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morethansky · 29 days

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***TBB SPOILERS**

Realized I never wrote up my thoughts on "Into the Breach," which was the first episode I've liked since "Extraction"!!! Probably because all I could think about was Echo for 72 hours afterward.

This episode gave me such Rebels vibes, and that's truly the highest compliment I could pay any Star Wars media. I present my case:

There's an objective laid out from the start that is a small but crucial piece of the larger plot. The beginning of the episode presents this problem, and by the end of the episode, that specific problem solved.

Everyone is competent, and every character gets to do something vital to the mission. Whether it's a small thing doesn't matter; it's the fact that if that character wasn't there to do that small thing, the mission might be screwed that matters.

The action is meaningful—it conveys something about the characters while also driving the plot forward—and there's suspense that ratchets up the tension. And then to diffuse it, there's humor, and each joke is funny, but it's not overdone.

Infiltration episodes are such a Star Wars staple, and it's a real shame that TBB hasn't had more of them. They tried to make up for it by putting THREE infiltrations into this episode lmao. The fact that they show one long-term infiltration, one short-term infiltration, and one super short-term infiltration is very clever and makes the writing feel cohesive and dynamic, something this show hasn't always been able to achieve.

Also important, they do both a space/flight mission and a ground mission (two of each, technically), which is something that always helps make an episode feel like it's set in the GFFA and not just, you know *cough* Space!Louisiana. Or Tatooine scene #700.

There's also some nice storytelling going on with the environment—they go from being outside on the cloud city (free) to inside a space station (trapped with enemies), and for Omega, inside a cell (in which she actually enters another cell, visually—her bunk). The wide outdoor shots make the close, indoor shots feel much more claustrophobic, which is exactly the atmosphere these particular indoor settings should be giving off.

Other thoughts and meta:

Daytime Tantiss is a good sign! Forecast: Not death?

Prison Break Omega is just such a good vibe, and this would just be so fucking cool...except we've literally already seen her escape once this season??? And it was already really well done??? This is like the flip side of my complaint that Omega was too helpless in the first season, and it was annoying how she constantly needed to be rescued. Now she's too competent and is always escaping lol. It just really, really cheapens the dramatic effect either escape could've had.

Needless to say, the Batch's driving purpose once again being that they're struggling to rescue Omega is just. I'm tired. If there are going to be two major captures and two major escapes this season, at least one of them needs to be a narrative flip!!! The Batch rescuing her at the front end of the season and Omega escaping herself at the end, or vice versa, would've made it much less repetitive (and stopped cutting the Batch off at the knees in order to show Omega's competency). Omega even gets captured in the same fucking way—she gives herself up in "Plan 99" and "Point of No Return"! Ughhhhh

Okay I swear I actually like this episode lmao, I just. Editor instincts.

Thinking about how Omega left Lula on Pabu and has essentially left Straw!Lula to Eva, and how it shows that she's shed her need for comfort and is now ready to provide that comfort to other children, which is very lovely. But I'm also worried about Lula and Tech's goggles being on Pabu, because there are only three thematic options here: Everyone returns to them (sanctuary), everyone leaves them behind (leaving the past behind), or Omega returns to leave more items, say a bandana or a Firepuncher (memorial). The link between Lula and the goggles is actually not that natural (unless you're a Techwrecker shipper like me :D), so I've been pondering this choice a lot.

The symbolism of everything inside Tantiss being in the shape of the Empire cog and every character within its walls being a cog of the Empire is so heavy handed...and I am here for every moment of it!!!

Truly did not expect Rampart to stick around for so long. He's going to be a main character in the finale at this point?? I like how he's like a Kallus foil here—despite being scapegoated by the literal emperor he's still loyal to the regime and takes such pride in it. A very Jennifer Corbett & Brad Rau–esque character.

The way that when Echo came down the ramp I literally said, "Oh, thank god."

Hunter and Echo doing the clone hand clasp (and not wrist clasp, you'll note) isn't as emotional given that we already know how strong their bond is at this point, but it's still nice to see this visual callback to the Batch respecting Cody so much despite him being a reg that Hunter would use this hand clasp to greet him. It's a great shorthand (ha) for Hunter's feelings, since he is particularly suspicious of outsiders, and Echo is now fully "one of his."

I really love the mirror of the scene when the Batch is in the cell on Kamino and they escape by breaking into the wall—Omega effectively does the same thing here. These are the satisfying kinds of repetition, rather than entire arcs!

Every time I think about the Tech-is-the-mustachioed-doctor theory I giggle. It would just be. So anticlimactic?? But absolutely hilarious.

The costume change is so unnecessary, buuut I'll be first in line to buy the variant figures! Also it's nice to see some canon clone armor painting after writing and reading so many fics about it!!

I really like Hunter sensing Rampart plotting and how it brings his powers even closer to Jedi precognition.

Not too much Crosshunt in this ep, but I like how in both shuttle scenes, Crosshair stands in a position that blocks Rampart from getting to Hunter in the cockpit (while Wrecker blocks Rampart from getting to the exit).

Not particularly significant, but I like the visual detail of Hunter, Echo, and Crosshair bracketing Rampart in a triangle and it looking like they're his bodyguards but them actually forming that position because he's their prisoner.

The way I screamed when Rampart tries to get Echo to say "sir" and he just says, "I don't think so." Echo did not go through everything he's gone through up to this point to take anyone's shit!!! And the way Rampart just takes it and looks down all ashamed is peak comedy to me. Even he sensed that he was treading on dangerous ground there. (Just for a second think about Fives on Umbara and how he refused to take Krell's shit from the very start...)

The commandos being on this space station (that's orbiting Coruscant??) makes me very sad because it kind of foreshadows a dark ending for the Tantiss arc by showing that the commandos are spread all over the galaxy. So even if they rescue all the commandos from Tantiss, it still wouldn't save all the others. In which case, writing wise, it feels way more unlikely for them to save the commandos on Tantiss at all.

Wrecker tapping his foot while scrolling through the comments on his AO3 account is very cute. Also in the last episode the mining foreman was on his datapad like a phone and I thought it was supposed to convey that he was lazy lol but maybe this sort of thing is just going to show up in SW a lot more now haha

The lieutenant demanding to know where the captain is is kind of silly because wasn't he the one to let him go inside?? Why would he be back at his ship? But I love me the Rebels-esque gag of knocking him out on the ship.

Everyone is screaming about Crosshair having faith in Echo getting them through, but I would also like to contribute the fact that Crosshair says, "You can't go alone." A very poetic line of dialogue because being alone in the Techno Union is what the Batch saved Echo from being, and it's what Crosshair chose to be for two and a half seasons of this show. Not wanting to be alone again was also what made him turn against the Empire! We also see this anxiety in the previous episode, where he (in that very ridiculous reveal) admits he doesn't want to go back to Tantiss (and be alone again).

ECHOOOOOO!!!! About fucking time they gave him another action feature!!! I rewatch that opening sequence in "Tipping Point" constantly. And not only that, it's a very character-driven action feature for once!!! We see him showcase what it means to be an ARC trooper and also what it means that he's "part-droid." A test I like to consider when I gauge the quality of action-ensemble media is, Could any other character have done that? In this case, the text is very loudly telling us absolutely not! Also the way he exudes confidence about it ("But I can") is also just. Super hot, 10/10

Tbh the Echo feature felt so out of place for this show that at this point I was suddenly filled with terror that he was about to die. Thank god he did not, but he's still separated from the others by the end, so it's not out of the question for something terrible to happen in hyperspace, and I do not want it!!! But altogether that was a badass third act and a very good episode!

#the bad batch spoilers #tbb spoilers #the bad batch #star wars #amph talks

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writer-sedai · 7 months

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I've been thinking about how Rand's relationships might be handled in season 3 of the show, since there are already several big differences in how various relationships have been portrayed/set up as of the end of season 2 compared to where things are at the beginning of The Shadow Rising:

1. Rand and Egwene: in the books, their relationship is definitely portrayed as more of a puppy-love, "we'll marry each other because it's what's been expected our whole lives and not because it's what we actually want" sort of situation. By aging up the Emonds Fielders, the show also matured their relationship into something that was, as of s1e1, more romantic than their book relationship ever was.

It's true that Rand and Egwene already broke up in that first episode and never REALLY got back together, but it's clear throughout season 2 that Rand still loves Egwene (she's the one he's trying to forget with Selene! When given the opportunity to visit anyone in the world, she's the one he chooses!) and Egwene, if not for the fact that she believed him dead, would still love him too (given the state of their relationship at the end of season 1, when they reconciled).

The original reason they broke up was because Egwene was going to become a Wisdom - a position that meant she couldn't have a family - and a family was all Rand really wanted. Their futures were incompatible. Now, neither of them is going to have the future they imagined a year ago - a family is completely out of the question for Rand (poor boy) and Egwene is set to become an Aes Sedai, with a lot more freedom to choose other aspects of her life.

Likely, their futures are still incompatible. But I think they need to figure out why that is again before they can break up as amicably as they did in the books - especially if they end up traveling the waste together.

2. Missing connections: Egwene never met Gawyn or Galad in the Tower to develop a crush on one or both of them. Elayne did not meet Rand before going to the Tower in order to discuss her feelings for him with Egwene. Min is out of the equation completely at this point. And Egwene and Elayne never met Aviendha in order to form a friendship with her. The timing needed to set various pieces into place before all the groups split up again is missing.

Now, I think a time jump at the beginning of season 3 could fill in a lot of the gaps here if it's handled well. But I can't see Elayne/Egwene coming to the same agreement re: Rand as they do in the books unless Egwene is sufficiently over Rand.

Which brings me to:

3. Everyone's older and more mature: the scene where Egwene breaks up with Rand and then leaves Elayne to pick up the pieces is, tbh, one of the cringiest in the series. (Actually, TSR is one of my fave books overall but the first hundred or so pages do feel very immature). I caaaaaan't see this scene playing out in the show the way it does in the books.

And even with the romantic meet-cute between Rand and Elayne in 2x08, I don't know if they'll introduce the idea of them as a pairing yet both because of time constraints before they get thrown into different storylines, and because...

4. Rand hasn't been taught about polyamory yet! In the books, I think he's already having dreams about multiple women and feeling guilty about it by this point. Similar to the time constraints in point 2, Rand hasn't had time to get used to the idea of having feelings for multiple people (even if he takes a very long time to actually be COMFORTABLE with that idea).

The audience has been introduced to polyamory through Alanna and her warders, prepping us for a similar type of relationship with Rand in the future, but Rand himself is missing that conditioning. I don't know that the show will have Rand going from Egwene to Elayne over the space of one or two episodes (I doubt they'll spend more time than that together) and then ALSO try to build up him and Avi this season.

Which kind of ties in to my final point, which is:

5. Writing relationships for seasonal television: it makes sense from a writing perspective to work on relationships between characters that are in the same place together, and save everything else for later. The time between seasons is long and each season needs to act as a self-contained arc, so setting up Rand/Elayne only to not pick up that thread again for another season or two is not very time conscientious.

Imo they've already done something like this with Min; Rand met her in s1 but now likely won't see her again until S4. As far as we know Rand has absolutely no romantic feelings for Min based on their encounters in Fal Dara and likely won't develop those feelings until they meet again. (Min herself might feel differently, but she always knew she was Prophecied to fall in love with Rand anyway and could be dealing with that knowledge in the background.)

___________

Anyway, all of that is a prelude to the following preposition:

Keep Rand and Egwene together (or semi-together, uncertain of their actual status) for the first part of season 3.

Leave Rand/Elayne as a slowburn for a future season and instead have Aviendha come in as a new love interest for him. Instead of Aviendha aggressively reminding Rand how beautiful Elayne is while feeling angry and hopeless over her own feelings for him, transfer that over to Egwene - Aviendha and Egwene have become good friends, Egwene's feelings for Rand are still ambiguous, Aviendha is angry at herself that she would fall for someone who "belongs" to one of her closest friends.

Egwene can still give Aviendha the necklace that Rand spends so much time thinking about. Aviendha (or the Aiel in general) can introduce Rand to the concept of polyamory. When Rand and Egwene do finally break up amicably, Egwene can make it clear to Aviendha that Rand no longer belongs to her.

Everything else from TSR, including Flesh Balloons and Sex Igloo, can proceed as written.

Thoughts?

#wheel of time #wot on prime #wot book spoilers #listen i am first and foremost a Randgwene truther #not necessarily romantically but in the sense that i like to squish them together #and spin them around in my head like they're in a washing machine #i need them to not “i think of you like a sibling” their way out of this one #rand al'thor #egwene al'vere #wot spec

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utilitycaster · 3 months

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you got me. i binged all of midst in two days and it was great, but now i dont have a lot of other podcasts to listen to. do you have other good fiction podcasts you like?

DO I. I am not the Most Podcast Person I know but I definitely follow a lot because I drive a lot and walk a lot and put them on in the background while I do chores. Also, I'm sticking to scripted/plotted fiction here and not actual play but I can provide some actual play podcast recs too, though none are terribly obscure.

Wolf 359 is a completed podcast but a great binge. It also is science fiction and deals with capitalism and corruption and complicated characters and weird space stuff; it regularly makes the "great fiction podcasts" to check out and I think is closest to Midst in that it's also a tightly plotted work that goes to a natural end point.

I frequently talk about and recommend the Silt Verses and the thematic nature is remarkably close to Midst, but the vibe is very different. It has a lot of folk and body horror elements (audio-only, but they are absolutely present). Also covers the "man what if capitalism and religion were working explicitly in tandem" element of Midst with the added dimension of "what if there were many many gods and and they all demanded literal, physical sacrifices". Sister Carpenter is cut from a similar cloth as Lark and I love her dearly. To draw other comparisons would be to spoil it. It's on season 3, which will be its last. It is extremely intense in that when I fell behind I found it tough to binge without taking breaks, but it's really fucking good. (I also recommend this to people who like Candela Obscura, though that's more for eldritch horror vibes).

The Penumbra Podcast is great because it has two separate storylines (it was originally intended to be an anthology, but people fell in love with Juno Steel specifically). I like both, but Juno Steel is the more popular one - it's set in the future, in our solar system but in space, and follows Juno Steel, a private eye. It's extremely weird neo-noir. There is a homme fatale and a fantastic cast of characters, and it's also an interesting ongoing plot. The Second Citadel is more fantasy rather than sf though it's also kind of in that general New Weird bucket and is even harder to describe but I think it's underrated. It's also on its final season but it's been going on a while so it will take a bit for you to catch up.

Within the Wires is also a podcast I've recommended in the past. It's by the people who do Welcome to Nightvale which isn't listed here both because I assume you are aware of it, and because that's an ongoing slice of life sort of thing; there are plots but there's sort of that sitcom-esque "nothing really changes the status quo" element though the earlier era had some more structured stuff. Anyway, Within the Wires is found audio, so each season is different - the first is relaxation cassette tapes, the second museum audio guides, the third voice memos, etc. There are callbacks/connections between seasons at times, and I would recommend listening to at least the first two seasons in full (which are very strong) to get a sense of the world before hopping around later. The reason I recommend it here is because the worldbuilding is spectacularly done in a way that reminds me of the elegance of the worldbuilding in Midst, and because it's found audio, while it's one narrator per season you will get those weird asides and interesting tonal choices.

Tentative rec for Camlann, a roughly modern day post-apocalyptic take on Arthurian legends and the folklore of the British Isles only because it just started and has 3 episodes. I like it, but I don't know what plot it's building to (nor how long it will be; they have funding for one season but aren't sure about future ones.)

#answered #Anonymous

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ignoremeimnothere · 10 months

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Hiiii

Can you please write a pedro×reader?

They are fighting really hard on something and suddenly pedeo grabs and kisses her?

The Way He Loves

Hey Anon, thank you VERY much for the request. I tried and failed lolz. I am so sorry I gave you mere crumbs when you deserve the whole cake, this ended as a hot MESS. Completely not read through, probably containing horrible incorrect Spanish (feel free to correct me) and not at all what was intended but it IS sad girl hours. But for the sake of things let's add this to the ‘hopefully I’ll revisit this and improve it’ file. Requests will always be open! Operation keep writing until I become adequate resumes! (Also if you have noticed I'm reposting this a day later it's because I forgot to post it as an answer because I am a moron.

‘Well leave then’

Pedro rolls his eyes keeping his posture leant against the bedroom door frame. You were having one of your episodes where you tried to push him away because he was getting too close. See Pedro was from a family that learned how important it was to talk and be open. You were not. Bottling emotions and resisting vulnerability was how yours functioned.

It had been a long process to get to this point with Pedro. He basically lived with you, you had admitted that you were both in a relationship and you had allowed him to meet one of your closest friends. Pedro wanted more and he worked hard for it. Normally he could judge it perfectly, getting you to reveal another piece to your puzzle. But sometimes he stood on the landmine and your fight or flight kicked him right in the teeth.

He calls your name trying to snap you from your thoughts.

‘No go on, I don’t want you here, can you please leave me alone, thanks.’

You walk to the doorway slinking past him while his hand reaches for your arm, you yank your arm away making your way to the front door. Pedro runs his hand through his hair, he knew you acted like this because your heart hung heavy with pain. In the pieces you were gradually giving him he could see how much you cared and how badly you loved him. It took him some getting used to realising you said ‘I love you’ by making him his morning coffee, by sending him random songs you thought he would like and by always saving him half of whatever treat you got.

He follows you, keeping a close eye on your emotions, you were on the cusp of working yourself up too far. You turned to see if he had met you once you were at the door. Looking him in the eye would have caused the tears brimming to fly down your cheeks, so you avoided his body, looking instead for how much distance was between your legs. He was close by so you reached for the handle and held it open for him.

He calls your name again. You point your finger to outside not realising you were beginning to tremble, struggling to contain the devastation leaking out. You cleared your throat getting ready to give him a final command but before you can open your mouth Pedro grabs your arm. Your bodies slam into each other from Pedro throwing himself to you and gripping you into his arms.

The dam breaks and you let it go. This whole ordeal you had started purely to avoid this. You were supposed to crumble to pieces alone, not in the arms of someone who clung onto you so tightly, trying to keep you together, someone who loved you.

‘I’ve got you,’ He whispered into your ears. His own beginning to fall on you. ‘I’ve got you bebita’.

He feels you look up for him, creating space he reveals your face, grabbing it and crashing his lips into yours. Once, twice, repeatedly until his message is received. He brings you back down to earth, back into your safe home, in the arms of the person who you also find yourself able to be homesick for. Despite you hating yourself for behaving this way, Pedro continued to console you, reminding you that it was another step towards being where you deserved to and wanted to be.

You loved him so much, this man who was so used to love. Accustomed to telling his loved ones that he did love them accompanied with a tight hug had taken the time to adjust to you. Sometimes he couldn’t help himself and would have to squeeze you and tell you in the most obvious way he knew how. But slowly and surely he started speaking your language, he learned to tell you he loved you by holding your jaw when you kissed, by learning to cook your favourite food, by never complaining or rushing you when you allowed yourself to explore a shop that sold your favourite random things. Pedro also developed the habit of sneaking declarations of his love in between your conversations, sometimes completely out of the blue.

He made sure not to reveal his tricks when your little spanish lessons commenced, confessing Te quiero con toda mi alma, Fuiste, eres y siempre serás, mi más bonita casualidad and Mi corazón palpita como una patata frita. He relished in your inability to refute them.

#pedro pascal drabble #pedro pascal #requests open #pedro pascal x reader #pedro pascal imagine #pedro pascal headcanon #pedro pascal angst

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queseraone · 4 months

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Because I'm a rascal, but also because I really enjoyed the last round of questions: your favorite Chenford *scene* from each season. Only one scene (plus one honorable mention) allowed per season!

Rascal seems like a bit of an understatement!!! The way my brain broke reading this...

This was an interesting exercise. Some were super easy to answer, and some I stewed over for a long time... and I surprised myself with some of my picks actually!

Season 1 This was tricky, but I have to give it to the between-the-wall heart-to-heart in 1x20. The vulnerability is just next level, and this scene is iconic for a reason. I'd argue that this is the first time we can say with absolute certainty that their relationship is more than just TO and rookie.

Season 1 Honorable Mention: The scene in the shop outside Isabel's apartment in 1x03. It's the first time we see Lucy breaking down Tim's walls. She really shows her empathy here, and he responds with a vulnerability he hasn't allowed with anyone else. They've only been riding together for a few weeks (?) and somehow Lucy knows what he needs, gives him that safe space and a compassion he clearly hasn't seen in a long. time. It's a beautiful showcase of their dynamic together, but also reveals so much about them as individuals.

Season 2 Oh god, oh god, oh god. This is hands-down the hardest season to choose in, because it's my favourite one, and it's home to some of the most iconic scenes. In the end, I had to go with their exchange in the gym at the end of 2x12. In general this episode is one of my favourites, but this scene is so powerful. We see Lucy working through things, taking out her frustration, trying to channel her strength, to get back to herself. And somehow in that moment, Tim manages to make her smile. He opens up to her in a way we've never seen him do before, and most of all, he reminds her how strong she is. UGH, this scene makes me scream in the best possible way.

Season 2 Honorable Mention: Now that I've picked a favourite, second place is easy—their conversation in 2x17. I've always loved it so much, because between the teasing and the banter, we see this beautiful vulnerability as they talk about the Caleb of it all. It's truly a perfect showcase of their dynamic and everything I love about them. Shit, maybe this is my favourite season 2 scene? AHHHHH IDK

Season 3 I have to go with this scene from the end of 3x09. Hello, excuse me Timothy do you see how you're looking at her????? Also the fact that he dismissed Lucy's comments about missing riding with her earlier in their shift, meanwhile he had already specifically written just that??? AGJLAERGJALGJRLA It's becoming quite clear that my favourite scenes are the ones that I feel most embody their dynamic, and this is no exception—the perfect mix of playful and soft.

Season 3 Honorable Mention: At the wedding venue in 3x14, duh. THE TUX. THE GREEN DRESS. "Save me a dance." HELP HELP HELP *faints*

Season 4 This was was actually pretty easy for me, it's 4x01, the scene at Tim's house. The fact that Tim not only invited her into his space, he practically insisted. Seeing Lucy wearing his clothes, seeing them together, not just outside of work, but in a very intimate space (at a very vulnerable time)???? That hug?? (That look??!?!) THAT HUG?!?!?!! The way Lucy just melts into him is the visualization of what we'd known for so long—that he's her safe space. (And she's his.) UGH, my heart. The entire exchange just felt so damn hopeful, like one of the first real hints that there was something more bubbling under the surface.

Season 4 Honorable Mention: While that kiss in 4x22 was so exciting, I have to give it to the scene outside the hospice. The vulnerability we see between them here, seeing Lucy be Tim's safe space—it's such an incredible parallel to 4x01.

Season 5 HANDS HANDS HANDS. This one was also an easy pick, because I think this is my favourite moment EVERRRRRRRRRRR. The way any trace of Jake/Dim vanishes in that moment, and all we're left with is Tim and his visceral need to check in with Lucy, to be that grounding force for her, to remind her that she's here, she's safe, and she's strong. It's just everything.

Season 5 Honorable Mention: While my #1 scene in this season is easy, it's incredibly hard to pick just one honorable mention. I waffled between the super hot kiss on the plane in 5x01, and the vulnerability in their exchanges in 5x21, and so many other great options... But I think I'd have to say that cold open in 5x10 when we see them getting ready for their date—that whole thing just perfectly embodies everything I love about them. The teasing, the banter, the comfort level between them, the best friend energy, how damn happy they are. It's just so fun and so them and makes me giddy every time I watch it.

I can't wait to see which scene will top my list for season 6... as of now it's obviously this one (I just want to watch this again, so here you go!)

#chenford #the rookie #asked and answered #makeitastrength #chenford opinions #these questions are so much fun #keep 'em coming!

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finelinevogue · 2 years

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the angst series...

part three

Gwen and Aria’s POV:

“I don’t know whether i’m mentally stable enough to watch todays episode, you know?” Aria questioned, sitting down with a coffee to keep her as wide awake as possible.

“Ari, you’re never mentally stable enough.” Gwen replied.

“True, but we are going to find out whether Harry and Y/N recouple today.”

“I feel sick. I need to understand them both, though, before I forgive and forget. Yo—”

“Shut up it’s starting.” Aria hit Gwen to be quiet, both settling down as the credits rolled.

The lights were switched on in the bedroom and everyone immediately put their sunglasses on so it didn’t blind them as bad.

Before Y/N could put on their sunglasses it was evident that they had been crying, due to the puffy eyes and the dark under-eye circles.

“This is going to be a hard day for Y/N.” Gwen said sadly.

“Don’t jinx it.”

Y/N remained laying underneath the covers as everyone else began stretching and getting out of bed for the beginning of the day.

Harry was filmed waking up next to Davide and he too had puffy eyes, with red circles under his eyes from rubbing too hard. He put his sunglasses on too, not because it was bright but because he didn’t want anyone asking questions right now.

“Good nights rest?” Davide asked Harry.

“Not really man, no.” Harry ran a stressed hand through his hair, sighing a small sigh because of how little energy he had left in him.

“We’ve all had better days, man, and we all have better days ahead of us too.” Davide said whilst he stretched to get out of bed.

“Alright. Steady on Davistotle.” Aria joked, making Gwen laugh.

“Ah, Davide. Legend.”

Harry got out of bed too and wandered into the main bedroom, so he could get to the bathroom. It was going to be a long day, he could feel it, but he also wasn’t giving up so easily.

He would find a way back to Y/N, just like he promised a week ago when Y/N was nearly coupled up with Davide. Harry was not the kind of man to break his promises and he definitely wasn’t going to give up on Y/N like they meant nothing to him. What Harry and Y/N have between them and Harry’s job of the day was to relight that spark and remind them both of why there was no one else, in this world, but them.

Antigoni was filmed getting into bed beside Y/N, who still hadn’t moved. She got underneath the covers and faced Y/N so they were nose to nose, wanting to speak to her best friend and understand what was wrong.

She knew Y/N had the tendency to shut everyone out when they were afraid of their own feelings, but that couldn’t happen in here because she would just get walked all over and Y/N deserved more than that.

Antigoni moved the sunglasses off Y/Ns eyes briefly, confirming what she thought about Y/N crying. Antigoni put the glasses back out of respect and kept close to Y/N.

“You deserve better than this.” Antigoni started by saying.

“I’m not so sure.”

“How so?”

“I-I broke up with Harry last night. I e-ended it a-and i’ve successfully pushed the one person that mattered the most away from me.”

“And why did you do that, hm?”

“Because he wouldn’t listen to me when I explained that I didn’t want space. And I-I knew that space would probably make us grow apart and we’d probably grow to hate each other and we’d probably end up breaking it off anyways.” Y/N huffed.

“Babe, Y/N. You know I love you right?” Antigoni asked and Y/N nodded in response. “But you are an absolute cretin.”

“Hahaha.” Aria laughed out loud.

“Yes Queen Antigoni.” Gwen laughed too.

“Wha—”

“You broke up with the one guy who was finally treating you right, because of some hypothetical bullshit that you know, somewhere deep down, would never have happened. Because that man loves you, Y/N, he really fucking does. No, shut up, I’m speaking. He wanted to give you space because you were both moving like Millennium Falcon hyper-speed fast, but did you ever stop to think maybe he had a reason for that? Other than the crappy one he gave you originally?”

“Damn. She told them straight.” Gwen sat back in awe over Antigoni and wondering whether she would ever find her on Tinder.

Y/N stayed silent for a moment, before rolling onto her back and pushing the sunglasses off their head. Y/N looked back to Antigoni, who had her eyebrows raised at them.

“Oh fuck.” Y/N finally said.

“Yeah, oh fuck.” Antigoni smiled, thankful that she’d gotten through to Y/N finally.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck.” Y/N continued, pushing the duvet back and sitting up straight.

“What are you doing?” Antigoni asked, wanting to know their plan before it was executed.

“I’m going to stop saying fuck over and over again and I’m going to fix my cretin self and my bullshit problems.”

Y/N INTERVIEW:

“I’m fed up with moping around, I’m better than that. I’ve been an idiot and will continue to be unless I fix this tension between Harry and I. I’m determined to fix it.”

“That smile of Y/Ns actually looked genuine for once.” Gwen said happily.

“Let’s not forget about what we saw in the preview yesterday though.” Aria reminded Gwen.

“Hey, don’t shit on the parade just yet.”

•••••••

There was a group of people in the kitchen, making breakfast and chatting.

Y/N was filmed making a coffee - black.

PAIGE INTERVIEW:

“I noticed Y/N making a black coffee this morning, even though she can’t stand the taste of them.”

Aria and Gwen questioned where this could be going, before it clicked and they started squealing.

Harry was the only one in the bedroom upstairs getting changed after breakfast to go and do his morning workout.

Y/N was filmed walking up the stairs and tripped once, accidentally, standing still for a moment to let the dizziness pass. They had been feeling this way since last night.

As Y/N walked into the bedrooms Harry was there spraying deodorant under his armpits. Y/N had to blush and look down at their feet to keep Harry from seeing her cheeks. Y/N walked over to Harry and handed him the portable coffee cup with the napkin.

“What’s this for?” Harry asked, trying not to breathe in that heavenly scent of shampoo Y/N uses otherwise he wouldn’t be able to contain himself maturely.

“Uh, well, I know you only like a black coffee in the mornings and for some reason refuse to now drink them unless I make them. So… yeah, also, um, maybe it’s a peace offering?”

Harry nodded, looking at the coffee and then back to Y/N.

“Okay. Thanks.” Was all he said, but that’s all Y/N was expecting him to say.

Y/N wasn’t very good at opening up their emotions and Harry knew that, so for her to come and deliver a coffee, just the way he likes it, after what happened last night felt like a very big deal.

Harry was proud of Y/N, in fact.

Y/N smiled politely and walked in the general direction of the door again.

“Your not grafting, are you?” Harry had to ask.

“I just broke up with you last night, Harry.” Y/N said.

“Y’don’t have to remind me.” Harry mumbled under his breathe.

“It’s just a coffee, okay?”

“No. Not okay.”

“What is bothering you?” Y/N asked, ever so stupidly.

“What’s bothering me is that you broke up with me last night, after two days of officially being together, and now you’re bringing me coffee as if none of that ever happened?” Harry exclaimed.

“Just take the fucking coffee Sir.” Gwen shouted at the TV screen.

“Jesus.” Aria looked at Gwen with concern over her outburst.

“Sorry. It’s just, I don’t like it when my parents fight.”

“I’m bothered, because I seem to be more affected by this than you are. You don’t seem upset in the slightest?” Harry said loudly and Y/N was thankful that everyone was outside already.

“Not upset in the sligh— Harry I didn’t go to sleep last night because I was so fucking angry and upset. I was pissed off with you for pushing me away with this goddamn space bullshit and then I was upset for having to break my, and your, heart like I did.”

Y/N stepped towards Harry and pointed at him angrily whilst they told him what was what.

Gwen and Aria couldn’t help but both grin at their screen because even though they were shouting at each other, it seemed beneficial to both of them to just let it all out.

“Then why did you do it?”

“Because you wanted space, because I was too clingy and needy!” Y/N flapped their arms at their sides.

“Hang on. I never said that to you. Not once.” Harry argued back.

“Tanya told me,” Y/N caught Harry rolling his eyes and sighing loudly as soon as the word ‘Tanya’ left their lips, “that you broke up with her because she was too needy and clingy. I couldn’t help but think you were pushing me away for the same reasons. O-or that you were trying to let me down gently so that when you broke up with me y—”

“Broke up with you?” Harry interjected.

“Well what else was I supposed to think when you’re pushing me away?” Y/N shouted and stepped closer again, Harry put down his coffee so he could flail his arms around too as if it would define his message.

“You’re supposed to trust me.” Harry breathed heavily and Y/Ns chest was rising rapidly too. With so much tension in the air you could bite it and leave teeth marks in the air. “You’re a fucking idiot for listening to what Tanya had to say.”

“Why?”

“Because I broke up with her because she cheated on me with my best-friend. So I’m sorry for pushing you away, slightly, because I was protecting my own heart. I’m sorry for pushing you away so we could slow down our pace so we don’t end up rushing anything. I’m sorry—”

“I get it! I fucked up!” Y/N shouted and then took a deep breathe so her next words came out quiet and calm, “And I’ll regret my choice every day now, but it’s what I deserve. A-and I’m okay if you hate me and don’t want me to bring you coffees and—”

“Just shut up, alright?” Harry quickly said and ran his hand over his jaw tightly. “Yeah, you fucked up, but so did I. I should’ve communicated better. I should’ve looked out for you more. Yes it was your choice - a stupid fucking choice - but it’s not what you deserve. You deserve a good kind of love, Y/N/N.”

“Doesn’t help my situation that I fell in love with you.” Y/N admitted.

“AAGKHSFGF.” Gwen stood up from her chair.

Aria spilt coffee down her white shirt whilst she sat up in panic. Both girls remained quiet as their favourite couple kept on talking things through.

Harry chuckled lightly and stepped forwards to stroke some strands of hair off and away from Y/Ns forehead. Y/N warmly smiled at the touch, reminiscing all the moments that had felt like this one.

“What?” Y/N asked, whilst he was still smiling. “I just told you I’m in love with you and you’re laughing? You could just as easily tell me you don’t fee the same way, instead of laug—”

Harry cut Y/N off by grabbing their cheeks and bringing their lips together. Harry pushed all of his heart into the kiss, trying to hold back the tears from falling because he hated how much he had missed these lush and soft lips of Y/Ns.

Y/N didn’t register at first, but quickly found their movement and pushed themselves further into Harry so their lips would tangle deeper and deeper. Y/N reached to scrunch the back of Harry’s hair like they knew he liked and he hummed in delight at how good it felt to feel that again.

They titled their heads to the side, moving their lips in sync and not breaking apart for even a single breathe. They would’ve carried on all day, but Y/N had questions and also had made themselves dizzy from so much kissing.

“You going to explain?” Y/N kicked their lips, tasting Harry’s minty toothpaste on them.

Their faces stayed close together and Harry’s hand on Y/Ns lower back kept her exactly where he wanted.

“You love me too.” Harry whispered, slightly in awe of you in this moment.

“Too? D-does that mean, um, that y-you love me?” Y/N stumbled of their words, waiting for her brain to catch up with what was happening right now. Harry kissed away the crease lines between her furrowed eyesbrows, before putting his hands under her ass to hoist them up and around his waist. “Woah!”

“Sorry? Was I not clear enough for you? Yes, of course I fucking love you. You’re an absolute pain in my arse, but I wouldn’t wish on the last shooting star to be with anyone else.”

Y/N’s face was a little higher than Harry’s now and this is exactly how Harry felt all the time. Y/N being his angel from above, sent down to do one thing and that was to love him always. He could cry that at long last he had gotten her to admit that.

“Are y’glad I brought you that coffee now?”

“Just shut up, you, and come kiss me.” Harry chuckled, bringing in Y/Ns face to plant his lips back home.

Y/N INTERVIEW:

Laughing to herself before speaking, “Ahhh. What a day.”

HARRY INTERVIEW:

“Honestly, I can’t stop smiling.”

•••••••••

Y/N and Harry were filmed walking outside and Y/N turned to head for the sun beds whilst Harry headed for the gym.

Antigoni lowered her sunglasses as she watched Y/N approach with a shit-eating grin on their face. Paige sat up too when Antigoni tapped her leg. Antigoni had asked Y/N whether she could tell Paige what was happening, because Paige really cared for Y/N too and deserved to be kept in the loop. So she did.

“Tell us everything. No detail spared.” Paige laughed as Y/N giddily joined them both, sitting on Paige’s sun bed with her.

“What happened up there? You were gone for ages?” Antigoni stressed.

“We kissed?” Y/N said, shrugging their shoulders like it was no big deal.

“Shut. Up.” Paige said, grabbing one of Y/N’s hands to squeeze out the excitement like a lemon being juiced.

“Same girl.” Aria said.

“Are you serious?” Antigoni asked, taking Y/Ns other hand.

“And we told each other we love each other.” Y/N grinned, before biting their lip to hold back a squeal.

“What?!” Paige exclaimed, covering her mouth afterwards with her free hand because she had drawn attention. Y/N looked over to where Harry was in the gym and caught him looking their way, smiling brightly as if Y/N was the sun herself.

“Did you guys talk?” Antigoni asked, knowing that was the most important bit.

“Talked? More like screamed and shouted.” Y/N laughed and the two girls squealed in excitement for Y/N.

“I knew you two wouldn’t last a day without each other.” Antigoni reassured Y/N. “I was worried though.”

“No. We’re really good now. If anything, I think it’s made us stronger.”

“I want to deep fry my heart because I because will never experience love like this.” Gwen sighed dramatically.

“I’ll marry you if no one else will.” Aria said quickly. Perhaps… a little too quickly.

“I know.” Gwen smiled.

“So.. are you like boyfriend and girlfriend?” Paige asked.

“No. No, we talked and decided that we’re going to take it slow again. We’re going to treat this like it would be a relationship in the outside world, y’know? Because we aren’t worried about being torn apart like that anymore. We love each other and I couldn’t wish for anything more.”

“But babes, normal people say they love each other after they’re officially together?” Antigoni said.

“I know, I know. We’re just not fussed with labels for now. They’re too much pressure. Plus Harry wants to ask me at the top of the Eiffel Tower with a bunch of sunflowers and a box of crappy chocolates.” Y/N said and they all cooed over Harry.

“That’s so specific.”

“It’s because he wants to be that extra boyfriend who has a good story to tell to his kids when he’s older.” Y/N rolled their eyes.

“You’ve already got a good story.” Antigoni squeezed Y/Ns hand and Y/N tucked their head onto their shoulder to hide from blushing.

“I know.”

“Oh my God. I hope they accept my adoption papers when they leave the villa.” Gwen said and Aria knew that wasn’t a joke.

“Gwen, babes, they’d love you but not that much.” Aria had to break her naïve heart.

ANTIGONI INTERVIEW:

“Obviously so happy for both of them, but if Harry breaks my Y/Ns heart again I will make him regret it. I mean, I don’t know how, but?” Antigoni laughed.

The girls were talking about nothing really when the sound of someone’s phone went off.

“I’ve got a text!” Tanya shouted. “Tanya, it’s time to go on a date with two guys of your choice. #withaseaview #doubledates.”

Ekin-Su, Indiyah and Tasha cheered, but Y/N and Antigoni rolled their eyes whilst Paige politely smiled. The boys looked attentive as Tanya looked around to see who she’d want to go on a date with.

“She’ll pick Harry.” Y/N rolled their eyes.

“Yeah, but Harry literally won’t give a fuck whilst he’s on it.” Antigoni reassured Y/N and they nodded in agreement.

“I would like to go on a date with Davide,” Tanya pretended to pause to think, “and Harry please.”

“If she even breathes on Harry…” Aria threatened Tanya with nothing.

“We will cause an uprise.” Gwen finished her sentence for her, earning a satisfied nod off Aria.

Y/N looked over to where Harry had put down his weights and was standing with his hands folded over his chest in a grump. He looked over towards Y/N and pouted sadly.

“I love you.” He mouthed. Y/N nodded and mouthed the same words back to him.

“Ew you two are so gross.” Antigoni pretended to throw up and Y/N playfully hit her.

•••••••

The dates were on the beach.

A table had been set up where there were two glasses of champagne and some chocolate coated strawberries.

Davide and Tanya’s date had been first. They fed each other strawberries and had clinked glasses an annoying amount of times. Davide admitted to having a nice time, but she still just wasn’t his type. Their conversations had been fun and flirty, however, so that was something.

Next was Tanya and Harry’s date - that Harry was not looking forwards to at all.

“So how are you?” Tanya asked, after kissing Harry on both his cheeks. Harry wouldn’t even deny the fact that he didn’t attempt to kiss her cheeks in return. He was utterly furious with the rumours that she had been spreading and as a result had hurt Y/N.

“Brilliant but also not so great, really.” He admitted, not bothering with the champagne.

“Look at Harry, so chill.” Aria said, referring to the way Harry was slouched back in his chair with his arms folded over his chest. His body was even facing towards the sea rather than Tanya.

“He’s so petty I love it.” Gwen added.

“He has every right to be.”

“Still denying that things could work out between us?” Tanya danced her eyebrows.

“I honestly don’t even know what I saw in you in the first place.” Harry scoffed, “And now that you’ve changed, by a lot, I mean.. It’s an even bigger no.”

“Changed? What do you mean?”

“Oh give over, Tanya. The hair extensions and the lip fillers and breast implants. I mean, I’m all for people wanting to change their bodies, safely, if they’re doing it for themselves but you and me both know you did this for me.” Harry explained.

“Shit.” Gwen cringed awkawrdly.

“But you didn’t like me when we were together?” Tanya said confused.

“Yeah, because you cheated on me with my best friend.” Harry laughed because of how dense this conversation was.

“So it had nothing to do with my appearance?”

“I never once made you feel like you weren’t pretty enough for me, but I’m sorry if you thought so. You know I’m a simple guy and I don’t need all the extras to impress me. I’m sorry if that’s what you thought would win me back, but it seems like you wasted both your time and your money.”

It was silent for a few moments and the ocean waves were the only thing that filled the void of silence.

“So you like Y/N then?” Tanya asked, swirling her glass around in her hand whilst she thought about how to bring this conversation back to a civilised level.

Harry cleared his throat. “Yeah. Well, more than like actually.”

“You love her?”

“Very much, yeah.” Harry nodded and grinned like a little kid being offered Halloween candy.

Tanya let a laugh escape her nose and took a drink from her glass. Harry stayed looking out at the ocean and wondering what life would be like out there with Y/N. Would Y/N enjoy a cruise with him? Or maybe even just a yacht where it can just be the two of them - alone - taking on the world?

“Okay.”

“Okay?” Harry questioned what that meant.

“I’ll back off.”

Aria and Gwen looked at each other with confusion.

“You’ll back off?”

“Are you just going to repeat everything I say? Yes, Harry, I’ll back off. I get that I’m a bitch sometimes - okay, a lot of the time - but I do actually care for you enough to not want to screw over your happiness.”

Harry pouted and nodded firmly. “Thank you, Tanya.”

Then it cut back to the villa, because it was clear there was nothing else to say between the two of them.

TANYA INTERVIEW:

“Yeah so the date with Davide was charming. Very flirty and fun. I enjoyed it. The date with Harry went exactly as I thought it might, but it worth me shooting one more shot. Obviously, I said I’d back off but I also never said that’s me completely done with him.”

“Oh I knew that was too good to be true.” Aria groaned.

“She was so close to becoming a misunderstood villain, but no. She is literally the villain.” Gwen wanted to throw a baseball bat at the TV so hard that it went straight through and landed on Tanya’s face.

DAVIDE INTERVIEW:

“It was a nice, uh, date, but I don’t think Tanya is quite my type.”

HARRY INTERVIEW:

“I’m taking everything Tanya said with a pinch of salt, because I still don’t trust her like she thinks I do.”

“Good boy Harry.” Gwen cheered.

The villa was buzzing when they all came back, wanting to hear the gossip from the dates.

The girls went over to the fire pit to talk and the boy remained in the kitchen.

“So how was it?” Ekin-Su asked.

“Both were really good dates. I had a lot of fun on both.” Tanya smirked, biting her lip to what she though was seductive.

“Which date was better?” Paige asked.

“Definitely the one with Harry.”

“Bullshit!” Aria screamed. “Y/N it’s all bullshit!”

“Ari... I don’t think they can hear you.” Gwen blinked awkwardly at her best friend, who was panting like they’d just run a marathon.

“Oh really, why?” Tasha asked, intrigued just like everyone else.

Then Tanya went and said something that was across the line.

“I don’t kiss and tell.” She bit her lip and Y/N jumped up from their seat, having heard enough.

“Shit. Shit. Shit.” Aria ended up having a coughing fit because it was so intense.

“You kissed him? Or he kissed you?” Y/N demanded, walking over to Tanya but Antigoni shot up too and held Y/N back. Everyone knew Y/N wasn’t a violent person but no one knew what Tanya was like, so Antigoni was there as a human shield for Y/N from Tanya.

“Does it matter?” Tanya laughed as if this was a joke.

“Yes!” Y/N screamed.

“Just ask him yourself if you’re so bothered.”

Y/N walked off in the direction of the kitchen, not caring that this was going to cause a scene. Over the past two days Y/N had gone through a wild range of emotions and it just wasn’t fair, so they just wanted some honesty.

Antigoni was folliwng close behind and the TV zoomed in on Tanya rolling her eyes.

“Were you telling the truth?” Gemma asked.

“About what?”

“The kiss!” Gemma answered agressively, fed up of Tanya’s bullshit too.

“It was just a fucking joke, God.”

Gemma groaned before walking off quickly towards the kitchen after Y/N, holding her boobs as she ran.

“I do that when I’m running down the stairs.” Gwen pointed out to where Gemma was still running with an arm across her chest.

“Not the time Gwen.” Aria laughed. “But same.”

Y/N went into the kitchen and pulled Harry out of the circle of boys. He smiled when he saw her and was about to give them a hug when he saw the clear distress on their face.

“Woah, baby, what’s up?” He asked, looking back towards the fire pit and noticing that Paige and Indiyah were shouting at Tanya, whilst Ekin-Su sat down not doing anything.

“Did you kiss her?”

“Who? Tanya?” Harry questioned, eyes going wide at the accusation.

Y/N ran a hand over their sweaty forehead feeling dizzier by the moment. Y/N nodded, not able to say anything else from how dry their mouth was. Their head was spinning and there were too many emotions to keep up with.

“Baby, no. Never. Trust me.” Harry said, looking frantically between Y/Ns eyes and where they were messing their hands in their hair.

“I do. I do, H. It’s just Tanya... and... she sa-.. you...” Y/N couldn’t even finish their sentence before she fell backwards and hit her head on the counter with a loud thump.

“Fuck, Y/N! Y/N?” Harry shouted, quick to kneel down catch their head before she could hit it again.

The episode then cut to a commercial break.

“What the fuck? Why?” Gwen’s eyes were wide with terror and she shot up out of her seat to start pacing.

“They can’t do that can they though?” Aria argued, sat on the edge of her seat nervously.

“Can’t what?” Gwen exclaimed.

“Can’t really put Y/N fainting in the TV show. It’s not exactly respectful.”

“That’s true. Fuck, I hope they’re okay.” Gwen heavily sighed and allowed herself to sit back down in silence.

•••••••

Meanwhile... Off Camera:

“I do. I do, H. It’s just Tanya... and... she sa-.. you...” Y/N couldn’t even finish their sentence before she fell backwards and hit her head on the counter with a loud thump.

“Fuck, Y/N! Y/N?” Harry shouted, quick to kneel down catch their head before she could hit it again.

“Fucking hell.” Dami put his hands on his head as he watched Y/N collapse to the floor.

Antigoni quickly sat on the floor by Y/N’s head and started calling out their name, hoping it would wake them up. Antigoni looked up to where Y/N had whacked her head and noticed there was some blood there.

“Harry.” Antigoni said quickly, and Harry looked up at the counter worriedly.

“Shit.” He said. “Hey, baby. Y/N. Wake up.” He gently shook Y/N’s shoulders, but her eyes were still shut and face pale. “Fuck.”

“Mate I think we need to get someone, she’s not waking up.” Luca called from behind the group and ran off to go and use the emergency phone. The producers could luckily see them on camera, however, and had immediately sent a paramedic team.

Paige was over fast and knelt down next to Y/Ns body. “What happened?” She asked.

“O-one minute she was talking to me a-and then the next... fuck.” Harry said, starting to get upset.

“Okay, Harry. Deep breathes. She’ll be okay.” Paige checked Y/Ns pulse on her neck and opened her mouth to check down her throat. “She’s okay. Just fainted. Someone get me something like a fan.”

Antigoni handed Paige an actual fan within seconds and Paige thanked her.

“Thank fuck one of us has a useful job.” Harry joked, using humour to pass the terrifying seconds without Y/N.

Paige was wafting the fan over Y/Ns face and then Harry asked to cut in. Dami brought some cold towels and so Harry handed back the fan so he could wipe the towels carefully over their body. Someone had also fetched a tissue to hold on the back of Y/Ns head to dab away the bloody, because thankfully it was just a nasty knock and not some continuous bleeding.

The Love Island teams paramedics showed up within minutes and came straight to Y/N.

“How is she doing?” One of the guys asked, Harry having to get over the fact they were seeing his girl in nothing but a bikini fast.

“She’s been out for a minute and a half.” Paige said. “She’s fainted but took a nasty bump to the back of her head.” Explaining why there were bloody tissues on the floor.

The rest of the islanders had stepped back to give space, but were still hovering nearby because they were worried for Y/N. Especially since they hadn’t woken up yet.

Just as someone was lifting Y/N’s body onto a transportable bed they began to stir. Y/N groaned in pain and began slowly opening their eyes to her surroundings.

“Harry?” Y/N asked and Harry was right there.

“Hey, hey. You’re alright. Scared the living fucking daylight out of me, but you’re okay.” He smiled and softly pushed the untamed hair off your sticky face.

“This is so embarrassing.”

“No, no. Hey, look at me. No one thought it was entertaining. It was scary and everyone is just worried for you, alright? Nothing to be embarrassed about.” Harry reassured Y/N and as she nodded Paige secretly patted Harry on the back for a job well done.

The teams paramedics explained they would need to take Y/N to a local hospital to check them out for a concussion, but after that they should be allowed back - as long as all the checks come back clear.

“I’ll wait for you. I’m right here.” Harry kissed Y/N’s hand a temporary goodbye.

Once Y/N was gone Harry sat down on the kitchen floor, sliding his back against the cabinets.

“Fuck. That was scary, man.” Dami said, coming to sit next to him.

“Yeah.” Harry nodded, running his hands over his eyes as if he couldn’t believe what he had just witnessed.

“She’s in safe hands now though, that’s all that matters.” Luca added, patting Harry on the shoulder.

Harry let out a heavy breathe of air before standing back up with the help of his mates. He shook out his limbs, feeling slightly disorientated after everything that had just happened.

But he put a smile on his face, because he knows that is what Y/N would do.

•••••••

Gwen and Aria’s POV:

“Whilst Y/N is in hospital checking checked over, the rest of the Islanders raise a toast to her.” Ian Sterling’s voice brings Gwen and Aria off their phones and back to the big screen.

“God, I hope they’re okay.” Aria sighed, cuddling into Gwen’s side for emotional support this time.

“They will be.” Gwen squeezed Aria tightly and all felt right in the world.

The Islanders were seen toasting to Y/N and then dispersing off into little groups to do some evening chatting. Harry was avoiding Tanya at all costs, because he was worried what he would say to her if they were one-on-one now. He was right not to fully trust her and now there was nothing more that he wanted than for her to leave.

“Sucks you can’t get Y/N welcome back flowers.” Luca chuckled as him, Harry and Davide sat on the beanbags.

“I’ll make them breakfast everyday though.” He counter offered and Luca raised his glass to that.

“So, Davide? Still into Tanya now?” Luca asked and Harry looked at Davide with interest. There would be no bad blood between Davide and Harry if Davide did get with Tanya, but Harry only wished the man well because dating Tanya was like going into the Lion’s den.

“No, man. Not my type, no.” Davide shook his head.

“So no one in here for you yet?”

“I mean, Harry knows I had eyes on Y/N at the start, but not anymore.” Davide said.

“Good man.” Harry chuckled and they fell into a comfortable silence.

Until someones phone went off.

“Ahh.” Aria stressed, biting her nails.

“Quit it with that.” Gwen swatted her hand before holding it to keep her from doing it again.

“I got a text!” Tasha shouted. “Islanders, there will be a re-coupling tonight. Boys choose this time. The girl left unchosen will be dumped from the Island tonight. #BoysOnTop #LetsLoveAgain.”

Cheers and screams from the boys sounded as the girls stood by thinking hard about what could happen.

Harry just thought about what he was going to do, because he was now put in a very unfortunate position. Everyone was respectively coupled up in the villa, with sparks flying between people that weren’t currently in pairs but could be by the end of tonight. Harry though only had sparks for Y/N and yet if their checks didn’t come back okay they’d probably have to leave the Island. Harry would leave, too, of course, but it would mean he would have to couple up with Tanya in the meantime.

“Poor Harry.” Gwen sighed.

“He’ll be okay. You’ll see.” Aria patted Gwen’s leg.

Conversations are still being had and Dami is just leaving Harry on the circular sun bed, when there’s a commotion.

Dami looks over to where the girls are screaming and coming down the hallway is Y/N, dressed beautifully for the evening. Dami went over to Y/N too, leaving Harry behind.

“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.” Harry falls back on the circular sun bed and cups his hands over his eyes as he mumbled out his words to no one.

It didn’t take long for Y/N to say some quick hellos, before excusing themselves. Everyone understood who she really wanted to go and see. Harry couldn’t believe his eyes as he watched her wander over to him. He propped himself up on his elbows and bit his lip in anticipation of them coming over here.

They looked amazing tonight. Incredible, actually. In a short halter-necked dress with dancing strawberries coating the entire dress ( * ). It was sweet and it was perfectly Y/N.

Y/N started by walking but then got impatient of not already being close with Harry, so she unstrapped their heels and held them in her hand whilst she ran the rest of the way. Harry giggled as he watched them run, still slightly concerned if they fell and hit their head again. But she didn’t.

They tumbled into his lap, straddling his waist and flinging her arms around his waist as she bear hugged him tighter than ever.

Aria’s body shook beneath Gwen’s, “Are you crying?” Gwen asked.

“Fuck off.” Aria wiped her eyes from tears.

Harry chuckled into Y/N’s shoulder and breathed in her delicious shampoo scent. They must’ve showered with his favourite shampoo just for him. Y/N didn’t want to let go and neither did Harry, but they needed to talk and quickly if their time was running short before the re-coupling.

“Lovie, I need to see you.” Harry stressed.

Y/N shook their head defiantly.

“Look, I will spoon you so hard tonight that you’ll want me to let go by the morning, but right now I need to see your pretty face.” He argued and it worked. Harry sat up with them still in his lap and Y/N unfolded herself from the depths of his comforting neck.

“Y’look really good tonight.” Y/N admitted with a blush.

“Had to make sure I dressed up as pretty as you.” Harry didn’t know where he wanted to look. Their eyes, their cute nose, their pretty lips or just her in her entirety. He was spoilt for choice.

“Did you?”

“And yet you still came out looking prettier.” Harry smiled softly and Y/N scrunched their nose in awe of his sweet words.

“I missed you.” Y/N admitted, pushing both their thumbs over his eyebrows so the hairs got back in line.

“I missed you too.” Harry kissed their cheeks, “Are y’feeling okay?”

“With your hands on my arse? Always.” Y/N joked, knowing how much of an ass-man Harry was made her always giggle.

“Sorry, I just can’t help myself.” Harry apologised for not even realising and moved his hands northwards to the bottom of her spine, only for YN to push them back down and pat them to stay there.

“How are you feeling?” Y/N asked seriously.

“I admit, I was fucking terrified. Knew you were a tough little fighter though, so I had no doubt you’d be okay.” He smiled at Y/N and Y/N couldn’t help but push herself forwards.

Their lips met and Y/N pushed Harry back down flat on his back so she could push into him further. Harry’s hold on Y/N’s ass only tightened and as a result, forced Y/N to grind slightly into Harry’s groin. He moaned and Y/N moaned back, both so in synch with each other it looked like it had been rehearsed.

“Fucking hell, steady on lovebirds.” Aria said.

“I feel like they’re literally about to have sex.” Gwen screamed, fidgeting because as a British person it was a sworn duty to get uncomfortable when any intimate scenes came on the TV in front of other people.

“Go on lad!” Luca shouted from across the garden and Harry had to tilt his head to the side to stifle a laugh. Y/N chuckled too and gave him on last peck before sitting back up.

“Sorry. I got carried away.” Y/N shyly chuckled.

“Don’t go all apologetic and shy on me now, baby.” Harry teased, sitting up too.

“I liked that. Kissing you, I mean.”

“Babe, that was more than just a kiss. In fact can y’please leave me for a minute. I can’t get this hard-on to go down with you still here.” Harry leant up to give Y/N one last peck as she stood up to walk off, before flopping back down and letting out a happy cheer.

•••••••

The islanders were sat around the fire pit.

Butterflies were in everyone’s stomach. Then the girls were asked to step in front of the fire pit and face the boys.

As Y/N walked past Harry, they caught his fingers and when she looked down at him and he looked up at her there was a moment of peace and a mutual understanding that everything would be alright.

Andrew went first an coupled up with Tasha. Then Dami with Indiyah. Davide with Antigoni. Gemma and Luca. Paige with Jacques. Ekin-Su and Jay.

Then there was Y/N and Tanya standing at the front by themselves. Y/N was getting nervous now, being one of two girls left standing at the front with only one boy left.

But there was an element of calm, because everyone knew what was going to happen.

“This is what i’ve been waiting for for the past three days.” Gwen said.

“I can’t take it anymore. Just say Y/N’s name already Harry.” Aria exclaimed.

Harry stood up and smirked down at his shoes, because he couldn’t help but contain his smile.

“I would like to couple up with this girl because they make me a better person. We’ve had some ups and downs for sure, but nothing feels better than being in their arms. That’s home for me. I could stand here and talk all night about ‘em, but I also can’t stand another minute without them by my side so…”

Y/N breathed out a shaky breathe, looking to the floor unaware that Harry was only looking at her.

Harry licked his lips and scrunched his nose as he watched on at the girl who he loved more than anyone.

“The girl I would like to couple up with is…”

Y/N gulped.

Tanya shook her head.

Antigoni and Paige held hands next to each in hope for their best friend.

Luca was looking at Harry in anticipation.

Aria and Gwen were on the edge of their seats.

(you all just want me to shut up and get on with it)

“Y/N.”

There were visible sighs of relief around the fire pit and Y/N even had tears in their eyes.

Y/N made her way over to Harry and they simply hugged each other tightly, before sitting down next to each other closely - Y/N resting their head on Harry’s shoulder and Harry’s arm curling around their waist until it clasped hands with Y/Ns waiting one.

“Thank you.” Y/N whispered and that was enough for Harry.

“I love you.”

#harry styles #harry styles x reader #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles x y/n #harry styles fanfic #ask finelinevogue #finelinevogue #harry blurb #harry styles concept #harry oneshot #loveisland!harry #love island angst #love island harry styles blurbs #li universe finelinevogue #finelinevogueloveisland #harry styles blurbs #harry styles fluff #harry styles angst

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unrequitedloveletter · 9 months

Note

hello! i was so excited to see you have requests open! so, without further ado:

I wanted to request a fem!reader x nikolai lantsov, smut/fluff combo, fic with the "one character kissing the other character in a spot that they’re insecure about" prompt

tysm! so excited to see what you write! <3

Nothing At All- N.L x fem! reader

Hi! I am so sorry that this took me so long--I meant to do it the day it came in but I've been veeery sidetracked by novel stuff lately and between that and getting stuff queued for when I start working in the fall plus the random wave of demotivation that hit me this week, my requests kind of slipped my mind a bit.

Thank you for sending this in and after our convo because no specific spot was specified and I wanted to double check, I decided to go with a spot where I am also very insecure--the thighs! I hope that you enjoy this fic and thank you so much for requesting it!

THIS FIC IS 18+. Minors, do not interact and if you do, you will be blocked once I spot you in my notifs.

Fic type- this is the best kind of smut--FLUFFY SMUT!!

Warnings- oral (fem receiving) and some not-great editing on my end--I rushed this because a new episode of Ghost Files comes out today and I REALLY want to watch it lol

You were grinning as Nikolai pressed a kiss against the space behind your ear, the two of you relaxing in your shared bed on one of the few evenings wherein you both had absolutely nothing to do.

All you could feel was the press of Nikolais body against yours, the warmth of the silken sheets as Nikolai pressed kiss after kiss down the space behind your ear and your neck, turning your brain into water as his lips moved deftly down your neck and across your collarbones.

One of your hands was in his hair, the other on his waist, laughter occasionally escaping your lips as Nikolai moved with a carefully delighted kind of precision.

"I love you," he said, hands sliding up your thighs and finding your hips. "I've missed you lately."

You'd both been so busy with things around the palace that you'd hardly seen each other in weeks. That moment was the first in far too long wherein you'd found yourselves in bed and able to do more than just a kiss to the cheekbone in good morning or goodnight.

You'd missed the feeling of his hands on you, the feeling of his lips pressing against any available area of skin, and the return to that part of your life felt as good as waking up and finding that it was raining outside, as good as it was to walk the halls while you went about your day with the pitter-patter of rain against the windows continuing on in the background, drowning out most of the other noise.

"I love you too," you whispered, hands going to his bare shoulders as his hands undid the buttons of one of his shirts, which you'd taken to wearing to bed instead of your typical nightwear. "Fuck, I've missed this so much."

His hands slipped from your hips to your lower back, pressing himself against your naked form as the long sleeved shirt slipped down your shoulders and past your elbows, leaving you exposed in front of him.

He bent up a bit, drinking your form in like he was a man who'd been dying of thirst. You fought the urge to curl in on yourself in a flashing moment of insecurity, finding surprise in the laugh that came up from your throat as Nikolais lips found your collarbone and kissed down your chest, past your navel.

You felt him smile against your skin in response to the sound of your laughter, hand reaching up to find yours and giving it a squeeze.

"I love you," he said against your skin.

"I love you more," you responded, pressing your eyes closed as his lips moved down one side of your lower stomach, finding your right thigh with a bit of pause.

Your thighs had always been an area about which you were insecure, and your eyes opened when you noticed Nikolai had paused for he knew too of those insecurities.

"Is it okay if I--" his eyes bore into yours, the eye contact direct. He was being cautious, careful, incase the press of his lips against your thighs was too much--in case it amplified the insecurities you felt about them, in case you just weren't even up to the idea of it.

You glanced up to the light alabaster colored ceiling for a few moments before meeting his gaze once again, nodding.

He loved your thighs, so he said, and so he proved as his lips pressed against them. Your thighs had always been one of your biggest insecurities and Nikolai was good at proving the love he held for them time and time again--a hand was always on your thigh in meetings, a hand tracing shapes into the skin of your thigh as the two of you drifted off to sleep, a hand gently against your thigh when he found you sitting somewhere shady in the palace grounds during the hottest days in summer and bent down to drop a kiss onto your lips.

He kissed them delicately, kindly, like they were priceless pieces of art which he appreciated endlessly.

"Love these," he whispered against your skin, eliciting a laugh from you as he pressed a kiss to your inner thigh before moving from your right to your left.

He took his time, leaving you a mess by the time that he was done focusing on your thighs and pressed his lips against your clit, sucking it gently with eyes fluttering closed as his arms moved under your thighs, resting there as he licked a stripe up your folds.

One of your hands found his as your eyes fell closed and you pressed your head against the pillow, moaning somewhat lewdly into it as you pressed your face against it thereafter.

Sex had been something at which Nikolai had been absurdly good, just as all of the other talents he had. He'd proved it time and time again and that time was no different--he'd managed to make you something of a writing mess within mere minutes, groaning as your free hand fell to his hair and gave the hair at the base of his neck a gentle tug.

You felt his groan against yourself and with little more effort from that point, you were releasing and moaning his name lewdly into the room.

He grinned to himself, licked his lips and pressed kiss after kiss to your thighs once more after a brief asking of consent--which you gave with an enthused nod as your head fell back against the pillow, skin glowing with post-orgasm euphoria--and feeling very content with things himself, not the least bit worried about his own pleasure.

He gave you a kiss before you left to clean yourself up and when you returned, had cleaned the bed to the best of his ability and put the shirt you'd taken off into a hamper that would be taken the following day by someone on the cleaning staff to be washed and returned to his wardrobe.

He grabbed you another and joined you in the bathroom as you washed your face, pressing a kiss to the base of your neck as you redid the buttons and smiled at the feeling of his touch.

"Anything to do tomorrow?" You asked.

"Nothing at all," Nikolai said. "I asked that my advisors clear out my schedules for the rest of the week. Haven't had time with my beloved in far too long, so it seems. You don't have anything to do, do you?"

"Zoya and I handled everything in need of doing last night and this morning. My schedule is completely clear until Monday."

Nikolai grinned as his arms wrapped around your waist. "I'm sure we can think of ways to occupy our time until then."

You smirked, pressing a peck to his lips. "Off the top of my mind, I can think of several."

Nikolai took your hand and let you lead him out of the bathroom, laughing a bit as the two of you once again approached your bed.

"Do tell," he said as he fell back and took you with him, neither of you eager to lay over the sweat stain that wouldn't dry for at least thirty minutes. "I am indeed eager to hear your ideas."

You laughed. "They start here," you said.

You pulled him into a breathtaking kiss, and Nikolais arms found your waist as he grinned. The two of you had a very fun few days ahead indeed.

#nikolai lantsov #nikolai lantsov x reader #shadow and bone #shadow and bone netflix #king of scars

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space-blue · 9 months

Text

Ahsoka but the characters are better... The plot... everything is better.

I was talking/venting in RBs with @kanansdume on their post, and I started writing a reply that was just too long and in depth. So it's now its own post.

Offering you an alternative version of events for Ahsoka's first 4 episodes:

The cause of the break up between Hera, Ahsoka and Sabine, is Ezra.

Hera is more of a politician than a general these days, and if she sees action it's to police conflict and hunt down empire remnants. She's NOT under the impression that everyone who kept on living under the empire needs to be eradicated or whatever her deal is right now. She's busy splitting work with Jacen and not really able to help either of her friends as each would want to.

Sabine has never given up. She's still actively looking for Ezra.

Not Ahsoka. On her end, she's given up. She wrote off Ezra as a hero. She grew up watching Jedi sacrifice themselves to buy others some time or make doomed attempts to kill powerful enemies. She thinks Ezra is dead (gloriously so) and refused to indulge the fantasy that he may still be alive, driving a big wedge in her relationship with Sabine.

Until Ahsoka finds that Morgan seems to expect Thrawn to be alive… Which might mean Ezra is alive too… Just maybe.

We meet Sabine as she lands on Lothal. She isn't reckless, wasting time away in a tower like in the show. She's well dressed if rumpled and obviously drained. The moment she steps onto the space port, she's surrounded by local guards. The guy who chases her in the show is instead in full uniform waiting for her, and clearly distressed.

Did she forget what today was? That the governor asked her to attend the celebrations? She was meant to be here already, the event has even started.

Sabine brushes him off. She had no plan to come at all. She's been busy and never even opened the message requesting her presence. She's back from Coruscant, talking to the only scientist who seems to specialise in purgill, and does he have any idea how tedious it is to get useful fact out of someone who never steps out of academia? She's going home, thanks.

She gets upset when the "war hero" title is used to try and persuade her. She's trying to do war hero stuff by rescuing Ezra, thank you. Speeches and hand waving aren't for her, never were. Maybe the dialogue can hint that she used to play along, but has grown increasingly desperate in her search instead of the faff of her mostly ceremonial position.

But the guy drops a hint that convinces Sabine to get on the back of his speeder after all : her old "jedi friend" is there for the celebration. Ahsoka, who she hasn't heard from in ages!

Ahsoka would have trained Sabine for a while for saber, but they've since split and heir friendship frayed over the Ezra Lives situation. NOT because of padawan BS.

Ahsoka could also perceive Sabine's dedication to find Ezra as something worse with every year that passes. To her, it'd go from friendship to attachment, of the overly strong type. And even if Sabine isn't a Jedi, the way Anakin was, it doesn't mean that this attachment wouldn't bring some darkness.

Heck, Ahsoka could sort of wash her hands off Sabine by blaming the darkness brought by her Ezra fixation. Like this isn't her fault, no sir, it's the way Sabine is so consumed that she won't listen to reason.

Anyway, they're both here now, and though the "how have you been" is a tip toeing on eggshells exercise, Ahsoka eats some humble pie and admits she needs Sabine's help for something important.

She has tracked an artifact to a ruin, and although it's ancient, it clearly has a deep stratum. It's not just one culture that can be observed in it, but several stacked on top of each other. And one of the most recent traces of alteration are Mandalorian.

Ahsoka wouldn't solve that JFO puzzle on her own. She'd bring Sabine for her unique Mando insight. But trust would be an issue, so she'd remain super vague about what they're looking for and completely tight lip about why. Ahsoka doesn't want to kindle hopes about Ezra in Sabine of all people.

From Sabine's pov, she's doing Ahsoka a favour, and Hera asked her to please help as she's invested in this mcguffin hunt too. Sabine, by coming along, is doing that very adult thing of putting up with a shitty situation to accomodate people (the total opposite of her highway chase scene).

But even as Sabine finds the map and frees it from the old compartment it's in, they are attacked by the droids. A good old epic fight ensues, where Sabine is shown to be rusty with her saber, and rusty in general with droids, but also Ahsoka sucks at anticipating Sabine's actions, and keeps throwing orders that don't get obeyed (or can't realistically be obeyed).

In the past few years Sabine's been spending more time investigating, talking to people and reading books and buying intel, than fighting.

Not knowing what the map is for, she loses it. Does Shin come in then and wound her? Forcing Ahsoka to flee with her on the brink of death? I think it would be nice if the only reason Sabine lives is because Ahsoka was there to use a constant flow of Force healing. Not fixing her but keeping her alive as Huyang flies them away.

Because, you know, it's getting real tiresome to see people survive lightsabers to the centre of mass.

Then Sabine wakes up, she's sorry she lost the antique Ahsoka was looking for… But Hera calls in as a holo, upset with Ahsoka… And Sabine would slowly realise why. The thing she lost, nearly died over unknowingly, was a map! A map to Thrawn, and so to Ezra.

Nobody needs to be incompetent about that map thing, either, because it would be a very classic puzzle that Ahsoka could have solved. It's not old or mysterious, it was hidden in the old temple. In the show she never sees the map, and it needs to be inserted in the henge to make sense any way. Here Ahsoka didn't need Sabine's help to solve the mcguffin, but to get it. And she got it and lost it at the same time.

And now Sabine realises just WHAT it was. To Ahsoka it's a trail to Thrawn, or a clue in Morgan's plans. To Hera it's weeks of political favour wasted and hope for Thrawn and Ezra gone. Hera can't justify more spending on this without proof Morgan is up to no good.

Meanwhile Sabine sees the map as proof she's always been right. That Ezra is alive, and that Ahsoka used her and lied and kept her in the dark. Sabine would argue she'd never have engaged that rogue padawan if she knew what she was risking with the map. Ahsoka could argue back she only needed to follow her orders.

Huyang is the one who settles things between them by asking how exactly they think this argument is helping the situation? He could be the one to insist they have to stay and work together to get the map, when both Ahsoka and Sabine want nothing more than to split again.

Personality-wise Ahsoka can team work, but she needs to lead. She's used to being the most OP in the room, and grew up giving order to mostly unquestioning soldiers. Sabine has a different skillset, is pig headed, and won't take orders from Ahsoka, especially not now that she feels like she was used.

Hera and Huyang could both come in then to soothe things, and Hera would suggest they visit the other trail she's unearthed (dockyards) while the villains actively get their plan on the tracks.

At the dockyards, Hera would understand that people worked for the Empire because they didn't have a choice, and wouldn't expect people to 'get rid' of imperials after the fall of the empire. It's not exactly how that stuff happens in real life, right? It would also be interesting if Chopper FINALLY came to some use…

So I suggest that the smuggling was done by droids, and the main human mind behind this operation was the one maintening the droid fleet. Altering their codes and priorities. We could have Chop somehow help figure it out. He could also be the one who PWA PWAs at the very end that they shouldn't look so disappointed, since he managed to slap a tracker under the chest plate of that one droid he highjacked that fled on the ship.

They have their lead to that planet.

Now's a good time for Ahsoka to be able to report about Shin and Baylan's sabers instead, maybe spotting them at that place, whatever. They have no clear character or motivation and for all I care we could keep visuals of their sabers from early on when freeing Morgan.

But here's the cinch about Huyang :

He's completely out of place with Ahsoka. She doesn't have a padawan. Doesn't want one. Sabine isn't a real one and has no desire to even try to be. And any good droid could do Huyang's job, without her moaning about Jedi protocol so much.

So why does she keep him?

Huyang should be with Luke Skywalker. Wouldn't it be a little dark and sweet if it's revealed that Ahsoka has been planning to bring him over to Luke's budding school but hasn't because… (and let's forget all shit with them in Mando) well, because she doesn't believe in a New Order. She saw too many younglings killed or turned, and she doesn't trust Luke with rebuilding the Order. Doesn't really want him too.

Yet at the same time she misses it. Misses the protocols she broke with Anakin, and the life she had there as a padawan. Huyang feeds into this nostalgia. Sometimes he sounds like a master--but one she doesn't need to listen to.

She keeps pushing the time to bring him to Luke over and over.

But now Huyang could have his own motivation : Baylan has survived, and he's taken a padawan.

What was Baylan like? Why would he want to free Thrawn? Why team up with Morgan? Imo it'd be a lot more interesting if his saber was yellow or truly orange, and Shin's was blue or literally any colour but red. Make them apparently rogue Jedi and not weird darksiders larping as Taron Malicos and Merrin.

Maybe Huyang would try to push for them to be in touch. Maybe he'd want to approach Baylan himself. Because he wants to recreate the Order, right? And he's got an apprentice. And wouldn't it be a shame if they truly fell down a dark path?

So instead of Baylan being sentimental but actually not about Ahsoka staying alive, it could be Huyang who is ready to expend his kindness to even them, even after the interaction over the map. Afterall, Jedi aren't always shy about using violence to get what they want, and maybe Shin always arrives on the scene when her side is already in a fight. Maybe Huyang is on copium!

But Baylan could be seen as behaving one way, and Ahsoka could feel his vibes being rancid… VS. Huyang knowing him by reputation. Why not go on and fully rip Malicos, at this stage? You got his looks and his theories. You may as well also make Baylan a respected Jedi general. Someone Huyang remembers from his trips to make his first saber.

Now wouldn't it be neat if Chopper's tracker returns a system that Sabine recognises the name of? She was just talking to that scholar about Purgill after all, and he mentioned how this system was an important migration point, one poorly researched, because it's so remote, and at the fringes of Dathomir space, not a friendly locale.

Sadly I still don't understand WTF the map is. Why does Morgan need it? it seems ancient… And yet it points to Thrawn? HOW? Why does it go to a different henge style temple? Nothing makes sense in the show and we're meant to just accept it.

I propose something else.

The map is stored into a bog standard data storage puzzle thingy. Anyone who could handle a Japanese puzzle box could use it. But the map is just the tip of the iceberg. It's actually a nightsister spell underneath, and the entire goal is to hyper focus and pinpoint.

So Morgan 'feels Thrawn calling to her'. And yep, that's corny, but she does. And what she needed was that nightsister focus tool. She needs to wildly amplify the signal, and then use the map to pinpoint its origine totally.

She goes to that henge because it's a meditation space. It's within the Dathomir sphere of influence, but not Dathomir proper, which is why she hid the ring here. There's something about this world, the same quality that attracts the purgill, that really throws the Force into whack.

While it's good for Morgan, it'd be confusing and disturbing for any other Force user (how to nerf Ahsoka, Baylan and Shin).

Once she fully feels the location of Thrawn's call, the map zooms in and in and in. As she suspected (as she's prepared for), it's in another galaxy entirely.

Instead of having the badies split, Baylan would have to protect Morgan so she can remain in her trance as the droids help her refine the coordinates. Shin can go harry Sabine and split her and Ahsoka, who can't properly communicate due to the planet's interference.

When the women go to fight Morgan and co, perhaps Huyang would ask Ahsoka to convince Baylan to return to them. Maybe Huyang's interest in helping with Shin is also what keeps getting in the way of Sabine whenever she has an opportunity to strike to kill.

Anyway, please no fucking Anakin!!! We don't need more nostalgia bait. Stop!! Jedi canonically can't die from falls of any height so long as they've trained to cushion a fall. We see the trio take insane falls all of Clone Wars, and it's in High Republic now too. Ahsoka clipping off the world map from getting yeeted from a small cliff is sad and a pathetic excuse to show Anakin off.

Also would like to point out that with a tight script, all the events above are 2 or 3 episodes max.

What do you think? Opinions? Suggestions? It's a bit of a meta post so feel free to add on to it!

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melishade · 4 months

Note

I love the idea that Megatron has a totally different relationship with Rose compared to Maria. He's such a girl dad, yet he butts heads with Rose? Like, is Rose to Megatron what Baby Groot is the Drax?

Previous episode of the Peaceful Timeline

Megatron: You sit on a throne of lies, child.

Rose: You're just mad I beat you at Hnefatafl.

Listen, Megatron loves Rose. She's an...overall good kid. And it's nice to have someone else not look at him with fear. But he is convinced that all the anger and deceit and pettiness that should have been in Oshern got syphoned into that one!

Like he had no problems with Maria. He has a strong attachment to her because she's the first being in a long time to look at him without fear. Meanwhile, with Rose, he feels like she has it out for him. She will find a way to twist his arm to get what she wants!

Megatron: Rose, I need you to not say anything when it comes to stuff we're not supposed to do.

Rose: Depends on what I get in return.

Megatron: Are you serious?!

Rose: If I'm risking something for you, I need to be paid back.

Megatron: I don't know if I should be angry with you or proud. Fine, I will get you more of those fancy art supplies you've been asking for.

Rose: Are you going to steal it?

Megatron: Really?!

Rose: Papa (Oshern) runs an honest business practice. It's rude to steal.

Megatron: Fine! I will work it off! Just keep your mouth shut!

Their relationship is very uncle-niece vibes. Ymir and Oshern do notice the pettiness that starts between them and tries to stop it, but Optimus just asks them to let this happen.

Oshern: Why exactly are we letting them argue like this?

Optimus drinking some energon: Payback.

Oshern: What?!

Rose's relationship with everyone is also significantly different compared to Megatron. She relishes in the attention Ymir gives her through head pats and hugs and thinks her mom is beautiful. She admires her father and asks him about his work and his life before Ymir. She thinks he's a good cook too. She definitely sees Optimus as a mentor and asks about the knowledge of the universe and he's more than happy to oblige. Rose's relationship with Maria is fairly close despite the age difference. But it didn't start out that way.

Initially Maria started getting jealous of all the attention Rose was getting as a baby. She's always crying, doesn't move much, and everyone is fretting over her. It takes a little time for everyone to notice, but Megatron is the one who notices first. Maria explains how she feels and Megatron rather tactlessly says:

"Well of course she needs more attention. She's a baby, and babies are stupid."

"Megatron," Optimus scolded while Ymir slapped him in the arm.

Megatron then takes the baby from Oshern and holds her in front of Maria. Megatron explains relativity, calls the baby stupid, but there's no reaction. She can't even look Maria in the eye properly. She has no protective shell and the only thing she can do is cry.

"Your responsibility, as her sister, is to protect her, and be her guide," Megatron told Maria, "She will one day look to you for support, but you cannot resent her for something beyond her control."

Optimus reminds Maria that they still love her, and they are sorry for neglecting her and her needs. They end up making a schedule that allows them to spend more time with each other. But Maria ends up maturing and taking on a much more serious role in protecting Rose. They go on walks together, Maria teaches her stuff, etc. They still have their sibling spats and arguments, but when Rose questioned her own purpose in the universe. Maria gave her an honest answer: She didn't know. But she was happy that Rose was in her life none the less.

(When Maria ultimately goes on her journey with Megatron around the world, Rose definitely feels upset at the loss. Even though she has more space since they shared a room.)

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that-left-turn · 8 days

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I really want to like your blog. You have these long posts that appear thoughtful. But what I also notice is your unwillingness to call the caryl stuff what it is. The fandom , which I’m apart of, is dying. Not because of amc or people who love that other ship. It’s because we believed in actors and chemistry that doesn’t have legs. The actual actors do not support us. The actual show runners and writers do not support us. We are grasping at straws to support something that doesn’t really exist. Whining and acting like toddlers instead of staying in our area and enjoying what we have. When they had Carol marry Ezekiel I had to call bs and let it go. This is not Valhalla or amc or richonne, it’s us not being willing to admit we saw something that will never be canon. Why can’t we be happy with what we have? You seem smart and I started following you recently because of that but we need to have some reality about us now because we are fighting ghosts and we look stupid. Carol could have married Daryl instead of Ezekiel or sleeping with Tobin 🤮 Daryl could have stayed to watch over the kids with Carol. We need to stop letting twd make us look stupid for trailing us along. And we keep letting them do it.

My perspective on Caryl is rooted in how these things are handled by studios and the productions. There are a lot of instances that want a say regarding what couple goes canon and when, and more than one factor as to why. I agree with you that the fandom is dying and that the "people who love that other ship" isn't the cause, but it's not because Caryl's chemistry wasn't there.

I'll run down the main points of my reasoning:

The industry has changed a lot since the start of TWD. AMC is a basic cable network, which means their traditional means of revenue are ad sales and syndication. Certain rules were observed regarding the main/big ships of the shows that existed in that market space and Caryl is a product of those parameters. The relationships from this programming era were teased endlessly to have people tune in from week to week and the general assumption was that the audience would lose interest once the couple went canon. Also, because episodes aired out of order in syndication, it was normal to try and preserve the status quo from episode to episode.

Daryl is an original character for the TV show, so AMC outright owns the rights to him. That's why he is the most marketed/promoted character—because they stood to profit the most from him. Male (romantic) leads are not written the same way anymore that was true for the early seasons of TWD. They were supposed to be unattainable and most often emotionally unavailable for one reason or another, so the show could maintain what was seen as the core story engine.

AMC is deeply steeped in a white male business culture. (The Dolans are essentially the Roy family from Succession.) As we've seen on TWD, the female characters are by and large irrelevant, interchangeable and something to be pitted against each other unlike their male counterparts. The execs thought they'd draw female viewers by promoting Daryl as the Bachelor of the Apocalypse, especially as he couldn't be paired up with the end-game ship.

Scott M. Gimple is a petty vicious little man.

"The writers" are innocent in all this. They can and often do have their own opinions, but they're not in charge of what happens to a ship. That's a negotiation between the showrunner and the studio. Changes in showrunner changes the vision of the show. Most often because the studio wants that change but sometimes because the showrunner touched someone in ways that are inappropriate. The writers are the Greek chorus: they're not individuals per se, they mimic the voice of the showrunner.

Unless the actors have gone on record somewhere (against the terms of their NDAs) on whether they support a ship or not, assumptions on the topic are subjective. One way or the other.

Ezekiel and Tobin were part of Carol's character arc. Tobin had the same body type that Ed did, so he was a step in Carol reclaiming her sexuality and like Ezekiel, it goes to show the level of control she needs over her intimate partnerships. However, there were also BTS reasons for those choices, which had to do with Gimple's vision for the show. And, Daryl couldn't stay to watch over the kids with Carol because he was headed for the spinoff.

The original Carol and Daryl spinoff was pitched by Josh Sapan who was the AMC Networks CEO (the big boss) at the time. He was aware that there was money to be made by marketing a show about these two characters, otherwise he wouldn't have pushed for it. The intention was for canon Caryl in the spinoff, but due to backstage maneuverings, the showrunner got fired, the concept was revised and "the other lead" was forced out.

Any fan who's happy and enjoying what they have, should continue to do so. I'm not arguing with anyone's feelings on the matter. Just like I think fans who aren't happy have the right to tell AMC what they will pay for; it's a negotiation of a business transaction. I have zero faith in Zabel and Nicotero was the point person for most of TBOC due to the WGA strike, so viewers should go into the situation with their eyes open regardless of their personal preferences.

Personally, I want canon because that's the payoff for how both Carol and Daryl's character arcs have been written—they mirror each other and their joint emotional arc has been romantically coded since the start. Promotion hasn't kicked off yet and I need to hear what TPTB say and, more importantly, what they don't to make an informed decision on what I think.

#caryl #tv production #business end of screenwriting #how come i'm getting all these asks? 👀#bring a beverage 🧃 length post #amc programming #studio power structure #tboc

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sympetali · 1 year

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Since it seems like CRWBY is heavily hinting at big Ruby and Jaune moments in the episode tomorrow, I thought I’d share this think piece drabble I decided to write in the middle of the day a few weeks ago (haha undiagnosed adhd, am I right?)

Here’s the thing about Ruby and Jaune: I think they have one of the most interesting dynamics in the series.

They meet in the first few episodes, and they’re immediately sort of bonding about being outsiders. They don’t feel like they belong in this space: Ruby is too young and Jaune literally bluffed his way in. Jaune calls Ruby cute (this is not an inherently romantic reading of their relationship,) and sort of hints at romantic interest in her before he sees Weiss and well… we all know how that goes. Ruby thinks Jaune is kind of a dweeb, but in the affectionate “you’re weird, I like you” sort of way. It’s a very light-hearted first conversation. But beyond those surface level introductory interactions, then we have the fact that these two become the most unlikely team leaders. They both become responsible for three other people, and Ruby points that out to Jaune in one of the most prominent moments for him early on. The others being his work with Pyrrha about accepting help and his confrontation with Cardin which is like, the defining moment for him—one where he puts both Ruby and Pyrrha’s advice to work. And that alone could be very telling about how close they are. But it doesn’t end there.

Something I think that makes these two so intrinsically linked is their very specific shared grief. No one else knew Pyrrha was going to die and no one else had to see Pyrrha die. Jaune knew the minute she kissed him and ran off. Ruby, still just a 16 year old kid, had to see it. And suddenly both of them are feeling this heartache in a way no one else can understand. But they can understand each other. We don’t know if Jaune ever even told anyone about that kiss, but we do know he called out desperately to the others about her going to do something reckless (hats off to Miles Luna for that scene because holy cow,) and Ruby was already barreling headfirst into hero mode. Pyrrha’s death will play in a loop in both of their heads for a long time.

Then we have the span of time that volumes 4-6 take place in. Ruby, with no team of her own, sets off with Jaune, Ren, and Nora. They acknowledge that at this point, things are incredibly different and they’re following Ruby. Jaune takes a backseat in terms of direct leadership, but he’s still a unifying voice. He understands Ren and Nora a bit more, and I think we see that in their battles scenes. But still, Jaune so easily follows Ruby. He believes in her. He doesn’t know what it is exactly they can do at the place they’re in, but he’s ready to figure it out with her. He’s going to keep improving and he’s going to keep supporting her. I think that’s really beautiful. Their like, little reunion at the end of Vol 3 is very sweet to me. It reads very much like a ride or die, I will follow you into the dark sort of situation. Everything these characters know has been completely flipped on its head, but all they can think to do is keep pushing on. Keep moving forward. And it’s clear that at this moment in time, Ruby and Jaune need each other to do that. Yes, Jaune has Ren and Nora but he lost his partner. And we know that that loss has him pushing Ren and Nora away for awhile. He doesn’t know how to grieve with them. He’s afraid. Ruby doesn’t have her team anymore at all. Yang is despondent. Blake is missing. Weiss was forced to go home. She leans on the people she knows she still has, but we have to assume she also feels the absence of Pyrrha in that space. Everything in Team RNJR/JNR is kind of fragile. They want to pick up the pieces and do the next right thing, but it’s also very hard to do so when there’s so much they’re not saying or doing.

Ruby and Jaune have excellent little moments of casual intimacy as well. There’s a real softness between them. And again, this is not necessarily a romantic reading of their connection, but it’s not NOT a romantic reading. Jaune’s double down on his belief in her before the fight against the Nukaleve, his determination to keep her safe from Tyrion, even butting heads with Qrow (another dynamic I love to scream about,) Jaune is always just so steadfast in his faith in her. The same way that past all the teasing, Ruby’s faith in Jaune is a huge part of his confidence as a leader. Their reunion in Argus is my favorite moment between them. He is so relieved to see her alive and she just wants that moment to feel good and light so she reminds him she promised they’d see each other there. And he has to smile. And they share this lovely hug that feels so cozy and safe and like something they both needed. There’s so many important relationships and bonds in this story, but I really do think that outside of the main four, this one is imperative to the narrative. It’s one that we as the audience have literally followed since the beginning. Any way you read the relationship, they are so important to each other and their connection is a driving force in their motivations. They make each other better.

But we’ve reached a point now where these two haven’t had a lot of time with each other since they took on their own challenges in Mantle and Atlas. Not to mention the new and unique position they’re in with Jaune having aged rapidly in the Ever After. We have Ruby at her weakest mentally. She’s lost all hope. She’s feeling the weight of everything she’s learned and she’s seen and she’s done, and she’s gonna have to reckon with Jaune’s decision to mercy kill Penny on top of that? Now, I fully believe that Ruby is typically the kind of person that after an emotional initial reaction, she would sort of step back and be introspective. She would offer that understanding to the best of her ability. It would be hard no matter what, but she would see Jaune, Jaune especially actually, for who he is and why he did that and not focus on the action itself. But again, this isn’t Ruby like we know her. This is Ruby already wrecked by grief and on the cusp of just completely giving up. She might really lose it over this, and her and Jaune could have an incredibly difficult moment. Maybe even a division we see follow them for awhile. But I think that would only add to the emotional impact of their relationship. Again, they are sharing a profound grief that cannot be felt by anyone else. Ruby did everything she could to keep Penny around, and she lost her anyway. And Jaune would have never wanted to do what he did but he put Penny’s wishes first, even if that left him in a much worse state. We all love Penny and we understand her naivety in that request, but it’s hard not to at least think about the quiet cruelty of it. We know Jaune agreed because he wanted to do what he thought was best in that moment, but we as the viewer have to try to see it from all angles. He’s the one who has to live with that decision, not anybody else. And he has to know the way that might affect his relationships with other people, particularly Ruby. They are always balancing on these scales, I think. They’re trying so hard to do the right thing and when either one of them makes a misstep, it’s the other that seems to help move the weight. Now we’re in this precarious position where it could be Jaune’s actions that tip Ruby really far down. And that’s fascinating because it’s so easy to sympathize with both sides. We hurt for Ruby’s loss and we hurt for Jaune’s too. He also loved Penny, but there’s all these other layers. He had to take a life, which isn’t something he ever wanted to do, much less an innocent one: one of somebody he cared for. But also— there’s one other person who once ended a version of Penny’s life. Pyrrha. And I know deep in my bones that that thought crossed his mind. Pyrrha is always with Jaune. Literally and figuratively. What is the sword he carries, and killed Penny with, forged from?

This also draws a new and specific thread from Pyrrha to Ruby and Jaune’s relationship. Ruby knew Pyrrha didn’t mean to kill Penny 1.0. I don’t think she ever even thought about that. But again, Ruby isn’t the same person she was the first time she lost her.

Idk. Much to think about. I love Ruby and Jaune so much, individually and together, and I’m very anxious to see what’s in store for them.

#rwby #ruby rose #jaune arc #lancaster #kinda #lancaster rwby #rwby spoilers #rwby vol9 #I literally just had this thought one day and suddenly wrote all this down #added and changed some things to better reflect new info but #i just be screaming

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dalesramblingsblog · 16 days

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Oh for fuck's sake Voyager are we doing the Great Replacement now? Really? "Don't trust seemingly confused and helpless aliens because they might secretly be scheming masterminds who want to subvert your entire culture?" Christ almighty.

Look, I really do try and give Voyager the benefit of the doubt. From the third season alone, episodes like Distant Origin, Remember, and even Future's End rank as some of my favourite pieces of Star Trek ever. I'm not some guy who's gonna go around blithely hating Voyager for the sake of its being Voyager.

But this ugly reactionary streak keeps manifesting and I'm really getting tired of it.

Warlord: "Oh man Kes is in a skintight jumpsuit and might want to kiss Galyn Görg, isn't that so creepy but also kinda hot?" Why thank you Warlord, I'm glad we could make up for Deep Space Nine's not having any Mirror Universe episodes this year.

The Q and the Grey: "Oh man wouldn't it be so funny if Q's ex showed up just to call the franchise's first female captain to headline a TV series a bitch? Let's also have Q make dated '50s sitcom ahh references to his newfound wife as 'the ball and chain.'"

Blood Fever: "Now listen, don't go repressing your sexuality, because that might lead to bad things. But also if you try to force yourself on your superior officer we're not gonna reprimand you in any way because you're just following your biological urges. And feel free to beat the snotters out of each other by the way."

Favorite Son: "Wouldn't it be so cool if you got to hang out with Howard Hamlin on a planet of smoking hot women and practise polyamory? No, it wouldn't! Because female sexuality is an inherently corruptive and evil force and only evil space vixens would dare wield it against our poor stout male heroes!"

Real Life: "Aren't *those people* with their hip ho- sorry, Klingon opera and their gang initiations so scary? I sure am glad we can all come together as a white heterosexual family unit, which is the only worthwhile family unit by the way. No, what even is a gay person, somebody call David Livingston to stop those extras holding hands. Anyway, since you didn't ask, here's what *I* thought about the 1992 LA riots."

Look, to a certain extent I'm just dicking around here, and I know that there are all manner of problems of this kind to be found in the long history of Star Trek. Deep Space Nine, just this same season, did Let He Who Is Without Sin..., and we're barely a year away from Profit and Lace, so please don't think that this is just a case of me . But equally, when you lay it out like this... I dunno, man. The third season of Voyager seems, to me at least, particularly regressive.

And I know I've said this before but what the hell happened to Lisa Klink between Seasons Two and Three? Like, four of the episodes I cited were written by her, and nothing prior to Warlord gives off the vibes of "Yep this person has weird views about the world." What, did she spontaneously pick up reading 4chan as a hobby over the summer? Is it just a case of being handed awful scripts and trying desperately to craft a functional teleplay out of them? In all honesty, probably.

But even so, it's very unfortunate, particularly for someone who proved they could write some truly great episodes with Hippocratic Oath, Resistance and Remember.

I know I've got some people in my audience who seem to consistently enjoy Voyager a lot more than I do so I do apologise if I've caused offence with this one, but it just... really wouldn't leave my mind.

#star trek #star trek voyager

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theimaginatrix27 · 5 months

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I've been in the Star Trek fandom spaces long enough, time to talk publicly about a thing that I am injecting into every fic where it is relevant

So if you've been paying attention to my blog the last couple months, you will know I am a huge fan of @enbygesserit 's work. They write the absolute best Dominion lore and fic I have ever had the pleasure of reading/encountering, and I eat up each new piece like my favourite confectionery.

What I am about to discuss predates any exposure I had to their work by at least thirteen years.

And the ship it surrounds was my DS9 OTP for two entire decades (before I discovered the O'Brien polycule and now my DS9 otp is a "One True Polyamorous tangle", but moving on).

That ship being Kiraodo. My heart broke when Odo confessed his love to an apparently dying Kira, she said she loved him back, and that was the clue for him to realise she was not Kira at all. And then when the Female Changeling Voice of the Link told him Kira would never love him because he was a Changeling, I was a tiny sad twelve-yo who thought, "But I love him!" And then I wanted it to be a thing.

And when I found out it was a thing in canon but they had to part ways at the end of the series, I was happy and sad at the same time.

I was a teenager, I didn't know the relationship felt awkward to some (though to be fair I still hated Children of Time and what the alternate/Gaia Odo did, but I address that in another fic so it's fine). I just wanted the sad Changeling and the fiery Bajoran to prove the mean Changeling wrong.

But also, I acknowledged to myself, even in 2009-10, that it would not be fair to Odo at all to make him leave his people again so quickly. I felt sympathetic toward the Changelings/Founders even as a teenager who had not and would not see DS9 in its entirety (curse you, cable TV! You with your reruns and exorbitant prices making it so hard for us to keep you for more than a few months at a time!) Anyways, I knew even then that I didn't want to take Odo away from his people again, even for him and Kira to be together.

So what was my solution?

Here were the canon points I considered at age nineteen (I was creating the bare bones of the Galactic Warp AU at the time and also had a strict must-adhere-to-canon policy for any fanfic ideas I'd had at the time):

The Great Link turned Odo into a solid.

The baby Changeling in The Begotten turned him back, at the cost of its life (but maybe not if it hadn't already been dying).

Therefore, it is canonically possible for a solid to become a Changeling.

What if Kira had been Changelinged?

WHY IS THAT NOT CANON?

I have this as a significant plot point in any Kiraodo content I'm going to write, so if you see Kiraodo becoming a thing in any fic, expect to see Changeling Kira show up somewhere.

"But wait!" someone yells. "You just said you didn't want to take Odo from his people, and Kira's Bajoranness is a huge part of her identity! And you're gonna just take that away from her?"

No, actually. You think the Prophets give a shit whether or not Kira's corporeal form is solid? Fuck no, they're not corporeal and time is not linear for them! The Kira is always the Kira. The Kira is always of Bajor. The Kira is always beloved of the Prophets.

This holds true in every single fic in which I have inserted this. Kira doesn't always become a Changeling full time (some of my AUs have magic), but more importantly, She never stops being Bajoran in the ways that really matter.

Which, if this had been a canon episode, would have been emphasised by the Prophets themselves and I am not taking critique on this.

"But the Founders would never do this in canon!" I hear you cry. "They hate solids and the Voice doesn't like Kira especially!"

First of all, the convoluted love triangle between Odo, Kira and the Voice was stupid.

Second of all, it doesn't even have to be them who do it, we got other more powerful entities around! Q was basically banned from DS9, sure, but what if Kira and Odo weren't on DS9?

Here's my idea for how this could have happened in canon, if the writers had really wanted to sell us the ship.

Odo and Kira have been away on a mission together (doesn't matter where, they just have to be off the station). It's sometime in Season 6, post the Dominion occupation of DS9. When the runabout returns, Odo coms the station and says he needs to give them warning about something, and they're going to have to take him at his word, however hard that may be.

"What's wrong?" Sisko asks. "And where's Major Kira?"

In response, Odo holds up his bucket. There is a Changeling in goo form inside.

"There was an—incident while we were returning from our mission. It was successful, by the way."

Sisko stares at the screen intently for a moment.

"Are you saying," he asks slowly, "that Major Kira was replaced by a Changeling?"

"No, Captain," Odo responds. "I am saying this Changeling is Major Kira."

Cue opening theme!

And possibly this would be a two-parter! I feel that with the whole theme of DS9 being nuance, and with the Dominion being such a big deal, it deserves to be!

Basically the plot would first involve a flashback to Q popping in while Kira and Odo are arguing about something Changeling-related or whatever, going "You know, I've been watching you and yours for a while now—from a safe distance of course—and frankly, I've been surprised by the lack of nuance with regard to the Founders."

And Kira's all, "Oh come on, don't you start with this high-and-mighty attitude! I read all the records about you after your last visit to Deep Space 9, you don't have any room to talk!"

"And neither do you," Q fires back. "You think your terrible acts were justified, don't you? Oh, you know they were dreadful, the fact that you could be so violent distressed you so! But when it comes down to it, you can sleep at night, because you helped drive out the Cardassians and set Bajor free. But when the Dominion imposes their order on their part of the galaxy because they used to be oppressed and were traumatised, you sit there on what moral high ground you have and pass judgment on them!"

"I don't need to hear this! Especially not from you! Sisko made you stay away from the station—from us! Now get off this runabout and leave us alone."

"Oh, you do need to hear it, Nerys. But if you insist on me leaving, let me do so on my terms. Don't worry, my little firework, I'll make sure you don't need my help undoing this." And he snaps his fingers and disappears.

And Kira's form begins to melt and she barely has time to call Odo's name before she dissolves into Changeling goo.

Back on DS9, everyone's a bit frantic after seeing the runabout footage, which confirms Odo's story. He links with her and is able to help her reform after a little time, during which we get to hear panicked Kira thoughts and some cool visuals of what the link is like for her. We get a scene after she's able to shift back into herself where Jadzia quips that she's got purple hair and Cardassian neck ridges or something, which is not amusing to her at all.

Then there's a whole discussion on how they're going to fix her before the rest of the Federation finds out, because "Are they going to believe the testimony of one rogue Changeling and the footage from a runabout computer? What if they decide Kira's a threat and take her into custody?"

And the answer is pretty obvious, especially after Julian examines a sample of her matrix and discovers traces of her dna are still in it.

They have to take her to the Great Link so she can be restored to solidity. The Founders are rather good at genetic manipulation, after all. It'll be fine!

Except they're at war, and the Voice does not like Kira, which forms the majority of the conflict, as they have to convince any Dominion forces they meet that "Seriously, we are not here to fight, please don't blow us up, we just want to help our friend, yes we mean it, don't fire!"

And in the end Kira has to pretend to be a Founder just to get the various ships to leave them alone, and it's weird as fuck for her but she makes it to the Great Link and the Voice is there and doesn't believe her at first until they link and she gets proof from her memories.

Which leads to Kira finding out about the morphogenic virus early, and being incensed, because "Look, I don't like you, but that's crossing multiple lines! I'd never have signed off on that if it were up to me, and I know Sisko wouldn't either! Doctor Bashir's brilliant—he can help you, I'm sure of it."

"Even if we did not help you right away?"

"I can wait, if I have to. I'm kind of getting used to this whole thing. It's been—an interesting experience."

And after another link to confirm that yes, she means that and it's not even in a bad way, the Voice consents to help her regain her solid status and she goes into the Great Link, gets a small taste of the Founders' collective trauma and is deeply moved by it, bursting into tears when she emerges, once more humanoid. There's a whole final scene about how she wishes more people in the Federation could have experienced what she did, and then she goes to write a log entry on the whole thing or something.

But this would absolutely change the trajectory of the war because that's how DS9 works, so it wouldn't just be handwaved away. in subsequent episodes, Julian is able to find a cure—possibly with help from within the Dominion itself because the Founders would very much like to not die and Julian is being Julian at them and they're taking a real liking to him.

And the galaxy is saved because Q did a thing! But also Kira understands Odo better after this and their relationship is all the richer for it.

*Starts chanting* It should've been canon, it should've been canon, it should've been canon, IT SHOULD'VE BEEN CANON!

#Kiraodo #Dominion Tag #Changeling Kira #IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CANON DAMN IT!

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