one of the most interesting and complex character in the whole series.

OOTP is the longest hp book - it contains huge amount of text about Sirius’s family incl. RAB who’s indeed very important to the story; and it also contains excessive amount of Walburga Black content. Why excessive? Well because she is not even important to the plot…I mean, at all. Harry (and the whole 7-books journey is Harry’s POV) doesn’t even care about her. But she is important. To Sirius. To the extent that he can barely shut up about her.

And as Sirius’s important to Harry we got all those extra pages about The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black.

When he’s showing Harry the family tree, he keeps going back to her - she did this and she did that, she removed him, she removed Andromeda, Uncle Alphard…

I saw how he managed to squeeze her in one passage in two different contexts. She’s clearly weighing heavily on his mind. Grunted, he is very angry about everything she did - but can you really disagree that he is super fixated on her.  Frankly speaking, you could’ve expected that he’d be talking so much about James (in Flitwick’s words ‘You’d have thought Black and Potter were brothers’) - but in fact he doesn’t talk a lot about James - it’s his family he seems unable to shut up about. Cross out all his rant and the book becomes significantly shorter. Sirius shows Harry all of his relatives because he wants to.

Remember Araminta Meliflua…his mother’s second cousin?! Is it of any interest to Harry - I doubt it. Harry’s more interested in the Malfoys at the tapestry - but then again Sirius pays little attention to them - and only answers the direct questions. The only one about who he truly doesn’t want to talk in that scene is Bellatrix.

Btw if I remember correctly, he’s even distantly related to the Potters…but for some reason he chose to ignore this. So let’s just say that his thoughts in that scene are clearly one-sided and family-centered.

Even in POA Sirius is mirrored to his mother (we can only understand this after reading the 5th book though) - Sirius slashes the Fat Lady portrait when she refuses him the entry to the Gryffindor Tower - Walburga burns holes in the family tree. Angry management is what they both clearly need. They are so extremely alike that I am almost sure it’s all deliberate and JKR used her as a way to show deeper levels of Sirius’s personality (and not the abusive nature of his childhood).  Loud, high-strung, passionate and very emotional.

Sirius says that he ‘hated the whole lot of them’ and that’s why he ran away and instead of saying something like ‘I got so fed up with my parents lecturing me how I should avoid mudbloods at all the cost/ hate them/ whatever fits the profile of pure-blood maniac’ he says in the next sentence that he was constantly reminded that Regulus was a better son. This is a very jealous remark. It’s pretty obvious that what he wanted is unconditional love - ‘either you take me with all my extreme political views or I’m gone’. The things Sirius says are often contradictory and half-truths and sometimes he just chooses to withdraw certain information at all.

I sometimes come across the strange ideas that JKR tried to parallel Harry’s life with the Dursleys to Sirius’s childhood - I mean, do we really need to go there? You’d be better off trying to parallel him to Big D rather than to Harry. It’s fairly obvious that the odd ideas about Sirius’s abusive childhood are used for the sole purpose of helping him to bond with Remus (in terms of being subjected to physical pain) where he wouldn’t be able to relate to James (you know what popular phenomenon I mean).

Another popular idea - that the 1st year fiasco with Sirius’s Sorting was a big deal. I admit we have very little info about this BUT the fact that he put Gryffindor banners and pictures of  bikini-clad Muggle girls into his room makes me think that the parents were clearly disturbed and disappointed but not to the extent that it became something crucial in their relationship. Clearly Sirius used that as a means to annoy them. To tell you the truth, I find this attempt to go against fanatical blood purists quite feeble and certainly below Sirius Black’s level - it feels more like «hey, mum, look I stick posters of barely-clothed girls on the wall in my room - let’s see what you can do about this».

Btw the interesting thing is that it somehow feels that Sirius’s relationship with his mother (unlike the ones with his father or brother) was the relationship of equals which is odd because she was older and his mother. The explanation for this can be that they were very much alike and she in fact allowed it…maybe (well here I agree that it’s vague and can be just because it’s only the portrait and not the real person but still there is something about this).  And they have this you-hurt-me-now-I’ll-hurt-you-back attitude that implies equality and a certain degree of exclusivity. They both very clearly are not careful with words and actions.

And thus we’ve come to the very touchy subject - her psychotic portrait - her little ‘welcome home’ present. I grant her that - very impressive and colorful vocabulary.

She definitely wanted to be sure that in case Sirius had come home he would never have a moment free from her. Very dramatic.

“Yoooou!” she howled, her eyes popping at the sight of the man.

“Blood traitor, abomination, shame of my flesh!”

“I said — shut — UP!” roared the man, and with a stupendous effort he and Lupin managed to force the curtains closed again.

They match each other really well. (All the drama aside, if we consider this matter seriously - it’s just a portrait of hers and she was insane and alone for years after she lost everyone. But yeah - pretty nasty thing to do - I agree).

Frankly speaking, her personality isn’t really that significant in this case - it’s more important how Sirius feels about her, the way he can’t let her go. He’s relatively okay in the 4th book while on the run in the cave eating rats and arguing about Crouch, Bertha Jorkins, Karkaroff, Snape etc. But his severe depression in the OOTP clearly has everything to do that he’s locked up in ‘the house of a dying person’ (the very last one from their family) - like in the case of his mother’s true personality we’ll never know for sure what’s that about - Sirius’s real feelings are impossible to decipher - he says one thing - does another - feels maybe something completely different - for all I know, it could be about plenty of things one of which is that seeing her awful portrait, sitting in the rooms where they used to be together is a constant reminder that his family is gone and no matter what he feels and wants, he can’t fix anything about that - it’s all lost for good.

Of course, Sirius wouldn’t like to be there - a man of action trapped in his own past without any hope to ever overcome his unresolved issues with his family. The way he’s fixated on his mother is so intense that it’s almost unhealthy but I guess it’s just the visible (most explicit) tip of the iceberg.

Sirius with his hidden and repressed feelings is a great and very interesting character - he’s so much bigger than just James Potter’s best mate with a cool leather jacket. His relationships with his family is what makes him such a deep character (and not those ideas about how fluffy little angle was magically born in the family of twisted and deranged warlocks - well, it’s a little bit naive). After all it’s an internal conflict that sells the character.

Upd 2020

I think it is worth mentioning that since we’re discussing fictional world and fictional characters it only makes sence what the author implied and what the author did not. Yes, there is no absolute truth because it is all not real but the way character is written usually allows us to make certain assumtions about his or her inner world and motivation. So called ‘canonical evidence’ only matter in terms of what the author wanted to show us. I’ve never had any problems with fanon and headcanon - the only thing that bothers me is saying some things were in the main text when it is explicitly implied that there was nothing of that sort.

[cassandraclare]

Queen of Air and Darkness q’s: Kitty, and blame

sweetestheavencanmake said: Hi. Out of all of the amazing ships from TDA, I have to say Kitty holds the number one spot for me. Despite how Kit and Ty left things I still have high hopes for my precious boys. But I can’t help but think

 that Kit might have overreacted a bit. I mean, did I miss something? I know he thought he got rejected by Ty and that he never cared about him, but I really didn’t get that impression. Ty was just hurting, I don’t think that there was a lot of place for new love just yet. Thx.

Hi there! I'm glad you like Kit and Ty. It's such a compliment! That said: It's natural and something that often happens, that readers react to a separation or a conflict by picking a side, saying one person is more in the wrong, blaming them and excusing the other. It is easier, I think, to imagine that it’s one person’s fault than to accept that sometimes these things happen even between two people who care about each other because of misunderstandings, because of circumstances, because of honest mistakes, or because it’s maybe not the right time for those people to be together.

(Believe me, I also have messages blaming Ty and asking if he ever cared about Kit at all, so it’s possible to read what happened with Kit and Ty many ways. I’ll answer one of those in a bit, since I don’t think the situation is Ty’s fault either.)

It may seem clear to you that Ty’s rejection of Kit had extenuating circumstances, and that Ty may not be in a place to form a new relationship right now (in which case, even if Kit had stayed, they still wouldn’t be together what with Ty not being in any state for it!) But consider Kit's situation. Kit has been raised his whole life without love, absolutely aware, as we know, that his father didn't love him in the way the Blackthorns love each other. His mother has never been a presence in his life. She was murdered, and her absence--and Johnny Rook's missing her--created a gaping wound in the middle of Kit's family life that he felt though never understood. He was neglected, raised scrambling through the Shadow Market, taught to be jaded and taught--via not being loved--that he wasn't worthy of love. If Rosemary Herondale had understood how her son was living, her heart would have broken. Then the only constant support in Kit's life, inadequate though it was, was taken away--his father--and with his father's murder, Kit's whole life and world was ripped away from him. He had no family. He was no longer welcome at the Shadow Market, the only home he ever had. He was drowning, and he clutched at the Blackthorns as his only hope.

Ty suffered a terrible loss in Queen, and that led to him making mistakes--grief for Livvy means Ty makes the wrong decision to try to raise her, just as the same grief means Julian makes the wrong decision to render himself emotionless. But Ty still has many other loving siblings, and the benefit of their love and support. Julian and his siblings wrap Ty in affection throughout the books. At the end of Queen, Dru embraces Ty, accepting and understanding why he did such a terrible thing as to try to bring Livvy back from the dead. There is never a time when Ty is living without love. Kit spends the entirety of The Dark Artifices living without family love. It says a lot about Kit that he is still able to feel love himself, and offer love. It's a big deal for him to do so. Kit saying “I love you” to Ty was the first time he'd ever said that to anybody other than his dad. Most of us, who have loved family and friends if not romantic partners, cannot conceive of the kind of loneliness Kit feels.

And we know what response Kit received. Sure, Ty--a deeply mourning kid--shouldn't feel like throwing himself into a romantic relationship at this time! (If that's even what Kit was offering.) But Ty didn't say “I love you too, but I have to do this” or “You're very important to me.” Now, Ty was in  a fever state, desperately trying to get this spell to work at the last moment — it’s arguable how much he even understood what Kit was saying to him. But the result remains that this left Kit, a traumatized and neglected orphan, with the impression that Ty didn't care about him--something that makes sense to Kit, because nobody ever has. Ty (accidentally) reinforced a belief Kit has had his whole life.

Ty was the one who offered the Blackthorns to Kit as a potential new family, saying “you'd like us if you knew us” and Kit accepts them as his new family, saying home was where the Blackthorns are. His primary bonds among the Blackthorns are Livvy (who dies) and Ty himself, who has responded to Kit's declaration of love by (or at least, this is how it feels to Kit) telling Kit he doesn't matter to him--only Livvy matters. Now, Ty interacts with and talks about emotions differently than the neurotypical do, but mainly this is Ty's totally understandable grief at work. Ty spends the whole book in a fog of grief, and thus doesn't offer support to Kit--he can't. He doesn’t, as they say, have the spoons for it. But that doesn't mean Kit doesn't need support, and he spends all of the book with absolutely none. Kit is also a deeply hurt kid, dealing with his own grief, and he can’t shoulder the entire responsibility of figuring out and allowing for Ty's emotional state while putting aside his own. Not because he wouldn’t want to — he literally can’t.

Sure, from the outside readers can say “Ty probably does care about Kit.” But from the outside readers can also say “Wow, Ty, necromancy is a bad idea and will only hurt those you love farther!” Books ask you to understand why people do the things they do because you believe in them as people: they’re not going to do what you’d do, they need to do what they’d do. This book asks you to understand why Ty, terribly grieving, makes an awful mistake. And why Kit, a deeply wounded soul, might be more easily hurt than someone with a different history.

Just as an interesting note, I often see people saying that characters “deserve” and should have PoVs, not realizing that actually often the characters who are most beloved are the ones who aren’t given PoVs but are people we see from outside and idealize. To the last, Kit's feelings about Ty are sympathetic and not angry--he tells himself to remember him smiling, even while he is wounded by what he believes is Ty's lack of care for him--and thus I think people feel very understanding of Ty's mistakes and less so of Kit's, and don't realize this is partly because of Kit's PoV. We see inside Kit's head his deep concern for Ty, and his efforts to understand Ty, but we don't get that forgiving perspective on Kit. We're not inside Ty's head in TDA, and that means we don't see his flaws and mistakes as up close as we do Kit's. We look best in the eyes of those who love us, so Ty can be beautiful and shine in Kit's eyes (and in Julian's eyes, and in Emma's eyes, and Dru's eyes, because the majority of PoVs we get are of people who love Ty! Whereas--and this is terribly sad even to write, but true--nobody loves Kit.). But Kit deserves understanding, too, and the love he doesn't receive. Kit's just as beautiful as Ty. And Ty's just as flawed as Kit.

Ty was hurting, yes. But that wasn’t a hurt that had some soon to be reached expiration date on it. Had Kit remained, it’s likely Ty would have still gone to the Scholomance, and Kit would not have been able to go, and Kit and Ty would have been separated and perhaps still at odds. At the moment there are both things they need that they cannot get just from each other in order to heal and grow in security and wholeness. So I would disagree Kit over-reacted. Kit's belief about Ty is mistaken, and parting from the Blackthorns with no goodbye is sad for everyone--but it's also something that Kit needs, psychologically.  Kit acts throughout Queen to protect Ty's feelings, and finally, at the very last, Kit has to act to protect his own feelings. It's OK for Kit to do that. After TDA, Kit will be with Tessa and Jem, who want to care for him and bond with him, to make him a priority and family--and he will have a familial relationship with Jace, too. Adults have come, and are no longer directly dealing with wars and assassination attempts but able to offer Kit the peace, love and understanding he's always desperately needed. Kit needed to go, to make a clean break, and to have a chance to heal from his own grief and pain. In a few years, Kit will not be so entirely alone and feel so entirely unloved, and Ty will not be reeling from fresh grief. They will both still feel their wounds, but they'll have more tools to cope with their pain and understand the pain of others. Which will put them in a much better place when they meet again.

[elliepassmore]

Kingdom of Ash Review

4/5 stars

Recommended for people who like: high fantasy, strong female leads, friendships, hero's journey, multiple POVs Okay, I will be the first to admit I love this series maybe to the point of obsessing and that I bought and read this the day it came out....but this book is also entirely too long. There are two parts to this book, with the second part starting ~600 pages. The first part had some good content in it, but there was also a lot of space that didn't need to be there as well, descriptions and chapters and POVs that could've been cut out without really affecting the story or plot in any way. I especially felt that way when I hit part 2 and felt like the book should've ended there and Maas should've made part 2 a separate book (albeit a somewhat short one). The more I thought about it though, the more I realized that if she'd done it that way, we'd have a mostly boring 7th book and an action-packed, but shorter 8th book in the series....which is why I came back to the idea that she should've just cut scenes from part 1. There were so many scenes of the armies just moving or camping, and then there'd be a scene where an army was just casually mentioned as having been moved without showing us the movement, and I feel like if the book had done more of the latter it would've 1) moved quicker, 2) been less boring in part 1, and 3) been shorter. But I digress. The review will have some spoilers, I hide the major ones as always, but if you don't want spoilers, don't read below the cut. Non-spoilery review here.

The book opens with Aelin, who is not in a good place right now. Despite fears, it's only been two months since Maeve and Cairn got a hold of her. The scenes in the beginning are...dark. There's heavy mentions of torture and mind manipulation and death and all sorts of really horrible stuff. Some of the torture scenes get more descriptions than others, it's nothing I would call graphic, but it's enough to make your skin crawl and twitch. On the plus side, Aelin does escape *SPOILER* super plus, she manages to get herself out of Cairn and Maeve's grasp, even if there were other forces behind it *SPOILER END* and she teams up with Rowan, Lorcan, Elide, and Gavriel. The lot of them + Fenrys basically haul ass out of Wendlyn....which is where it gets boring. Reading several chapters of them traveling is not that interesting, even if some stuff happens during that time, there was definitely other ways to bring it about and/or ways to shorten the mentions of them traveling and bring them back to stuff that actually happens. Aelin really drew the shit-stick when it came to destinies the day they were handing them out, I'll say that. Before I get too off the tracks, I was really not happy when it was revealed that all of Aelin's scars were wiped away. Like...I get they had a lot of healing to do on her, but really, all of them? It's part of the trauma, everyone's horrified by it, but I wonder if it really had to be in there. Part of the draw of Aelin was that she was so scarred, that it could be seen, especially since a lot of her scars were testaments to her survival despite the odds. Having her skin just suddenly be scar-free felt....oily to me. Also kind of bummed that Aelin didn't really fight in the war that much. She was in two battles while pretty much everyone else was in a battle every ten chapters. I wanted to see her fight more than she did. In terms of development, Aelin has both internal and external development. On the one hand, she has to contend with the new round of torture she'd endured and raise herself back out of the depression she's in--I definitely appreciate the different ways Maas depicts depression, I'll say that, it's different for different people and situations, which true to life and nice to see. On the other hand, she also has to contend with the Lock and the throne and the coming battles. Throughout the book, she has to look at a situation and decide if it's worth stopping to help if it means more fall to Erawen's forces down the line when either helping or continuing on could mean Erawen wins. Sometimes she makes the right decision, sometimes, like with the Lock, she doesn't (*SPOILER* I still feel bad when people get mad at her about the Lock though, even if I understand and kind of side with them, lol *SPOILER END*). Aelin has to shed a lot of the stuff that's happened and the weight of every success and failure and destiny and god as she moves through his book and finishes her development. Aelin comes through strong in the end, despite her mistakes, and I think the way things end for her is perfect for her arc and what it's been building toward. When Elide said she was pissed with Lorcan, she bloody well meant it. I don't think the two of them are on good terms until several chapters into part 2. I'm kind of surprised she didn't kill Lorcan in his sleep for how mad she was at him. Aside from her being pissy, we also get to see more of her using her observation powers and calm cunning to outsmart their opponents multiple times. She's vital to getting Aelin back, and she's vital to the final battle in the book as well. I really enjoyed seeing her development in full-swing, especially when it came to confronting her uncle. Vernon is an ass, but he's not wrong that witch blood flows through her and it shows when she's making decisions regarding enemies and opponents. Elide's cleverness and cunning plays a huge role in some of the major schemes and events in the book, which was awesome to see. By the end of her development, she feels like a Lady more than she did in the previous books. Aedion and Lysandra are playing their parts as they get settled in Terrasen and prepare for the coming war. The interactions between the two of them are...tense, to say the least. I can see why Aedion would be angry with her, but I don't necessarily agree with it or with the way he handles the situation. Because he's honestly an ass *SPOILER* until Lysandra almost dies *SPOILER END* and if I were Lysandra, I wouldn't give him the time of day. Aedion is angry in this one, like, really really angry. He's angry at Maeve, angry at the Terrasen lords, angry at Lysandra, even angry at Aelin, to an extent. I felt like all the maturity he had in the previous three books just sort of disappeared and he just lost all perspective for first half of the book. There's an instance when Aedion is thinking about how Aelin should've conferred with everyone before making plans with Lysandra, apparently, conveniently forgetting that Maeve made a surprise!capture of Aelin and that Aelin hadn't sacrificed herself to the Lock. He was literally angry at them about something neither of them had planned nor had control over, but that Lysandra acted upon in order to help rally the troops....riiight. So, for most of the book I just really didn't like Aedion, and then he got miraculously better and was suddenly back to being himself. He basically pulled an Elide but for less good reasons. Obviously, this is the last book and so it's the end of the character development. For Aedion, I feel like a lot of his development in this book is on the emotional side of things. He deals with maturing a little bit when it comes to people making decisions he doesn't like. He also develops in that he realizes he can be fatally wrong. He was wrong about Aelin and the allies in the end of EoS, he's wrong about Lysandra in this one, and he's wrong about some of the strategies and maneuvers he tries as well. He's definitely someone, I think, that doesn't handle things Going Wrong very well, and so his development is mainly focused on improving that in this book. And, of course, part of that development is reconsidering his anger and resentment toward Gavriel. Once we get into part 2 of the book, we see him really doing a reversal and growing as a person (I definitely like him better in part 2). Lysandra is another character who gets the short end of the stick in this one. She has to juggle pretending to be Aelin while also shifting to go on scouting missions and fighting to help the army while in battle. The only person there who knows she isn't Aelin is Aedion....who is pissed to no end with her. I think it's clear from the get-go that Lysandra doesn't necessarily expect to survive the war, but Aelin's friendship and offer for a better world combined with knowing that if they win Evangeline will get to live keeps her going. It gets better in part 2 of the book, which is definitely the 'upward curve' part of things for just about every character. We get more Lysandra-narrated chapters in part 1 of the book, so there's not really a whole lot to say about the second part, but it did feel that the second part of the book, for her, was more about redeveloping her relationship with Aedion. There was just less of a focus on her going into battle and I wish Maas had expanded these more, since it was cool to read about her fighting in different forms and how they used those forms to their advantage. Manon, of course, remains one of my favorites and she was with the Thirteen trying to find the Corchans. So, uh, the Crochan witches are not as goody-two-shoes and nice as I was expecting. I mean, to be fair, I probably wouldn't be in their position either, but still, it is well established that if I were a witch I definitely wouldn't be the benign kind. Manon's arc in this one is mostly about tackling her new heritage and how to either pick a side or balance them both. Manon, quite literally, comes into feelings for pretty much the first time ever, so that was fun to read about. Her relationship with Dorian was just weird, though it felt a little more natural in this one than it did in QoS, though I still think she and Elide would've been good together. She was unbalanced in this book, mostly because of aforementioned feelings, but the inability to balance and the struggle to win over the Crochans while still keeping true to herself forged her. Manon is one of the characters who I think gets a pretty solid arc throughout Part 2 of the series (and technically Part 1, since HoF is in that part when I divide the books plotwise, but w/e). There are definitely some things in this book regarding her that I would change,  mainly re: the Thirteen and Dorian, but overall I think she has one of the strongest arcs in KoA. Dorian also undergoes a significant arc transformation in this book. I think multiple people in the books acknowledged that he still felt like a prince during and at the end of EoS, but as this book opens and develops, we get to see Dorian continue to struggle with the collar, his abilities, and the Lock, which in turn triggers the final phase of his development arc. He does get a bit of that cunningness and cruelty he marked in Manon and Aelin, and he is able to trick his way in and out of things. I kind of miss how soft he used to be, since almost as a necessity of this transformation he loses a lot of that softness--but not entirely!--and it kind of makes me nostalgic for when he was just a cinnamon bun princeling, but I think the changes are, for the most part, good for him as a character. Like Elide, by the end of KoA, Dorian actually felt like a king as opposed to someone who just had that title in front of their name. Yrene is an interesting character and I wish there'd been more of a chance for her to shine in the beginning of the book like she does later on. I also wish she hadn't been pregnant. Call me crazy, but she's a healer, she mentioned in ToD that she could brew something for Nesryn, and they're about to go into war but she somehow gets pregnant? Are you kidding me? But that aside, Yrene really does come through with her Valg-healing powers and plays a huge role in how things play out. A lot of her arc already played out in ToD, so her actions are mostly external and push the plot or other characters forward. I wish she had a bigger narrative element to her in this book, and while she does get her due later on, I feel like this is one of those areas that could've been expanded had extraneous scenes been cut. For all the traveling Chaol and co have to do, they certainly get into the thick of things faster than Aelin does. We finally get to close the loop with Chaol's father that was opened in the series' Part 1, which I think was the only unresolved part of Chaol's arc. Like Yrene, a lot of his arc was dealt with in ToD. He does, however, adjust to being the King's Hand, and having the power to forge alliances and give land and whatnot. I loved his reunion with Dorian. It took over half the book, but it did eventually happen and we later got to see them fight side-by-side! This is apparently the space where I complain characters aren't given their due, because I feel like Nesryn got shorted too. Again, in part 1 of the book, she barely gets any narration and the narration she does get is her worrying about Sartaq. Like, good grief, both of you have seen battle before, I'm sure you'll be fine. She also worries a lot over the role of empress and is a bit hesitant over it, but it's not really a major touching point. I feel like there was some development of Nesryn as a ruk rider that we didn't get to see in either book, yet somehow she was a good enough flyer and had adjusted enough to the difference between fighting on foot and on the back of a ruk that they let her fly in the aerial legions. It's not really something that needed a ton of focus, but a little more than it actually got would've been nice and would've rounded out the physical arc with the ruk riders she had going on in ToD. I feel like Rowan wasn't a huge narrative presence in this one, unfortunately. He was obviously worried for Aelin and was trying to be attentive, but he also had some of his own schemes up his sleeve that we don't get to see until the very end (Aelin clearly rubbed off on him in more ways than one). I think the major shift with him is that he and Aelin are more like a team again in this one, like they were in QoS, where they scheme together and apart, whereas in EoS they did more scheming apart than together. I have to say, I really like them being a team better than I liked their separate, but supportive schemes in EoS. Lorcan had all, or most of, his narrative chapters dropped, though we did get to see some of them. Lorcan's definitely not in a good place for most of this book. He realizes he fucked up by calling Maeve and that not only did he fuck up in calling Maeve, but he fucked up in ever serving Maeve as loyally as he did. Lorcan's arc is largely about redemption from that and coming to the realization that there are other options and the potential for a better world out there, as cliche as it is to say. A decent portion of his page-time is also dedicated to getting back into Elide's good graces, as pretty much everyone else gets over Lorcan's mistake pretty quickly, even Aelin, funnily enough. Evangeline got narrative chapters in this book, which I was happy to see. I can't really remember how old she is, 10 I think, but she's definitely mature for her age and clever as a whip. I think that, even with everything Aelin and the others do against Erawen and Maeve, Evangeline's the one to really convince Darrow to stop being stuck up about the throne and crown. I did think it was a little weird when she became his ward and heir without mention of whether she was also still Lysandra's ward and heir still. It just warranted more of an explanation than we got. Nox came back in this one, which was a nice, if not unexpected surprise. Unfortunately, he meets Lysandra!Aelin and then yeets into the distance and there is Absolutely No Resolution regarding where he went, what happened to him, or if he actually met the real Aelin again. Even if it was only a couple lines, Falkan did get to reunite with Lysandra, so we got the nod there. If we're talking about characters who got done dirty, the Thirteen and Gavriel are at the top of the list. I really like the Thirteen and wish they got more page-time individually. We know Asterin and Sorrel the best out of them, I think, but the others are sort of background names I felt like. They're such an interesting and complex bunch, and they have some of the only continually included gay characters and characters of color in the book that I really wish they got more attention. Not to mention, people Aelin and Dorian care about get chapters dedicated to them, but people Manon cares about don't? How does that make sense? I also really hated how their arcs ended [ they sacrificed themselves to take out the last witch tower. Like, it's poetic and broke the curse on the Wastes, but (pun aside) it was such a fucking waste to have that be the answer (hide spoiler)]. Gavriel was such a warm and caring character and he really only wanted to bond and spend time with Aedion, and then he's separated from Aedion for most of the book only to reunite in battle. He, of course, has a similar course to the Thirteen...like, almost exactly just with a different situation, actually. As much as I loved the book, I will admit that some of it was predictable. If you've browsed the fan theories since EoS and ToD came out, then you've probably come across some of the theories that turned out to be true. Maybe we just got really good at reading Maas' foreshadowing, but I do feel that some of the major elements of this book were more predictable than before. My least favorite theory that came true is the one where *SPOILER* Aelin loses almost all her power and is saved in part by her water and Mala, but remains at a low level of power; honestly, I can understand Aelin losing some of her powers, but for the supposedly most powerful female Fae in the world to be reduced to mere embers and some water, while she's surrounded by powerful male Fae like Rowan and Fenrys and Dorian, who end up being more powerful than her after she forges the Lock, is annoying (especially when it was said earlier in the series that power calls to power)*END SPOILER*. So, 4/5 stars overall. I really like a lot of the stuff that happens in the book,  it was great to see Nox again and seeing everyone with their powers out and fighting was awesome, and I think most of the characters get a good resolution to their arcs. However, the book is way too long, is too boring during certain parts of it to warrant it being that long, and definitely did some characters dirty. Combined with the fact my least fav theory came true--a little petty? maybe--and the fact that aside from the characters done wrong, no one really dies, I decided to drop a star despite the other interesting things that happen during this book.

[the-vorkosigan]

Stony post-cw fix-its recs (MCU mainly)

Since I didn’t have the time to actually create anything for the 10th Anni of Stony, this rec list is my pseudo-contribution.

Since I don’t know how to make it a part of the event otherwise (sorry!), I’m just going to tag @cap-ironman

For more recs, check out this post by @civilwarbrokemyheart. I’m not going to repeat the recs that are already there.

This is in no particular order, and the fics are loosely grouped by absolutely arbitrary criteria :)

Mind the ratings, I guess.

Enjoy!

Romantic, Sweet and/or Funny

Can’t start a fire without a spark by @gottalovev

The Avengers might be reunited, but they are holding together with a Band-Aid and a severe case of Tony pretending nothing happened. The superficial truce is shattered the day Steve takes control of Tony's suit and forces him to go to medical in a tense situation. When Tony is ordered to take a vacation, Steve volunteers to go with him.

one-shot, 36k words

vorkosigan: It’s a roadtrip fic! Steve and Tony go shopping unexpectedly! Tony sings karaoke in a roadside motel! There is also a threesome with an OFC, but it just serves to bring T and S closer together, honestly. The sex scenes are brilliant and detailed, everything else is sweet and wonderful and there is pining :) Mainly Steve PoV as far as I remember. 

You’ve Been Sleeping in the Wild by skyline 

With a pint-sized sneaker dangling somewhere near his nose, and another jabbed into his collar bone, Tony takes out the phone Steve gave him.

Nearly punching the buttons, he types, Vision made my kitchen smell like Staten Island and Clint’s kid is nesting on my face. I need you to stop being a child and come home.

(Or, Tony abuses the bat phone.)

one-shot, 4k words,

vorkosigan: Fucking hilarious! Also v. sweet. Also, informative regarding the workings of the UN, but it doesn’t detract from the story. Just... too funny for words.

Evidence of Things Unsaid by @sheronm (whom I apparently can’t tag for some reason??)

The Avengers (and ex-Avengers) are forced to socialize at a PR event. Why is there never a monster around to attack New York when you need one?

one-shot, 4k words

vorkosigan: Tony cuts his hand and Steve fusses over him. Romantic and sweet, somewhat melancholic, very carefully written and mindful of all the tiny little details I like to see in fic. There’s handholding that melts my heart every time.

I Hope You Have Unlimited Text Messaging by Misscar

:For the first time in their entire acquaintance, Tony and Steve start having really honest conversations with each other via text message, of course.

Or Tony and Steve try to repair their relationship before the next apocalypse. This may take a while. Actually, battling blue and/or purple aliens would be preferable to working through their feelings.

WIP, 52 chapters, 65k words

vorkosigan: My fav texting fic. Occasionally really hilarious, occasionally a bit angsty, but mainly sweet. It’s updated all the time. Also works really well when read in installments. Taking into account politics and world events. I mean, it’s texting, but there’s outward plot too. Tony and Steve are acting really maturely here.

Plotsy

A World Apart by @dapperanachronism

The accords are in pieces, the team is scattered and divided, Steve is in hiding, Tony is trying to move on, and both are left trying to pick up the pieces of what little remains. But the threats that drew them all together in the first place are still out there, and picking up the pieces means finding themselves pulled back together whether they're ready for it or not.

chaptered, completed, 49k words

vorkosigan: Deals with law, politics and things. Then gets really REALLY feelsy towards the end. There’s action too. There’s EVERYTHING. Tony is really angry but at one point gets REALLY worried for Steve (his Steve, whom he loves! <3).

Time travel and interdimensional hopping (because they deserve a category!)

The Breach by Chaylay23

After the war, the remaining Avengers have to rebuild the team and their headquarters. A new armored superhero shows up to help.

chaptered, 76k words, finished

vorkosigan: A multitude of interdimensional Steves! Natasha Stark is a good bro to Tony! Dimension hopping! Plot! Pining! Really, really pining (MCU Steve, I’m looking at you). Hurt!Steve. It’s wonderful!

A New Way For Us by ann2who ( @stark-spangled-lovers )

They fight Thanos—and they’re losing. And before Tony knows what’s happening, he’s standing with Doctor Strange in front of the Eye of Agamotto and gets send back in time. Can he find a way to fix things this time around, or are they doomed to fall apart all over again?

chaptered, finished, 24k words

vorkosigan: Tones returns to the past, to his pre-Ultron body, but keeps his memories. Does things differently. Gets really close with Steve, for one. LOTS of very sweet Stony moments. Real focus on development of the relationship. Not too heavy on angst (as these things go).

Oh, the ANGST

No Amount of Guilt (can change the past) by kiminsocks

Tony's in town for an Accords conference. Steve is in town to make sure nothing happens at that conference. They meet in a bar, and it's a second chance for first impressions.

one-shot, 6k words

vorkosigan: Steve wears a different face, and it’s post-CW identity porn. I’ve read it only, oh, half a million times. It’s the saddest and the gentlest, and ends on a really hopeful note.

Last Train Home by @erdesque

Steve writes letters to Tony that he never sends. By the time he hands them to their rightful owner, Tony has had a brush with death, has retired as a superhero, and now has a small town workshop of his very own. But it's okay, Steve has gone into retirement too.

one-shot, 11k words

vorkosigan: It’s rolling-on-the-floor-clutching-stomach type of angst. Steve’s pining is palpable. The getting together is BEAUTIFUL and super-romantic. The ending is sweet as can be.

Bring Him Home by seventymilestobabylon

Tony misses Steve very badly after the Accords. Some days he deals with it better than other days. (a fic featuring the booty call flip phone, minor kidnappings, and time jumps between chapters because the election has been happening and my brain has been too mush to make a proper plot)

chaptered, finished, 14k words

vorkosigan: Tony PoV, for change, if I remember correctly. Tony decides to fix Bucky because he thinks Steve loves Bucky. And Tony loves Steve. And, needless to say, Steve loves Tony. (And Bucky kinda loves Sam). The piniiiing all around. Wonderfully written, deceptively easy to read. Unputdownable. One of the best sex scenes in all fic ever, if you ask me.

How to Fall in Love (in Four Easy Steps) by morphia 

Tony and Pepper's relationship is open, with only one clear rule: they must never let the other catch them with a fling. Soon after the events of The Avengers, Tony finally uses his license to sleep with others--with Steve. And Steve knows that their sexual encounters are intended to be strictly casual, but that doesn't stop him from falling hopelessly, stupidly in love.

Or: What if they were actually banging behind the scenes?

chaptered, finished, 25k words

vorkosigan: Missing scenes (sex and feels), all the way to the aftermath of CW. Steve PoV (I think), and LOTS of pining. Very romantic and feelsy. Super-rewarding happy ending.

All Roads by lastdream AND Unweaving by Night  by lastdream

All Roads, in which Steve is a terrible nomad and a terrible flâneur, but he might just be an alright Odysseus. (one-shot, 5k)

Unweaving by Night,  in which Tony is a terrible traitor and a terrible jackal, but he just might be an alright Penelope. (one-shot, 5k)

vorkosigan: Parallel stories, character studies, super-angsty, full of pining. Very original writing style. I’d read All Roads first. Hopeful open ending.

Causality, Catastrophe and Consequences by @winterstar95

Atonement, forgiveness, guilt, and consequences. One year later and no one has come out of it unscathed.

chaptered, finifshed, 36k words

vorkosigan: Interchanging PoV’s. Steve is on the run. Goes to see Tony’s speech, prevents his assassination, ends up in coma. They haven’t quite forgiven each other. HURTS to read. One of the angstiest things I ever read. Super-original, writing-wise. Every small moment of tenderness is very rewarding because EVERYTHING IS ANGST. Hopeful open ending. Not very shippy.

WIP (will the fix-its fix anything?)

From the Ashes (series) by @erdesque

Out of the black

If he had known, he wouldn't have trusted Rogers so blindly. He wouldn't have begun to think he could understand his dad a little better just because he could finally see what a young Howard Stark had seen in Captain America. Tony doesn't want anything to do with Steve Rogers ever again, or so he tells himself. (chaptered, finished, 15k words, non-shippy)

From the ashes

I’m not quite myself if you’re not there to be my foil, and that has to count for something. Steve tries to mend his relationship with Tony. His intentions aren't well received, but at least Tony is speaking to him now, and that's a start. (one-shot, 3k words)

Unshattered

It's really a split of a second, but for a moment there both of them remain in silence staring at each other, and it's a throwback to that moment in Siberia where a truce seemed more likely than shit hitting the fan. Steve picks up the pieces from their relationship and tries to make them better. As the official tinker of things, Tony isn't happy with Steve's shoddy work. At first. (chaptered, WIP, 56k words)

vorkosigan: This is absolutely wonderful But, although it’s good from the start, it really came together for me in the second part, and the third part is AMAZING. Also, so steeped in angst you’ll barely be able to read (which is why everyone should read it, obvs)

Irreparable by @aslightstep

It's a mistake destroying Steve's gesture of goodwill, Tony thinks, even as he takes an unholy amount of glee smashing that stupid phone to bits down in his lab and DUM-E waits eagerly with a fire extinguisher for the last of the letter to burn down. But it's a mistake Tony is happy to make.

WIP, 100k words, chaptered

vorkosigan: You’ve read this one :) Also, even if it never gets finished, it’s absolutely and indisputably worth reading.

Porny, with a chance of feels (fix-its that solve things mainly through sex. or, as my 12 y.o. mind calls them, sex-its)

weigh the heart, tip the scales by carzla

It was the first time they’d seen each other since Siberia. It was probably one of the worst possible ways to have an unscheduled reunion. It was also about to get worse. A lot worse.

one-shot, 14k words

vorkosigan: Aliens made them do it, sort of. Super-angsty. Dom-sub undertones. With feels. Also, Steve is tied to a chair. And he’s got super-sensitive nipples. Somewhat-hopeful open ending.

Postscript by synteis

When Steve and Tony accidentally meet up in Vienna a month after the events of Civil War, things don't go quite as expected. There's a lot less yelling for one and their main problem is that no one thought to bring condoms.

one-shot, 4k words

vorkosigan: Tony PoV. Unexpected (and easily deniable) feels. Very good descriptions. Blowjobs in a storage room of a coffee house. Rather hopeful open ending.

Fixitish, Almost-fixits, Bordering on fix-its

Exposed by trollmela

The Avengers are back together, but nothing is okay. In public and with the team, Tony and Steve are coldly professional. The team at least knows that they still argue behind closed doors. Then the world finds out that Tony and Steve are having hate sex. Nothing is okay.

two-shot, finished, 3k words

vorkosigan: I ADORE this. I’ve read it so many times. Starts with hate sex. Ends rather tenderly. A good, honest to god punch in the gut, but with a happy-ish ending.

the calculation by tonystarxk (romanoff)

One year post-Civil War, and the team are back together.At least they're back living together. As in cohabiting the same space. 'Back together' is probably too optimistic.

one-shot, 7k words

vorkosigan: Another one that starts with hate sex and ends hopefully, but not as hopefully as Exposed. But still. I’ve reread that happy-ish, hopeful-ish ending SO many times, because asdfjkl; It’s so horrible, but it’s so good.

Put my Head Under My Pillow by lazywriter7 

Tony uses the BARF tech to get over his nightmares of Siberia.

one-shot, 10k words,

vorkosigan: Tony tries over and over to fix his memories. Steve watches the recordings. It’s super angsty, but again, ends on a hopeful note, there is catharsis. Amazingly written.

Lines of Communication by @cptxrogers

And you think you could take me, do you, Stark?”

“I’d give it a good fucking try. I’d like to shove you into the nearest wall and wrap my hands around your damn neck.”

“Oh yeah? And then what?”

Post-CACW, a series of phone calls between Tony and Steve.

one-shot, 5k words

vorkosigan: Fighting and dirty talk and phone sex, oh my! It’s perfect, it really is, and it really, really works.

[maychorian]

Weekly Voltron Fic Recs #20

Rules: You can find past rec lists here. This is stuff I like, and I have a huge bias toward Lance, hurt/comfort, and general fluff, in that order. Gen unless otherwise noted. Please comment on the fics if you read and enjoy them!

I’m going to be busy this weekend with friend and family stuff, so I wanted to get this done tonight. I was going to try to make a separate list for the fics with spoilers, but there are just too many of them, so press J to skip this post if you haven’t finished Season 2 yet and don’t want to see major revelations about it.

This is a very long list. It’s been almost two weeks since the last one, and there’s been an explosion of fics with the new season. 

Here Stands a Man by awkwardCerberus Words: 2,568 (WIP 1 / 4) Author’s Summary: Following his disappearance after defeating Zarkon, Shiro is found floating through space and picked up by a Galran transport delivering a hold full of prisoners to a construction colony. Back at the Castle, the remains of Team Voltron are doing whatever they can to get Shiro back and trying hard not to fall apart in the process. My Comments: Heartwrenching Post S2 fic where Shiro gets pulled back into basically his worst nighmare once again. Can’t wait for him to get rescued, please.

A Couple of Ticks by easternCriminal Words: 1,533 (WIP 1/?) Author’s Summary: After an unaccounted for variable does their best to assist Voltron during their final battle with Zarkon, Hunk and Lance wake up in the Galaxy Garrison... a few months before Shiro crash landed back on Earth. My Comments: I am a sucker for time-travel AUs where a character comes back with knowledge of the future and tries to change the past. Plus this is my two faves, so you can understand why I’m excited about it. And they have a psychic connection, which is also fun. I’m really looking forward to more.

pull out your heart by valkyriered Words: 1,965 Author’s Summary: After two weeks aboard a Galra ship, Shiro is rescued by his team. My Comments: Really nice hurt/comfort focused on Shiro and Allura. I want Shiro to get all the hugs, please.

Spar Session by theoncomingwolf Words: 3,025 Author’s Summary: In which Allura takes the training bot's place as sparring opponent for the day. Set after s2, all paladins present. My Comments: Really fun action fic in which Allura is a badass, but everyone gets a moment. It’s cool to see her leadership qualities come out and her reflections on the paladins’ skills.

Pause and Wait by the_authors_exploits Words: 1,319 Author’s Summary: Keith and Shiro are stranded for the night, and Keith watches over Shiro while he gets some much needed rest My Comments: Season 2 was great, but it sure seemed to skip over a lot of stuff we would have liked to see. This is a nice missing moment from Episode 1.

For Your Actions are Mine by wolfsan11 Words: 1,368 Author’s Summary: The Red Lion has awaited her Paladin for years, but the figure who fights to reach her is neither what she expects nor wants. Yet, after her imprisonment, perhaps this little one is simply what she needs. My Comments: FANTASTIC Red pov. I love this view of her and her view of Keith. Lovely.

Insomnia by GriffinRose Words: 15,278 Author’s Summary: They reunite after the Wormhole Incident all in one piece. Mostly. But some scars can't be seen. Keith can't sleep, no matter how hard he tries. Luckily he's got the best team/family ever who are not about to let this go. No, seriously, they won't let it go. My Comments: Absolutely wonderful, subtle hurt/comfort and teamy goodness. What was really wrong and how to fix it was obvious to me early on, but it was fun to watch the team slowly figure it out.

Bromances in Space by ptw30 Words: 2,540 (WIP 4/?) Author’s Summary: Various drabbles for Voltron: Legendary Defender - mainly Keith and Shiro Story One: Hug It Out (Episode Nine - The Belly of Weblum) Story Two: Castle in the Sky (after Episode Thirteen - Blackout) Story Three: How Shiro Became a Dad (Domestic AU) Story Four: Dad Duties (Domestic AU) My Comments: Each chapter is a separate story. The first two have S2 spoilers, but the others are just fluff. They’re all excellent.

Okay I can't just go to bed with Season 2 ending like that I mean really... by Rangergirl3 for 4_angsty_zukos, PrincessMnMz, Zenthisoror Words: 3,590 Author’s Summary: Literally what I thought after binge watching the incredible, fantastic, and all around phenomenal S2.Goes without saying: Spoiler Alert for VLD Season 2 (especially the finale) Hell of a cliffhanger, and I couldn't rest without writing something for it, because it's going to be AWHILE before we know what happens. So, here you all are. I had to write this for myself because otherwise, I wasn't getting to sleep. :-) My Comments: What it says! I love reading all these fics and seeing the various ideas people have for what that Big Dumb Cliffhanger meant. No two so far that I’ve seen have been alike.

But a Scratch by manunulat Words: 1,052 Author’s Summary: This is a brief vignette set after s2ep2. Some things can't be fixed by healing pods. My Comments: Would you like some Hunk and Lance being funny, loving bros, with just a touch of angst? I always like it. I like this one, too.

for every bird there is a stone by lacking Words: 15,954 (4/?) Author’s Summary: Shiro walks away from his confrontation with Haggar injured and shaken. After falling through the corrupted wormhole and finding himself stranded alongside Keith on a solitary planet, Shiro begins doubting his bond with the black lion and his place among the other paladins. As the team is reunited and his health continues to decline, Shiro is forced to confront parts of himself he thought were long buried, and everyone is left questioning just how far he’s willing to go in order to survive. My Comments: This is excellent. Fantastic characterization and interaction, especially for Shiro and Keith. We can always use more post-wormhole fics when they’re this good.

your sacred stars won't be guiding you by contagionangel Words: 3,233 Author’s Summary: In one reality, a major change in long-past history means that, among other things, Shiro never crash-lands on Earth. Hunk still gets attached to the people he'll end up going to space with. A story of friendship, alien coverup conspiracies, and starting to grow courage without noticing. My Comments: I ADORE this. I love the Garrison Trio Plus, and all the ways things change and don’t change with their closer, more involved friendship here. And Hunk’s POV is perfect. I really want more, and the author has promised there will be some more. Like, a lot more, eventually. I am waiting with open hands.

The Core of Him by nightwalker for MusicalLuna Words: 2,072 Author’s Summary: Shiro wasn't afraid of doing what the Olkari king had done – he knew he'd choke on the words if he even tried. My Comments: Absolutely amazing Shiro character study, his view of the team and how important they are and what they mean to him. The other paladins are all adorable and well-characterized too, of course. There were a couple of lines in here that made me breathless with their vivid imagery and strong emotion.

White Hallways by Fernandidilly_yo Words: 3,159 Author’s Summary: (Set right after season 2 episode 13) Keith's reaction to finding that the black lion it empty, and Shiro is gone. My Comments: Utterly heartbreaking, but this also feels so necessary. Lance is a good kid.

Entanglement by story_monger Words: 1,910 Author’s Summary: Pidge has a major revelation about the castle ship's technology and absolutely has to tell someone about it. In which Hunk and Pidge yell at one another about quantum entanglement and Lance simultaneously is confused by and loves his uber nerdy friends. My Comments: ADORABLE. The Garrison Trio is so, so good, in both happiness and grief.

Stating the Obvious by nightwalker Words: 1,947 Author’s Summary: It occurred to Keith like a punch to the gut that they were talking about Allura now, Lance was going to try to talk about this. My Comments: Another scene I really wanted in the show and didn’t get. Lance is a good kid.

Between by Silverkleptofox Words: 2,086 Author’s Summary: Between the biggest revelation of his life and his whole world changing, there is no time for Keith to rest and recover. His teammates make sure he does anyway. Tag to Season 2 Episode 8. My Comments: Almost unnecessarily detailed hurt/comfort based on canon injuries, haha. I love it.

Casserole by genericfanatic Words: 1,922 Author’s Summary: After Shiro "dies" on the Kerberos mission, Keith is all alone. Some days are harder than others. My Comments: This author really excels at sharp, almost harsh depictions of pain and grief that are so realistic that you can feel it yourself. So good.

Nought but Grief and Pain (for Promis'd Joy) by Hedgi Words: 1,353 Author’s Summary: Keith has always been many things. Stupid has never been one of them. Impulsive, sure. Reckless, yes. Intense, quiet, alone—check, check, check. But not stupid. What’s the point in looking for another way, another plan, when all they need is another person on board Zarkon's ship? Introspection reaction to "The Best laid Plans" My Comments: Really painful Keith POV on a pivotal moment in the season. I was glad it ended the way it did.

Basic Chemistry by 15Strawberries Words: 1,211 Author’s Summary: Hunk has some down time in between battles. He tries to make the most of it. My Comments: The PERFECT Hunk. This is exactly how I see him. Adorable and beautiful.

Water Vaper and Earthquakes by boredomsMuse Words:  3,445 Author’s Summary: Hunk is generally a chill guy, well not in the matter that he's never scared or anything but in the sense that Lance has only ever seen the guy angry like once. Until Pidge gets hurt during an ambush, and Lance is really glad this isn't the first time he's seen Hunk angry or things might just have been a lot worse for the paladins of Voltron. My Comments: Really cool magic AU. I’m a big fan of berserker Hunk, and the sense of history with Lance is really fascinating. I would read a lot more of this concept.

Just What You Want by BossToaster (ChaoticReactions) Words: 3,265 (WIP 2/5) Author’s Summary: 5 times Shiro got hugged by the team.Written pre-Season 2 but I think we need it more now. Also, nominally takes place in the Spectrum verse, but that only matters in chapter five. Updates Saturday and Wednesday. My Comments: Yes good. All the hugs for Shiro. Hunk and Pidge so far, and they were both perfect and adorable and genuine and sweet and made me super happy.

The Melting Milky Way by BossToaster (ChaoticReactions) Words: 1,827 Author’s Summary: Shiro returns, but he has questions. How well did the team manage while he was gone? He doesn't get the answer he wanted. My Comments: Perfect Finale tag. Just read it. I don’t want to spoil it.

the currents you create by theoddoodisnude Words: 18,501 Author’s Summary: Some days, he woke up even more tired than he’d been when he’d gone to sleep, and willing his body to go through the motions was just—tough. Like wading through thigh-high water or running on soft sand that gave under the soles of his feet. My Comments: Here’s my obligatory Klance hurt/comfort for the week. I think there’s always one. Anyway, this one is very good. Very realistic depiction of depression, and I liked how supportive everyone was, and how hard Lance tried to deal with everything even when he just wanted to give up. Also some wonderful Hunk and Lance and team bonding in there.

Knowledge or Death (And Ignorance is Bliss) by squirenonny Words: 2,189 Author’s Summary: Keith tells the rest of the team what he learned in the Trials of Marmora. [Season Two spoilers! Set between "The Blade of Marmora" and "The Belly of the Weblum"] My Comments: PERFECT missing scene from S2 that we really should have gotten, omg. Unless disproven later by canon, this is how it went for me. Headcanon accepted, stamped, cosigned, and engraved in stone.

Lion's Call by Wolfie_Dragon Words: 2,948 Author’s Summary: After nearly getting killed during battle, Lance is confined to a healing pod. However, he seems to disagree with the severity of the situation, especially when he senses a cry of pain. And it's up to Keith to get him back to the infirmary. Angst/Whump oneshot. Written for the Whumpaween exchange on tumblr. My Comments: Aww, ouch. This is painful and sweet at the same time. Keith is exasperated, but he does his best.

Silence is Golden by VelkynKarma for BossToaster (ChaoticReactions) Words: 10,291 Author’s Summary: It's just a sore throat. It's really not that big a deal. But the rest of team Voltron doesn't really see it that way—and Shiro's taking a day off whether he likes it or not. My Comments: Aww, everyone tries so hard. What a good team. ::pats them::

Dark Necessities by BossToaster (ChaoticReactions) for VelkynKarma Words: 9,564 Author’s Summary: Sometimes, the choices are easy. This is not one of those times. Shiro knew what he was agreeing to when he became their leader. It doesn't make those calls easier. My Comments: This was a rough read, but it was really well done. Being a leader is hard. I liked the way they talked it out at the end, even if nothing felt fully resolved. It can’t with things like this, sometimes.

Previously Recced Fics That Updated:

Mini Lions by earthstar Where No One Goes by earthstar One Week to Say Goodbye by squirenonny Beautiful Minds by PotatoBender (really gorgeous worldbuilding this chap) Aid by Haurvatat Someplace Like Home by squirenonny Coming Undone by Emerald_Ashes Light Up the Dark by BajillionKittens Love and Other Questions by squirenonny He Sleeps in the Sky of Ice by jadencross (now complete! read read read!) Engine Won't Turn by yet_intrepid (now complete! READ READ READ!) Trials Before the Dead by birdzilla (now complete! ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS) The Final Act of Mercy by ptw30 (now complete!) Parasite Knight by VelkynKarma (NOW COMPLETE) Beast You've Made of Me by BossToaster (ChaoticReactions) (now complete)

[tessalivesandbreathesbooks]

Love at Last

So here it is, as promised: my first fanfiction, Love at Last. I’ve never written anything in my life so I’m quite nervous to be posting this and letting you all see it, but I think it was about time I tried. I hope you all like it!

I want to thank @lovecakeandmore for her help and support (seriously, what would I be doing without you?? Not posting this, that I’m sure XD) and @feyresardothien and @sparkleywonderful for your kind words yesterday. Oh and @terlovesbooks because she’s amazing!

Love at Last is a high school AU whose characters belong to SJM’s world, not to me. You’ll find characters from both ACOTAR and ToG whose lives you’ll learn as the story progresses. Some characters might not make an appearance, such as Manon or Elide, mainly because I haven’t got as far in the real books yet and I know I’d not make a fair representation of these character’s personalities. They might appear in the future, I don’t know. The ships I’m supporting in my story are all canon: Feysand, Rowaelin, Nessian, Elucien and Morazriel.

Chapter 1

Feyre's POV

This lesson had to be the most boring one in the history of time. They were learning something about politics, but at this point of the day she couldn't care less. She's been quite distracted lately and it probably had something to do with the hot, blond guy sitting right in front of her.

Tamlin. Her boyfriend.

Feyre couldn't believe yet how lucky she was. They have been dating for a month now, ever since that party at his house. The day of the party Elain had helped her dressed and she had looked stunning: she had worn a slinky dark-red dress with plunging neckline and thigh high split that had left little to imagination. Tamlin had been mesmerized all night and when he had finally come to talk to her (he had taken his time, looking at her from afar, making her feel like a precious object of some unreachable realm), they hadn't stopped in all night. They had laughed and talked and laughed some more and when he finally accompanied her to her house, he had kissed her. The kiss had been sweet, but also breath-taking. Just perfect.

Feyre looked at her watch. 1:55 PM. Only five more minutes, only five minutes and we can go. The teacher was talking about something, but she had long ago disconnected. Today, for lunch, she had agreed to meet Nesta, Elain and Mor in the cafeteria and she knew Nesta was going to be mad if she arrived late. But then, Nesta was always mad for one thing or the other.

She looked up to find Tamlin watching her, with his head turned. She smiled, he smiled back. I'm so lucky.

The teacher cleared her throat.

"Ms. Archeron, we all know Mr. Spring is really handsome, but can you please stop ogling him for a minute?" Feyre was about to open her mouth to protest, but the teacher continued. "I have something I'm sure you'll all want to hear, mainly because 45% of your grade depends on it. As you all know, every year, we do a final exam with all the content of the subject. This year, however, I want to try something different. I want you all to work in groups of three and prepare a whole project whose content I'll randomly divide and select for each one of you."

Feyre looked around. Most of the students were already not-so-subtly talking and making plans as to who who is going to work with who. She looked up at Tamlin again only to see him looking right back at me with his brow arched. She nodded. Of course they were going to work together. And as a third person they could choose Lucien, perhaps?

"Before you make your plans, know I'm choosing who you're working with too." With that, the bickering stopped. The teacher looked around."In fact, the groups are already done and posted on the wall in front of my office. Please, go check them right after this class to know who you are going to work with. The deadline is May 27th and today is April 20th, so you have more than a month to do it. Please, don't give me rubbish, alright? You know I have low tolerance for stupidity."

The bell rang and the students started to talk to one another again. The teacher said something like "good luck" or "goodbye", but nobody really paid attention anymore. They were all too busy rushing to go see who their next partners were going to be.

Feyre got up slowly, not really caring, because if Tamlin wasn't her partner, she didn't really care who she was working with. Unless she had to work with ... but no, she wouldn't have such bad luck. She shook her head.

"Are you okay?" asked Tamlin, coming to her, planting a little to kiss her on the cheek.

"Perfect. Let's just go see those papers to get this over with."

He smiled. "Don't be mad, it's not as if being partners means anything."

She glared at him. "I'm not mad. I just don't understand why we can't choose who we're working with. This freaking project represents 45% of our marks, we should be able to decide. It's important." She started to collect my things, putting them back into her bag as neatly as possible. When she was done he took the bag away from her, swinged it over his shoulder and winked.

"Give me that. I'm not letting my girlfriend carry anything, she’s way too pretty for that.  And let's go to see the lucky bastard that gets to work with you."

When he took her bag she practically swooned. He was right, of course. Who cares who they were working with in a stupid project? They were together anyway. No matter what happened, he'd always be hers and she'd always be his.

They were talking and laughing and about to round the corner when suddenly Feyre’s worst nightmare came into view. Tamlin growled next to her.

"Why, isn't it Feyre darling and the most charming tool on Earth?" Rhysand, aka the biggest prick on the planet, looked straight at us and smirked.

"Shut up, Rhysand if you don't want to see your blood spilled on the floor."

"Always threatening, always angry ... don't you ever get bored? I would. But again, you can't compare my mind to yours I'm afraid."

At that, Tamlin jumped and he threw a punch Rhysand easily intercepted. Oh, how much she hated the prick. Tamlin leaned to throw another, but she put herself between them, stopping him.

"Enough!" She looked at Tamlin whose gaze was dark with a promise of pain and then back to Rhysand. "Just go."

Rhysand just looked at her, his violet eyes deep and intense, and shook his head. He sighed and smiled a sad smile. "This is definitely going to be an interesting experience."

Feyre was about to ask him what he meant by that, but Tamlin took hand and started walking, leaving Rhysand staring after us, his brow slightly arched. Tamlin muttered something like "leave the idiot alone" and kept walking and walking until they were out of earshot. Then he turned towards her and said, with a hatred and anger so deep it made my blood run cold, "Feyre, you are not to talk to him, am I clear?"

She blinked. "Excuse me?"

"I said. You. Don't. Talk. To. Him. EVER." He grasped her by the arm. Feyre winced. "Do you understand, Feyre?"

"Tamlin, you are hurting me ... "

"I asked you a question!" He growled. The pressure on her arm increased and she was afraid. There were moments when Tamlin lost control of himself, when he became so angry he looked more like an animal than like a person ... but he had never taken it out on her. He had never treated her like that before ... he had never  look at her like that, with such deep possession. It was ... terrifying.

"I ... I understand. I won't talk to him. Please, let me go."

Tamlin looked at her for a few more minutes and then he nodded, easing the pressure on her arm. Tamlin closed his eyes and breathed in and out, slowly and deeply ... and then he hugged her. She stiffened.

"I'm sorry, I just ... I can't bear anything happening to you. And you know, Rhysand. He's ... unpredictable." And then he kissed her, a passionate kiss full of love and need. " I promise I won't let him hurt you." His hands went to her hair and he held her there while he kissed her again. She moaned and leaned in to deepen the kiss. They kissed and kissed, mouth against mouth, their breaths mingling into each other until they heard someone clearing his throat next to them. Tamlin growled in annoyance and looked up to find Lucien, rather flustered, looking at them.

"Hi, ehhh ... have you seen the papers? With the partners?" Lucien looked worried.

"Not yet Lucien, can't you see we're busy?" Tamlin leaned to kiss her again, shutting Lucien up, but then Lucien said, "I'm her partner."

Tamlin blinked and narrowed his gaze. "Good for you. But why do I care?"

Lucien gulped. "Because her other partner is Rhysand."

And then hell began.