#not all that proud of Elissa’s but

[via-the-ghoul]

Anyways here’s some concepts for how some currently not in Gen3 characters could fit into the universe part 2

Wydowna Spider

Ok, so first of all, Weberella, her super hero alter ego, is just straight up real now. She actually is a super-hero, protecting monsters from the forces of evil. However, no one knows her secret identity as high school girl Wydowna Spider. It’s tough, but with her multiple arms she can juggle both lives… until this new supervillain threatening Monster High might be too big for her to handle. So Clawdeen, Ghoulia, Spectra, and Frankie, who have figured all of this out somehow, decide to become superheroes to help her!

Isi Dawndancer

A popular eektok dancer who also does little explanation videos on her Potawatomi culture (which also informs her dances). Cleo adores her videos, but just can’t understand why Isi does all of this anonymously (oh yeah she usually wears a mask so people don’t know her identity). So after Isi transfers to Monster High and Cleo somehow finds out she’s the eekdok dancer Cleo… reveals her identity. After this, Isi starts getting a bunch of attention she doesn’t want, from the paparazzi, to racist people. Isi understandably, once having a moment of peace, confronts Cleo and reveals that she genuinely doesn’t want to be in the spotlight. Cleo apologizes, deletes the video, and casts a curse to remove Isi’s identity from everyone but herself and Isi.

Jackson and Holt

They shift based on if it’s night or day again, and due to school like being nocturnal, Holt is the main one now. Jackson is a teen inventor who made a teleporter so he could go to human school while Holt was at Monster High, and both of them use fake last names for obvious reasons. IDK what Jackson’s is but Holt’s is literally just “Hide” and it works. I don’t have any specific episode ideas other than Clawdeen having to try and hide Jackson’s existence from Bloodgood after some weird specific mishap with an invention or something.

Elissabat

A new up and coming boovie-star that Dracula and Draculaura enjoy. So when she transfers to the school, Draculaura immediately wants to befriend her. The issue is that Elissabat and Lala’s personalities just… don’t click. They just don’t get along well. Draculaura is freaked out by this, worried that Elissabat will put a bad name for her out there in the world, and she won’t be able to chase her dreams. This causes distress, and Elissabat reveals that while they may not get along, Drac shouldn’t jump to conclusions on what Elissabat will do to her image… after Frankie and Clawdeen reveal all this to her out of fear for Drac. Elissabat doesn’t really interact with others all that much, so she couldn’t really tell what was going on. Maybe a later episode could be about her terrible social skills?

[corruptedcaps]

Moral Objection: Part Two

Read part one here

The morning sunlight filtered through her curtains, stirring Keira from her slumber. As she stretched and yawned, a sense of confusion washed over her. She felt lightheaded and unsteady as she got up and walked over to her mirror.

The reflection staring back at her was the same introverted woman she had been before—plain, ordinary, and devoid of the enchanting beauty she had wielded so effortlessly the night before. Worse still was the shame she felt. That wasn’t her last night, that was someone else. Someone she would fear.

Images of Jack’s muscular hands gripping her tiny waist as he thrust his big dick into her eager pussy were all she could see and she felt guilty how horny she felt. She felt disgusted with how she acted purely in a hedonistic and selfish way. It made her sick that she had successfully made Alphabraun stick with her firm. And yet there was a sick thrill bubbling up inside her that felt proud of all that she accomplished.

With a heavy sigh, Keira carefully removed the sleek white dress that had once adorned her transformed self. As she readied herself for work, a quiet determination settled within her to put the previous night behind her.

Entering the office building, Keira attempted to keep her head low, avoiding eye contact as she made her way through the bustling workspace. Her heart raced as she spotted Elissa disappearing into her office. Summoning her courage, Keira followed swiftly, determined to uncover the truth behind her transformation.

Pushing the door closed behind her, she confronted Elissa with a mix of anger and desperation. "What did you do to me last night?" she demanded, her voice trembling with intensity. Elissa looked up, her expression a mixture of amusement and satisfaction.

"Ah, look what the cat dragged in?" Elissa replied with a knowing smile. "I simply gave you a taste of what it feels like to wield power, to captivate others. One little cat scratch from me gives you just 8 hours of bitchy power but it was all you needed. You were magnificent, my dear. Truly stellar work but don’t worry it was only temporary, you can go back to being a nobody." Keira's frustration grew, mixed with a strange longing for the woman she had been last night.

“Yeah, well… good! Here take you dress back.” Keira said handing the party dress out but Elissa just spying smiled.

“Your sex dress? No I think you should keep it. A memento of your time last night.” Elissa said with a haughty laugh that made Keira storm out, her resolve to put the night's events behind her warring against the persistent memories that refused to fade. With each step, her thoughts wandered, replaying the feelings, the power, the pleasures she had experienced. It was as if a drug high was wearing off, leaving her craving a new fix.

The office buzzed around her, oblivious to her internal turmoil. As she tried to focus on her work, the mundane tasks felt dull in comparison to the heady rush she had experienced just hours ago. The quiet allure of that newfound confidence whispered seductively in her mind, urging her to embrace it once more.

Keira's fingers drummed restlessly on her desk as she battled with herself, torn between the desire to resist the darker path she had glimpsed and the intoxicating allure that beckoned her. The world around her seemed to pale in comparison to the vivid sensations that still tingled beneath her skin.

She glanced toward Elissa's office, her thoughts betraying her again. As if in a trance, she imagined herself striding back in, demanding more of that power, more of that sensation that had gripped her so fiercely. The pull was irresistible, the desire overwhelming, leaving Keira teetering on the edge of a precipice she had never dared approach before.

Just as Keira's inner turmoil reached its peak, her phone buzzed with a message from Elissa, summoning her into her office once more. Keira tried to seem nonchalant as she hurried to the door and slipped inside the office. She had expected to see a triumphant smirk on Elissa’s face but her expression was a mix of frustration and annoyance.

“It seems Jack of Alphabraun only wants to deal directly with you," she announced, her voice tinged with exasperation. “So hold out your arm and let me get this over with.”

"I won’t keep doing this," Keira whispered, her voice trembling. "It's not who I am." Elissa's gaze bore into her, a mixture of frustration and something else Keira couldn't quite decipher. "Listen you little loser, if I had my way you’d never get a taste of this power again, you don’t deserve it but Jack was insistent he deal with only you so until the paperwork is signed you’ll be the little slut he wants understand? Either that or go find yourself a new job."

Keira's resolve wavered, caught between her own values and the tantalizing temptation that Elissa offered. The prospect of losing her job was immense but that wasn’t the real reason she accepted.

Keira's extended her arm, trembling with a mixture of apprehension and reluctant surrender. Elissa's gaze met hers, their eyes locking in a tense moment of understanding.

Elissa's fingers trailed down Keira's arm, her nails grazing the skin once more. This time, the transformation felt faster, more intense, as if Keira's guilt had given way to a guilty embrace of her newfound persona. The tingling warmth spread quickly from her arm, engulfing her in a whirlwind of sensations.

The transformation settled in her core, igniting a sense of confidence and power that resonated deep within her. Her lips curved into a sly smile, and her eyes held an enigmatic glint that mirrored Elissa's. As Keira met her gaze in the mirror, the guilt that had initially plagued her began to recede, replaced by an intoxicating rush that made her crave more.

It was in her transformed state that Keira finally understood why Elissa was jealous. She could finally get in the mindset and understood that Elissa was jealous. Jack wanted Keira and not Elissa and it infuriated the office bitch to no end. Something Keira was eager to exploit.

“Go on, get in there and put on something more attractive.” Elissa said with a dismissive tone as she gestured to her closet but Keira didn’t move. She was going to stoke the jealously.

“Ugh thanks but no thanks, I’m going to head to the mall and get something more…. trendy.” Keira said with a smirk as she turned on her heel and walked away to leave Elissa to fume.

In truth Keira would have loved to wear anything that hung in that closet but she couldn’t let Elissa know that.

Hours later Keira showed up at Jack’s door looking like the siren that she was. Jack was helpless around her. They fucked long into the night, exploring each other’s bodies to the full. When it was all over Jack would have signed his soul away to Keira but lucky for him she needed something less extreme.

“There you go my dear, all signed and complete. My business will be under the legal umbrella of your firm for the foreseeable future. Now you only have to deal with my more ‘intimate’ needs.” Jack said as he kissed her on her bare shoulder and handed her the contract.

Keira was delighted that she had accomplished her mission but with the contract signed the firm wouldn’t need to call on her ‘services’ any more meaning in a few hours she would revert back to her normal plain and boring self forever. She couldn’t go back, not without finding out how to stay as her better self more permanently.

Standing up she strolled over to the roaring fire that they had been making love in front of all night and nonchalantly tossed the contract in.

“Keira what the hell are you doing?” Jack said confused. She simply sauntered over to him and starting stroking his dick.

“I’m going to get you a better deal my love, I just need a few days. I will contact you when I need you but I’m the meantime just be content in the knowledge that I’m working in your best interest.” She said with a smirk as she lowered her head and wrapped her perfect pink lips around his enlarged cock.

“Y-yessss whatever you sayyyyy.” Jack said groaning in pleasure, not really understanding what she was playing at but also not caring.

To be continued…

[defira85]

To Which I Aspire: A Justice Chapter Story

Justice is a concept, an ideal- he embodies all that is good and all that is bad about the mortal concept of justice, and can imagine no other life. A chance encounter with a human interloper in his realm will change everything he is and everything he will be, and he will learn that there is so much more to the world than he could ever have believed.

In mid 2012, @combination-nc came up with a really fun concept for the DA fandom on tumblr at the time - to take a character from one of the games and write 26 little fic snippets using the alphabet for each chapter, to explore ideas and themes without having to commit to a full fic

I immediately committed to a full fic because that's just who I am as a person, and here we are in 2024 having not updated since 2015. But! I started writing a new chapter just a few weeks ago, and I did make it all the way through the alphabet to T before my enthusiasm for Dragon Age waned

I do think my writing from a decade ago is a little clumsy and heavy handed in places, but I'm still extremely proud of it. This fic was the genesis for my canon warden Elissa, and it deals with some very heavy themes including depression, C-PTSD, addiction and suicide. There's not really anything resembling mental health care in Thedas, so Elissa has a rough time of it

Start with Chapter One here, or maybe subscribe to see if we can get me to finish the last few chapters before Veilguard hits!

Not my finest header work but I'm still learning how Clip Studio Pro works. AND it's my birthday so I don't have to try hard

[cquity]

elissa & anyone

“i think since first arriving at washington - i’ve gotten more accustomed to the strange things that occur around here, and those mechanical horses you all seem so fond of.” the blonde admitted, nodding her head. “i’m quite proud of my efforts - if i do say so myself.” 

@hiddenstarters​

[ficto-willo]

Avea: I committed all 7 deadly sins in 30 minutes.

Elissa: Wow, I've gotta hear this.

Avea: I was angry and envious of my neighbor so I lazily seduced his wife and ate all his groceries and didn't share.

Elissa: You forgot pride.

Avea: No, I'm pretty proud of this.

[feanoryen]

What your favorite non-incestuous Targaryen ship says about you?

BTW - I'm not counting second cousins and beyond as incest.

Aenys/Alyssa - You just wanted good things for Alyssa and maybe Aenys but I'm 95% sure you cared more about Alyssa.

Maegor/Tyanna - You like villainous couples who drag eachother down to the pits of hell.

Maegor/Alys - You are in denial about how things ended and you would burn Tyanna.

Maegor/any of his other wives - You better not exist.

Rhaena/Elissa - You just wanted good things for Rhaena and honestly, who wouldn't?

Daella/Rodrick - You wanted good things for Daella and were coerced into thinking a pedo was good for her.

Laenor/Joffrey - You cried when Laenor named his son Joffrey.

Laenor/Qarl - Your very glad HBO didn't "bury the gays".

Rhaenyra/Harwin - You think Rhaenyra deserves better than all the toxic assholes who plagued her life. You also think Harwin was a true gentleman your queen deserved.

Aemond/Alys - Your ideal ship dynamic is hot witch milf and unhinged baddie who are only soft for eachother.

Rhaena/Corwyn - You just wanted good things for Rhaena and honestly, who wouldn't? (Second edition)

Rhaena/Garmund - You hate Daemon so much and you're so proud of Rhaena for giving him the middle finger.

Aegon/Daenaera - You just wanted good things for Aegon and honestly, who wouldn't?

Viserys/Larra - You're just glad they gave you Naerys & Aemon.

Elaena/Michael - You just wanted good things for Elaena and honestly, who wouldn't?

Daeron/Myriah - You just wanted good things for Daeron after everything he's been through.

Aegon/Betha - You love love happily married hypocrites who never seem to catch a break.

Rhaegar/Lyanna - You have bad taste.

Daenerys/Drogo - On one hand, you realize how problematic it is but on the other, you're glad someone loved Daenerys and helped her realize her worth.

Daenerys/Daario - You're always a slut for the girlboss/malewife dynamic.

[pathstread]

elissa is very....self-contained. very controlled. very polite, very decorous. she says all of the right things at the right times. but there's a lot going on underneath that, and she can be brutally judgmental, proud, etc, underneath the ultra-polite mask

[ziskandra]

No-pressure writing ask: what's a line or a scene you've written that you still think about because it makes you happy?

‘Happy’ isn’t my usual writing forte, but when I sat down to think for something that actually elicited some of that vibe instead of just like, a passage I was particularly proud of…

… and I immediately thought of this scene near the end of To Find a Cure, an Anora/f!Cousland epistolary fic I wrote a few years ago which takes place during the events of Inquisition!

A flash of hot panic runs through Elissa’s belly. Her hands shift to grasp Anora’s shoulders. “Anora. Anora. Listen to me.”

Anora stares back at Elissa, intently hanging onto her every word. Is this really it? Their final goodbye? There are no words that can truly capture the magnitude of the moment.

Elissa wets her lips. “Anora. When I die…” She takes a deep ragged breath, stopping short. She’d never actually confronted her inevitable death before, like it was something that was absolutely going to happen instead of something she was desperate to prevent.

She’d never been the type for wills or testimonies or succession planning. That had been her wife’s forte. She doesn’t know what to say.

She goes with her gut.

“When I die,” she finally continues, blood roaring in her ears, “I don’t want another fucking statue.”

Cauthrien laughs before Anora even has a chance to process what Elissa's said. There's a moment where they're all laughing, the three of them, and even Dog seems to be joining in.

[stromuprisahat]

Rhaena Targaryen was the blood of the dragon, and far too proud to linger long where she was not wanted. She departed Fair Isle that very night, taking wing for Casterly Rock upon Dreamfyre after instructing her husband and companions to follow her by ship, “with all those who might love me.” When Androw, flushed with anger, offered to face his brother in single combat, the queen quickly dissuaded him. “He would cut you to pieces, my love,” she told him, “and were I to be thrice widowed, men would name me a witch or worse and hound me from Westeros.” Lyman Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock, had sheltered her before, she reminded him. Queen Rhaena was confidant that he would welcome her again.

Androw Farman, Samantha Stokeworth, and Alayne Royce set out to follow the next morning, together with more than forty of the queen’s friends, servants, and hangers-on, for Her Grace had gathered a sizable coterie about her as the Queen in the West. Lady Elissa was with them as well, for she had no intention of remaining behind; her ship, the Maiden’s Fancy, had been made ready for the crossing. When the queen’s party reached the docks, however, they found Ser Franklyn waiting for them. The rest of them could go, and good riddance, he announced, but his sister would remain on Fair Isle to be wed.

The new lord had brought only half a dozen men with him, however, and he had seriously misjudged the love the smallfolk bore his sister, particularly the sailors, shipwrights, fisherfolk, porters, and other denizens of the dockside districts, many of whom had known her since she was a small girl. As Lady Elissa confronted her brother, spitting defiance at him and demanding that he get out of her way, a crowd gathered around them, growing angrier by the moment. Oblivious to their mood, his lordship attempted to seize his sister…whereupon the onlookers rushed forward, overwhelming his men before they could draw their blades. Three of them were shoved off the docks into the water, whilst Lord Franklyn himself was thrown into a ship’s hold full of fresh-caught cod. Elissa Farman and the rest of the queen’s friends boarded Maiden’s Fancy untouched and set sail for Lannisport.

Fire and Blood (George R. R. Martin)

[daughterofhighever-blog]

Skyhold - 9:41 Dragon (Ask Prompt)

{ Continued from Ask Prompt found HERE. }

@daughterofhighever-blog: ❝ You are much better than you pretend to be. ❞ ------------ @impcrriumm -  "What a mad thing to say," Dorian quipped.

 What did the Warden expect from him? His heartfelt gratitude? And reveal that his perception was not without blemish or distaste? He would sooner flay himself with a rusted bread knife.

 'Your heart is not an accessory, you are not to wear it like pearls.' He could still hear his mother tell him. 'You would not bathe yourself in blood before entering a den of  wolves unless you intended to be devoured.' She would warn him. His parents taught him little he thought applicable. That hardly meant that he'd managed to wipe away the stain of their self interest had left on him. No, it clung to him like red wine on white linens.

 In hindsight they ought to have taken their own advice. Perhaps then he might not have spent so many restless nights listening to them quarrel with such passion. Not that he ever dared to speak it, better to preserve a beautiful face--that was after all among of the few things he had going for him. "I have not been pretending well enough it would appear if you think me the humble sort." he added.

   Elissa sat in one of the tower library’s deep windows, nestled between two bookshelves the stood from floor to ceiling. She was leaned against the cool stone frame while her hands rested on drawn up knees. Lifting her head from where it rested by the glass, she looked at Dorian with a teasingly amused incredulity.

  “You think I’m calling you humble?” she asked with a bright smile and a laugh. Clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth, Elissa gave a light tssk and shook her head.  “Far from it, Master Pavus. You’re as proud and pompous as a puffed up peacock on parade...”

  For a moment, she turned to look back out the window. It overlooked the courtyard, and from where she sat, she could just see the figures of her family below. While Bryce swung a wooden sword in playful “combat” with his father, Gareth sat cross-legged on a roughly carved bench, studiously hunched over a book in his lap. Her brow pinched just for an instant as the thought rose up again that she would need to secure her eldest son a new tutor. There were mages a plenty in Skyhold, but Elissa was wary of any that came from the old Circles - and more so of the few who still supported the idea of their return. 

Banishing the thought from her mind, Elissa turned her attention back to Dorian. There were moments when he thought no one was looking when she’d catch little things - small, fractional cracks and shifts in his face and carriage that belied a much deeper well of feeling than she’d seen him allow himself to express.

“What I meant to say is, you are a better person than you give yourself credit for...”

[wardenmages]

I finished Baldurs Gate 3 and I need about 3-5 business days to recover before I hop back into Elissa's playthrough. oh my god. I cried so much. my mom is trying to talk to me about this documentary on tv and I'm like "yeah that's great" while actively weeping

SO under the cut to help people avoid spoilers. my playthrough took nearly 120 hours and I didn't even finish everything in every act. this has spoilers for like, the entire main quest line of act 3 since I did a lot of the main items today lol

HHHHHHHH it was very difficult to make the decision to make Orpheus a mind flayer. I was going to have Alet do it but backpedaled immediately because I just could not imagine them leaving Astarion alone like that. I had to pause and pace around for a long time. I knew I didn't want to side with the emperor but Man

I literally played through killing Orin and Gortash today, saving the guild, a bunch of other smaller quest items, and wrapping up the Orphic Hammer stuff once I had Lae'zel back. So like. It's been a lot all in one day.

I had Karlach with me while I killed Gortash and her breakdown afterwards was so painful, I was already so upset at that point. then afterwards I go talk to Astarion and

Astarion and Karlach understand each other so well and love each other so much it makes me want to eat drywall. I just. think about after killing Cazador w/o doing the ritual, Karlach telling Astarion how fucking proud she is of him, how happy she is that he's free. and then this happens and he can't even return the sentiment, because there is no other way out for Karlach. there barely was for him - he's free, but he knows that freedom comes with a heavy price he hates that he has to pay. I just. want to squeeze them both so hard. lovingly.

At one point I looked up if you could become a mind flayer and then turn back into a humanoid and saw people saying that at the end Astarion could die from getting caught out in the sun and I literally spent the whole final quest panicking because he was literally in my party 100% of the game and I was scared he'd die because of it, but he was fine. I think the game was trying to half-joke about it but I was so emotionally raw at that point I literally minimized the game because I panicked so hard lol

I'm a little bummed there was no scene about where Shadowheart, Halsin, Minsc, and Jaheira were going after the dust settled. I also kind of wish there was something like the classic Dragon Age "put all the companions in a space so you can say goodbye to them individually" thing, I didn't realize once you find the boat to the brain you wouldn't be able to change your party or even talk to most of the companions again (besides Halsin and Jaheira, at least for me). I just expected there to be more between killing Gortash and setting off for the brain, I guess? or something at the end like the act 1 tiefling party where they wait until night so Astarion can join them and the player gets closure with everyone. I like the few bits of closure we get it would just be nice I guess?? idk

Alet and Astarion are off an another adventure though, going to try and find a way for him to walk in the sun again, because while Alet is more than happy in the dark with him the rest of their lives, they know he's not happy with it, and they will do Literally Anything to make him happy again, and that last conversation between them made me gay. also it was funny in that whole last section you can say "this might be the last time we ever kiss" and he says "well then let's make it a good one" and they have the quickest most chaste kiss I've ever seen, it was shorter than the one you can do at the camp, it was genuinely so funny like Neither of you have any clue what you're doing and I appreciate the effort

Karlach ended up going back to Avernus with Wyll. I'm sad the scene only has Karlach talking, but I get why it's like that, so not that disappointed. But. I'm so happy for them. They love each other so much and have such a deep connection, neither of them will ever be alone again. as soon as they figure out if it's even safe or not ("is the thing lighting up the hells actually the sun") Alet and Astarion are going to visit them and Hope

ANYWAY I need to take a break from the game so I don't explode, probably going to write some more fic about Alet and Astarion, and then I will attempt to jump into a second playthrough without romancing Astarion which feels Genuinely Wrong, why would I even play the game without my favorite weird little guy hanging out asking for hugs :(

[pamsimmerstories]

Noah has finaly graduated at university!

A family picture!

"I'm so proud of you, Noah. I'm so happy you didn't give up."

"Thanks, mom. I'm so happy as well. Graduate here where you and dad graduated it's making me happier."

Aurora got emotional, her first son graduating, she couldn't find words to describe this moment.

"Mom, please don't cry"

"Happy tears, Nono"

"Let your mother cry, Noah. She did an amazing job raising you and your brother. I'll always be proud of you, Aurora"

"Thanks Nate"

When he went to the restroom, Elissa followed and congratulated him. They gossiped about Geralt.

And she asked about Ian...

"He's doing great. He's majoring physics here."

"Is he dating anyone" Noah laughed with no rumor "Oh Elissa, do you still like him?" she didn't reply, because they heard the door opening

"Oh! Hey guys!" Ian said "I didn't know you were here."

Noah whispered to Elissa "don't do anything stupid"

she mouthed "fine"

Noah left the restroom and they were alone.

"Ian, you look good all grown up. You were always cute, but now as man... should we relive the teens days?" Her idea of don't do anything stupid includes having sex with her ex, apparently.

Ian liked the idea and said "Why not?"

Aurora entered the room and caught them.

After they did all the shenanigans, he told her he is happy now and don't want anything else with her. That today was fun and that's all.

"Yeah, sure. It was fun"

previous | next

[college-girl199328]

The three people killed and five critically wounded in a mass shooting at Michigan State University were all students at the university, police said Tuesday morning, as another US community was left reeling after an hourslong manhunt and shelter-in-place orders.

The gunman, who died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, was identified as 43-year-old Anthony Dwayne McRae, MSU Interim Deputy Police Chief Chris Rozman said. McRae was not affiliated with the university.

"We have no idea why he came to campus to do this tonight," said Dr. Denny Martin of Sparrow Hospital in Lansing on Tuesday, without naming the victims or their ages.

The gunman opened fire Monday evening at two campus locations, turning the sprawling university of about 50,000 students into a crime scene and forcing terrified students to run and hide as hundreds of officers in tactical gear swarmed the school a now-familiar scene to many US communities.

The gunman opened fire on two campus locations Monday evening, turning the sprawling university of about 50,000 students into a crime scene and forcing terrified students to flee and hide as hundreds of officers in tactical gear swarmed the school—a scene that has become all too common in many US communities.

The attack occurred just hours before the five-year anniversary of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, and was the 67th mass shooting with four or more shots but no gunman in 2023, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive.

"Michigan is still grappling with the November 2021 mass shooting at Oxford High School that left four students dead and six here again doing this 15 months later," US Rep. Elissa Slotkin said at a Tuesday news conference about the MSU mass shooting.

"And I am filled with rage that we have to have another press conference to talk about our children being killed in their schools," Slotkin said, referring to children in Michigan "who are living through their second school shooting in less than a year and a half."

"According to the White House, during a call with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, President Joe Biden was briefed on the Michigan State University shooting and is struggling to understand why they are the latest in what is a uniquely American experience and experiencing a mass shooting in their midst," CNN senior law enforcement analyst Andrew McCabe said. 

“The FBI and their colleagues are going through the history of this person to try to understand what his motivations were, to try to understand what brought him to this moment in this community at this time.”

The first report of shots fired came at 8:18 p.m. ET from Berkey Hall, an academic building on the northern end of campus, and found several shooting victims, including two who died, Rozman said.

Immediately after that, another shooting was reported at the nearby student union building, where the third slain victim was from the mass shooting permeated the campus as the gunman remained and a large shelter-in-place order went into effect, MSU’s interim president, Teresa Woodruff, said.

"One of the things I'm most proud of is how quickly every student, staff, and faculty member on a campus this size immediately took action," Woodruff said at an overnight news conference, and they did so for hours after the first gunshots were contacted by law enforcement off campus," Rozman said, adding that the "suspect appears to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound."

After 8 p.m., student Chris Trush saw people running out of the union building, which was built as a gathering spot for students on campus, shortly before an emergency alert went out to students informing them that people started running out of the union building.

"That's when I knew something was really wrong," he said, as he noticed dozens of officers swarming the area with long rifles and realized a shooting had broken out.

"I'm obviously not going outside for the next couple of days," he said, explaining that he and his dorm mates hunkered down during the shelter-in-place order and relied on a local police scanner for information.

Treutel and his friends started barricading their door, just in case a shooter tried to get inside.

Responding to the shooting was a "monumental task," according to Lynch, due in part to the size of the campus, the MSU Vice President for Public Safety, and the areas that we are responsible for.

The two buildings at the centre of Monday evening's shootings are open to the public during business hours, according to police, who did not say how long the suspect was on campus before opening fire.

Though officials said there was no longer a threat to the campus, the university will go into emergency mode for the next two days and will have a police presence as investigators conduct their work, and campus-related activities at MSU have been cancelled for the next 48 hours, according to campus police.

All East Lansing Public Schools and city offices also are closed Tuesday because of the shooting, which "has been horrific for all of the students here and around the region and has affected our whole region, our whole community, and everyone across our community," Lansing Mayor Andy Schor said.

The campus community will need time to say, "Truly, this has been a nightmare that we are living tonight," with Rozman relieved to no longer have an active threat on campus, while we realize that there is so much healing that will needs to take place after this.

MSU’s interim president said such tragedies require us to "wrap our warm arms around every family that is touched by this tragedy and give them the peace that passeth understanding in moments like this, which will change over time," Woodruff said, and "allow this to continue to happen again."

[uhhlucid]

Part. 4

pairing: iwaizumi x black!fem reader

synopsis: on pointe (updated weekly)

word count: 1.9k

type: fanfiction

a/n: previous parts in masterlist as usual. this was originally a fluff but that's too boring so.

Iwaizumi and Oikawa were up before the sun was. They bickered about who got the shower first and who got to brush their teeth first. It was a warm day which Iwaizumi took as good luck. Once Oikawa and him were ready, they set off. Everything on the campus was closed at this hour. The birds weren't even awake to begin their chirping. Oikawa was very hyper for it to be so early. They navigated to the front entrance where the charter bus was waiting. Mrs. Aveline and Lia were already there. Iwaizumi sat on the steps and lingered back as Oikawa and Lia began eagerly talking about the competition.

Frankie arrived next with bagels for everyone. Iwaizumi munched away as Serenity, Elissa, and Y/n arrived. He checked his wristwatch which read 1:02am. "I don't think we'll make it in time for registration," Iwaizumi started to say. Mrs. Aveline quickly shushed him. "Not to worry. I did it all online." He had never heard of such a thing before but his opinion didn't matter. They took a quick photo and boarded the bus.

It was rather spacious considering there were only seven students going. Iwaizumi took the window seat and Oikawa flopped next to him still engrossed in his conversation with Lia. The driver started the engine and off they went. Iwaizumi watched bleary-eyed as they drove away from the school and onto the highway. He soon fell asleep.

He suddenly regained consciousness when Oikawa shook him awake. "We're here." Iwaizumi had been to Gold Coast before but it was still an amazing sight for him. He reluctantly stood up and stretched. He grabbed his backpack from the overhead bin and followed the others outside. The other dance studios seemed to have arrived already as the outside of the building was deserted.

He followed Mrs. Aveline into the building where they got their wristbands. "I think Lia's really nervous," Oikawa whispered. "Isn't she supposedly better than all of us?" Iwaizumi questioned. "It's her first competition," he replied rushing to her side. Iwaizumi thought he was babying the girl. They arrived at their dressing room a little after 8. Oikawa was still right by Lia's side doing her makeup for her.

"Can you help me run through my solo really quickly?" Y/n came up behind Iwaizumi. He nodded and followed her into the hallway. Tons of dancers were practicing there so it would be easy to see your competition. He watched intently as Y/n did her routine. He had to remind her a few times to keep her knees straight or to remember her facial expressions. "I keep forgetting everything you tell me," she complained. "It's probably just your nerves. Your going to do great," he reassured her.

"Thanks for your kind words." She enveloped him into a hug before they began calling for her division. Iwaizumi watched her head off to the stage and joined the team in the audience. The first dancer from their school to perform was Lia. Iwaizumi had to admit she walked in with poise and grace. The music started and Lia's technique was flawless. He noticed her expressions would falter slightly especially when she came out of a turn.

Her routine was soon over and there were a few numbers before Frankie's turn. Frankie being a boy gave him an advantage in a female majority competition. Frankie doing a lyrical piece was almost guaranteed he would win. He told a story when he danced and the judges seemed all in. Even Mrs. Aveline seemed pleased. The number ended and it was Y/n's turn. A tragic look greeted the crowd just as they had practiced.

Iwaizumi was proud at the way she had buried her anxiety. The number ended and the judges seemed to be smiling. The team had little time to focus on the judge's opinion as Iwaizumi and Y/n had to get ready for their duet. "Congrats Y/n. You did amazing," Iwaizumi sat next to her. "Thanks I owe it to you." Iwaizumi and Y/n quickly got changed and went over the dance.

It was hard for him to focus however because she just looked so cute in her costume. Once they went though the dance, Oikawa and Y/n were putting makeup on her face. Iwaizumi was a tad jealous but he knew his friend had no ulterior motives. Once the makeup was finished they rushed off backstage. "I'm glad I get to do a duet with you," Y/n took Iwaizumi's hand in her smaller one. "Glad to dance with you too," he quickly responded before she went to the other side of the stage. The number before theirs ended and they both waltzed out.

Once the announcer was finished, the music started. Iwaizumi felt as if he was on cloud nine. The familiar stage lights and eager crowd reminded him why he chose dance in the first place. He loved it when he twirled Y/n around and picked her up for their stunt. He loved how in sync they were for their pirouettes. He loved the part where they were on different parts of the stage, but still completely in line with one another. He felt once you danced with someone you had a certain type of unbreakable bond.

Once the dance was finished, Iwaizumi and Y/n were panting hard. They sauntered off the stage together and Y/n hugged him as soon as they got off. They returned to their dressing room where their teammates congratulated them. There wasn't enough time for that however and they quickly got dressed for the group number. "Man Iwa why do we have to slick our hair back?" Oikawa grumbled. "I think it looks cute on you," Lia commented.

Iwaizumi slicked his hair back using Oikawa's gel and stood up. He hoped he wouldn't sweat too much in this outfit. He watched Y/n practice her turns in the deep indigo tutu that showed off her legs. "Iwa can you help me?" Oikawa was still grumbling. Iwaizumi complied and applied the hair gel while Oikawa did Lia's makeup. The whole team then searched the hallway for a suitable place to practice. Mrs. Aveline kept getting frustrated with the group when really it was Lia's fault. She couldn't grasp it as quickly as the rest because she wasn't used to learning choreography that fast.

Mrs. Aveline eventually gave up and stomped back to the dressing room. The dancers gave each other uneasy looks as they made their way back stage. Oikawa attempted to calm Lia down while a few others snickered. "You would think Mrs. Aveline would learn by now not to add new students," Serenity muttered. "She's old. She can't remember her mistakes," Elissa added. The music on stage stopped, signaling it was their turn to go. They all got into position and the music started.

Their dance wasn't terrible, but it certainly wasn't the best there. Iwaizumi could just imagine how much Mrs. Aveline would be yelling about it. Lia didn't know where she was supposed to be for the majority of the dance and that threw the others off. Serenity kept snickering and Kourtney joined in. By the time the dance was over they were all a laughing mess. Well everyone except Lia. As soon as they got off stage she ran off crying. Oikawa ran after her. "Of course she's fucking crying. She's the reason we lost," Kourtney could barely stop laughing to finish her sentence.

Iwaizumi felt bad for the girl because of how quickly she was rushed into it all. Y/n and Iwaizumi decided to go downstairs and look at the other dancer's routines to avoid Mrs. Aveline's speech. He hated to admit it but the other teams were good. Like really good. He didn't think the group stood a chance at placing at all. The two didn't return until the soloists for their division were called onto the stage. Iwaizumi wished her good luck and joined the team in the audience. "Where's Mrs. Aveline and Lia?"

"Oh they're on the bus. Lia is soooo dead," Elissa commented. Lia and Y/n tied for second, but Lia was nowhere to be found. As expected Frankie got first. He currently held the national title for their division from last year so this made him a prime target. Duos/Trios was next to get awards. Iwaizumi and Y/n got first place and Iwaizumi couldn't stop smiling. The group got ninth place and the whole team was laughing on stage. "We should lie and tell her we didn't even place. Imagine how mad she would get," Serenity suggested.

"Its not like it's our fault. The feature threw all of us off," Y/n mentioned. "It was her first time so go easy on her," Oikawa defended. "Which is why she shouldn't have gotten a lead in the first place," Elissa fired back. "I don't know why your defending her. Usually your on our side," Frankie added. Oikawa said nothing in response and continued packing up his stuff. Iwaizumi couldn't believe he was this hung up over a girl from France. They finished packing up and headed back to the bus. It was already dark out when the competition was finally over. Mrs. Aveline was sternly waiting on the bus and snatched the plaque from Frankie's hand.

Iwaizumi could barely stand and collapsed onto his window seat just as she began to yell. "Ninth place?! Is this what we represent? Frankie you hold a national title for fuck's sake. You all are veterans. You should've placed higher. And don't give me a sorry ass excuse either." Frankie grinned with a twinkle in his eye. "I was just following the lead." This made Mrs. Aveline even madder and Lia burst into tears. "Look at what you did." Frankie shrugged. "I didn't do anything. She's just sensitive."

Lia seemed to nod in agreement in between hiccups. Mrs. Aveline slumped down in her seat. "Let's just go back home." She hadn't acknowledged the duet win or Frankie's win or Lia's win for that matter. Iwaizumi thought she was being unfair, but who was he to judge. He fell asleep on the ride back as well. They arrived back at the school at 7 in the morning and he woke up still tired. He dragged himself to the cafeteria and thanked Y/n for the fruit she got him.

"Mrs. Aveline was totally freaking out." Today it was just Y/n and Iwaizumi at the table. The others were off doing god knows what. "She wants to meet us at nine. I wonder what for," Iwaizumi mentioned. Y/n sighed deeply. "Hasn't she said enough? I'm just glad our duet did so well." "Of course it did because you were in it." She laughed. "You were pretty great too." They finished up their meal and headed to the company studio. The others were already there and Mrs. Aveline didn't look any less pissed off than last night.

"Because of your poor performance, all of you are doing a solo. Whoever places the lowest is on probation." "What if multiple people don't place?" Kourtney asked. "Then I'll ask the judges for individual scores. You all will practice on your own with the teacher of your choice with the style of your choice. That is all."

"This seems more like a reward," Oikawa told Iwaizumi. "I don't see how this solves the problem though," Y/n replied. "Yeah the problem is the group. Getting individually stronger is nice and all but," Iwaizumi trailed off. "Mrs. Aveline isn't the most critical of thinkers, huh?"

[royalhouseofcarrington]

List 5 facts about a favorite sim of yours, and send this to 10 simblrs whose sims you adore ♥♥♥

SARAHHHHHHHHHHHH

One singular character? Oh no.... uh... I'll do Alice cause I haven't talked a lot about her and I love her so... (This is Alice in the future, since right now Alice is still a child sim)

This girl has so many hobbies, sports, arts, fashion, gaming, you name it. Finding a holiday or birthday gift for her is almost impossible.

She's the only one of her siblings to really display an interest in riding horses. Sophie was kind of like... "yeah horses" for a couple years and Ana never really rode horses outside of some basic lessons, but Alice loves riding horses. It's her escape from royal duties and royal life.

Richard is... very protective over Alice (hence Alice's desire to escape from royal life) and has very particular ideals that she should meet. She wants to meet them and make him proud but at the same time, she just wants to be her own person.

Her relationship with Elissa is... rocky. She loves her mom and wants to make her proud (especially because it's just the two of them living at Landfarm Park when Richard kicks the bucket) but their personalities cause them to butt heads often.

Alice is also sort of the loner sibling compared to her sisters and brothers. She's a good 8 years younger than the twins, not to mention close to two decades younger than Ana. They all love each other and all care about each other, but it's very weird to be the youngest sibling when your oldest sibling is married and has a kid 5 years younger than you.

[twh-news]

"Loki" Director Kate Herron Talks The Epic Season 1 Finale And The Easter Egg Fans Should Go Back And Listen For | Buzzfeed

Warning: There are MASSIVE spoilers ahead for Season 1 of Loki!

Welp, Loki Season 1 just came to an end and I think it's safe to say that the Marvel Cinematic Universe will never be the same. Following the Season 1 finale, we sat down with director Kate Herron to talk about everything — like how it felt introducing the multiverse and Jonathan Majors to the MCU, casting this incredible ensemble cast, Loki's bisexuality, and so much more. Here's everything we learned:

1. First, Kate has always loved Loki, so she knew she wanted to be involved in the "character's next step" in some way.

"Basically, I love Loki, and I found out they were making a show about him. As a fan, I was like, 'I need to know where he's gone.' Then, I just wanted to know what the story was going to be. I loved the character. I think Tom Hiddleston's performance is amazing. I really wanted to be part of whatever this character's next step was because I think Loki's had one of the best arcs in the MCU."

2. Directing all six episodes of the first season felt like filming a six-hour movie.

"Directing all six episodes was a really unique experience, right? Because normally TV is run through the showrunner system, and Marvel didn't do that on Loki. It was incredible. It was quite an undertaking to do six hours and run it like a giant film. I'm so grateful for the opportunity, and I'm really proud of what we made."

3. When Kate signed on to Loki, only the first few scripts had been written, the "rough shape of the show" was in place, and they knew Loki would be arrested by the TVA.

"When I started, Michael [Waldron] had written the pilot. Then, there was a second episode written by Elissa [Karasik], and Bisha's [Ali] episode was written. So, there was a rough shape of the show. It was already fixed in that Loki was gonna be arrested by the TVA and then it had this twist that he was going to try and solve the mystery of who this other Loki was, but then it pivots and becomes this love story about him falling in love with himself. I just thought that was so inspired and the message that had about self-love. I just really wanted to be part of that."

4. And they always knew the show would end at The Citadel at the End of Time and the multiverse would be born.

"As we dug into it with Kevin Wright, our producer, the studio, Michael, Tom, and also our whole team, I think it was always thinking like what was the best story, in particular during the second half of the show. We always knew they were going to The Citadel, something would happen, and the multiverse would be born, but we didn't necessarily know it would come out of Loki and Sylvie fighting. That idea came out of discussions with me, the writers, and the studio."

5. It was "always the plan" to introduce Jonathan Majors to the MCU during the Loki Season 1 finale.

"I think me and the writers were just like, 'Well, they haven't told us we can't introduce that character. I guess we're doing it.' It was really exciting and I felt really honored that I got to be part of it."

6. Kate was involved with Jonathan's casting for He Who Remains/Kang alongside Peyton Reed, who will direct Ant-Man: Quantumania, and Marvel Studios.

"Being part of the casting discussion with Marvel and Peyton was amazing. It was massive. I was just like, 'Wow, I can't believe I get to be part of this conversation.' Everyone was just so excited about Jonathan. He's one of the best actors. I just couldn't believe we got him."

7. Jonathan brought a lot of "cool ideas to the table" once he was cast, and Kate gave him "space to play."

"He just brought so many cool ideas to the table. I think when you're working with an actor like Jonathan, it's really just about giving him space to play, and let him find the character and give him a cool way to do that. I really enjoyed working with him. We finished the shoot filming in The Citadel, so it was really interesting that we finished filming with Jonathan. I just felt very lucky I got to direct him."

8. Jonathan actually voiced the Time-Keepers in Episode 4, which added to the Wizard of Oz homage.

"Obviously, the Time-Keepers were being made in post, and we hadn't cast anyone [for the voices] yet, and I thought, 'Well, Wizard of Oz. Like it should be the wizard, right?' So I thought it would be cool if it was Jonathan, and I think the key thing then was just working with him in a way that we could disguise his voice. I think the fun thing was, Jonathan is an amazing character actor. So we just sent him the art and he was sending audio clips to me and Kevin Wright and being like, 'What about this voice?' It was just so much fun to do that with him. I think that was just joyful."

9. Kate's favorite Easter egg from Episode 5 was Throg — in fact, Chris Hemsworth recorded new lines and sounds for that small part.

"That one I was very proud of and it was very fun. I had that shot designed for a while. I think I'd seen it in Futurama, and a lot of animation does it, but I love the idea of going through the dirt and it reveals something. I always felt like that shot would be the place to insert an Easter egg. When we had Throg in there, it was so much fun and it was perfect. We also recorded Chris [Hemsworth] for that. It was just so much fun."

10. She also loved the Thanos Copter and said it was a "funny" detail the producers loved from the comics, so they had to include it.

"The Thanos Copter was great. Kevin Wright, our executive producer, was really obsessed with that copter, I was like, 'We have to put the helicopter,' and it was so funny. Episode 5 is our best Easter egg episode. There's so much deliberately because of the nature of The Void as a place where deleted things are sent."

11. There's one Easter egg/detail Kate hasn't seen fans catch onto yet, and it involves a "familiar" voice at the very end of the Season 1 finale.

"The one I would say is — it's less Easter egg and more cool story-wise. So, at the very end of the finale, when Loki is in this alternate TVA, there's a character that runs behind him and is going to the armory and people should listen to the voice. It's very quick, but it's someone familiar."

12. Loki was inspired by numerous iconic sci-fi movies, like Children of Men, Alien, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Metropolis, Starship Troopers, and more.

"Bisha, in the episode [she wrote], she spoke about Children of Men and also Before Sunrise as a reference, so I was really inspired by that and the idea of bringing these sci-fi things together. Across all the TVA, I wanted it to just be a big love letter to sci-fi movies, like Metropolis, Brazil, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, [and] Alien. A reference I could never talk about early was Starship Troopers just because, obviously, the TVA are bad guys and in that movie they also use a lot of propaganda film and we had our Miss Minutes film. So, that movie played a hand. There was so much across the show. We had references from everywhere."

13. And the inspiration for how The Void would look in Episode 5 actually came from Teletubbies.

"I never really spoke much about it, but basically in Episode 5, The Void was originally written like a desert, but when I pitched, I said I thought it would be cool if rather than like a Mad Max desert apocalypse, it's more like an overgrown garden. Like, this is the place where the TVA throw their rubbish in. I just loved the idea of that. I think I realized as it started to unravel that I'd basically pitched the British countryside. As we were building it, I was like, 'Am I just homesick?' I remember trying to explain it to the visual effects artists who were making it, and I was like, 'You know, it's like the Teletubbies. You know, rolling hills just one after another.' So, yeah, the Teletubbies became a useful reference when describing The Void. So, that's how they played a hand in it."

14. Kate was the one who suggested Sophia Di Martino audition for the role of Sylvie.

"Sophia was in a short film of mine called Smear. I was very happy to pay her, finally, for her talent. When we were reading for the role, I was like, 'There's this actor I know and I think we should ask if she wants to read.' Everyone was like, 'Yeah, sure.' So, she read in these audition tapes, and we were all watching the tapes back and I remember everyone at the studio was like, 'Wait, who's that?' And I was like, 'Oh, that's my friend Sophia.' They thought she was amazing."

15. Sophia's audition tape was so good that she was immediately cast.

"Basically, everyone was really excited by her tape and I think she got cast in the room, which is incredible. I was excited because I got to bring my friend along. She's such a good actor. She's fantastic in Flowers and I was just so happy that she was coming along for the ride. I think she's done such a beautiful job with Sylvie."

16. One of the most important things when crafting Sylvie and the other Loki Variants was making sure they were their own characters, and not just Loki copies.

"I think the most important thing, minus just tiny little gestures, was really making it important that Sylvie was her own character and that all the Lokis weren't just 'faded photocopies.' They were all their own Loki. It wasn't even that they stood in a similar way or looked similar, but what in their soul made them a Loki. I love that line, 'Lokis always survive.' That idea goes across all our characters who are Lokis."

17. Casting Sylvie was one of the hardest things, and Sophia was able to bring her own spin to the character and she was the perfect "sparring partner" for Tom.

"Sophia has this talent — and I think Tom has it as well — where she's so funny and naturally so witty and charismatic that you can't take your eyes off her. She's also really good at playing characters with a lot of anger, pain, and vulnerability. I just felt that those qualities were so Loki to me. She brought her own spin on it too. Tom's performance is so iconic, so Sylvie was a tough role to cast because you need to give him a good sparring partner, but also, it's another Loki and people love Loki. So, it was really making sure that she felt distinctive enough that she was different, but also that we gave Tom a really fun actor to play alongside. It was really fun watching them. It was really fun seeing their chemistry grow."

18. Sylvie's fighting style was actually crafted to have similar movements to Loki's, thus showing that they are basically two sides of the same coin.

"I know Tom and Sophia spent a lot of time together. I think the fun thing with Sophia was the little things, like the fighting styles. She has a very different life to our Loki. Loki is very balletic in his fighting style, because he grew up in the palace, whereas Sylvie grew up in apocalypses. So, she was going to fight a bit more like a feral cat. I thought that was fun to play with. We worked with Mo [Ganderton], our stunt coordinator, and it was really fun to find little mirror image stuff they would do when they fight. We did a little bit of that on Lamentis and there's little bits here and there where we've done that. There's also little gestures that they do that are quite similar."

19. Kate had a "four hour" phone call with Owen Wilson before he was cast. They talked about Marvel, Mobius, and Loki.

"Everyone was so excited to cast him. I remember, they were like, 'Kate, just call him and see if he's up for it.' That was a lot of pressure. But then, I spoke to him on the phone and we spoke about Marvel and Loki in Marvel. Also, we talked about what our show was doing, who Mobius was, and then just getting his take on it. It was a very detailed conversation. I think we spoke for like four hours. At the end, he was like, 'I'm in.'"

20. Wunmi Mosaku's role was originally supposed to be a male character, but Kate suggested having an "open casting" because she thought Hunter B-15 would be really great as a female character.

"When I spoke to the studio, I was like, 'This character is cool, but I just think it could be really interesting if this was a female character. So, could we do open casting? We'll have men and women read, and we'll just see who's the best person for the role.' So, Wunmi read for it and just blew everyone away. We were like, 'We have to cast this person!' So, we kind of remade the role, really, around her."

21. Kate loves the idea that Hunter B-15 joins this club of sci-fi female characters who were originally supposed to be men.

"It was cool because I love Ripley in Alien and I love Kara Thrace in Battlestar Galactica. In the original Battlestar, Kara Thrace's character was played by a man, and Ripley in Alien was originally written as a man, so I liked that Hunter B-15 was joining these badass women in sci-fi. That was really cool to me."

22. When Kate pitched her ideas to the studio, she include Gugu Mbatha-Raw as the actor she wanted to play Ravonna.

"Gugu was in my pitch when I spoke to the studio. I was like, 'I think she'll be really great.' I love her work as an actor. From Belle to the episode of Black Mirror she's in, everything she's in is so different. I think that's so interesting with Ravonna because in the comics, Ravonna's been good and bad, and she's such a big character. I was like, 'I'd love to see Gugu's take on that character.' The studio was really excited by that and so was Gugu."

23. Kate said it was "important" to recognize Loki's bisexuality in the show, and she loved how it was naturally worked into a conversation between him and Sylvie.

"It was just important for us to do it in a way that made it canon, acknowledged it, and also done in a way where like, if someone asked me, I would just be matter of fact about it, like, 'Yeah, I'm bi.' I think that was the important thing for it and building it into the conversation. It was important to the whole team and the way that it was written was really beautiful. It felt like the right place to do it because these two characters are starting to open up to each other and are being a bit more honest about who they are. So it felt like the right place to have that moment."

24. The TVA weren't always going to be Variants/humans. That idea was born out of conversations with Kate, the writers, and the rest of the Loki team.

"When I started, I think it was a bit more up in the air with like, who are the Variants who work for the TVA? Are they Variants? They actually weren't Variants when I first joined. Casey was an alien, for example. I think something we all locked onto was it was more effective to make them more human. It was already in there that the Time-Keepers wouldn't be real and that would be a big Wizard of Oz rug pull. But the extra rug pull we added was that, on top of all of that, the TVA don't realize that they're actually Variants."

25. One of the things Kate enjoyed the most was figuring out the "inner workings of the TVA," like how the Minutemen would operate.

"I think it was really fun, in terms of the bigger structural stuff, to work with everyone. Also, figuring out the inner workings of the TVA, like every squad of Minutemen would have a hunter and they'll be little details sprinkled across all the world building in the show. Generally, we always looked at the characters and what was the best story and how to get to the end goal in the most effective way."

26. The season finale intro — which included seeing space, the sacred timeline, and hearing quotes from the MCU and history — was an homage to Contact.

"Basically, Eric Martin, our writer, he'd written in this amazing idea that for the opening we do an homage to Contact, and kind of move through space to the end of time. Then, we'd see the physical timeline, and then we see The Citadel. I love Contact, and I was like, 'Oh, that's so cool.' We took that idea to Darrin [Denlinger], our storyboard artist, and me and him just nerded out about space and about how we wanted to pay homage to Contact but not be completely the same.

So we played with the idea of time and he was bringing in so many cool ideas. But then, the amazing pitch he had as well was like, 'What if when we pull out at the very end, the timeline isn't a straight line like how you guys have been showing it in the show? What if it's actually circular?' I thought it was such a good idea."

27. Kevin Feige helped come up with the idea to include Marvel quotes over the Marvel logo because it was something the MCU had never done before.

"I had this weird idea where I remember saying to my editor, Emma McCleave, I was like, 'Oh, can we add a baby crying or the sounds of the city? And it's like we just hear life.' So her, me, and Kevin Wright got really into that. So we were adding all of these different sounds into the timeline. We also had quotes from just life, not Marvel. Then, we showed that cut to Kevin Feige and the rest of the team.

They all thought it was cool, and then Kevin Feige was like, 'Oh, do you know what? We've never done quotes on the Marvel logo before.' So, we thought that was cool and we added the quotes to the Marvel logo intro. Then, me, Kevin Wright, Emma, and Sarah Bennett, Emma's assistant, decided to just put the MCU quotes across the whole thing."

28. Going from hearing all of the voices in the season finale opening to utter silence in The Citadel was also a way of learning something about He Who Remains.

"I loved the idea of all the noise and this Greek chorus building because when you finally pull out and see The Citadel and how isolated it is, it tells you so much about He Who Remains' psychology because he's surrounded by all this brimming life, but he's completely isolated and alone. I thought it tells you a little bit about his character and who he might be before we see him."29. Kate loves that the season finale opening is a "beautiful handover" from the previous phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe into this one with the multiverse.

"It was a real group effort, and we were just really excited at the idea of it being this really beautiful handover from the previous phase of Marvel. Also, we get to encapsulate a little bit of our world as well, which was really fun. The editing team put so much time into that. I really want to watch it in a planetarium or something."

29. Kate loves that the season finale opening is a "beautiful handover" from the previous phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe into this one with the multiverse.

"It was a real group effort, and we were just really excited at the idea of it being this really beautiful handover from the previous phase of Marvel. Also, we get to encapsulate a little bit of our world as well, which was really fun. The editing team put so much time into that. I really want to watch it in a planetarium or something."

30. And finally, even though Loki sets up a lot of upcoming MCU projects — namely, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Ant-Man: Quantumania — Kate didn't have a lot of conversations with other MCU directors and writers.

"Kevin Wright and Stephen Broussard from Marvel were our producers on Loki, and they worked with Kevin Feige, Louis [D'Esposito], and Victoria [Alonso]. They always steered us in terms of the Marvel big picture and let us know if anything was off base. It's so secretive at Marvel, so I only spoke to Peyton just because our timelines crossed [with Jonathan]. Generally, Marvel manages everything internally and keeps us all in check."