#they don't even know the Black Knight's true identity!

[energeticpoltergeist]

good time to mention im not just a one fandom guy- yep im into FE as well, and my brayne has decided to make that it's current focus (it has a habit of jumping fandom to fandom at random) anyways this was created cause my two friends have no idea what the fuck i am talking about half the time when it comes to Fire Emblem

[redditreceipts]

The trans movement at large doesn't give a single damn about TiF bodily (even transitional) or reproductive autonomy and no one's fucking saying it but it's true.

Rape is "just getting laid" and sometimes "hole is owed" for career maneuvers and for "having societal power over trans women." Nonconsensual and unaware detransitioning of TiFs during bdsm isn't considered rape or transphobia or misogyny and can't be discussed even when no information about the perpetrator is given at all beyond their action because it's supposedly "transmisogynistic" to even say that it happened (way to tell on yourselves, TiMs and transmisogynistic TiF white knights) and it's supposedly "transmisogynistic" to share cautious and preventative measures against being hormonally detransitioned without consent or awareness for "safer" bdsm.

Prostitution is great ✨ except when it's to "use" a cis man (mutualistically) for networking purposes.

I'm processing all of the shit they put me through and all of the exact opposite of support that the trans community has for survivors, transmen included, transandrophobia bloggers and baeddels and irl trans community are all the same, and feel like I'm bleeding out on the inside but no I have to go work an over ten hour shift for pennies.

I hate them. I hate them so much. Left libertarian and liberal "queers" are the same as the rightwing religious fanatics regarding females, only virtue signaling.

hey :)

first of all, sorry for the late answer, I am trying to give a thought-out answer to an ask and sometimes, that takes a bit

and secondly yes, they don't care about bodily autonomy in the sense that they don't care about addressing the root of the issue. Most genderists do say verbally that they support the right to an abortion, but the issue won't be resolved unless it it understood that the female body is seen as a factory for new workers and soldiers in a patriarchal capitalist state. Women, the only ones who have control over this process, actually have an immense leverage if given control over their own bodies because they are inseperable from the means of production and have to be convinced and consenting to give pleasure to a male or new workers to a capitalist. That's why female bodily autonomy is incredibly threatening for a capitalist and patriarchal state, and that is also the reason for taking away that very right, be it by making it extremely expensive or outlawing it completely.

But gender identity believers can't admit that the subjugation of the woman is because of her body, because that would invalidate trans identity.

Politics are about our bodies. Work is performed by our bodies, and we can't identify into or out of a female body just as a worker can't identify into a capitalist* or a Black person can identify into a white person.

But genderists will never solve this issue, because they are allergic to material reality and because of that, every talk about "bodily autonomy for women" is just some sad echo from the days when feminism was interested in women's liberation.

It's actually good that you're angry, and you have every right to be! I don't know your personal history, but being angry can be a reason to change the world for good :)

*Yes, a worker can become a capitalist because the mechanics of capitalist vs. worker are different from the mechanics of woman vs. man, but my point is that identity alone is not a relevant factor in material reality.

[nochuelinha]

Androids Can Love ? Part 2

I noticed a flicker of doubt or perhaps even compassion in Connor's expression. His eyes seemed to waver for a brief moment, a crack in the relentless facade he maintained. It was as if, for a fleeting moment, he glimpsed the humanity in the desperate situation of the androids. Uncertainty hung in the air, making it difficult to discern whether it was real or just a momentary illusion. However, that glimpse of weakness could be the opportunity I needed to change the course of events and find a peaceful solution to the situation.

With pain pulsating through my body, I reached out my trembling hand toward Connor, seeking a gesture of understanding and humanity. Holding onto the side of my body as a vivid reminder of the brutality of the conflict, I pleaded with him to lower the weapon. Our eyes met, searching for a spark of empathy, a connection beyond violence. He looked at me with expressive eyes and lowered the gun, his gaze unwavering. Hank arrived with a sigh and saw the two androids leaving. The last thing I saw was Connor's concerned face calling out to me before I blacked out.

I woke up in a hospital bed, recalling the scenes from the night before. My body was sore and numb, with flowers and balloons by my bedside. The door opened, revealing Hank, his face displaying a mixture of concern and relief, reflecting the intensity of the events that had transpired.

"Girl, you took quite a beating," he said with a chuckle, but the act hurt more than I imagined. I glanced at the door, hoping to see Connor, and Hank noticed my actions, smiling.

"Your knight in shining armor stayed by your side all night, like a puppy dog, but he had to leave to file a report or was it a backup?" I sighed and relaxed into the bed.

"You know, he looks at you differently, as if you were his owner, the thing that inspires him to be all pompous and proud," Hank said seriously. I absorbed his words with a mix of surprise and reflection. The idea of being an inspiration to Connor seemed strange, but at the same time, I recognized the depth of the bond between us. The seriousness in Hank's voice made it clear that he perceived something special in this dynamic, something that went beyond the superficial.

"Hank, he's an android, he can't have feelings," I tried to reassure myself, but I didn't want to believe my own words. Hank looked at me with a serious expression before responding.

"I know it's hard to believe, but sometimes the lines between what's human and what's not can get blurred. Connor may be an android, but he's much more than just circuits and programming. He has the ability to learn, to evolve, and yes, even to feel. Maybe not in the same way as us, but in a unique and meaningful way to him," Hank's words echoed in my mind. If this were true, then Connor could also be considered a deviant. The idea of Connor being a deviant, if he could feel and have his own consciousness, certainly challenged the established norms about androids. My thoughts plunged into a storm of questions and possibilities, questioning the ethical and moral ramifications of this discovery.

If Connor was indeed a deviant, it raised questions about his freedom, his rights, and his place in society. I found myself facing a complex dilemma, where the lines between right and wrong became increasingly blurred. The confusion grew even greater as I added my own growing feelings that were taking root in me. Could I like him in a way that wasn't just friendly? The possibility of developing feelings beyond friendship for Connor shed a new light on my relationship with him. I found myself confronting a torrent of unknown and confusing emotions, questioning my own identity and desires. As I explored these emerging feelings, it became clear that the line between what is human and what is not could be more blurred than I ever imagined.

"Girl, don't overthink it, just feel. You've always been more interested in him than most," Hank teased me, enjoying my little torment. A nurse entered and added some more painkillers to my IV bag, and I fell into a deep sleep. I dreamed of Connor's sweet eyes and a world where I could love him.

[bluemoonperegrine]

Wolf Be Upon Yeet: Part I

@vicarious-rebel and I have been chatting about her headcanon of the Moon Knight and Werewolf By Night characters hanging out in Bloodstone Manor Addams-Family-style. My favorite part of her headcanon is the monster OC she dreamed up: a sentient version of the Bloodstone. She introduced monster!Bloodstone in the short fic "Of blood and stone". 

I enjoyed. Had questions. Asked them. Vi replied. We started riffing on stuff, and it's hilarious.

We decided that some of you goofballs might enjoy our silliness and are sharing edited versions of it. Well, we might be. Here's the start of it. I'll see how this post goes over to decide if I want to edit more of our back-and-forth into something intelligible for everyone.

So, the least you need to know:

Elsa, Jack, and Billy Swan live at the manor full-time.

Elsa and Jack are good friends.

Jack is over 200 years old. He doesn't have control of his wolf form. Werewolf him looks just like he did in the special.

Ted, Marc/Steven/Jake, and Layla visit the manor a lot.

Some or all of them go on missions together.

Vi's text is black. bluemoonperegrine's text is blue. (I mean, of course.)

aight so you asked how the Bloodstone would react to Khonshu and I think that depends on whether it considers divine and monstrous to be the same or similar enough conceptually

it considers Jack a monster even though he really only transforms during a full moon so "human for the most part" doesn't cut it

still I don't think we have any info on how it reacts to divine beings (and I'm not really a comic nerd but there's nothing there either as far as I know)

so if the only distinction it makes is human vs non-human, then it would probably react to Khonshu the same way it did to Jack

but it wouldn't be successful in actually landing a hit

yeah, I'm with you on how the Bloodstone would perceive Khonshu: monster. It's pretty binary: there are monster and not monsters. Unnatural and natural.

Ironically, monster!Bloodstone is inherently unnatural. Hence the identity issues you mentioned the other day.

It would be funny if it looked in a mirror and realized "Oh shit. I'm a monster!"

How intelligent is Stony? (monster!Bloodstone needs a shorter name, lol) Like a mammalian alpha predator? Smarter than that?

Stony <3 I love it, it's like a pet name

I'm not entirely sure, to be fair with you. It's definitely smart enough to recognize faces and tell edible from inedible things (maybe even tell reflection from actual thing apart) but that's all "in development", I guess.

He's literally a pet rock. With... viscera and stuff

speaking of Jack, I was actually kinda worried his reaction was ooc

hmm. lemme reread it keeping in mind that he's an old man

bc Jack is a monster and he's certainly seen some freakier ones but on the other hand how often do you see the ultimate weapon against monsters become a monster and then go for your neck?

pff Jack is an old man, please have mercy on his heart

he looks fantastic for 257

i'd say it's a 50/50 chance that he'd run for his life or freeze. Of the four responses to a threat (fight, flight, freeze, fawn), fleeing or freezing make the most sense.

I think he'd have run if Marc weren't there.

yeah, I think so, too. It seems to be his go-to reaction to threats

but maybe his instinct went "wait, someone close to you is here, you can't leave them"

or maybe he freezes depending on the situation (if you can count his reaction to Elsa in the maze as freezing)

I think his brain went offline for about a minute when Stony showed himself

Jack.exe has stopped working, please restart

Once some of the adrenaline had waned Jack would probably think "I can't abandon my friends even though this thing could end me in a fraction of a second"

LOL jack.exe

* opens task manager, kills thread *

from what I understand the Bloodstone is only supposed to weaken monsters so that kinda holds true for Stony boy here

it was basically trying to paralyze Jack

I know nothing about the Bloodstone other than what was in the special

It's interesting to think about a werewolf's reaction to stuff that can seriously hurt them. It's a very short list.

same here but from some of the easter egg/analysis channels I've watched they sometimes talk abt the Bloodstone in the comics and so far none of them mention anything abt it being able to properly kill a monster

so I think of Stony as being able to send just enough neuroparalytic toxins or electric shockwaves to incapacitate a monster but not necessarily kill them

not that Jack knows that in the moment

or any of them really

I like how your mind works. You're figuring out how Stony ticks. The characters may or may not catch up

I am indeed figuring some of this stuff out as we speak

I'm already imagining Elsa trying to figure out how to take care of Stony. What does he eat? Steel? Cinderblocks? tiny ghosts?

she throws all this random crap in his space and watches what he does

Jack watches from far away with binoculars

lol, Jack and Ted watch the show from afar.

"I don't know what she's thinking, Ted. I mean... look at that thing!"

the serious version of what Stony eats would probably be raw meat/blood/whatever else it needs to maintain the viscera

the funny version would be if Elsa eventually figured out it can run on a chicken diet bc of that

Have you watched Death Note?

long time ago, yeah

"L, did you know gods of death like apples?"

that and "I'll take a potato chip...AND EAT IT."

I like the serious and funny versions of figuring out Stony's dietary needs

Ted, nodding along to Jack's concerns

Stony would make for a very efficient clean-up crew after a hunt

he's the goat of monsters

it gets even funnier when you imagine it wasn't Elsa but one of the mk crew to figure it out

gotta be either Steven or Jake

Marc or Jake casually throw a chicken nugget at it for funsies and whoops, what do you know it likes it

they train it to do tricks

they would!

I just love the image of Marc being completely unphased by the thing after the initial encounter so when the system n Jack are visiting Elsa for whatever reason and Stony pops up we have

Jack: internally screaming in terror

Marc: oh hey bud

Marc keeps chicken nuggies in a ziplock bag in a coat pocket for Stony

the system overall gets along with Stony, Steven especially likes teaching it tricks and playing fetch with it

Jack: Marc, have you been eating a lot of chicken?

M: ...no?

J: You... always smell like chicken now. Cooked chicken, I mean. Fried, to be specific. Just a little.

M: * pulls a ziplock bag with nuggs out of his coat. It says "Stony <3" in Sharpie*

J: ...oh.

lmao Jack being secretly jealous

(Why don't *I* get chickie nuggies?)

"how come this thing gets chicken nuggets from him all the time? what does it have that I don't??"

He'd start hanging around in wolf form in hopes of treats 😂

crackpot theory: Marc has some kind of natural way of getting along with monsters

just Marc, or the system?

just Marc

however the rest of the system also has their way of getting around

Steven would use his big brain

Steven manages to get on most monsters' good side by being his genuine, curious and respectful self while Jake has more of a chill vibe that can disarm even monsters with time

and speaking of wolf Jack, yes he'd absolutely start sticking around the system more often for treats

especially when you consider Marc gives me dog person vibes he'd probably cave at some point

Elsa sighs, rolls her eyes, and points this out to the boys

Ted just wheeze-laughs

oh Ted has the time of his life teasing Jack for it

Elsa, too

I love this so much words can't do it justice

my general idea of the WBN crew is that they are a tight squad and teasing is just a given

"I'm not that dog-like!" *scratches behind ear*

it's good-natured teasing. if anyone crosses a line, the other party backs off and apologizes, if indirectly

Elsa: you're jealous that Stony gets all of Marc's attention, aren't you?

Jack, sweating: I don't know what you're talking about

aight we've touched on Jack being jealous for attention

aside from hanging around the system more in wolf form, he also tries to spend more time with them as a human

preferably outside of Bloodstone manor

first off, he's not jealous of that thing you guys, he's noooooootttt

and secondly, since Stony can be surprisingly quiet for a giant monster he can lurk the house and sneak up on anybody

that essentially means it constantly tries to sneak up on Jack and he can smell when it's near and that freaks him out

also I headcanon that Jack likes bubble tea and routinely tries to get the system to try it but they're obstinate

he lets up on Steven when he says he's vegan but the others aren't so lucky

plenty of puppy eyes

also it just occurred to me that it would be double funny if Layla also started showering Stony with affection and Marc was secretly a little jealous as well

he would never admit it ofc but he also wouldn't have a grudge against it bc hello???? it's Stony

the thing kinda has a soft spot for Marc bc of the treats (and that first encounter bc I think it would appreciate bravery, somehow)

Does Stony like Jack? Why is he sneaking up on him?

I can almost imagine Stony as a scary/annoying kid hanging around Jack looking for attention. Maybe

Bubble tea! 😆

So who exactly is the WBN crew? Elsa, Jack, Ted, Stony 😂, the system, and Layla? Anyone else?

I can only see Elsa and Jack being at the manor full time, or at least a lot. Being 200 yrs old, Jack must have a few places... unless he's largely itinerant. And Ted has to guard the nexus in the Everglades

the WBN crew are Elsa, Jack and Ted while Layla and the system are the MK crew

Stony would initially stalk him bc "monster bad" but he does eventually realise that's not the case for Jack but still does the stalking bc he is in fact A Little Shit

what are the other naughty things Stony does?

Stony usually bumps into things or pokes them bc he's curious about his surroundings

this leads to the endearing cat-like behaviour of "push things off the ledge and see what happens" and what happens is that sometimes things break

Lol Stony. He's like a cat and a dog

exactly

Does Stony have anything like catnip? Stonynip? lol

Stoned Stony

The bad jokes/puns write themselves 😆

maybe bloodroot (sanguinaria). It grows wild out here.

I'm not sure he'd have something like that tbh (plus the bloodroot sounds like it could actually hurt him but who knows, we're talking about an eldritch being spawned from a frekin jewel)

which would be funnier: Jack never getting over Stony and freaking out every time he saw it or getting to a point where he just sees it and goes "not you again"

I think the "why not both" option is for him to be in "freak out every time" mode for, like, weeks, then slowly transition to "oh god, you again"

from "oh god, you again"(terrified) to "oh god, you again"(exasperated)

Maybe the MK system and Elsa have an intervention with still-freaking-out-over-Stony Jack to encourage him to chill. If he doesn't he'll repeatedly have coronaries, heal up, then have more. Ugh. 😂

oh yeah, poor him

constantly on the verge of a heart attack

Swan's reaction to Stony would be fun to play with, too.

lmaooo yeah

I fully picture him agreeing with Jack at first that Stony is freaky but then he sees how it treats Elsa and he's like "actually you know what? this thing's chill, I don't even have to clean up after it"

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

Congrats to anyone who got this far!

There's a backstory to the title of this post. It'll be revealed in a later one.

Also, for anyone who wants to read more Stony hijinx, see my short fic "Something Awful This Way Comes."

[gorogues]

tricksterrune replied to your text post: Clearly he has a pair of dice in his fist, ready to fling them dramatically at the right opportunity

Oh yes, clearly!

aukisstic replied to your ask post: THANK YOU I hate the pride special so much…

Yeah, I just did not think that story was good at all.

demonbirdsforever replied to your ask post: See this is where I go… they were in other comics!? I missed those!🥺

The Rogues are in tons of issues (cumulatively), but not all those stories are great :>

it-is-i-zim replied to your ask post: Not to be weird or anything but rn I actually feel like for Captain Boomerang, Knight Terrors Robin #1 or Suicide Squad Blaze as a whole are the worse than Suicide Squad v4

You're not being weird at all, but neither of those are canon. If I'd included non-canon stuff the list would have been really different lol, but in hindsight I should have made that clear.

it-is-i-zim replied to your ask post: Cuz Suicide Squad Blaze treated him like he was nothing more than a joke (and called him Captain Cultural Appropriation, which if we take Suicide Squad v4 #26 into account, where his mother is aboriginal, it feels like the writers just don’t know him), killed him off revealed that he was actually assaulted by whatever monster he was fighting and then killed him off for real.

Believe me, I agree that story was terrible :] It just didn't make the list because thankfully it's an AU.

it-is-i-zim replied to your ask post: And then in Knight Terrors: Robin #1 like… I understand it’s supposed to be from Tim Drake’s perspective, but it really paints Captain Boomerang in a really bad light. Like he killed Jack Drake on purpose. When he didn’t even throw the boomerang until he was collapsing from 3 gunshot wounds to the chest.

Well, Digger did go there to kill Jack, but Identity Crisis was a terrible story anyway. I should have included it in my worst Digger stories list, and am not sure how I forgot. I'll add it with a note that it's a late addition.

it-is-i-zim replied to your ask post: Like… The beginning of Suicide Squad v4, yeah, I agree, they fucked over Digger big time, but at least it got better at the end, despite issue #26 also calling him Owen instead.

It's of course a very subjective matter (all best/worst lists are), but I just thought those comics were straight up edgy and terrible. I've never liked any Adam Glass or Ales Kot comics.

it-is-i-zim replied to your ask post: Suicide Squad v1 was also Not Great™ as a whole due to the use of slurs for aboriginal people within it. Issue 4 was the worst of those where on top of using a slur for an aboriginal person to a black man, he also said black people can’t be artists and tried agree with a Nazi and made the super racist statement that minorities commit the most petty crimes.

This is also subjective, and I get where you're coming from but I don't think they're bad comics. It's fine if you don't like it -- a lot of people don't like what was done with Digger in that series, and that's valid -- but I think it's a good series. It hasn't always aged well, but it's the reason the Suicide Squad concept exists to this day. The racism is tough to read, but Ostrander was making a point about the garbage Waller, Bronze Tiger, and Vixen have to fight through to do their jobs and just exist as Black people. It does suck for Rogue fans that Digger was chosen to be the problematic mouthpiece, though, so I understand why some people don't like it. I agree it was a very drastic swing from his pre-Crisis characterization, so I don't love that aspect either.

it-is-i-zim replied to your ask post: Sorry, I have many thoughts on the true worst Captain Boomerang comic.

That's fine! :)

it-is-i-zim replied to your ask post: Also for Owen I’d argue for the Supergirl v5 comics. Cuz apparently that version of Supergirl that he’s not only rooming with, but is also trying to get with is 16. And he’s like… Literally an adult man. He literally called that version of Supergirl “jailbait” in one of the better comics of the bunch.

Yeah, I have mixed feelings on that series. It wasn't good, but unfortunately I think a lot of Owen's stories weren't great so to me it doesn't necessarily stand out. He's a good character who's been in a lot of mediocre stories…in part because a lot of DC's output was mediocre around that time.

demonbirdsforever replied to your text post: I read the Catwoman issues you recommended and now understand the kiss.

Hope you enjoyed it!

[fictionparadiso]

Welcome to my Eden's Garden

Hello, you may call me Paradiso, and I welcome you to my Tumblr blog where I will share with you my brainrot, character adoration and general ravings about fiction. (Note: This blog WILL contain NSFW stuff, which I will both tag and write in the title, so you can be almost 100% sure you will find it). Now, to the basics:

DNI Information

Please, if any of the following groups apply to you, do not interact with this blog:

Minors - I am sorry, but I do not feel comfortable interacting with minors with a blog like this. So I would kindly ask you to interact with me if you are under 18.

Haters - I know this term is VERY ambiguous, but basically - if you do not like the content this blog focuses on OR you are not comfortable with any of my identities or styles or whatever - feel free to block me. Both you and I will spare our sanity.

I'm sure there are other groups or traits that I do not feel comfortable with which I have not mentioned. In any case, I just want to clarify that I reserve the right to block you without indicating a reason. If I do not feel comfortable interacting with you or your content, I will either ignore or block you, it isn't necessarily personal and I will not give any warning, just wanting to put that out there.

What you can expect

Now, this blog will heavily focus on the characters that I like and my headcanons or short fics of them (usually in general, other characters or with a self-insert reader). If it is self-insert the reader will be either M or GN coded (sorry, not comfortable with F!Reader).

If you want to share your enthusiasm about any of the characters or franchises you see on my list (or even don't see, but just want to scream at someone about them), I may be your guy~

When I write NSFW you can expect a listing of the kinks and such somewhere at the beginning so you know if it is or is NOT for you. Some of my kinks are pretty out there, so don't feel bad for not sharing them.

My F/O list

While I would not label myself as Fictosexual, I do tend to develop feelings towards characters in media and think up a lot of different scenarios. I also do not get jealous about my F/Os, so if you like any of the one's I like, feel free to rave about them with me! (if you're comfortable, of course)

💖 Main Romantic F/Os 💖

Iwai Munehisa - Persona 5 - #I call Shotgun

Maruki Takuto - Persona 5 - #No more Tears

Harumi Takeda - My Senpai is Annoying - #My Senpai is Lovable

Diavolo - Obey Me! - #Deal with the Devil

Drayden - Pokemon Black/White - #Under your Scales

Unabara/Neptune - Heaven's Design Team - #In Heaven

Alistair - Dragon Age Origins - #Be my bastard king

🌹 Other Romantic F/Os 🌹

Gladiolus Amicitia - Final Fantasy XV - #Shield for a Shield

Rengoku Kyojuro - Demon Slayer - #My Heart is Ablaze

Bryce - Jock Studio (NSFW source) - #Party Teddy bear

Derek - Jock Studio (NSFW source) - #Gentleness personified

Uzui Tengen - Demon Slayer - #Flamboyant Party Animal

Dojima Ryotaro - Persona 4 - #Dad and Idyll

Leon - Pokemon Sword/Shield - #Champion of my Heart

Archie and Matt (poly) - Pokemon Alpha Sapphire/Omega Ruby - #Waterbound Trio

Lysandre - Pokemon X/Y - #Whatever Boss says is true

Lt. Surge - Pokemon (he's in too many games) - #Sparks are Flying

Lucifer - Obey Me! - #Prim and Proper

All Might - My Hero Academia - #You are my Hero

Gentle Criminal - My Hero Academia - #Gentlemen Bonding

Rider/Iskandar - Fate/Zero - #Conqueror of my Mind (purely aesthetic, I have NOT consumed any Fate media yet)

Clive - Final Fantasy XVI - #Raven-haired heartthrob

Hawke - Dragon Age II - #Hawke Fever (purely aesthetic, I have NOT consumed any Dragon Age II media yet)

Hjalmar an Craite - Witcher - #Rage of the Islands

Jacques de Aldersberg - Witcher 1 - #Burnt Rose (very morally incorrect)

Siegfried - Witcher 1 - #Ideal Knight

Graves - League of Legends - #Mutual Coin Fever

Sett - League of Legends - #Kneeling for the Boss

Garen - League of Legends - #For Demacia's Hero

Dion - Final Fantasy XVI - #My only true Emperor

Akira Konoe - Persona 5 Strikers - #Heroes don't wear capes

Fatgum - My Hero Academia - #Bubblegum dreams

Zayne - Jock Studio (NSFW source) - #Fanclub for the king

🍀 Main Platonic F/Os 🍀

Kanjori Mitsuri - Demon Slayer - #Mochi Breathing

Kocho Shinobu - Demon Slayer - #Butterfly in the Night

Bayonetta - Bayonetta - #Let's Dance on the Moon

Cynthia - Pokemon Diamond/Pearl - #Domineering Companion

Kirijo Mitsuru - Persona 3 - #Two in Harmony

Yennefer of Vengerberg - Witcher - #Obsidian Star

Geralt of Rivia - Witcher - #The White Wolf

🌊 Other Platonic F/Os 🌊

Triss Merigold - Witcher - #Magic Allergy

Ahri - League of Legends - #Nine-tailed Charms

Lux - League of Legends - #Prism in the Rough

[ofgentleresolve]

verse: a knight is but a gentleman with a sword ( 5/??? )

cw for mentions of eye g*ore, human tr*afficking, and p*tsd

since i'm on break rn let me tell you that when team checkmate ( myungdae, alfred, nell ) finds out what ANACHRON been doing on the dl ( cw for mentions of tor*ture & hu*man traff*icking ), things start to go shambles for them:

it starts with a case requested by regular at alfred's coffeehouse and a colleague of myungdae's- her brother went missing and the police isn't going to help her because he's of age.

following the trail leads to myungdae finding the brother thankfully still alive, but also in a base of ANACHRON's. the horologist reappears and for the sheer purpose of sadism, removes one of the brother's corneas before locking myungdae in one of the 'cattle cells'.

which is also not a good time bc this essentially recreating the conditions of the four months myungdae had been in ANACHRON's captivity...myungdae needless to say, starts to remember what happened in those four months.

myungdae begins to shut down in response

alfred is furious bc he realizes exactly what happened to his mother and sister

they're able to save the brother, thankfully since alfred comes barreling in as back-up, but myungdae, unable to deal with the stress, pulls a disappearing act, even from nell and alfred

he locks himself in his room for two weeks straight ( nell and alfred take over looking after the two kids bc they know it has to be really really bad if myungdae is unable to look out for elise and hiro ), trying to cope with the onslaught of returning memories

which is also a HUGE problem for team checkmate- not only is public and the police starting to notice, but if the surrounding gangs ( ex. black fang- lynnie, winter r u reading this?? ) find out that the black knight is out of commission, that leaves team checkmate vulnerable.

so in the meanwhile, nell and alfred carry on the black knight's heists...just without the black knight himself

and this is a fun conversation that happens while alfred's taking over myungdae's job at the moment:

guard: 'where's your sword?' alfred: 'i don't need a sword to beat the shit out of you, f*cker.' *slams a fist into the guard's face*

nell and alfred also probably avoided the king like the plague here especially...since they know the king can read myungdae like the back of his hand and last thing they need is the king getting nosy :'D ( but alex if you want hyuk getting nosy here, PLS DO FJKLSDJFKLS )

by the middle of the second week, nell and alfred come by myungdae's room, where nell starts to freak out- she's about a second away from calling the king to get myungdae to come out, thereby, revealing the black knight's true identity. alfred protests and they get into a squabble-

it's in the middle of this when myungdae finally reappears- still shaken, but also furious- let's just say all three of them start putting overtime in black knight duties...

this is also where myungdae's personal life starts to go to shambles- ie. myungdae starts pushing ppl away ( that means hyuk- I'M SORRY ALEX HE MIGHT BE THROWING HYUK UNDER THE BUS AT THIS TIME >.< ) because he's so paranoid about ANACHRON and what they could do to the people he knows

if myungdae seems even more avoidant, if nell is even more nervous, and alfred is just flat out grouchy and aggressive, this is probably why :'D

[dachi-chan25]

Haven't done this in a while but I had the time so why not?

1.- Pizza Girl by Kyoung Jean Frazier

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I really did like it, reminded me a lot of "Convinience store woman". Like clearly our protagonist needed thrapy ASAP to help her deal with her dad's death, her pregnancy, her attraction to women and hell just for existing as an Asian woman in the USA, but I liked how messy and obsesive she was and how the author allowed her to be fucked up and take bad decisions, I love to see female characters simply exist, it's also a pretty short read so I definitely recommend it.

2.-The Authentics by Abdi Nazemian

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Daría is a persian teen who is really involved in her cultural background and feels that the most important thing one can be is authentic, so that's the name she and her friends take for their clique. But everything comes crashing down on her when she discovers she is adopted, and soon follows an identity crisis. I loved it so much, it felt pretty realistic, like Daría could be self absorbed and unlikeable at times, but who wasn't as a teen? And we get such beautiful heartwarming moments between Daría and her family and friends. Totally recommend it.

3.- The Mall by Megan McCafferty

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Cassie has her life completely mapped out but nothing goes quite as planned, first she gets mononucleosis and after she gets better gets dumped and fired almost simultaneously. Determined not to let it get the best of her, Cassie gets a brand new job, reconnects with an old friend and even finds a hidden treasure. This one is so much fun, all the 90s references and the growth Cassie goes through is amazing, honeslty i would love to see this as a Netflix movie.

4.- Luster by Raven Leilani

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This book was hard, Edie is a very raw character, at first she seems flippant even when describing disturbing facts about her past or details about her relationship with a much older man she seems to be talking about something that happened to someone else all this to cope dealing with her solitude, her trauma, her self hate. And gosh it was so intresting to see her interact with Rebecca and Akila, especially Akila as Edie finds kinship in this young girl not only cuz they are both black but because they are both lost and afraid.

5.- Lakewood by Megan Giddings

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Lena decides to participate on a financially compensated medical experiment so her mom can get proper medical care and to lessen their debts after her Grandmother's death.

So I had many mixed feelings about this, on one hand I liked that we are adressing how sistematical racism has permited experiments on black people with no consequences at all and how it has been happening for decades, but there were certain parts of the book that I couldn't enjoy as much because they were very trippy like I get we are on Lena's mind as things are becoming muddled up because of the medications and all those mind games and the words they have her memorize and repeat but all of it took me a bit away from the story. Still I do recommend it just be aware there is quite a bit of body horror in this so if you are sqeamish better skip it.

6.-The Voting Booth - Brandy Colbert

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Marva and Duke meet on election day as she helps him find the precint he is registered on.

This is very enjoyable, the story is very straightforward, and it insists on our right and responsability to vote even if we feel our vote alone can't possibly change all the injustice we see in the world. And also the romance was cute and developed slowly as Marva and Duke are just knowing each other. Really cute and quick read.

7.- Such a fun age - Kiley Reid

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Emira works as a babysitter for the Chamberleins' . She loves her little charge Briar, although she feels preassured to seek a 'real job' by her friends and by her own economic troubles. Emira soon finds herself in the middle of a tug of war between her boss Alix who tries to befriend her, and Kelley the guy she is dating.

So much drama. This is a great example of what performative activism looks like, first Alix is completely nuts, from her obsession to be seen as this wonderful understanding girl boss activist and the down right creepy sense of entitlement to Emira's friendship and intimacy. Like it doesn't surprise me she chose to victimize herself instead of recognizing it had all been a misunderstanding. And even then she still wants to seem atractive to the man she feels victimized by. Girl no.

Kelley is the ultimate fake woke ally. Dude Robbie was wrong period, he had no business inviting people over to someone else's house no matter the color of his skin. You don't get to talk over Emira on matters of what a person of color should do or feel on certain situations. That said it was so funny when he and Alix called each other out for their fetishization of people of color and yet none of them actually gave a damn about what Emira thought/felt/percieved. They just wanted her stamp of approval so they could pat themselves in the back for being such good allies.

8.- The Life and (Medieval) times of Kit Sweetly by Jamie Pacton

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Kit is working as a serving wench at the Castle, medieval themed restaurant run by her uncle, though she really wants to be a Knight, not only cuz the better pay would help around the house but because she really admires Joan of Arc, problem is the Castle management doesn't allow for anyone who is not a cis male to be a knight. Kit is set on changing that.

Ok so I feel a bit lukewarm toward this. Kit in my opinion doesn't get much growth, it seems she just can do whatever and her friends have to be ok w it, her romance w her friend feels pulled out of nowhere like Jett at one point tells her he is not intrested in dating her and then he is ???, those GoT references killed me, I get it I watched the show and sometimes even enjoyed it but it's not representative of anything medieval and Kit was always talking about how much she liked the actual history of the medieval times so...

Also as much as this book was about feminism and how we should fight for equal job oportunities, it feels as though Kit only cared about medieval woman who fought physically and not on the badass medieval woman, like idk it feels as a rejection of tradicional feminity like even the girl playing the Princess is a jerk. But I did like some parts, like her decision to confront her asshole dad to help her mom and the girls training together.

9.-Cien años de soledad de Gabriel Garcia Marquez

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En Macondo, una población Colombiana a un lado del río, vemos como una de sus familias fundadoras crece, se expande y cambia a través de cien años.

Me encanto, hace mucho tiempo que no leía una novela de realismo mágico que me provocará tantos sentimientos. Creo que todos los personajes reflejan aspectos de la humanidad tan diversos y complejos que sería inútil tratar de enlistarlos todos.

Ultimadamente siento que lo que condenó a la familia Buendia a cumplir las profecías de Melquiades fue sus propia naturaleza que ellos nunca tuvieron intención de pelear, siempre sucumbian a las locuras o pasiones que los inundarán sin mesura alguna o consideración por las consecuencias. Y creo que aún así lo prefiero pues es lo que hace a cada personaje por confuso que a veces llegue a ser la repetición de nombres (que para mi es el simbolismo de una naturaleza y destino continuos) único e intrigante. En verdad espero que se den la oportunidad de leer este libro por lo menos una vez en sus vidas.

10.-The Monsters of music by Rebecca F. Kenney

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This is a gender-swaped modern retelling of the Phantom of the Opera.

It was creative to make Mel, our Phantom, a true magical creature, and the singing contest was also cool. Like don't get me wrong I did have fun reading this but it also felt pretty unpolished like most characters were teens on the contest and that kinda made me roll my eyes a bit, like unless it's the Voice Kids age ranges are quite ample on this kind of shows, also kinda clumsy the addition of the magical elements with the modern setting, Kiyo didn't make much of an impression with me even when Christine is my fave on the original book. Still if you are a Phan like me you might wanna check this one out.

11.- Anna K by Jenny Lee

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This is a modern americanized ya retelling of Anna Karenina.

Not gonna lie this made me cry so much at the end. I really liked Anna and Vronski together so much, and I don't like the love at first sight trope, but here it felt so inevitable. Anna was so self contained until she met him and could truly explore being herself and they really loved each other so much. Also I liked the treatment of the side characters Kimmie and Dustin were well developed and I really enjoyed this one can't wait to get to the second book.

12.- Wonderland by Zoje Stage

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It was ok, but I was actually a bit disappointed cuz I had such high expectations for it. Like for about half the book I was really into the atmospheric vibe the book pulls you into, but as we get the reveal it started to go down hill for me, and the ending left me feeling meh. But maybe it was just not my cup of tea.

13.-Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

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This book is so well crafted!!! I love how it goes back and forth between past and present , first it feels as if history is repeating itself, then as both narratives unfold we start to question and discovering things and the twist at the end was chillin and masterful, I truly and wholeheartedly recommend it.

14.- The Girl with the louding voice by Abi Daré

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Adunni, a teenage girl, flees from her husband to work as a maid in Lagos, though everything she has ever wanted is to study.

This broke my heart, as it reflects how people coming from rural backgrounds get taken advantage of in the City, like similar things happen here in Mexico, but also it made me glad to see Adunni fight and keep her spirit so no one could ever silence her.

15.- The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson

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Immanuel does her very best to fit in Bethel, follow the scriptures and the Prophets words, but nothing seems to be enough to erase her mother's sin especially when the Darkwood seems to pull her in. As a plague starts to ravage Bethel, Immanuel has to face her past to save her people.

So frickin' good !!!! This story is great, mainly about the explotation of woman and young girls by people in power (in this case a church), the atmosphere is always tense, Ezra and Immanuel 's relationship is very well developed and one can really see how loyal they are to each other. A great option for horror fans.

[reydjarinkenobi]

Love love love your time travel fic! It’s so good!!

Thank you! Here is another chapter.

Here is the link to a03: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25051612/chapters/62477014

Rey's heart leapt to her throat at the question, and her eyes widened.

 "I don't… not much."

 Master Windu frowned and Rey's gut twisted. She lowered her eyes, trying to stamp down the vaguely nauseous feeling the look inspired. She'd known she wouldn't be good enough to be a Jedi, but she didn't think she'd be disappointing her master this early.

 "Do you know their names?"

 Rey jerked, her mind immediately putting it together. "Kenobi is a common name on Stewjon. I didn't assume…"

 Master Kenobi smiled smally. "You are correct. It is common. However, we ran your blood and it seems that you are, in fact, related to me."

 Rey stared at him.

 "What?" Poe asked, glancing incredulously at Rey.

 Rey cringed. She hadn't told either of those two what she'd found on her mission with Jess almost two months ago. She honestly felt like she was still processing all that she'd found on the ship, in the large chest that she'd found hidden in a smuggler's compartment, so well hidden, surrounded by Force dampeners and anti-scanner tech, that the only reason that Rey found it was that D-0 had showed it to her after he'd verified her identity.

 "I discovered much information about my parents… Anaya-Lan Kenobi and Din Djarin."

 "You know their names!" Poe asked, grinning. "That's amazing."

 Rey shrugged, not quite managing to give him a convincing smile. It had been strangely relieving to learn that her parents had died. That they hadn't left her. And then she'd been sickened at her relief. She'd cried and Jess had held her. Now, all she could feel when she thought of them was a mess of sorrow and guilt that no amount of meditating had helped her make peace with.

 She looked between her master and her, she supposed, uncle.

 "They were… There was a recording. What they left me revealed a lot about my history."

 The three Jedi masters glanced at each other whilst Skywalker's scowl deepened.

 "If we go back to the Millenium Falcon, I can show you. I think it will be easier than explaining."

 Master Windu nodded. "That sounds reasonable, Rey. Master Unduli, I am sure that you, Knight Skywalker and your padawans are capable of overseeing the senators' safety and comfort."

 The older Mirialan Jedi bowed. "Of course, Master Windu."

 Skywalker's scowl deepened for a second and Rey set her jaw against the wave of anger and frustration that clashed against her shields.

 However, he turned on his heal and joined the other Jedi in leaving, the two troopers who had followed them in shadowing them, both sporting new scars on the sides of their heads, which they covered with helmets before they went through the doors.

 Master Kenobi inclined his head forward. "Why don't we go?"

 ----

 Obi-Wan stood shoulder to shoulder with Mace, Cody Ponds, Finn, Chewbacca and Poe as Rey knelt in front of them. D-O was sitting in front of, in between them and a chest engraved with a Rancor surrounded  by a long, thin, winged dragon, who's tail was hooked around its head.

 She pressed her hand against D-O's head and the droid went very still, a flickering hologram projecting in front of him.

 A pale woman with deep red hair, pinned around her head in a braided crown, and grey eyes came into focus.

 Obi-Wan stifled his gasp as he realised that she was his niece.

 He was given to the temple too young to remember his family. Some Jedi had contact with their families, and many visited their home planets to stay in touch with their cultures. Obi-Wan had never had the desire; he'd preferred to learn about Stewjon from afar. Seeing the woman's face, her smile warm, even as her brow creased in worry, almost made him regret the decision.

 He could see the connections between her, him and Rey. They had the same small features, the same pale skin, and the same stormy eyes. Rey even had a similar cadence to her voice, the unique Stewjoni accent that was so often mistaken for a refined Coruscanti one.

 "Rey, my dear, if you are watching this, then your farther and I are dead."

 She gave a shaky sigh, blinking her eyes rapidly.

 "I am so sorry," her voice was husky as a tear fell down her cheek. "Your farther and I did not want to leave you there, but it was the only way. There was no other habitable planet within range where we'd be assured of your anonymity."

 Anaya-Lan swallowed. "You are… special, my darling. Your light shines so, so bright. We thought… we thought it would be safer to part you two. We didn't think that we'd be found. Not so soon."

 "I'm so…" her voice broke. "I'm so, so sorry, little one. You don't… you don't deserve any of this."

 She paused, looking down at the ground before she glanced back up. "D-0 will show you all that you need to know of us, of your history and of what you are. Please, please, know that you are wanted. I love you more than I can ever put into words. And I am so sorry for what I have done with you."

 The recording picked up the groan of the ship around her, the familiar sound of a hyperdrive being pushed to its limits rattling around Obi-Wan's head.

 "Goodbye, my lightbringer," Anaya-Lan whispered, before she stood up from the chair she had been sitting on.

 A few moments later, a man with tanned skin and dark hair replaced her.

 He gave a sigh, his deep chocolate eyes filled with a kind of grief that Obi-Wan wished he couldn't relate to.

 "I don't have much time, Rey," he began. "But there are things you need to know."

 He held out his hand, showing a pendant of a horned skull on a black corded necklace. Obi-Wan instantly recognised it as the symbol for the true Mandalorians.

 "This will be in the chest. When… if you find any Mandalorians show this to them, they will take you in."

 The man's eyes lowered. "Wren has the dha'kad now, and I cannot put my helmet on again, but my armour is your legacy. I know you will wear it well."

 He leant his elbows in the table, clenching his fists together as he stared back into the camera.

 "If you can, find Fulcrum… you must find her. She will have a baby with her that has a necklace which matches yours. She will train you."

 He ran a hand through his hair. "Gods, we should have left you with her… We thought you would be safer apart from your brother. She said that you are both so powerful… more bright than she could ever imagine… but we were fools, thinking we could outrun the Empire, and the galaxy was blind to think its terror was over."

 He refocused on the camera, as if he could reach across and touch the viewer. "Rey, you are meant to be a Jedi. And I…"

 A tear fell down his face. "It will forever be my greatest regret, in this life and beyond, that I could not watch you and your brother grow into the fierce protectors you will become."

 He breathed a sigh and the tears flowed more freely. "I'm so sorry Rey'ika. I wanted so much more for you… If you ever find your brother… and I hope to god you do, you may be shocked by his appearance… he's a little, well, green."

 He broke off with a humourless bark of laughter. "If you ever find your brother, tell him that I'm sorry too, and that I wish I could have said goodbye, that I could have told him I loved him one more time."

 The ship shuddered around them and the man, Din Djarin, swallowed. "We should get the chest hidden."

 He a watery smile. "You will do great things, Rey Kenobi of Clan Djarin. I love you, more than I will ever be able to show."

 The last thing that was heard as the man reached forward to turn the recording off, was the blaring sound of an alarm and a whispered. "I wish we could have done better."

 Obi-Wan wasn't the only one who had to blink tears out of his eyes when the projection flickered off.

 Rey was openly crying as she stepped forward and slowly opened the chest before anyone could say anything.

 This time, Obi-Wan could not hold back his slight gasp.

 Stacked in one corner, taking up about a quarter of the space, was full beskar armour, unpainted. The shoulder puldrons and the helmet were laying on the top. One of the shoulders had the same racor as on the front welded onto it.

 The rest of the chest was filled with a motely mix of weapons, datasticks, books and other small bits. One of them was a smaller wooden box that was latched with a Force lock.

 Rey stared unseeingly at the contents, as she slowly stood. As soon as she'd straightened, Finn wrapped her in a tight hug, quickly joined by Poe and Chewbacca, with the two droids bumping into her legs.

 Obi-Wan sent out a thin vine through the Force, suffusing it with a delicate comfort. He was surprised when Rey soon acknowledged it, sending her own thrum of thanks through the Force. He hadn't thought that she would notice it. Anakin still failed to pick up on many of the subtle Force interactions that Jedi shared; or, rather, he refused to. He didn't understand that communicating through the Force rather than in the physical world was more natural and genuine for most Jedi, since they were all often called upon to be the calm mediators. The silent communication was only for them, and ensured a level of truth and earnestness that could not be assured in the physical world.

 Anakin was so powerful, everything around him was so loud, that he often didn't grasp the fact that small interactions in the Force could have a large meaning, and he had always been obstinate about listening to Obi-Wan when he attempted to explain them.

 The group pulled away shortly, Rey rubbing the last tears out of her eyes as they turned to face them.

 "I have read through many of the books and datasticks in there. They were mostly learning modules for history, language, art and battle tactics," she admitted. "But I haven't touched the armour. I… haven't been ready for the memories it holds."

 "Memories?" Obi-Wan asked.

 Rey shifted uncomfortably. "I can see what has happened to an object when I touch it."

 "You have psychometry?" Mace questioned.

 Rey shrugged. "If that is what it is called."

 "It is," Mace confirmed, before he gave a small smile. "I believe we are quite well balanced. Do you have visions?"

 Rey nodded. "We both do."

 Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows. That would be interesting.

 "I believe it is time that we each talk to our padawans, alone," he announced.

 He looked into Rey's eyes and she smiled slightly, sending a thrum of understanding towards him. There would be time for them to talk later. They would be training together more often than not, after all.

 Then he cast a glance at Chewbacca and Poe, who both nodded.

 "We understand that Rey and Finn need to train," Poe explained. "Chewie will probably want to work on the Falcon but I want to try and find someone who can show me around the fighters. I'm not used to the older model."

 Cody stepped forward. "I can do that."

 "I'll join you, vod," Ponds agreed.

 Poe grinned. "Good. Let's go then and leave the Jedi to their Force business."

 They all nodded their goodbyes and the astromech, BB-8 followed them out.

 Chewbacca said goodbye as well before he disappeared into the Falcon and Mace quietly lead Rey off into the ship once they'd exited the freighter.

 Obi-Wan turned to Finn, smiling. "I know a rather lovely garden that nobody aboard this ship visits. Shall we converse there?"

 Finn returned his smile with a slightly uncertain one of his own. "Yes, master."

[thousandeyesand-one]

Hey anon,

Thank you for your question! There is a common misconception people have about targ restoration that it is going to establish another era of Dragon Lords resuming rule in the Red Keep. Thats not atleast what I think is going to happen I'd like to think there's more people who understand this. 

Stark Restoration was just as important as Targaryen Restoration is for the future of this story. House Targaryen has a very bad reputation when it comes to rule or just in general. Almost like each & every single one of their mistakes were remembered by the history & maybe even exaggerated in some cases.

"The Targaryens have always danced too close to madness. King Jaehaerys once told me that madness and greatness are two sides of the same coin. Every time a Targaryen is born, the gods toss a coin in the air and the world holds its breath to see how it will land".

                      - Ser Barristan Selmy (ASOS)

There are so many accounts of the Targaryen's cruelty most of them true but one should wonder if before Targaryen's came to Westeros, before Aegon's conquest was Westeros really all that hunky dory at all? It is said in TWOIAF that even before aegon conquered the Realm the seven kingdoms fought amongst each other. Black harren terrorized the riverlands always in a fight with Argilac the arrogant whose name alone gives you the idea of what he was North forgot their were 6 other kingdoms, after the age of heroes. In short the war, destruction & internal conflicts are not House Targaryen's legacy alone in Westeros. 

"Because of the Long Night, these early wildlings were then pressured to begin a wave of conquests to the south. That they became monstrous in the tales told thereafter, according to Fomas, reflects the desire of the Night’s Watch and the Starks to give themselves a more heroic identity as saviors of mankind, and not merely the beneficiaries of a struggle over dominion."

          -Archmaester Foma's Lies of Ancients (TWOIAF)

Brandon the Breaker is said to have joined forces with joramun to overthrow the Night's King who according to Old Nan was a Stark. That is why Brandon the Breaker broke the horn of winter & is said to have wiped any record of the Night's King or any knowledge of such instance from Night's Watch history or Stark's records. I am not comparing but Targaryen's have never tried to wipe anything mostly because they didn't care about anything or anyone.

"Like their dragons the Targaryens answered to neither gods nor men."

"Treachery was a coin the Tragaryens knew well"

"What did a Targaryen ever knew about honor?"

Almost every POV we get speaks of Targaryen's in a derogatory manner. Neither has the history written by Septons or songs sung by singers have been dealt with by Targaryens in their favor unlike the Starks who behave way too good to have kept power for 8,000 years. Specially when it is widely believed that Valyrians are First Men just like the Starks.

So both Starks & Targaryens are descendants of same civilization but separated by land & time & later on religion. First men in westeros became the Kings of Winter & First men in essos became Valyrians. Both these families don't have clean records when it comes to their history. Starks defeated the children, killed the marsh kings & barrow kings of the old taking their women into marriage & making their reign formidable & long-lasting without any contests left in the north & Valyrians decimated their enemies & the leftover they enslaved. The oppressed children created White Walkers an army that literally fights & perpetuates death & those enslaved in the caves of 14 flames in valyria created the faceless men who also worship death. Point is both these families have their hands in the dirt but one (stark) were cunning enough to clean the board but Targaryens were too proud & idiotic to care about hiding their mistakes.

"Their must always be a Stark in winterfell" people say has something to do with the Kings of winter & Lords of Winterfell being buried down in the crypts that they'll wake before the endgame being the literal representation of "Winter is coming" as in the dead Kings of winter are coming. That is the true might of Winterfell. Before the Long Night comes again a Stark must be there in Winterfell to fight the army of the dead that brings the storm with them. That is why the stark restoration  happened. I understand we as viewers are very emotional when it comes to Starks because the story started with them & they have been the victims of the books+tv show that we've been following but the stark restoration had a much more deeper meaning behind it than just merely giving them a safe place in this cruel world.    "Everyone is where they are & what they are for a reason.. "  Starks are needed before the endgame that will be the final twist in the show regarding the Night King.

Likewise, Targaryen's are needed to Break the Wheel they created at King's Landing because quite simply nobody else can or will. When Aegon conquered the 7k he offered mercy to the Lords who bent the knee & granted them the land with the title of Lord Paramount but the ones who rebelled & fought him he decimated House Hoare wiped out, House Durrandon wiped save for a daughter who married Orys Baratheon, House Gardener also wiped out. Rest of them bent the knee. Aegon showed mercy to House Stark, House Lannister & just about everyone who begged for it. While House Tully he instilled as Lord Paramount of Riverlands, House Baratheon he gifted his Bastard brother his own house name & a castle, House Arryn also shown mercy to & house Tyrell were stewards of House Gardener who bent the knee to Aegon & he named them the Lord of Highgarden. Even though Martells very much like the Starks had no interest in the power outside of their kingdom they just wanted independence but they never bent the knee whatsoever. Point being all the other houses after the conquest were no less than common folk to the might of House Targaryen, they were sort off elevated to a level of lordship by House Targaryen kinda like how house clegane was elevated to Lordship with their own house sigil by Tywin Lannister, like Ser Davos Seaworth was knighted for his deeds even after being a smuggler by stannis. Back then the fear of Dragons & the might & wrath of Targaryens kept any & everyone under control. so when time came they rebelled against them not only that but are now vying for the very power the Targaryen's created playing the game of thrones.     

"Varys: give us common folk one taste of power we are like the lion who tasted blood.. nothing is ever sweeter"

"LF: Do you know what the realm is? It's the thousand blades of Aegon's enemies, a story we agreed to tell each other over & over till we forget that it's a lie."

"Varys: Power resides where men believe it resides. It's a trick. A shadow on the wall."

Ever since Robert Baratheon died all the people who say they have the claim or want the claim joffery, cersei, Renly, Stannis, Robb, Little Finger, Tyrells etc everyone of these people are trying to chase that shadow on the wall it's like they're trying to catch smoke with bare hands it's too treacherous & volatile causing the destruction it did in the War of the Five Kings. Only the most erroneous of the lesser people will be able to tame it like Cersei who fought to win to save her children & now after losing all of the 3 she's fighting for her own skin, her family. She doesn't care about the greater good or anything she did what nobody had the the soul to do, she stopped at nothing! She tames the shadow on the wall because she stepped into darkness & shadows don't exist in darkness.

"... to reach the light you must pass beneath the shadow"       -Quaithe

Maybe this is the shadow that dany has to pass beneath to find the light, to pass beneath the shadow of power to find the light of wisdom & courage to break the wheel. (Although am not completely denying the possibility of dany going to asshai & passing through the shadow lands as a lot of people theorize). The Targaryen Restoration is just as important as Stark Restoration is.

[dfdkrc]

When she looks in a long mirror, Snow Queen notices bright glowing lights swirling around her reflection, and she curiously reaches out to touch them.

“Snow Queen...” (the voice is a whisper)

“Michael?” (She peers closer into the depths of the mirror, and can barely make out an image of Michael in a spotlight) “Michael, is that you?” (She looks behind her, but there’s no one) “Weird.”

“Snow Queen...” (Through the swirling bright lights, she can just see Michael looking right at her) “Come.”

“Right. As if. This is probably another Black Rose trick! If I can only see you in the mirror, then this is an illusion.”

“Snow Queen, I got her. Come join us.” (He holds out his hand, and a young girl appears at his side in a whoosh of air)

“Wait a minute. Now you're just playing with my emotions. You've gone too far this time, Black Rose!”

“Snow Queen, do you remember Stevie? Stevie Saxon? Our daughter? She has your hair and your ice magic. The only things she got from me were her wit and courage. Not to mention, she has our shared eye color. She can help us take down the Sisters of Rose. We're both here, and we're ready.”

“I don't have a daughter. I never wanted kids.”

“Maybe not in your timeline. In this one, you do. You have a child. A daughter. Stevie Michaela Saxon Knight, daughter of Snow Queen and Michael Knight. Warrior. Ice fighter. Powerful. She is sixteen years old, and she is ready to finally fight alongside her mom.”

“No. I'm not looking at this anymore. She looks just like me. How is that even possible? Ice powers? I didn't think any of my offspring would ever inherit that part of me. That's not my timeline. That is an alternate universe that will never be. I'm a free woman. I fight solo. I don't need any children populating this earth. There are already too many elsewhere.”

“This could be your timeline. It is, in a way. Didn't The Doc teach you about alternate universes? There are dozens of parallel worlds out there, and dozens of versions of you. And me. Plus The Doc and Lightning and KITT. I'm sure even Garff has a bunch of identical selves out there in the cosmos. Just step through the mirror. You can see another version of your life, even if it's just a glimpse. Aren't you the least but curious on how you live in other timelines?”

“I am, but not now. Not if I have a child that I have to get to know. I'm not ready. I will visit a timeline where I am not dealing with a teenager that's taking up all my time. There's got to be a universe out there where I am NOT having someone’s baby!”

“There are many, but think about it, Snow Queen. Look at all the lives you’ve touched since you've been here. Look at all the people who love you and look up to you. If you think about it, carefully, you'll realize that over half of Britain wants you to have their baby. I know you've seen it. Here, you did have someone’s baby. Mine. You had Stevie, and I love her with everything I have, and not just because you named her after my first true love.”

[fiftytwotwenty]

Movie Monday - June 8th, 2020

"Best Superhero Movie"

Spider-Man 2 (2004):

Spider-Man 2? Best Superhero Movie?

That's right, Spiderman 2!

There are Eight Spider-Man films in the Spider-Man lore (Maguire x 3; Webb/Garfield x 2; Holland x2; and an Animated Feature) - What makes Spider-Man 2 better than all other renditions?

The first Raimi Spider-Man (2002) film was excellent and in my opinion more ground breaking to comic/pop culture film than it's Origin Story predecessors, X-Men (2000) and Blade (1998). Spider-Man 2 tops Spiderman because it gets to swing right into action. The First Film in the franchise had to check-off the Origin Story Boxes: Kill off Uncle Ben, Learn to Use Powers, and Establish Social Class & Hierarchy with Peers all before Battling the Baddie, Green Goblin. The first half of the film makes Peter Parker/Spider-Man a Passive Protagonist.

The Second Film we are well versed with Spidey's background and built off the excellent installment which bred a more Active Protagonist with a More Grandiose Action and Sharper graphics.

Then we have Spider-Man 3 (2007)... Out of the Raimi triology it grossed the most money but toppled the franchise. The World Still Doesn't Know How...

Then we had the Webb/Garfield The Amazing Spider-Mans (2012 & 2014) reboots which had the advantage of better technology and a large sample base of what comic book fans and movie goers were looking for in a superhero film (there were 6 MCU films - Iron Man to Avengers - before Amazing Spider-Man's July 3rd release - 9 by the time we got to Amazing Spider-Man2), but The Amazing Spider-Man managed to dismantle the charm of the Raimi franchise. The Amazing Spider-Man produced lesser plots, villians, and protagonist.

Then we have the Watts/Holland's Spiderman: Homecoming (2017) and Far From Home (2019) which are fabulous. Both films coming off the momentum of the MCU franchise are packed with powerful punches in a John Hughes fashion - Great Villians and Refreshing take on Peter Parker/Spidey, but as standalone films they seem to stand in the shadows of the MCU's Iron Man. Both Villians are birthed through hatred of Tony Stark and The Avengers which turns Spider-Man movies into a spinoff rather than a solo film.

Also with the Stark/Parker dynamic - Holland's Spidey comes off as a people pleaser who is trying to live up to someone else's standards compared to Raimi/ Maguire's version where we get a Spider-Man who makes his own conscious decision to stand up to injustice and learns how to be a superhero along the way making for a greater story arc.

Now Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse is another tough contender - An absolutely fresh superhero movie which shows how much you can play with a Superhero Universe by giving us multiple perspectives from different Spideys. Perfect Characters mixed with humor and action - not just a Great Animated movie but a Straight-Up Excellent Movie, period.

I still have to choose Spider-Man 2 over Spiderverse as the latter is essentially an Origin Story which gets caught up more in self reflections than battles. If they make a sequel my tune could very well change.

Don't cry Spiderverse...Be Proud... You won an Oscar:

Now... Let's Machete through the MCU.

What makes Spider-Man compelling is Peter Parker did not choose to have Super Powers - he was bitten by a radioactive spider and made a conscious decision to use his newly gained abilities to fight evil.

Iron, Capt America, Thor, and Black Panther sought out their fights. They wanted their powers and abilities. The internal struggle with Parker/Spidey is he wants a normal life but cannot have one as it will bring harm amongst his loved ones - in Spider-Man 2 we see Parker try to give up Superhero antics for a life of normalcy where he can have a relationship and go to school, but in the end Parker realizes his responsibilities and decides it's best to live in secrecy. Stark, Rogers, Thor's lives are their Superhero identities in the film - They have nothing to hide - they are open books to the public.

Then you have The Hulk and Ant-Man:

Ant-Man/Lang is just aloof - just falling into plots and action haphazardly. Portrayed as more of a Slapstick Hero.

The Hulk/Banner does have a compelling story kind of like Spider-Man in a sense he to did not want his "powers".

Where they differ is Banner sulks way too much - We get it - You have no control - whereas Parker is more of a trooper who plays with the cards he is dealt. In Spider-Man 2 we see multiple times that Parker tries to do the right thing but can't please the ones closest to him: Let's down his boss, his professor/studies, his aunt, friends, and his crush Mary Jane - the struggle is real.

But what about the Team Ups? Avengers, Infinity War, End Game... even Guardians of the Galaxy... Surely they rival Spider-Man 2...

Well, They are Excellent and well crafted films - they effortlessly did what hardly any X-Men film could which is make an ensemble picture - multiple egos sharing screen time, Bravo.

Where I think they lose out is most of the stories draw conflict from internal bouts with other teammates. The stories will have the big baddies on the horizon ready for a battle, but the audience is taken on a side-bar to figure out the Heroes petty squabbles with their coworkers - Trust me - if they were real grown ass adults Capt America: Civil War could have been avoided.

Heck, Loki's first/main tatic in Avengers was to pit the team against each other - c'mon - same team guys...

So... We are done with Spider-Man 2 versus Marvel Universe...

Up Next... The DCU.

And There is Only One True Contender:

Through my research 95% of the time The Dark Knight comes up as the #1 Best Superhero Movie of All Time.

Claims that it was ahead of its time and that it is more than a Superhero Movie - It's a Crime Movie - No, no, it's a Cinematic Masterpiece.

A film that was able to capture a gritty darkness set in a realistic world.

The Joker steals the show - No other villian performance can rival.

And I agree. It is a well layed out Crime Drama which was nominated for multiple Oscars (with Ledger picking up one for his Joker performance) and Nolan did make a very plausible world.

But does that make it the Best Superhero Movie?

You already know my answer is "No".

For all the reasons why it is so reverred is what holds it back.

We are talking Superhero Movies - who wants to see a story played out in a super realistic world. Plus the Camp and Cheese of Comic Book movies is part of the appeal. And if we are talking Dark/Grittiness we got that with the Burton Batmans (excellent films as well) - Nolanites, I am sorry to tell you Christopher didn't invent style.

You want a Crime Drama - watch Heat (1995) . So many critics paired The Dark Knight to Heat ( a great movie) but again we are talking Superhero movies.

Finally, Heath Ledger's Joker launched multitude of character studies for years to come and it is well deserved... but the funny thing is he is the Villian... The Villian is more compelling than the Protagonist!

No one talks about Christain Bale's Bruce/Batman when they talk Dark Knight. Our hero is overshadowed! This is why Michael Keaton is my Batman.

We no longer have a Superhero Movie...We have a Villian Flick.

It's almost as if Nolan tried so hard to make a movie that appeals to a wider pretentious audience beyond the comic book crowd that he put too much emphasis on the baddie and not enough on the hero. The Joker drives Batman that entire film making him a passive protagonist.

Spider-Man 2 is a perfect mix/balance of all of the above...

We have a hero that constantly sacrifices.

A man who just wants to deliver pizzas and go on dates but is busy taking on a Megalomaniac with Mechanical Arms - who by the way Spider-Man inadvertently creates by trying to do the right thing - while also trying to transverse a rocky relationship with his best friend - who happens to be the Son of The Green Goblin - The Villian who died during battle with the Protagonist.

Alfred Molina's Doc Ock is excellent. His villian mission is plausible and his hatred for Spider-Man is justified making for epic battles.

Lastly, the humor/comedy lands just when it should and when action takes place it is on Fire!

Here's to You, Spider-Man 2: