#I know I told you the Mel spoiler that relates to this

[the-quiet-blogger]

"The Giggle"

You know it's been a while since I've gone truly absolutely batshit over a Doctor Who episode, but here we are. Spoilers, obviously, under the cut.

First of all: UNIT

While I'm not a huge fan of The Doctor working for/with Earth-based Space police, I think it's a great idea to have the companions in a safe environment where they have a place to use all of the knowledge they've gathered during their journey throughout the starts. They get paid to continue doing what they love and while it does set things up to have future (LIVING) companions to make little cameos (or even an option for a spin-off series, I think that it's ultimately a good choice that RTD decided to let the companions have a space where they can live, grow, and continue to help.

One problem I have with this is that this is exactly where Martha and Mickey went at the end of 10's run -- and yet absolutely 0 (zero) mention of them or their whereabouts. They're the OG companions joining UNIT, so where TF are they??

Also this guy?? The Vlinx?? I both love and hated that we didn't get much explanation for this Guy in the Chair. Just "Oh you're helping?! Sure! Absolutely no reason to think that this new alien and the weird thing that's happening are related ANYWAYS--"

A bit like Panda from JJK where it's just "yeah and this is Vlinx, it works here, moving on,"

LOVE the jab about antivaxxers using the narrative of the Zeedex. It DOES help, but since you're asking the masses (who all wholeheartedly believe that they are right and everyone else is wrong) to put this on, it becomes a bit harder -- we saw how Kate reacted the moment she willfully put it on. Also return of our #Queen for her role as the News Anchor. Glad she has a name now.

Secondly: Donna <3 my absolute beloved. She has grown so fucking much. From yelling at the world because that's the only way to be heard to quietly asking The Doctor what is wrong. She has grown into her own woman, though of course still missing a lot of main action before the metacrisis was resolved (I could write a whole other deep dive about that episode too). When she noticed that the laughter was notes -- "The Giggle" hiding behind the screen, I was so proud of her. This is why the Doctor needs an "every day" human -- and Donna is so blunt that she won't hold back on her observations, though I have to wonder if the whole recorder conversation with Rose was how she came out. I hope so, that's just so chaotic.

I've seen some people argue that there is still some TimeLord in her because of how smart she's been in these last few episodes.

To that I say

"bitch, do you not remember the bees disappearing???"

Donna Noble is a genius and an idiot. Both can exist in the same person, in the same character, and that's exactly what they proved with the previous episode.

and SPEAKING OF her being a genius

She loves The Doctor, not romantically, but in a "platonic soulmate" kind of way that makes my heart full. When she realized that The Doctor never mentioned Mel or any of their adventures, she pointed it out. Not only that, she told The Doctor point-blank that there's always something that the Time Lord seems to be running from. There's never really been a moment when he's stopped and talked about any of the shit that he's been through and she can tell that it's starting to wear on him.

"Maybe that's why your old face came back. You're wearing yourself out"

and he immediately changes the subject and charges forward despite her telling him a harsh truth. She's travelling with him again, sure, but it was supposed to be some short little trip and I think the main reason she went with him in the first place (whether or not she will admit it) is because she saw her friend in crisis and wanted to be around to help -- to figure out what exactly he needed from her. With each episode, she's tried to guess why his old face came back, but nothing stuck.

The fucking puppet show.

Now, I feel like this is a great way to catch up new fans with any old Doctor trauma that they may have missed. It was also a way to shove it into The Doctor's face just how many of his loved ones that he was responsible for killing.

Now, before I hear any one say "but what about ______??"

Rory wasn't as close to The Doctor as Amy had been. "The first face this face saw" and while they did become closer later on, he would always have a special place in his heart for Amy. He watched her die for fucks sake.

Martha wasn't mentioned because as far as he knows, she's still alive and kicking ass. That's part of the reason he will up and abandon certain companions, so he doesn't get them hurt.

The Fam - left behind and alive. Remember 2/3 of the original Fam chose to step away from the TARDIS and Yaz was left before 13 could regenerate as she "needed to do this on [her] own". While, yes, I'm sure the Doctor feels guilty about leaving them behind, it's not nearly as bad as getting them killed.

Anyone else had either survived as far as The Doctor was aware, or hadn't been as close as those particular companions. That is why those 3 were chosen.

Now, back to the puppet show

Mentioning not only the lost companions but also the Flux

God I do not have the time to go into this half-assed recreation of a tragedy trying to be as big and bad as the Time War and Gallifrey. I feel like Chris Chibnall felt snubbed with a female presenting Doctor and gave us the most half-written mediocre bull shit he could have. RTD is already having to fix it with mentioning it several times and exactly what happened in the aftermath. Just looking up "Doctor Who Flux" you get so many results that all try to "explain" it.

If your audience has to look up how your writing makes sense, you aren't smarter or cleverer than the masses, it's just shit writing.

However,

While the actual Flux episodes and following regeneration made it hard to understand not only what happened, RTD breaks it down.

There was a terrible decision to be made. The universe was dying. The Doctor had to choose and a lot of deaths now lay on the Time Lord's shoulders.

BUT! That was also the only piece of The Doctor's trauma that couldn't be waved away with

Which is when The Doctor challenged the Toymaker to a game.

Back too 2023, we get...quite honestly one of the best scenes I've seen in New Who, only rivalled by Here Come the Drums with the Master dancing along. No, Rasputin doesn't come close to this cunty rendition of Spice Up Your Life.

Amazing, cunty, terrifying, entertianing, and fun.

"I think they're still falling" -- BITCH?!?!?! Ugh. I want more of the Toymaker. What a fun villain and Neil Patrick Harris knocked it out of the goddamn park. No matter what you thought about this episode, this dance routine was a highlight.

I also love the reference to when The Doctor had tried to reason with The Master, asking to go amongst the stars with fun filled adventures, taking on the burden of being their jailer and caretaker for the rest of eternity if it meant that humanity was safe.

Of course, we all know what comes after the Toymaker refuses the call to the stars.

I immediately started crying. Before The Doctor even started with those last words, I wasn't ready to say goodbye. We went from "I don't want to go" to "allons-y". From him dying alone in his TARDIS to being immediately surrounded by loved ones

"He's not dying alone"

And he didn't have to.

I choked on my crying so hard I almost died myself. I know David Tennant had always said that he thought The Doctor was asexual to some degree, but this is just ridiculous. /pos

But, when you consider the salt line at the edge of the universe and how that myth became a reality because of The Doctor's actions -- the fact that bigeneration was once a myth and now a reality suddenly opens up a whole door of possibilities for this upcoming season with Ncuti Gawa.

Now, The Doctor(s)

14 was consistently surprised in their actions, their off-the-hand comments. Something that 10 always struggled with was saying how much people meant to them.

And one thing about 14, they are filled with love. They openly say "I love ____" whereas 10 never did.

"Rose Tyler, I--"

Having to leave those he loved behind, never wanting to admit when he cared more than he did. As long as he spun and ran away from his feelings, they could never catch up to him. Right?

14 is different, always saying "I'm here", "You're okay" and slinging around the word "love" as if they would never grow tired of it. 14, obviously, is The Doctor after Amy, Clara, Billie, and the Fam. After avoiding a family with the Ponds, losing Clara after realizing they were toxic for her, a friend who never expected anything more from them, and Yaz's fam who only wanted to be a safe space for them to be able to turn to. Yaz, the last companion that was pushed away by The Doctor, had loved them and told them so and gotten nothing in return.

And there were so many different ways that 14 showed this love. So many hugs!! So many reassurances!! And so much love that The Doctor was sharing amongst everyone who could hear them -- and yet not a drop of that love or compassion showed inwards.

I am so emotional about this hug, it's not even funny. Literally healing their younger self. The love, the understanding, the "I'm here" -- finally someone who understands literally everything 14 has gone through. The acceptance of the hug (THE TUCK INTO THE NECK?!?!?FSKFBWILDNLADN) I fell to my knees!!!!! SOBBING!!!!!!!!

BUT!!! Not only is 15 born on the battlefield, but also born surrounded by love and fun. Pants or not, 15 is ready to save the world and make it a good time for those around them. Self assured, fun, smiling, and loving-- 15 jumps into the world with a confused hug and love for their past & current self. After years of therapy, I keep hearing some of the same phrases along the lines of "you have to look to your past/younger self and let them know that it's okay, that they shouldn't have had to go through all of that alone" and this was exactly that, only on a Time Lord scale.

Now, personally, I had fun watching the game of catch with the Toymaker after 15 was introduced. I thought it was a fun way to share the spotlight with Gawa as the 15th Doctor and let the audience know some hints as to what we have to look forward to.

The terms of endearment melted my little heart. I'm always a sucker for a good nickname, both in real life and in fiction and 15 was full of them.

"Honey, sweetie, pumpkin pie, you are too traumatized to be flying the TARDIS right now, get OUT and take a NAP"

That was basically what was said, right?

And then this...home. The Doctor having a family. This is quite honestly the perfect, happiest ending that The Doctor wearing this particular face could have had. All those years running away, fighting hard, and keeping on a strong face, and this is what that was for. All that running and avoiding, and love for everyone else but themself and now they finally can take a break and focus on taking time to say "what the hell". Maybe go to therapy. There's so much fic potential for this as well, the kinds of companions they could run into casually or little every day struggles that are literally alien to them.

I've seen a lot of posts upset that this plot point seemed to be circling around two points: 1) this a repeat of the metacrisis ending and 2) not the first time The Doctor had domestic bliss.

To that, I say:

the metacrisis Doctor was half human and would be able to grow old with Rose in that parallel universe. It was also the traumatic ending of the DoctorDonna (or so we thought) and on that beach, the Doctor, the Time Lord Doctor, still couldn't say how much Rose meant to him. He also said that living life, day after day, was the one thing that he could never have.

2. On Tranzalore, The Doctor was not resting. He was taking care of the tear in the universe and defending it from the monsters that would constantly be on the attack. Every day was a fight. And when he spent those 24 years with River Song, he knew that this was the last time they would meet before her end. How can you relax when you know that these are the last moments you're going to have with your loved one. You watched them die and this is the best that you can do with them in their last days, knowing that you can't stop death from coming.

And there is something so incredibly healing about The Doctor allowing themselves to stay here, with only occasional trips to the Moon with their favorite niece. and the possibility of them perhaps becoming a Curator -- who knows!!

And now we have Ncuti Gawa's 15th Doctor to look forward to and all of time and space!! I am so incredibly excited to see where this takes us on Christmas.

#basically: AAAAHHHHHH OH MY GOD #fourteenth doctor #doctor who #doctor who 60th anniversary #doctor donna #14th doctor #rant post #tumblr essay #welcome ncuti gawa #Doctor Who is Not Dedd

[bookenders]

Storyteller Saturday once again, my charming 🌵 friend! So, if your characters were to be a host of a show (or podcast, etc.), what do you think the show would be about? Do you think they would actually be good at being the host?

Storyteller Saturday!

I, uh… Got a little carried away.

Here are some AU podcasts:

FRED

A podcast about what life was like in medieval England and France! You might’ve read the blog, but now you can hear the podcast! Join host Fred Coriander as he takes a walk through history and tells you everything history books won’t.

Fred would be a great host! He loves to ramble about things he likes. Of course, he’d have to hire someone to edit the episodes. Best to keep the oops risk factor at a minimum. It would have some kind of structure that would be solid for the first five minutes before he hits a tangent and gets distracted.

GEMMA

Wonky magic got you down? Cary’s here to help! Once an anonymous forum-cryptid, this wickedly talented alchemist knows all the tips and tricks to turn your notions into potions and keep your mage grades up.

Gemma’s show would be posted under her pseudonym to avoid all that annoying legal business. It’s an advice show/case study program that does listener questions for the first half and a recipe explanation/walk through for the second half. She’s an excellent teacher and has photo references for her experiments. It’s sort of like her science journal.

And she’d totally use mimic philters to alter her voice for recording.

MEL

Subject-assisted surgery, fully organic prosthetics, all-natural spell-free permanent hair-dye - and that’s just the tip of the iceberg! Fae-expert and self-proclaimed master of all things weird Mel will take you on a journey into the not-so-distant future as she highlights the wildest things science has to offer. 

So, this one might be a bit of a surprise, but Mel is a huge nerd for weird science. Especially weird medical science. She might not be the best host, but she has the best info. If she gets on a topic she knows a lot about, she goes a little too fast for most people to keep up with, and if there’s a boring bit she usually skims over it or skips it entirely. Which would lead to a lot of confusion.

RYAN

Join Ryan Sinclair as he breaks down your screw ups and spills the tea on the world of modern tech! From high-brow corporate device schemes to how to power your home off the grid, Ryan and the occasional guest expert unravel what’s really going on behind the curtain.

Surprise surprise, Ryan would not be the best host. He stutters and has a lot of dead air, so he relies on guests to fill time and help him out. He’s got the know-how, just not the presenter skills to share it. So he brings on people like Andy and Jamie to make everything engaging and coherent.

[Throwing my tag lists on here because this one’s fun:]

H2H

WIP Intro Post | H2H WIP Tag | Character Page | WIP Page | PowerPoint Intro

Character Tags: Gemma | Mel | The Ladies | Fred Coriander | Officer Oz

OC Intros: Harry | Mary | Oz | Jill | Treena | Fred | Gemma | Mel

H2H Tag List: @katekyo-bitch-reborn, @cawolters, @wasting-ink-not-youth, @quilloftheclouds, @snickertoodles, @mvcreates, @writeness, @half-explored, @dcdarrells, @aslanwrites, @minusfractions, @purpleshadows1989, @royalbounties, @waterfallwritings, @the-clockwork-anything, @kriss-the-writing-nerd, @abalonetea, @timefirewrites, @tricksexual, @introspective-outreach, @alternativeforensicscientist, @sumoranges

[Let me know if you want to be added or removed!]

_____

FISH FOOD

WIP Intro Post | FF WIP Tag | WIP Page | PowerPoint Intro

Character Tags: Iron Will | Overseer | Lithium | Babylon | Nightmare | Sparkplug

OC Intro Post:  Phase 1 | Phase 2

Individual Intros:

Phase 1 (Main Cast): Iron Will | Overseer | Lithium |  Babylon | Nightmare

Phase 2 (Supporting Cast): Sparkplug | Battalion | Ferro

***

[Let me know if you want to be added or removed!]

Fish Food Tag List:  @theevolutionofledarose, @kriss-the-writing-nerd, @quilloftheclouds, @waterfallwritings, @dontwritethatone, @aeschknight, @abalonetea, @ladywithalamp, @writevevo, @danger-writes, @anika-writes-things, @sunlight-and-starskies, @writing-every-other-star, @shadeshadow234, @jaimistoryteller, @leave-her-a-tome, @dowings, @alternativeforensicscientist, @sumoranges, @notanalien51

#I know I told you the Mel spoiler that relates to this #and I'm so happy I can tease it to everyone else #ender answers #storyteller saturday #FF Overseer #Gemma #Mel #Fred #podcasts #my ocs #quilloftheclouds #ender edits #oc podcasts #Heart to Heart #Fish Food #this question is so good

[souyasbabyy]

• pairing: senju x fem!reader

• requested by @raysano: hi mel!! hope that you're okay <3 could i please request a senju x fem!reader where reader joins kanto manji gang bc mikey is her twin brother. reader didn't tell senju that she was related to mikey at all and senju only found out when she saw reader standing with mikey. mikey and reader have the same fighting power and senju didn't even know that reader could fight, at all. chapter 245 better be good istg anyways, thank you!! <33

• genre: angst

• warning: spoiler of the few last chapter

• note: hi babyyy thank you so much for the request i loved it a lot and it was a fucking good idea! now that i've read the chapter 245 i'm so scared for what's goign to happen in the followings chapter but anyway i hope you'll like this love u <33

Looking at you, anyone could see that you were nervous, some probably didn't paid attention and the others thought that you were nervous about the fight, after all you were friends with most of the toman members. But really you were just scared because you knew that Senju would be there.

The day before you were with her, cuddling and refusing to let go of her, you were sure that after the fight you would loose her. She'll refuse to stay with you and break up. You were also scared of something happening to her, you wouldn't bear seeing her in pain. You were already worried after her fight against South and Mikey, but this. That was different, because you would be there. Fighting against her, fighting against your friends. But what were you suppose to do? Betray your brother when you were the last person he had? No.

You never told Mikey about your relationship with Senju, and she don't know that Mikey is your brother, you never told her because of the past she had with him. You love her more than anything, just the thought of fighting her made you sick, but you don't have a choice.

When the two gang reunited, the first thing you did was search for her, you wanted to see her, see her eyes, what would she think? You could read her like an open book. Would she be hurt? Mad? Disappointed? You wanted to slap yourself just at the thought of it.

The moment you saw her, you smile, as bad as the situation was you couldn't help but smile seeing her in the uniform remembering how excited she was, sending you pictures in it. Telling you how pretty she felt on it and god was she right, she's the most beautiful girl you've laid your eyes on.

Looking at Benkei and Wakasa being confused as to why they were in the kanto manji gang. Looking at everyone, she freezes, feeling her heart drop as her eyes meet yours. She frowns, her eyes watering as you look away, saying something to Mikey, what were you doing here? She blink many time, looking at Takemichi "Why is she here?" she asks, Takemichi looks at you, surprised when he realised you were under Mikey's gang "She's Mikey twin" he says "Fuck, we have to fight two Mikey now?" she hears someone says and she look back at you, hurted, realising she never really knew who you were.

#mel 🌻 #senju x reader #senju imagine #tokyo revengers senju #tokyo revengers angst #tokyo revengers x reader #tokyo revengers imagine #tokyo revengers headcanon #tokyorev x reader #mikey sano #tokyo revengers

[oblivionhold]

Second act of arcane is out, so. Second verse same as the first. Spoilers under the cut.

Jayce getting political power and making bad decisions with it makes sense. I enjoyed how, even in situations in which the 'normal' trope would have the person with power have it go to his head, Jayce still cared for Viktor. He wants Viktor to be up there with him, and he doesn't intend to overshadow him, but because he's a charismatic handsome dude vs. the socially awkward physically disabled guy, everyone gravitates to him anyway. He's fine with having sex with Mel while Viktor nearly dies because he doesn't know about it, but as soon as he learns, he leaves her to wake up alone so he can be with Viktor when he wakes up. And he overthrows Heimer because he sees the problems that Heimer hasn't solved and thinks he can fix things, not because of a lust for power. It's a very nuanced take on the normal 'power corrupts' narrative.

There's some theorizing that Mel is LeBlanc, and while I cannot deny the theory that everyone is secretly LeBlanc, I think it's more likely that Mel is just a Noxian, either intentionally spying on Piltover for her mother country or just being used as a source of information for the actual Noxian spies.

Poor Viktor. Making deals with Singed is never a good idea, but, well, when the alternative is death... It's a common trope told well, here. Here's hoping these are the Riot writers who don't keep trying to make Viktor a 1 note supervillain and are willing to entertain the possibility of the Glorious Evolution being a good thing. Also, very invested in Viktor literally doing the 'while you were having sex I was studying the blade hextech' thing, and I enjoyed the callbacks to his hexcore and his lazor.

Heimerdinger is really interesting, because his cautiousness makes sense. Hextech is incredibly dangerous in the wrong hands (see: Jinx), and Piltover/Zaun do need to come together and stop letting class barriers divide them. But he's also unable to relate to more mortal races, and why a decade long delay might be fine for him but unacceptable for Jayce and Viktor. Plus, for all his speeches about coming together with Zaun, he wasn't doing a very good job of actually trying to come together with Zaun. Act 1 happened under his watch, after all.

Caitlyn was pretty good. I'm honestly baffled that at no point she said 'I'm not an enforcer anymore' to Vi or Jinx questioning her, since that would make her more sympathetic as someone else screwed over by the enforcers. I suppose she still thinks of herself as an enforcer, and is trying to get back into her old position? In any event, it was nice to see Grayson again. Oh and she is gay and it is good.

Vi is also gay and also good. It's nice to see her not trust Caitlyn immediately, and constantly bickering with her was fun.

Silco remains an interesting character. He clearly cares for Jinx, but he's such a horrible person that everything he does out of love for her makes her worse off.

And Jinx herself is just the best. Like normal Jinx is whacky cartoon crazy. She makes explosions and it is funny. But this Jinx is a more realistic example of a mentally ill person, in that her mental illness actually causes problems for her in her normal life (of being a criminal). She gets flashbacks in the middle of work, gets hallucinations in the middle of conversations, and is very prone to mood swings in ways that disconcert other people. Like every time she's on screen I keep thinking she needs a therapist, and I think that's a really good thing for a well-written mentally ill character. They're sympathetic enough that you want them to get better.

#arcane #league of legends #arcane act 2 #arcane act two #arcane spoilers #arcane act 2 spoilers

[heavensenthale]

Also, in terms of Arcane - I would like to be spoiled and I'd rather have things spoiled for me by someone who is passionate about the game and story. It's much more interesting hearing/reading someone talk about what they love... than me going to Wikipedia and "researching." Do you relate to that at all? I mean, I could literally sit and listen to people talk about their passions (for the most part, unless it's a passion I have no interest in whatsoever... like a friend of mine who wouldn't stop talking about Rick & Morty... I appreciate the show but I couldn't watch it and didn't like hearing about it) for hours. I do that with mates all the time. People've listened to me, too. Haha

ok so I'm going to make this my Non-Official Guide to League of Legends Arcane-related Lore

@my dear mutuals who are interested in the show but don't want to be spoiled. Please be advised that this post will contain SPOILERS.

Seriously.

BIG ASS SPOILER ALERT.

k. bases covered. Let's do this.

Disclaimer: this post was written on December 9th and doesn't account for any retcons that might happen after that date.

So, first thing to be established here is that Arcane is happening slightly before the LoL canon, meaning there are a lot of things that are Known in the LoL extended universe but not in Arcane (either because they haven't happened or because the characters that Arcane follows don't know about it).

Runeterra Regions

So Runeterra is the plane of existence where most of the lore takes place. There's a lot going on but basically it is magic-made and it exists in the Physical Realm and the Spirit Realm. This may or may not be important in upcoming episodes so I think it is relevant to include for speculation purposes.

The ones marked with * are explicitly mentioned in Arcane. Places with ** are not mentioned yet but are important to the story indirectly.

These are the nations in Runeterra:

Bilgewater (Gang Syndicates)

Demacia (Feudal Monarchy)**

Freljord (Tribal Matriarchy)

Ionia (Regional Provinces)

Ixtal (Mage Autocracy)

Noxus (Expansionist Empire)*

Shurima (Divine Empire)

Targon (Tribal Theocracy)

These are some city-states in Runeterra:

Piltover*

Zaun*

These are places that do not have a government or that no longer exist as a unified nation

Bandle City**

Icathia

Shadow Isles

I'm not going to bore you with details on all the nations but here's a two-line explanation of those related to Arcane.

Piltover: here is where a big part of the story takes place. Piltover has always been characterized as the city of progress, as its growth and fame do not come from military prowess but science and invention.

Zaun: the undercity used to be part of Piltover (they were known as sister cities as well) and it grew as Piltover developed, however the expansion of Piltover saw Zaun develop into a dumping ground of unethical tech and pollution that has significantly worsened the lives of Zaun residents

Noxus: as I told my friend Mattie once: Noxus is like Bloodthirsty Nation. They're regarded by everyone in Runeterra as a War Empire BUT Noxus is surprisingly egalitarian and meritocratic. You're supposed to sympathize with the ppl who hate them but they're one of the few countries who don't despise magic or outlaw it in any way (and believe me, prohibition of magic is a Big Deal)

Bandle City: this is where the yordles come from. The Yordles? Yeah, Heimerdinger and that Lady that helped Vi in the Pleasure House, those are the yordles. I'm gonna be honest, I don't understand a big deal about them but they're pretty much Magic itself and also somewhat immortal.

Demacia: now, Demacia hasn't been explicitly mentioned but they're Noxus Enemy Number #1 and it's very likely that Mel's brother was killed by a demacian. This is pure speculation, but I think they're going to introduce them considering the Arcane finale and how Piltover's government will be essentially destroyed, etc.

But Mili, you may be thinking, there is so much going on here I don't want to know all these details.

Yeah, me neither but I was cursed with useless info and I will make it everyone else's problem.

So here are a bunch of wild speculations about the series that may or may not be important. I'm almost leaving out individual characters of this one and focusing in the power relationships between the countries because my Pol-Sci background tells me that's a nice approach to take sometimes and also because if we're going to speculate about Vander being Warwick, then I need an entire post devoted to that.

I'll keep this part under the cut because this is already long enough.

So, Piltover and Zaun.

Historically, when a nation is looking for independance and/or equal representation in the government, some people are not going to like it. In the show this is briefly addressed when characters say things like "the undercity is out of control, we need to enforce X, Y and Z" and even refuse to recognize the worth of the undercity citizens altogether (Jayce being praised by his inventions and discoveries while Viktor is left in the shadows and his Zaunite heritage is constantly undermined even by Jayce himself).

Something very interesting about how the series decided to approach the class conflict between Piltover and Zaun is that they didn't shy away from showing people who are completely unaware of it (Caitlyn) and people who actively take advantage of it (the nobles Jayce speaks to in the theater scene). They showed us class struggle and the dehumanization of those considered to be inferior (it even happens between Zaunites with the crime lords that control the undercity economy giving zero fucks about the undercity being poisoned as long as they could breath their fresh air).

So this sets up an interesting landscape of political unrest that will come back to bite Piltover in the ass when they inevitably take actions against the undercity after Jinx's final attack in season 1.

The introduction of Noxus, an expasionist empire that keeps looking to grow at the moment of the series, via Ambessa Medarda could hint at a possible Noxus invasion in season 2 (specially if Ambessa dies in the final attack, which we don't know yet so). As I said before, Demacia is Noxus Enemy #1 and they might get involved out of sheer desire to fight Noxus (a very USA move if you ask me) or if Piltover goes to them for help (which may or may not happen because Piltover believes itself to be independent and might see it as a weakness).

Now here's where I should say that Piltover is not above creating instruments of war. In the series we see Mel push Jayce to develop weapons (something that pre-Jinx attack might've been considered extreme and that post-Jinx attack will probably be encouraged), and that takes me to Camille, a champ that has not yet been introduced but that might already exist within the universe.

According to the LoL lore, Camille is the Principal Intelligencer of Clan Ferros—an elite agent who ensures the Piltover machine and its Zaunite counterpart runs smoothly. Camille has been weaponized with Hextech body augmentation, something that we see Viktor trying to develop during the series but at the moment is having mixed results.

I say Camille might already exist in the universe because the Lore tells us she was born in 916 AN and Mel was born between 963 AN - 966 AN (she is said to be 31-34 years old meaning the "present" in Arcane is the year 997 AN). So it is possible that while Viktor is working on incorporating Hextech to his own body, there is someone, somewhere in Piltover also working in it. Or Riot could decide to retcon this tiny detail and make me sound crazy.

This also means that Orianna (a Piltover girl whose body had to be replaced with clockwork piece by piece after an accident in Zaun) might be shown as well. Orianna is also considered a Piltover weapon.

Here I'd like to come back to the political landscape that will probably facilitate the rapid development of Hextech post-Jinx attack.

In the parley scene between Silco and Jayce, Jayce asks Silco to halt Shimmer production. Yes, Shimmer is a drug and it's used for unethical human experiments, but Shimmer is also the main source of weaponry for Zaun, which means that Jayce wanted Zaun under Piltover's control anyway (sure, he agrees to sovereignty for Zaun but what's the point of sovereignty here if Zaun will depend on Piltover's Hextech technology for further development? Something, something, paralells to the decolonization of Africa, etc)

Jayce acknowledges that Silco is needed to keep Zaun under control because the rest of the crimelords will not listen to anyone else. Jinx killed Silco. At the moment, there is absolutely no one ruling over Zaun and all the shit that went unchecked because it benefitted Silco is now going to try to secure an important position in Zaun's political landscape.

Considering the Jinx attack, it is unlikely that Piltover will be quick to fight alongside Zaun over their shared history and desire to see Jinx behind bars or dead, so a civil war WILL break out between Piltover and Zaun (you could draw similarities between this and the Syrian civil war where there are multiple fronts with different goals against a govenment. Or in this case, the different crimelords of Zaun and Piltover).

Now you can see how Noxus and Demacia could become major plot points in season 2.

Was I going anywhere with this? I don't know, I just know that the history between the different regions is incredibly interesting and the more you investigate about the relationships between the characters and their place in the nations of this world, the more interesting it gets.

I could go on the Noxus attack of Ionia, its consequences and how this could be happening parallel to the Zaun and Piltover story (Akali, for example, is said to be born in 977 AN and at the Arcane "present" she should be 20 years old. In her lore, the Order of Shadow is already active and important, meaning that the big Noxus Attack on Ionia already happened. The Kinkou, the Navori Brotherhood and the aforementioned Order of Shadow have all developed to the point of rising tension in the islands. The idea of revenge against Noxus is taking shape etc etc), but I am tired and I should be writing a malec fic, not overanalyzing the politics of ficitonal lands.

#damn this is LONG #arcane #arcane spoilers #league of legends #SOMEONE PLS ASK ME ABOUT VIKTOR I CAN TALK ABOUT VIKTOR FOR 26 HOURS STRAIGHT #yes mom obviously my years in uni were not wasted i am using my pol-sci and literature knowlegde for important things #if you know how i get why do you invite me to the party etc #lore #replies #the-prince-of-tides

[bamberry]

This is not miraculous ladybug related,

(it sorta is 😀)

it’s mentioned but this is just more of heyyyyyyyy nice to meet youuuuu.

Because I’ve now realized I never really introduced myself on this blog. I kinda just appeared out of nowhere tbh.

But my blog is becoming such a big place now so I think it’s the least I can do. Some of y’all might care some of y’all might not- I’m not really going to press you on the matter.

Soooooo, my blog is Bamberry. I don’t know how or why I have this name. I seriously have no idea what I was thinking but hey, here we are. Will I ever change the name? If I ever think of a better one, maybe.

On my blog you can call me Ber/Bam, whatever you prefer tbh. Or you can call me by my real name if want. My name real is Amelie. (Or nickname which is Mel) No I’m not French but I was pleasantly surprised to finally see a character from a show that shared the same name as muah.

Alas, I still can never find my name on those keychains in gas stations 😔

My pronouns are she/her. Though I’m not particularly strict on it.

’m not shy? Sorta? I mean if you say hi I’ll say hi back and I do my best to keep conversations going. I guess I get a bit nervous and flustered. But please! I genuinely love talking to you guys. also I’m kinda hoping to make some new friends on here to talk about ml with too. Kinda have been avoiding it because I just overthink a lot lol.

I hope I don’t come off as like someone who’s aggressive on my blog- truth be told I don’t even know what vibe I give out. Do I even give a vibe out? Or does this blog feel like a robot is managing it?

So, In case you weren’t sure,(which hopefully isn’t the case but nonetheless) this is a miraculous ladybug blog. I’ve been in the fandom since the dawn of time but I never really had an entire blog dedicated to the show until recently.

This blog had started off as user friendly but at one point I said fuck it. Obviously I do restrain myself from time to time but sometimes I can’t help it.

I do blog other ships besides the love square. Either because I find it cute, the art is good, I’m supporting the artist, or because I feel like it. I don’t hate, I don’t discriminate (UNLESS YOURE SHIPPING THINGS LIKE HAWKMOTH AND MARINETTE THEN IN THAT CASE I WILL PHYSICALLY HURT YOU)

Besides that everybody’s safe here.

The more people you ship, the more you can indulge yourself in the many fics and fine works of art.

At least that’s how I see it.

Anyways.

I post spoilers. Always, All the time. This blog is not the place if you’re trying to avoid spoilers. I will post spoilers as the episode airs. I will post spoilers before the episodes airs, and I will post spoilers AFTER the episode airs. I will sometimes tag ml spoilers if I remember to in posts but other than that and the big warning in my bio, it’s all I’ll really do.

I think a good chunk of you knows that I usually post things like art, rants, theories, headcanons, literally anything and everything I think of,

Speaking of you guys, I do actually recognize my active followers and 👉👈 well I appreciate you very much. Whether you’re new follower or an older one. I love you all equally. I’d shoutout but I’m afraid I’d forget one of you and feel bad about it for the next four years. But you know who you are!

I am looking forward more interaction with y’all. Especially with the way the show be hitting us with the pain. We’re all gonna need therapy by the end of it.

:,)

That being said! If there is anything you’d like to know please don’t hesitate to ask. My dms are always opens and of course so are my asks.

#bamberry blog #about me #heyyyyooo #miraculous ladybug #bamberry asks #bamberry rant #bamberry #bamberry vibes

[uwua3]

hi bunnie!!! i’m simping over juza again (but when am i not) so may i request some soft juza dating hc’s?? anything is fine 🥺👉👈 ilysm 💕

hi, mel~ ♡ i hope you’re doing well! :D i know you’re a fan of genshin impact, so i hope you enjoy this !!! <333 this isn’t as #Soft as i wanted, but i hope it makes you smile regardless 🥺 i love you lots !!! so does juza~ ´͈ ᵕ `͈ ♡°◌̊ (ahhh can you ever date a fatui harbringer though? hopefully some day TT)

summary: before juza leaves, he gives you a dream he will defend until the end

warnings: genshin impact spoilers(?), mentions of death

author’s note: no, i will not elaborate on why i have this extreme association of juza with childe. please do not ask me, as i will write *too much*. however, for any of my a3! genshin fans, please enjoy this piece for 11th fatui harbringer, hyodo juza! (there are no MAJOR spoilers for childe’s story—just his personality/family relations!)

+ i do NOT ship childe/traveller !!! childe is a young adult while traveller is canonically a teenager, i do not support the actual ship itself. please note juza is 18 in this writing :)

word count: 1,566

music: who are you, really? – mikky ekko, killer – the ready set

until we meet again, in snezhnaya.

🍁🍰 hyodo juza

They call Hyodo Juza, “Defender of Childhood Dreams”.

Because if you make a promise, you keep it. If you make a mistake, you apologize. If you give someone a dream, you defend it ‘til the end.

Despite always being away from his home country of Snezhnaya, Juza found himself keeping his word no matter where he went. As one of the older brothers of the Hyodo household, Juza could clearly remember his younger siblings’ tears as he departed all those years ago.

“Toymakers go all around the world for the best toys! I’ll send home lots of gifts, promise.” Juza swore on his life before disappearing away in the snow, wielding the emblem of the Fatui at eighteen.

“Brother Kumon, I will be home soon. I will take the first ship home, just as I promised—and you know how I always keep my promises.”

Yours faithfully, Your loyal knight

Juza sits in Liyue now, the ink staining the parchment against his will as he carefully signs his name. Gifts of all kinds sat beside him, such as kites, rattle drums, porcelain dolls, and snacks. After all, Juza did make a promise to send gifts. His younger brother, Kumon, deserved the best.

Before Juza could remember the chill of the snow down his spine and the numbing cold of frostbite he hadn’t felt in so long, the surface of his tea became unevenly rippled. At a distance, Juza could already tell it was you. Your rather odd companion, Paimon, could be sighted a mile away with how loud she was. On the other hand, you attentively listened as you stood out amongst the crowds.

Placing his quill down, Juza placed a pleasant smile upon his face. For a second, Snezhnaya disappeared. The frozen binding of his loyalty to her Majesty, the Tsaritsa, melted to reveal a heart longing for you to turn your head.

Even if it was for a moment, Juza’s head cleared of it all. His family waiting for him to conquer the world, his brother awaiting his latest toys, the expectation of laying all seven stars upon the Cryo Archon’s feet. All of it disappeared and all that was left was your face.

Honorary knight of Mondstadt. Hero that slayed Dvalin, or Stormterror. Lost twin looking for your sibling across Teyvat. You, a person from a different world, had made Juza forget why he had been fighting. Ever since he was fourteen, Juza fought tooth and nail just to survive. Now, Juza almost felt like he didn’t have to even move a finger as you met his eyes and returned his smile.

Juza would go through the abyss again, for three years even, to keep that smile.

When you walked over to his table of one, Juza lifted his hand in a wave as he called your name. Like you two were just friends, and nothing more. However, friends... wasn’t enough, not for Juza.

“Finally! My only worthy opponent, have you come for another fight?” Juza half-joked, his voice betraying his rumbling excitement and passion to be beaten once again. You always managed to gain the upper hand despite everything, and the rush of feeling like he was about to die gave him a thrill like no other.

But, you just shook your head as Paimon rolled her eyes, crossing her little arms mid-air. “Gosh, Juza, all you think about is fighting!” Juza held his hands up as if he surrended (he never actually would) and rested his hand on his spear, feeling the cool metal. Juza could imagine the electric sensation of his delusion, crackling for a fight regardless.

Only you could get him so worked up, Juza thought.

“No, I. . .” You trailed off, pausing to look away. The lowering sunset reflected in your eyes, like waves of Liyue’s harbor. Juza watched as your heart beat faster, uncertain, which was strange for such a renown legend in the making. Finally, you met his eyes with the confidence he knew and loved.

“I wanted to see you again before you left Liyue.” You honestly admitted and Juza let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. The bustling merchants of the city of contracts continued to thrive around the two. Carts of many merchandises wheeled past them, children ran by making up fantasies beyond the ocean, and business never stopped as trade went on and on. This was Liyue at its finest, and Juza was sure he’d miss it. Or, more specifically, you.

“Really? Perhaps I’ll have to take you home to my family one day. In the snowy hills where everything is cold.” Juza spoke like he was telling a story, as if he was speaking to Kumon back in their one-room hut. As if the snowflakes were in their hair, gloves keeping their hands functional, and makeshift fire was burning weakly between them. You seemed to change, posture weakening as if you were... safe.

You relaxed and didn’t have that subconscious to fight, not when you were with Juza. While you and Juza were two opposite ends of the spectrum, you two had one similarity that bound you together: being born into a life where fighting was the only option. Your hand that always hovered above your weapon fell to your side, and you took a seat across from Juza.

Juza, eleventh Harbringer of the Fatui, feared by all for his chaotic wild card battles. Yet, here he was, writing back home and drinking tea with a traveller who had done the impossible. You made him feel like putting down his weapons and running away, you made him want a second chance at life. As long as it was with you. Only you.

“Snezhnaya... tell me about it.” You said and Juza’s fingers twitched. Visions flew by his mind rapidly, mostly unpleasant and hard to speak of at a place like this. Juza wouldn’t dare tell you about the droughts of hunger when the war left the people to fend for themselves, the iced-over corpses serving as markings in the mountains, nor the everlasting pine trees that spoke of disaster with each collapse. Juza couldn’t say it, not when you were looking at him so wholeheartedly.

“My favorite thing to do is ice-fishing.” Juza started and launched into a whirlwind of his number one hobby. Spoke of the early morning hours cutting holes into thick layers of ice, wobbly legs shaking on the large expanse of the frozen lake, and sitting in silence as wildlife swam beneath them. Juza told you about the spike of adrenaline when he could feel the ice crack haphazardly, the jagged splits uncommon but exciting every time. When Juza shared his most beloved memories, he couldn’t help but feel the Snezhnayan cold with the closest possible feeling to joy.

You listened once again, face pensive and eyes focused on Juza’s hand motions, content tone, and honesty above all. You could almost see the nameless lake, the snow banks, the shadows of fish. You exhaled, and despite the warm atmosphere of Liyue, you swore you could see your breath solidify as if it was Dragonspine.

When Juza closed off his story with a smile, you spoke without a care in the world. As if your sibling wasn’t missing. As if you didn’t have to find all seven archons. As if the fate of Teyvat wasn’t upon your shoulders. Right now, it was just you and Juza. Juza and you.

“When I come to see you in Snezhnaya, I want to have your best fish dish.”

Juza propped his elbow upon the table, before holding his pinky out. You took it with your own, and Juza shot you a wink of many unsaid words. A contract, if you will. Fitting for Liyue.

“It’s a promise. You know I always love testing my limits for my opponents.”

If you make a promise, you keep it.

Juza pulled back first, as he always did. Standing up, Juza paid the bill generously with his excessive Mora. The words “goodbye” left a spicy taste on his tongue, so Juza refused to say them. You two held each other’s gaze for a moment too long, but didn’t mention it.

“I’m sorry for leaving you so soon.”

If you make a mistake, you apologize.

You didn’t react immediately, you just nodded as if it was okay. It wasn’t, really. You both knew Juza’s sudden departure was shrouded in unknown mystery. Neither of you had the courage to properly address it, however.

“But, I’ll see you again. I promised, didn’t I?” Juza began walking away, knowing he was due to leave and run far, far away to his next assignment. Liyue had no place for him anymore. Even when the stars of Teyvat claimed there would always be a place for adventurers, Juza wasn’t so sure if they meant him as well.

All you wanted to do was run after him. Sprint towards Juza and make him stay, even though he never would. You wanted to stand up and weave through the crowds to see his back one last time. But, you didn’t. You didn’t want to make this harder on yourself than it already was.

Before Juza disappeared for a long, long time, he looked over his shoulder with a wave.

“Farewell, my friends. Until we meet again... in Snezhnaya.”

If you give someone a dream, you defend it ‘til the end.

#hyodo juza #juza hyodo #a3! act! addict! actors! #a3! #act! addict! actors! #a3! one shots #act! addict! actors! one shots #a3! actor training game #mankai a3! #mankai company #a3! x reader #a3 x reader #juza x reader #a3! juza #a3 juza #genshin impact

[handlewithkara]

More spoiler roundup

"We have to tell you that our favorite villain, Lex Luthor, will be returning and one of the most exciting things is that we will see Lex -- for the first time ever -- fall in love with a worthy evil partner, which might be named Nyxly," Queller shared.Despite being the Paragon of Hope, Supergirl wasn't able to complete a totem task for courage in Tuesday's episode of the Arrowverse series, and it's something that will haunt her as the show's sixth and final season continues.

"It's something that she will wrestle with for the rest of the season, wondering why she didn't pass it," Supergirl executive producer Robert Rovner told TV Guide. "But Nyxly says in the episode that it wasn't about showing strength, but it was about showing the vulnerability and that, I think, is the key to Supergirl finally understanding why she didn't pass it."

That fits with a quote from Mel about being more vulnerable around her friends. Note that writers like to be the ones to follow up to ideas they have introduced, so that might come back in 17, the next Lena/Horgan centric episode. (or it might be something from Faerber who might be writing one of the later episodes, that would fit with Faerber writing Welcome Back Kara where Kara hides her trauma and Nia is frustrated that she failed passing her Fear test)

That said: I still fail to see what kind of vulnerability Kara was supposed to show in the middle of saving a plane? Will Kara presumably be better at the other tests and it’s just courage that haunts her? Or are they only talking about this one because this is the episode they are discussing? 

"I think that Lena's growth as a human being is tied in to this struggle," fellow executive producer Jessica Queller said, also speaking to TV Guide this week. "She's always relied on her brilliant intellect and she's also been very suspicious of others because of her earlier experience. We're finally seeing her open up and not keeping secrets and trusting her friends and trusting other people. And this season is a lot about Lena finally really trusting herself. … And as she comes to terms with her own magic, she also evolves as a person who's coming to terms with trusting herself."

I know you hate to hear it, but yes, indicator 128972934 that Lena will keep her powers by the end of the show if acceptnig those powers and trusting those powers is phrased as a positive thing. Now if the show actually dared to point out what a huge hypocrite Lena was to get upset about Kara’s secret when she had constantly been keeping secrets the entire time. 

"Her friendship with the Super Friends -- all of them -- is kind of front and center in the second half of the season," Rovner said. "One of the things that is new this season -- as Jessica pointed out -- is that she has friends that she can trust and so she isn't burdened by secrets. I think it allows her to kind of face these challenges in a very supported way, which is very exciting for us to have written about, but also to see her kind of grow a community and build a community around her and not fall into old patterns, which you know she's very worried about doing."

Well that fits with what I said about earlier episodes that it could be about Lena learning to be part of a team and form relationships with a wider variety of people rather than putting all her eggs into one friendship basket and then it being the end of the world if that friendship has a conflict. 

"We have to tell you that our favorite villain, Lex Luthor, will be returning and one of the most exciting things is that we will see Lex -- for the first time ever -- fall in love with a worthy evil partner, which might be named Nyxly," Queller shared.

Well, it’s pretty obvious that he’s your favorite villain ... I think even a blind person would be able to tell that. 

[about the Kara and Nyxly connection] "It does get worse before it gets better," Rovner said. "I think that it keeps them connected and it allows Supergirl to face things that she's never been forced to face before. This connection with Nyxly's psyche forces her to kind of really evaluate the power that she's up against, and what she needs to—"

"What lengths she's willing to go to fight it -- is really a lot of, thematically, what we're going to be dealing with now," Queller added.

I still think the psychic connection stuff feels really dumb. I think being connected would actually be interesting if it caused Kara to see true darkness, but that doesn’t work with how they seem to be undecided between whether Nyxly is hokey or actually likable. 

Or if they actually went more in depth to Kara and Nyxly having some sort of friendship (not that I would want them to really waste time on that in the show’s last season)

[about William] "There will be obstacles and danger involved moving forward, but I think the press is so important to our storytelling and I think him being there really allows us to examine the role of truth and accountability as it relates to our Super Friends," Rovner said. "He'll have a big role to play as the season progresses."

Unsurprsingly William = truth. 

According to the showrunners, the most challenging one will be the love totem. Queller notes that it will be the most brutal, “in terms of what it will put our characters through to achieve saving the love totem.”

“They all have a particular burden on the characters,” Rovner added. “One of the exciting things about this season is that in addition to trying to defeat our big bad, each episode is thematically tied to the totem that they’re going after. So that allows us to explore deeper character things as well so we’re excited that the storytelling gave us that ability.”

Sigh. I can see why going through the thematics every episode was a fun idea for the writers on paper, but so far I can’t shake the feeling that their interpretation of it is very hokey and cheesy. Does “our characters” also incorporate Nyxly? Like is love going to be rough on her as well? 

If this involves multiple characters I presume that means they will do another pre-test thing where there is thematic mayhem. 

[On Dansen] “We don’t want to spoil it but their love story deepens and and becomes central focus as the season goes on,” Queller noted.

[Rovner] "During the course of the rest of the season, there's a lot of Guardian, but also Kelly and Alex stories as well, as we see their relationship deepen and evolve over the second half of the season. We're very excited about that story."

Good for them. 

Meanwhile, the dream totem is also going to be a big one for Nia (Nicole Maines). Rovner confirmed that fans won’t find out what exactly that super deep dream she was in during “The Gauntlet” was, but that the dream totem will certainly open things up for her.

Also unsurprising that the dream totem will have a connection to Nia (again probably episode 16 because of the Nightmare name). Also lame that they won’t reveal her episode 13 dream. 

https://www.tvguide.com/news/supergirl-boss-says-nyxly-is-the-most-dangerous-villain-the-super-friends-have-ever-faced/

https://news.yahoo.com/supergirl-showrunners-promise-ll-learn-020000236.html

https://www.tvguide.com/news/supergirl-lenas-magical-powers-will-deepen-her-trust-with-kara-and-the-super-friends/

#supergirl spoilers

[abmaries]

I finally finished The Last of Us part II and here are my thoughts/review.

WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD.

I'll talk about the good before getting to the bad.

Graphics and Sound

The graphics and sound design were brilliant. No matter what you think about this game, you can't deny that the game looks and sounds great. The team did an amazing job creating these environments. One of my favorite segments was the TV Station. That area had me tense and on my toes while I was walking around. This was the first segment of the game that had me really tense. I always felt like I was being watched. This is where Naughty Dog excels at. Every place or area feels alive making you stop to take in the beauty or horror.

Gameplay

Gameplay was mostly the same but elevated in some areas. Crawling around in prone or swinging from ropes are a welcome addition. Wished we could've gotten the rope wall run mechanic that we got in Uncharted 4 though. I don't think that the jumping mechanic shouldn't be so hyped up because these days, it's the most basic thing now.

Acting

The acting was wonderful as always. The actors worked hard and put in their best work and it showed.

Story and Characters

Now here we go. The story is where the flaws are shown in this game. I'll try organize my thoughts for this because boy we had some structure and pacing issues.

The Beginning

I wasn't really feeling the recap that we got in the beginning. I get why it's there but if we're playing, we already know the story. I kinda wished that we had a better or even a longer moment with Joel and Ellie. Seeing how the first game was about them, then at least the game should have started with just the two of them. Or even start with Abby's flashback in the Firefly hospital and then cut to Joel and Ellie.

Joel's Death

I always knew that Joel was going to die. Ever since that first trailer they showed us, I knew. I don't mind Joel dying but I have issues with the way he died. He deserved to go down fighting. At least taking one of Addy's people out or something before getting tortured and hit in the head with a golf club. I get it, with the past five years, Joel could have gained more compassion but I still don't think that would override his survival instincts. He should at least got a bad feeling being surrounded by Abby and her friends. He still goes out on patrols and I'm sure that they also ran into raiders at some point. My point is, that something inside him should have told him that something is up. His death was just used to shock the audience and nothing more. The fact that they basically breezed through it to get to the main plot says so. He's killed and then we're rushed out to Seattle. Oh my god, really? His death should have settled more and not just done cut and dry. Hell, they have concept art showing them wrapping Joel up with Ellie standing over him. They should have showed that in game. He's a beloved character, at least give him a proper death. I know he wasn't a good person in the past and I'm glad to see that there were consequences to his actions but I felt like this should have been executed better.

I think that his death would had more of an impact if his death didn't happen so soon in game and that we had some more Ellie and Joel interaction before hand or at least a better build up. His death as a beloved character was lack luster and disrespectful.

The First Half

The first half was really great in my opinion. It was good to see Ellie slowly unravel as she follows this obsession for vengeance. I know people are pointing out that how can she suddenly feel guilt now after killing so many soldiers as the player. My view on this is that killing for survival and beating/torturing someone is completely different. That makes it personal. You are actively prolonging that person's suffering. That kind of killing will always be different. Her killing Mel and then suddenly realizing that she was pregnant and freaking out about it makes sense. She killed an unborn baby, that was innocent. Of course that could mess someone up. It's good to see that she's starting to have regrets with her actions.

I didn't like the whole Dina is pregnant storyline. I felt like this is were the dynamic falls apart. A strength of the first game were the relationships and having Ellie alone most of the time weakens the narrative. In the first game, you always had a constant pair. First it was Joel and Tess and then Joel and Ellie. The main protagonist was never alone. It would have been great to have that constant with Ellie and Dina. The first parts with them working together and getting along were great, I wished we got more of that. The two bond slowly growing stronger and maybe Dina slowly convince Ellie that this isn't worth it. I just wished that we got more of those moments. Instead, it got a backseat to the whole revenge is bad plot.

The Ellie and Joel flashbacks were lovely and probably the best moments in the game. I really wished that we had more moments with the present Ellie and Joel.

Abby/Second Half

I'm going to say this now and I will get hate for it, but I honestly didn't give a shit about Abby and the writing and pacing are to blame.

I respect and understand why Abby killed Joel. It's the consequences of Joel's actions. But if you really wanted anyone to sympathize with her, then you had to work pretty hard but they didn't.

What really hurt Abby's narrative is the sudden switch to her POV right before what we thought was the big fight or climax we were working towards. I like the POV switch but it was done at the wrong time and dragged on too long. They basically sling shot you back to the beginning of the game and now you have to upgrade your character and weapons all over again. It turned me off from her and her story. Her segment was too long. I don't know who thought putting all of Abby's scenes in the back half was a good move, but they clearly don't understand structure or has completely lost their minds. It makes the story feel unorganized and takes the player out of the story. It made me not care about her or her friends. I was focused on getting to the stupid cliffhanger they left me on. Reminds me of this stupid move in Once Upon a Time in season 5. We finally find out that Emma made Hook into another Dark One and he's about to do something to her. Suddenly the next episode is about Merida from Brave and it pissed me off. Bad structure and horrible organization.

I did not sympathize with her at all. If anyone, I sympathized with Owen more because he showed regret and a little depth. That was another issue with Abby. She wasn't showing any conflicting feelings or emotion for what she did. It made her feel inhuman. Girl was so chill. Even Ellie showed some emotion for what she did during her killing spree but Abby just didn't care.

As much as I love Lev and Yara, I feel like they take away from the story and was used to manipulate the audience to feel something for Abby. It felt like a different game. It should have been a DLC where you follow Lev and Yara. I also notice that they tried doing the Joel and Ellie dynamic with Abby and Lev and that just put a bad taste in my mouth. You can see some parallels, especially in the end with Abby carrying Lev in her arms. It's like they're trying to show us that this is the new Ellie and Joel. Uhhh no.

It also felt like Abby got the better treatment than Ellie. Yes Abby had her friends killed but she got Lev in the end where Ellie got no one. It felt like they beat us over the head that Abby is such a good person. We get it, you don't have to shove it down our throats. It comes off as forced or manipulative. Perfect example, you have us kill dogs as Ellie while you play with them as Abby. Hell, they force you to play with Alice near the end. Then you have Abby going on this long quest to help these random kids. All of this added with the 10+ hour run with her didn't help.

What could have helped me care was if they somehow intermingle her storyline with Ellie's a bit. For example in the hospital section let Abby discover Nora's body after Ellie left. Another could one could be when Ellie sees the Scars for the first time, let Abby's event be seen from a far. My point is, let their stories relate to each other. Abby's 10 hour adventure felt so disjointed from the game that it felt like it's own game. Don't let us wait so long to see Abby. Have their moments almost run along each other. Cut to Abby when we need a lull from Ellie and so on. And my god, give these two some dialogue. Two big protagonists but they don't speak to each other.

I love pov switching and it was a brave choice but it wasn't executed properly which in turn, messed up the pacing.

Before I get to the ending, I need to talk about characters and death. You introduced us to this big cast of characters and did nothing with them. You treated them like cannon fodder. The only characters on Abby's side that we got in depth with was Owen and the others were meh. I need to talk about Mel and how stupid and unrealistic her character is. You have the clearly far along pregnant woman sent out in the dangerous combat field. It's ridiculous. No military organization like that would send her out. Also we see her running and slamming her stomach on things. Really Naughty Dog? They should have switched Mel and Nora's roles. That would have made more sense.

Now the deaths were handled so poorly. In the first game, everyone's death had a moment. Tess, Sam, Henry, Marlene and even David. This game, the character deaths happened only for a second and they were never mentioned again. In the first game, you have characters bring up the dead characters more than once. The deaths were handled with care and meant something to the characters and plot but in this game they were treated like trash.

Ending

I honestly think that the game in its last hour or so, wasn't necessarily and dragged on for too long. In my opinion the game should have ended in Seattle and the last fight or the climax should have been in the theater. The point of revenge being a horrible cycle and it brings harm to your loved ones were already pointed out. We didn't need anymore. Abby broke the cycle by not killing Dina and leaving Ellie alive. Ellie clearly learned the lesson there too in almost losing the woman she loves because of her actions. They could have done a nice little wrap up with Ellie and Addy going their separate ways, each not fully getting what they wanted and each losing someone/something close to them.

The Farm

As much as I loved the farm, it felt too dream like and happy endingish. It wasn't needed. It felt added on to just give us another thing for Ellie to lose. Tommy coming back to show where Abby is was just used as a plot device to move an already dead plot forward. In my opinion Tommy should have been dead. No way, he could survive that wound plus the trip back. That was too unrealistic. Felt like the pussed out on his death.

Santa Barbara

Jesus Christ this was really not needed. Just like the farm, this was just used to padded the run time and give us another and unnecessary fight between Abby and Ellie. The rattlers were another fraction that I could not care for. I loved how brutal the final fight between Abby and Ellie was but sadly way beyond this point, I just didn't care. Just like the last hour of this game, the ending of the fight was lack luster and anticlimactic. You put us, the player, through all of this and you couldn't let us kill Abby or even give us a choice to kill or not. Killing Abby isn't the point, I get it but you dragged me on for another unnecessary hour or two just for nothing. No satisfaction for the player. Which showed us how pointless this was and the story should have ended in Seattle or in that theater.

Ellie going back to the farm and seeing Dina gone and her losing her fingers were a bit too excessive. It's like the writers think that the audience is stupid and never seen a revenge plot before. We fucking get it that nothing good comes from revenge. We get it. It was too over the top that it almost felt too unrealistic. When the game ended and I felt relieved in the wrongest way because this game was supposed to end long time ago.

Over all the game had wonderful graphics and sound design and was fun to play with great acting but it falls short on its structure, pacing and characters as it beats you over the head with an overused story of revenge. If structured differently and cut some things then maybe this game would have been better.

#the last of us part 2 #the last of us 2 #tlou2 #tlous2 spoilers

[being-worthy]

The Last of Us Part II – Adding my two cents to the game - Part 2

MORE MAJOR TLOU II SPOILERS AHEAD!!

I’m now where you’ve to play Addy Abby (why the hell do I always call/write ‘Addy’?) and where she found Ellie and Tommy in the theatre and shot Jessie... he didn’t deserve to die, he was too good of a friend.

It then cuts back to a few minutes (maybe hours) to when Joel and Ellie make it to the hospital in the 1st game - to another obnoxious long episode where you play as Abby ¬¬...

She and her dad save a zebra, which is all nice and good, although don’t bother to go after it and make sure to treat the wound, so we don’t know if it actually survived. Later, we see her dad talking to Marlene - again he’s not sure he can develop a vaccine or cure - and when Marlene is about to leave the room, she says to him she’s going to tell Joel about the procedure, he asks her ‘why?’ this already shows to me that he’s a major a**hole. >Another thing, they could’ve been more tactful when they told Joel what would be done to Ellie but nah, why bother with being tactful, it’s the apocalypse and overrated...< At the same time, Abby has heard EVERYTHING they talked about, even that Joel was with Ellie all the time and travelled with her around half the country!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But she was totally cool with what they were about to do to the girl and even told her own dad ‘if it was me, I’d want you to open me up’. Girl, just because you’re cool with it and would be ready to sacrifice your life, doesn’t mean that another dad would go and sacrifice his daughter (blood related or not) too. Besides, her father’s death was quick compared to Joel’s, so she had no right to do what she did.

I’ve to say that Abby is too bulky build for the apocalypse. I don’t care if women have lots of muscles or not, it’s their body and we can do with our body what we want. But it’s the freaking (post-)Apocalypse and it takes a lot to maintain your body like that, even for men! Doesn’t matter if you’ve a fully equipped gym at the stadium, that’s only half of what you need to keep your body in such a shape!!!! Moreover, it’s a bit harder for women to gain so much muscle and keep it because we’ve got a different metabolism than men - that’s a fact. I’m not being sexist here or anything like it. I just doubt you’d have the necessary nutrients/food available in such a world to keep a body like that on point and at all times!! Especially if you live with many other people, food would be limited and rationed at all times!!!! Genes is also factor but still, with time and not proper nutrients your muscles don’t stay like that for long.

This made the game a bit less realistic, and I loved how realistic it was until now, how complex Ellie’s personality is and how she reacts with every WLF member she eliminates, how fanatic the scars and WLF are, etc. That was/is a major disappointment.

Skip to where Abby, Manny, and Mel are heading out. - A little side note: Manny is a man-whore, period, and he’s annoying and hope he doesn’t live long. - Mel is a f*cking doctor???!!! And she was part of what she, Abby, and the others did to Joel, go to hell girl!!! You shouldn’t be calling yourself doctor but butcher or animal. I honestly, would refuse to let any of those so called ‘doctors’ treat me if I had a wound. And yeah, she has some mild regrets but she was still fully onboard with the Abby’s plan.

Furthermore, they really let a highly pregnant woman tag along for duty/patrol outside of the stadium? They’re not going to a place that is just about an hour or so away, no... it’s days maybe even weeks away from their base. I know that every pregnancy is different and pregnant women aren’t disabled and probably I’d crazy too if I stayed locked in a place for far too long, but still. There are many many other ways she could be useful or do something more active. Would you really let her out where there are clickers, runners, bloaters, scars, etc.?! Not only it’s an extremely high risk for the woman and her baby but for the others too. Dina is not so far along in her pregnancy and we saw that she can’t go on more even if she wanted to, she became a liability for Ellie but she loves her still went with her - I know every pregnancy is different, but still. Mel could become a liability for Manny and Mel (not that I’d care much, honestly) but the fact that Manny or whoever is giving orders there (like that Isaac guy who I haven’t seen in the game yet) wouldn’t think something like ‘she’s a doctor we might need her here’ or ‘it’s too risky for her, we need to keep our future kids save (at least until the baby is born’, just anything. This just shows how little the WLF give about people’s lives or lives in general, and don’t even how to proper coordinate. Even if someone would get hurt, a doctor wouldn’t be able to do much out there. I don’t think you’d find easily a sterile room and I’m sure there’s a whole big room in the stadium nor would they’ve all the necessary equipment to perform a surgery. Besides, I’m also sure that everyone in such a world and going regularly on patrol would know the basics about first aid and on how to stop a bleeding and keep the person alive until they make it to a doctor. If not, then why would you even bother to go out there, you’d be just a moron. Even I know first aid kit and what and what not to do if someone is bleeding and/or has something stuck in their body (e.g. big glass shard or similar) that’s causing the bleeding and we’re not even living in the apocalypse (yet).

This seems to be the longest sequence of Abby and I can’t wait for it to be over.

More might follow.

#the last of us #the last of us 2 #the last of us 2 spoilers #tlou #tlou2 #tlou spoilers #tlou joel #tlou ellie #tlou abby #joel miller #ellie williams

[gumnut-logic]

We’ll Be Home For Christmas 2.2

Title: We’ll be home for Christmas

Day Two – Aboard This Tiny Ship – Part 2 Prologue | 1.1 | 1.2 | 2.1

Author: Gumnut

14 - 18 Dec 2019

Fandom: Thunderbirds Are Go 2015/ Thunderbirds TOS

Rating: Teen

Summary: The boys can’t fly home for Christmas, so they have to find another way.

Word count: 2576

Spoilers & warnings: language and so, so much fluff. Science!Gordon. Minor various ships, mostly background.

Timeline: Christmas Season 3, I have also kinda ignored the main storyline of Season 3. The boys needed a break, so I gave them one. Post season 3B, before Season 3C cos we haven’t seen it yet.

Author’s note: For @scattergraph. This is my 2019 TAG Secret Santa fic :D I hope you enjoy it.

This section is a touch shorter than the last one, but the next section will be much bigger.

Many thanks to @vegetacide and @scribbles97 for cheering me on and their wonderful support through this craziness. And to @onereyofstarlight for geeking out with me over the setting.

Disclaimer: Mine? You’ve got to be kidding. Money? Don’t have any, don’t bother.

-o-o-o-

 Scott was ready to chew an arm off just to entertain himself by the time Gordon announced they were approaching L’Esperance Rock just after lunch. He’d seen it enough from the air to know it meant they were around halfway home. The thought did give him some relief and he stood at the bow of the boat watching the islet come into view.

A grunt behind him had him turning to find Virgil making his way forward, coffee in one hand, abdomen in the other. He darted in to help his brother up the steps.

“I’m okay.”

“I know you are. Just being useful.”

That earned him a stare and an arched eyebrow. “You’re bored shitless, aren’t you.” It wasn’t a question.

“I’m okay.”

Virgil snorted. “I had a bet with John you’d last until tonight at least. You’ve shafted me fifty bucks, big brother.”

Scott grunted. “Well, that explains why he was so happy to steal my phone.”

“He stole your phone?” Brown eyes frowned up at him.

“Oh, yes. On Grandma’s orders apparently.”

“That’s cheating.”

“Heh, that’s between the two of you. I’m only the subject of the bet, not the umpire.”

“Null and void. He’s not getting a cent.”

Scott grinned as he held his brother’s elbow, surprised he hadn’t been shook off.

“It is beautiful, isn’t it?” Virgil’s voice was wistful as they approached the railing. “Sometimes I think we get too busy or just take it all for granted. We do live in a stunning corner of the planet.”

“Dad always thought so. I wouldn’t have called him much of an environmentalist, but he knew what was important.”

“Hmm, I think you underestimate him. You were off the Island when Alan brought two rats home as pets.”

“He did what?!”

Another arched eyebrow. “Yes, he did, early on. Snuck them in. Dad went ballistic when he found out. The words he used had Grandma blushing. Let’s just say that Beau and Belle were deported rather abruptly and Alan now has an unofficial degree in environmental management.”

“Hmph, serves him right.”

Virgil smiled at him. “Sounds like you might be a bit of an environmentalist yourself.”

A tolerant glare at his brother. “I do what is necessary.”

Scott was surprised when Virgil’s response to that statement was a sigh. His brother’s expression was almost sad.

“What?”

“You need to relax.”

“I am relaxing.”

“No, you’re not. You’re wired tighter than Two’s primary generator. You need to find a way to wind down. We’re on vacation.”

“We’re on mandatory lockdown.”

“Grandma is right. We need a break. Preferably before we break something we can’t repair.”

“It’s not just about us!”

“Yes, it is! You need to let go! Focus on you for a change.”

“Dad-“

“Is not here! You have the right to a life, Scott. You have the right to look after yourself, to have a little fun, for god’s sake. When was the last time you read a fiction book? Flew a kite? Sat in front of the projector and binge watched an old television show?”

“There are more important things-“

“Importance is relative. It was you who blew my head off a matter of days ago about priorities, was it not? Our business forces us to prioritise according to lives at risk, I get it. I know it. I live it beside you. But you are my big brother, you are the leader of this team, your health affects our effectiveness. To put it harshly, some may die today, so many more can be saved in the future.” Virgil visibly swallowed. “I know International Rescue is important, but please, take the time, Scott. If you have to, do it for IR, do it for us or me or whatever gets you going, but most of all please do it for yourself.” Quietly. “I can’t lose you.”

What the hell? “You’re not going to lose me.”

“If you don’t look after yourself, we will!” He didn’t think it was physically possible for his brother to frown harder.

“If you don’t look after yourself, you’re going to blow your stitches.”

“This isn’t about me, it’s about you!”

“So, what are you thinking? Yell at me until I crack? I’m not finding this relaxing at all, Virg.”

“Well, it seems I need volume for you to actually hear me, because you certainly don’t listen otherwise.”

He couldn’t think of an immediate retort to that and to be honest he was worried Virgil was going hurt himself if he wasn’t careful, he appeared so uncharacteristically angry. “You’re that worried?”

“Of course, I’m fucking worried!”

Whoops, wrong thing to say.

“Virgil! Calm down. You’re the one who needs to relax.” He reached out and placed his hands on his brother’s shoulders. “Take a breath.”

To his surprise, Virgil was actually trembling a little. He was that passionate about this? He hadn’t been doing that badly, had he?

His brother did as requested and took a deep breath. “You are so hard to look after sometimes.” It was breathy and full of exhaled tension.

“You don’t have to look after me, Virg.”

“Somebody has to.” He looked up and brown eyes caught his. “Because you don’t.”

Ah, shit. A sigh and Scott gently drew his brother into a hug. “Okay, I’m sorry, I’ll try to do better.”

His brother didn’t answer, but he did lean in a little, one big hand reaching around Scott’s back and returning the embrace. ��Please try.”

“Okay.”

Virgil pulled away slowly, not looking up at his brother, but focussing on the coffee he held in his other hand. He brought it to his lips and turned away slightly.

Scott stared at the back of his brother’s head and frowned.

The boat slowed as they approached the Rock. As jagged as its distant cousin, the Rock was like a miniature version of their home, the very top of a huge undersea volcano.

“Are we stopping here?”

Virgil’s question echoed his own thoughts. He thumbed his comms. “Gordon, are we stopping here?”

“Only for a moment. Just grabbing a sensor snapshot for Mel.”

Melissa Fisher, their closest neighbour. Blonde and sharp, she would remind him of Penny if it wasn’t for her obsession with all things Kermadec. That and the twigs in her hair. Even Dad had been a little wary of stepping on anything living when visiting Raoul Island. And visit they had. They needed to keep up relations and the woman was a mine of information when it came to ecological stabilisation and rehabilitation. Tracy Island had its issues when his father bought it and ever aware of the ecological importance of the area, once Brains had built the necessary infrastructure, his father had attempted to re-stabilise the ecosystem.

Melissa had been very helpful.

Gordon had taken to her immediately, jabbering in biology terms. For a bit there, Scott had wondered if the two of them might get involved with a different kind of biology, she was a little older than Gordon, only a year younger than Scott, but that might just float his brother’s boat. But apparently, they were too distracted by what they were discussing to notice each other.

Scott hadn’t seen her in years.

The boat came to a complete stop not far from the Rock and a moment later, Gordon appeared on the starboard side and threw out his sensor buoy.

Virgil was staring at him.

Scott blinked. “What is it?”

His brother didn’t answer immediately, those dark eyes assessing him a moment longer before sipping his coffee. But then a decision flickered across his expression and his hand reached out and gently took Scott’s arm. “Come with me.”

His brother turned slowly and led him off the bow. He negotiated the stairs and walked Scott back into the living area where Gordon was once again staring at holographic fish.

“Sit down and wait a moment.” His brother disappeared off into the depths of the living quarters.”

“Yes!”

Gordon’s jubilant yell made Scott jump. What?

His little brother was staring at a huge fish. A huge and weird looking fish. “What is that?”

“That, my wonderful big brother, is a sunfish or Mola mola, to be more specific.”

“And that is?”

Gordon glanced at him and frowned. “Heaviest bony fish on the planet. Came close to extinction twenty years ago. Saved by the World Council and its endangered species bill in 2039.” He turned back to the holographic display. “Though this one appears to have had some challenges.” Gordon’s fingers traced some gouges on the fish’s flank. “Old, but nasty.”

“Shark?”

His brother snorted. “No. That’s net scar. It’s been caught in a fishing net at some point. I can’t see any trace of the net, so this has to be one of the lucky ones.” The giant fish drifted lazily across the table as Gordon grabbed his tablet and stabbed his finger into it several times. “It must be well travelled. We are quite a distance from the fishing zones here.”

“I thought I told you to sit down.” Virgil edged carefully back into the room carrying his keyboard.

“And I thought you weren’t supposed to be lifting anything.” Scott hurried over and took the instrument from his brother’s hands.

“It’s not heavy.”

“So I have to look after myself, yet you don’t?”

Virgil’s shoulders dropped. “Okay, okay. Give me a second.” His brother grabbed a couple of cushions and shoved them together on a lounge chair to support his back and lowered himself into it. “Put it here.” He gestured across the arms of the chair and his lap.

Wary, Scott put the keyboard, that, yes, actually was quite heavy, down where his brother told him too. “Be careful.”

Virgil frowned up him with an expression that plainly said, ‘What am I? Stupid?’

“Well, you did carry the keyboard out here, did you not?”

His brother muttered something Scott couldn’t quite hear and wasn’t sure he wanted to.

“Now, you sit down and close your eyes.” A pause. “No, actually, lie down on the couch and close your eyes.”

“Why?”

“Just do as I ask.”

Scott rolled his eyes, but lay down. “You didn’t used to be this bossy.”

“You didn’t used to be this stubborn. Call it evolution in trying times.”

“Smart ass.”

“Shut up and close your eyes.”

Scott muttered under his breath, wriggled where he lay and did as his brother told him. Anything to stop the man from freaking out.

His brother began to play, the keys soft and blending with the water lapping against the hull. With his eyes closed, his mind focussed on the sounds around him. Gordon’s fingers on his tablet, heard just under the music. The distant calls of seabirds. Actually, it wasn’t much of a step from the sounds of home. Virgil playing his piano. Gordon sitting on the lounge playing with his tablet. The balcony doors open to the breeze, the distant sound of the waves on Tracy Island rock, the distant call of the bird colony on Mateo. John would be in his room reading. Alan would be playing a video game in the kitchen while Grandma attempted to make dinner. Brains, as always, would be in his lab.

Virgil playing the piano.

Waves against the rocks.

Birds calling...

Home.

-o-o-o-

Virgil kept playing ever so softly. Gordon had stopped working and was staring at the two of them, frowning.

Scott started snoring.

Gordon’s eyes widened and he mouthed words at Virgil. ‘How do you do that?’

Virgil just smiled and kept on playing, drifting into a long, gentle piece his mother had taught him long ago.

At some point he closed his eyes, too, and let himself go with the music, let his fingers do what the music asked.

He woke to find both Scott and John sitting opposite him.

“That was dirty pool, Virg.”

He blinked. Someone had taken the keyboard away and shoved a few extra pillows into the chair to support him. “You knew what I was doing. I’m just your excuse. How long did you last?”

It was John who spoke up. “About twenty minutes. It was enough. Gordon had to get the boat moving. He woke up the moment the engine started.”

“You, on the other hand, have been out for over two hours.” Scott was smug. “You missed the active volcano.”

Virgil turned to John. “Anything worth looking at?”

His younger brother shrugged. “Looked like an island to me. Bigger than the Rock. No activity at the moment.”

Virgil turned back to Scott. “Sounds like I didn’t miss anything. Where are we now?”

“Anchored at Macauley Island.” Gordon strode across the room. “Hey, Virg. Good to see you awake. You might like to see this.” His fish brother’s grin was highly suspicious.

It took both Scott and John to get him out of the chair. He should not sleep sitting up with abdominal incisions. Ow.

For a moment there he thought Scott was going to send him to bed or demand he take painkillers, but he didn’t. His brother didn’t say anything, and even if he did, a familiar roar distracted Virgil enough that he wouldn’t have noticed if his brother said anything anyway.

He pushed himself forward, leaving his helping hands behind and stepped out onto the deck.

His beautiful ‘bird was roaring in from the north. She moved so fast, he blinked and she was coming to a halt some distance away, VTOL firing her into a hover.

He just stared as she dropped her module.

He blinked as Gordon and Alan suddenly started the engine of an inflatable dingy and tore off towards the module sporting its proud number four.

“Thunderbird Two to Virgil.” Kayo’s voice startled him out of his stare. “So how did I do? Score out of ten.”

The door to the module lowered and Gordon leapt out of the little boat and jumped on board.

“Oh, ten, I guess.”

“Ten?!” Gordon’s outrage yelped across comms as the aquanaut turned in the distance and put both hands on his hips. “I knew he liked you more than me. I haven’t managed anything higher than an eight and I’ve been trying for years!”

Kayo didn’t answer as his ‘bird turned and took off for home, but Virgil grinned. “Keeps you on your toes, bro.”

“You suck.”

Their sister snorted across comms as Alan turned the dingy around and headed back. Gordon glared a glare that made it across the ocean despite the distance and stormed off into the module.

Virgil’s grin just got wider. “Why did he call for Four?”

“Something about helping Melissa. A sensor malfunction in the Macauley caldera.” A glance at Scott found him grinning, too. “You know he’s not going to let that go, don’t you?”

“Yep.”

“We’re stuck on a boat, captained by him, in the middle of the ocean and you want to set Gordon off?”

Virgil shrugged. “He’ll enjoy it.”

“We won’t.”

“We’ll live.”

“If I wake up with pink hair, you’re dead.”

“I love you, too.” Virgil was still grinning.

“You do know that you still have your comms on, don’t you?” His aquanaut brother’s voice was admittedly amused.

“Yes, Gordon, I do. Got some good ideas?”

“I guess you’ll have to wait and see.” And with that, Four’s rear thrusters fired and she shot out of the module and into the ocean.

“You got your uniform on?”

“Yes, Mom.”

“Fly safe.”

“FAB.”

-o-o-o-

End Day Two, Part Two

Day Two, Part Three

#thunderbirds are go #thunderbirds #thunderbirds fanfiction #Virgil Tracy #Scott Tracy #John Tracy #Gordon Tracy #Alan Tracy

[queenrhenpendragon]

Amaranth Games

I know generally you wait until the creator is long gone to analyze stuff like this but I have so many feelings and I need to say them.

A while back I discovered the first game Amanda ever made: Gaea Fallen. The graphics were predictably HORRIBLE, it's a 2002 indie game, first one she ever made, whatcha gonna do, right? But the story guys. The story! It was beautiful, the plot was so poetic, like in Ahriman's Prophecy and Rhen's Quest and to some extent, all of the Aveyond games.

Quick summary (and spoilers ahead obviously) it starts with this seamstress named Eve who is basically a strange adorable mix of Talia and Mel, and who lives in a small village called Clearwater. As per usual she is informed she is the chosen one, and reluctantly agrees to save the world. (Can't tell if it's on purpose or just bad graphics, but the way she walks is hilarious because she LOOKS angry and bitter, like "fine, I'll save the world! But I'll HATE IT!!!") Along the way we meet the town librarian, Simon, who Eve obviously has a huge crush on. He wants to see the world and always tells her stories about far away places and drops ridiculously obvious hints about wishing she would go with him when he leaves (which she completely misses cuz she's a FOOL). Eve likes these stories but always insists that she's just a seamstress and wants nothing more than to live peacefully, and it becomes increasingly obvious as the game progresses that she essentially doesn't believe she could be important or valuable or useful in any other capacity, and that's why she sticks so stubbornly to this one. She’s scared to give herself a chance at anything else.

And finally in the end, she saves the world and the goddesses tell her they'll grant her a life full of great adventures and happiness, and she predictably asks for a skip on the adventures part, and they say-- what follows is a huge spoiler but the quote is hugely important not only to analyzing this game but I think every game made after-- they say, "Follow your heart, Eve. Then you shall know how to answer us.”

So Eve is given until that evening to answer, basically. She goes back into town, and discovered that Simon is packing a cart and preparing to leave. And then we get the choice. Eve can stay in Clearwater, hidden away in her cottage, and live her familiar life and pretend she’s never spoken to guardians and gods or had her mettle tested in the face of death himself.

Or she can go. She can take all her boldness and rage and hope and see what she can make of herself. She can accept the love she wanted but was too afraid to believe in until that moment. She can stop being what she’s limited herself to and step into the life she didn’t dare to dream about.

Sound familiar? These are exactly the choices Talia and Rhen face. Talia makes the choice offscreen, because it happens between-games, but we see the build-up for her. We watch the whole story for Rhen.

And as a woman, I’ve found the same tale unfolding in my life. At least in my own observations, it’s a story all women can relate to. We put limits on ourselves, or accept the limits others place on us. We’re not supposed to be ambitious, or loud, or revolutionary, or great. And if we are any of those things, or want to be any of them, we can’t be kind, or emotional, or happy, or in love. It’s either/or, and often, for so many, neither. 

It’s easy to see Amanda struggling with these same kinds of things when she started making games. She’s mentioned in interviews she never imagined the games would be as popular as they were-- and the first two she made were free! But she took the plunge, and she absolutely KILLED IT. She practically invented a new genre-- yeah, we’ve seen coming-of-age stories before, but hers are distinctly feminine. Made by a woman, target audience is women, woman is the protagonist (instead of a protagonist, and there’s a huge difference), and significantly, instead of just showing how “girls can be masculine too,” the values and themes are feminine and celebrate womanhood. And of course Eve and Rhen and all of them can be masculine and even are in ways, but we already knew that from every other story that ever tried to have a female protagonist. It’s rare and wonderful to find stories that also acknowledge and honor being a woman. I know it’s important to me and I imagine it’s important for other women and actually all other people, because we all have these traits to some extent and it’s about time someone told us they’re good and worthwhile and interesting. It’s about time someone told a story of female greatness and how we can accomplish and be more than we ever imagined.

Amanda could do it, she wrote characters who do it, she made me believe I can do it. I don’t know if I would have finished college without her. I never would have gotten into drawing again-- something I love, something that gives me so much fulfillment. I never would have started writing seriously. Wouldn’t have taken on that high school geometry class, that two experienced teachers quit on. Every time I am faced with a choice between stagnation and an adventure that feels too big for me, I remember Rhen. I remember Talia and Eve. I think of Amanda. And I give it a shot.

#aveyond #gaea fallen #rhen pendragon #talia maurva #eve the seamstress #rant #do not reblog if you support character bashing or have anything remotely resembling it on your blog #seriously

[icchampreigns-blog]

RIVERDALE 1X06 EPISODE ANALYSIS AND THOUGHTS

So, I didn’t end up having time to do one of these for the past episode, but I’m doing it for this episode, thank goodness. Anything Betty/Jughead related will go last, in case non-fans of the ship want to read my analysis on everything else.

FRED, HERMIONE AND VERONICA

I’ll be the first to admit - I don’t care about Fred/Hermione’s storyline all that much. Having gone through my parent’s own divorce, I’ve handled the emotions that come with seeing your parent with a new significant other. I understand that their storyline is obviously going to cause some future beef between Hiram / Fred and Veronica / Archie. Because, I don’t know about you, but it seems kind of obvious that the show is setting up Veronica and Archie to be endgame in season one. Anyways. I’m not totally interested in Fred/Hermione’s storyline - don’t care too much about them specifically, but it definitely set up some head-butting between Veronica and Hermione. Veronica is at a prime age for rebellion and add to the fact that she’s just moved, hasn’t seen her father in three months and has just spotted her mother technically having an affair and forging her signature on official papers out of anger? Those two are going to have a major blow up, and I just know some harsh words will probably be said. In the end – I do think Veronica won’t tell her father what’s going on, but I do think her resentment towards Fred might effect whatever uture relationship she has with Archie. Which leads me into…

ARCHIE,(VERONICA x2) VALERIE AND THE PUSSYCATS

So, this was interesting. This was really interesting. We have a blossoming relationship between Archie and Valerie. Val’s willing to put up with Archie’s…self-centered thoughts and Jughead and Betty’s thoughts on the murder of him. And in swoops Veronica, sitting directly between the two of them, forcing them apart. If that isn’t imagery at it’s finest….y’all are blind. And then, with Veronica already resentful towards her mother and Fred – Valerie and Archie hook up musically. I don’t feel too bad for Val - she’s clearly stuck in the middle, and she’s not yet dating Archie, hell, neither is Veronica. This entire scene was clearly about their parents, but the underlying tension between Valerie/Archie/Veronica was super interesting. But I’m going to be real interested in who Archie ends up “choosing” at the end of the season (Note - I do not believe it will be Betty at all. Not just because I ship her with Jughead, since I’m a multishipper, but because it’s not apparently written that way. I actually kind of believe Archie might be a little jealous at a future relationship but Betty shuts that down fast). Anyways. I do believe, as mentioned above, that Archie will end up choosing (I hate that word) Veronica.

As for the Pussycat’s - it was super great seeing Josie’s family and some of her backstory (why do the parents suck in this show, though) and I really hope we see some of Val and Mel’s backstory, too. I think Josie is going to be super disappointed and betrayed when she learns that her Mom took dirty money, though. 

POLLY, JASON, & PREGNANCY, OH MY.

So, this was super interesting. While I knew about the pregnancy, not because of spoilers (c’mon now, she’s “sick”? Super obvious, writers), I was absolutely surprised that the show decided to not have her actually know about Jason’s death. And my heart broke for her in this moment because holy shit, she was probably surviving on the idea of meeting up with Jason again.

So, who killed Jason? A lot of people are in with the theory that Jason was killed by accident and the victim should have been Archie because of his affair with Grundy. I, personally, don’t believe this, since the affair started at the beginning of the summer and Jason was planning on running away with Polly. Polly mentioned that someone had told her parents what was going on. And that someone clearly had to know what was going on, and to be honest, the only one who truly fits that is Nana Blossom. I have no idea why, but – she knew about the whole thing (calling Betty, ‘Polly’ and talking about the ring; Cheryl saying the knowledge of who the murderer is can ruin her life).

I also don’t believe it’s the Coopers anymore (though the Mother, I do believe, is very capable of murder). I felt some sympathy towards Hal Cooper, since he looked so betrayed over Betty thinking he was capable of murder (theft, sure,) and Alice…well, she’s definitely an emotional abuser and, in my opinion, actually capable of it, spoilers make me believe it isn’t a Cooper.

And now, some good ol’ Bughead under the ‘read more’.

BETTY, JUGHEAD AND BUGHEAD

Alright, how do I even begin with these two. I guess with this little fun fact - I believe Betty/Jughead is endgame. I believe the ‘triangle’ will be between Val/Archie/Veronica. Possibly, Jughead/Betty/Someone Else. But these two –

These two are clearly so damn in tune to one another. Betty invites Jughead over and it’s clearly so she can get knowledge on where her sister is being kept, since Jughead looked back at Bety when he was being escorted to the bathroom. It’s clear that Betty can trust Jughead with this information and just.

And then we have them at school, in their own little world, sharing food and talking about Polly and what to do. And when Archie interrupts, Betty seems slightly interested but then she’s back at Jughead and just – clearly in the zone with him. And it shows, you guys, which is why I have no worries about Bughead being used to further Archie/Betty.

And then, we have Jughead trying to protect Betty when she goes to hug her sister. Like, shit, I just. How clear can the directors, producers, writers and cast be with this ship? Because to me, it’s super fucking clear. He’s worried about her and protective towards her, and that’s pretty awesome.

And don’t get me started on that scene in her bedroom. It’s clear she’s obviously comfortable with him being there, and he’s comfortable with being there, and he finally decides to go for something and she definitely enjoyed it (Seriously guys. She might have had an epiphany about the car after the kiss, but she smiled during the kiss, she followed Jughead’s lips when he pulled away. She was into it). And he finds her adorable, clearly, when she does mention the car because hello soft smirk and chuckle. Point is, these two are good, there’s no worries for them in my mind. I also don’t think it was rushed, since while it’s been six episodes for us, it’s been years for them, and you have to look beyond what they’re showing us.

But I want to talk about the development for next week. We’re re-introduced to Jughead’s Dad and I think this is where their relationship grows, and possibly, Jughead and Archie’s shatters slightly. I think this will help Jughead and his Dad step forward (I truly do believe FP isn’t as bad as y’all are making him out to be) and I think it’ll help Archie and Jughead grow slightly closer before shattering due to Archie’s naivety (Archie really does remind me of Scott McCall, and not in a good way).I’m also thinking that Bughead grows closer, with Betty finding out the truth about Jughead’s familial life and being there for him. Either way –

I truly do think the writers are making Bughead the more main ship of the show and their narrative is showing this.

#riverdale #riverdale spoilers #betty cooper #jughead jones #archie andrews #valerie brown #veronica lodge #cheryl blossom #jason blossom #polly cooper #fred andrews #hermione lodge #bughead #rd: episode analysis #riverdale theories