#(It's that my greatest desire is to literally fuck a dragon.)

[wings-of-fire-confessions]

Hot take. Everyone needs to stop pointing at one character in Jade Winglet and be like “AH! They're THE asshole of the group! That one! That one specifically!” Because everyone is an asshole.

Moonwatcher won't shut the fuck up which causes people to feel bad (Reference; Winter Turning, Pg. 75) because, hypocritically, she only has a censor if it “benefits” (hard quotation because it has always failed her. Reference; Luna and Moonwatchers interaction) her.

Qibli is an ass, like, a HUGE ass. He pressures Turtle and berates the very thing he's self-conscious about. He's got massive main-character syndrome; he wants power, he always wanted power, but he wants COMPLETE control of power without any repercussions. One of the reasons he refused Darkstalker's offer was because he wasn't entirely sure he would slip something in there.

Winter is an ass, he literally attacks other dragons without thinking about it (Reference; Peril), he's quick to strike and like Qibli, berates Turtle for being “a waste of potential” to his tribe.

Kinkajou goes off on everyone's backs and uses the remnants of the magic scroll to control and transform Darkstalkers against his consent or will. She has essentially killed him via poison. The whole book and DS character arc was trying to push through a narrative that you shouldn't control people, that you shouldn't take away their free will, and that you shouldn't transform their being into a form for your desire and comfort. Yet it's completely flipped on its head because Kinkajou wanted to be “a little silly” with her solution in ending the IceWing and NightWing conflict. She does exactly just this and that makes her part of the asshole list.

Turtle is inactive, his inaction causes a lot of problems for the others in a negative way in order to preserve his own self. He uses animus magic on Anemone just to make sure that he doesn't get any attention but this backfires and his sister is left not only being used as a WMD by Queen Coral, additionally, she is also left feeling alone in her magic. Turtle just sat on the sidelines as he actively watched Anemone get used like a tool by her mother and groomed by a disgusting snotball of a power-hungry political obsessed eel bbq dragon. His “neutrality” was incredibly toxic towards the upbringing of his sister. Yet, despite being the one guy everyone likes to pounce on and beat down he's probably the LEAST asshole character out of everyone in Jade Winglet. You can point at Turtle's issue of “not doing anything” and dig deeper to realize he's a child for one (an even younger child when he enchanted Anemone) and for two it's an unhealthy trauma response from his family. He has helped and supported every single Jade Winglet member in their “fall/on their knees” development and all he ever got in return was those to treat him like garbage (with Peril being the only one who wanted to help him and realizing how shitty animus magic is for him and attempted to make a situation better by ripping up the scroll with good intentions in mind).

Peril is probably the most self-explanatory but she tries. I can't really say anything else about the flaming toaster oven w/ the pizza box inside it dragon that not everyone else has said negatively about Peril before. She's uncontrollable and she constantly talks about hurting others, yak yak yak… Brownie points is that she's attempting to become a better person and trying to find her own path in life.

Now that everyone has run away typing furiously in the comments reblogging tags about this and that I want to emphasize that everything I said above is about CANON CONTENT. You can LOVE YOUR ASSHOLES!!! I personally LOVE MY ASSHOLES!!! There is nothing wrong with acknowledging that the protagonists that you read aren't the greatest people in the whole wide world. I know I wouldn't want to be in the same room as Peril if she was an actual person; with that said that doesn't mean she ISN’T my favorite dragon in the whole gosh darn freaking series. Winter is a bastard, I love Winter. Qibli is a bastard, I love Qibli. Moonwatcher… Actually, no. Moonwatcher can not. (this last one is a joke and a personal opinion, if I was to look at her into it retrospectively and have a positive thing to say I would say she's very neurodivergent relatable, and her power is very autism-coded.).

Jade Winglet is full of bastards.

I love my Jade Winglet bastards.

Stop being in denial and using “well I don't like [Insert Jade Winglet Member] because of what they did with [Insert Plot Point Here]” and accept that your favorite is a bastard. Tired of hearing about this rank system on who's more fucked up than the other and debating if they deserve love and respect for that. Ofc they do. They're your favs, y'all don't need to push or morally justify trying to like your favs by putting another Jade Winglet member down. You aren't impressing anyone or going “GOTCHA!” for this thought process.

Now stop fighting you cursed dragon hyperfixated disaster fandom. (/j)

Drops Mic

.

#wings of fire confessions #wof confessions #wof #wings of fire #Jade winglet #arc 2

[turbles]

(I posted this on twitter back in early March but since that platform is going down the tubes rn I'm reposting here as well for archival purposes)

Some background here. 6 years ago I took up reading fanfic as a hobby. Very quickly I realized I'd need a way to mark which fics I'd already read or tried to read and dropped, so I wouldn't keep running across the same ones over and over and forgetting I'd already read them. So I started bookmarking EVERYTHING regardless of my actual opinion on it (I'll come back to this)

Anyway eventually I realized that, via the filtering options AO3 provides for your bookmarks, I had a pretty good way to collect pointless data about my reading habits and make some really pointless graphs. So when I reached exactly 2000 bookmarks I decided to do that. as a reward to myself.

data for the original 2000 was collected from whenever I started doing this, through March 6th 2023

Caveat: obviously the possibility of human error in this data is significant. I was never consistent on whether I should bookmark all individual fics in a series or just the series itself if I read the whole thing, for instance, and I've surely forgotten to bookmark plenty of things I did read over the years. this is just for fun though so I'm not sweating it.

thank god for how detailed ao3's tag system is tbh

Anyway here's a pie of all fandoms (with over 50 bookmarks):

For some temporal context of the above, I fucking counted every bookmark from the top 9 categories there and arrayed them by month-bookmarked so I could make this chart of growth rates:

Genshin impact will of course continue to grow because the game continually releases new stuff and characters. Numbers spiked in October coinciding with sumeru's release. we'll see if another spike happens once fontaine releases in a few weeks from now. interestingly to me, I started been playing genshin like 6 months before I started participating in the fandom because it took me that long to get accustomed to the uh.. genshin-ness of the characters and the story, enough to start making inroads towards actually caring about the characters.

looks like FE3H grew the fastest, but it will eventually plateau like yoi, dragon age, and ffxv before it. Still kinda going strong though,since there's just lots of people writing for this fandom, and helped by the fact that it has a really large cast.

This next chart will take a little background info. So to indicate to myself something about the quality of the fic, when bookmarking I would choose to "Rec" it or not. As I said previously, I am literally bookmarking everything I read whether I loved it or hated it or it caused me pain or whatever. My criteria for whether I Rec a fic or not has never been set in stone, but THE IDEA is that recced fics were ones I overall quite liked, felt were well written and would be willing to go back & reread or had something else that made them stand out from the crowd. A recced fic isn't necessarily one I would literally recommend to people to read, and non-recced could mean anything from it was good but had one part that bothered me, to I had just read a bunch of that author's other works and this one was weaker than their others, to it was horrendous and ruined my whole day, to it was just kinda boring.

HOWEVER I did add my own more curated tag, Greatest Hits, for the ones that I really loved, that stuck with me after reading it, that I regularly desire to go back and revisit. While I rarely ever adjust my recs, I have often added (even sometimes removed) the Greatest Hits tag from fics years after first reading them.

Anyway that means this chart could be said to express in a really general way my opinion on the general quality of the writing in a given fandom:

I found it interesting that AA has such a high proportion of recs. I think its overall lower number of total bookmarks works in its favor here, as I tend to dip toes into a new fandom by first looking at top-kudosed fics and then when I find authors I like, trawling their bookmarks for more and branching out that way. So I tend to find pretty good fics earlier in the process. the longer I'm looking through a more stagnated fandom, the less good fics I find, is I guess the logic here. So in the case of AA, I suppose I didn't get much deeper than skimming the cream of the crop before I moved on?

Comparing genshin and fe3h vs. dragon age and ffxv, which all have more similar total bookmarks, was interesting too, to explain why genshin/fe3h's ratio of recs is higher. Both genshin and fe3h have really large casts, and therefore lots of different characters and pairings to read about, so it's almost like each pairing is kind of its own pool of fics that I'm skimming the best ones out of. with DA and FFXV there's really only a couple ships I'm interested in, and their ratios are similar accordingly

because we all know. that the main draw for fanfic tends to be shipping. so here's the top 10 most bookmarked ships pie:

and because genshin and fe3h are sizable enough to warrant a further breakdown of ships for that fandom alone, here's some pies for that:

it makes me laugh that dimiclaude is statistically significant when really I was just trying it out and ultimately decided I really don't even care for that ship

And a growth rate chart for genshin impact ships specifically:

so funny story, as I was playing through the liyue story chapter I was NOT a fan of childe at all, in fact I passed up two of his reruns before reading on the wiki (almost immediately after his 2nd rerun ended) a key piece of his backstory that all of a sudden caused his whole characterization to fall perfectly into place in my mind and he shot up the list to being my top fav character in the game literally over the course of like ten minutes. and yeah that was november 2021 and as you can see that's when I started really reading genshin fics LOL

forecasts have haikaveh and cynonari continuing to trend up for a little while, though the next region and thus a whole new cast releases soon and could stymie those trends. zhongchi is a staple genshin ship and imo a bit more flexible content- and dynamic-wise than many of the other pairings here, so I predict it maintains a regular gentle incline even in the face of shinier newer pairings.

The less stacked roster fandoms don't have as interesting breakdowns, but here they are just for curiosity:

and yeah that's all I made at the time! I only thought of it after but I'll be recording data on Ratings from now on as well. I'd also considered looking at things like average word count on recs or greatest hits fics, but absent of even more highly specific filtering tools that would probably fall under diminishing returns. maybe someday.

This was dumb but very engrossing and fun to make and I learned how to use google sheets out of it so we'll see if that ever comes in useful in my life

#fanfic #ao3 #op

[mint-yooxgi]

this update is very much giving the limitless mv and i’m...so fine. so normal i feel so normal i swear. these updates hit harder getting more and more into ateez omg. seeing them be excited, happy, even horny, all of it is just so palpable and it’s making me fall for them even more. there’s just so much love emanating from both them and the reader and that’s what makes me love this series and your work so much. we need more love like this in fics. 

the way wooyoung volunteered i’m SCREAMING. 

"you are the greatest temptation we’ve ever known” omfg why am i giggling and twirling my hair? i looooooove when men are down bad like this in fics i’ll literally never get enough of it. aww not you can tell who wore your hoodie that’s so cute omg. 

ooh ok seeing the dynamic change in real time is so cool. now demons are bowing to you as their queen this is so fucking cool omg. this whole part with mina was so compelling and the little matchmaking bit at the end made me giggle.

yeeeeeeeeeees i’m already excited for wyno’s return! the other creatures sound interesting as hell too but yeeeees bring back wyno!!! Oh I love the dragons so much!!

It's so funny because I started writing this before the MV dropped, and then when it did I SCREAMED (also the fact that we got archer yeo and san holding a spear did me in so badly)

Heheheh I'm so glad you're enjoying their interactions so far!! I had a little too much fun writing out all the flirty little comments this chapter, and I'm so happy everyone is enjoying them, too! I'm also doing my best to do the whole "show vs. tell" in terms of their love which works at times. It's the whole, "if you have to have your characters say that they're in love with each other, there's something wrong" mindset, so I think I'm doing an okay job there! I'm literally so excited for Wooyoung's dance studio scene, you have no idea, AND for Jongho to finally show the OC all the quotes he's collected for her in his favourite books and poems hehehe

I just love making their desire for the oc known, they really are down bad!! Love me some deranged simps in this household hehehe and I'm so glad you noticed the hoodie!! I thought it was a cute little tidbit to add there~

I have so much planned for Mina in this series omg, I'm so excited to finally be able to showcase it. it's like I've been saying the whole time, Mina and David are the true mvps in this fic lmaoo

Oh, just wait until you see what I have in store for Wyno's return next chapter eheheheh I think you'll be very happy about it indeed 🥰

#ask #hehehe #mutuals #the sweetest #omg #feedback is always appreciated #thank you for this #!!!

[liar-night]

a lot of my wips are WAY too disorganized to publish even as drabbles so perhaps i shall share summaries of some of my craziest ones… (beware of nsfw)

- monsterfucker lancelot getting his prostate preemptively pounded and punished by a half dragon hybrid merlin… yeeeeeppp

- merlin trying to thwart lancelot by casting a spell to disguise himself as lancelot’s greatest desire and seducing him… but oh….? why is lancelot greeting him like normal when he opens the door to his room….?

- white rabbit and merlin getting isekai’d into itaru’s bed and forcing him to choose between a cute role and a sexy role (but don’t worry… itaru has two hands after all)

- (god are these ALL about merlin…?) after being defeated merlin is sent to the modern world as a fat fuck manjuu (who was brought back to mankai by misumi because he mistook him for a squishy triangle) and spends the rest of his miserable manjuu life trying to suffocate chikage and itaru in their sleep with his own body

- tsuzuru jerking off to the scent of itaru’s jacket…… don’t ask

- pizza delivery boy tsuzuru delivering an extra cheesy sausage lover’s pizza to itaru if you know what i mean

- itaru having a dream about being smothered by slimes and he wakes up to tsuzuru’s boobs in his face (i swear the deeper i dig the more insane these wips get)

- “God, I wish you’d keep making me fried rice for the rest of my life.” marriage proposal REAL

- itaru downloading a new game and immediately falling in love with a certain character’s voice vs tsuzuru’s totally unrelated one time voice acting gig

- itaru asking barista tsuzuru for a bit of creamer for his coffee. i shan’t elaborate

- speaking of creamer… hatter harvesting some fresh rabbit milk straight from the source for his tea

- tsuzuru catching itaru giving a kiss to his 800 dollar 1/7th scale limited edition one of a kind merlin figure and totally not getting jealous over literal plastic

- rose prince itaru buying a fairy in a bottle from a certain green haired scammer with a scarf and trying his best to take care of it (i haven’t written past the first two paragraphs but it would be so freaking funny if itaru accidentally ends up killing fairy tsuzuru like killing a plant)

- mercelot knuckle kisses

- ittz body swap

- and finally… the one that has been plaguing me for so many months on end… merlin breaking lancelot and making him into his personal plaything….. amen

#itatsuzu #writing #IM SOOOO EMBARRASSED HALF OF THESE ARE LIKE WHAT WERE THEY COOKING?

[morgana-ren]

why do u keep writing if u hve no passion then? not trying to be hostile btw sorry if it comes across tht way. im just curious bc an alarming amount of writers reblogged tht post so im just wondering why u keep doing smth tht makes u feel miserable? esp when ur not getting paid for it. u post all ur writing on here for free but if it doesn’t make u happy why continue? /gen

I mean, it's a valid question. I get you. There's a few reasons, and I guess you can judge for yourself whether or not they're valid. (Sorry it's long, I'm a little torqued right now and I'm just word vomiting personal shit no one cares about lmao)

Firstly, I do technically get paid sometimes. I do take commissions and I once again would like to apologize to all my commissioners for shit taking so long. Been a long year already and last year was just as bad. I swear I'm on it lmao.

Now that that's outta the way:

Truthfully, I'm a lonely person. I'm lonely by choice. I don't get close to people, I dislike being touched immensely, and I dodge and weave relationships like a professional despite having people that I get along with and are interested. I distance myself on purpose so don't get me wrong, it's my own decision, but unfortunately, I'm human which means that's not exactly healthy to isolate socially the way I do. The closest I get to intimacy-- physical and mental-- are these stories. It's a weird form of happiness I don't expect to ever have irl.

I kinda live vicariously through them without all the anxiety of not having control over the other person. I know exactly what Tomura/Astarion/Strade/Vulpes/etc are thinking and feeling at any time because I control them. If I say they love me, by the Gods, they do lmao. I can write out whatever scenario would soothe me, and bam, now it's there and I post it so other people can enjoy or relate if they want.

Sounds pathetic but ayyye, that's me.

My writing developed from my maladaptive daydreaming when I was younger. I've always lived in my head and go through life watching my own actions through a secondary screen, kinda like I'm watching someone else live it. Never been invested in it. I've been writing since I was literally old enough to reach the computer. It's just a part of me at this point. I drift away from it but always end up right back here, fingers on my keyboard with googledocs open staring at a blank slate cause I got shit I gotta work out and it's how I find happiness and peace in a world where I otherwise don't have those things.

When I say I write for me, I mean it. I write things that I would want and that I like to think about. Putting words on the page is somehow soothing, and it feels like I've actually done something productive for once in my sad little life. Most of what I do consists of video games and reading and other 'second lives', so I'm not exactly out here grinding and hustling and accomplishing goals and developing myself (I actually fucking despise that mindset but to each their own.)

I've stopped taking this blog as seriously as I did a few years ago. I treated it like a job back then, and it just wasn't good. Now I write when I feel like it and what I feel like and if other people dig it, dope. If not, well, move along. (Part of why requests and commissions take so long because I refuse to force myself to write them and have them come out half assed when I'm not feeling it.) It's all under my control, and if writing makes me unhappy, I can simply walk away and come back when I want to.

I guess to say writing makes me miserable is hyperbolic and dramatic. It doesn't. I enjoy it or I wouldn't do it. But I will say I can't relate to anything I write at all. I don't share those parts of myself with people. So when I write/read these slutty smut scenes, I do it with a straight face and no arousal at all because I guess I just don't quite click with it irl. I can read or write the filthiest shit and there's just a disconnect there. I can't honestly say I've ever felt genuine passion for anyone or anything at all so even if I wanted to, I don't get excited or anything because my head just doesn't know what to do with it. The closest I get to it are these fictional characters. It's pure fantasy, and a fantasy I can never ever have. It's miserable for a different reason-- cause even if I wanted something like this or to have someone want me like that, I'm my own worst enemy. I won't allow it.

(Also clearly my idea of what I find hot is extremely dangerous and any man or woman or enby that would go along with my insanity is a red flag unless SERIOUSLY and EXTENSIVELY talked through and consented to and I just can’t be assed to do it. That’s a lot of mental intimacy and I ain’t about that life at all. I’ll take a rapey OC daydream over all the work of actually getting this shit into place irl. All the benefits and none of the drawbacks, you feel me?)

Writing is a safe space for me to explore the places in myself I'm uncomfortable with and refuse to share. I can have my characters do the most disgusting and deplorable shit and wholly control how they feel and what happens. I'm a control freak. It's an outlet for me, and one I have total hold over. No variables. No eventual and inevitable abandonment. No questioning.

Don't get me wrong, I could give a fuck less if people know about them and are aware of what I'm thinking or what I want. I'm not secretive about my work. I just don't indulge in it in real life because I've never once trusted someone enough to ever do anything or act on it. The stories are a weird catharsis and how I bridge the gaps in my head that my heart craves but my mind denies.

It's bittersweet I guess is what I'm getting at. I do love writing and creating things and seeing as my shitty writing is the closest thing I have to any semblance of talent, that's what I do. It sucks in some ways because it's a constant teaser of what I want but can't have, but I suppose if it made me miserable, I wouldn't do it.

I'm sure all authors have their reasons for reblogging it (lack of engagement and loss of enthusiasm, habit, humor, etc) but there's a less-than-short version of mine.

#Morgana and friends #Morgana whining #Morgana-core #and every other tag required for my personal whining #Sorry for the word vomit I'm on ADHD medicine and wooo baby #I am feeling writing and word vomiting and I'd tell a stranger my darkest secret if they asked #(It's that my greatest desire is to literally fuck a dragon.)

[saphirered]

Hopefully, this is not too vague... I was wondering if you could do fluff with Molly; his nickname for the reader is 'princess'. (I have had a rough couple weeks, found out some bad news regarding my dad's health, and am just wanting a little pick-me-up. You are literally my favorite writer of the lavender tiefling trio.)

A load of fluff with some hinted spice coming right up. Sorry about your dad, sweetie and hope things take a more positive turn. Either way, I hope this is the pick-me-up you're looking for. 😘

-

You’re no stranger to waking up alone but never does it stop you from reaching out to the spot next to you. When you’re not met with a soft groan or arms wrapping around you, pulling you close begging for another five minutes of peace you know your lavender tiefling has begun his day before you. Rolling over onto your back you stretch taking in a deep breath. Time to get ready for the day, maybe find some breakfast? Breakfast sounds nice.

Mollymauk walks down the beaten path, a skip in his step and a small bouquet of wild roses clasped in his hand. He’s been up and about for a good hour now and like the good carney he is he’s working on quite the show in his mind; a show that requires the aid of a pretty face, charming smile and honeyed words he alone cannot provide. No he needs assistance and if he plans on getting this assistance he better work for it. Okay, maybe it’s not his plan. Maybe this is all just the result of a major fuck up on his end but still, it will make for some good fun… if all goes well… and you agree… The fact he gets to pamper you is a huge bonus. It’s been a while since he’s gotten the chance to show you just how much you mean to him.

Could Molly just ask for your help? Of course he could. And would you agree to join him on this endeavour? How could you refuse that devilishly handsome man? But where’s the fun in that. Let’s keep things interesting. Raise the stakes a little bit and see where his charm will get him. Or perhaps more, see how long it takes you to catch on tp the mess he made and pray to the Moonweaver you’ll be merciful. A test of his charm perhaps? Whatever excuse best justifies his actions and desires to spoil you rotten.

Stretching your arms with one final yawn you leave your tent. It’s too early to be up but you best keep an eye on your tiefling before he gets himself thrown into jail and you have to break him out… again. Wandering the camp the other members of the Fletching and Moondrop Carnival of Curiosities are waking up and going about their morning business at their own paces. You search for Molly but when you don’t find him you take to the road, following it towards the town. If he’s caused any trouble there you’d find out soon enough.

A lovely melody reaches Molly’s ears. He knows exactly who it belongs to and hears you before he sees you. All he needs to do is follow your song. Curving over the elevation of the path he spots you, lost in thought. Smile on his face he approaches you, flowers behind his back, and joins in whistling along to the melody. The way your eyes light up at the realisation of his presence are enough to make his heart melt knowing that one creature could look upon him with such unconditional love.

“Good morning, your royal highness.” Mollymauk takes a bow befitting of greeting royalty if not a little exaggerated and offers you the flowers. While he tries to keep his gaze on the ground you catch him peaking for your response as you take the flowers from his grasp breathing in their scent.

“Good morning to you too. And thank you, I should say? What’s the occasion?” You ask, not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth but you can’t help feel a little suspicious at Molly’s very deliberate theatrics.

“Can a most loyal servant not present his beloved princess with flowers?” Molly rises and you get the slightest flash of fang from the smile he offers you.

“You know I am never one to deny your gifts and gestures of affection. What I’m referring to are your apparent needs for theatrics.” You speak with eloquence feeling yourself slipping into the same act he’s putting on. Dammit Mollymauk, for playing into your actor side and letting you slip up into the role he’s setting you up for. You know damn well he’s aware of what he’s doing.

“I am merely your humble servant. A humble servant with impeccable manners.” You snort as Molly offers you his arm. You lace yours through his and he begins leading you back the way you came.

“Impeccable manners you say? Because I recall not but two nights ago copious amounts of drinks, illegal gambling and theft were involved. And let’s not even mention the… desecration of the fountain within the gaze of the Platinum Dragon’s statue.”

“You say that as if those of noble birth do not partake in such activities, princess.” Molly counters. Touché. As you’re about to take a step to the right fork of the road Molly gently pulls you into the left direction instead. Confused you give him another suspicious look but he hushes you leading you down the path.

You find yourself retreating within your thoughts trying to pinpoint whatever shenanigans Molly is up to, planning or has been up to and why the need to be secretive instead of just telling you. Molly couldn’t hope for a better moment for you to stop your interrogation for he fears any more prodding around for answers and he will spill the beans and come clean. He can’t hide a single thing from you when you’re determined and he knows it.

The path slowly turns from trodden earth to more fine sand until it fades into the beach. The sound of waves and a seagull or two make for a pleasant setting. You see just far enough away from the shoreline as to not become victim to the tides, is a basket set on top of a blanket. Molly leads you over, guides you to sit upon the blanket gracefully before plopping down himself with much less show. Within the basket you spot several packed goods. Molly takes a few out and sets them down upon the blanket, unwrapping them as he goes. Some bread, a selection of fine jams, some cheese and delicious sugary sweet pastries.

“Okay, time to drop the act. While I appreciate all this, what did you do and how bad is it?” Molly takes out a bottle of what looks like expensive champagne along with two glasses and pours them, handing one to you.

“What makes you say that?” Molly takes a sip playing it cool and innocent.

“The top shelf bottle of champagne that is very much above our collective pay grades. Where did you even get this?” You take a sip. It’s not bad but not the greatest you’ve ever had either. A weird taste that can only be suitable for some upscale party or the nobility passes out to their guests to impress them simply because of the associated name and or price tag. What can you say? Rich people.

Molly hesitates but drops the innocent act. Best he comes clean now. You’ve caught on fully. Game over. But that definitely doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy this delicious breakfast with him, can you? Mollymauk takes a slice of the fresh bread, adding a nice layer of strawberry jam and takes a bite. At least the expensive jam was worth the money. Then again, it wasn’t his money that paid for it. Doesn’t mean it wasn’t money well spent.

“Now, I need you to promise me one thing first, love. Promise me you’ll let me tell you the whole thing before you judge my poor decision making.”

“I can do that.” You lean back and relax taking one of the pastries and taking a bite. Bearclaws with cinnamon? Delicious. Let’s hope for Molly’s sake it will keep your judgement somewhat at bay.

“When we were doing our usual rounds and you were off on your own I may or may not have let it slip to someone who happens to be part of the local nobility, several someones to be more precise, that you may or may not be a princess in hiding. And I may or may not have played a little bit too deeply into the story…”

“Okay, that’s not actually that bad?” Just wait for the second part. It gets worse. On second thought. He may be regretting telling you and not just convincing you to hide away for the next few days in town until you’re back on the road.

“And these poor suckers may have fact checked it finding some evidence of a princess from another continent who supposedly is traveling in disguise. They came to see the show and I want you to remember they left a most generous donation along with an invitation for you to attend a ball held in your honour.” Molly awaits your response as you stop mid bite.

“So they left an invitation for a princess? What about it? Just don’t show up and done.”

“That would work if the local lord did not gently hinted at exposing said princess and sending the guards to return them to their family as they ran away and the good favour of either side of that royal family should greatly benefit this town. I’m sorry, princess but your presence has been demanded.”

Okay… This is bad. You do not feel like being hunted by the guards and it’s not like you can make an inconspicuous escape now people might look at you as royalty. You set down the pastry clasp your hands together closing your eyes. You inhale and exhale deeply as Molly briefly fears for his life.

“You… really need to learn to hold that tongue of yours, Molly. It’s getting you in all sorts of trouble.” He bites back a comment about using that tongue of his for plenty of other good things. He’s having trouble reading where you stand on this all and doesn’t know wether you’re upset with him or disappointed or if he has to be the one running for his life soon.

“Let’s talk to Orna and get some appropriate dress for the occasion ready and wearable even if that means she’ll have to sew us into our garments.” You sigh.

“Us?” He questions and he does not like the mischievous look on your face. Whatever you’re plotting, he hopes you have mercy on his soul.

“Oh, I will not be attending on my own. No, a princess does not go anywhere without their loyal servant. A princess needs their escort to attend to their every whim.” You hold your chin high as you move to sitting on your knees pushing your palm flush against his chest exercising a little pressure to push him to lean back onto his elbows.

“Every whim you say?” Molly asks with a devilish grin as you swing one leg over him gently keeping him in place with your body and wrapping your arms around his neck playing with the short hairs at the back of his neck. Maybe the turnout isn’t so bad.

“‘Every whim you say, princess’.” You correct mimicking his grin and leaning in closer. Molly goes to close the distance but you raise your index finger to his chin. “Ah-ah.”

“May I not kiss you now, ‘princess’?” He mocks and you give him a stern look.

“It’s unbecoming of a mere servant to make such a bold move.” You pull on his hair when Molly tries to land a kiss on your cheek rather enjoying the turn of events this morning.

“Yet you appear to be the one in full control.”

“He knows his place. Good boy.” You praise with a pat to his cheek and you guide his face to yours, your lips meeting in a deep kiss, the food forgotten. Molly’s hands dance over from your hips to your lower back pulling you closer to him. You earn an unsatisfied grumble when you pull away a moment too soon.

“Must you torture me so with your touch, princess?” Molly laughs fully aware what direction this is going, raising a hand to caress your cheek fondly.

“Will you finally learn how to behave?” You trace the peacock feathers curving up the side of his neck and jaw. You don’t get a verbal reply but instead Molly’s lips find their way to your neck leaving a trail of kisses and little bites as he goes enough to make you giggle and squeal in surprise whenever he finds just the right spot, taking your mind far away from the details of the fuck up that lead you here in the first place. Not that you mind anymore. If this is the treatment you get for being dragged into one of Mollymauk’s lies gone south you’ll gladly take it a thousand times over.

#critical role x reader #critrole x reader #mighty nein x reader #mollymauk x reader #critical role #mighty nein

[silverbastardgoldenfool]

Realm of the Quarantine Reread End-of-Book Questionnaire: Assassin’s Quest

Any differences between your first/previous reading experience and this one?

Keep in mind I’m writing this months after finishing the book lol (it’s mental illness innit). I have LOTS of notes to go off but yeah, things aren’t as fresh in my mind overall. With that said the biggest difference I can think of between my first and second experience with AQ is my feelings towards Kettricken. I think the first time around reading you know that Fitz is an unreliable narrator but you are still limited by his viewpoint so you can get a bit trapped seeing things the way he does. For this reason, I think I pretty much just forgave Kettricken when he did on my first read, whereas on this read I was like……. Waiting for her to actually apologise and show some sympathy towards Fitz and it just…. Never happened.

Like, don’t get me wrong, I still love Kettricken as a character and I fully recognise that she has been traumatised. I don’t expect her to be nice or act rationally, and in the case of being willing to take Nettle for the crown… It’s cold but she’s doing what she feels she has to. My issue is - do what you have to, but don’t expect Fitz to understand or forgive you (same with Starling). But I think what bothered me the most was how Kettricken would constantly confide in Fitz and break down to him and he was always there to let her do so, yet she NEVER gives Fitz the chance to do the same. The one time he does “open up” in a sense is when she forces him to air out his traumas in front of everyone, and she didn’t show him any sympathy for what he’d been through then or later. She has been through hell, absolutely, but while her plight may not have been any better than Fitz’s it certainly wasn’t any worse. She pretty much had two modes in this book: completely cold or a crying wreck - but she was only ever crying for herself. She lets Fitz console her but she never consoles him. Again, this is a result of her own trauma and I don’t expect her to act any differently, but it just reaffirmed for me that while she and Fitz care for each other deeply it is not an equal relationship. Fitz feels an obligation to serve her and she - knowingly or not - takes advantage of that. Like, after realising that this is their dynamic it is so obvious that the same is true in Royal Assassin as well, and it will be interesting to see how it changes (or doesn’t) in Tawny Man as I don’t remember it well enough to say.

Must reiterate: Kettricken is still a great character and I still have a lot of respect for her, unfortunately she just falls into the overfull camp of people who love Fitz but have an unhealthy power dynamic with him.

The other big difference I noticed was that the Verity stuff just wasn’t as devastating this time. Not because it was any less sad but it just didn’t tear out my heart like it did the first time. That’s not a fault with the writing at all, I think it’s just the fact that, knowing what would happen to Verity and that we wouldn’t see the real Verity again, I kind of already let go of him at the end of Royal Assassin.

Something you can’t believe you forgot

I guess more of a misinterpretation/wishful thinking but like, realising that there is no passage explicitly stating that Fitz and the Fool were actually spooning in the mountains murdered me and spat on my corpse.

Oh also!!! Fitz yeeting himself out the window at Tradeford castle jskaskjf

Favourite character introduction moments/scenes

I love Kettle in general and the way we’re introduced to her as a cranky old lady sets her up perfectly

Favourite character arcs

Man they’re all so fucking sad lol but I guess the Fool? He goes from thinking Fitz is dead and his purpose failed to reuniting with Fitz, their relationship growing into something really real for the first time, and actually completing his mission - at least for now lol. This book is really the first time you get to see the Fool be properly vulnerable. Even when he was getting beaten up by Regal’s guards he always had his veneer of snark and superiority to hide behind - and I doubt when he went through his sicknesses at Buckkeep he would have revealed his weakness to anyone in order to be helped. But in the mountains he lets so much of that facade of the King’s Fool fall away - at least when it’s just him and Fitz. When he and Fitz meet again he lets Fitz see his grief and pain and hopelessness and joy as the Fool looks after Fitz, and then later when it’s the Fool who needs looking after he lets Fitz look after him. When was the last time the Fool had anyone really care for him like that, ya know? Had someone protect him purely out of love? Ouch dude!!!!

Also he gets to kiss Fitz at the end so good for him!!!!!!!!!! Be gay ride dragons!!

Favourite quote/s

“I would kill Regal. It only seemed fair. He had killed me first.”

“I had looked into the heart of my enemy. I still could not comprehend him.”

“The more I drank, the less tolerable my situation seemed. And the more intolerable I became to my friends.”

“I had never thought to be disdained by a tree.”

“The Fool, the Fool, only the Fool. I sought for him. I almost found him. Oh, he was passing strange, and surpassing strange. He darted and eluded me, like a bright gold carp in a weedy pool, like the motes that dance before one’s eyes after being dazzled by the sun. As well to clutch at the moon’s reflection in a still midnight pond as to seek a grip on that bright mind. I knew his beauty and his power in the briefest flashes of insight. In a moment I understood and marvelled at all that he was, and in the next I had forgotten that understanding.”

“When you can either laugh or cry, you might as well laugh.” - the Fool

Favourite relationships

Fitzandthefoolfitzandthefoolfitzandthefoolbahslbghabfhalgngjba 

Also fitz and nighteyes (speaking of which, Nighteyes’ arc in this book is also fascinating and surprisingly complex) and Fitz/Nighteyes/Fool mwah magnifico chef’s kiss

Favourite setting

Kelsingra baybeyyy. I remember the first time reading this having no fucking clue what was happening in that chapter but I guess it was the gay agenda all along

Favourite chapter

It’s gotta be the chapter where Fitz and the Fool reunite, right? Catch me just gradually losing my grip on reality with every lingering stare 

Most loved character

Foooooooooool

Most hated character

Ya know, for a minute I was actually wondering if I would like Starling this time round but yeah no lol. She was actually okay for a while but as soon as she sold Fitz/Nettle out she became The Worst, just as I remembered her. It’s not even because she betrays Fitz but because, like Kettricken, she expects Fitz to forgive her for it, to the point of running to tattle to the queen because Fitz isn’t giving her enough attention (I’m also not impressed with Kettricken for actually getting involved instead of just telling her to grow up). Not to mention her constantly misgendering/gendering (??) the Fool or just assuming the Fool’s gender and loudly fucking proclaiming it to everybody is just truly fucking disgusting. Like I cannot even explain how furious I was reading her incessantly using she/her pronouns for the Fool despite no confirmation that her theory is right or that the Fool is comfortable with this and despite EVERYONE ELSE using he/him pronouns. God I’m mad now lol. She just acts like a spoilt brat and it makes my blood boil. But that’s probably because I have known many people like this so… Good character writing lol congrats

Raise your hand if you’ve been personally victimised by Robin Hobb (most heartbreaking and/or visceral moments)

The whole first chapter/s are just so heavy and carry on that gut wrenching feeling from the end of Royal Assassin. Fitz just has no real desire to live and watching him systematically severing the last few ties he has to his human life is just so sad.

Even though I wasn’t as attached to Verity this time, his goodbye to Fitz still made me cry

As did Fitz giving Kettle her skill back

Verity using Fitz’s body to have sex with Kettricken really got to me this time, mostly because I either didn’t notice the first time or had forgotten just how much it affects Fitz. It’s no wonder he doesn’t want to acknowledge Dutiful as his son when the event that brought that fact into being was so fucked up and traumatic. It’s really upsetting.

Burrich saying he almost took Fitz to Chivalry and he should have never let the Farseers take Fitz just …… breaks my heart. Just seeing Burrich so raw like that in general is so unusual it really takes you aback.

Details, observations, spoilery notes made with the benefit of the full picture

Strap in lads this part is lonnnngggggggg

Is it bad to immediately want to cry just from seeing “Sandsedge” on the map and thinking of Sandsedge brandy

I never really thought about how poor Hap didn’t get the real Fitz all those years and how their relationship could have been if Fitz hadn’t been partially forged

Pls I have no idea why but to picture someone as emotionally repressed as Fitz actually sitting down and writing about his life makes me want to fucking cryyyyeeeee

Fitz in the prologue talks about needing a purpose as something to distract himself from sinking [into his chronic pain, mental illness and addiction] and boy howdy if that ain’t relatable. As someone with mental illness and chronic pain Fitz is just painfully relatable way too often.

“I have never forgiven myself the triumph I ceded him when I took poison and died.” Fitz :(((( my guy :((((((( forgive yourself for surviving however you could baby!!!!!

This book mentions Bingtown providing slaves to Chalced

It’s so funny to me when people expect Fitz to have social skills as if he didn’t literally live as a fucking wolf for weeks at a time. It’s a miracle he bloody speaks

The state Fitz is in at the beginning of this book was literally Burrich’s greatest fear for him, yet Burrich doesn’t just say I told you so and leave. He stays, is patient and even optimistic.

“He (Burrich) is not bigger than I.” Why does this feel so wrong lol??? I just can’t picture Fitz as bigger than Burrich

“When you were younger and not supposed to go into taverns without me…” So it’s fine if the child goes into taverns and gets drunk as long as you’re also there. Got it, Burrich.

Fitz calling Chade “the grey one” wow get rekd old man river

Seeing Chade and Burrich interact is so bizarre

Fitz is still having seizures at the beginning of this book! I had forgotten that

God okay so idk if I can articulate this point super well but the whole thing of Fitz going through this extensive abuse and then essentially becoming an animal feels like a metaphor for the way your brain’s “higher” needs and functions just shut off sometimes under certain levels of stress. Like in order to cope with the trauma you don’t think about concepts, or long-term goals, or other people. You just take care of your basic needs - food, sleep, shelter, water - long enough that you start to feel safe and secure again, at which point your brain can open up a bit more and allow you to really think again; to want again, to plan again etc. Like obviously literally becoming an animal is a heightened version of reality, but the functionality of it is the same; our wounds and our fear stop us from fully embodying ourselves.

Burrich be like, Fitz was getting way too dependent on drugs before all this so let’s steer clear of those. :) LET’S GET HIM ABSOLUTELY SHITFACED INSTEAD

I  love how Fitz has his own unique relationship with Lacey and she’s not just Patience’s servant in his mind

Fitz talking about how even his memories from before his time in the dungeons are soiled by his trauma :( baby boy

Dude it’s so rich Chade lecturing Fitz about not making a life for himself, having friends or just chilling out like???? WHO TRAINED HIM TO BE AN ASSASSIN CHADE?? Like I get your point but what the hell kind of life did you think he was gonna have? Who ever took the time to teach him the importance of making connections with people for their own sake, and when would he have ever had the time anyway? I think Chade himself doesn’t actually know what he expects from Fitz.

Fitz saying he’s bad at making decisions because he’s never actually been allowed to make any is literally a point I’ve made lol. This is what happens when you teach teenagers how to murder in lieu of any basic life skills.

Burrich + Chiv were luv at first sight. No I will not elaborate.

“We kept you a boy, looked after you too much.” Huh??????? Fitz was never fucking sheltered lol. He didn’t have autonomy. There’s a difference.

I’m so fucking glad Fitz hugged Burrich before he left and that they actually left off on okay-ish terms. I didn’t remember that and it vaguely dulls the blow of knowing we don’t see Burrich again til Fool’s Fate (and that he thinks Fitz is dead the entire time between now and then).

“If I shaved my hair back from my brow” bitch disgusting

“Honey was the older of the two women. Perhaps my age.” jskfjnajgbl my guy those aren’t women then those are children!!!!!! U freak

I was wondering for ages why Fitz doesn’t mention the Fool like literally at all bc that’s so unusual right? Even in Assassin’s Apprentice he thinks of him when he goes to Moonseye and just in general the Fool usually enters Fitz’s thoughts pretty frequently. So why now, when Fitz doesn’t even know if the Fool is okay, is he just not thinking about him? And then I realised that that is exactly why. Because the only two people from his old life he doesn’t think about are the two people whose fates he knows nothing of: Kettricken and the Fool. So he can let his mind wander to think what Patience and Lacey might be up to at Buckkeep, or who Molly is with or whatever, because he knows they are all safe. But in such a fragile state I don’t think he can bring himself to really wonder whether Kettricken and the Fool made it to their destination - he probably doesn’t really believe they could have, and that is far too painful a road to go down when you are trying not to think at all.

I know the first act of this book is slow and that bothers some people, but I think it is so necessary, not only for Fitz’s arc but also because it really demonstrates just how severe the situation has gotten with the red ships and forged ones AND it shows just how destructive a king Regal is. Without this perspective it would probably be much harder to buy that the extreme measures taken at the end of the book are really worth the sacrifice.

Fitz is Demisexual, Exhibit A: when Honey is coming onto him, all he can think about is Molly.

Fitz is so scared of the Forged ones :( his trauma affects everything. He has no faith in himself and less heart for the violence than ever.

Speaking of trauma metaphors: the way Fitz tends to drift off into the wit or Skill after a traumatic experience is… pretty much just dissociation but magique

I forgot that witted folk can apparently communicate with each other mentally, not just with animals

“Her head was the size of a bushel basket.” Ah, yes, a bushel basket, a thing whose size we are all intimately familiar with.

Fitz finally finds others like him and even then he is not fully accepted. Told he is doing the wit wrong. Othered by the Others. It’s the queer experience innit.

Also forgot that apparently the forged are attracted to the wit as well as the Skill?

“I wondered if I had as many wolf mannerisms as they had halk and bear.” Yeah no probably not you only bloody LIVED as a wolf, Fitz.

Okay I know it doesn’t need saying but Patience is just so fucking cool!!!!!

Jesus fucking christ, Fitz skilling out to Molly when he knows Will knows he’s alive and is looking for him is just… so dumb. So so dumb. I know he’s just fixating on her because he’s miserable and she’s like this unsullied thing he had before everything went wrong but holy moly is it frustrating 

Not to mention he doesn’t connect the dots between the fact that Burrich went to “help a friend” and every time he reaches out for Molly he sees Burrich sajkdbshkhja dude

Nighteyes leaving just goes to show that Fitz cannot rely solely on Nighteyes for companionship. No matter how innately the same they are they are equally as innately different. Fitz needs Nighteyes but he shouldn’t have JUST Nighteyes (which is why he, Nighteyes and the Fool are the holy trinity). When Nighteyes leaves, Fitz is in way too fragile a state to be left alone, but Nighteyes cannot think of the future or what might happen. All he knows is he’ll be back at some point and that’s all that matters.

“My anger fed my competence” whatever you need to tell yourself sweetie

I think I had blocked out the fact the Regal was keeping animals trapped in filthy cages so they could ravage people in the king’s circle uggggghhhhhhhhh I hate him

Fitz is down on himself saying that without Shrewd’s largesse, Chade’s information and Verity’s protection his idea of himself has been stripped away and that he’s not actually competent etc. but like. This is an extreme situation!! You’re literally alone in the wilderness with nothing and no one!! Who would thrive in this situation? And nobody gets by without help anyway! The people in our lives do define us to an extent. You don’t have to be able to stand 100% on your own at all times with zero resources to be considered capable. It’s human to depend on others. Yes I am chiding myself as much as Fitz here :))))

Burrich’s earring is the repressed gay earring. No I will not elaborate.

Fitz refusing to sell Burrich’s earring is frustrating yet something I would 100% do lol

Direct from my notes: Celery hiding out in caves?? Bad bitch

“I felt I was within the flames looking deeply into the Fool’s eyes” um okay gay

It’s actually surprising that Fitz admits he would not have gone after Molly even if he had known she was pregnant when she left. On one hand so self aware yet this doesn’t stop him from completely idealising their relationship.

And then you have Molly who says he was supposed to come after her “so she could forgive him”, that he was supposed to be the one to light the candles for her childbirth etc. The fact that she in any way thought he was mature enough to be a father just shows how little they really knew each other.

Burrich treating Molly like a horse while delivering Nettle is way funnier than it has a right to be jskakjasd makes me think of Dwight treating Phyllis’ back injury in The Office lol

The first thing Burrich notices about Nettle is that she has Chivalry’s brow are you fucking kidding me. Gay!

Fitz is Demisexual, Exhibit B: He had no interest in Tassin whatsoever until she literally started kissing him. At this point his body reacted, which is normal, but as soon as he got a second to actually think about it he stopped, because for him it would not be satisfying to sleep with someone he didn’t have feelings for.

“It seemed to take years for the dried beans and lentils to soften.” Okay mood

I love how Fitz just assumes Molly will take him back. “I have a woman and child awaiting me.” Says who bitch?

Small ferret? More like big legend

Ya know, we give Fitz so much shit but honestly with so much physical, mental and emotional stress on this journey how can we expect his mental faculties to be at 100%? I wouldn’t be making good decisions either, in fact I would be long dead.

Starling telling Nik that the earring once belonged to Chivalry is truly a smooth brain move

“Do not fear, little brother, I am here to take care of you again.” Words can’t explain how much I love Nighteyes and how often his dialogue makes me smile :’)

It’s so cute how Nighteyes is worried about Molly and Nettle until he knows that Burrich is taking care of them

It’s really interesting when Fitz claims “I’d rather be with Molly even if it meant rocking a crying baby in the middle of the night” because, well, he’s literally made other claims to the contrary, saying he wouldn’t have gone with her even if he’d known she was pregnant. Because at the end of the day as much as Fitz is compelled by others to do work for the greater good, I think deep down a lot of the time it is what he would do anyway. Like I really don’t think he could actually enjoy being with Molly knowing that the world is burning down around them. He would want to get out there and help somehow; not only to secure their own future but to reduce other people’s suffering as well. He’s an empathetic boy even though he’d like to be selfish.

Every time Fitz calls Molly his wife I lose ten years off my life

Again, I understand why he’s thinking like this, but Fitz’s ownership of Molly is just so uncomfortable. The fact that he can’t imagine her not having a place ready and waiting for him in her life when he returns just illustrates that she is not a fully realised person to him. She is just a comforting idea.

Oh yes, it was definitely Starling’s “pillowtalk” that got you captured and not the fact that you fit the exact description of the witted bastard right down to having Chivalry’s earring and a whole ass wolf

Somehow forgot that Jhaampe is basically a city of tents with only a few permanent buildings and people constantly coming and going

Fitz’s first words to the Fool are “I’ve come to you.” I’m gonna fucking die

Literally every single word from the moment Fitz realises it’s the Fool and starts describing him is a full body assault and personal attack I am seeking reparations

God the tenderness, the angst, the relief……… shall i pass away

“I doubted he was much taller, but his body was no longer a child’s.” My dude this is a gay awakening if I ever saw one

Fitz be like *spends 87 pages describing the Fool in painstaking detail* anyway I love being a heterosexual male

I’ve heard ppl cite Fitz’s descriptions of Kettricken as evidence of a crush (hard disagree) but literally nothingggggg even comes close to the way he describes the Fool. Not just this once but over and over again it’s insane.

“Talk fell off between us. The bottle of brandy was empty. We were reduced to silence, staring at one another drunkenly.” skjakfnajghajgnaLNGJ is it gay to silently gaze into thine homie’s eyes

The Fool protecting Fitz from everyone - especially Starling - in Jhaampe is often hilarious and always heartwarming

Realising Fitz was skinny enough for the Fool to lift on his own ahhh no wonder he said the famous “When I recall how beautiful you were” line, Fitz is a total wreck

I love that the Fool actually gives Chade shit for his plan to take Nettle. I love him.

“Too few folk cared for me. I could not hate a single one of them.” Oh, Fitz :(

I always wonder how the Fool really feels about Molly. Is he jealous? Does he compare himself to this woman Fitz idolises and he doesn’t know? Does he know that Fitz is barking up the wrong tree or is he stuck thinking Molly must really be Fitz’s soulmate since he won’t shut up about how much he loves her and can’t wait to get back to her? He just never really lets on how it makes him feel when Fitz has relationships with women. We know Fitz gets jealous of the Fool (for litch rally like no reason lol), so with the Fool being much more honest with himself/in general about his love for Fitz and having much more legitimate reason to be jealous, is he? Or is it just something he’s made his peace with, that these women give Fitz something that he cannot? Is he okay with that cos he has to be or does he have a different, less monogamous view of love and relationships (he does have three parents after all). I dunnoooo dude I just have so many questions. Like obviously - OBVIOUSLY - if Fitz and the Fool didn’t have romantic feelings for each other before, there is no doubting that romantic feelings appeared the moment Fitz appeared in the Fool’s hut. Fitz won’t admit that but mere chapters later the Fool is talking about how he loves Fitz in every way so like. He knows. So how does he feel when Fitz is calling out for Molly in his sleep, or openly speaking of seeking her out when all this is over, and lying to the Fool to protect Molly and his daughter. Really makes u think!!!!

Fitz reuniting with Sooty and going to see her every day in Jhaampe is so cuuuute and made me so happy. Sooty is a good girl :’)

Fitz be like *leans against the table where the Fool is carving and watches his fingers at work like a true repressed gay*

Verity is literally so strong???? He submerged himself in skill and was able to pull himself back from the stream can u imagine? Go off king!

Bro I literally can’t with the Fool mentioning Jofron so casually and Fitz immediately thinking wow oh my god they’re definitely fucking oh my god the Fool has a girlfriend - Fitz sweetie calm down

I love how Fitz and the Fool just naturally walk together :))) and Nighteyes babysitting Kettle is so cute

Molly never once says that she misses Fitz. She says she always expected him to do the right thing, to come after her and not leave her alone with a child. But she doesn’t look back on their time together fondly or have much positive to say about him as a person. And all that is fair, but it’s also just… Not really the behaviour of someone who’s been separated from their soulmate. It’s more just someone who’s been left in a shitty position by someone they cared about but hardly knew.

Fitz asking the Fool what is between him and Starling when they’re literally just being civil is sooooo fucking funny. Not everyone finds the Fool as irresistible as you do, Fitz.

The Fool just casually finding a pretext to call Fitz the light of his life

Fitz telling Kettricken firmly that he will not travel if the Fool is ill is one of the only times he ever puts his foot down with her GEE I WONDER WHY

I’ve said it before I’ll say it again…… there really do be something about the way Fitz can’t meet the Fool’s eyes………. It’s not like they’re weird and colourless anymore like they used to be!!!

The Fool already talking about Clerres in this book!

Fitz and the Fool and Nighteyes playing in the stream is too fucking pure omg, it’s what they deserve

And then Starling has to bloody ruin it bc she’s homophobique

But seriously, Fitz actually lets go for the first time in ages and has a nice evening only for Starling to go tattling to Kettricken, and Kettricken having the gall to confront Fitz about it. And then Fitz solves the problem by saying he doesn’t disdain her when like!! He has every right to!!!! She sold him out, sold his daughter out. She never even apologised but instead has just been totally petty and self-righteous and stirring up trouble amongst the group. She hasn’t earned or even asked for his forgiveness. So fitting that she’s the one constantly judging Fitz for his relationship with Lord Golden in Tawny Man lol, she just cannot let Fitz and the Fool be the queer icons they are!!!

Verrrrrrrrrrry interesting that Fitz only “suddenly missed the human warmth and comfort” of Starling taking his arm or sleeping against him literally IMMEDIATELY after the plumbing and love confrontation with the Fool. I mean he has been doing all of those things with the Fool (sleeping together, walking arm in arm etc.) so it’s not about human touch at all, it’s about convincing himself that a WOMAN’S touch is somehow inherently different.

He does the same thing with Starling as with Kettricken. She technically apologises but it’s not sincere and that’s not why he forgives her. Same as Kettricken, she tells her sob story and he can’t hold onto his anger. It makes sense, but it’s just very toxic. It would be nice if at least one person would really recognise how much they’ve hurt Fitz and really, genuinely want to atone for it, or apologise without expecting forgiveness. The onus should not be on Fitz to forgive Starling but on Starling to grow up and not need Fitz to like her in order to remain civil and do what they have to. Also “I do not find your wit bond offensive” has the same energy as someone telling you out of nowhere like “It’s fine that you’re gay :)” like wow thank u?? lol

Fitz is Demisexual, Exhibit C: “I wanted her with a desperation that had nothing to do with love, and even, I believe, little to do with lust.”

“By his love he is betrayed, and his love betrayed also.” So fate agrees with me, Fitz and the Fool are in love? :)

Anytime the potential that Fitz might have to choose between Molly and Nighteyes I lose brain cells. That’s ur brother Fitz!!! It’s not even a choice!! How dare u

It’s just sooooo intentionally laid out for us in this book that Fitz’s relationship with Molly really wasn’t good or healthy and that his fixation on it is misguided, and I think that’s why I struggled sooooo hard with the ending of Fool’s Fate, because it kind of implied the exact opposite. I’m hoping on this reread I will pick up on it being laid out as a result of Fitz getting his memories/teen feelings back rather than it just feeling like a lowkey retcon, but I guess we’ll see lol

“I felt I was a bit in love with him, you know. That sort of lift to the heart.” the confirmation that the Fool KNOWS HOW IT FEELS TO BE IN LOVE sends me deep into the swamps goodbyeeeeeeeeeeee

“The one who loves him best will betray him most foully.” So fate agrees, the Fool loves Fitz best :)

“You do love me! … Before, it was words. I always feared it was born out of pity.” Godddddd Foooooooooool!!!!!!!!!!! 

Everything about Fitz, the Fool and Nighteyes meeting in the skill for the first time is just truly perfect iconic unparalleled.

Fitz’s love for Verity hurts my heart so much. Just think of the relationship they could have had if they weren’t stupid royals.

Kettle’s whole speech about Fitz and Molly… Just yes to every word.

Look I’m just gonna say it… The way Burrich reacts to Molly’s advances … like I know it’s probably not intentional but it just reads as very much fitting in with my headcanon that he is gay. As soon as she makes it clear she wants to sleep with him he like leaps across the room lol. I do believe he cares for her and loves her in his way, but it does feel mostly like he’ll just do whatever he needs to to care for her and the baby.  Sowwy

I wonder why the Fool wasn’t as affected by his giving up of memories to Girl-on-a-Dragon?? Or was he, and he just gets them back before we see him again in Tawny Man?

“Take my hurt that I never knew my father, take my hours of staring up at his portrait when the great hall was empty and I could do so alone.” um this is so fucking sad

It was the Fool who sent Starling to find Fitz after Verity uses his body and again I have to ask, wtf is going on in your mind, Fool!

Fitz is Demisexual, Exhibit D: Even once he actually sleeps with Starling he has no enthusiasm about it, he just kind of goes along with it, likely to prove to himself that he has really let go of his past/Molly. 

I always wonder why the Fool leaves now. Is it because he thinks their work is done and doesn’t want to risk messing things up by hanging around his catalyst like at the end of Tawny Man? Does he intend to come back and find Fitz again but get sidetracked by a lead or a new dream? Like it’s just weird because at first he was like “Prophet and Catalyst stick together” and was gonna stay with Fitz - or was that just an excuse because he was obsessed with Girl-on-a-Dragon? Fool u spicy lil enigma

It’s blood and the wit that wakes the stone dragons so does that mean King Wisdom was witted? Or is that obvious lol

Fitz isn’t even bothered by the Fool’s kiss, just shocked. I am looking.

Patience shouting orders at Verity-as-Dragon is beautiful ksjjk

Of courrrrrssse Burrich names his first son Chivalry

In the epilogue, the Fool is the only one Fitz actually says he misses. Exquisite.

I know some people have an issue with Regal’s death but personally I find it delicious

Okay that’s all (I say as if this wasn’t 139841989 pages long). See y’all in 92 years when my sister finally starts reading Liveship!

#realm of the elderlings #realm of the quarantine #assassin's quest #long post #fitz and the fool #Fitzchivalry Farseer #rote #ehhh idk what else to tag lol #if u read all this congrats and i'm sorry

[eldritchsurveys]

1110.

5k Survey LXXXVIII

4501. Who do you feel on shaky grounds with? >> Most people. I always feel like I am one wrong sentence away from making someone hate me forever. I have zero confidence in people’s desire to keep me in their lives. 4502. How would you rate Stephen King as a writer? >> I don’t know how to rate anything. I have some personal feelings about Stephen King as a writer based upon the fact that I identify as one of his characters, but besides that, I think he tells interesting stories but not always in a way that’s enjoyable to read. Sometimes he nails it, sometimes he doesn’t. I imagine that comes with being that prolific -- they can’t all be winners. 4503. What movie are you looking forward to? >> I haven’t heard about any upcoming movies that sound really interesting. I’m still on the fence about the Dune adaptation (Timothee Chalamet? Really?!). 4504. Hulk Hogan with or without the bandana? >> --- 4505. Do you more often tell people what you feel or what you think? >> What I think.

4506. Have you been to see an opera? >> No, but I’d love to go. 4507. What do you wish that you knew with more certainty? >> My worth. 4508. Does your heart break and break and live by breaking? >> ??? 4509. Can you tell the difference between what you think and what you feel or do you often get them confused? >> I know that what I think is directly influenced by what I feel, so it’s not really a big separation. But I also know that what I think is usually more palatable and rationalised (by having run through the filter of what I guess could be called “the superego” or whatever), and therefore easier to explain than the visceral and often messy feelings I’m experiencing underneath the veneer of careful thought. 4510. Do you feel like there are a lot of referances in this survey that you are not getting? >> Yeah, hence all the “???”s. 4511. You are shopping in the Mad Mall for things to add to your room. Of the following list, what 5 things will you buy? lollipops, lace up boots, bondage gear, bubblegum machine, a miniature orange grove, house plants, Bob Geldof, duct tape, Buzzcocks, poet shirts, Marc Almond, Al Gore, acrylic paints, Snoopy's dog house, an original andy warhol painting, zippers, orange and pink matching curtains and bed spread, flash, oj simpson, a slurpee maker, some flutes, electric chairs, feather pillows, post it notes, the terminator wax statue, fight club the movie, fight club the book >> ... ??? 4512. Of the following things, which would you most like to have more of? drink, dreams, bed, drugs, lust, lies, hate, love, fear, fun, pain, flesh, stars, smiles, fame, sex >> Love. That’s always going to be the answer, shrug. 4513. Your preference. David Bowie or Marc Bolan? >> I know I’ve seen the second name but I don’t remember who that is. Anyway, I love David Bowie and prefer him over many artists. 4514. Who'd win in a fight, Morrissey or Robert Smith? >> I don’t know or care. 4515. Earth girls are: >> Well, I know Earth Girls are Easy is a movie title... 4516. One of your friends tells you they are going to train to become a cop. your reaction? >> Definitely a grimace, at best. I doubt I’d be able to control it. I have no idea how I’d react after that. 4517. Would you ever consider working for the government? >> I’d really, really rather not. 4518. What are the best and wort television channels? >> --- 4519. If you had a magical pencil and everything you drew became real what would you draw? >> --- 4520. Your boots were made for: >> Lookin badass. 4521. What movie would you like to see a mystery science theater episode about (even if it isn't a sci fi movie, just one that needs making fun of)? >> --- 4522. What's the buzz? >> --- 4523. The last person you would want to be stranded on a desert island with is: >> --- 4524. Your partner takes an aeroplane trip. the plane disappears and is never found. How long do you wait for them to return before you begin looking for a new partner? >> ... 4525. Some animals that mate for life can literally die of grief if their mate is captured or dies. How many humans would do that do you think? >> I’ve heard a lot of stories like that with humans, particularly in the case of couples that have been together for decades. 4526. What would you like to touch? >> *shrug* 4527. Does anything you own glow in the dark? >> There’s a little skull in the living room that glows in the dark, lol. 4528. Would you rather ride a dragon or a unicorn? >> Dragon. 4529. Do things just always go right for you? >> I mean, no. 4530. What's the best nick toon? >> --- 4531. Can you make a balloon animal? >> Nope. 4532. Would you undress at a nude beach? >> ... That’s pretty much the whole point, yeah? Why would I be there if I wasn’t going to be nude? There are plenty of regular beaches I can go to otherwise (far more of them than nude ones, at that). 4533. Wherever there's a secret recipe, there is someone who wants to steal it. True or false? >> *shrug* ??? 4534. What is today but yesterday's tomorrow? >> Sure. 4535. Are you more like spongebob who does nothing right but still everything good happens to or like squidworth who tries to do things right and ends up having nothing good happen to him? >> I don’t think either perspective works for me. 4536. How many glasses of water do you drink each day? >> I don’t know. I have a water bottle that I feel like I’m always having to refill. I need a bigger one. 4537. What is the difference between intelectualism and pretentiosness? >> I don’t know anything about this, dude. 4538. What do you like in a poem, accessability, crypticness or somethin in between? >> I just like poems I feel like I understand. 4539. What do you think of William Blake? Is his writing difficult to understand? >> I am far more familiar with his artwork than his poetry or writing or whatever. 4540. Has learning to spell become obsolete? >> ... You’re surely joking. 4541. Who do you find yourself in constant conflict with? Why the conflict? >> Myself. Because trauma. 4542. What is the difference between literature and hallmark cards? >> ...??? 4543. How many contemporary poets can you name? >> None off the top of my head. I’m sure I’d see like five names if I just scroll my tumblr feed a bit. 4544. What subjects do you refuse to talk about? Why are you hiding from them? >> I can’t think of any that I consciously refuse to talk about.

4545. Are you every parent's wet dream? >> What the fuck? 4546. Everyone starts in the garden of Eden but no one can stay there. Why not? >> *brow wrinkle* 4547. Would you want to join a club that would have you as a member? >> Duh. 4548. Greatest black and white film: >> I don’t know. I like a few. 4549: Greatest film three hours or longer: >> *shrug* 4550. No means.. >> Take a wild guess.

#survey #surveys #5000 question survey #not for reblogging *glare*

[hd-wireless]

🎶 H/D Wireless Anon Masterlist 🎶

28 Days,

28 Fics,

3 Artworks,

Welcome to our H/D Wireless Anon Masterlist!

Be our guest and check out what you might have missed! The clock hasn't ticked midnight yet, you have till the end of the week to catch up, then we'll lift the spell and reveal our fabulous artists and writers.

Have a magical week!

Your H/D Wireless Mods,

Maester Magic Carpet

Iago In Flight

Gnarf The Genie

🎙️ And don't forget to check out our Playlist!

🎵 ART

🎵 Title: Jolly Holiday (G)

Song and movie: Jolly Holiday - Mary Poppins

Summary: A lovely magical date in a sidewalk chalk drawing!

📻 Title: The Sea Witch (T)

Song and movie: Poor Unfortunate Souls - The Little Mermaid

Summary: Harry's got a problem. He knows there's one person who can help him. Well, who might help him. There'll be a price, though. The sea witch always wants something in return.

Harry thinks he's got something Draco might want.

🎵 Title: Anything your heart desires (T)

Song and movie: When you wish upon a star - Pinocchio

Summary: Harry makes a wish upon a star—well, two wishes, really.

Draco only hears the first one but he makes them both come true.

🎵 FIC

🎵 Title: I dream of you, to wake [T, 13.6k]

Song and movie: Once Upon A Dream - Maleficent (Lana Del Rey version)

Summary: “Typically coma patients are made comfortable and left to regain consciousness in their own time," Draco points out carefully.

“Typically, yes. But when has anything about Harry been typical.” Hermione sighs, rubbing at her eye with the heel of her hand. “The Healer-in-Charge has consulted with experts at all the major wizarding hospitals. They all agree. Whatever’s happening inside of Harry’s head right now is killing him.”

Draco Malfoy is a world-renowned dream-walker, and he may be Harry Potter’s only hope.

📻 Title: remember me [T, 31k]

Song and movie: Remember Me - Coco

Summary: On a chilly day in October, Draco kisses Harry goodbye before he goes on yet another dangerous, undercover mission with the Aurors.

And then Harry doesn’t come back.

Only Draco believes that Harry isn’t dead, and pours himself into finding his husband despite his friends’ pleas to move on and grieve properly. What he finds at the end of that work, though, is not at all what he wanted.

🎵 Title: Upstaged [M, 3.4k]

Song and movie: Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee (An Actors Life For Me) - Pinocchio

Summary: West End actor Drake O'Malley starts receiving fanmail from a (not so mysterious) stranger.

📻 Title: Love, and Other Nonsense [T, 6.4k]

Song and movie: I Won't Say (I'm In Love) - Hercules

Summary: Harry wasn't in love. No way. It wasn't even a crush, because it couldn't be. Surely.

Or so he thought until he found he couldn't stop thinking about a certain someone. Denial doesn't last for long when you've got a couple of helpful portraits to help realise the truth.

🎵 Title: Believe the very best [M, 10k]

Song and movie: Can You Feel The Love Tonight - The Lion King

Summary: Draco tries to convince Harry he’s the chosen one

📻 Title: Silverpoint [E, 8.8k]

Song and movie: I See the Light - Tangled

Summary: "It seems fairly simple to you, but you know that you don't really understand love - how could you, after all? You've never known how to talk about it, but you've never had to before. Everyone you ended up loving has always understood. You've been able to show them, by fighting for them, dying for them.

That seems a bit much- after all, Malfoy just wants tea in bed and his cock in your mouth (not usually at the same time).

It's ok to love him, you reason with yourself - he doesn't have to know. No one ever has to know."

Or: How Harry Potter Fell In Love (and Realised that Draco Malfoy Loved Him Back).

🎵 Title: The Ryokan [T, 1.2k]

Song and movie: How Far I'll Go - Moana

Summary: Harry is stressed and unhappy with life in wizarding London. In an attempt to help Harry relax, Draco takes him to stay in a Ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn.

📻 Title: Dreaming Darkly [E, 39.9k]

Song and movie: Trust in me - Jungle Book

Summary: It's five years after the war, and Harry is not okay. He hates his job. He hates Robards. He hates Ron's promotions and Hermione's concern.

He chases oblivion in booze and weed and quick dirty fucks, but it's never enough.

Then Draco Malfoy's face comes up on the case board as a murder suspect and Harry is thrown into an investigation that will take him to dark and dangerous places and force him to question the line between dreams and reality.

🎵 Title: Of Losing Hope And Winning A War [T, 19k]

Song and movie: Be Prepared - Lion King

Summary: With the Dark Lord living in the Manor and no way to escape, Draco felt lost, trapped in a nightmare.

He couldn't know things were about to change for him. But first he had to lose all of what was left of his hope.

📻 Title: Every Leaf That Unfurls, Every Petal That Blooms [T, 6.3k]

Song and movie: So this is love - Cinderella

Summary: Draco can’t keep cacti alive, let alone flowers. None of this stops Neville Longbottom from giving him potted earth with promises of a seed nestled inside. “Don’t worry,” he assures Draco. “Harry will help.”

Which makes no sense—surely Potter’s saviour complex doesn’t extend to plants! Spoiler: it does, leading to Potter coming over to Draco’s place for dinner more frequently than ever.

Or, the one where everyone knows that Harry and Draco are dating...except them.

🎵 Title: When You Can't Find A Hero, Become One [M, 15.8k]

Song and movie: Wherever You Are - Winnie the Pooh: Pooh's Greatest Adventure

Summary: After Harry Potter's mysterious disappearance, wizarding Britain moved on. Some moved on because they didn't care, some to keep the pieces of their lives together or to be strong for their traumatised loved ones. But Draco can’t move on. He decides to do whatever it takes to find out what happened to Potter. And Slytherins are good at doing whatever it takes.

📻 Title: Strike a Good Match [T, 11.6k]

Song and movie: Honor to Us All - Mulan

Summary: Draco tries to restore honor to the Malfoy family name. Of course Potter comes along and fucks it all up

🎵 Title: Songs in the Key of Love [E, 12.8k]

Song and movie: Whistle while you work - Snow White and the Seven Dwarves

Summary: Harry Potter had been irritating Draco since the day they met, and Draco thought he knew every frustrating little aspect of the man after so many years of rivalry.

But then they were paired together as Auror partners, and things got so much worse.

Apparently, Harry liked to whistle while he worked, and it was the single most annoying sound Draco had ever heard in his life.

📻 Title: Wings of Salvation [T, 42.4k]

Song and movie: I saw a dragon - Pete's dragon

Summary: After the death of his mother, Draco is left with a summerhouse he hasn’t visited since his childhood and having signed every piece of paperwork his solicitor put before him, he sets out to visit the place that holds his happiest memories.

Upon arrival, he’s met with a surprise that will change the course of his life for better or for worse. An injured Hebridean Black is sleeping in front of the door and with hopes of a new adventure, he decides to help the dragon, naming her Salus and owling his former best friend, Harry Potter to come and help him one last time.

Through foggy days and wine-filled evenings, with friends and a small muggle town on their side, they spend their time rediscovering friendship, building love and learning what it truly means to be free.

🎵 Title: For the First Time and Forever [T, 15.9k]

Song and movie: For the First Time in Forever - Frozen

Summary: After five years of isolation, Draco opens Malfoy Manor and himself up again to the Wizarding World. Harry Potter's reappearance is anything but expected.

A story about metaphorical fireworks, literal fireworks, and a succession of very annoying sentient pieces of furniture.

📻 Title: Poor Unfortunate Souls [E, 19.6k]

Song and movie: Poor Unfortunate Souls - The Little Mermaid

Summary: Draco is a potioneer. Harry's trying to save his sex-challenged marriage. Everything is a mess, but at least there's an octopus in the lobby.

🎵 Title: He's Holding Back, He's Hiding [T, 7.4k]

Song and movie: Can you feel the love tonight - Lion King

Summary: Harry and Draco are both oblivious idiots and Pansy is tired of their mutual pining.

📻 Title: What Is A True Diamond (In The Rough)? [G, 17k]

Song and movie: Prince Ali - Aladdin

Summary: Yes, this is a fic about Harry, as Aladdin, finding love in the Sultan’s successor; Prince Draco. But it is not only a story about love. It is also about freedom. And about dreams. More specifically, it’s about dreams coming true

🎵 Title: Now I see [T, 4k]

Song and movie: Reflection - Mulan

Summary: The sudden realisation hit him like a sledgehammer. This was no longer his true self. He’d changed. He would always be the son of his parents, but he was no longer the puppet of the Dark Lord, a scared little boy who tried everything to survive during a war.

📻 Title: When Did You Last Let Your Heart Decide? [E, 50.3k]

Song and movie: A Whole New World - Aladdin.

Summary: "I can show you the world."

Our world is a broken disaster. A world separated by death and devastation.

"Shining, shimmering, splendid."

Torn, darkened, burnt.

"I can open your eyes."

My eyes are watering from the smoke.

"Take you wonder by wonder."

Are you a wonder? Could you please, please take me somewhere?

🎵 Title: Dig A Little Deeper [T, 3.4k]

Song and movie: Dig A Little Deeper - The Princess and the Frog

Summary: Sometimes a second chance is all you need to move on with your life.

Sometimes that second chance comes with an unexpected friendship.

And sometimes that friend is a pain in the arse who is most certainly never going to be forgiven.

📻 Title: Green [Gen, 19.6k]

Song and movie: Not easy being Green - Muppets.

Summary: Draco is struggling to find a way to recover from the war with his life in shambles, his father in Azkaban, his house ransacked and the Magical government is struggling to recover from the loss of so many major political figures that were caught up in the war.

With the notice of the death of his Father, Draco abandons all hope of trying to fix things going forward and instead makes the final purchase necessary for his most extreme plan to fix everything that went wrong, and finds himself suddenly reliving his first year at Hogwarts.

Draco scrambles to adjust his plans only to find himself sorted into Gryffindor causing him to abandon all hope of pulling off the death of Voldemort by himself and starts reaching out to others for help as he struggles to maintain his identity as a Slytherin and Malfoy.

🎵 Title: Harry Knows Best [T, 4.2k]

Song and movie: Mother Knows Best - Tangled

Summary: Harry has always lived inside the walls of Number 4 Privet Drive. His Aunt and Uncle keep him protected from the outside world, a place full of people who wouldn't hesitate to use his magical powers to their own benefit. Harry, however, dreams with a trip to London. His dreams will become true, when a blond thief enters his house in the middle of the night.

📻 Title: Unfortunate Souls [E, 11.3k]

Song and movie: Poor Unfortunate Souls - The Little Mermaid

Summary: He was warned not to deal with the reclusive witch in Knockturn Alley as she never played fair, but when Draco finds himself backed into a corner with no way out, and his mother's life in the balance, he makes the ultimate sacrifice to ensure their safety.

🎵 Title: Don’t Keep on Pretending [Gen, 3.1k]

Song and movie: Song from Mr Ray – Finding Nemo

Summary: After a talk to fifth years about Auror training, Harry Potter stops by the Potions classroom. Chatting with Draco Malfoy about Albus and James’s performance in Potions leads to a talk about the most uncomfortable moments of their past, but maybe they can proceed from there…

📻 Title: Herbology Study #8-C [T, 3.3k]

Song and movie: Pink Elephants on Parade - Dumbo

Summary: In Neville's latest Herbology experiment, Hermione finds nargles, Ron is pumpkin juice, Harry is dramatic, and Draco saves the day.

🎵 Title: The World Has Somehow Shifted (Now That I See You) [T, 27.9k]

Song and movie: I See The Light - Tangled

Summary: Potter’s eyes soften. “I know. That’s not what I meant. I just… Just give me a chance, yeah?”

Draco looks into Potter’s vibrant emerald eyes. He can see the hesitancy and hope. Those eyes alone could undo Draco. But why should he give Potter a chance? Potter’s the one who didn’t even respond to his owls. Not even a ‘No thank you, I have better things to do.’ So why the sudden interest now?

Draco taps his fingers on the table in a rhythm of right to left, hoping he’s making the right choice. What’s the worst possible thing that can happen?

He doesn’t expect the answer to be falling in love with Harry Potter.

A story where Harry and Draco discover themselves– and each other– in the process.

📻 Title: Falling for a Golden Boy [E, 44.6k]

Song and movie: I won't say (I'm in love) - Hercules

Summary: Merlin. Why couldn’t Draco have moved to a forgotten village in the Alps? He could have turned into a shepherd, learned to make his own damn cheese and given up his damn magic. But no, he’d had to come back to his Eighth year, hadn’t he? And this was his life now. Draping himself over Potter to hear words from him that he knew Potter wouldn’t ever mean.

Great. The school year ahead of him looked simply great.

“All I know is—when I’m with you, I…” Potter, the heathen, grunted when he read the rest of his line. “Do I really need to say this?”

“What, scared of believing your own words, Scarhead?” Draco spat.

“Boys,” O’Neill warned them.

“All I—all I know is you’re the most amazing person with weak ankles that I've ever met, Meg.” Potter scowled. He was blushing again. “And when I’m with you, I feel less alone.”

Or where a drama play, a grumpy pompom and a bunch of well-intentioned friends help Draco and Harry find peace—and each other—after the war.

#HD Wireless #hd wireless 2019 #drarry #hp events #drarry fest #hd wireless masterpost

[tyrantisterror]

Oh Fuck I’m TV Troping: A Short & Incomplete List of Bad Girls

Since that whole post about Bad Girls and Compassionate Male Heroes kinda blew up and the discussion just... isn’t stopping, I’ve been thinking of this trope a lot and uh, I guess I’m gonna list a bunch of examples of it since I’ve kinda been doing it already and it’d be nice to have them all in one spot I guess.  Gonna put a cut because even though I don’t want to make a huge list, I still think this is gonna be long.

4 Tried and True Bad Girls -  the following fit the archetype as I roughly defined it here pretty much to the letter.  Of course, the thing about archetypes and tropes is that you don’t have to hit every single detail to still “count,” but it’s good to have a baseline.

Jessie

A member of an international crime syndicate, a notorious thief, and a recurring antagonist for the hero, Jessie from Pokemon is an excellent example of the Bad Girl trope because if you remove female pronouns while describing her, she basically fits the stock Bad Boy traits to a T.  Aggressive and arrogant?  Check.  Prone to violent outbursts?  Check.  Intensely jealous of people who seem to have it easier?  Check.  Hidden tender side and tragic backstory?  Check.  Also she’s one half of the greatest romantic couple ever portrayed in fiction - and her counterpart is a compassionate, sweet-natured guy to boot!

Ryoko

I’m not going to fill this up with anime examples (though I probably could - Bad Girls are much more common in Japanese media), but I couldn’t resist including Ryoko, because she’s not just a Bad Girl - she’s a PIRATE, which, if my grandma’s collection of romance novels was anything to go by, is an incredibly popular occupation for a Bad Boy to have!  More than that, she’s a space pirate, the plunderer of countless worlds, wanted by the space police force and considered a villain of legendary power.  More than that, she can wield store brand lightsabers, shoot lasers out of her hands, and even spent a good chunk of time as a mummy!  Ryoko’s personality is pure Dashing Rogue, the Bad Boy Girl who’s definitely a scoundrel but, maybe, just maybe, the kind of scoundrel who’s got a good heart.  She definitely pines for love and an amount of stability, though she doesn’t want to stop traveling the stars as a boozing adventurer who gets into the most ludicrous scrapes.  Everything about Ryoko plays up the ideas of a Bad Boy romance with the flair for drama and fantasy that a space opera can provide, except the Bad Boy is a girl and the sweet ingenue heroine is a boy.

Ryoko is who you wish Jack Sparrow would be.

Faith

Faith was introduced as a second Slayer in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which was the result of magical shenanigans that suddenly rendered the whole “there can only be one slayer at a time” rule kinda moot.  Ok that’s an extremely abbreviated summary and it’s really more complicated than that but I can already feel the non-Buffy fans falling asleep so let’s stay focused.

Since Buffy is, y’know, the main character, Faith was brought on to be her foil - an example of what Buffy wasn’t, but possibly could become.  And since BtVS was a horror dramedy, Faith wasn’t a GOOD alternative - she was, explicitly, Buffy’s dark counterpart, from her brunette hair to her heavy and darker makeup to her rad leather jacket and, as the show frequently said, “slutty” wardrobe.  Faith was more violent, more sexual, and more apathetic to others than Buffy was, and holy fuck did the show just hate her for it.  Almost every character in it treated her like shit, with her sexuality in particular being a sticking point for many of them.

Faith is particularly interesting because she differs from Buffy (and the female cast at large) in almost the exact same ways that the show’s main Bad Boys, Angel and Spike, differed from its male characters - more violent, more sexual, darker clothes, etc.  But while Angel and Spike get a great deal of sympathy from the narrative, Faith... didn’t.  I mean they kinda sorta gave her some eventually, but most of it played out in the spinoff Angel, and the other characters continued to hold a grudge against her.  Faith isn’t just an good example of the Bad Girl trope - she’s an example of how the reaction to Bad Girls differs from the reaction to Bad Boys, despite them being almost exactly the same.

Vriska Serket

OH FUCK IT’S HOMESTUCK

Ok, everyone still hates Homestuck, so I won’t belabor this point, but Vriska Serket, who is infamously the most divisive character in the entire story, is absolutely a bad girl.  Arrogant, ruthless, abrasive, with a tragic backstory, a desire for both compassion and redemption, and a truly ambitious schemer, she ticks so many boxes and OH SHIT SHE’S ALSO A PIRATE.  Like Faith, Vriska was in a story that had a lot of examples of Bad Boys too, and while the fandom fucking HATES Vriska, her Bad Boy counterparts are nowhere near as divisive, with one of them being extremely popular despite being a clown who murders people.  The other one explicitly wants to commit genocide, literally saying almost exactly that, and is also far more well liked.  WHY IS THIS?

But enough of the homestucks!  Let’s move onto some...

Borderline Bad Girls - these ladies don’t fit the trope quite as neatly, but I still think they capture the jist, or at least used it as a base before experimenting in different directions.  They are, at the very least, closer to the Bad Girl archetype than its sibling tropes, the Badass Heroine and the Femme Fatale.

Jessica Jones

I’m just gonna talk about the Netflix incarnation of this character, as I have not read the comic books featuring Jessica Jones and thus cannot comment on them.

The only real strike against Jessica Jones is that she isn’t a supporting cast member, like pretty much all other Bad Girls are.  She’s the protagonist, the titular main character.  That’s a unique honor for a Bad Girl to have!  Otherwise, she fits - hard drinking, abrasive, rude, surly as hell, but with a tender heart, a tragic backstory, and a desire for redemption.  Hell she’s even wearing the Bad Girl leather jacket.

Morrigan

Ok, we’re straying a bit far here, but I’m going to try to make a case here.  Morrigan’s rudeness and abrasiveness isn’t quite as bombastic as the standard take on the Bad Girl trope - she actually phrases things very politely and speaks very softly most of the time, and is generally cordial to people when they are cordial to her.  It’s the content of what she says, rather than the way she says it, that sets most people off.  There’s also an odd naivety to Morrigan’s interactions that isn’t immediately noticeable because her vocabulary is so, well, verbose.  She doesn’t make the “ill tempered thug” impression most Bad Girls make when they’re first introduced - she instead comes off as very sophisticated yet oddly ignorant of the civilized world, which is a very different starting point for a Bad Girl.

BUT!  Morrigan’s character arc follows the rough path of a Bad Girl.  She verbalizes a lot of callous and cruel ideas about the world when you first meet her, giving the impression that she is some sort of sadistic monster.  It’s done in a very different way than the standard Bad Boy/Bad Girl, but it has the same effect - you are led to think this girl is a Bad Person very early on.  And yes, to some extent she is - but, just like any other Bad Boy/Bad Girl, her actions later on show that’s not all there is to her, that, even if she isn’t aware of it, there is a loving core to Morrigan - she wants to be good.

Like most Bad Boys/Bad Girls, it’s eventually revealed that Morrigan’s childhood situation was NOT GREAT, and that she has been the victim of abuse and some very bad parenting.  A great deal of her wickedness isn’t inherent to her, but something she was indoctrinated into - and, in TRUE Bad Boy/Bad Girl fashion, love, especially romantic love, makes her doubt her view of the world.  It begins to break apart, and she gradually learns, to her confusion, horror, and eventually, hope, that there is another way to live - a better, kinder way.

One might argue that Morrigan doesn’t fit the Bad Girl trope, but another villainous female archetype instead.  For instance, one might say she is instead a Femme Fatale, since she dresses all sexy like and whatnot - but Morrigan doesn’t really seduce people all that often in the narrative.  Early on in the first Dragon Age game you have an option to ask her to seduce a guard, and Morrigan not only reacts in disgust, but instead horrifies the guard into letting you by instead (because Morrigan is great).  The only time she does seduce someone is specifically to keep the main characters from an otherwise inevitable death via a dark magic ritual - and yes it does feel ridiculous to type that out, but 1. it makes more sense in context and 2. I think the ridiculous circumstances of this seduction kinda illustrates why it’s not really a core character trait of hers, which is why she doesn’t fit the Femme Fatale mold.  Likewise, while one could say she fits the idea of a Vain Sorceress... well, other than being pretty and using magic, Morrigian really doesn’t.  She’s not motivated by preserving her youth, and doesn’t really seem to care much for traditional beauty standards at all if her conversation with Leliana is anything to go by (though she does meet them anyway because, well, Video Games).  Morrigan doesn’t really fit any villainous female archetype perfectly, but if we accept her as a Bad Girl, she makes for a particularly interesting example.

Hexadecimal

Straying further!  Like Morrigan, one might be tempted to put Hexadecimal in the Vain Sorceress or Femme Fatale archetypes instead, but again, like Morrigan, she really doesn’t act like either of those two despite being a sexy lady who uses magic for villainous ends.  Instead she’s defined by being the sort of superhero/action adventure cartoon variety of “crazy,” which isn’t based on any real mental illness, but rather an excuse for her to cause a lot of mayhem for no real reason.  Unlike most “crazy” villains, though, Hex’s insanity is treated with sympathy by the narrative and the main hero - while most people would be willing to write Hex off as someone they’d rather live without, Bob, the hero, continually tries to reason with her and help her overcome her madness.

Most people wrote her off as a lost cause, but the hero showed her compassion.  There’s smackings of a Bad Boy in that.

As the show goes on, Bob’s compassion for Hexadecimal is repaid with her own affection, and she slowly turns from villain to hero out of a desire to not only keep Bob safe, but make sure he’s happy - and she comes to realize he can’t be happy without the people he loves.  Hex becomes a truly tragic and noble character towards the end of the show, as she knows Bob will never reciprocate her romantic affections but still remains on his side anyway, even saving the lives of people who argued against saving her.  A villain who seems like a frothing mad dog, only to be turned into a hero after the compassion of a hero makes them realize the value of human life?  That’s is SUCH a Bad Boy arc.  Hexadecimal may not fit some of the aesthetic trappings of the Bad Girl archetype, but her arc fits it perfectly.

Harley Quinn

When she was first introduced, Harley Quinn wasn’t a Bad Girl so much as she was, like, the perky love interest of a bad guy.  She wasn’t given enough focus and agency in the narrative to really fit the Bad Girl archetype.  However, in recent years she’s been retooled a bit to work independently of the character she was designed to orbit, and as a result she may be our second example of a Bad Girl protagonist.  She’s a supervillain, or at least was, and was in league with one of the worst at that.  She’s loud and aggressive in combat, has a big bombastic personality, and revels in living an anarchic lifestyle.  But, as her solo series shows, she does have a good heart deep down, adopting stray dogs and helping out fellow weirdos who have been left behind by a world that doesn’t give a damn about them.  Harley Quinn is and has always been defined by her desire to be loved, which is very much a Bad Girl sort of trait - especially since that desire often leads to her acting out, just as most Bad Boys and Bad Girls act out because, ultimately, they haven’t been shown enough love.

Plus a lot of her modern designs add a leather jacket, and it just seems that once a girl wears a leather jacket she has at least a 70% chance of being a Bad Girl.

Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee

I had no idea where to put these ladies and whether or not they fit this archetype, but I felt they had to be noted because they’re very well known examples of complicated female villains who don’t fit the Femme Fatale archetype at all, which in turn makes them feel like pretty good candidates for Bad Girl-dom.  Azula probably fits the archetype the closest, though you don’t see her desire for compassion until VERY late in the series (where she is, sadly, too far gone to get her redemption).  Mai comes in close second, though her sullen demeanor oddly fits the Badass Heroine a bit better.  And then Ty Lee... Ty Lee... I mean she’s like an even sweeter and kinder Harley Quinn, she hardly even counts as a villain except she works with the bad guys... I don’t know what we do with Ty Lee, guys.  Ty Lee’s just her own thing.

#Bad Girl

[asknightqueendany]

I don't care what is Fire and what is Ice. But for arguments sake let's say it's Dany and Jon and the whole pt of the story is Dany and Jon coming together. Fire and Ice coming together. And? Doesn't mean they come together for some epic romance that will save humanity. Could be bringing them together is what causes a disaster. F and I can have multiple meanings. You said so yourself. Which means they can also have multiple consequences and all might not be so good.

“ Doesn't mean they come together for some epic romance that will save humanity.”

But......they already have. They are together romantically and they are planning to save the world.

I’ve listed numerous theories about this and what it all could mean. It’s not my fault you’re just now tuning in.

GRRM has said, “I mean... Fire is love, fire is passion, fire is sexual ardor and all of these things. Ice is betrayal, ice is revenge, ice is… you know, that kind of cold inhumanity and all that stuff is being played out in the books.”

Which implies Fire = good, Ice = bad.

We’ve already kind of seen this, much of Dany’s story being framed in a positive light, her being “Mhysa”, freeing slaves, bringing “Fire and Blood” to those who harm people who can’t defend themselves, etc.

However, George has also said his title is inspired by Robert Frosts’ poem Fire and Ice:

Some say the world will end in fire,Some say in ice.From what I’ve tasted of desireI hold with those who favor fire.But if it had to perish twice,I think I know enough of hateTo say that for destruction iceIs also greatAnd would suffice.

Which implies Ice AND Fire = destruction.

And we’ve already seen that too - GRRM’s original outline at least hints at that with George saying there are three major threats to the realm: 1) The Stark/Lannister war 2) Dany’s Dothraki Invasion (Fire) and 3) (what he calls the GREATEST threat of all) The Others (Ice).

However, every time I talk about the original outline, people figuratively shit all over my posts saying that since not EVERYTHING from the outline has come to pass, that it’s not reliable for divining anything about the endgame...except, you know, the whole Jon falling in love with his sister/cousin thing except for some reason Sansa and not Arya.

BTW LOVE that I often get accused of picking and choosing my evidence. If that outline scenario isn’t the epitome of picking and choosing evidence, I don’t know what is.

And I’ve also talked about the possibility of Dany = Fire, Others = Ice, and Jon being Ice and Fire brings the two together.

Jon is the one to first discover that fire kills wights. This happens in AGOT and Season 1 when he saves Mormont from Othor’s corpse. So Jon - being Ice and Fire - learns that Fire destroys the Others (Ice), and brings Daenerys (Fire) to come help him defeat the Others (Ice).

I’ve also talked about the possibility of the Night King seeking Jon and Dany’s help - possibly in reversing the curse on him of being turned into an Other in the first place.

But so far as denying the romantic aspect of the story between Jon and Dany, at this point, with all the book foreshadowing and with them already getting together on the show and everyone saying they’re in love, I see no reason to deny it. All the evidence is there, it’s all stacked up.

It’s like having a literal elephant in a room and saying, “Meh, but is it an elephant though? I know it’s got the trunk like an elephant but maybe, just maybe, it’s a weird looking hippo.”

So far as “Dance of Dragons 2.0″ as so many Dany-antis seem to point to - uhhhhh, hello, we already have our second Dragon rider - THE NIGHT KING! Jon has somewhat bonded with Drogon. However he can’t ride Drogon unless Dany dies or he rides Drogon with her. That’s how the dragon/dragonrider bond works.

To deny that DOD2.0 is between Dany and Night King (or Great Other if you’re a book reader) - the two characters whose Ice and Fire identities are undeniable, when Jon’s is always called into question - is soooooooo fucking ridiculous.

Jon hasn’t even mounted a dragon yet! But he’s supposed to somehow bond with Rhaegal, learn to ride him, get him to turn against his mother who raised him since he was an unhatched egg, and fly so well he can defeat Daenerys and Drogon in some epic dragon battle, and all for...the Iron Throne, which Jon doesn’t even want...?

Uhhhhh, I don’t think so. I’ve also already talked at length as to what might make Daenerys go mad - meaning she would need to be defeated by Jon. And there isn’t really anything left that could make her go mad that hasn’t already happened to her. She’s been abused, raped, enslaved, whipped, betrayed, had a husband die, had a child die, had a dragon die, lost close friends, been cursed, been insulted, been spit on, been called a whore, a foreign invader, a mad queen....

And yet, even with all this, Daenerys is still able to make the right decision when it comes to the War for the Dawn and march her armies North, abandoning indefinitely her quest for the Iron Throne, so that she can save humanity.

In what universe does that spell - but she’s gonna go mad, she’s gonna kill all the Northerners and threaten Jon’s family so that he’ll have to fight her. Yeah, sure Jan. What fucking show have these antis even been watching??

Also, another name for Obsidian aka Dragonglass, is Frozen Fire. And what defeats the White Walkers? Dragonglass. So it seems, Ice and Fire need to come together to defeat the others. And as I’ve said in a different post, though Jon is both Stark and Targaryen making him biologically Ice and Fire, his story has been all about the theme of Ice - Stark look, direwolf (not dragon) companion, the Wall, WINTERfell, Lands of Always Winter, Frost Fangs, etc. Story-wise, he’s Ice. Just as storywise, Dany is fire.

[ombreecha]

Top 10 Husbandos

tagged by @csisui

This is gonna be fuckin chaos you’ve been warned. I’m tagging the following before said chaos though cause sometimes I’m a nice person #shot

@clerithraven @elegiesforshiva @kyoandyuya @stray-arrows @roseyrosho @ss-tyytyy @something-sasusaku-something @narcolepticprincess @juliayalokin @raineya and aaaaaaaaanyone else that follows meeee

. . . I think I have a fuckin type #sideeyein

Number 1

Layle from Final Fantasy Crystal Bearers—the husbando of husbandos keeper of my heart please continue to be my life love and pursuit of happiness because jesus christ i love you so much please end me and all that I am because fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck boi you on a tier all on your own and you will not be tamed you sauve ass fucker

Number 2

Sasuke Uchiha from Naruto—sweetest baby boi of bois who now a man. i’ve literally grown up with this precious cinnamon roll who will kill you and will probably always love you and desire to protect you from all of the things because jesus christ you were done so dirty but thankfully you and kween of strong style have made it to the end and now you can be happy and i just always want to see that smile you give so subtly. . .fuck man i just love you so much OTL

Number 3

Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy VII—Ex soldier for hire who I would hire and love and cherish and tell you it’s okay because you’ve been so midnfucked for so long and need someone to be so patient with you and god do you know how much it kills me when I see how absolutely heartbroken you’ve become?????? you seriously are the absolute sun to my goddamn childhood and you were so revolutionary and I’m pretty sure you were the first real husbando I ever had and will never be removed from my list so help me god

Number 4

Hei from Darker than Black—Chinese Electric Batman who once was an alcoholic but can do no wrong and man do you look great in some goddamn scruff like please kill meeeeeee with that impressive ass shit like you the most savage of boys and I would seriously be okay if you buried me alive cause fuck why are you so perfect and wonderful and god dude I just cannot with you

Number 5

Bruce Wayne from Batman—the based god of my world and the greatest detective of my motherfuckin heart like boi you got them brains and some serious A game like you on a level not even the Justice League is prepared to deal with and I would follow you straight into hell if you so much as glanced my way cause holy shit have you not seen yourself also congrats on your wedding because Selina Kyle is an absolute snack and god I just wanna bare your children btw

Number 6

Ryu Hayabusa from Ninja Gaiden & Dead or Alive—Dragon master can dragon himself into my bedroom if you know what i’m saying hehehehahahaomfgkillmecauseholyfuckimalevelofshitlordthatshouldneverbeallowed. . . you know what i’m saying ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) can you even fuckin blame me though like look at this motherfucker like he fuuuuuuuckin so gooood

Number 7

Kou Tanaka from Ao Haru Ride—winner of best shoujo boi smile and ornery as hell but the cutest little shit lemme let you know. this boy man when he smiles it lights up rooms and therefore lights up my goddamn heart. thank god he’s not real cause holy shit imagine if he was actually in my class i would of learned literally fucking nothing i promise you this

Number 8

Oreki Houtarou from Hyouka—captain energy conservationist with an absolute heart of gold when it really matters this is a boy who legit is probably the biggest cinnamon roll on the list and has the cutest subconscious habits of all time. please come into my home and be the energy conversationalist you are because goddamn i will take care of you and all that you are and love you until my literal last dying breath

Number 9

Jacke from Final Fantasy XIV—Guildleader of the Rogues and boi you can legit give me any quest and I will drop all my shit. You’re the newest husbando to grace this list and effectively bumped someone below the top ten and that right there is a absolutely fucking achievement you fuckin snack of a man please just wear my thighs as earmuffs you absolutely gorgeous man #shot

Number 10

Kyouya Sata from Wolf Girl and Black Prince—The prince of class 8 and it’s a total sham and I dig that and I dig the absolute sadist side he got behind that princely smile. . . listen I’d be willing to wear a collar and let him lead me with a leash if he asked me too no joke cause how am I gonna tell this dude no like just how?????? I’ll bark for you my priiiiiince wooof fuckin wooof my dude #insertallthebarking

HONORABLE MENTIONS NO ONE ASKED FOR CAUSE FUCK IT

Kira Yamato from Gundam Seed—the biggest crybaby in gundam fuckin history

Kazuto Hirigaya from Sword Art Online—King of Haxx and solver of all Death Game issues fuck i’m trash djsalkjdsalkjdasl

Kenshin Himura from Samurai X/Rurouni Kenshin—hearto of swordo my dudes

Squall Leonhart from Final Fantasy VII—Knight of Knights yaaaaaassss

Soldier 76 from Overwatch—Lemme call you daddy pleaaaase

#ombree:tagged #ombree:musings #ombree:husbandos

[fluorescent-l-ghost]

I was used to being socially distanced for 6 years in my life, and now I can’t think of more peaceful times than those. Although my first social years were pretty happy and satisfying, my inability to get along with others has turned me from the asocial person into the antisocial one, and I can’t ask for peace more. Like, see, I am able to watch works like Urasawa’s Monster and feel compassion for the character’s, but when it comes to people in reality - I know no mercy. I do understand them and that’s the worst thing. Like, even when someone’s arguing with me, I can still see it from their point of view and understand them. 

But! no one ever understands me, only the closest people do, but even they do leave with scandals. And, oh, okay, I’m learning... but what’s the point of this learning? Whom is it supposed to safe? Me, my relations, the people around? Why the hell am I that one who’s ought to learn? Why the hell do these people come to me and call me the psychologist only to blame with that eventually? Like, I’ve never asked to understand anybody! Or to sooth. I’ve always been only me - that’s all. 

I wonder wether I’m angry, or exhausted, or sad... You know, I am angry because my ex fp used to be the biggest angel in my life and than she left only to spread the poison all around. I am exhausted because of her being a public person and having her opinion about me the matter of publicity. I am sad because I have to fight for my opinion literally everywhere and I’ve never cared for anybody’s peace unless they cared for mine! If you take my peace - I’m taking yours, that’s it!

And what I’m really in trouble with - is that this thing has already become the part of my reputation. IS IT MY FAULT THAT OTHER PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO CHANGE ANYTHING? THAT THEY ARE SATISFIED WITH WHAT THEY HAVE? But, the difference between my ascocial years and my current (antisocial) years is that the first ones go to the school time, the period when you haven’t entered the real society yet and when the whole future is ahead of you. And the university years are those which already define your social place and there’s a little chance it will ever change, because, here you are - a stable complete personality. And my personality is - ! - antisocial. Like, it’s not even being out of the society. It means being a rebellious, restless part of it, and you can’t help it.

I wish I could help elderly people, safe stray animals and prevent the ecology from collapse. I also wish I had a dragon and could burn everything down. Like, no. No mercy. Never. Ain’t any mercy for people who don’t even understand its meaning. A wish to create, again, to search, to share. And then - a strong desire to judge. Because you do need to judge. Because, if you don’t - how the hell these people change? And when it comes to others - they only want to judge. To take from you and - then - to judge.

You ain’t beautiful? You don’t deserve social respect. Oh, you are beautiful? What a frigid bitch who does not want to fuck with everyone who sees her! Wow, kind and soft? There’s a way to confront you. Oh, wait, you do withstand? What a bitch! Does not kneel!

LIKE, NO WAY

I NEVER WILL

And I swear, despite all my beautiful dreams of morals - my dragon would be the greatest present of morals to this society. You think this post is about hatred? No. I’ve never hated more than two people in my life. But maybe that’s the problem, that I’ve still got positive emotions and relations. They make me stay sensible, they make me feel. 

...I wish I could do something, but I am out of ideas. I want to leave the city and the country so much - but is anything new waiting for me abroad? It’s not about people. It’s about me. I’m never satisfied and I’m restless. And still - here I come to nothing... ruins and all. 

#flg #shoutout #borderline personality disorder #actuallyborderline #actually-just-a-living-person

[attackingstarfish]

Just finished LoZ: Wind Waker...

I normally never post, but I recently wrapped up Wind Waker HD (Yes, I’m late to the party), and it is so far removed from the usual Zelda fare that I just had to compile my thoughts. And if I’m compiling my thoughts, I might as well yell them into the void.

You will have to show me physical proof that Wind Waker is not Ocarina of Time from the Opposite Dimension, where windows are the primary means of entering your house and people worship at the altar of Hello Games, because despite me being almost exactly as satisfied with Wind Waker HD as I was with Ocarina of Time 3D, the greatest sources of joy are flipped with the biggest annoyances between the two games.

Yay!

Breath of the Wild had won me over in part because the entire world felt cohesive; you could go anywhere on the map without having to encounter a single loading screen, and I had no idea Wind Waker did the same thing. The Great Sea is a vast trove of trees, pirates, and treasure, with the occasional giant squid attack or salutation from the Flying Dutchman. Each of the 49 segments contains an island that is often unique in purpose, and you’re very rarely sent to a specific island for a specific item by a specific character. Instead, the entire overworld becomes open to you as soon as you grab your sail on Windfall Island, and you have a literal sea of knowledge before you as the 49 fish that serve as your guidebook to the game take their places.

A couple of islands start off closed, unable to be reached until you get the Iron Boots or the Bow or the Hulk Hogan suplex manual, but that’s it as far as what you can’t reach, and the squares of ocean containing even these islands can be reached as early as any other zone, fish and all. The fish are easy to spot, splashing around near their respective region’s landmass, and to reward taking to initiative to explore, a surprising amount of what they tell you can be put to use immediately, like the location of the all-new extra-fast wind-changing sail the remake’s added to speed up travel. Good thing, too, because there’s a point where travel time stops being buildup and becomes padding, especially when you have to dance a round of Hands Up every time you want to change direction. Later in the game, when you’re better equipped, you could stop by one of those islands you couldn’t figure out earlier on, and figure out what to do with just one more trip around the border. Nothing pops up on your map to indicate that suddenly you’re able to access anything new, and your boat doesn’t  wonder whether the eastmost pillar on island A7 has met any nice hookshot targets lately. The game trusts that you can navigate the uses for your gear yourself, which I value. Fewer tutorials, more expectations.

Even the story serves the game’s hands-off attitude. Ocarina starts with Link going into the Deku Tree to purge it of some unspecified evil (What exactly does Gohma do in there, anyway?) before coming out to be told of his fate to kill a man he has never met before and become Hyrule’s savior. Link takes up the mantle in that game only because the gods who have not and will never make a proper appearance want him to do it. Meanwhile, Wind Waker opens with Link putting on the green tunic to make his grandmother happy for a day, right before his sister, who clearly adores him, gets kidnapped by a giant bird, and he teams up with pirates to sneak into a fortress and rescue her but instead gets bitch-slapped by Ganondorf, who turns out to own the place and the bird. In addition to being awesome because pirates kick ass, Link’s introduction to the man who wants him dead feels a lot more natural here, and Ganondorf doesn’t even come into the plot for real until the second half of the game. Link’s got a sister to save, and everything he’ll do to accomplish that goal will demonstrate him to be worthy of the Master Sword, which itself seems to prefer this organic sort of journey, seeing as the Link who set out to get the Master Sword from the beginning ended up locked in solitary confinement by the thing while it allowed the man it was created to kill to instead take over the world. Evidently the Master Sword is a strong, independent blade beholden to no one who can’t think for themselves, and anyone who disagrees can spend some quality time with the nice old man who loves to talk and talk and talk and talk.

The characters in Wind Waker feel more on the dynamic side than Ocarina’s. At first I was a bit surprised that i felt that way considering Ocarina had you view two very different versions of Hyrule, but Ocarina’s characters either don’t change in personality much between time periods or don’t make an appearance in one of the two at all. Talon’s still lazy in the future, the carpenters are still idiots, the Lake Hylia scientist is still mad, the Kokiri of course don’t change at all, you see none of the Zoras after their caves are frozen over, etc. Not to mention Ganondorf, who doesn’t get much beyond “evil Gerudo thief king who wants to take over the world because of reasons,” even if he gets a bit further than many movie/game villains and is able to demonstrate exactly what he’d do while in charge and why he’s so dangerous. Wind Waker, meanwhile, has even a fair few one-off characters with their own tiny arcs. Mila goes from stuck-up rich kid to poor as dirt and struggling to adapt, so out of her element that she resorts to stealing money from her new boss until Link catches her and helps her stay true to herself in the future. Maggie’s father starts out so desperate for Link to save his daughter that he will annoyingly stop you in your tracks every time he so much as glimpses you and repeat his pleas for help, but after Maggie is returned home and he strikes it rich through no deed of his own, he decides everyone else is beneath him and starts bitching at Link, the Rito postman, and anyone who thinks repeatedly boasting about your own fabulous wealth makes for poor dinner conversation. Even Ganondorf himself is given more than a simple desire to take over Hyrule this time around, as his belief that the rest of the kingdom deserves to suffer the way the Gerudo suffered in the desert is brought to light. 

Boo!

Part of the reason I liked the dungeons in Ocarina of Time so much is that they had a way of coming full circle at the end, or even a smaller full circle in the middle. You’d come across something at the beginning, go “Huh, that looks cool,” then move on. An hour later, BOOM, payoff, and likely in a way you didn’t even expect. The web serving as the floor in the Deku Tree and the blue stone head at the back of Dodongo’s Cavern come to mind. Plus, there were often open rooms that allowed you to get a handle on where everything else was relative to you, and gaze upon areas you’ll visit once you find the Hookshot or Hover Boots. Wind Waker’s dungeons are the antithesis of the rest of the game, they’re cramped and, for the first half of the game, overly linear. Dragon Roost never musters up much more challenge than “kill enemy in front of you, go through door in front of you, repeat,” a far cry from the wall-climbing around the first half of the Deku Tree. Re-hydrating the bombs to get into the place is arguably as clever as you get with it, which for me is the perfect representation of the amount of thought that went into everything surrounding the dungeons vs. the amount of thought that went into the dungeons. And aside from those spinning leaf wheels in Forbidden Woods that wouldn’t know what a wind was if they were fired for incompetence and forced to spend the rest of their lives at its mercy, this is best illustrated during the teamwork-based dungeons with Medli and Makar toward the end of the game .

Considering how often you have to switch between characters to set up a Mirror Shield reflect or to hit a switch or to plant a seed or because you got hit fucking once, it would’ve been nice not to have to do half the Macarena every time you want to switch to your companion’s viewpoint. It also would’ve been nice if the controls of your partners didn’t make me want to offer them to the Floormasters. That said, Medli wasn’t awful. Yes, her flight was a bit hard to direct, there was no way to halt her Link-bearing glide without throwing her, and the number of times you had to hop on the Wind Waker was a pain, but the irritation was diminished when lot of her roles involved standing still and shining light while you played as the character the game actually put work into handling. Plus, my wave of enthusiasm from the first moment I walked under a spotlight while carrying her and saw the light reflect lasted me quite a ways into the dungeon, so my memories of the Earth Temple are okay enough.

On the other hand, Makar. (I still call him Oaki, which should indicate how memorable Makar’s character is) When flying with Medli, all that was required was good aim when leaping off any ledge you were leaving, whether she was on her own or supporting Link. Makar has to fly in patterns more complex than straight lines, so naturally his controls are twice as stupid. You have to repeatedly press A to fly, speeding up or slowing down your button presses to increase or decrease the amount of lift as you go. Button mashing as a recurring mechanic, yay. Its imprecise nature becomes worse when the vertical nature of the dungeon’s biggest room has Makar rack up a ton of momentum from the amount of rising and falling he’ll be doing, leaving you struggling to adjust your frequency to keep up, with aerial endurance that makes you wonder how the Korok seed-spreading ritual has not led them to extinction by mass drowning. Fortunately, there’s a giant fan you can activate at the bottom of the room to blow yourself upward and kill any chance you have at forward progress. You’d think that being able to coast to the top of everything would be a good thing, but being in the fan’s range of “anywhere” causes Makar to eschew any direction that isn’t straight up (as his flight meter drains!), when running out of flight power has the same effect but downwards. If that wind catches you while you’re trying to cross the room, you’re left to watch as Makar is frozen in place while his energy drains to zero, wait for the fan to stop, fall several stories to the bottom of the room, and walk about two feet toward where you want to go before the fan activates again and restarts the cycle. And that’s assuming one of the many flying enemies doesn’t brush Makar and throw the camera back behind a Link who’s attempting to keep calm by doing the wave.

The combat took some getting used to. Ocarina’s combat was fine; it was easy to tell what you were in range to hit, and timing your swings properly could get shield-wielding enemies like Stalfos in a loop where continually accurate shots would finish them in seconds. In Wind Waker, Link’s attacks don’t reach quite as far as his sword would indicate; you’d think the gods would make sure their magical evil-smiting blade is most capable at the end that goes in the King of Evil, but I guess not. “Just The Tip” is a no-no with these monsters, so it’s either impale them in full or let them dominate you.

Meanwhile, you have two options for your targeting system, and they both suck. You either hold down L as long as you want to keep an enemy targeted, which before long will cause your left index finger to rebel against its draconian master, or press the button once to start targeting and press it again to target a different enemy, leaving you with no way to stop targeting the enemies and put an arrow in the switch. This wasn’t that big a deal in Ocarina, since Link had a wider vertical range with the bow and there were never many enemies hounding you  when there was another immediate objective to complete, but in Wind Waker, you can expect a rainbow of respawning Chu’s to ambush you around the clock. It sours a lot of dungeons and dungeon-themed areas for me. That’s why the Wind Waker experience was so surprising; the dungeons were a slog to get through and felt less like a collection of clever puzzle ideas suiting each region’s theme and more like an obligation to throw in because it’s Zelda, yet everything surrounding them felt engaging and intriguing enough to make me want to keep playing and find out what happened to everyone.

(Tower of the Gods was pretty cool, too.)

#legend of zelda #wind waker #zelda wind waker #link #zelda

[neoglows]

Kpop squad as Avatar: The Last Airbender

Also known as “My bitches as Avatar: The Last Airbender”.

If you haven’t seen it, it’s on Netflix, it’s amazing, go watch it or perish. If you have watched it, you’re perfect and I love you.

Okay, first things first. In the ATLA universe, the world is divided in 4 nations (fire, earth, air & water).

Some people are capable of “bending” one of the elements (controlling them). So there’s airbenders, waterbenders, earthbenders & firebenders.

One individual, the Avatar, is capable of bending all four elements and is responsible for maintaining harmony between the world's four nations.

There’s also people who can’t bend shit, which is the majority of people, but for the sake of our egos let’s pretend we would all be benders <3

Victoria

Earthbending

Earthbending, one of the four elemental bending arts, is the geokinetic ability to manipulate earth and rock in all their various forms.

The key to earthbending is utilizing neutral jing, which involves waiting and listening for the right moment to strike and, when that moment comes, acting decisively. In other words, earthbenders generally endure their enemies' attacks until the right opportunity to counterattack reveals itself.

Alternative skills

Kyoshi warrior fighting style. 

The Kyoshi Warriors are an order of female warriors named after Avatar Kyoshi, who founded them to protect her homeland, Kyoshi Island. Each village of the island had its own band of warriors.

Though their fighting style and clothing mimic those of Avatar Kyoshi, they seemingly did not implement any of the bending arts in their physical movements. They are clad in ornate, armored, green kimonos, metal headdresses, and white-faced makeup designed to intimidate opponents. The Kyoshi Warriors used metal fans as their main weapons like Avatar Kyoshi, but also implemented katanas and retractable shields.

Javi

Firebending

Firebending, one of the four elemental bending arts, is the pyrokinetic ability to control fire. It is unique among the bending arts, as it is the only one in which the performer can generate the element.

Fire is the element of power, consisting of overpowering force tempered by the unflinching will to accomplish tasks and desires. Firebending draws its power from the sun, and the first human firebenders derived their firebending techniques from the dragons.

Alternative skills

I think she would also have lightning generation skills.

Lightning generation is an advanced sub-skill within firebending that allows the user to produce lightning by separating the positive and negative energies internally, before directing it up through the arm and out the fingertips. The technique is extremely precise and deadly and is referred to by some as the "cold blooded fire".

Bárbara

Waterbending

Waterbending, one of the four elemental bending arts, is the hydrokinetic ability to control water in all of its various forms.

Water is the element of change. The moon is the source of power in waterbending, and the original waterbenders learned to bend by observing how the moon pushed and pulled the tides.  The fighting style of waterbending is mostly fluid and graceful, acting in concert with the environment.

Alternative skills

I think she would also have healing skills.

Healing is a sub-skill of waterbending that allows the bender to heal wounds; by using water as a catalyst, they can redirect energy paths around the body, concentrating more energy into a wounded area and allowing that area to heal at an accelerated rate

Nani

Airbending

Airbending, one of the four elemental bending arts, is the aerokinetic ability to control and manipulate air.

Air is the element of freedom. The Air Nomads detached themselves from worldly problems and concerns; finding peace and freedom was the key to solving their difficulties in life. Airbenders continually sought spiritual enlightenment, and, as a result, all children born into the Air Nomads were benders. The first airbenders learned their art from the flying bison.

Alternative skills

Chi blocking is an ancient technique that has been practiced in secret for centuries.Blocking someone's chi renders the victim's muscles useless and temporarily disables a bender's abilities. It is mainly used by nonbenders as a way of self-defense or even to attack.

Characters

Javi

Sokka

"That's all I got. It's pretty much my whole identity. Sokka, the meat and sarcasm guy." - katara’s brother

- he doesn’t have bending abilities but he’s the strategist of the group

- very sarcastic and very done with the bender’s shit, but still supportive

- always making bad puns, thinks he’s the funniest person in the world

- protects his loved ones to death 

- tragic love life

Vic

Zuko

"I used to think this scar marked me – the mark of the banished prince, cursed to chase the Avatar forever. But lately, I've realized I'm free to determine my own destiny, even if I'll never be free of my mark."

- the honor guy

- son of the fire lord, tried to be the bad guy in the 1st season but he was very bad at it

- seemed dark but actually he was just emo, having issues w his family and struggling with his identity

- kinda socially awkward but u can’t help but love him

- angsty, went trough a lot of emotional issues but it just provoked him to lash out and isolate himself bc he wouldn’t let himself be the emotional bitch he actually is

- turns out to be a huge softie, who asks random frogs for advice and just wants friendship & acceptance

Bárbara

The Cabbage Man

"My cabbages!"

Okay I’m kidding

Katara

"I will never, ever turn my back on people who need me!"

- the last waterbender of the southern water tribe, sokka’s sister

- squad mom, but she’s of a very protective nature in general and will literally aggresively fight for anyone she thinks deserves it even if it’s a fucking stranger she’s never seen before

- the term INTENSITA was created in her honor

- has a lot of love in her heart and wants to believe the best in people

- very compassionate, warm and caring but also powerful and kind of a badass

- lots of inner strenght & resilience

- not so good at making jokes or letting go of the past tho

Nani

Toph

“I am the greatest earthbender in the world! Don’t you two dunderheads ever forget it!”

- runnaway rich kid, blind earthbending master, literal fucking legend at the age of 12

- very stubborn and direct

- values her independence a lot and hates being treated like a weak little girl

- confrontational and a sarcastic little shit

- quite carefree and adventurous though

- shows affection trough teasing and/or hitting but she really does love and is there for her friends always

- loathes being told what to do & wearing shoes, loves uncle iroh so yes i relate to her stfu

Characters interactions

Vic & Javi

Javi & Bárbara

Nani & Vic

Vic & Bárbara

Nani & Javi

Bárbara & Nani

#pe enes as #ik its not pe enes anymore but i have everything on that tag lmaoooo #PLEASE WATCH THIS IF U HAVEN'T I WANT ALL OF US TO NERD OVER THIS TGT #kpop squad as

[miqotea]

On Lucem’s prejudices about the City-States: scraps from his journal

On Limsa Lominsa:

“I traveled to Limsa again this week in order to resolve an issue with the documents I requested from the Arcanist’s Guild. Once again I cannot help but wonder how people can live there...it’s to close to being barbaric. Roegadyns twice my size carrying axes so big I can only assume they plan on cutting the biggest oak in the Black Shroud; Seekers carring knifes even in their tails with those predatory eyes measuring every inch of you in unfriendly ways; drunks and thugs at every corners, boasting themselfs on their capability to steal and plunder, blood still dripping from their blades and clothes! A city-state built by pirates that choose their leader on some manner of race is already bad enough, but everything else makes Limsa simplly unbearable. Lucky for the rest of people who speak properly there are sanctuaries of peace, sun and seawater where you can just relax...just don’t invite pirates.”

On Ul’dah:

“I really love Ul’dah and its architecture, knowledge and history...it’s the people that I really abhor. My friend got called to deal with Ifrit (again) and I hopped in for some good old fame, money and the satisfaction of putting despair on the face of the Amall’ja. Facing the god of hellfire is scary, but have you tried to go through Pearl Lane? They will rob you of everything there (virginity included, though I am suspicious on that matter) and you won’t notice until you have to pa for your room at the quicksand. But Ul’dah is truly a place of equality...the rich rob as much as the poor, the backstabbing being roughly the same as well, and somehow, despite this constant fear for everything you owe, love and respect, the people from Thanalan will defend the city’s valued as sacrosanct....I suppose masochism is Indeed a choice.”

On Ishgard:

“Riddle me this, riddle me that:How do we call a people in Eorzea who devout themself to one god, proclaim they are the one and true god, kill and persecute everyone who disagrees with them and perform weird rituals with questionable morals in the name of their religion? If you answer Beast Tribes you would only be partially correct, since the Holy See of Ishgard is a thing. It’s beyond ridiculous that they adore the Fury wich such fervor and abhor any other gods...since she is par of a pantheon of twelve deities! Have they forgotten that Halone is daughter to Rhalghr? Companion of Oschon? Rival to Nophica? They have the second greatest library in Eorzea and at the same time it is incrediblt difficult to find accurate information, since the clergy determines what is true and what is not! You can say that the city is beautiful (it is), that their customs are elegant (they are) and that they are intelligent and excellent warriors and strategists (undeniable truth), but the fact remains that they are as barbaric as any tribe in Eorzea, after all, what is more civilized than throwing people off a cliff because thei may or may not have hear a dragon in any time or place in their life?”

On Ala Mhigo:

“What is there to say about Ala Mhigo, really? They were kings, they were warriors, they were the pinnacle of martial prowess...and they were defeated by themself in such a way that Garlemald did not have to actually use their armies to defeat them. It would be immoral to judge the city while it is occupated by the garleans, but its past sheds a lot of light on who they are, how they behave and why Eorzeans should be weary of them. For all the cries of freedom, liberty, sovereignty and liberation it is easy to forget that the poor old Ala Mhigo once had the same desires of Garlemald, wich reminds me again of the importance of history. The Autumn War was such a backstabbing move that I am sure a few monetarists were jealous of not thinking about that themselfs. Filled with arrogance they invaded the Black Shroud, forced Gridania’s hands into war and threw the real into chaos. Yet the invasion itself was not the whole putrid reason to abhor Ala Mhigo, the fact that they disrespected the Elementals, invaded their forest, tries to rob their Seedseer and wet the soil with blood would be enough for any person with common sense to look at it with disgust. They did not fear the greenwrath, they did not fear the Elementals, they raped the forest...and for what? Trade routes? Territory? Sending a message? All of those and more I would assume. Having killed Gridania’s champions, humiliated the Padjali, stolen the staff of the Elder Seedseer and mocking them about it they had the nerve to try to take the seedseers to Ala Mhigo! because, of course, hearing the forest while in those dry and barren lands is such a smart move. They were so evil that every other City-State had to join in helping Gridannia, EVEN ISHGARD! I take my hat off to the Ala Mhigans, distract the ishgardians from the Dragonsong war is really a feat for the songs. They were defeated (thank the twelve), and now, many years later, they beg for help to the same people they tried to conquer? I, as a Black Shroud citizen have many raised eyebrows to that. Are they truly worthy of help? Maybe we should go to war to stop the garleans from having that territory...but not much else.”

On Gridannia:

“Gridania has iit’s problems, it is true, but among all of its sisters in Eorzea the Forest nation is, undeniably, the most fair, balanced and truly (not about gold, of course) rich of the continent. There two problems with the city, the racism and the xenophobia (although that’s mostly the Elezen’s fault because they tend to be arrogant bastards, but I will not dwell on that). It is deplorable to observe how gridannians treat outsiders and even their own people, such as Keepers (been there myself) and the Duskwights (honestly, fuck the Wildwoods). But these problems needs be looked from another angle. Though her grace, the Elder Seedseer, is the ruler of Gridania we cannot forget that it is by the mercy of the Elementals that the Shroud is hospitable. Move a root away, pluck the wrong flower, bring down a sacred bush or piss in the clear waters of the rivers and the forest might just decide we are unworthy of being there and literally devour us all, or send a flood. How is possible to trust strangers when they don’t understand and respect this? Merchants try to take more that is necessary for them to sell, bandits and poachers scum hunt without regard, spies allow the garleans and their steel into the Sylphlands, and not mentioning Baelsar’s Wall itself. After centuries of trying to warn people to not do that only to receive mocking eyes and rude answers about the greenwrath being a fairy tale it is only natural that the people of the forest would find it easier to just repel them and start being more severe on discpline. In the end, Gridania has two choices: Xenophobia or Doom...the lesser of two evils seems obvious here. As for the racism, that would demand a long time of healing and cooperation to go away...mayhap we can dream about it.”

(Note: I know this is kind of condescending but please remember that those are Lucem’s views, not my ooc views :3)

#FFXIV #ffxiv rp #ffxiv roleplay #lucemferre #Ul'dah #Gridania #limsa lominsa #ishgard #miqo'te #elezen #roegadyn #ala mhigo