#then I started thinking of what I want regal’s role to be here and here we are!

[just-absolutely-super]

(Different anon) (continuing the Hikari Pirates & Chaud teamup)

Chaud: so, the plan is simple, once this ship gets close enough, the captain will examine the ship, they tend to trust pirate ships. Once that happens, the ship will slow down for you to engage in Parley, trade goods & other necessities you may need. Thats when Blues & I will swiftly place the seastone handcuffs on him & any other devil fruit users.

Mayl: sounds methodical.

Roll: using the Pirate Code to your advantage, thats underhanded, i like it!

Protoman: there are a few contingies in place should a battle actually take place, since both ships will be close in proximity, the Devil Fruit user's teleporting ability will want to trigger, but they only ever have 1 ship, so we figured it can't teleport more than one.

Lan: right, i'm gonna check in on Glyde.

*Lan walks over to Glyde*

Lan: Glyde, how close are we to that ship?

Glyde: very close, i raised our flag to show we mean no harm.

Lan: good. *notices something* hey, their ship is slowing down.

The Hikari ship gets close enough, and sees the ship Chaud was persuing. Both Lan & Glyde's blood runs cold.

Hub walks out, and sees the ship in question, also having a scared look on his face

Lan&Hub: the Regal Pirates!

Glyde: they're notorious, they create artifical Devil Fruit known to enhance the powers of other Devil Fruits, the Dark Fruit itself is infamous for corrupting even the noblest of Pirates & Marines alike. Even if the person in question wasn't a devil fruit user, eating a Dark Fruit would be akin to 3-7 years woth of body training excersizes in just the second of eating it

Hub *thinking*: no wonder Chaud & Blues wanted help dealing with them

(A/n: basing the "Dark Fruit" on the Dark Chips from NT Warrior & Battle Network)

This prompt is making me try and establish more lore lmao

Some backstory: Tadashi and Wily were both part of the Navy as Vice Admirals, but after a falling out Wily turned to piracy

During his voyage he fathers Regal and, much later after he becomes an Emperor of the seas, adopts Baryl

Regal goes off on his own voyage and later in his adult years becomes a Warlord, where he used his ties to the government to do some shady shit

Obtained the Dark-Dark Fruit even though that shit was supposed to be locked up in Davy Jones’ locker but of course people would find it!

The Dark-Dark Fruit in the OP universe is mostly associated with the endless void and not really evilness, but somehow Regal was able to use his darkness abilities to add to faux and artificial DFs, making them more powerful than the real things but it takes a toll on the user, succumbing them to madness and eventual death

After a turning point in the story Regal will leave his Warlord position to obtain title of Emperor

Yes he is essentially the Blackbeard of the story

Lan: You didn’t tell us we’d be dealing with Regal!

Chaud: Regal isn’t on that ship. It’s some of his men we’re dealing with

Lan: Even then, this is dangerous! Not just for my crew but for your position too! He’s still a Warlord isn’t he? You can’t just attack and arrest his men unprovoked, even if they are pirates!

Chaud: The Navy may be “allies” with Regal, but what he and his henchmen are doing is illegal. Just arresting some of his crew isn’t a direct attack on him if I catch them in the act. So don’t act like you’re worried

Lan: I’m worried because this operation could get us involved in some shit we’re not prepared for! I don’t like this!

Mega: Lan, let’s help them

Lan: Are you for real?

Mega: You know what they’re doing is wrong. A lot of people have gotten hurt because of this. I think adventuring on the seas would be a lot safer if we put those guys behind bars!

Lan: I know you’re right but…

Mega: Aren’t you the one always telling me things will be alright? Where’s your confidence Captain?

Lan: …Alright, we’ll do it! Anyone here have objections?

The crew: …

Lan: What? Scared?

Dex: No, no we’re all on board, it’s just…

Yai: For once you were the worrywart and hesitater while Hub was the encourager!

Guts: It’s the sign of a storm coming, guts!

Lan: Seriously? You guys are too superstitious!

Chaud: It’s either a storm or you two are imposters…

Lan: No one asked you!

[cat-eared-dollwitch]

A doll that does not speak.

It is without a witch, for the time being. At some point it had showed up at the institute. Alone.

It appears to understand everything one says, but it does not respond with words. It will occasionally nod or shake its head, if one is lucky. Extra luck will earn one a curtsy or two.

Sometimes, when it thinks it is alone, one may discover that it will stand in front of a mirror, repeating movements over and over as if practicing. It recites gestures that one may see in everyday life, or possibly in a movie. A graceful bow, hat held over chest. A stroking off the chin, contemplative and stoic. A regal but silent chuckle, hand obscuring it’s motionless mouth. Donning sunglasses, crossing arms, a taunting nod, a dejected sigh, an offering of a hand, and exasperated gesturing. Everything.

It stops immediately and acts as if it was simply fixing its outfit if it notices anyone watching it.

This dolls name is Cordite.

There is nothing wrong with it, at least physically. Many witches at the institute have checked its internals over the past few weeks, hoping to fix the poor thing. Every inspection has yielded a clean bill of health.

Its voice box is functional, almost brand new. Its ears are perfectly fine. Its soul is perfectly anchored, and there is no bottleneck of will.

Cordite just can’t, or simply won’t speak.

All of the witches that have tried to help it have asked it outright: “Why don’t you speak?” And the doll either gestures ignorance, or outright does not respond as if the question was never asked. Every witch so far has simply left it at that, some even chalking up its mutism to being just another one of its many eccentricities.

The witch sitting before Cordite has just asked it the same question. “Why don’t you speak?”

It stares across the desk at her for a moment, then performs a strangely practiced shrug. Its intent is clear. ‘I don’t know.’

The witch lets herself think for a few minutes, her bespectacled eyes studying the taciturn doll in her study. After some deliberation, she asks another question. “Do you wish to speak?”

Cordite shakes its head. Somehow this does not surprise her.

The witch hums. Wrong question, she thinks. She mulls the situation over in her mind for a few seconds more. “Are there times when you wish you could speak?” She asks instead. “Even if those times are rare?”

The doll starts to shake its head again, but freezes for a moment. Then, instead, it nods, almost meek in how little it actually moves.

Considering that, the witch looks down at her notebook, paging through the notes from the other witches’ previous attempts at fixing Cordite. It becomes apparent to her that no one has even asked the doll if it actually wanted to use its voice at all. She frowns at that realization, then flips the notebook back to an overview of the doll’s communication abilities to skim through it one more time.

It can write its name, it can write numbers. It can write words, but does not form complex sentences. Its writing is messy, but has a feeling of structured practice to it— like an old skill degraded by disuse. It has learned a curtailed form of sign language at some point, but almost never uses it unless prompted very strongly to do so. It rarely shows facial emotion, but its body language is somewhat readable when placed outside the etiquette intensive role of servitude.

“What stops you?” The witch finally asks.

Cordite shifts in its seat. It looks at the notebook in the witches hands, expression as blank as ever.

The witch notices this, flips the notebook to a blank page, then slides it over to the doll with the pen resting upon its ruled paper surface. “Here.”

Taking the notebook in one hand and the pen in the other, it writes a single word. The witch reads it when the doll slides the stationery back to her.

‘Volume’ it reads.

The witch knits her brows in mild confusion. “Too loud? No…” she interrupts herself when she notices Cordite starting to shake its head. She clicks her tongue then tries again. “No, you mean… too much?”

Cordite nods tentatively, then commits to a full nod after small a moment of deliberation.

“Can I ask what you mean by that?”

At that, its face twitches and it looks away. Cordite stares out the window. Then, almost as and afterthought, it crosses its arms tightly.

To most, the posture would seem standoffish. But to this witch, somehow, it does not. She’s a mechanical automaton specialist for goodness sake, this isn’t her specialty. She isn’t a mind reader. Or gods forbid, a psychologist. Not that any exist that specialize in dolls… at least not that she knows of.

And this doll seems frustrated to her. And maybe a little bit cagey because of it. She can understand that.

She clears her throat. “Hey. Cordite.” she says, shifting her tone to something she hopes sounds gentle and understanding.

Cordite looks over at her, still almost hugging itself with its crossed arms.

The witch gives it a reassuring smile. “You don’t have to answer that if you don’t want to. But… if you can, I’m here to listen.” She breaks eye contact and frowns at herself. “Or read. You know what I mean.” She chuckles, then clears her throat. “But. I have more question.” The witch looks back at the doll to see it nod once. She takes this as her cue to pose her final query and tries to put on a meaningful look. “If I could help you find your voice again, if only just for those times where you wish you had one, would you let me?” She finds the dolls eyes again as she finishes, hoping she sounds sincere.

Cordite gives her another blank stare. It’s kind of uncanny how its body language contrasts with its usual facial expression sometimes, the witch muses internally. The doll finally nods, almost imperceptibly.

She smiles again. “If you want, we can stop here and pick this up tomorrow, yeah?” Cordite simply blinks at her. “Besides, I need to take some time to look some things up. Do some research. And think of better questions. The open ended ones are a lot, I know.” She watches the doll for a reaction to her words.

The dolls eyes search her for several seconds. Then it closes them and shudders softly. And finally, it opens them again and nods.

The witch picks up another, smaller notebook and readies her pen. “Same time tomorrow? Three pm?”

Cordite nods again.

“Very good.” She jots something down, then places the notebook back where it belongs. “You can leave now. Thank you, Cordite.”

The doll promptly uncrosses its arms then stands up. It brushes its hands over the front of its outfit in a fluid motion, perfectly smoothing the small ripples out of the fabric in one go. It pulls the beret off its head and bows elegantly, hat held to its chest. Deftly fixing its beret back over its artificial hair, it turns on its heel and marches out of the room, opening and closing the door on the way.

The witch sighs deeply when the latch clicks closed, leaning back in her chair. “Okay. Another meeting, then library.” She spins her pen around her fingers absentmindedly, looking up at the ceiling lost in thought. “Do we even have anything psych oriented in our collection?” She asks herself.

She wants to help Cordite. She hopes she can, even if it’s only a little. If she can’t… Well. She’ll ask around.

[yonkokraven]

Am I the only one who thinks Ida does the "saving heroes" thing better than ochako?

Yes his role throughout the series lessened but it stayed consistent. After the stain arc we always see him helping his classmates . We don't see that with ochako tho. It doesn't feel like apart of her character but apart of her relationship with deku. I mean in the rooftop scene shoto was standing outside of ua and couldn't enter she didn't say anything then. She didn't say anything later when he said his presence would've caused problems, she didn't say anything abut ayoma she didn't even think about any of the heroes that got severely injured or died. She's never even had a thought about allmight (isn't it weird how little 1a interacted with AM) Nothing

Just deku thats it.

Which is why I prefer iida even if just in the background he's constantly checking up on his classmates and making sure their okay

(unrelated but hori def didn't make izuchako Canon to not displease bkdk shippers)

Well, honestly Uraraka works in this "saving heroes" thing because it more or less coincides with the core of her character which is essentially to make those around her happy, but that doesn't mean that yes, you're right and that Iida could have been part of that plot with Uraraka and Midoriya

Iida is the first Legacy Kid that is presented to us and he already has the concepts of heroism deeply rooted in his education, the main problem is that those concepts are completely aligned with the limits of the rules, that is, for a good part of the manga he is regal and incorruptible before the typical ideals of a hero in society, and on two occasions he deviates from this

-Selfishly: wanting to kill (not imprison or detain) Stain

-In a supportive way: Accompanying his classmates to save Bakugo.

After that Horikoshi could continue evolving Iida, but he doesn't, and we see him in action again in the Vigilant Deku arc and in the final war, where his job is to reach Midoriya, and then help Shoto reach his family.

I could start a rant here about how Horikoshi threw away the development of several characters just to give Gary Stu (Bakugo) of this manga his thousandth moment to shine.

But I can criticize him for other inconsistencies that you have pointed out:

-Shoto was able to enter the UA before and after the speech, people's biggest fear was that Midoriya would enter the academy

-Aoyama's scene and overall plot have no impact because we didn't have any focus prior to it (aside from the arc before the provisional exams). There's only an glimpse of an impact because it's revealed that he was quirkless, and we don't get a focus on class A in those types of plots and class A barely has any evolution outside of comic gags.

-Something to note on the subject of injured or dead heroes, is that the only considerable reaction we get from the class to this, is when Midnight dies, and a couple of chapters later they're in uniforms again, it feels like I missed out on about 90 therapy sessions here, but there's no acknowledgement of the deaths surrounding them or adverse consequences like heroes or students quitting.

-Uraraka and All Might... I seem to remember that there was an interaction between her, Iida, Tsuyu and Mineta between the rounds of the sports festival tournament, but I don't know if it is added to the anime only or also in the manga. There is a huge problem with this and that is that All Might was in skeletal form, the same form with which he begins to teach after his fight against AFO, could a plot arise here of how Uraraka or Iida discover the OFA on their own? If so, Hori did not do it because, surprise! Bakugo.

And as for the ships, I have to say, I much prefer Izuocha even though I'm more of a rarepairs fan.

I could make a post later about both ships, but responding to what you said, Horikoshi moves according to who is at the top of popularity, and this doesn't happen in stories with a gram of narrative stability (for example, One Piece).

Although the lack of confirmation doesn't mean that it hasn't happened, Uraraka wearing the Deku mask and focusing on Midoriya's hands (except the ring finger of his left hand) already gives enough of a clue, although I think Hori will leave those important details for the sequel or when volume 42 comes out in December.

[moonlight404-translates]

A3! Mikage Hisoka | SSR - Aiming to keep you in check | Translation

----------------

The Role of the Novice King / 1

Izumi: (I’m pretty sure those materials were here—) 

Hisoka: Zzz… Izumi: Whoa?!  Izumi: T-That was scary…  Hisoka: …Director?  Izumi: Good morning. It’s surprising to find you sleeping in this place.  Hisoka: …It was chilly in the courtyard and attic because of the cloudy weather, and Arisu was so noisy in our room.  Hisoka: Azuma is not in the dorms either. The only place where I could sleep peacefully was here.  Izumi: That makes sense. But, why don’t you just stay awake?  Hisoka: …The winter troupe will drink together and have a chess tournament tonight.  Hisoka: I’m sleeping now because of that.  Izumi: (But you’re always sleeping, Hisoka-san.)  Izumi: Is the chess tournament for your role study? Your role in the event was… Hisoka: The… king… Hisoka: Zzz… Izumi: Fufu, he fell asleep in mid-sentence. Have a nice dream. 

Izumi: (I interrupted Hisoka’s nap, but, on the bright side, I got the materials I needed—) 

- Doorbell sound - 

Izumi: (...A guest?)  Izumi: Yes? Member of a troupe: Hello~.  Izumi: Ah, hello. Thank you for the other day.  Member of a troupe: I should say that. You did a lot for us that day.  Izumi: It was nothing, really. But… how can I help you today?  Member of a troupe: Oh, I’m sorry to show up without notice. But we were sorting some props and found some useful ones. So I brought them to you.  Izumi: Props…  Member of a troupe: You mentioned you wanted these props we didn’t use and were about to throw away if there was something still useful. Remember?   Izumi: Oh, yeah…!  Izumi: Thank you, and sorry to make you bring them.  Member of a troupe: Don’t worry. I was near here.  Member of a troupe: I’ll leave them here, then. See you some other time.  Izumi: Of course, thank you! 

- The member left - 

Citron: Was that a friend, director?  Sakuya: Whoa, there are so many props!  Izumi: Nice timing. Can you two help me carry these props? 

The Role of the Novice King / 2

Citron: –Phew~. And that’s all!  Izumi: Thanks.  Masumi: What’s that?  Izumi: Someone from a troupe I helped before gave me these props they no longer use.  Itaru: Again…?  Chikage: Don’t you think we start to look like a junk removal place?  Izumi: A junk removal… Hey! Many things there can still be used!  Tsuzuru: In any case, we should sort out what we can use in performances or practices and what we cannot.  Hisoka: Yawn… Good morning.  Izumi: Hm? Are you awake now?  Hisoka: I wanted to eat marshmallows.  Citron: Help us organize these blobs, Hisoka! Tsuzuru: Organize these props.  Hisoka: …Sounds like a lot of work. Chikage: Your luck ran out when you woke up. Quit complaining and come help us.  Hisoka: Sigh…  Sakuya: There are many things here.  Masumi: Everything is trash.  Itaru: I’d agree, but one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.  Tsuzuru: Ah, we can use this pot in the dorms… wait, where is the bottom?!  Tsuzuru: What play could have needed this…? Itaru: That’s quite intriguing. Look, over here are bending chopsticks.  Izumi: Fufu, that comes from a company that does some surreal comedy. This box feels light. Maybe there are costumes inside… Izumi: …A crown?  Sakuya: Ah, there seems to be a cape underneath!  Izumi: (A crown and cape… Ah!) Izumi: Don’t you want to use them, Hisoka-san? Your role for the next event is a king, after all.  Citron: Oh! It could help in his role study if he wears it!  Hisoka: Role study… But it’s not a very complicated role…  Citron: Hisoka, you can’t become a king poltergeist. Hisoka: …I wasn’t planning to.  Tsuzuru: He means overnight.  Itaru: A strong statement from a former crown prince despite his broken Japanese.  Chikage: Indeed, one can’t acquire a regal aura immediately. Hisoka: When you say it like that… I feel like I have to do a role study for it.  Citron: Then me and Itaru will help!  Itaru: Eh, me too? Sure, I guess…  Hisoka: This became more problematic…  Chikage: Good luck.  Citron: Let’s start right away!  Izumi: But first, let’s tidy all this up. 

Itaru: Okay, now that we finished tidying up everything, may the role study begin.  Hisoka: … Citron: In the first place, it’s the flavor of a king. Itaru: Behavior.  Citron: I’m pretty sure the costume for the performance will have a fancy cape. So try to make the cape flutter smoothly.  Hisoka: …Okay.  Hisoka: Like this? Itaru: Exaggerate it some more. It would look cooler if you lift it higher.  Hisoka: …Like this? Itaru: No, it’s more like… this!  Hisoka: …Is this okay?  Itaru: Hmm…  Citron: Non, non. That makes it look like you have chuunibyou instead of a king. It needs more elegance.   Itaru: Severely criticized by the royalty.  Hisoka: Elegance…  Hisoka: Like this?  Citron: Yes, yes! Perfect!  Hisoka: …I could use this as a reference. Maybe. Hisoka: Then, I’ll take my leave…  Citron: Moving on to the next one!  Hisoka: …There’s more?

The Role of the Novice King / 3

Hisoka: …Marsh… mallow…  Izumi: You’ve worked hard, Hisoka-san. Here, take a marshmallow. Izumi: How was the practice for your role study?  Hisoka: …It was useful at the beginning.  Izumi: What do you mean?  Izumi: —Wait, that black rod thing isn’t…  Hisoka: Ah, I brought the whip with me. I’ll give it back to Citron later.  Izumi: A whip!? Why would you need that?! Hisoka: “What insolence! What disrespect! You, lick my boots!”  Izumi: HUH?!  Hisoka: …And we had a whipping lesson.  Izumi: So it was the King of Hearts becoming the King of Harm… Hisoka: It happened during Arisu’s performance too.  Izumi: (Right, it did happen something like that…) Izumi: But Hisoka-san’s role doesn’t have that personality, right…?  Hisoka: No. That’s why I said it was only useful at the beginning. It was a behavior lesson.  Izumi: (I was the one who suggested it… I’m feeling a bit guilty about this…)  Hisoka: Yawn… So sleepy… Hisoka: I finished my king role study. That’s why… director, lower your head for a moment.  Izumi: Eh? L-Like this?  Hisoka: “I bestow this upon you. Consider yourself honored.” Izumi: …The crown?  Hisoka: This is also part of the king’s role. 

Choice 1: You’re right. 

Izumi: Fufu, you’re right.  Izumi: So, this is how it feels to receive the crown from the king.  Hisoka: How do you feel?  Izumi: Hmm… a bit nervous, but excited? Something like that…  Izumi: Like if you receive a special gift.  Hisoka: …I see. 

Choice 2: You were like a real king. 

Izumi: It felt like you were a real king.  Hisoka: Do you mean I acted like Citron? Izumi: Hmm… It was a little different… But I could feel a royal aura coming from you.  Hisoka: Even if I didn’t move the cape?  Izumi: Cape…?  Hisoka: …I was talking to me. I’m glad you felt I was like a king. 

Izumi: Then your role study seemed to work well.  Hisoka: That’s why I gave the crown and cape to you, director.  Izumi: It’s an honor, but… someone else needs it more than me. So I’ll have to decline.  Hisoka: Someone else needs it…?  Hisoka: …I think I know who it is. Then, I’ll give it to him later.  Hisoka: I’m tired. I’ll sleep until the winter troupe comes. Director, please… wake me up…  Hisoka: Zzz…Zzz… Izumi: Good night, your Highness.

---------------- Translation notes: 

-> Citron's mistakes

Original: お豆腐の整理 (otofu no seiri) → 小道具整理 (kodougu seiri) Adaptation: Organize these blobs → Organize these props. 

Original: 胃腸炎と咳 (ichouen to seki) → 一朝一夕 (icchoisseki) Adaptation: Poltergeist → Overnight

Original: 立ち飲みシュウマイ (tachinomi shuumai) → 一立ち居振る舞い (tachiifurumai) Adaptation: Flavor → Behavior

Notes:  When Hisoka says “It happened during Arisu’s performance too”, he might be talking about receiving Citron’s help in the Witness From the Past backstage (MLAM Hisoka’s SSR). 

[aimoplaysbg3]

Took a break from Irona, and continued Dagmar’s playthrough which uhhhh lasted approximately 17 hours so far?

Was typing this earlier while I was out, so this entry will be a little scattered, but MAN you know a game has its hooks on you when I ended up playing my girl for hours on end just to see what happens next; I’ve already seen so many new scenes that give existing sequences in EA a lot more flavour. Take Wyll’s entrance during the Emerald Grove gate battle:

The fight actually pauses midway and cuts into this swashbuckling mf making his grand entrance oozing so much charm not unlike The Princess Bride’s Cary Elwes XD

Speaking of Wyll, he changed voice actors between EA and the current release version. Personally it didn’t take long at all for me to get used to Theo Solomon…he fits in very well in the role, so the transition didn’t feel jarring to me.

Also, I really like subclassing Wyll into Pact of the Blade, it makes him really versatile to switch between Melee (Hello, proficiency in rare enchanted Giant Axe!) and Ranged (EEEEEELDRITCH BLAST, PEW PEW) depending on my needs on the battlefield.

Back to my homegirl; I am enjoying how Light Armor are designed. Dagmar started with basic Ranger leather armor:

Then I upgraded her drip to Padded Armor +1. Wasn't too keen on the default turquoise, so one Muddy Red dye later it looks more slick and regal imo:

(I love that there's a Goblin Slayer-esque option while trying to cheer up the Tiefling kids at the grove.)

But I ended up fitting her into The Oak Father's Embrace (Dwarves have medium armor proficiency, woo! And also dyed in which shade I can't remember) so she can get that Radiant damage bonus against undead and beasts:

(She just had Astarion poison the drink at the Goblin Camp, hence her self-satisfied smirk here.)

I'm thinking that if I want to update this journal regularly, I will do so as non-linear as possible because on certain days I'd like to write about whatever impressions strike my fancy as I play. So just a head's up that entries will be in non-chronological order; I will tag them according to Acts instead, which you can access from the sidebar. I hope this works for you as the reader!

Now I'm off to continue this playthrough :D

[jerzwriter]

Easy As Pie

Based on a three-word ask from @icecoffee90! Thanks for the inspiration, my friend. I hope you like this little bit of silliness.

Book: Open Heart Characters: Aurora Emery, Jackie Varma, Sienna Trinh, brief appearance by Bryce Lahela Words: 512 Rating: Teen Summary: Friendsgiving has been arranged, and food assignments have been handed out. Aurora and Jackie didn't let their lack of baking experience deter them from agreeing to bake pies this year. After all, how bad could it be?

Full Masterlist | Open Heart Masterlist

It was the start of the holiday season, and finding a date to host Friendsgiving was not an easy task for a bunch of medical residents. But a week after Thanksgiving, the day was finally here, and the apartment was bustling with excitement as they prepared for their feast. Aurora and Jackie were brilliant physicians but not known for their culinary skills. But they weren't going to let a little thing like that stop them from agreeing to bake the pies for the event.

“How hard can it be?” Jackie asked. “We both managed to graduate at the top of our classes in Ivy League medical schools. We have to be capable of following a recipe, right?”

With said recipe and dozens of ingredients they had never purchased before in hand, they began their baking adventure.

Thirty minutes later and covered in flour, Aurora wore a bewildered expression. “Who ever heard of lemon zest? Is that even a thing? And why, why, why is zesting a lemon so difficult!” She complained.  

“I don’t know,” Jackie sighed, “but I’m about to deliver more bad news."

Ever the perfectionist, Aurora’s shoulders dropped. “What?”

“The apple pies in the oven....”

“Yeesss?”

“I may have confused the sugar with the salt in the recipe.”

“May have?” Aurora questioned.

“More like... I did.”

Aurora shook her head. “Well, I guess this is what happens when they stop teaching stop teaching How to Differentiate Between Sugar and Salt 101 at Harvard. I knew that was a poor decision! I don't think our pie adventure can get any worse.”

“Oh, no....” Jackie groaned. "It's about to get worse."

“What?” asked wearily.

“Don’t look now, but....”

The tiny baking master, also known as Sienna, buoyantly entered the kitchen with a glint of mischief and satisfaction in her eyes.

“Could you guys use a little help?” she smiled.

“Not if you’re going to tell us, ‘I told you so’,” Jackie sighed.

“Sorry,” Aurora said, removing her apron at once. “Jackie stands alone on this matter! You can tell me I told you so; you can tell me anything you want, just please, please take over this dreadful task!”

Realizing Aurora was right, Jackie eagerly handed her spatula to Sienna. 

“Clearly, I don’t have the skill set to use this,” Jackie stated.

“To use a spatula?” Sienna marveled.

“Let’s never tell my mother, OK?”

“I’ll keep Mrs. Varma in the dark,” Sienna grinned, “but only if you two stay and help me out. Not everyone gets to learn at the foot of a master!”

“You know, I’ve had her banana cream pie,” Aurora nodded. “I’ve got to admit... she is the master.”

Begrudgingly, Jackie agreed to stay. Now reduced to the role of taste testers, Jackie and Aurora watched in awe as Sienna produced three delicious pies with ease.

"I don't know," Jackie said as she licked chocolate icing off a beater. "I guess they were still teaching this course at her Ivy!"

When the friends gathered later that day, Aurora and Jackie had everyone in stitches as they regaled the stories of their culinary disaster.

“You didn’t know the difference between sugar and salt?” Bryce howled. “Wow! So what lesson have we learned?"  

Jackie jumped in to answer first. “I've learned that if Sienna isn’t available, I need to get my cheap ass to a bakery.”

“Orrrrr... we could just practice with Sienna and learn how to do it ourselves,” Aurora smiled.

“Oh, that’s the wine talking!” Jackie said with a shake of her head. “That’s just crazy talk. I’ve learned where my place is... and that place will never be the kitchen.”

Tagging separately.

@choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

[ratherembarrassing]

As Alicent becomes more 'adrift,' Olivia Cooke's purpose grows in 'House of the Dragon'

The first time Olivia Cooke cried on camera, in the 2014 British horror flick “The Quiet Ones,” she was admittedly thrilled.

“I was crying on cue, and I just thought, ‘Yep, f— BAFTA,’” she says, laughing at how far her acting career has progressed in 10 years. These days, Cooke spends a lot of her time on set crying — and sobbing and screaming — on command. It comes with the territory of playing Alicent Hightower on HBO’s “House of the Dragon,” returning for a second season on Sunday. And this year, as Cooke puts it, everything is “dire.”

“It feels more expansive and things are ramping up,” Cooke says, speaking from the kitchen table in her home in London. “It’s a fantasy, but this is also what’s happening to the characters, and the stakes are high.”

Cooke, 30, has invited me over for breakfast (avocado toast and smoked salmon served with a croissant on the side) to discuss becoming Alicent in the “Game of Thrones” prequel, although the conversation veers rapidly from the series to her favorite plays on the West End to the neighborhood cats that regularly appear in her backyard.

“There’s like a cat coven,” she says. “They all congregate in here, and they just watch me. I’m the high priestess of all the cats.”

It’s unsurprising that the local pets flock to Cooke, who holds herself with a regal air even when she’s brewing coffee and taking bites of toast in between speaking. It’s a trait she showcases onscreen in “House of the Dragon” as a character whose shifting allegiance has brought two opposing factions of the Targaryen family to the brink of war.

In Season 1, Cooke arrived midway through the story, taking over from Emily Carey, who played the younger version of Alicent, the childhood best friend of Rhaenyra Targaryen, played by Milly Alcock and later Emma D’Arcy.

“Everything hinged on me and Emma having really good, powerful performances when we got introduced in Episode 6,” Cooke says. “Because you're replacing two of your leads, and that's a really radical thing to do midseason on a really popular show. We were blissfully ignorant of the pressure [at the time]. Viewers could have really switched off. But I think it worked.”

At first, though, Cooke wasn’t even sure she wanted the job. She’d been acting for a decade, in a broad variety of roles, and being defined by a massive TV series wasn’t exactly what she had in mind for her career.

“I was really deliberating about it for ages,” she says. “Then I spoke to my manager and my agent, and they convinced me to audition.”

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the audition process was “just sending self-tapes into the void,” as Cooke describes it. There were multiple rounds, and she was in contention for both Rhaenyra and Alicent, but showrunners Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik eventually homed in on her for the Hightower noble who becomes queen of Westeros. By that point, Cooke knew she wanted the role.

Condal, who is the sole showrunner for Season 2, also remembers the process feeling endless. But, out of everyone they saw, Cooke imbued Alicent with “the most human performance,” he says.

“Olivia just brought real pathos and complexity and humanity to the role right from just reading the pages,” Condal says over Zoom. “It was one of the clearest presentations of ‘this is who it’s meant to be’ that I’ve ever had in my career.”

Although the specter of “Game of Thrones” loomed large, Cooke had never really watched the series. But after being cast as Alicent and waiting for the production to get a greenlight to start shooting during the pandemic, she watched the show and began to understand what “House of the Dragon” could be.

“I got really, really excited,” she says. “And then meeting Emma at Miguel's house at Christmastime solidified my excitement for it. [And having] endless meetings with Miguel and Ryan about the character. Because both Rhaenyra and Alicent aren't all that present in the book, so being able to craft this character with the writers and the showrunners was exciting.”

It’s fitting, she says, that the female characters are ellipses in George R.R. Martin’s book “Fire & Blood,” which contains an unreliable account of the “Dance of the Dragons” civil war because it’s told by three narrators.

“Women are always omitted in the annals of history,” Cooke says. “It’s really potent, that absence. What were these two characters doing? You have to read between the lines with Rhaenyra and Alicent.”

D'Arcy adds, speaking over the phone, that the actors had “no illusions about the scale of the task at hand” when they were cast. “You're taking on such a beloved object. However, I think we both felt that returning to Westeros from the perspective of two women looking to hold power was potentially a good enough reason. That gave us something to fight for.”

The two characters are even more fleshed out in Season 2, picking up on the heels of the first season’s tumultuous finale, which saw Alicent putting her son Aegon on the throne, usurping Rhaenyra’s own claim after King Viserys named her heir.

Condal describes Alicent’s journey this season as “an ongoing expansion of the character,” although he admits the episodes “really put Alicent through her paces.” That was something Cooke felt deeply.

“In this season, she’s so adrift,” Cooke says, joking that there are only so many miserable faces she can make. “She’s losing her power. With Rhaenyra and Alicent, it’s like a butterfly effect, so as Rhaenyra is gaining power, the hourglass is turned over and the power is waning from Alicent, and her influence is waning as well. There’s an imaginary rope between [the two characters] that carries them throughout seasons.”

Season 2 opens with the characters split apart. Rhaenyra is grieving the loss of her son Lucerys at the hand of Alicent’s one-eyed son Aemond in Dragonstone. Alicent remains in King’s Landing, where Aegon sits on the Iron Throne. Cooke says Alicent “gets a massive dose of the reality” when her “psycho sons” take control of the realm.

“[She is] being forced to reckon with sublimating her own power in the raising of her sons,” Condal says. “The minute she puts Aegon on the throne, her great power as the queen of the Seven Kingdoms is immediately diminished.”

The separate storylines for Alicent and Rhaenyra meant the actors didn’t get to spend as much time together on set this season, to their disappointment. It also meant that the uneasy relationship between Rhaenyra and Alicent unfolds over a distance — at least early on. Cooke refuses to say whether the characters reunite for fear of spoilers. But Condal acknowledges that it’s essential to the story for fans to see the characters together again.

“So much of the fun and the drama is taking these characters who have these complicated relationships and separating them because of the forces of politics and the war at hand,” he says. “And then finding ways to bring them back together, and seeing how the world and the war have changed them.”

On a more positive note, Alicent has the opportunity to explore her sexuality this season, coupling up with a character who will, for now, remain unnamed (let’s just say he matches her freak). It’s a rare expression of freedom for a woman who has lacked agency, which Condal says has “greatly affected who her character is.”

“That was really important because you've not seen Alicent experience that in her adult life, and all of a sudden, she has all these teenage, passionate feelings toward someone,” Cooke says. “I think that makes her feel insane.”

After seven months of production, which wrapped in September, Cooke was “absolutely knackered” — a polite British way of saying the experience had completely depleted her.

“Last season, Emma and I were only in four episodes each,” Cooke says. “So we'd walk in and be full of beans when everyone else was at death’s door. Then I think we both really felt the enormity of the schedule. And it’s so emotional. Both of us are just either sobbing or screaming all the time. I don't know if I smile in Season 2.”

Despite the exhaustion, Cooke loves playing Alicent. She’s a character of “so many subterranean levels of repression and anger and despair and passion,” which is a huge gift. Cooke has compassion and empathy for her, and she understands why Alicent does manipulative, devious things.

“She’s smarter than all the men as well and she could rule and she'd be really f— good at it,” Cooke says. “It’s so frustrating that she can’t believe she would be this amazing ruler because she's so indoctrinated by the patriarchy and by her father. She’s been molded to talk sweetly into the ears of these powerful men, and it's such a disservice to who she is and what she's capable of.”

Before Season 1 premiered, Cooke was worried that her personal life might become too public for comfort. Although she spent four years on the series “Bates Motel,” Cooke for most of her career has been able to do work she’s proud of without giving up her anonymity.

“I just didn't want my life to change,” she says. “It’s such a big TV show, and I hadn't ever done anything to this scale before. Or if I had, it was a film that comes out and then goes away and doesn't live in the culture for years and years and years.”

So far, Cooke’s fears have gone mostly unfounded. She’s recognized, sure, but not in a way that disrupts her daily life. And when it does, fans are generally nice about it, like recently when she was on the London Underground going home and a group of drunken girls started shouting “Alicent” in her direction.

“It’s actually been all right,” she says, sounding as if she doesn’t quite believe it. “I think you notice an uptick as the show is about to come out because they're promoting it more.”

Cooke calls herself a “catastrophizer” and admits she can be hard on herself when reflecting on a performance. But those fears are also unsupported. D’Arcy, who has become Cooke’s close friend, describes her as “one of the most intelligent and insightful people I've ever met.”

“Her eyes are so striking and I feel that they speak in such full sentences,” D’Arcy says of Cooke. “It can be quite shocking, honestly, to encounter. That’s what makes sharing a set with her such a privilege and also a great lesson to any actor. In the context of shooting for six months or longer, with those long days, it's wonderful to be woken up like that.”

(Cooke, for the record, feels similarly about her co-star, saying of D’Arcy, “They're such a powerhouse and it only makes me want to do better. Everything is cemented in absolute truth, and you can't help but ricochet off that.”)

Cooke’s ability to captivate a viewer with unspoken ferocity and emotion has driven her in films like “Thoroughbreds” and “Sound of Metal,” and on TV shows like “Bates Motel” and “Slow Horses.” Although she appeared in only a few episodes of the first season of “Slow Horses,” Cooke hints that her character Sid may return in a forthcoming season (“I don’t know,” she says, grinning slyly, when asked).

These days, she wants to “embark on more of the unknown,” something the actor is aiming to do with her production company Chippy Tea, which she formed two years ago. Her first production, a romance film called “Takes One to Know One,” will shoot in Rome early next year and stars Jamie Bell alongside Cooke. She also wants to try her hand at directing.

“When I'm on set, I'm always figuring out how things work and almost shadowing the director,” Cooke says. “I find acting a lot of the time to be so insular. You can get in your own way. I like the collaborative process of making something from the ground up, and I want to do more of that. It’s also taking control of my own destiny a little bit more.”

As for Alicent, well, she may not be so lucky. But Cooke wants to play her for as long as possible.

“I really want her to just go off and be in the forest with some chickens,” she says, jokingly. “But really, there’s some good stuff for her for Season 3, if we get it. Really exciting stuff.”

[silentwillowwhisperer]

Negotiating

I just watched the entirety of Owl House in 3 days, why is it over? My soul hurts.

——————————————

When Keith permanently steps back up as black paladin, he does it knowing he will have to step out of his comfort zone.

However, he would gladly never negotiate with an alien leader ever again.

Anytime someone turns to him, expecting an answer or comment on the conversation, he can’t help but freeze up. The others have already accepted that this is just Keith being incredibly socially awkward, but it’s still painful to watch.

Finally after a grand total of 3 separate occasions of watching Keith struggle, Lance steps in. He, along with the rest of the team, all know what Keith has to say, but the alien leaders always turn to Keith, completely ignoring the others.

This particular planet has a name too long for Lance to pronounce, but the regal queen sitting at the head of the conference table acts the same as any other upper-class individual.

At the moment, her cold, unnerving glare is set on Keith as she waits for him to gather himself enough to speak.

Lance beats him to it.

“Your imperial highness. It’s our k pleasure to be here with you, and if I may, I’ll start with the briefing.”

The queen is shikwe. She whips her head back and forth between Lance and Keith so hard that Lance knows that she’ll feel it tomorrow.

She sneers. “I was told that the black paladin is in charge. As his second, you should not be speaking out of turn.”

Keith is not at all impressed. He suddenly, his chair screeching backwards. His hands slam down on the table and all eyes turn to him.

“Lance is my right hand, and has as much of a right to be speaking as I do. If you’d like us to continue to aid you and your people, then you will not treat any one of my team like that, ever.”

Lance had been sinking down into his seat at the queens words, worried that he had cost them the alliance, but he should have known that Keith wouldn’t let that slide. As inept as he is with his words, his fiery temper gains him the respect and compliance of everyone around him, when applied correctly.

Keith sits back down and motions for Lance to continue, a small smile settling on his face.

Lance grins back and leads the meeting. He is not questioned after that.

It continues on like that on every planet they recruit.

Keith has small panic attacks during those meetings regularly, but they’ve gotten manageable since Lance took the reins.

Lance doesn’t mind at all, he has a way with people, and this role makes him feel useful. It helps that Keith mouths a small thank you to him and pats his hand after every meeting.

Over time, their small gestures grow until it’s not uncommon for them to hold hands under the table and tangle their legs together while making agreements with foreign races.

The comfort each other like that, and while they both know that it’s not just friendly, neither wants to ruin the good thing that they have going.

So they don’t acknowledge it, even when they become close enough to read each other’s minds on the battlefield and start to confide in each other.

They spend more time together than they do with anyone else, but it brings them closer than ever before.

It’s Lance who breaks first. While he can be a serious person when need be, he’s also a hopeless romantic. It hurts to have so much and yet so little with Keith.

It’s 12am earthtime (or so they think) and both boys are talking in the kitchen over Hunk’s space-modified version of hot chocolate.

“I like you! Will you go out with me?” Lance blurts out suddenly.

Lance expects Keith to offer one of those fleeting smiles, or reject him.

Instead, Keith ducks his head, and his ears turn red. (Hey that rhymed, yay me.)

“I… I really want to, Lance. We both know by now that what we have is not friendship. Not like what we have with the other paladins. But if I accepted… and then if something were to happen to you… I wouldn’t be able to live with it. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.”

Lance has the same worry deep in the bottomless pit of his mind, but it hurt to hear Keith say it. He tries to keep us heart intact and his tears in.

“Well, that’s too bad. Because my heart is already yours, and when we get onto earth, we are going to date LIKE NORMAL PEOPLE. Do you hear me? I’m not having my life be taken my this damned war, and I will date you like we deserve to. That’s how I know we will make it back. That’s how I know that you won’t go sacrificing yourself like you always do anymore, because if we are together then you’ll have to live. For me. So, for now, can we just be boyfriends?”

Keith stares at him long and hard. Lance can feel the anxiety and fear creeping through him as Keith keeps him trapped in that deep gaze.

“Fine. Yes. We can be… boyfriends, if you’re sure that you really want to date me.”

Lance shrieks with joy, which startles Keith, before tackling the black paladin to the ground.

“Yes! Of course I want you, and I promise this will be the best decision of your life, babe.”

Keith’s face turns a bright, blotchy red, but he’s too content in Lance’s arms to care.

[thecrescentmind]

I currently need to remake their refs so instead of refs you get screenshots from the wip I’m never finishing.

Sanders Sides OC introductions!!! (TCM au act one) intro explanation/context to the au here

Yapping about them under the cut!!!

Since I got some reason decided attempting a fanseries was a good idea I’m going to be vague about spoilers and the sides will be referred to be titles instead of their actual names, I’ll probably give up on being vague about spoilers eventually but for now I’m trying

Let’s start with the basic one: it’s me but not really: TCM!Crescent

Taking the role of c!Thomas: Crescent is the protagonist! The one whose mind everyone else is apart of! They’ve only just been introduced to their sides and will learn more about them as we go. His personality is a combination of the four he’s met. She’s creative, kind hearted, emotional, anxious, a bit awkward, and simultaneously very smart and very stupid! Well, that’s not all he is, but we don’t have to think about that, do we? TCM is a fun show where we only have to deal with the problems we want to face, we can just ignore that, this place is an escape and no one is going to change that.

Crescent is different from c!Thomas in well, they are literally just different people. Crescent is a teenager with a different gender and sexuality. I guess in terms of what they do in the story the first difference I think of is that Crescent is more aware of certain parts of themselves. This won’t stop him from acting just as oblivious though.

Now we have Artist: Embodiment of creativity, imagination, passion, and ego!

Artist takes the role of Roman! They’re passionate, creative, brave, a bit hyper, and the most confrontational of the group. He likes to act as a hero, even having a “magical girl” (despite not being a girl) form to transform into! She’s very willing to fight or get aggressive when nessecary, maybe even a bit too much. Funfact: the two dots on their crown are eyes! Her crown’s name is Ray and they’re what she used to transform into Ember Knight (the name she gave her magical form). Funfact 2: Despite being the creative side of a horror fan, Artist doesn’t like horror! Wonder what that’s about…

In terms of differences from Roman, Artist is less regal and overall has different vibes and demeanor. She also takes his thing with wanting to be a hero up several notches. She’s also less likely to just insult her friends for no reason, she will be kind of rude but with reasons. Basically if someone’s rude to her she’s rude back almost imeadiatley and she’s very aggressive towards people she has unresolved conflicts with.

Next up is Intel: Embodiment of intelligence, reason, and logic!

Intelligence, or Intel as literally everyone calls them for short takes the role of Logan! The most knowledgeable side in the mindscape, Intel is just as smart and rational as you’d think they’d be. They can be overly cold and serious at times, but that comes from a genuine desire to get things done and help out. And boy does she do a lot of helping! With Crescent being a former gifted kid who now as a teen is almost always in advanced classes (or art related classes, at least Artist can handle that part of their school) and with Intel always trying to use reason to calm the others down when things get serious, he certainly has a big job! Just hope they can handle it.

Intel acts a lot like Logan but the vibes are shifted to the right (listen it’s hard to describe how she acts I swear she’s different) but her arc and struggles are very different. Because of how much Crescent needs her she’s very hard to ignore so she isn’t really, tldr burnt out gifted kid needs a break.

Then there’s Heart: center of feelings and morals!

(I know her color is kind of hard to see I’ll fix that eventually) Heart takes the role of Patton! She’s kindhearted, empathetic, and very sensitive. The least aggressive or confrontational of the group. They’re the youngest of the gang, everyone is physically and more or less mentally the same age as Crescent but Heart formed the most recently. However they’re not a child and will dispute claims they are. Being the newest to the group they have big shoes to fill and he’s still learning how to do that best, can Heart really fill the void he left behind?

While Patton is seen as the group dad, Heart is often seen as the group child (even if she disputes it.). Her arc involves a lot of coming into her own in different ways.

And finally there’s Stress: embodiment of fear and anxiety!

Stress takes the role of Virgil, including starting out as an antagonist. At this point in the story they’re very rude and condescending, masking everything underneath a scary persona they’ve had as long as anyone can remember. But it has been a while. Him deciding to be a threatening presence within the show was a bit surprising for the other three sides, ever since the incident she’s mostly done her job remotely, staying away from direct confrontation with the others unless something major happens. So why do this now? There’s something deeper that they’re connected to, and I don’t think Crescent wants to find out what.

Stress has more energy than Virgil, but you won’t notice that at first because the scary persona definitely takes some of that energy to keep up. Her motivations are also pretty different from his but I’ll keep that a secret for now (she has the most complicated backstory out of everyone you will see)

[weebsinstash]

BRO AND GROWING UP AS BAKUGOU’S FIANCÉE??? KNOWING HOW MUCH OF A BRAT HE WAS AS A KID??? TERROR. HE JUST BULLIES YOU YOUR ENTIRE CHILDHOOD AND THINKS THAT BECAUSE YOU’RE ENGAGED HE’S ENTITLED TO IT. POSSESSIVE AF EVEN WHEN HE STARTS BEING COLD.

And omg the fiancée probably grows up being a meek little thing because of his bullying and aggressive behavior, as well as very cruel/insulting remarks like he did with Deku, also being told that she just has to endure how Bakugo treats her and be the perfect calm collected lady to balance him out because that’s her duty as his wife and empress??? Good food. Then the fiancée gets tired of his bullshit and just tries to break the engagement/divorce and he’s like “wait what no you’re not supposed to do that”. Idk just having to deal with child Bakugou would’ve been a hard NO from me 😭

I've been having multiple ideas for this specific scenario and pairing but it seems to be popular with you guys too 😳

But no I absolutely agree, I think being raised with him and knowing what a little prick he's always been would be terrible, and I personally wouldn't have the patience for a bratty little kid, even AS a kid. I can see it so stereotypically: Reader and Bakugou both children, brought to the same location but allowed to wander before the official meeting. Reader is just minding their own business, being the Saint/ess or mage or whatnot that enables a low-born person like them to be treated with prestige, just walking in the garden and being cute and curious about all the plants, here's the Crown Prince, demanding you tell him your identity and reason for being in his palace. You're trying to be polite but he just mocks you for no reason? Says your role is stupid and weak since it doesn't involve fighting? (Perhaps he's feeling a little inferior to you since you have a superior and useful skill he can't obtain, hm?) And maybe you lose your patience and get chest to chest with the little punk and even start to have a physical fight before some adults, like say your guardians, have to pry you apart

And then the adults pull you both aside and scold you and get you all dolled up to see each other again and it's like, haha you're gonna have a political marriage :) sure, the future Emperor just received a black eye from his future spouse but, no this is fine, let's not correct the little monster in any way, you two are definitely going to learn to get along over the years :) obviously you just kind of consider him a huge bully and dread finally marrying him and having a wedding even if it helps your home country to form an alliance at the cost of your freedom 😩 and also imagine, having healing powers and him asking/demanding you heal his soldiers snd himself for certain battles and wars but he won't let you like, go into the villages and treat the commoners suffering from, demon flu or something that you could purify, like he's just using you as a health pack for his army but not letting you perform your duty of helping the people and you resent him and think he's selfish (which he is, but, he also wants to keep you close and far away from any unpredictable subjects)

Just sorry, if you think of how teenage Bakugou treated Midoriya, and even just vaguely transfer that over, I would hate him, think he's rude, worry for the future of his country, AND imagine being stuck in a political marriage and you know you have to share him with not only other women but also just, one specific dude for some reason? Which you suppose isn't, impossible but, not exactly common to you; surprising, but you aren't rejecting it.

I feel like the constant pressure to be absolutely perfect and regal and holy yet the one who is 'the most important' never acknowledging those traits and efforts would be emotionally and psychologically draining. So many other people would just come off as fake or trying to suck up to you, and Izuku... his praise doesn't count; you don't know what's wrong with this boy but sometimes he's stuck on you like glue and wants to spend entire days together, consecutively. And he technically isn't doing anything too sinister, but it's how he does it, the execution. Wanting to spend time with you is one thing, wanting to spend every waking moment is another

Bakugou would probably be one of those where, you tell him you hate him and never loved him to his face and he'll tell you that it isn't your job to love each other, stop being stupid, but the second he has you escorted off he's isolating himself for deep meditation because WHY DOESN'T MY FAVORITE WIFE LIKE ME 🥺 and over the course of the next week he's sending gift after gift to your palace, never coming himself though, and he thinks you've forgiven him when you accept everything and then he finds out you were just doing it on courtesy and everything he gave you was just put into a storage room to not be seen or heard

[aventvrina]

@zorkaya bet:

"What Diamond says goes around here, doesn't it? The rest have no say over who I protect. They are aware of a tool given to you and jealousy is a disease that will keep on rotting them away." The bodyguard speaks, walking a bit behind the one she was ordered to protect. Her words don't seem like those of a normal bodyguard, but a provocateur who knows too well the thoughts of others. Zarina wears her usual black suit, but her appearance is too regal and too elegant to be considered one of a a bodyguard. Everyone who didn't know better sneered and laughed, saying that they put someone inexperienced to protect the gambler, but it's obvious that Jade and Opal stepped away with frowns on their faces, disappearing into the other room. "If I must die to ensure your safety, so be it. It matters not who will attempt to close in on you, a member of IPC or someone else, I will ensure they are dealt with swiftly." Her smile is laid-back and calm, but her words sound like velvet. A woman like her shouldn't be a bodyguard, but there are no lies in her words. She speaks honesty, arms hidden behind her back as she keeps them locked. Gaze of ichor watches the back of Aventurine, but it's studying, analyzing. "Depending on what you wish, I will become anyone you'll require... Well, aside from being someone to kiss your boot, of course. But aside from that? Do not hesitate to order me what you wish for me to do... or be."

He has to wonder what had Diamond been thinking when he assigned Zarina to him. Out of everyone from the Stonehearts, Aventurine is the one who feels that he needs the least protection. Regardless of background and skill, his unrelenting luck has proven time and time again that he will not die easily. Whether he comes unharmed from the situation however, that's a different deal. But he still wouldn't want to drag anyone into the dangers he puts himself through, especially someone so close to his superior.

She continues to spew her qualities as if it'll change his mind. His face remains unfazed, the usual smile in place that leaves people guessing what he's truly thinking.

"We'll try not to get to that stage." An obvious lie for those who know him. Aventurine is no stranger to putting his life on the line if it'll win a gamble, but Zarina's determination to protect him at all costs could be troublesome if he were to use such a move.

"Anyone I require you say?" It's almost palpable when exactly he started to pay attention.That was exactly the phrase he needed to hear from her. He might not need protection, but he certainly needs support.

With a pause, he finally regards Zarina, leaning ever so closely as if in conspiracy.

"Then I have the perfect role for you." His smile stretches. "I will need you to be my friend."

[museenkuss]

A selection of perfume first impressions

(Tested yesterday, over the course of multiple hours at different shops)

Sunset Hour by Goldfield & Banks— It smells like what you’d expect a tan American or Australian influencer girl to smell like. Sweet and fruity in a way that makes you say “oh I love it:)” in the very first moment you smell it, but lacking depth or anything that makes it interesting going from there. Superficially pretty, in other words.

Giardino di Boboli by Roberto Ugolini — fresh and green, uplifting. It has that extremely sophisticated freshness that is also present in the Jardins line by Hermès. Not the citrus-dominant, cool type of refreshment(which I also love), but rather green and complex (as far as I could tell on paper). There is always something multidimensional about the jardins, too. I’d probably go for those, tbh, since 400€+ isn’t quite a reasonable expense for me, but Giardino di Boboli is LOVELY and I’m sure it’s wonderful in summer.

Rouge chaotique by Byredo — the shop assistant showed it to me as an alternative to B540 sans the headache (we talked about the headache inducing quality of that fragrance) and I definitely see how it’s very similar. A deep, vibrant mush of red berries with that scratchy-sweet note coming through later on. I’m glad she found an alternative to the scent she enjoys! It showed me that I’m just not fond of the scent, it’s not just that it gives me a headache (which this version, true to her word, didn’t).

Love don’t be shy by Killian — bubblegum. The tacky, pastel pink bubblegum of your childhood. Sadly, just as linear and overpowering to me. I could detect no layers, nothing that could justify the hype to me. Apart from overpowering sweetness. Maybe it develops on skin.

Sintra by Memo Paris — definitely very close to my beloved Classique Cabaret. Orange blossoms dusted in that powdery, white sugar that clings to marshmallows, which is a dream of a concept. Very sweet, but on paper at least it had a balance that was lacking from Love don’t be shy, most likely due to the prominent role orange blossoms played here (at least to my nose). It gave me the confidence to wear Cabaret since there IS the possibility of me getting a similar scent (for a lot more money) if I ever finish the bottle.

Babycat by YSL — very likeable. At first, it seemed to me very sharp, a very regal scent that demands attention and requires a woman of posture and strength (or a man who likes slightly sweet scents). Androgynous, to make it short, in the high fashion elegance way. However, it quickly dried down into a much more demure vanilla with spices — which explains why it’s so popular, I was a little surprised since it did smell very strong at first. The spicy vanilla is of course very lovely (as was the beginning). I looked it up and there are leather notes, which of course is the way right into my heart. Unsurprisingly, I loved it (even if the beginning was a little too suited up and I’m not sure it’d suit me). If I had unlimited funds, I’d most likely buy it without second thought.

Orchidee Vanille by Van Cleef & Arpels — I wanted to try it since it’s been said to be similar to Cuir d’Orient, but I like Cuir d’Orient better. That said, it’s definitely lovely. Again, vanilla, powder, some depth, I’m bound to love it. I’d have to try it on skin, but I think the leather in Cuir d’Orient gives it that kick that makes it so special to me. Still lovely. I’d try it on skin.

L’interdit Rouge by Givenchy — this was so lovely. Wow. I really got that juicy freshness of the blood orange at the start, mixed with the tuberose. Frankly, I was blown away and very surprised. On paper, this was absolutely lovely. And I actually thought it wouldn’t be too bad in summer? Summer nights, maybe? I would have to test it ok skin since it might become oppressive, but on paper I really loved it.

L’interdit by Givenchy — I tried it again after that L’IR success. Not a first try, but it’s been a while. It smells as I remember, but more delicate, transparent, lighter than the blood orange version, which in turn is a little more refreshing, fizzier. I think the rouge is a little more interesting with that fruity aspect, which elevates it from the lovely bed of white flowers and gives it a kick. However, it IS a lovely bed of white flowers. More youthful and playful than the rouge, imo, but of course also very heady-elegant. I enjoyed it. On the next day, I do get that synthetic/bubblegum(?) note people comment on from both paper strips. I’d definitely have to test it on skin, because that note can get annoying. But it was a really nice fragrance I now want to try on skin again.

Fragrances I tested in skin

Comète by Chanel — it’s definitely a Chanel take on powders and violets. I did get that fizzy aldehyde opening, but after that initial sparkling-cool trail of stardust, it was pure lotion. Pampered skin, elevated but relaxed. All throughout, that Chanel DNA was present, which made it feel familiar — like a friend was waiting just around the corner and you could smell wafts of her. I really enjoyed wearing it, it wasn’t oppressive but present. It lasted, too, keeping me wrapped up in the scent of luxurious, elevated lotion with that beloved Chanel DNA. I do like Chanel scents, so this was very lovely to me. And again, it wasn’t overwhelming. A gentle presence (like a star, you could say, watching over you from a distance…). I felt protected, wrapped in cashmere, pampered, elegant. Taken care of. I’m not sure I could spend 300€ on the experience, however.

Rolling in Love by Kilian — I remember enjoying it while it lasted, which was significantly shorter than Comète. I got that almond creaminess and the powder quality of violets, which I like. I’m not sure it tops the almond-creaminess of Hypnotic Poison, however.

[sorvete-de-pacoca]

Olá! I was thinking about the post I made about the reincarnation trope, and I thought of this prompt.

Afonso is a single father with a 6 year old son, Luciano, and everything is normal until one day Luciano regains his memories of his past life as a god, his body turns into an adult and he leaves to join the other gods in a great battle.

Afonso is shocked, then heartbroken, and finally he realizes the son he had never existed, he was just a vessel for a god, and any love he had for him turns into hatred.

After the battle is over, he receives gifts from the heavens for his role raising the reborn god: wood for his boat, gold, jewels. He refuses all the gifts, tells the messengers to never come back. Living on that house becomes too painful, so he moves as far away as he can and tries to rebuild his life again, maybe even start a new family. A real one.

Then one night there's a knock at his door and Luciano is there.

Ooh I remember this post! This is a nice concept.

Gonna add with some more info because I'm weak for themes of gods. Luciano's true parent being Pindorama, one of the elemental gods and goddesses of nature. He's the reincarnation of the god of summer and fire. In his previous life he was killed by the god of winter and ice (Martin bc why not lol) and so winter got longer and harvesting was heavily affected. Luciano regains his memories and powers when Martin comes himself to face him disguised as a puma and Luciano uses his powers to save himself and Afonso (if you want I could write the scene bc putting it here would make it too long ;;).

So Luciano leaves and Afonso gets bitter. Years pass and the harmony comes back. Summer and winter live in a balance. Not only other gods but also citizens come to pay tribute to Afonso, the savior, for bringing summer back and restore their crops. Afonso shun then away with knifes or anything he has in hand. Screaming he was no savior and he cared not for their god.

Then Luciano is back. He finds him on his new home. He has the face of the boy he once knew but had grown. His once brown eyes now shined golden and he had regal clothes. A crown of five golden starts (😏) over his head.

Afonso is not impressed and just closes the door on his face.

"hey!" Luciano shouts "that was rude!"

"oh I'm sooo sorry your majesty" Afonso bowls in mockery "are you not used to receive proper tribute? How did you found me?"

"I have a link with the sun. Anything it touches reaches my eyes"

"sure, your 'godly powers'"

Luciano sighs "it's unfair that you're mad at me. I didn't chose that. Do you think I was thrilled about learning my life was a lie? "

Afonso feels rage growing "so that's what it was for you? A lie? Was I a lie to you?!"

"No! I love you as a father! But if I did nothing the world would continue to be a cold wasteland. I had a duty to fulfill."

"So let me ask you, oh god of fire" Afonso faces him "when the war ended, why didn't you come back? Was it necessary to live with the gods and forget your home? Was our home not enough for your greatness?"

Luciano stutters "I'm-"

"tell the truth! If you truly love me then respect me by telling me the truth! Could you come back?"

Luciano feels small against the smaller and older mortal. He looks away in shame "yes, I could've came home"

Afonso nods bitterly "please leave my house."

Luciano doesn't speak. He makes his way to the door, he stops and turns to his father "if you decide to forgive me, you can always call me. I will come to you. Goodbye father." The god disappears, leaving no sign that he was ever there. Except for the flowers that bloomed in the grass on the front door.

[halfagone]

Thanks so much for answering my prompt yesterday! I actually have another one if it’s not too much trouble. I think a really cool idea for a fic would be something I haven’t really seen done, Danny mentoring the teen titans. So Danny would be like, 18 here and just starting to go into college in Jump City, when some super powerful ghost follows him there (I’m thinking Vortex?) and ends up facing the titans with Vortex nearly killing whoever the titans mentor is at the time (maybe an adult Starfire?) before ghost king! Danny comes and soups him. Danny feels bad for what happened to the mentor and decided to temporarily take up the role until someone else can fill in. Danny would basically regale the titans with stories about how he had to beat gods all by himself at 14 and how his parents used to shoot at him (they got better don’t worry). This would lead to mixture of awe and horror from the titans as they can’t believe the league never did any bring about it. And this doesn’t even cover what the league’s reaction would that, I could see that in particular being hilarious, lol. What do you think?

No problem! <3 Ooh... Now this would probably really depend on what the Teen Titans roster is. You mentioned an adult Starfire potentially leading/mentoring this team, so that probably wouldn't be Dick's generation. It probably wouldn't be Tim's generation either, unless you want it to be early on in their Teen Titan days? Although I believe the majority of those members were first Young Justice members, such as Tim's Robin, Kon's Superboy, Impulse, Cassie's Supergirl, Cissie/Arrowette, Secret, Empress, I could go on. Of course it could also be Damian's generation of TT, but I don't know as much about those characters and... if we are going semi-canon compliant, then I probably should tell you that Damian does some pretty questionable things during his time with his TT. I'm just gonna put that out there.

But moving on! But if we are going for Tim's generation of TT, just for an example, I can just imagine all of Danny's stories about the hijinks he got up to would just egg on these kids more. Like, "if he can do it, with minimal backup, then surely we could do it too", and you know what they're actually right. The Young Justice crew (comic-verse) often got up to some adventures in space, at least on occasion, and hearing about all the crazy stuff Danny has been capable of might just push them to test their limits too.

Would that be the most mature thing to do? No. But the Young Justice/Teen Titans crew has always been known for getting up to some wild stuff. Even without Danny's influence.

[marciabrady]

Why do you hate TLM 2? I always thought it was alright. I never cared much for TLM 3.

There are soooo many reasons. Also, want to preface with I understand there's a sizeable TLM 2 fandom that's developed in recent years and def am not looking to ruffle any feathers! Everyone can like with they like and dislike what they dislike and have their own opinion...but I'm going to start with listing what I admired about the film, before I go into why I really can't stand it.

Jodi Benson's voice acting! I didn't like her performance at all in the third film, but in this movie, her singing was laced with a beacon of motherly light that was so incredible. From the ethereal humming in the first scene, where she's in the shadowed room and gently singing her devotion to her small child, there was something special in the air. Her unreal harmonies in For a Moment are some of the best vocals of all time.

Kenneth Mars reprising his role felt so in character and he was such a delight. Sebastian's voice was too but Kenneth just had this regal strength to him and he had all the weight and emotional impact of Triton from the original film, but with this underbelly of softness that was exposed and he was so tender and loving...his character seemed to be the most in line with what would've organically transpired from the first film. Everyone else is wildly out of character (aside from maybe Sebastian and Scuttle and Flounder, but that was because the writers just made them do exactly what they did in the first movie down to giving Sebastian the same plot device lol)

Flounder was cute. Not much to go into here but he did make me giggle lol

Ariel getting her feet wet was such a powerful moment. Taking off her heels and immersing a part of her back into that world where gravity was different and she was young and things felt almost weightless is such a vibe. I also admired her transition back to a mermaid for similar reasons- releasing her from that mom bun and that terrible dress, her being able to plunge back into the sea, being able to re-connect with her roots.

Okay, so the reasons why I can't stand it and, overall, dislike it:

I came to this movie as an Ariel fan and...we were done dirty tbh? They totally changed her temperament, her personality, her motives- in a way that wasn't just "oh she grew up and developed" but like...that's not her and this movie's cheap writing tried to make her into someone she wasn't so that the story could go down the way that it did. Most of the people who love this movie love it because of Melody, which is fine, but like...as someone who came for Ariel, the fact that she wasn't a main character was lowkey disrespectful? It think it also contributes to this idea that once you "grow up" or just age or have children, you can no longer be the main character and you have to be delegated the background so that the next generation can have their moment. More on this in another bullet. But yeah, nothing of the original Ariel was here- none of her passion and spirit and love. None of her quirks and hobbies and interests. It was just "protect Melody!"

The walrus and the penguin...I'm not a fan of Timon and Pumba type of characters and the fact that they took up so much of the runtime genuinely made this unwatchable to me. Like, we couldn't get more of Ariel, but they could be forced down our throats???

Morgana was uncompelling to me. I don't really like her design or her sidekick or her backstory. Just...eh.

The absence of Howard Ashman was really felt. Now, growing up, I have to admit I don't think too much about him and would frankly get irritated when people kept bringing him up over, and over, and over again as the sole credit to The Little Mermaid's success. I felt it discounted the director's talents, those of Glen Keane and Andreas Deja's, as well as Jodi and Pat's, and just the other members of the creative team without which this franchise never would've found legs. BUT in recent years, I was beginning to ask myself why I feel Ariel so rarely retains that original energy about her from the first film. For instance, there's none of Ariel in this sequel movie to me and even less of her in the third, and I wondered why that was. For the original three princesses, the reason the characterizations are flawed in the sequels and spin-offs is due to the lack of input and involvement from Adriana, Ilene, and Mary- but since Jodi was involved in everything Ariel had anything to do in, why did the character not always live up to who she was in the original? And I honestly think the missing piece was Howard. Regardless of anyone's personal politics or beliefs are, The Little Mermaid is THE LGBTQIA+ fairytale. It was written by a gay man and adapted by another gay man (Howard Ashman) and so much of the character of the original mermaid and Ariel carries the experience of a closeted gay person. This simply can't be adapted by a straight person and still have its artistic integrity intact (which is why I'm admittedly uncomfortable about the live action remake...there isn't a single person involved that is anything but straight, from what I've seen, and the lack of diversity in the cast with Eric, Ursula, and even Triton being white is another red flag for me considering they said they wanted to set this film in the Caribbean but the film features a majority white cast). They took Ariel from who she was in the original movie, written and adapted by a gay man with that characterization and created in the 1980s, and they essentially made her into like a WASPy suburban mother and I just...that's not my Ariel.

Overall, it's uninspired. It's literally just a next generation story with no creativity to it in my opinion. Also, as I mentioned, the characters themselves have so many places to go without needing to give birth to a kid who just relives the original movie all over again but with younger characters.

The animation wasn't expressive. I understand it's going to be a downgrade but...yikes. They went from Glen Keane's iconic animation (I honestly think his work on The Little Mermaid is solely what launched him into being a legend; like yes, his other work is great and deserves its flowers, but the fact that he did the Part of Your World sequence was probably the highlight of his career) to something that felt Rugrats level.

I was just so frustrated with the stealing of a trident and ugh in general the plotpoints annoy me and not in a way that's suspenseful but just in a "I hate that this is happening"

In the original film, what made Ariel and King Triton's relationship so potent was that it mirrored that of a homophobic, intolerant parent and a gay teen. Also, before anyone contradicts me, as I've mentioned before, it's meant to be queer-coded...someone once reblogged my post, disagreeing, and saying that while Ariel and Eric's love was forbidden and even considered illegal and they were from different species, they were still different sexes and thus could never be queer-coded and I think this person is missing the "coded" part of that definition lol but anyway, Ariel and Triton's dynamic had layers and was so raw and real. Ariel and Melody's relationship is literally just a "don't worry, I felt different too at your age, sweetie! It's not easy for anyone to be a teenager" and the entire plot of the film is centered around timing. Where Ariel left Atlantica after Triton destroyed her collection, invaded her personal space, attacked her, and essentially told her he'd never accept her, the plot of this sequel is only propelled by Ariel not catching Melody to tell her in time about her mermaid heritage. Literally, if she came into Melody's room a few minutes earlier, that entire thing never would've happened lol and that's the other part of it- throughout the film, Ariel is willing to talk to Melody multiple times??? So like...whereas Ariel had no resources, but still showed love for Triton, Melody didn't really have that. Look at the difference between how apologetic Ariel was when Triton appeared near the end of the film and how she attacked Ursula for taking the trident. Melody ignored Ariel when she tried to talk to her and handed the trident over to Morgana lol

The entire thing is aged/watered down. The original was a theatrical release, where the mandate was to write from 8 to 80 as a demographic. The direct to video release had a Pre-K to 12 audience and...yeah

The setting being weird and cold and icy did nothing for me. Like the original film made the underwater scenes look like that- apart from Under the Sea which purposely was bright and colorful and vibrant- because they wanted us to understand why Ariel, a mermaid that had always been in the dark, cold ocean, would be so infatuated by the warm kingdom of Prince Eric. To go back to the sea but make the entire thing grey and icy with a bland sky didn't make me want to go to the ocean lol

[aspiringsophrosyne]

The Legend of Vox Machina: Season One and Two Post Mortem

So, season 1 and 2 of The Legend of Vox Machina are now out.

Let's do a post mortem on them.

One caveat: the CRew has said in interviews and behind the scenes videos that they wanted to take future events into account when writing early seasons. This means some things in the first twenty-four episodes aren't meant to pay off until later, or won't make sense except in hindsight. Especially if the story's significantly changed from the stream.

However, keeping that in mind, I think we can still look at what the episodes we've seen so far have done right and wrong on their own.

So, let's get to it!!

Episodes 1-2: The Terror of Tal'dorei

Given that the kickstarter for this series was only meant to pay for a thirty minute special that grew to an hour long season opening, I had certain expectations going in.

Basically, pilot energy.

And I was not disappointed. That isn't necessarily bad, but you could detect an extra hard push in this series' beginning. A push to prove itself, establish that this was a capital 'A' adult animation, and that it had somewhere to go from season one. Again not bad....except that some of that energy may have overstayed its welcome at this point.

But we'll get there.

First, let's talk about the good.

The Good

The VAs of the main cast are of course spot the fuck on, which was a given. They are all talented professionals who made these characters, after all. But it was still a thrill hearing them voice VM again after they'd been playing as the Nein and the Hells for so long.

The guests are no slouch either: David Tenant is in turn affably and menacingly Scottish, Indira Varma and Stephanie Beatriz are perfect as Allura and Kima, and Khary Payton, in very little time, portrays Uriel as a regal and noble ruler. Tony Hale makes for a great red herring, and Sunil Malhotra brings a warm, playful yet sincere portrayal of Shaun Gilmore to absolute life. As much passion and verve as Matt poured into the character, I'm glad he handed the role off to someone who's taking such good care of it.

Emon is beautiful. No notes whatsoever. The palace, the city, Gilmore's Glorious Goods....all of it is like a dream come to life. Art team is killing it.

Character design? For these characters? Pretty spot on. Everyone has great, economical designs that are still very recognizable as the Vox Machina we know and love.

Neil's music is sweeping and gorgeous. He brings such a grandiose sense of scale to the world; a scale which Exandria deserved, but I wasn't sure she would be able to get. His use of Your Turn to Role in the soundtrack is always fun to pick out. And last but not least, the themes of the Iron Storm fights in particular serve to get the blood pumping.

Said fights are also a blast. The second one obviously wins out just by nature of it being more of a contested battle, but both have just the right amount of a struggle to make the survival and eventual victory of Vox Machina feel earned. Everyone building on each other's efforts, one after another, in order to bring down Brimscythe once and for all is just perfection. That was the moment it really felt like Vox Machina had truly come alive in this new medium. It's still so much fun to look back on.

One thing the show devotes itself to frequently (sometimes very well and sometimes quite ham-fistedly) is set up for future events. In this instance, I think this was done quite well in the décor of Krieg's abode, and in the orbs (that, according to the cast, were straight out of the home game) that tie the rest of the Conclave to Vox Machina, and specifically Keyleth to Raishan, for future conflicts.

Alright, so? On to the shitty bits.

The Shitty Bits.

In all honesty, there's not much to write here if only because the two parter that starts things off is such a short, self-contained story. Most of my complaints here are nitpicky and come down to personal preference. My bigger problems are things that have carried over into the series at large, and, as of my writing this, either have not gotten better or have gotten better only a negligible amount. These I'll be addressing in full later, so I won't waste time on them here.

Nitpick: Allura's line about capturing the creature is a little awkward. I would switch it around.

From:

"With all due respect Sir Fince, we don't even know what the creature is. Demon? Elemental? And how do you propose we capture it?"

To:

"And how do you propose we capture it? With all due respect Sir Fince, we don't even know what the creature is. Demon? Elemental?"

And of course the "dumbass" remains unsaid, because Allura, in every iteration, is classy like that.

Nitpick: I'm disappointed that when Vax was accused of being "Too weak to tickle [his] own pickle." Pike didn't pipe up from the other side of the bar with: "No he's not!"

Nitpick: The bit with the sandwich feels very contrived in order to get Vax a toothpick and ruin said sandwich. Just saying, could've done it in a way that felt more natural. Or done something else entirely.

A couple of times in Season One Grog get's knocked out of the fight early. This could be an example of the Worf Effect, where a threat is made to look particularly dangerous if it takes out the big/strong/especially skilled guy in the group. However, if you want to pull this but you don't give the character a chance to prove how strong they are in a challenging battle before you do, it's not going to be incredibly effective. (We only had the tavern brawl before this, and just about everyone had a good showing there.) And even if you do give the character that chance, depending on how you use this trope, it can come off as cheap.

This comes up again later, so I'm just pointing it out now.

This next bit is one that'll come up again as well, so I feel like I need to bring this up here before getting into it again later; Scanlan is the first to declare they're killing the dragon. It's not unlikely that he's just reading the room and realizes that everybody else is turning to the idea already.....but he doesn't try to dissuade them or try to get out of it himself.

This is important for season 2.

That's it for now. On to episode 3: The Feast of Realms.