#on one hand I agree with her character choice and this is a great moment

[penny-anna]

OK in advance of tonight's other episode, couple of thoughts on the Percy Jackson tv show's adaptational choices:

i haven't actually seen anyone flag this one up yet (it's a fairly subtle change and i know a lot of ppl haven't read the first book in like 15 years so maybe everyone just forgot?) but in the book the reveal that Percy's mother is still alive drops a lot later in the narrative. book!Percy heads out on his quest fully intending to bring her back from the dead. which imo is a stronger narrative beat & it makes the reveal that she's still alive and he was right to think he could rescue her that much more satisfying.

on reflection agree w the comments i've seen re the other kids should have knelt to Percy after he was claimed. actually saw complaints about this before reading the book so was surprised at how fleeting a moment it was but it really does serve to accentuate both what a big deal a Forbidden Child is and that Percy is an outsider even at Camp Halfblood

as per previous post yes it is explicitly stated in the book that Chiron suspect Percy was the son of Poseidon and i think omitting that was a mistake given the number of ppl i've seen picking up on it

in 2 minds about the omission of the hellhound bcos it is a pretty important plot beat and a cool scene but i can see why they wouldn't want to do a CGI monster fight that was technically extraneous

ALSO Annabeth having mistakenly concluded that Percy was a child of Zeus was a good character beat in terms of her being smart enough to figure out he was a forbidden child but not infallible. and maybe also biased due to her previous relationship w Thalia.

that said i enjoyed her shoving Percy in a lake too much to really complain.

changes i think are for the better:

i think having sending Medusa's head to Olympus have actual Consequences was a good move 👍 unless im missing something due to not having read the rest of the series. i was surprised reading the book that in spite of Percy getting warned not to do it there wasn't any fall out.

i don't think the scene w Percy petrifying one of the furies was in the book either? cool moment!

PLUS having Athena be petty enough to pull that shit was like. very on point for a Greek god flkghfdkj

really enjoyed Echidna getting introduced earlier. amped up the tension in a big way AND kept me on my toes, i was there like ohh is this a different monster? are they moving her fight scene to the train? what's going to happen here - OH NO

Echidna bringing up that the gods and the 'monsters' are all a single family was also 👌great scene all round

likewise Percy & Annabeth BOTH trying to sacrifice themselves for the group loved that. don't think this was necessarily an improvement as the book scene was good in a different way but really good moment

*slow hand clap* consensus!!

[xximpressions]

Raging Fire

Daemon Targaryen x Velaryon!reader

Summary: Your Uncle has betrothed you to the King's brother, and when you meet, you are not at all what he expects.

Word Count: 1,320

A/N: Daemon intrigued me so I felt the need to write this. Depending on the response, I may continue it. We'll see *shrug* Enjoy! 😊 And don't forget to leave a comment below! They're how I'm going to determine if I continue 😘

Next

House of the Dragon Masterlist

____________________________________________________________

“Lord Corlys, please. See sense.”

Not even bothering to hide his scoff, the Lord in question side-eyed the King before looking ahead as he gruffly responded.

“See sense? Let us be clear, your Highness. I saw sense when I agreed to your marriage with my daughter. It was you who insulted my house after you chose to marry the Hightower girl instead.”

Knowing this was a truth that could not be avoided, King Viserys dropped his eyes to the table. He reclined back into his chair and raised a hand to rub his temple as he gave a deep sigh.

“I can see how my…choices might have been a slight against your family. What can the crown do to make up for its actions?”

Lord Corlys simply glanced back to the King in order to gauge the sincerity of his offer.

Upon seeing the man look back at him in earnest, the renowned sailor put a hand to his chin in thought.

After taking a moment to contemplate what to ask for, Lord Corlys began to speak.

“Your brother’s marriage recently came to an end, did it not?”

Not seeing where he was going with this, Viserys hesitatingly replied.

“Yes, it ended with the death of his wife, Lady Royce.”

With that confirmation, a small sly smile joined the expression on the Sea Snake’s face.

“Excellent. Then I have the perfect match in mind.”

However, before he could continue speaking, the King interjected.

“Now hold on a moment. Are you suggesting we betroth your daughter to my brother?” 

As Viserys thought about such a union, he could not see it being very successful with Laena at such a young age in comparison to Daemon.

Chuckling lightly, Lord Corlys waved off such an idea.

“Not at all. What I am proposing is a marriage between your brother and my niece since it is high time she was settled.”

As Viserys allowed his surprise to show, the other man continued.

“Prince Daemon showed great strength and character while we fought together in the Stepstones. I can think of no one better to take the hand of my niece.”

As the King’s surprise turned into confusion, he asked,

“But who is your niece? For I have surely never heard of her.”

“That is because she has been absent from court in order to follow in the footsteps of her Uncle.”

Still confused, his Majesty gestured for the Lord to continue his explanation.

“Her parents were lost to us when she was at a young age and has been living with my family and I ever since. As a high-born dragonrider, she is a woman that holds more power than most.” 

The Lord said with a reflective look in his eyes, 

“Being the sole heir to her family’s estate, as well as Commander of my fleet in my absence, she has a raging fire burning in her that could only possibly be tamed by a dragon. I believe your brother can be that dragon.”

Caught up on one particular aspect of his explanation, the King incredulously said,

“Your niece is in charge of your fleet?”

Lord Corlys’ smirk was proud as he responded,

“Yes, she has a strategist’s mind, so I rely on her counsel often. It only makes sense that she is the one to lead them when I cannot.”

As Viserys thought on all that had been told to him, he found himself eventually nodding in acquiescence.

“Very well. We shall betroth them to one another so that there may be peace between our two houses."

Pleased, Lord Corlys nodded as he stood from the table and said,

“Then I shall inform my niece of her impending nuptials.”

“The girl is here?” asked the King.

“She arrives in a fortnight, but I will write to her today.”

Lord Corlys replied before giving his thanks, bowing, and exiting the room.

*********************

The cool feel of the crisp wind whipped about you viciously.

But as you flew through the air on the back of your beloved dragon, it was like you did not even feel the cold.

All you ever felt when you were up this high, was free.

After flying a few circles around the city to enjoy such a feeling a bit longer, you began your descent.

As you neared the Red Keep, you could see a small group of people gathered near the landing area.

Once your dragon touched ground, you took your time in dismounting from your saddle.

After your feet were on solid rock, you turned to make your way to what looked like a welcoming party.

As you approached, it was Lord Corlys who stepped forward to greet you with his arms held out.

“Ah, my beautiful niece. Welcome to King’s Landing.”

Having not seen him in a few months, your smile was bright as you made your way into his paternal embrace. 

“Uncle!” You exclaimed with obvious joy before pulling away. He took both of your hands in his as you said, “It gladdens my heart to see you once again.”

The smile on his face was affectionate as he took a step back in order to take you in.

“I am grateful to see you as well. Even if it is not in proper court attire.” He finished with a teasing note.

Looking down to see the leather trousers and tunic you were clothed in, you could not help smirking as you looked back to his eyes and replied,

“Well, one cannot properly ride a dragon if they are dressed in proper attire, can they Uncle?”

His sigh was fond when he said,

“No, I suppose they cannot.”

After you both shared one last smile, you each turned toward the rest of the welcoming party who had been watching your interaction.

“My King, may I present my Lady niece, Commander of my fleet, and heir to High Tide.”

With a bow of your head, you said,

“Your Majesty, you and your family honor me with your presence.”

You then made sure to smile at him, his young wife, his heir, and his brother. Though, your eyes lingered when they landed on the Prince.

You held each other’s gaze for a moment before he began to speak.

But it was only after he finished asking his question that you realized he was not talking to you.

“Does she even speak High Valyrian?”

He had looked toward his brother as he spoke in the tongue he was inquiring about, so he did not see your smile grow wider at his condescending tone.

It was only when you said,

“She does. Though if you wanted to know, you could have asked her yourself.”

That the man known as the Rogue Prince glanced back to you with poorly concealed surprise.

Smirking to yourself, you forgot about the rest of your audience as you took a few steps in his direction until you were standing directly across from him.

In the Common Tongue, you simply said,

“I presume you are my betrothed.”

The prince merely clasped his hands behind his back before giving a single nod to your question.

With a hum, you continued talking.

“Then allow me to give you a word of warning: I have been underestimated my whole life. I caution you against making the same mistake.”

And allowed the kind smile to remain on your face, before turning back to the rest of the party.

“Now, it has been a long journey. Might I be shown where I will be staying?”

Sensing the tension growing between you and Daemon as he continued to openly stare at you after you dismissed him without a backward glance, the Queen was quick to say,

“Of course.”

Before leading you inside.

And as you followed after her, you could not stop the pleased smile from growing on your lips as you felt the stare of your future husband burning into your back.

Next

[ofbreathandflame]

(heavy discussions on sa - this is actually an older post that i made like months ago, and was actually the first draft of the amarantha taboo post, so some things sound similar! just a heads up!)

you know i actually think there is a wider discussion to be had about rhysand's sexual assault - or sexual assault and trauma as it functions in the wider narrative. ive always felt that bc the story puts rhysand in this vulnerable position (i.e. a victim of sexual violence) the story always needs to like...make up for it, if that makes sense? 

what i mean is: the story creates this dynamic where rhysand is a victim; he has no power, control, or say - but it also has a very hard time reconciling to the fact that he was placed in this position. and so there's these weird placeholding pieces of information that often addle or confuse the narrative. and i talked about this before with rhysand's framing of his 'service to amarantha.' i also contributes to the moments of hyperviolence with rhys in the books, as if he constantly has to make up for the fact he was placed into these vulnerable positions in the first, implicitly.

the first book - and other books thereafter - imply that rhysand's court is specificially shielded from amarantha because he aligns himself (action word). rhysand's decision is framed as a 'sacrifice' which implies a choice (that he didn't really have). it always implies that rhysand is the one consciously 'one-upping' amarantha by 'agreeing' to be her 'right hand man' again - notice how despite the fact amarantha is characterized as a sexual deviant, she's rarely the focus. its what rhys 'gave' and not what 'amarantha did.'  

and this is fine if this is the way rhysand chooses to see what happened to him - bc then that's a trauma response. he can't acknowledge it so its better for him to rationalize it - that would have been great writing. 

but thats not how his sexual assault and role utm is discussed. 

other characters view rhys sexual assault as a statement of heroism (which ew) and not a just a statement of amarantha's capacity for sexual violence. tarquin literally says something along those lines. which again is implying that RHYS HAD A CHOICE. we can't frame this as heroism. he was raped, he did not sacrifice something...it was taken. 

in the initial scenario - where we remove the idea of autonomy (e.g. the idea that rhys purposely aligns himself with amarantha) he's a victim. but then - so is tamlin, tarquin, beron, kallias, and helion. in short - rhys being taken advantage of says nothing about him. it's a statement on amarantha's cruelty. but the story isn't satisfied with this bc...how would he be any different than tamlin whose vilified for being directly affected by his trauma, who 'sat on his ass for fifty years' as the book says. 

its the tragedy of how male sexual assault is rationalized in this series. the story literally purposely sets up a mirror position where rhys and tamlin are consistently compared for how they work through some of the craziest trauma ever known to man. the level of trauma the story is asking these characters to 'overcome' is actually quite insane. 

so the story ups the ante, it doesn't want rhys to be 'just a victim,' it wants him to be the MAN TM. bc tamlin and tarquin are 'just victims' so ewww. like even lucien is given another horribly written experience with sexual assault (which it literally has to bend the worldbuilding to accomplish) and then kind of position his complaints abt ianthe as whiny. or how tarquin's trauma is...not 'dark' enough for feyre. these men are often characterized as cowardly or not enough in relation to rhys. helion, thesan, tarquin, and tamlin are all consistently characterized as 'cowards' with little to no initiative or backbone.

so the story does that thing where it provides impossible situations: rhysand is the most powerful being in the world, he's so powerful that even without his 'real' power, he's still light years more powerful than the others when they're powers are ripped away. he can read minds, and has two wraiths that can literally walk through the walls and spy. he's often sent on missions on behalf of amarantha and can waltz in and out of the spring court without any issues (ie. its easy for him to convince amarantha he needs to go to the spring court multiple times. and then when he works for amarantha - he's the mastermind, not her. he's playing her all along and blah blah blah). but then it doesn't know how to write this dynamic with rhys and amarantha. and then it depowers him, while shaming the other men in the series for not doing 'enough' even when the most op character with all of those advantages isn't even able to over power her.

there's little introspection into amarantha as a character and as a villain -- and you'll notice she's hardly ever mentioned after the first book...despite the fact that she was literally the high queen of prythian and was the governing oppressive force for a half-century. as said in this post - the story isn't actually concerned about making a point about male sexual asault.

and that's why i talked about why that amarantha taboo is...kind of important to how the story chooses to conceptualize sexual violence/assault. the choice to create amarantha (and ianthe and maeve too) as these caricatures of sexuality - which is pretty much the case of all of sjm's villains. 

the story doesn't want to fully commit to a tactical scenario, because it doesn't believe that he's a victim in that capacity  - or at least that the victimhood is valid. bc its spends so much time invalidating the male trauma around rhys, the only way to make a distinction between rhys and the others to have rhys "orchestrate" his own assault to save everyone.

[winchester-books]

You Think I’m Hot?

Based On: Outer Banks

Characters: JJ x Reader, John B, Sarah, Pope, Kie

Warnings: nope

w/c: 1300

Request (anon): Hi! Can I pls have a JJ Maybank imagine where the reader is a kinda shy kook but hangs with the pogues and her and JJ obviously like each other and flirt. Ty if you can.

PLEASE don’t steal my work it’s literally not cool- also i would LOVE if you left some feedback ! thank u and hope u guys enjoy :))

You had been more than a little hesitant to agree when Sarah asked if you wanted to join her, John B, and his group of friends on a boat trip for the day. You were already a relatively shy person, and being a kook in a group of pogues didn’t exactly bid well for your case of making friends or having fun. But, after some pestering from Sarah (and her promise that a certain blonde boy would be joining the trip), you finally caved and agreed to go.

You were sitting beside Sarah, who had John B on her other side. His arm was wrapped around her shoulder and he was whispering something in her ear that made her laugh. Pope and Kiara were at the front of the boat, chatting and passing a blunt back and forth. JJ was seated in the captain's chair, more focused on guiding the boat than anyone around him. 

You couldn’t help but feel awkward and out of place in the tight-knit group of pogues, unsure why Sarah had even wanted you to come in the first place. The only semi-enjoyable part of this so far had been the stolen glances you had managed to get of JJ as he manned the steering wheel. God, if only you had the courage to actually say something to him rather than just daydream about him. 

-

JJ’s leg bounced nervously from his seat as he steered the boat. When John B had insisted that they invite Y/N along on their boat trip so she and JJ could get closer it had seemed like a great idea. But, at the moment, starting up a conversation with her seemed like the most terrifying thing in the world. 

He stole another look at her from the corner of his eye, she looked amazing as usual. Come on, man up! They got her to come on this trip for you, say something! He mentally scolded himself at the fact that he had yet to make a move. 

“JJ I think here’s a good spot!” Kie yelled from the bow of the ship, “Pope and I are gonna jump in and cool off,”

JJ dramatically saluted her, cutting the engine and searching for the boat’s anchor, finally spotting it at your feet. He leaned forward, reaching for it. 

You had noticed the anchor at your feet at about the same time, so you also bent over to grab it. You and JJ froze as your hands touched, “Oh, my bad,” you said quickly, trying to ignore the butterflies you got from his touch. 

He cleared his throat, freezing up for a moment. “No worries, I got it,” he finally managed, grabbing the anchor and tossing it over. 

Why was it so hard to talk to you? Normally, he could get almost any girl he wanted, flirting was something that came naturally to him. But for some reason, you just made him so nervous he could barely hold a normal conversation with you. 

You watched as Kie and Pope jumped into the ocean, laughing about something as they did so. John B and Sarah weren’t far behind them. Sarah barely got her t-shirt off before John B picked her up and jumped in with her still over his shoulder. You grimaced, facing a choice: jump in with the others and third wheel or force yourself to talk to JJ. 

“So, Y/N, how long have you and Sarah been friends?” JJ asked.

Oh great. Awkward small talk, you thought to yourself. “Umm, a while, she was the first person I met when I moved here in third grade. We’ve been pretty close ever since,”

“Cool, cool,” JJ was panicking on the inside but desperately trying to keep it cool. He wanted nothing more than to talk to you but just couldn’t shake his nerves, “Want a beer?” He asked, walking over to her side of the boat and grabbing two from the cooler that had been sitting at John B’s feet. 

“Sure,” you said, grabbing one from his extended hand. 

Before he could second guess himself, JJ plopped himself down into the seat next to you. His shoulder brushing against yours as he did so. You held back a shudder as butterflies racked your stomach once again at his touch.

The two of you sat in silence as you sipped on your drinks. JJ’s eyes noticed the gold band around your left pointer finger. Without thinking twice, he grabbed your hand, his fingers brushing over the gold ring as he looked at it, “It’s pretty,” he said with a soft nod, “Where’d you get it?”

You swallowed the nervous lump in your throat and prayed to God that your blush wasn’t noticeable, “Uh, it was my grandma’s actually,”

“Oh nice,” he let go of your hand and held up his right hand, showing you the silver banded rings on his thumb and middle fingers. “I stole these from some random old store on the cut,” he smirked slightly, “But I wear them cause my dad always said how much my mom loved silver jewelry. I don’t remember her much, but it gives me something to remember her by,” he said with a shrug. 

“I like them a lot,” you said softly, gently grabbing his hand so you could get a better look at them. 

JJ stared at you as you intently examined his rings. “You have really pretty eyes,” he blurted out, biting his tongue milliseconds after the words left his mouth. 

You felt the hot burn of his cheeks at his compliment, “T-thank you,” you smiled, too embarrassed to look you in the eyes. 

JJ rubbed the back of his neck anxiously, embarrassed and feeling like he was making you uncomfortable. “Sorry if that was weird- I can just leave you alone,”

“No!” you said a little too quickly, “Uh- No,” you shook your head, “You aren’t bothering me at all. I just get a little shy sometimes, that’s all," you admitted. "And talking to a guy as hot as you doesn’t exactly make me any less nervous.” Your face turned bright red at that, not really sure what possessed you to say that out loud, “I mean- uh..” you grabbed ahold of your drink and finished it quickly trying to take the edge off of the embarrassment. 

“So you think I’m hot?” JJ didn’t stop the cocky smirk from flashing across his face, his ego taking a massive boost at your words. 

You ran a hand through your hair, mortified and wishing more than ever that you had told Sarah you were too busy to make it today. You jumped slightly as JJ's hand found its way to your jaw, turning your head up to look at him. 

“You have no idea how much that means to me, Y/N,”

You furrowed your brows at his words, neither of you breaking eye contact.

“I have had the biggest crush on you since I first saw you when you moved into town.” JJ felt a wave of relief as he finally admitted his feelings that he had been hiding for so long. 

“What?” You could hardly believe what he had just said.

He nodded, “How could anyone not fall for you? I just never said anything because I figured you would never like a pogue,”

“Oh please,” You stifled a small laugh. “Just ask Sarah, I’ve had the biggest crush on you since that time you punched Rafe in the face in 7th grade. I never knew what he did, but I was always sure he had it coming,”

You and JJ burst out into laughter, the tension between you finally gone as you talked. JJ’s gaze shifted from your eyes to your lips and you felt your heart skip a beat, “Y/N,” he finally said, “Can I kiss you?”

“Please,” you said with a small smile.

The boy grinned, his right hand cupping your jaw as he leaned in and pressed his lips to yours. 

“Finally!” “Get a room!” “Atta boy JJ!”

Your cheeks grew hot at the sound of your friends yelling and cheering from the water.  JJ raised his left hand to the group, showing off his middle finger as he deepened his kiss with you.

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[animentality]

Now I need to know what you think is missing from Wyll, Karlach, and Gale’s character arcs. For Wyll and Karlach, the emotional character moments to not feel as important as they should be. Karlach’s goal of killing Gortash doesn’t doesn’t relate to her current issue with Zariel and Wyll kind of has a flat character arc from hero for Baldur’s gate to hero for the sword coast and then hero for Avernus or back to Baldur’s gate. Gale’s is a bit harder for me to point out the major issue but I think it’s that the consequences of his choices happen off screen after all the conflict.

Thanks for answering so many of my asks!

Yeah no worries, I enjoy thinking about Baldur's Gate, the same way a mental patient dreams of violent neurosis.

Anyway, here's my suggestion.

As it is, right now, it does NOT make sense for Zariel to want Karlach? She literally has armies of pit fiends and orthons for the Blood War. The fuck does she need some random tiefling for? And one who needs an Infernal Engine for a heart just to...barely keep up with real devils?

Why even use an Infernal Engine like that, anyway? You telling me you couldn't use that shit for something way more useful than making some random girl able to fight the devils that you already have at your disposal?

What makes wayyyyy more sense is...let's give Karlach a disability. She has a heart murmur, or some kind of heart abnormality. Let's say that in that day and age, such a thing could kill her.

Now Gortash is a thief. Let's say he STOLE an Infernal Engine, and he's dying to test it out. See how it works. Let's say he wants to test it out on a live subject, because he's a tinkerer. He tells Karlach he can fix her heart. And she's desperate, because she think she might have a heart attack, and die. So she agrees.

But instead of fixing her heart, he replaces it with an Infernal Engine. And she's furious, because, they find out, it's unstable and it has to return to Avernus.

And Gortash, being the prick he is, just shrugs and condemns her to the hells, because he has what he wants. He now knows how the Infernal Engine works. He's "nice" enough to send Karlach to the hells, though. Let's say he might have soooome connect, who can at least direct Karlach to Zariel.

So Zariel, being a little more sympathetic than most, takes Karlach in. Gives her a home. Teaches her how to fight, and recruits her for her cause, mostly out of pity. But then Karlach gets tired of fighting in the Blood War. She betrays Zariel, by running away, and that's when she gets tadpoled.

And it'd be a slap in the face for Zariel, because she took that girl in, when no one else would've! So she's hurt and betrayed, and that's why she's hunting Karlach. She hates traitors.

So that's re-framing Karlach! It makes more sense to me this way, because as it is, Zariel has no reason to want Karlach, OR to hunt for her. And also, Gortash's relationship with Karlach is still preserved, just shifted, to make more sense.

And her ending arc could be...force Gortash to fix her heart, after he's learned enough about Infernal Engines to now know how to do that. And confront Zariel.

Let's say Mizora too, or at least Mizora.

You could have a great boss fight somewhere interesting, maybe go to the hells...whatever.

And her entire character arc could go from "sad golden retriever who gets kicked and then DIES" to:

"I was betrayed by someone I used to care about, who used me for his own benefits. I am 'stronger' now than I was before, but at a cost. I was taken in by someone kind...and then I betrayed them. And now, I'm on the run because of that decision...but I did get dealt a pretty shit hand in life. I must now confront the man who hurt me, and apologize to the woman I then hurt as a result of my past trauma."

At the very least, we could see her evolving. She seems innocent and sweet at first...and then you find out, she did some horrible things during the Blood War. She has PTSD. She's grizzled and disillusioned. And maybe she has a hard time trusting people, after being betrayed AND betraying someone who was kind to her. But with the help of Tav/Durge, she learns to stop running from her trauma. To face her old demons head on. Maybe she even drops her "cheerful" act and becomes colder. But in the end, when she's either killed Gortash and had Zariel fix her engine, OR had Gortash fix her engine, and then confronted Zariel, she could return to her happier self, just more honest this time about how she really feels.

Also, she wouldn't have to fucking die.

She'd have a proper working heart, and can live her life.

Now as for Wyll...

Sighing, because his arc is botched.

In the EA, I know he was originally more sleazy?

He like...was called the "fraud" of the Sword Coast. He was meant to be a more morally gray guy, who seems like a hero, but who actually made a deal with a devil for his powers. I didn't play EA, but from what I understand, you could confront him more for being fake?

I would like it if they'd kept this complexity. Have Wyll be putting on "airs" but also be more willing to hurt innocents in the guise of being a hero?

Have him be a little amoral.

But Tav/Durge can either push him to greater immorality...or end up making him a proper hero in the end. Someone his father could be proud of...or maybe. Confront the damage his father did to him, growing up, maybe trying to make him something he was not.

And basically, becoming a hero, but on his own terms, and rejecting his father's idea of what a hero is.

That could be an interesting thing to do with him. Have Mizora be that evil devil on his shoulder...and Karlach be the good angel, because she would basically be like, well...I don't want Mizora to come after me on behalf of Zariel, so...come on, bud.

As for Gale...

Well.

I don't know.

I haven't played through Gale's arc as much, but from what I understand, his biggest issue is that he doesn't get much of a quest in the end. Just the Sorcerous Sundries stuff, which is whatever. You get to decide if he picks the bad Gale ending, where his ambition destroys him, and he becomes just another asshole god, or if he chooses happiness, and becomes a teacher.

Just give him an actual ending quest. Let him fight either a representation of Mystra or Elminster!

Let him reject both of them.

I honestly hesitate to suggest ways to fix Gale, only because I don't know enough about him. To me, a character choosing happiness over ambition is a pretty solid arc.

I just think the execution at the END could've been better.

Also, not just exclusive to Gale...

one of the biggest issues with BG3 is the fact that they chose to split their time doing the dumb, play as an origin thing, rather than prioritizing letting the whole cast intermingle. They could've developed more chances for Tavs/ Durges to influence the party, together and individually, have their decisions matter throughout the entire story.

Instead, they gave us the backstories, and then we just decide literally in Act 3, are they gonna be good or evil.

You only get to see character development if you are ROMANCING them, which is just, terrible, because it limits you to only seeing one character truly develop. Also, even if you are romancing someone, then it's still not really showing you that development.

Like, for Astarion, right, let's say you're trying to convince him not to be Cazador 2.0...you just choose that.

Let him Ascend, or don't.

But your relationship with him doesn't have THAT much of an effect on him?

It would've been far more interesting if your actions in Act 1 and 2 decide what happens there, and there is NO going back by that point. Oh, you forced him to drink from Araj?

He's going to become Ascended, and you can't stop him.

Oh, you chose to encourage Gale's ambition in Act 1? He's becoming a god, good job.

Your Durge was nasty to everyone, and killed so many innocent people in Act 2?

Everyone should fucking leave your ass then. ESPECIALLY if you become the chosen of Bhaal.

That's my issue with the general character development of Baldur's Gate. It's left entirely to, pick dialogue option 1 or 2.

There's not an actual reason to get a character's approval up unless you want to have a sex scene with them.

There's only ONE thing that'll make characters leave, otherwise, they just smile on and don't care that you just killed Isobel for no reason.

And going back to the romance being used as the linchpin for character development...sure, Astarion must learn to trust you and be honest and stop trying to manipulate you. But you don't actually get to reprimand him for that sort of behavior. To challenge him. To force him to see how he's hurting himself, and others?

Like Astarion is a big asshole!! He's a racist, he's mean to kids, he approves of you being horrible.

But then at the end...he just...is good now?

Because you chose to be good, and he's just going along with you...but that's lazy writing.

You had to SHOW us. You had to make us REALIZE he's getting softer. And not just to you, but to everyone.

It makes no sense to me in the epilogue how Astarion just, is a hero now, for no reason. If you don't romance him, I mean, it defaults him to "hero."

And I just don't get that.

So anyway.

Too long of a post, but....

that's my big issue.

Karlach, Wyll, they get no character arcs, and have no depth. Their endings are unsatisfying and uninteresting.

And...BG3 needed to actually show the characters evolving. But they didn't have time to do that, because they chose instead to just, reveal the trauma of their backstory from Act 1...forget the characters have backstories in Act 2...and then decide if they want to be good or evil in Act 3.

And that's...really...boring. And they feel like cardboard cut outs by that point, and not people.

[calchexxis]

I want to talk about the runtime of Goncharov for a minute. Yes, its infamous three-hour-plus runtime. It’s always been kind of hotly contested that Goncharov is far too long for its content, but I’d argue that it’s a story that couldn’t possibly be told in less time, even if it does drag a little in parts it doesn’t change the fact that every scene is important to the advancement of the characters.

Like, yes, the poker scene goes on forever. We all agree on that. But at the same time, where would you even cut it? It’s one of Sofia’s defining moments where she’s both physically and symbolically ‘joining the table’ as a player rather than just another card in the hand of a powerful man. It’s her apex moment where she’s risen out of her impoverished beginnings to enter the world of wealth, power, and decadence, and of course over the span of that long scene you almost see the movie play out in microcosm, with bluffs (betrayals) made and bets (fortunes) won and lost. It’s beautifully scripted, and cutting any part of it would have been a disaster.

Likewise, the part with Katya and Sofia in the bathroom of the Piazza is almost fourteen forking minutes but once again. Where would you cut it? All the focus is on Katya delicately doing Sofia’s makeup while she explains her disdain for her husband and his work and all the failures of the revolution that were ruined by power-hungry men. Those fourteen minutes are used to let us see Katya verbally shred everything about her own life, all while paradoxically opening the door for Sofia to step into it and get herself mixed up in it, but an underappreciated part of that is Sofia herself. We all focus on Katya’s monologue but I’m begging you, go back and watch it--just the scene, you don’t have to watch the whole movie (although if you haven’t seen it, do it) and watch Sofia’s face for that whole 14 minute speech.

Watch how mesmerized she is by Katya, how her expressions change, showing so much emotion even as she struggles not to so as to keep the fresh makeup Katya is lovingly applying intact (another great bit of symbolism btw). It’s a perfect recreation, almost, of their final scene together, when Katya is **SPOILERS** dying in the back of the car and Sofia is holding her and delicately cleaning her up, and both of them are keeping a straight face the entire time.

And I could go on and on (can you tell I like Katya/Sofia) touching on other scenes, like the big one with all the mafia bosses in the Cattedrale di San Gennaro where Goncharov and Andrey have their famous tête-à-tête, or that really excellent long shot they did of the walk down the entirety of the Naples boardwalk.

Anyway, I feel like the runtime is something that’s fair to complain about, but I also think of it as a kind of conscious choice. Every moment is used, but how it’s used can be contentious. Matteo took a risk by trying to do the wrong thing in the right way, and I think it paid off, even if it took a while to notice.

[blacktreacle22]

Elriel design choices?!

!!!!! Spoilers for ACOMAF, ACOWAR and ACOSF

Just some thoughts that may have been voiced already somewhere on here (or on tiktok, or instagram, or reddit (where i have also posted this….):

Just a small context: I am new (NEW) to the fandom (finished the series a couple of days ago, read them in about 2 weeks, now I am listening to them bc I am feral- next stop: ToG and CC!!)

So, when listening I either find myself rewind to listen to specific wording OR find myself wanting to do something else with my phone or just my hands or anything (like a sudoku or something).

Literally a couple of minutes ago, I was like “hmm what do I do, do I just sit in bed and listen? I don’t want to fall asleep and not know where I left the audio off” so I just stared at the picture of the book cover for ACOWAR (I read them on kindle) and as I was staring (really looking this time) i thought: “Is that Truth Teller? I mean, silly me, of course it is, it is the weapon that killed the King of Hybern, the big bad of the trilogy, duh!”

But then, on closer inspection I noticed something in the lower left corner that very much resembles a rose, imo. We already know what the rose is a symbol for, so I will spare you the Elain imbibed with spring-like qualities description. After that, I looked at the intertwined shapes of smoke, mist, tendrils, whatever you wish to call them and realized the one forming the rose is particularly lighter and the ones in the back are particularly darker- just like, you guessed it, shadows and light.

“Oh well, it could just mean that the Shadow D*ddy offered the really important weapon to the person that killed the king, not that big of a deal” (again, I will spare you the she’s-the-only-one-he-has-ever-entrusted-the-weapon-to discourse).

Or, dare I say, it was a really conscious design choice?

(REALLY IMPORTANT MENTION: when i started voicing this post in my head, the ACOTAR cover in my memory, had Tamlin’s beast on it, which I realized is actually Andras but I still made it work, I think)

I thought:

“hmm, interesting that you should have Andras on the first cover, serving as the event that triggered the whole story AND a testament to Tamlin’s power (shapeshifting- dual nature);

“interesting that you should have Rhys’ beast form on the second cover, him being the main love interest (on the book that the mating bond snapped in place and changed the story further) AND a testament to his dual nature (especially him being half-Illryan);

“interesting that you should have a dual symbolism (light and shadows, Az and Elain) both of them having a second nature of sorts, on the third cover, them being the people that basically made the story end;

So, not only are we keeping in line with the “dual nature symbolism” (which will most likely play a big part in Elaine’s book- with her being a seer) but we are also adding a duo on the center stage;

Not only are we referring to pivotal people/moments in the story, but we are putting them together in the spotlight;

If we are also to consider the fact that, in ACOTAR, we are hinted at Feysand (it is true, it happened, it is on page) in ACOMAF at Nessian (happened), I wonder what could possibly be hinted at in the third? Specifically now, that I have seen this book cover more clearly.

++++ the cover of ACOFAS is a flower, which again, great symbolism for… you guessed it, ELAINE. I do agree that it can also suggest spring, but what I think is even more important is that in spring, things are REBORN. So rebirth, a new beginning, a new story to tell, a new cycle of books.

And if you think about it, there is a new story to tell for each sister (even tho we had Feysand for the trilogy, they will still be there, and with Nyx that is a new beginning).

We have ACOSF, with friendship, love and healing.

And we have whatever is in store for us with Elaine’s book (bc I am so tired of bashing on her as a character, like it is going to CLEARLY be her book).

PS: I know it is not necessarily a good worded theory but this is my first ever post on reddit and it is currently 3 in the morning so I do hope I made sense for some people at least 🙏🥲

PPS: I am a hardcore Elriel shipper, THO, if everyone is happy and it is well written, I could eventually (months later, warm up to other ships- I am only here to read and appreciate amazing posts so please no ill-thoughts)❤️

[richincolor]

Welcome to our group discussion of Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang and illustrated by LeUyen Pham.

Please note that this is a full spoiler discussion! You will be spoiled if you continue reading.

Valentina Tran was named after Valentine’s Day, which used to be her favorite holiday. But when Val learns the truth behind what happened with her parents and why she’s being raised by a single father, she realizes true love is a lie. This is reinforced when she meets the spirit of Saint Valentine, who tells her she and her family are cursed to always be unlucky in love. Val is ready to give into her fate, until one Lunar New Year festival, where a mysterious lion dancer hands her a paper heart, and ZING. Val becomes determined to change her destiny, prove Saint Valentine wrong, and give her heart to the right person. Meanwhile, lion dancing is the only thing that has given Jae peace after his dad passed away. It’s also what keeps him connected to his father’s side of the family. Both Jae and his cousin Leslie notice Val at the Lunar New Year festival, and for some inexplicable reason, Jae hands Val a paper heart. But it’s Leslie, with his K-Pop good looks, who starts to date Val. Jae still feels this connection with Val and feels it’s somehow tied to how he feels about losing his father. Both Val and Jae struggle with the spirits who haunt them as they are inextricably brought together in a love story that is satisfying, sweet, and moving.

Audrey: I had so much fun reading LUNAR NEW YEAR LOVE STORY. It’s been a while since I’ve had the chance to really dig into a graphic novel, and this was a great one. Gene Luen Yang’s story was compelling, and LeUyen Pham did such a great job illustrating characters’ expressions and conveying movement. I really loved how the lion dances were illustrated. What did you think?

K. Imani: I agree Audrey, I had so much fun reading this novel as well. There were so many moments where I had a huge grin on my face and moments where I laughed out loud. The storytelling was so on point with a number of twists that I did not see coming. I love when a story keeps me on my toes. I had an ARC so the paper quality of my book was not that great, but the art was still beautiful so I can only imagine what the final product looked like.

Jessica: I’m a huge fan of Gene Luen Yang’s graphic novels so I knew I would be in for a treat! And I was not wrong. I’d just attended the Lunar New Year parade in Chinatown the prior weekend to reading this, so it felt very fitting to read this. I just adore stories about lion dancing – Audrey, I also loved how the lion dances were illustrated.

Crystal: I really loved the whole experience. The lion dancing was super interesting. It was great to see them, but also to learn about the how and why of the dancing. The artwork was gorgeous and like you said Audrey, LeUyen Pham was able to show so much movement. The color palette was beautiful and rich and followed the feng shui color wheel that is connected to the elements of nature. You can read more about Pham’s illustrations and her very deliberate choices with the colors in this BookPage interview.

Audrey: Let’s start with Valentina! What did you like about her? I have a soft spot for characters who get disillusioned about something but then forge onward anyway. I appreciated her determination to break her family’s romantic love curse, but I also really liked her journeys with familial love and friendship, too.

Jessica: She was a really interesting character! I didn’t expect to get a window into her childhood first thing, and the change from her childhood to when she is a teen in the present day was fascinating and really served to give us a full picture of who she is — it made me feel for her, too! Yet, at the same time, the way she throws herself into whatever she does – whether that’s making valentines or learning lion dancing – makes you really want to root for her.

K. Imani: I found Valentina so compelling. She had such a caring heart at the beginning of the book and to have it broken in such a way made me really feel for her. I really enjoyed traveling with her on her journey as she learned the difference between fantasy love and what real love is. Like Jessica said Ioved that she was so open to trying new things and when she put her mind to something, she went all in.

Crystal: I too appreciated seeing her relationships over time. It was good to see some of her childhood and to see her keep moving forward even when things were difficult. She picked herself up many times and kept on going. She was scared, but did the hard things.

Audrey: We can’t forget about Jae! He and Val didn’t have a great start, so I appreciated the slow burn of their friendship and eventual romance. He was quieter compared to Val, but he clearly was observant and thoughtful, and I appreciated how the two of them complemented each other.

Jessica: Jae! I love Jae so much. I love how much they complemented each other, and how Jae had his own struggles and his own story running parallel to Val. When they performed the lion dance together at the end – I loved that scene. And I cannot say enough about how fabulous the lion dancing illustrations in particular were. I went around showing it to people like, “hey, you should really read this – LOOK AT THESE ILLUSTRATIONS.” Another of my favorite scenes was when Jae’s uncle showed them Korean lion dancing and talked about eum and yang, and how the lion is 100% yang. That was so much fun. It makes me curious about the different kinds of lion dancing in the world beyond the style I’m familiar with.

K. Imani: Yes, we cannot forget about Jae. He was such a perfect balance for Valentina because he was the quiet to her loud.  I liked that he was surrounded by so much love so he was able to recognize that Val wouldn’t be ready for a real relationship and that she had to find her own way. I loved that they both had the same reasons, somewhat, for doing the lion dance and when they danced together it was a powerful experience. I loved those scenes and the happiness that came across through the illustrations just brought a smile to my face.

Crystal: I really adored Jae. He paid close attention to others and really tried to be respectful in his choices. Like Jessica, I totally loved the lion dance with Jae and Val at the end. It visually reminded us how much they complemented each other.

Audrey: Family and grief/loss were huge parts of this book as both Val and Jae were dealing with the loss of a parent and complications in their relationships with other family members and friends. What was most memorable for you? I really loved Val’s grandmother—she was great as a comedic character, but she also had some great moments with Val that showcased her depth and her love for her family.

Jessica: I found the different ways people processed loss so compelling – how Val coped versus how Val’s father went into full denial mode and lied to Val about her mother versus Val’s grandmother. Val’s grandmother bursting into their lives was a breath of fresh air. And both Jae and Val finding solace in lion dancing, something that brings good luck and joy to others, was such a powerful image. It makes me really appreciate the local organizations in my community that keep these traditions alive and provide this outlet for teens in my area.

K. Imani: What stood out to me with the theme of love & grief were tied together in the novel. I like how Val had to learn to love her father again after her hurt, how she was beginning to love her mother in a new way, and the relationship with her grandmother. On the other hand what motivated Jae to dance was his love for his father. This subtle theme was a lovely contrast to Val’s search for true love as it made her realize the difference between a fantasy type of love and what real, true, actual love is.

Crystal: With their losses, what stands out to me is how avoiding things compounds the problems. The lies and the silence only makes the grief and pain stretch out. As Jae’s uncle encouraged, being straightforward and direct can bring healing in a relationship.

Audrey: To wrap up, what YA graphic novels, romances, or contemporary fantasies are on your radar this year? I think The Marble Queen by Anna Kopp and illustrated by Gabrielle Kari looks fun! It just came out last week, and I’m a sucker for arranged/political marriages, and this one is set in a fantasy world with a sapphic main couple. Four Eids and a Funeral by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé and Adiba Jaigirdar also sounds delightful.

Jessica: I’m really, really excited for Bunt! by Ngozi Ukazu and Mad Rupert (which Crystal has reviewed here). I’m a huge fan of the webcomic OMG, Check Please by Ngozi Ukazu, so of course I’m on board for Bunt! as well. And since we’re on the topic of lion dancing in this discussion, I’m going to shout out these two short stories (read them here and here) about lion dancing by Zen Cho, which I adore.

Crystal: I really enjoyed A Magic Steeped in Poison and its sequel by Judy I. Lin, so I’m excited to get my hands on her romantic fantasy Song of the Six Realms. I’m also looking forward to the contemporary romance True Love and Other Impossible Odds by Christine Li. The supernatural romance Hearts of Fire and Snow by David Bowles and Guadalupe Garcia McCall is also on my list. As for graphic novels, I’m eager to read The Worst Ronin by Maggie Tokuda-Hall. So many books!

K. Imani: There are a number of fantasy trilogies that I’m looking forward to reading when I finally have some free time. All the Twisted Glory, the 3rd book  in the This Woven Kingdom series by Tahereh Mafi,and The Merciless Ones, the last of the Gilded Ones series by Namina Forna, is on my TBR list so far.

[pynkhues]

Hey, just wanted to know your perspective on Shiv's decision. There's a huge discussion going on whether the decision was emotionally driven just to spite Kendall? Was it calculated in any sense considering her children's future or getting any power through Tom? Was she seeking Tom (the powerful man now)'s approval?

What do you think? I personally think it was multi faceted and complex and included all the things a little bit and lead her to the decision.

Would she have taken the same decision if she had no idea that it is infact Tom that Mattson's eyeing?

Hey! Oh man, it’s such a great moment and it’s one I’ve been thinking about a lot. I agree with you in the sense that it was such a multi-faceted and complex choice, and one that had many trigger points both in the sense of Shiv’s reality, her sense of power and control, and the real and mangled emotional root of her place in her own family.

Do I think it was strategic? A little, but I think she was passed the point of being able to strategise in part because she was out of time, but also in part because Shiv’s impatience means she’s just not very good at it.

I think one of Shiv’s greatest strengths is also one of her biggest flaws in that she tends not to see the wood for the trees. She’s a big picture thinker, she sees the end result she wants but not the daily machinations to get her there, which we see over and over again. She’s impatient, lives life on the backfoot so is always trying to hurry, overtake, skip steps, take shortcuts to get ahead, and when she’s asked to operate in a system where she’s forced to stop and acknowledge the reality of the moment, I think she can for once see everything for exactly what it is.

Funnily enough, I feel like the telling moment in terms of Shiv in that finale isn’t actually with Kendall or Tom at all, it’s the moment Sandi says yes in the boardroom. It’s the tiniest of beats, which Sarah plays beautifully, and it carries over from Stewy telling Shiv only moments before (after Kendall offers him Chair in their father’s office) that he thinks Shiv can still sway Sandi. We don’t see the scene, and I kind of wish we had, but the outcome is felt all the same. Shiv can’t do it, she doesn’t convince Sandi, the only woman she’s on any sort of equal footing with to vote with them, which means she has no accomplice at that table, no allies, no position, no weight, only brothers who have shown just how quickly they’ll shut her out.

I think its that failure with Sandi that ultimately untethers Shiv, because with that loss comes the loss of any way forwards for Shiv at the company. She’s no longer an heiress of her father’s making or even one of Matsson’s, she’s just a little sister, staring at her big brother, at the best friend he offers Chair to as a joke in his office when she could only play ‘behind the scenes’ so it didn’t look ‘wonky’, the person she’s spent her entire life trying to catch up to and beat, and I think she meant it, what she said to Kendall after.

She can’t stomach it.

If she can’t have it, he sure as hell can’t, and at least with Tom she has some sort of in, she has something. Not an accomplice at the table, but a trap door she could sometimes scratch her way beneath, someone who might not want a relationship with her, might not be loyal, but someone who’s bound to her, if nothing else, and someone who has no use for her brothers anymore.

Shiv would rather break the toy than let Kendall have it, even if she cut her own hands in the process, and honestly, it’s one of the reasons she’s a character of all time to me. She’s a survivor in a way none of her brothers are, but she’s also petty and selfish in the way all three of them absolutely are, and to see her really do what none of them could and cut their strings in the 11th hour was so thrilling to me. She’s kept her in, but she also knows she’s out, but at least Kendall and Roman are too. At least the three of them are locked out of the house together, even if, for a moment, they’re apart.

[storyofmychoices]

Hii 🥰

So in honor of World Yoga Day. I wanted to ask do your MC‘s and or OC‘s practice any type of sports?

If yes which one and why?

Breathe

[Bryce Lahela x Olivia Hadley Masterlist] 

Pairing: Bryce Lahela x Olivia Hadley (F!OC)

Other characters: Child OCs: Misha, Savanah, Kylie

Book: Open Heart

Word Count: ~1,000 (sorry this is longer than I expected)

Rating/Warning: General (fluff, hospital—children)

Prompt: @choicesjunechallenge: International Yoga Day

Synopsis: Olivia leads a yoga breathing lesson for some of her patients on World Yoga Day.

Olivia sat on the floor of the pediatric playroom, greeting her three special patients with a big, warm smile. "Today, we're going to learn a special breathing technique called 'Balloon Breaths.' It will help us relax and fill our bodies with positive energy."

"I love balloons," Savanah exclaimed. The enthusiastic seven-year-old scanned the room for some. Her eager expression fell. "But, I don't see any balloons."

"We're going to be practicing with balloons we can't see today," Olivia tried to clarify.

"I don't think that sounds right." Savanah shook her head, giving Olivia a skeptical look. 

Olivia held back a laugh at her expression. "Let's start by sitting like this." She modeled by crossing her legs beneath her and straightening her spine. "We want to sit nice and tall, so we can really focus on our breathing."

The three children followed her lead, with the nearby nurse helping move their IV wires out of the way.

"We each have balloons inside of us. Doctors call them our lungs," she began to explain. "When we breathe in, our lungs expand, just like a balloon. Then, when we breathe out, our lungs shrink, like when you let the air out of a balloon."

"I have a balloon in me?" Kylie wondered, looking down at her torso.

"Yes, we all do! Let's find it!" Olivia placed her hands on her abdomen and motioned for the kids to do the same. "Imagine you have a beautiful, colorful balloon inside of you."

"Can mine be pink?" Kylie interrupted.

"Of course."

"If Kylie's is pink, I want mine to be purple," Savanah exclaimed.

"What about you, Misha? What color is your balloon?"

The shy eight-year-old shrugged. "Blue, I guess."

"Blue is a great color! We definitely have a bunch of bright and colorful balloons to work with today!"

"What color is yours, Doctor Olivia?" Savanah questioned.

"Hmm, well, let's see. We have pink, purple, and blue—" Her lips pulled up to the side in contemplation as she pondered a moment. "I think yellow!"

"That's a good choice." Kylie nodded her agreement. 

"I'm glad you agree." Olivia readjusted her posture, placing her hands back in position. "As you take a deep breath in, try to feel your balloon get bigger. Now, slowly breathe out, letting the air out of the balloon."

"Woah," Kylie marveled, her hand rising and falling as she breathed deeply. "I have a balloon inside of me too! I can feel it!" 

"Good job, Kylie! Now, you try, Misha!"

He took a few hesitant deep breaths in and out. "I kinda feel it, I guess."

"That's a great start! We're going to work on helping our balloon expand bigger in a minute. "What about you, Savanah? Can you feel your balloon?"

She nodded enthusiastically.

"Good job. Are we ready for the next step?" 

A resounding round of agreement met her question. 

Olivia giggled softly at their willingness to try something new with her. "Okay, now, I need everyone to close their eyes and picture their bright balloon. We are going to practice what we just learned a few times. We are going to start by taking a long, slow breath in through our nose if you can, or if you can't, you can breathe through your mouth. When we do, imagine your balloon filling up nice and big." She inhaled deeply, modeling what it should sound like. "Now, we are going to breathe out really slowly through our mouths and watch as our balloon shrinks."

The children listened quietly, following her lead.

"We're going to do it again, but this time, we want our balloon to get a little bigger. We want to try to breathe in a little more air this time. And when you've breathed in all the air you can, you can let it back out...You're doing great! Try it once more now."

"My balloon is getting bigger, Dr. Olivia," Misha whispered in wonder. 

"Good job, Misha! I'm so proud!"

"My balloon is as big as the sun," Kylie exclaimed, her imagination flying high.

"It feels like—" Savanah paused, breathing in and out again. "It feels like my worries are floating away into the sky."

"You're a natural!" Olivia commended the children. "You all did so great today. The more you practice this, the bigger your balloon will get. You can use Balloon Breaths whenever you're anxious, scared, or nervous. Balloon Breathing can help you feel calmer or like your worries are floating away with each breath, just like Savanah noticed!"

After practicing a few more times, the session came to a close. 

"I want to do balloon breaths every day!" Kylie offered, taking her mother's hand. 

"I think I'll teach my little sister!" Misha said softly, wrapping his arms around Olivia. "Thank you for teaching me." 

"You're welcome!" Olivia beamed with pride, hoping the simple tool would bring relief to the children in their trying health journey. 

As the children readied to leave, Olivia noticed Bryce leaning against the wall near the door, watching in silent admiration. 

"What are you doing here?" She whispered, moving beside him. 

"I had a break between surgeries and wanted to see how things went." Bryce tucked her hair behind her ear. "You're so good with them."

"Thanks," her cheeks warmed as she looked down, hoping he wouldn't notice. 

As the children returned to their rooms, Bryce enveloped her in his arms. "You really are amazing, Liv." He lifted her chin, meeting her gaze. His eyes were warm and proud. "You have such a way with them. Not everyone can do what you do. It's beautiful."

Olivia's heart swelled with love and gratitude as she leaned into his embrace. She nestled closer to him, her head resting against his chest. "Thank you. It means the world to me that you cared enough to spend your break here instead of anywhere else."

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be than with you," he confessed softly. "Seeing how much you do for your patients and how much you change their lives for the better—your timeless compassion and endless generosity—it makes me fall more in love with you."

She wanted to protest, to let him know anyone could have taught the children Balloon Breaths, but instead, she accepted the compliment, her own self-care. "Thank you, Bryce. I couldn't love you more if I tried."

Thank you for the inspiration @peonierose!

Sorry this got so long and is mostly Olivia 🙈. I hope it's still enjoyable even if Bryce only has a cameo at the end lol

Thank you for reading. I appreciate you giving me and this story a chance! 💖💖💖

[azure-firecracker]

ATLA Live Action Episode 7: Overall Thoughts.

Right so this episode was a mixed bag for me. On paper I should have loved it: it’s two big moments are Azula/Katara scenes and they parallel each other. Those are my two favorite characters and I love exploring how they mirror one another. But the actual execution of some of the scenes was…lacking.

Okay I legitimately forgot that Zhao tried to blow up Zuko’s boat in the original and it was funny bc I was reacting like it was something new this show did…nope lmao. Speaking of Zhao, I feel like this show can’t really decide what they want him to be. In the OG it was pretty clear: he was an asshole with lots of resources and therefore a threat, but he was also cocky and delusional and not very good at his job. Here I feel like this show is flip flopping between having him be legitimately threatening or a delusional idiot. Both are fine choices individually and honestly I don’t really care what they do since it’s not like he was a main character in the OG, but they do need to pick one. Like, objectively, from a writing standpoint.

I know some people disliked the changes to Yue and Sokka’s relationship, but I thought they were cute. I liked that they used the extended time at the North Pole pre-attack to flesh out their relationship more and give them some more bonding moments. It makes me buy into them more (I was never a love at first sight girlie). I agree that Yue’s character in the original was a really well written example of the good and bad things that come with being as loyal/dutiful as she is and that is missing here. But unlike our main cast, if you look at her without the lens of the original, she’s still a fleshed out, decently written character. I think she works (except for her hair of course).

Sokka on the other hand…I like that they’re allowing him to express his insecurities and trying to give him an arc, but I didn’t like Yue saying his heart was the most important thing about him. It’s such a generic line, and out of all of our main cast, it seems to suit him the least. It made it feel like they’re trying to give the whole main trio the same arc, which I…did not appreciate. But he does have good chemistry with Yue.

Speaking of generic arcs for the main trio…dear god I hate what they’re doing with Aang. It’s not offensive but it’s so overdone. Every fantasy protagonist in history has this conflict, and while it works for an episode of a cartoon, it does not work as Aang’s central conflict. Gordon’s doing his best with his lines, but I get bored watching his scenes. Also I didn’t love the stuff with Kuruk. Stay away from the Korra Spirit World stuff. Y’all can’t handle the material you have.

Okay onto my main girlies:

Azula’s arc definitely goes into the “it’s a different choice from the original but it works on its own category.” If you don’t compare her to OG Azula, these writing choices make sense. They work, and they go hand in hand with how this new Ozai is different from OG Ozai. OG Ozai really didn’t seem to care about his kids. They were tools in his play for power. We never got the sense that he’d really thought about either of them succeeding him, and or that he’d ever thought about his own death. This Ozai seems to be trying to turn both Azula and Zuko into younger versions of him (as we saw in the Agni Kai last episode), and he brings up the “heir to the throne” title a lot. This means he wants his kids to have a fighting spirit, a drive. It makes Azula’s defiance all the more twisted because it’s supposed to be this empowering moment for her…but really it’s exactly what Ozai wants. It’s objectively really good writing, and both Lizzy Yu and Daniel Dae Kim do a great job acting it out. At the same time, I feel a little loss of OG Azula. OG Azula was so busy fighting for Ozai’s love, being perfect, that she never had time to think about what she wanted because she was so stifled in the “golden child” role. That’s a type of abuse we don’t see depicted a lot in media, and I do wish the live action show had taken up that challenge. On the other hand, the arc we got was objectively good and I’m not sure they could have handled that subtlety. Overall, my feelings on these scenes are mostly good with some doubts in there. It does make me wonder what they’re going to do now that we know we’re getting a Book 3. Azula’s original Book 3 stuff with Ozai really wouldn’t work now that she’s already become so defiant.

Okay my girl Katara: FINALLY she got an episode to shine rather than being a side piece for Aang or Sokka’s arcs! Funny that all the filler episodes they cut were the Katara centric ones…but I digress. I understand not wanting to cut the stuff with NWT sexism, and I DON’T THINK THEY SHOULD HAVE. But with all their worries about Sokka’s sexism not translating well to a live action, they should have considered the fact that such heavy handed sexism might come off as cartoonish in a live action format. Most real sexism is more subtle, albeit just as frustrating and wrong, and I’m sad the show passed up their opportunity to portray that. I did like that Katara finally got to show both her anger and her hope. I felt like this was the first episode where she really felt in character. While some characters work while being different from the original (mostly FN characters), Katara’s changes made her an objectively more hollow character, so seeing sparks of OG Katara was awesome! She still felt a little flat, but it’s definitely a HUGE step in the right direction. (And Kiawentiio did awesome. Glad she’s finally getting to showcase her range). The end of the Katara/Pakku fight was a little weird but I’ll let it slide because she had that AWESOME line to Aang where she was like (I’m not going to get this exactly) “Fighting is my decision, not you or Pakku’s or anyone else’s.” I was CHEERING! This is the Katara we need more of.

I know I was largely critical in this review, but I really enjoyed this episode. This episode really solidified my belief that you have to think of these characters as totally new people. Different choices are being made, and that’s okay as long as they’re still good characters with ties to the original. Sometimes it works (Azula, Yue) and sometimes it doesn’t (main trio) but if you can enjoy it when it works, you’ll enjoy the whole show a lot more.

I’ll give this one an 8.5/10. Kind of the opposite of the last episode. With that one, there weren’t any great new choices they made (most of the best moments were straight out of the cartoon), but there was also nothing I really disliked. This episode made some great new choices that I thought were interesting and took some steps towards fixing some of the characters they butchered, but there was some stuff in here that I actively disliked (namely Aang and Zhao).

[thoughtfulfangirling]

I completely agree with Muir that POVs should 'sound' different. I would despair if anyone thought my, for another extreme example, my Haruka POV and Michiru POV seemed the same. That was most definitely not my problem. I just think where Muir and I differ, is, I don't think a 'simple' or even a light hearted 'unserious' person thinks like a latter-day MTV teen choice awards show. I don't think you need to be a Rhodes scholar to have ... feelings. Beyond 'lol'. I think her ability to differentiate is great, I think her Gideon voice ITSELF really brings down the beauty of the very complex situations she has them in. Gideon doesn't read like an unserious person, she just didn't read like a person at all.

You are honestly fantastic at character voices and it's one reason I'm so drawn to your writing. The way even characters I know you fundamentally are different from, you manage to write in a way that is convincing, that can for a moment make us see from their eyes even if we disagree. I LOVE that so much.

I post that interview thing largely because it felt like an acknowledgment of your read that Gideon's POV is so very meme-y. I'm personally fine with her POV being too much and overboard. I don't think it's wrong to say people largely don't think like that, but I've known a handful of people who haven't been too far off and while they're kinda insufferable in person, I find it fun as hell in fiction. I LOVED coming back to Gideon's POV in HTN but can totally see how that's not your jam.

Always thought HTN would be far more down your alley, largely because of the unreliable narrative thing. I might not have anticipated your dislike of Gideon's POV, but in retrospect, it makes perfect sense!

It's funny too because reading your work over the years gave me an appreciation for flawed to downright awful characters I Did Not have prior, so tho I hope it doesn't gall you to hear, you primed me for being able to enjoy this series because some of my favorite things in it is just how awful and messed up these characters can be (specifically like Harrow and Ianthe and Mercy)

[definitelynotafurinasimp]

Them with a reader that likes making overly complicated plans that still somehow work

Characters: Kokomi / Collei x gn!reader (seperate)

Warnings: could contain spoilers for Sumeru, other than that it’s just fluff

a/n: This wasn't a request, I simply decided to write a bit for Collei first to get used to how to write her. So since this is my first time writing for Collei, I'm really sorry if she's a bit ooc or her part is a shorter.

That being said, if you have any tips on how to write Collei better, feel free to tell me, I would really appreciate it.

Anyway, hope you enjoy!

Kokomi

Kokomi, being the talented strategist that she was, was able to understand her enemies’ strategies with nothing but a simple glance, instantly thinking of countless ways to counter them in both short- or long-term. But even she had to admit that she sometimes had difficulties keeping up with your plans, and while she’d eventually comprehend it, it used to take more brainpower than she liked.

Luckily for her and everyone else, the war in Inazuma had long been ended, and while that meant that your complicated—but effective—plans were no longer needed on the battlefield, you simply moved on to different fields.

While the divine priestess and her general were just about to finish their conversation, it came to an unexpectedly abrupt end when Gorou froze upon seeing you enter the room with a few papers in hand, causing Kokomi to also take a glance at you before realising what was about to come when she saw your smile, only for it to already be too late as you closed the door behind you before handing both of them what appeared to be their respective timetables.

“Miss Sangonomiya, you had asked me to replan your schedule to make it more effective and less energy draining, but I decided that since I was already working on schedules, I might as well just improve the other’s as well”, you declared, making her remember the time she agreed your offer while being more than just a bit exhausted, the idea of spending less energy while doing the same work having sounded especially appealing to her in that moment.

“That sounds great, but I was pretty happy with my old schedule”, the general muttered out loud enough for you to hear it, only for you to. turn to him with an even bigger smile.

“Then you’re going to love this one”, you responded before focusing back on the divine priestess, “You should be able to safe a whole hour with my schedule, Kokomi”, you told her, your excitement being so big that you forgot to keep up appearances, calling her by her given name.

“Don’t get me wrong but isn’t there a way to make it-… less complicated?”, she eventually spoke up, already knowing your answer long before you had even opened your mouth to respond.

“Maybe. But did any of my plans ever not succeed?”, you asked in return, only for both of them to let out a small sigh of defeat once they had to admit you were right before shaking their heads, their reactions causing your smile to get wider before you said your goodbye, with Kokomi seeing you already approaching the next person, schedule in hand.

Collei

Whenever you handed Collei the "best possible route" to finish your tasks, the forest-ranger trainee couldn’t help but feel slightly lost. And while you made sure to use easy to understand words while writing the plan, not wanting to confuse her with unnecessary fancy language, all that effort became wasted due to the overcomplicated nature of your routes.

But your plans tended to work most of the time, and memories wouldn’t creep into her mind when her brain was occupied trying to make sense of your choice of routes, causing her to simply follow along with them most of the time, leaving you to lead the way while she did her job.

“Is there something wrong?”, you asked Collei after observing her staring at the piece of paper you had handed her only a few minutes ago with a look of confusion, starting to get worried that you had made some sort of mistake.

“Not really, but wouldn’t it make more sense to go here first and then deal with the mushrooms? Since they’re farther away”, she responded while showing the paper to you and pointing at the different spots on the map you had drawn.

“Well, if we do that, we might be more exhausted once we get to the mushrooms and have to fight. So, I thought we might as well deal with them while we aren’t tired and do the rest afterwards”, you explained your thinking to Collei, getting a slow nod as a response as it seemingly made sense to her, causing a small smile to appear on your lips before you spoke up once again, “Well, since that’s cleared, how about we set off?”

Instead of answering, Collei spent the next few seconds silently staring at you, your smile and happy stature reminding her of her memories in Mondstadt, only for your voice to interrupt her thoughts before they had any chance to get to any unpleasant ones.

“Collei?”, you said her name out loud, her silence slightly worrying you, only for her to startle a bit before putting on a smile.

“Sorry, I was… lost in thoughts for a moment”, she admitted before readying herself and following you. And while there were still a lot of parts of today’s route she didn’t completely understand, she figured that as long as she followed you, she shouldn’t get lost.

[esther-dot]

I'm almost certain of at least one thing. They won't villainize or take Sansa's crown away from her. If anything, HotD has demonstrated one thing. Hbo/the writers are too afraid of being called misogynists, and despite everything they did with Sansa's storyline in got, they did present her coronation as a triumphant moment. So while I do believe they may play with certain tropes I dislike (Sansa being annoying blah blah blah), I doubt they would ever take her power away from her for the sake of a man, even if that man is Jon Snow. No doubt they would still mess up with a lot of other things tho lol

“I doubt they would ever take her power away from her for the sake of a man, even if that man is Jon Snow”

I agree that they wouldn’t take her crown away, but in s8 they tried to act like Sansa breaking her promise to keep Jon’s parentage a secret was unforgivable while a little mass murder by Dany was bad but... understandable? As in, they never allowed Sansa to explain her actions, they never tried to get the audience to sympathize, but they spent all season trying to paint the woman who came to Westeros specifically to wage war as a victim. Missandei’s death was inserted for the sole purpose of getting people to side with Dany, but they couldn’t grant Sansa a decent length convo to explain any of her reasonable, correct, fears and choices.

They sacrificed Jon on the Dany altar as well, so it’s easy to think this is only a Dany centric issue, not misogynistic thing, but there was no indication that Jon had made a mistake, we didn’t get a good, solid critique of Jon’s choices, and that’s why, for someone like me, the sequel fills me with fear. The sequel wouldn’t be Dany-centric, it would be Jon-centric, and unless set entirely beyond the Wall, Jon would very likely end up in some sort of conflict with Sansa. On the one hand, I love! Their arguments are great tv! On the other, it’s only good if Sansa’s concerns and her side of the issue is given the same weight as Jon’s, and I sincerely doubt they would be.

So, no, I don’t worry they’d take her crown, but I do worry that if it is picking up relatively soon-ish after the end of GoT, they’d focus on Jon’s resentment that Sansa broke her promise and not allow her to point out that he lied to the North about why he bent the knee and that he ignored her warnings and led their men into a massacre. That he broke trust with her before she did with him. I think it would be amazing to dive into their mutual grievances, but there’s like, a 2% chance of that happening unless there’s a jonsa on the writing team. 😂 As you can imagine, I therefore think any new challenges, (grievances the FF have against the Northerners that Jon may take up with Sansa, perhaps?) would present Jon as the self-sacrificing good guy without doing justice to Sansa’s stance.

It isn’t that I need show Jon or Kit to feel one way or another about Sansa, it’s that Sansa was the most coherent character in the later seasons, she had the best ending, not because she ended up in power, but because it fit with the beginning of the story and her arc rather than feeling slapped on/contradictory. Any interactions she might have with Jon in a sequel have the potential to be played the same way her disagreements with Jon in GoT were. She is ultimately correct but the narrative never presents her with the sympathy it does Jon, and that, even if they don’t strip her of a title, undermines her ending (for me).

I also have to say, I love Jon and Sansa as individual characters. My love for them isn’t contingent on a ship. Despite Jon’s failures on s7-8, I still love him, I would still like to see him heal and be happy. I do not like the dismissal of his trauma simply because he is a man. However, the choice to make Jon KitN in s6 and Sansa QitN in s8 means that we are in a pickle. Jon having kids was referenced enough in s7 that some fans still believe Dany was pregnant. Even after they were done teasing Targ restoration, in s8 we have that scene of Jon finding out Gilly is preggers, so again, the idea of Jon having kids was put into the scripts/Kit’s mind. He wants that for Jon. I assume that getting Jon’s happy ending is what this sequel series is about. But, Jon can’t have kids without it being a threat to Sansa unless they are Sansa’s kids too. Even if the show takes place beyond the Wall and his love interest is a FF woman, his children are a threat to Sansa and her kids. I don’t know that they care about that though. The politics became such a joke in the end of GoT, I don’t feel sure that they’d focus on realities beyond Jon’s feelings. Even as a Jonsa, I don’t hate the possibility of Jon finding happiness with a different women (theoretically) because I care about him. What I do hate as a Sansa fan, is that there’s no guarantee they care about or respect her (and her ending) enough to protect it.

Also, I didn’t watch HOTD, but from what I’ve gleaned, the fear of appearing sexist hasn’t kept HBO / the writers from still delivering pretty sexist content. It sounds like they don’t want their female characters to intentionally be evil, but they still don’t mind fridging them or having them be sexually harassed/ abused. IMO, that’s trying to protect themselves, not showing any deeper understanding or care for their female characters. And if anything, it looks to me that they’re more dedicated than ever to whitewashing Targaryens which is a major problem.

Anyway, my disinterest in the sequel doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy other people’s excitement for it and I will continue to engage with/support that, but I don’t trust HBO. It would be lovely to have a great sequel that rights some GoT wrongs, but I don’t think there was a sea change. Kit and Co. could surprise me tho!

[cats-aroace]

pjo tv show spoilers!!!

ahhhhh i just finished ep 8 and i have so many thoughts so be ready.

of course across the tv show there are things i love and things i dont necessary agree with but thats lofe and personal opinion so no hate from me here. cause if i too were rick and staftung reading through and adapting something i wrote about what 20 years ago i would change up plot holes and things that i thought would work better too.

i think all the actors were very talented and perfect for there roles.

i love the change of sally teaching percy mythology from a young age thats something i always thought that should of happened to begin with.

i didnt like the characterisation of gabe when watching the show if i hadnt read the books he was almost likeable i thought he was mildly funny i feel like they didnt make him cruel enough to justify the whole medusa thing.

loved the interactions between percy and grover before camp the lighting of percy in school without grover (blue toned) and percy in school with grover (warm toned) really showed how good of a friend he was. grover was so sweet and funny and had great lines cant wait to see him in a wedding dress.

loved percys interaction with mr d i thought it was totally in character and really was quite funny, mr d is just dying for that bottle of wine.

i didnt love the fact that everyone kinda avoided the topic that the gods igbored there children and arw pretty shitty for the majority of the tv show percy kept asking questions like the gods were like the average parent of anyone and no one thought to tell him 'hey percy the gods dont actually talk to their kids so thats why everyone gives you looks when you talk about there parents'.

thalia being pronounced the way it is threw me off but i knlw thats the actuall greek way of saying it so it dosent bother me (i will continue to pronounce it the way i do though)

i thought it was interesting that they had annabeth see the fates and not percy i don't have many comments on this just that it was interesting.

i loved the way they handled medusa and her story but still managed to make her a monster for percy to fight l, its a delicate line that i think they managed perfectly.

the arch i loved the way percy swapped places with annabeth great cinematic moment, i thought it was weird that they didnt have percy jump in trust of his dad xonsidering the way they have changed percys attitude towards gods as parents at the time during the show, but i thought the hand of posiedon saving him was great aswell.

also the arch being a temple of athena was a cool edition i thought they played athenas pettyness pretty good. i did like that annabeth wanted to go becuse architecture but i dont mind the change.

tunnel of love chefs kiss not more to be said really, other than hephaestus he gets it i always liked him as a god.

the way they had grover talk to ares and manipulate him into taking while also reading his emotions so cool i loved the edition so much and it really gave us an in look into both grover and ares as people.

the animal truck was nice i loved the percy and grover interactions about the animals thought it was funny. missed percy not talking to a zebra.

lotus hotel very cool loved the music choice, loved the design, cool that they know its the lotus eaters before they go in. loved the chat with hermes and grover meeting a satyr and playing his hunt the human game. the lost memorys gives a proper view into ehy people would stay there and not leave. also love the little 'bianca' and the two kids who ran past in purple shirts (romans??).

stealing hermes taxi to go to santa monica awesome, i questioned the choice of 4 pearls tp begin with cause i thought 'this will make the prophecy obsolete' but having watched it all now so good loved the choice cause of course posidon would never abandon his queen amongst mortals

the choic of them running out of time on there quest i dont understand was it necessary i dont think them having a day left still would have changed anything that still happened after show wise maybe a few conversations tweeked. (if anyone knows why let me know im curious)

crustys this was the only monster wich i didnt like the way they delt with, i think they had to do it this was as alot of this was percys thoughts in the book which they havent really been transfering to screen that well. i feel like we lost some of percts brutal fatal flaw here with him not killing him and his smarts of him convincing him to get in the bed and trap himself, thats percys thing see if annabeth has plan, persuasion, then fight.

also the underworld not being in DOA :( that was a cool idea so fun and its a pun but maybe for time issues they just resorted to crusty doesnt bother me that much but ill miss it.

percy not bartering with charon again taking away percys skill at persuasion. but not a big deal in long run (missed the drown in bath joke though)

the feilds of asphodel i thought jt was an interesting take, its described in the books as a really busy airports or station of some kind just loads of people standing everywhere. i tought ut was interesting that the souls became trees (does that mean hazel isnt a tree but just wanders amougst the trees?) the fact rhat they made it regrets aste what stick you in asphodel and turn you into a tree i didnt agree with asphodel is the place you go when your life is juat average not bad or evil and not heroic or extremely good, cause u telling me that any hero that goes to elysium dosent have regrets? also annabeth being the one with regrets weird take it should have been grover who regrets alot (thalia for example) but i get they did that cause like the books they were setting it up to look like annabeth was the traitor.

loved the inclusion story about luke hermes and may.

i loved the characterisation of hades i though he was quite accurate to how hades acts in the actual mythology and you can totally see where nico gets it from. just loved the whole interaction.

loved rhw choice of the pearls going back to manutak rather than santa monica.

the fight with ares loved kt was squeeling the entire time, ares beeing cocky and toying with percy, percy showing beast controll of the sea and finally the cut on ares ankle. but what aboutbthe curse! the curse ares puts on percys sword that bexomes relevent not onece but twice. that surely will mess up the fufillment if the prophecy for a possibel 3rd season as thats the whole reason he dosent fight atlas and takes the sky from artemis. so ill have to wait and see how they do that.

annabeth giving percy her beads 😊

calling children of the big three forbidden children its a nice edition that i like (kinda remids me of the fanfic son of seafoam)

the interaction with zeus pretty good liked it the way that zeus appears to be taking kronos somewhat seriously though, well we will se if that lasts.

posiedon stepping in and saving percy and then surrendering-- - my heart cant

pecry going back to camp and being celebrated great as he should. also live the percy luke flashbacks.

now my favourite way the show has changed the percy luke betrayal! i love the way thia changed i always thought that luke should have tried to recruit percy as he does in later books but percy dosent entertain as luke tried to kill him twice but i love that luke was all like percy we could run away and fight the gods. and thevlook on his face when annabeth throws a knife at him and the way percy sliced luke and immediately apologised because although hes angry he dosent acctually want to hurt him. and you can tell why people like luke and join him. obvs the way they have made the gods more likeable from the start means if you havent resd tbe books you probably dont understand lukes motivations as much but jes known the gods are shitty parents for much longer than percy as hed older and percy will get there one day but we all know how that ends up TLO.

percy annabeth and grover all making a promise to meet back at thalia next year so cute

percys dream about kronos really good gives information that made me jump with excitment as a book fan. sally coming to percy with a notebook to note down his dreams is telling in thats not the first time since camp that its happend. also is it his birthday i got the vibe its his birthday. percy telling his mum that kronos told him to tell her shes a good mum made me snort but its sweet that percy is trying to protect her.

over all i have many thoughts and opinions this isnt all of them and if anyone wants specific thoughts on certain things let me know.

i cant wait till s2 they just have to have a season 2!!!!!

sorry for the long post

[fiovske]

i know the theories are strong that luthen is a jedi and while i don't think these theories are unfounded and i agree with the context clues— the walking stick, his ship having light-sabers, his e10 monologue & luthen's awareness of actions vs purpose, the cost of his soul and the sacrifice then his jedi beliefs would thereof imply and i very much enjoy this flavour of morally ambiguous jedis who have fallen from their beliefs and are now condemned to weaponize the tools of their enemy, to do the impossible math of sacrificing a number of lives to shine a light for the many, i think its a very interesting choice to make— personally, i hope this is a red herring and he isn't a jedi at all.

the narrative carries much more weight if luthen is rich merchant by trade who makes his money off selling sacred artifacts from various cultures to the highest bidder with not much regard for the cultures they have been stolen from, a man who was cushy and comfy in Coruscant and whose radicalization came at a great personal cost. Someone who didn't have anything to lose under the Empire until he got his hands dirty and made an active choice to put himself in the position where he stood to lose Everything.

The road is paved if they want to give Luthen a Jedi reveal but i hope they won't. I'd rather they didn't. Playing the angle of a man whose trade itself is disrespectful to the culture of places that lost much to the Empire, it provides a perfect cover already; and Luthen is a man who understands what his business means as his role in the Rebellion. Luthen being a Jedi would make him honor-bound to do 'the right thing', but not being a Jedi makes it an explicit choice, it makes every choice he's made, his own. And I think Andor prizes that responsibility a character takes for their own actions.

Besides, the tone that rogue one sets is of this being a story solely about ordinary people, one that Andor is improving on— a perspective where jedis are a thing of myth, their power a thing of stories and legends— and it means nothing to the people on the ground, the people who story Andor's narrative is more focused on telling. even in moments of crisis and tension characters don't turn to each other with reassurances of "the Force". where SW media tends to put the Force on a pedestal, Andor banks on grit and luck.

i think i enjoy the fact that the narrative of Andor is very much removed from the Force as a higher power, and faith being seen through specific cultural lens of specific oppressed communities (like the Aldhani with the Eye), drawing focus on the desecration the Empire brings upon them. Evil being attributed not to red space wizard-monks but the very foundation of it in bureaucracy. I think i enjoy luthen being a rich man who uses his business for cover as well as to fund the means for the Rebellion, someone who isn't disillusioned by the fact that the path he walks is dubitable but walks it just the same. And while being a former Jedi surely adds an aura of grandiose to him, I don't think it's actually necessary. I think the story benefits from the absence of jedi altogether, and i think Andor might strive to keep it that way.