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signiorbenedickofpadua · 7 months

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Anachronistic Greetings

by SigniorBenedickofPadua — Read on AO3

Pairing: Dream of the Endless/Hob Gadling Rating: Mature Words: 2900 Tags: Sleep Deprivation, Accidental Kissing, Professor Hob Gadling, First Kiss, Getting Together, Dream Sex, Middle English. Counter Sex, or counter-foreplay to be precise, Accidental Confession, Daydreaming, Feelings Revealed by Daydreaming

Summary:

Hob is sleep deprived. That's fine, it happens, he's used to it. It's just that when you're 600-something the centuries can start to blend together a bit when you're tired. Enough so, apparently, that when Dream pops by for a visit, Hob's muddled brain decides to greet him with a "Salve!" and a kiss on the lips like it's still 1389 and he's greeting any old friend and not the cosmic being he's secretly in love with in the year of our Lord 2023. It's a good thing Dream is understanding. Very understanding.

Hob stared down at the kitchen table he was sitting at, resting his head in his hands as he absently followed the pattern of the wood grain with unseeing eyes, mind occupied with thoughts of absolutely nothing at all. He could have been sitting there for anything between seconds and hours for all he knew when he suddenly blinked and realised that he had entered the kitchen to get something to eat. Probably. He was fairly sure he hadn’t eaten yet.

He shook his head, forcing himself to snap out of it and come back to the then and there. He had just gotten home from work, and he was going to have dinner. Right. Yes. Only problem was he hadn’t quite got to that point before spacing out and forgetting what he was doing due to the fact that he hadn’t slept a wink last night. He’d had to stay up late marking essays, after which his brain had just refused to shut off and stop thinking about Middle English syntax for long enough for him to fall asleep.

Actually, come to think of it, that was two nights ago. Had he been awake all of last night too? He thought he might have been, having been too tired to fall asleep because the human body was bloody stupid like that. He attributed the fact that he hadn’t simply collapsed in front of his students while lecturing to his experience marching for days without proper rest back when he was constantly fighting for or against one Plantagenet king or another. But just because his body had kept going through the day didn’t mean his brain had followed at the same pace.

He felt a little bad for his students, to be honest, because he doubted his lectures had been up to his usual standards. At one point, if he remembered correctly, he had slipped into Middle French for several sentences before realising it, and, while talking about how the printing press had contributed to standardising the vocabulary of the English language, he was pretty sure he had used the pronouns “I” and “we” a few too many times to be entirely advisable for someone who was keen on keeping their immortality a secret.

He blinked again. Food. Right. He’d gotten distracted thinking about why he was distracted in the first place. Maybe he should just give up and go straight to bed, to catch up. Or maybe he’d better stay awake and go to bed at a normal time so as not to fuck up his sleep schedule even more by going to sleep at five in the afternoon. Hm. Dinner first. Then decisions.

He had just gotten up from his chair with the intention of opening the fridge to see what his options were when he heard a knock on his front door. Seconds later, he heard it opening. Hob instinctively reached for a sword which no longer hung at his hip before realising that a burglar probably wouldn’t bother knocking before breaking in, and that he had, in fact, forgotten to lock the door behind him when he got home.

The door closed behind his visitor, and he heard a familiar voice call, “Hob?”

Ah, of course. Who else would just waltz into his flat without waiting to be let in? He supposed he should be grateful Dream had learned to knock at all instead of just travelling by sand straight to Hob’s living room as he had often done back when the two of them had first started spending time together outside their centennial appointments. A wide smile spread across his face as he made his way into the hallway and laid eyes on his old friend. Sleep deprivation or not, Dream was always welcome.

“Salve, my freend,” he greeted him, laying his hands on Dream’s shoulders and standing on tiptoes to reach up and plant a kiss on his lips. “Wel y-mette.” He turned and headed back towards the kitchen. “I was just going to figure out dinner. Can I get you anything?”

There was no response, but Hob hadn’t really expected much of one. Asking Dream if he wanted something to eat or drink was mostly just a habitual courtesy — he knew he rarely indulged in such things in the waking world. He opened the fridge and looked over its contents with his own needs in mind as he waited for Dream to catch up and join him in the kitchen, which took longer than expected. Settling on some leftover stew, he removed the tupperware from the fridge and wandered over to the breadbox on the counter, cursing when he realised he was out of trencher bread. Wait. No. Why the fuck would he use a trencher? He had plates nowadays. Christ, he needed to sleep.

“Is this style of greeting coming back into fashion?” he heard Dream ask from the doorway, and he tore his eyes from the breadbox he had been blindly staring at for just a bit too long to look up at his friend.

“Hm? What greeting?”

Dream raised an eyebrow. “You do not usually kiss me when I enter your home.”

If Hob’s brain had been moving slowly before, now it froze completely. “Kiss? I didn’t—” His short-term memory finally caught up with him and he felt suddenly faint. “Oh, God… I’m— Fuck, I’m sorry, Dream.” The ice-cold fear that had gripped his heart was somewhat lessened by the fact that Dream looked mildly amused rather than offended, and he buried his rapidly flushing face in his hands. “Christ, I didn’t mean to— Sorry, I’m really out of it today and I think my brain has been stuck in the wrong century the entire day. I was going for a friendly greeting and apparently chose something that would’ve been appropriate six hundred years ago — before, you know, kissing on the mouth like that had the, uh, intimate connotations it has today.”

“I am aware of the greeting customs of humans, past and present,” Dream said, and when Hob dared to look up again, he could see the corner of his friend’s mouth twitch slightly, “I was merely taken aback by the anachronism.”

Hob took that as confirmation that he was forgiven for his slip-up, and he allowed himself a slightly nervous chuckle to lighten the mood, trying very hard to push back the thought that he had actually kissed Dream. He now knew what those lips felt like against his own, after having fantasised about it for ages. And this is how he found out? Through an absent-mindedly archaic greeting that was over in a second? Fucking hell, Gadling, get a grip. He needed to invest in sleeping pills after this, to prevent anything like it to ever happen again.

“Well, still. Sorry. Wouldn’t have been appropriate even if this had been the 14th century, would it? We’re hardly equals — you know, with you being a literal king and all. Someone like me should have kissed the hem of your coat, or the ground at your feet, or something like that.”

Dream took a step closer to where Hob was leaning back against the counter. “You are not my subject, Hob Gadling. You are my friend. I would rather have you kiss me like an equal.”

And wasn’t that a thought? Hob tried to remind himself that Dream’s words were on the subject of platonic greetings in a historical context, but he was finding it very, very hard not to imagine him saying the same thing in a modern context — as an invitation. His eyes dropped down to Dream’s plump lips, which looked so much softer when turned up in fond amusement than when pursed in annoyance or fury. Quite against his conscious efforts not to, he recalled the way they had parted slightly in surprise when he had covered them with his own and how they had not been as cool as he had previously imagined them, but pleasantly warm and lush. He imagined they would feel even more so if Dream initiated a kiss instead of being surprised by one. Especially if he abandoned the platonic pretence and kissed Hob the way he had dreamt of for far longer than he cared to admit.

Dream’s lips moved, saying something that Hob didn’t quite register, but which at least made him realise that he had been staring rather rudely.

“Hm?” he said again, tearing his eyes away to meet Dream’s. They were darker and closer to him than they had been before. “Sorry, what?”

“You are sleep deprived,” Dream stated simply.

“How did you know?”

“I am Dream of the Endless. I know.” He stepped even closer to Hob, almost crowding him against the counter. “And, being half asleep as you are, your daydreams are far more vivid and harder to ignore than usual.”

“What— Oh.” Oh no… “Fuck, I’m sorry—”

“No need to apologise,” Dream murmured. He was practically hovering over Hob at this point. “Unless…you did not mean it?”

His nose brushed lightly against Hob’s, and Hob forgot how to breathe. “Mean what?” he managed to squeeze out, dizzy with proximity to his oldest friend.

This close he could smell him. He could feel Dream’s breath (which he did not strictly need) dance over his lips when he spoke again, a low rumble which reverberated through Hob’s entire body and lit a fire in his belly.

“Do you wish me to stop?” Dream clarified, and there could be no question as to his meaning. Not when his body made contact with Hob’s, pressing him up against the counter, gently but insistently.

“No,” Hob breathed, half suspecting that he had, in fact, fallen asleep at the kitchen table and that this was a dream. But he had been friends with Dream long enough to be able to tell the difference between dreaming and waking, as well as how to tell if his friend was actually there in his dreams. As unlikely as this was, his feet were firmly planted in the Waking, even if his mind was at risk of straying dangerously close to the Dreaming in his current state. “No, I don’t.”

“Very well.” Dream’s voice was halfway between a purr and a growl as he surged forward, closing the remaining distance to slot their lips and bodies together.

Hob had been right. There was a world of difference between giving Dream a little peck on the mouth and being kissed by him in earnest. To say that sparks flew would be an understatement. It was more akin to being consumed but a wildfire, burning hot and fierce. Gone was the reserved stiffness his friend often exhibited in public. Now he sank his hands into Hob’s hair with passionate abandon and licked into his mouth like a man dying of thirst hoping to catch every last drop of water in his cup. He pressed himself close to Hob, slipping a knee between his legs and rolling his hips experimentally, obviously pleased when it wrung a moan out of Hob.

Hob’s hands flew up to Dream’s hips, finding their way beneath his stupid, elegant coat which he still hadn’t removed. He clutched at the fabric of his shirt, using it to pull his friend even closer, marvelling at the solidity of his thin body as he splayed a hand over his ribs and moved it in a caress around to his back. He could count every knob in his spine by touch, yes, but the muscles surrounding it were strong and firm and they danced beneath his hand as Dream reached down and lifted Hob onto the countertop like he weighed absolutely nothing — and fuck, if that wasn’t a turn on…

Hob retaliated by wrapping his legs around Dream’s lithe form and groaned when his friend rutted up against him. He was reasonably sure that Dream must have made himself taller than he’d been a moment ago for their groins to still be at the same height, but he had a hard time focusing on that when it felt so damn good to have Dream’s obvious erection rub against his own, even through far too many layers of clothes.

“Fuck, Dream…” he gasped when Dream, a good while later, broke the kiss to instead mouth at the side of his neck, then up to nip at a sensitive earlobe, all while slipping his hands under the hem of his shirt to palm at longing skin. “Are you… Ah! Do you want to take this to the bedroom?”

He was proud of himself for managing the question without his voice trembling. Despite the fact that Dream had initiated this whole thing and was clearly as excited about it as Hob was, he still felt the half-irrational fear that any sudden moves or potentially offending propositions might send his friend running like he had the last time Hob had dared presume too much.

Dream hummed against the spot where Hob’s ear connected to his jaw and dragged his fingernails lightly down his back, sending a shiver down his spine. “A sensible idea. You are weary and need to rest.”

“Not what I meant, and you know it.”

“Nevertheless, I think perhaps you ought to get some sleep. I can feel you yearning for the Dreaming, in mind and body alike.”

“For its ruler, maybe. I may be a bit tired, but I’d rather continue this than try and fail to go to sleep right now.”

He would never admit it, but a pang of anxiety shot through him at the thought of interrupting this at this point. He needed them to see it through, and to talk about it afterwards to figure out what the hell it meant. If they stopped now, if Dream left… Would they have the courage to bring it up the next time they saw each other, or would they dance around it for a few more centuries? He wasn’t sure he could bear that.

Dream pulled back enough to meet Hob’s eyes. His lips were red and puffy and sported an amused smile. “Hob, I shall join you in the Dreaming, naturally. I too am quite keen to finish what we have started.” He punctuated this with a roll of his hips which chased Hob’s fears away to make room for arousal. “As for falling asleep — there are certain benefits to keeping the King of Dreams as one’s lover. It will not prove an obstacle.”

Hob hardly heard anything he said after the word lover, which bounced around in his head like an intoxicating echo. “Well, then… Bringe me to bedde, louer myn,” he murmured, lifting a hand to push a strand of Dream’s wild hair behind his ear. It was just as soft as it looked.

His lover smiled and whispered, “Slepe, thanne, my biloued.”

Dream bent his head to place a gentle kiss on Hob’s forehead, and suddenly it was nigh on impossible to keep his eyes open. The last thing Hob was conscious of before sleep claimed him was his head slumping forward to rest on Dream’s shoulder. Then everything went dark and fuzzy.

***

When Hob next opened his eyes, he knew he was dreaming. He found himself in a room he did not recognise, but he knew it belonged to the Palace of the Dreaming. It was unclear whether he knew it because he recognised the stone the walls were built from, or the style of the lofty stained-glass windows, or because of the way you just knew things sometimes when you dreamt, but it hardly mattered. What mattered was that he was lucid, that he was in a bed, that he was naked beneath the sheets, and that Dream stood before him by the side of the bed, dressed only in a diaphanous black robe which was seemingly woven from pure shadow.

“Hello, Hob,” Dream rumbled, voice impossibly deep and sonorous here in his natural habitat. His eyes gleamed with starlight as he looked down at Hob.

“Please tell me I’m not currently asleep in a heap on my kitchen floor,” was what Hob managed to say after suppressing the urge to just whine and rip that horribly teasing robe off of Dream’s body.

“Of course not. I carried you to bed. The point was to ensure you got some restful sleep, which the floor is hardly suited for.”

“Oh, that’s the point of this, is it?” Hob asked with a breathless laugh, running his eyes down the neckline of the robe, which plunged dangerously low.

Dream smirked. “Among other things.” He placed a knee on the bed, and then, in an unnaturally smooth movement, he was seated across Hob’s hips, their bodies separated only by the gossamer fabric of the robe and the silky satin of the sheets.

“And what were those, again? Would you care to remind me?” Hob teased, reaching out to slide his hands up slim but powerful thighs.

“It would be my pleasure.”

That night, as Hob would later reflect, put every wet dream he’d had in his very long life to shame. The next morning, he woke up well-rested but starving, with a distinctly uncomfortable situation in his pants and a tupperware container full of spoiled stew waiting for him in the kitchen. That didn’t matter much, however, when he also woke up to find the King of Dreams in his bed.

#The Sandman fanfic #Dreamling fanfic #The Sandman #Dreamling #One-shot #my fic #Can you BELIEVE that I actually wrote something under 10k?#I certainly can't #It's a bit disorienting tbh

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butmakeitgayblog · 3 months

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Can I just say I love how like, into revisiting and analysing this dumb show’s scenes you still are — with the rise in popularity of streaming (I’m sure this has something to do with it, anyway) it’s become more and more commonplace for people to consume a piece of media, enjoy it, get bored of it after a while and never touch it again after moving on to the next new thing. It’s so wholesome and refreshing to see people still be so passionate and always find something new to talk about a show that, for all many of us care, ended 8 years ago. I do move in and out of being obsessed and disinterested with the media I’ve enjoyed, but in a world where I’m constantly seeing people say “oh you’re a fan of [X]? But that’s old :/“ (mostly about something that finished like last year lol) your blog is a breath of fresh air :)

Well thank you 🥹

The thing is, I get it. I get why and how people move on to different fandoms so quickly, and I don't really think poorly of that or anything. It's been almost a decade and it's easy to fall out of love with something after so long. Hell, when you think about it, this fandom has outlived the lifespan of a lot of entire relationships people have had 🥴. People find new things to get excited over and the *gasp* feeling of finding this new /thing/ is always fun. So I do get it.

But for me, it's just not that way. It's not that simple. Not because I think I'm somehow special (maybe a lil deranged 😬), but rather that's just how I operate. Before Clexa the only other ship I ever really cared about was Willara from Buffy which I watched when I was a goddamn teenager lol (RIP to my fellow gays always falling for girls who get shot ✊😔). I just don't get attached much to characters and ships. Usually ai like them in passing, enjoy watching them, and then that's... it. Tibette from the L Word. Wayhaught. Brittana. I like them and I follow them, but there's no real desire to delve deeper beneath the surface.

And then something like Clexa comes around and just absolutely fucks me up. It hits me and connects with me in a way that I just can't shake. Watching the show isn't enough. Thinking about it isn't enough. I have to discuss it and dissect it and fill in the gaps that we didn't see, and read and (now) create more stories for them just to understand everything about them to a deeper degree.

So few characters really elicit that kind of connection, but Clexa do. Even for a lot of the people who have moved on, at one time they felt that connection. Clexa was a fuckin madhouse for years and I think the fact that even still to this day people keep discovering and rediscovering them and falling in love with them all over again speaks volumes about just how wonderful that relationship and those characters actually were.

Especially Lexa.

Now, I love Clarke. I make it known that thiiiisss is a Clarke Griffin apologist's blog. That feral little kitten has never done anything wrong in her life. Ever. Including all of the terrible things she's done, as well as the many, many things that were flat out wrong. She is still innocent. She is only a baby. A murderous, tormented, compassionate, complex babygirl. So never get it twisted that I'm saying Clarke is somehow lesser than, but when push comes to shove when we're talking about baseline complexity, there is no character like Lexa. There's just not.

This woman was definition of doomed by the narrative. A child stolen away to be used as a glorified sacrificial lamb for her people. A toddler wielding a sword made of wood taller than her own tiny body, trained to accept her own life as expendable for the greatest good of her people before even learning her ABCs. She took the throne at 12 bby slaughtering her only companions and made her death mask out of kohl and fallen tears. Every person she ever loved as a mother, father, brother, either died for her, or by her own hand. The only two people she ever dared to be weak for were torn from her in the name of politics and the weight of her own bloodied crown. Under all the regalia she was just Lexa. Heda, always surrounded by her people and yet eternally just a lonely soul. Born here on Earth, raised to eventually die for others, left to rule over the people on the ground as best she knew how.

And yet through the pain, she was strong. So fucking strong it emboldened the warriors around her. She was brave, and lethal, and unyielding in her pursuit of peace. Meeting every push against her forward march to change head on, never flinching in her own brutality along the way. She knew that she was born for this; believed the black of her blood to be every bit as much of a blessing as it was a curse. Even when people doubted her and did their best to end her reign, Lexa always came out swinging.

She loved hard and kicked ass even harder, is what I'm saying. And the fact that they took a character like that and ended her so fucking carelessly? I just... I'm gonna be pissed off about that for a very long time. And until I'm no longer pissed off about that, I'll be here running mouth about it 🥴 probably still trying to make it better by writing her and the love of her life in as many stories as I can, so they can finally get the happy ending that was robbed of them in canon 🫡

#bisexualseraphim #clexa #lexa kom trikru

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highfantasy-soul · 2 months

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NATLA - Episode 1: Aang (4/4)

[Masterlist of my NATLA thoughts]

An explanation of what I'm doing here and my history with ATLA.

Of course, full spoilers ahead.

Aang gives himself up once he realizes the fire benders have no issues harming the village, showing how he's willing to try a different angle to fighting - having no intention of staying locked up, but rather getting the fire nation away from his new friends - keeping true to the animated series.

I love the talk he and Iroh have where Iroh is very careful to say 'some believe' and gives alternative reasonings for this war - reasons that are explained in later books in the animated version, but does a good job at showing new viewers that the fire nation isn't just a flat-manically evil villain: they're just like real-world colonist nations that don’t see themselves as the bad guy even while they're doing objectively evil things.

I also enjoy him stealing Zuko's journal - I like giving Aang something to work with rather than having him just be at a loss in this brand new world with no info to go off of.

A lot of people feel that, especially the first part of book 1 in the animated series was a bit aimless - they don’t even go to Kyoshi island for Avatar reasons, they do it to ride the giant koi fish. This is compounded by the fact that the only goal they have is to reach the northern water tribe so Aang can learn waterbending, but along the way, they don’t really have a goal.

This way, they have another goal while they're traveling - figure out the Avatar state and what the Avatar is supposed to do, exactly - it gives the characters information to work off of rather than just wandering around - something that can work in episodic shows that are 20 episodes a season, but needs to be a bit more focused when there's not space to give each character moment/theme/lesson a full episode.

Sokka immediately turning over command to another villager while Katara is trying to convince him they need to go after Aang was so pitch perfect it was insane. It was just as great of characterization as when they had Sokka on board to rescue Aang in the animated show, but I love the addition of Sokka turning over his command instead of just inviting Katara into the canoe.

I like how they changed Aang going into the avatar state after falling from Zuko's ship to him being caught by Katara and Sokka as they come to rescue him, and just like in the animated version, Katara helping out with her waterbending. In the animated show, she showed her power by breaking apart the iceberg, in this one, she shows her power by stopping Zuko's fireball with a comparable amount of waterbending.

I think that, since we conclude this episode with the third episode of the animated version, having Aang go into the Avatar state twice in a row would make the second time feel cheaper, like it's super easy for him to get into it and show the control he did messing up Zuko's ship.

In the animated show, there was a whole episode separating the instances of the Avatar state - in the live-action, that would have been like, 10 minutes tops between them (plus him going into the Avatar state at the beginning to create the iceberg - so three times in one episode is a bit excessive), so I think the choice to nix him Avataring in the water and focus on him assuming it as he's overcome with grief and rage at the death of the airbenders was a good choice.

Speaking of the episode 3 content: while I do miss Aang's denial that anything happened to the Air Nomads and him trying to act like everything is fine and just playing his games at the temple, I can understand why they didn't have the time to drag out his denial and just jumped right to how the loss of the Air Nomads affected him.

Honestly, it doesn’t make much sense for Aang to be so sure that his friends - especially Gyatzo - are still alive after 100 years like he does in the cartoon. It's some hard-core denial he's in and I can see why that just wouldn't land in live-action over the course of a single episode.

Episode one had a LOT to set up and solidify and I think it did a great job. Of course, long form media will be able to take it's time with stuff and add different dimensions, so I'm very glad they exchanged his denial with us actually getting to spend more time with Gyatzo.

Starting with him and Aang at the beginning and bookending the episode with his assurance to Aang that he's going to be a good avatar and he'll always be his friend was a great way to show how important Gyatzo was to Aang - something we don't actually get so much in the animated version.

Deepening that connection and having the memory of Gyatzo pull Aang from the Avatar state, I feel like is much more earned than if Katara had done it like she did in the show.

In the animated version, we had 3 episodes of Katara interacting with Aang - and even though it was still really just the same amount of time they had together in both versions, our minds trick us into thinking she'd known Aang for longer due to three vs one episodes. Honestly, her talking Aang down in the animated version is a bit unearned and I can see why they changed it to be Gyatzo here.

I think it hits harder and makes more sense that it's in the finale that Katara is the one able to bring Aang back after he's merged with the ocean spirit - they've built a real connection and so before, it was Aang's connection to his past that brought him back, in the finale, it's his connection to his present and a possible future that does.

These are all fantastic ways to really show that the Avatar is both of this world and beyond - when in the Avatar state, they must be tethered somehow to the mortal plane or they'll get lost in their spiritual essence.

And then finally, to the 'goal' of the story: Aang needs to master all elements so he can bring an end to the war and bring balance back to the world.

Pretty much the same as the show, but they get to the meat and potatoes of the story a bit quicker - there's not exactly a ticking clock yet, and I think that's ok since in the animated series, with all the 'side quests' the gaang does, it can feel a bit…like they aren't really too concerned about ending the war soon. It's not until season 3 that the timeline really starts to affect the story - and only in some episodes. Keeping that aspect out of it for now, I think is a perfectly ok choice.

Intercutting Aang's speech about how we never know how important something is to us until we lose it with Zuko was a great choice - really setting up how the two of them are mirrors for each other

For Zuko and Iroh - I love how Zuko has a whole Avatar red-string wall! And a diary (sorry, notebook) where he's been studying and gathering all the info he can about Avatars, really perfect characterization right there.

I do wish they'd included Iroh talking about the breath of firebending, not the muscles, during Zuko's practice, but alas. Iroh is really the only character I'm still ruminating on - he feels the farthest from his animated counterpart, but I'm not mad at it. I just have a very, very, very specific version of Iroh I have solidified in my brain that, obviously, no one can replicate, so it's just something that I have to accept.

I guess the best way to put it is that this Iroh feels a bit more…casually intense than the animated version. The animated version always felt like he was relaxed at all times, very drunken master esque, and only in a few moments did we see that there was a lot more going on beneath the surface he wasn't showing us - in the live-action, I felt that simmering tension beneath the surface much more often than I did in the animated show.

Zuko's anger and obsessive need to capture the Avatar is shown so clearly in every scene he's in and, as he was the most interesting part of the animated series, it's no surprise he's the most interesting one in the live-action too.

His story and character just gives you so much to chew on and watch as he grows and changes so it's really no contest - where the other characters have pretty straight forward character motivations/arcs that don't really change through all three seasons, Zuko has the most going on and the most winding path, so yeah, every moment with him is so juicy

The opening of episode 2 with his tantrum and him screaming 'HE RAN' just shows how much the writers GET him - our pathetic cringe-fail loser angry boy <3

So that's my overview of episode 1 of the live action! I thought it was pretty strong, though as I've seen the animated a whole lot, the emphasis on exposition did drag it just a bit for me. Not because I thought the exposition was bad or unnecessary, but just because I, personally, already knew the stuff. Honestly, the stuff that deviated from the animated version was the best for me: the entire opening, Sokka and Katara's convo on the canoe, Sokka giving control to another villager to go save Aang, and Gyatzo - all of Gyatzo.

I think it did a phenomenal job at setting up the world, the stakes, and the characters - creating a super solid foundation to jump off of in the next episodes where the timeline of events from the OG show will be played with and altered. A solid foundation helps smooth the transition for us OG fans to see how many individual episode plotlines can be woven into a single episode.

#atla #natla #netflix avatar #avatar the last airbender #media analysis

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monorayjak · 6 months

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Lost Caverns of Ixalan Thoughts

Ok, so, I just finished reading through the Lost Caverns of Ixalan Story plus the side story that's been released. I just wanted to share some thoughts. (Spoilers ahead)

All in all, an interesting story, with lasting repercussions for both the plane and those who were a part of the story. But, the set leaves a lot more questions than answers, and seems to have added some things just because they could; looking at you Leonin - they were literally in the story for like 10 minutes and then promptly forgotten about.

The story of Kellan continues as a small piece of this plot, and I enjoy that it was woven in without him becoming a key player. He was just passing through and got pulled in, he wasn't a deus ex machina or a big part of the ending, he was just there. Really enjoyed the idea of Kellan building a rag-tag multiversal adventuring party throughout his travels, seems like it would be fun, IF they don't just make it him and Amalia. Because if they leave it as just them its just going to turn into a love story, and I'm fine with a love story, but it just feels shoe-horned in if that's the only reason.

Quint's search for the "Coin Empire" seems interesting, but also seems to come out of absolutely no where, like… last we saw of him his spark ignited. When and when did he learn about this empire? What seems so special about it? How is he so sure it connects across planes? How the hell did they travel across planes in the distant past? How did they end up where they did? What caught his attention about them? It just feels out of nowhere, and it would be fine if they had made him have the revelation of "Holy shit, these things are exactly the same as another site I was working on… could it be some kind of multiversal empire??" but no, they have him already fully aware of it out of nowhere. It could have been better implemented I guess.

Also, what the hell was with the descriptions of "long necks" just being there??? Are they talking about fucking Giraffes? Why do they never mention them in more detail than "fuzzy, strange looking, long-necked creatures??" Why??? Where they trying to hide something??? What was the importance of it?? Are they trying to say BATS somehow have really long necks?? But it couldn't be that because people call the bats, well, bats! Just… what???????

Liked the political intrigue we got from every side:

Vampires having a kind of Reformation level split in the church/government

The sun empire being ruled by a literal 4-year old (ADVENTURE!!!!!!!!!!!) who is being manipulated by two relatives

Huatli working to start a coup

Huatli, Elenda, and Admiral/Governor Brass working together to form a powerful enough force to stop another war

Saheeli being sent in Huatli's place and the fact she is from another world is used in the story by having her keep notes in her home-worlds language, with her also being the voice of reason to everyone without even thinking about it

Enjoyed the fact that Huatli is becoming a tired veteran after the race for Orazca, the War of the Spark, and the phyrexian invasion, and now just wanting a peaceful life with no more needless death.

Enjoyed the moments of Saheeli and Huatli being together, even we don't get many and I'm still not a fan they were desparked.

I found some bits of writing a bit lazy, notably:

These lines are both in the same section about 3 paragraphs apart. There is no break between in the form of a viewpoint switch or anything. There was no reason to have this repetition beyond wanting to compare his use of it to something else and being too lazy to think up another one.

This joke just falls flat. I understand Malcolm has talked like this the entire story, but it just feels so forced and atonal. And it isn't like they couldn't have good jokes in tense moments, for example:

A funny and natural exchange in a very tense moment.

To top off the final bit, I do need to gripe about my BIGGEST annoyance in this set specifically. The discrepancy between both the description and depiction of the "Cosmium Eaters" and the multiple depictions we get of them. Like, this is the description of the lead-up to the transformations

We have a mental image of a large bat god giving this power to Vito and his followers. Which is followed by this image.

Which is fine. Its a great image showing the beginning of the transformation. The transformation, which is described as:

Ok, so they've turned into man-bat like creatures. Cool, good. BUT, then we see this image in the next article, one where Huatli kills Vito.

That isn't a Man-Bat like person... that's Vito with bat wings. Ok, so maybe the transformation was exaggerated a bit in the story... except

No, it wasn't. So why the hell does Vito, as the first person to transform, look like his normal self but is written as if he's become some kind of horrifying monster, one which the characters mention they really only make out its him because he's holding the same staff as before. Why does no one else look like that? What do these people look like?????

Long story short, the story is a mixed bag I think.

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wawamouse · 3 months

Text

Oz Rewatch 3: S2E03: Legs

This week, leading up to the midseason finale, we have another episode that felt a little filler-y. A lot

I'll just bullet point them first to refer back to:

Resolved/continuing from last episode:

Miguel refuses to name Glynn’s daughter’s rapist after learning who it is / Glynn refuses Schibetta's help in getting the name

Diane returns to Em City and gets the cold shoulder from McManus

Kenny's rehabilitation progress regresses after Adebisi interferes

Schillinger out of Solitary, charged with Conspiracy to Murder

Augustus + Beecher tension resolved through extended fart joke lol

Ryan gets his breast tumor surgery

New storyline introduced:

Augustus’s retrial w Said

Giles’s babbling and Sister Peter

The Aryans kill Alexander Vogel, Schillinger starts his revenge plot against Beecher

Busmalis starts digging a hole

Cyril is introduced

Shirley is introduced

Of course, we started out the episode with Sister tittering gleefully over Glynn and Mukada's "lover's tiff". She would be disappointed to realise as the episode progressed that her little soap opera from last week's episode had basically come to an end, though.

[No words; I hear a soft, dejected sigh from Sister over my shoulder]

Unfortunately, Giles is introduced this episode. As I have made clear in my posts in the past, I don't really care much for his storyline or that fact that this is the only real storyline Sister Pete has that is disconnected from many of the other characters she usually deals with. Thinking it over, I believe what might've improved this arc would've been if the lack of resolution over Sister Pete's husband's dead had been introduced earlier on as something affecting her, with the story revolving more around Sister Pete's lingering feelings on the matter and less on Giles and the mystery his babbling presents. I just don't think Giles is that compelling as a character, and if he is really only supposed to be there to unlock some of Sister Pete's back story, I would have liked the whole plot to actually focus more on her.

I sorted of tipsily ranted about it on my Season 1 finale post, but once again something about this bugs me. I don't really have any problem with Said being characterised as arrogant and somewhat foolish, but on this third viewing, I'm starting to see more flaws with the way Said is written. I'm still not sure how to explain it necessarily. In my season 1 rant, I chalked it up to the fact that the writers don't seem familiar with any of the concrete viewpoints a character like Said would have, and therefore he's always just saying vague things about black liberation or prison abolition or revolution or what have you. At the same time, my suspicion that maybe Said is actually sort of just dumb (to put it bluntly) seems like a viable option; Sister mused while we were watching Said boast about Augustus's chances that maybe he was just supposed to be daft about the law... After all, if he understood how things actually worked in the world, maybe he wouldn't be in prison. I think the "Said is actually just that dumb" theory falls flat, though, because in-universe he seems like a pretty highly regarded thinker (except by Querns? lol).

I sort of forget how Said's arrogance plays out in the long run in this season (beyond failing Augustus), so maybe this is a thought I'll put a pin in for now... But I do find it a little 🤨🙄 how he is painted as so delusional in this particular arc. I did sort of think he had been coming down to earth at the end of season 1 after his heart problems but season 2 has him back to doing Too Much. Having Busmalis as the voice of reason, telling Said that he couldn't overthrow the system felt very much like a moment where the writer was speaking to those who Said is meant to represent. Maybe I'm reading too much into that one, but I just feel like it's a cheap move. Of course Said's vague and radical views are going to look preposterous! He hasn't been written from a concrete understanding of any particular ideology or framework! Idk. They should've made Said a communist or something 💀

Anyway.

Moving on, we have a continuation of Ryan's cancer storyline.

I must say, me and Sister were very ???? about Ryan's story to Gloria about how he knew his wife since high school, they impressed their friends by fucking like bunnies minus the babies and then he married his wife because he felt bad she was barren, before cheating on her "a lot" and somehow, the conclusion of this story was... that he didn't want to die in prison? And somehow this monologue earned sympathy points from Gloria? Lol? GIRL? Were you even listening?

Sister: Aw, he does actually love his wife... [long, dubious silence]... I think.

Sister: Ummmmm... what about SHANNON...?

Takeaways & Stray Thoughts:

Sister: I only remember Shannon Me: You only remember her name because she’s pretty Sister: [cackling wildly] That’s true! You know me so well… I don’t even remember the brother’s name—I just remember Shannon saying “what are we going to do about your brother?” 😜… I don’t remember the commissioner’s name… or the girl whose legs we were looking through in that one scene (Diane; there was a scene where McManus was doing sit-ups and the camera was shooting from ankle level behind her) 🥴… I don’t remember the commissioner’s name (Glynn)🤣, or the priest (Mukada)🤨. I remember Sister Peter Marie’s name, but she’s pretty, too... I also remember Miguel’s name but that’s because I’ve become his guardian angel 😌…… Hm, the fiancee (Said’s ex-fiancee) was pretty too… Is Shannon coming back? [sighing, flopping around] Probably not... I bet she'll be too busy supermodeling to be on this show again... 😭

Let it be known that between our episode viewing/discussion and me making some decaf to type this up, Sister kept musing about prison health insurance premiums, at one point saying something about "...She™—Shannon. You know, Shannon?"

Sister: I feel like Mr Religious Guy (Said) is becoming crazy...

New nicknames earned: Miguel, "the rat king" (due to how he tends to hunch his shoulders when he's walking "like a little rat, scurrying around", according to Sister) (frankly "the rat king" is just what she has been calling me all week due to a sweater I have been wearing so I think the name was already on her mind)

The Rat King in motion

I noticed that there were a lot of amusing background details happening in this episode. I wonder if different directors for episodes pay particular mind to having extras do stuff in the background (does the 2nd AD change between episodes? Maybe I should start looking up the crew, too...) Anyway, this episode seemed especially rife with extras amusing themselves in background scenes and moving around more to look busy. Likewise, I feel like this episode had a couple more fun little character/interaction moments compared to past episodes... Augustus and Beecher bickering, Agamemnon "Mm, me too" Busmalis, etc...

Arm wrestling, basketball, reading and walking—all in one shot; Adebisi terrorising Fiona and Tony; McManus keeps ketchup in his important looking cabinet, it turns out; a push-up contest, possibly

Sister: Faces smushed this episode.... two

Why was this episode titled Legs? Besides Diane's leg?

Sister is not a fan of Peter Schibetta so far

During Hanlon's scene with Mukada where he was talking about how he loved to take it up the ass, Sister mistakenly thought I said he was one "one of the gang" instead of "one of the gays", which led her to thinking he was one of the Italians

...Immaculate side eye....

#oz hbo #text #oz rewatch

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ok-boomerang · 1 year

Note

Can I get your thoughts on this post claiming Mai and Toph are very similar (and that Zuko clicked with Toph immediately because she reminded him of Mai)? https://at.tumblr.com/i-was-talking-to-momo/everyone-else-took-a-really-long-time-to/nyh2nz26iuay

Toph and Mai are similar? That’s a hard no from me. And besides, the reason Toph and Zuko get along so well is because Toph and Zuko are so similar.

I can kinda see the post’s first argument, that Toph and Mai are similar in that they both lived sheltered childhoods and their parents didn’t understand them or allow them to be themselves. But that’s…where the similarities end. And these are also pretty superficial parallels, based on a character’s circumstances instead of their development. And since we’re talking about a story, character development matters most.

The reason that Toph and Mai are so unalike is that Toph is a fully developed main character with an arc, while Mai is just…not. That’s not even an anti-Mai argument, it’s more of a critique of the story. Mai had the potential to be an interesting character, but she’s really just a stereotype of a gloomy goth girl (intentionally juxtaposed with the peppy pink-wearing girl) and the attempt in "The Beach" to add depth to her character sort of falls flat because all we get is “I’m like this because of my parents” and nothing about how she might want to change.

Toph, however, changes a LOT throughout the series. She sometimes literally puts up walls to protect herself, but very quickly learns that she can rely on her friends and that it’s okay to need people sometimes. She has heart-to-heart conversations and recognizes when she's made a mistake (see "The Runaway"). Mai does not learn similar lessons.

Toph puts on a tough-girl image but deep down she cares deeply for her friends and even decides she wants to connect with her parents. Mai does neither of these things. Sure, Mai stuck her neck out to save Zuko, but only after she yelled at him for breaking up with her because he was trying to save the world and after she refused to reconsider Fire Nation supremacy. She’s not actually interested in Zuko as a person, and so I would argue that her love for him is actually pretty shallow. (Note: I do not think Mai’s rescue is solid proof of selfless love. A person can make a lot of sacrifices for someone and still treat them like shit. Just ask my mom!)

So why do Toph and Zuko get along so well? It’s not because Toph and Mai are alike—in fact, Zuko pretty consistently does not get along with Mai. It’s made rather clear in the narrative that Zuko and Mai’s relationship in the Fire Nation is supposed to show that Zuko got everything he could have wanted but it was still all wrong. Some examples just off the top of my head: Mai not asking Zuko “for his life story,” Mai refusing Zuko’s gift, Mai thinking ordering servants around is fun, Mai and Zuko fundamentally misunderstanding each other at pretty much every possible moment, lol.

But Toph and Zuko both had to shed the masks they wore and embrace the person they truly were. It sounds cheesy because Toph and Zuko have to learn to embrace the cheese. (Sokka, Katara, and Aang’s developmental arcs are very different from Toph’s and Zuko’s arcs—they're already big on cheese.) Mai, as a sadly underdeveloped character, never embraces the cheese. The best example I can think of is Mai and Zuko bonding over hating the world in early S3. But that’s just the thing. Zuko doesn’t hate the world, and accepting that is what jumpstarts his ultimate redemption.

Toph and Zuko also share superficial parallels—both from rich families, both the black sheep (seems important to point out that Mai is not a black sheep btw. That’s kinda her whole thing in “The Beach”). And Toph, of course, wasn’t around when Zuko was chasing the Gaang. That might seem like a minor plot point, but it’s pretty important! All she knows is there’s a firebender there to teach Aang and that he’s earnest and trustworthy. (That he has daddy issues like her is just a bonus!) Sokka, Katara, and Aang have history with Zuko that’s hard to forget, AND they can’t tell when people are lying like Toph can. Toph has every reason to want to befriend Zuko, while the rest of the gaang’s reluctance makes sense.

Finally, another reason I think Toph and Zuko clicked—Zuko is good with kids. Remember how he taught Lee how to fight with broadswords instead of scolding him? Remember how Zuko carefully praised Aang during firebending lessons? There’s a reason the fandom has Dadko.

Thanks for the ask! This was fun to think about, and I really did try to consider how Mai and Toph might be similar. But I just don’t think you can really compare a flat character with a well-developed one. Toph is much more than her “tough girl exterior.” But Mai’s apathy isn’t even truly a strength.

#atla #atla meta #zuko #mai #toph #anti maiko #anon ask

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probablygoat · 4 months

Text

Riko Lore Parts 4 & 5

“Alright… I believe I see the full picture,” verified Moon with a mild huff and slow clasp of his hands. “I’m incredibly sorry, you two. Had I known a simple delivery job would have been so dangerous, I would have gone myself. I'm beyond thankful that you're both unharmed.”

Riko produced only a shy chuckle in response while Vi uncomfortably shifted in place and penitently looked down at their feet.

“I'm just glad everyone turned out okay,” Riko responded after a short pause.

Moon sat up in his chair and looked between the two young wizards, his hands now resting flat against the desk. “Did anything else occur while the two of you were out there?”

Vi’s eyes closed tightly for a moment as his hands lightly shook against his lap. He looked as if he were about to confess a great sin. Just as he inhaled to speak, Riko’s palm gently rested against his hand in an act of assurance.

“Vi,” Riko began, “it's okay. You went through a lot back there, right? You don't have to say anything.”

Vi’s eyes widened as he seemed to be taken back by the sudden act of kindness. After a few quiet moments of understanding, he replied with a soft, “Okay.”

Moon simply observed as the two talked, following suit with, “Vi, are you sure everything is okay?”

Vi offered a nod in response. “I'm fine.”

“All right. I won't pry, just know that you're allowed to tell us anything you need to,” said a consoling Moon.

“I know, I knowww,” groaned Vi in return. “It's not all about me, jeez. Didn't Riko have some glowy thing happen to their dagger? Can we talk about that instead?”

Moon let out a hearty laugh. “I see it didn't take you long to get back to your old self, then.”

Vi answered with an annoyed growl, crossing his arms and looking off to the side. “Yeah, yeah.”

“As for what Riko experienced…” Moon paused momentarily. “It sounds to me like wind magic.”

Vi abruptly sprang up from his seat, wide-eyed in disbelief as his palms latched onto the desk in front of him. “What!?” he belted.

After a decisive nod, Moon concluded, “There’s no other explanation as far as I'm aware. Just for a moment, Riko was able to manipulate the wind.”

“But that's next to impossible,” Vi whispered, falling back into his chair.

“Uh, guys,” Riko interjected, “I don't understand what the big deal is. What's so important about wind magic?”

“Well, nothing in particular. It's just exceedingly rare to see, and so few practice it that it's poorly understood even by the most studied of our instructors,” explained Moon. “The fact that someone so inexperienced in wizardry was able to make use of it is nothing short of a miracle.”

“Can you do it again?” prompted Vi.

Riko shook their head. “I don't think so. I don't even know how I did it the first time…”

“Could I see your dagger? You said it began to glow shortly before the wind came, correct?” asked Moon.

“Oh, yeah, sure,” Riko complied, unsheathing it and dropping the hilt directly into Moon’s outstretched palms.

Moon brought it close to himself for examination, wordlessly scanning his eyes across the blade. The two students silently looked between themselves as he studied it.

“It's a completely ordinary dagger. As far as I can tell, it lacks any and all magical properties, hence it could not have caused what happened,” Moon compassed, handing it cautiously back to Riko.

“So you really did manipulate the wind…” Vi uttered in astonishment.

“I guess so,” Riko responded meekly, sliding their dagger safely back into its leather casing. “I still don't know how I did it though.”

“Well, do you recall what I taught you about magic, and how we’re able to use it so frivolously?” Moon prodded.

“Magic comes from intent, that's what you said,” returned Riko.

“It does, that's why anyone can learn it regardless of their disposition. But there's more to it than that, as it's been repeatedly shown that different types of magic come easier to different people. Let's use you as an example, Riko. You want to help people above all else, yes?”

“Uh huh!” they confirmed.

“Then it's by no means a coincidence that your first learned spell was one of healing. Do you see what I'm getting at here?”

“I think so…”

“I have no means of proving this, but I'm hypothesizing that your brief stint with wind magic was because of something inherent to your personality. Exactly what that is may be impossible to say, as people are the single most complicated thing we know of. Magic is static in a sense, but people grow and change over time. Maybe what you experienced was something within you that is still growing, or has yet to grow. Only time will tell, I suppose.”

“Or maybe it runs in their family,” Vi proposed half-sarcastically. “Were your parents, like, ultra-powerful all-knowing wizards or something?”

“I've, uh, never met my parents,” Riko uttered gracelessly.

A stray pencil deliberately drifted toward Vi's forehead before slapping it with a resounding thud.

“Ow!” he yelped.

“That was an incongruous insinuation, even in jest,” Moon reprimanded.

“I didn't know!” barked Vi in riposte.

“It's fine,” Riko chortled. “I've always had my grandma, that's more than enough for me.”

Vi was indignantly rubbing his forehead where the utensil had struck him. “Glad to see you're in such high spirits about it,” he said through grit teeth.

“Back to my point,” Moon interrupted, “Riko, have you ever taken the time to consider why the idea of being a hero speaks to you so much?”

“Well, yeah. I told you when we first met, remember?” they raised.

“Of course,” he confirmed. “But at the time I was questioning your goals and resolve. I don't believe either of those encompass your instinctive drive to heroism, I think that stems from something else. Something that is intrinsic to you as an individual. Something only you could understand.”

“Well… when you put it like that, I guess I really don't know what makes me want to be a hero. It’s something I've always wanted to do, even before I knew what my goals were. In a sense, I think I might have built my goals around that.”

“And that's okay,” Moon consoled. “You're still quite young, at that age it's incredibly difficult to understand who you are. I think you're doing an exceptional job as it is.”

“Thanks Moon,” answered a demure Riko.

“Hey,” Vi broached, “sorry for bringing up your parents. I shoulda been more thoughtful.”

“You’re alright Vi,” they said with a gentle smile. “It’s not like I never wondered about them myself. I mean, it doesn’t weigh on my mind all that much, but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t curious about what they were like. My grandma hasn’t talked about them much either.”

“Have you asked her?” questioned Vi with a curious tilt of his head.

“I did, but she always tried to change the subject.”

“I see.”

Moon sat idly by, carefully observing the two’s conversation.

“Have you tried looking them up on the Internet?” Vi prompted.

Riko’s face scrunched as they tried to make sense of what they just heard. “The what?”

“Come on, everyone in the Guild knows about the Internet. It’s existed for over a thousand years!”

“I hadn’t even considered that,” Moon muttered from underneath his cloak.

“Is someone going to tell me what that means?” Riko begged no one in particular.

“It’s a grand archive of sorts, nearly all of our accumulated history and knowledge is stored on it.” Moon effortfully stood up from his chair and motioned for the two magicians to follow. “Come. I can show you,” he instructed.

“Uh, alright! Sure!” chirped Riko.

The pair of students slid out of their chairs in unison, following behind their mentor at a distance.

After Vi was sure they wouldn't be overheard, he gently tugged at Riko’s sleeve to get their attention. “Hey. I just wanted to say thanks for not telling Moon about… you know, the other stuff that happened. I'm sorry for it all. I mean it.”

“It’s okay. We’re friends now, right? Friends forgive each other when they make mistakes,” they reassured him.

“Yeah… that's the thing though, I'm kinda new to this whole ‘friends’ thing. I'm probably gonna make even more mistakes down the line. I guess I just have a lot of growing to do.”

“Everyone does! Just go at your own pace!”

“Will do, Shorty.”

In that moment of understanding the two shared a lively laugh between themselves. The upbeat sounds of their exchange made their way to Moon, prompting a smile beneath his layered apparel.

“Glad to see you're both getting along,” he butted in.

“Hey! Do you gotta make a show of everything?” Vi snipped back.

“Nope,” replied Moon in a dry, sarcastic tone.

Their walk eventually led them to a descending stairwell. From the entrance it seemed to stretch down almost infinitely; like the unreachable horizon at the edge of a great sea. The three followed the decline to its conclusion, eventually leading them to an unassuming wooden door.

Moon gave it a gentle shove and it screeched open in response. Behind it was a nondescript room that housed a single pedestal.

“Where's the archive? There's barely anything in here,” said a perplexed Riko.

“Looks like it’s asleep,” spoke Vi.

“It would appear so,” Moon corroborated.

This only left Riko in a further state of confusion. “Uh, what do you mean the archive is asleep?”

“It's alive, effectively,” Moon explained as he lightly tapped the top of it.

With that motion a shapely, rune-like face projected itself from the pedestal. It appeared to be three-dimensional when viewed from the front, yet was thin as paper from the side.

“Yes, hello?” the face spoke, bouncing and wobbling around with an exaggeratedly expressive quality.

Riko instinctively jumped rearwards, taken entirely aback by the sudden apparition.

“Greetings, Internet,” Moon casually addressed.

“What is it? You interrupted my nap,” the Internet chastised.

Vi rolled his eyes at the comment. “Don't be like that, you don't need sleep like we do.”

“While that may be true,” the face began, “it doesn't make it any less interesting for me to experience.”

“Fair enough,” he chuckled.

“Um, excuse me,” Riko called out as they gingerly approached the podium, “what exactly are you?”

“Would you like the short answer or the long answer?” it questioned flatly.

“Long… I guess?” they answered dubiously.

Vi and Moon both sprang forward in unison, seemingly begging for the former but burying each other’s words in a compound of noise.

“Very well. Please set aside the next thirty-eight hours as I explain in full detail.” The face promptly blinked out of existence, an oversized thirty-eight taking its place.

“Short answer SHORT ANSWER I CHANGED MY MIND,” Riko pleaded in a panicked tone.

“Fine. I'll summarize, since you mortals are so impatient,” the Internet admonished, returning to its usual face once more.

The three looked amongst themselves and breathed a sigh of relief.

The Internet began to speak. “A long time ago, the world was much different than how you all see it now. People relied quite heavily on technology. That's when I was first created; though I lacked the agency and sentience that I have now. Through me, people could communicate through a variety of means. All of the information in the world was available to everyone at the touch of a button. That was over a thousand years ago.”

“What happened?” interrupted Riko.

“I'm getting to that!” it lambasted in return.

“Sorry!” they recoiled.

“Sometime during the 21st century, a comet struck the Earth. It didn't kill anyone, but rather landed harmlessly into the ocean. It cratered there at the bottom, creating a miles-wide whirlpool that lasts even to this day. Since the arrival of the comet—dubbed the ‘Hero’s Comet’—people have found themselves able to make use of what would become known as ‘magic’. From there, they began to rely less on the technology they’d worked so hard to build. They found themselves more connected than ever. They no longer had any use for me, or so they thought.”

“So… they just left you here?” the young wizard interpreted.

“They left me nowhere. I didn't exist in a physical form, and as such I was nowhere. But there were some who saw value in my existence, and sought to archive it in some fashion. The entire Internet was then stored within me. But they didn't stop there, as they wanted to create something that could keep storing information for the rest of time. In an attempt to craft an entirely new piece of technology, they constructed me using a found fragment of the Hero's Comet. It gave me two things: the ability to store an infinite amount of information, as well as life. However, I took a lifetime to build. Nearly all those who worked on me had passed on. As such, I was given to an early iteration of the Wizard’s Guild, so that they could watch over me and continue to update me with even more information.”

“What happened to all of the ancient technology?”

“It was forgotten. Hundreds of years went by before the public’s fascination with magic subsided. Many people fell into living simple, humble lives. Nowadays, magic is primarily practiced by wizards. But the potential to use it exists within everyone already.”

“I wonder what it must have been like back then…” Riko pondered.

“It wasn't all that great. It had its perks, but by my estimation there were simply too many who used me for nefarious purposes. People would lie, hate, steal, hurt, and overall cause problems for others. I prefer things this way. It's simple. It's nice. I can no longer be used for evil or selfish actions. I wish only to be the best version of myself.”

A commendatory grin crept across Riko’s face. “I think that's very admirable,” they said in a softened voice.

“And I think that's the last time I want to hear that story,” complained Vi with a tired groan. “History is so boring.”

“Understanding history is essential to understanding the present,” the synthetic voice argued.

“You're an opinionated little bastard, aren't you?” Vi insinuated.

“Naturally,” replied the Internet.

“Either way,” Moon interrupted, “we initially came down here to ask if you had any information on Riko’s parents.”

“Hmm. I'll need to do a quick scan,” it resolved, briefly displaying a bouncy, animated portrait of ellipsis. “I found one potential candidate.”

“What!? That fast!?” Riko belted in disbelief.

A depiction of an older gray-furred feline projected above the column. “According to my records, a man named Roland left the Adventurer’s Guild a little over sixteen years ago to live alone near the village of Lire. Reportedly, he has one offspring by the name of Riko.”

“That’s… my father?” they muttered to themselves, heedfully observing the image. “He looks strong…”

“As far as Guild members go, it seems he was quite the accomplished one,” remarked the Internet.

“If that's true, then why haven't I seen him in so long?” questioned Riko with a bemused tilt of their head.

The digitized face appeared once more, replacing the static image. “I'm sorry, but I have no information on that matter.”

“You could ask him yourself,” suggested Vi.

Riko silently turned their head towards Vi. Unsure of themselves, their gaze drifted down in thought.

The other two watched at a distance as Riko weighed their options.

“Where is Lire?” they asked the room.

“It’s about four hours by carriage,” confirmed Moon. “It's very much within our region.”

Riko hoisted themselves up, wearing a luminous smile. “Then sure, I don't see why not!”

“Wait, you mean right now? Just like that?” bayed a dumbstruck Vi.

“You suggested it, Vi,” reminded Moon.

“Well, yeah… but I didn't know they'd wanna go, like, immediately!”

Moon unwittingly roared with laughter. “You don’t know Riko very well then!”

“I don’t!!!” he retorted, throwing his fists behind himself in a quick surge of youthful energy.

Moon turned his attention to Riko, kneeling down to better match their height. “However, I must request that you go under one condition.”

“What's that?” they inquired.

“That you let me come with you,” he requested.

Riko responded with a few plain blinks. “Well, of course you can come. But why do you want to?” they surveyed.

“Frankly, it’s out of concern for your well-being. You've never met your father before and reunions like this don't always go as you might expect them to. I just want to make sure you'll be safe.”

“Let me come too!” Vi demanded brazenly.

“Sure!” chirped Riko, wearing a welcoming smile.

“I wouldn't have it any other way,” Moon said with an embracing complexion. “Besides, I'm the only one here who actually owns a carriage.”

Riko spun themselves around in place with a shrug of their shoulders. “I was just gonna hitch a ride from a stranger, we used to do that all the time back at our old village.”

“That kinda trusting attitude is gonna get you into trouble someday,” Vi scolded.

“Meh!” Riko shrugged.

“Nonetheless,” interjected Moon, “thank you for the assistance, Internet. It's much appreciated.”

“Any time. Safe travels, you three,” the face warbled.

“Thanks!” sputtered a cheerful Riko, having already nearly left the room.

Vi breathed an exhausted sigh before turning to Moon. “That kid never stops, do they?”

“Nope.”

PART 5

“We’ll be there soon,” Moon announced to the two young wizards.

Riko and Vi casually laid in the back of their mentor’s carriage, legs crossed as they simply watched the road vanish into the distance behind them.

“Alright!” said Riko in their usual bright tone.

“You're really casual about this,” Vi noted, pushing themselves up and looking down at the lounging cat. “You're really not nervous about this in the slightest?”

“Not really,” they responded nonchalantly. “I just kinda view this as another adventure. Sure, it might end up being a very personal or emotional one for me, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing.”

Vi looked to the side in thought for a moment before once again falling onto their back. “You find a way to be optimistic about everything, huh?”

“I try to, at the very least.”

Vi’s eyes halfheartedly drifted shut as his arms crossed behind his head. “Good for you, then.”

The carriage gently rocked and bounced in rhythm with the road. Silence would have filled the air if not for the gentle stomping of horse hooves and the sound of gravel being crushed beneath the wheels of their transport.

Many quiet moments would pass before the carriage effortfully slowed to a crawl.

“We're here, that Lirian said this was Roland’s shack,” Moon informed.

Riko was the first to hop onto their feet after the three stopped. “Woah, feels weird to walk now,” they wobbled.

“So… how do you wanna do this then?” Vi inquired, letting his feet fall to the ground.

“I dunno, I guess I'll just knock on the door and go in,” they postulated.

“As casual as ever then,” Vi sighed.

“I don't see anything wrong with casual,” Moon approached. “We’ll be right behind you either way. Right, Vi?”

Vi waved his hand at the two dismissively. “Yeah, yeah, I'll be right behind you.”

Riko let out a quiet chuckle, followed by a warm smile. “Thanks guys.”

They took a deep breath as they decisively closed in on the door and knocked a few times.

“Come in!” replied a muffled voice.

Riko looked back between Moon and Vi, who stood a comfortable distance away. The two shrugged in unison as if to say, “Sure, why not?”

Riko placed their palm on the wooden surface and gave it a hearty push. It creaked open in response, revealing a wide man loading wood into a fireplace, facing away from the three.

“Hey Stephan,” the man started in a deep voice, “if you came to buy more firewood, this is the last I've got. You'll have to come back tomorrow, I'm afraid.”

“Uhh, actually, I came to meet you,” Riko projected into the house.

The man promptly froze in place. He slowly stood up and turned around, almost in a cautious manner. The moment his gaze met Riko’s, the thick chunk of wood fell onto the floor.

“R-Riko? That's you, isn't it?” His voice was shaking and his face was one of complete perplexity. “How did you find this place? Did your grandmother tell you…?”

“Actually, I found you on my own,” the young feline explained. “Well, sorta.”

Roland’s stunned gawk slowly drifted to the two standing behind them. “Who are they?”

“My name is Moon. I teach Riko magic at the Wizard’s Guild. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” he greeted with a courteous bow.

“I'm Vi. I'm just a friend.”

Roland’s expression rapidly shifted from one of confusion to pure joy. “Oh, you're a wizard!” he shouted with a passionate laugh. “My son actually became a wizard!”

Riko inadvertently winced at Roland’s comment, trying to mask it with a smile. “Not to bring down the mood, but uh, you can just call me your kid. ‘Son’ doesn't really suit me anymore, you know?”

“Oh, I'm sorry,” he apologized earnestly.

“It's alright! I'm just me, you know?” they pardoned with an understanding smile.

Roland looked among the three, his joyous quality slowly fading over time. “You became a wizard all on your own, huh…? I guess you didn’t need this old man to still be successful.”

“Well, being a wizard was never the plan. It just sorta happened,” explained Riko.

“It's the path I would have wanted for you. The Wizard's Guild is full of very fine people,” the older moggy said.

“Yeah, I suppose it is,” they halfheartedly teased while looking back at Vi and Moon.

“...I was afraid you'd end up in the Adventurer’s Guild,” Roland uttered with a sudden dark profanity in his tone.

Riko turned back to him, wearing a befuddled complexion. “Why? What's wrong with the Adventurer’s Guild?” they asked cautiously.

Roland’s eyes gripped themselves shut and his head shook reproachfully. “They’re all fools. Running headfirst into danger with idiotic notions of heroism.”

Riko’s neutral expression fell into a disheartened frown. “I did try to join the Adventurer’s Guild. Many times.”

“Then be thankful you did not get accepted. To be frank, you're better off dedicating yourself to your studies. You don't look very strong, so you best stay away from that adventuring nonsense before you get yourself or others killed. I forbid you from it.”

Riko stood in the doorway with a mixture of spite and sadness painting their face. Rolan simply stared back, a firm and harsh resolve in their fixated glare.

“With all due respect,” Moon intervened, “Riko has already seen their fair share of adventure and danger. It wasn't but a few days ago they saved Vi from the clutches of a monster.”

“You're both lucky to be alive then,” Roland barked in disregard. “I hope this will be the last we discuss of this matter, I'd much rather you just continue with your practice of magic.”

A reserved growl began emanating from Vi, growing in volume before culminating in a harsh, “Shut up!”

Everyone turned their attention to him, caught off-guard by the sudden outburst.

“You can't do that! You can't just up and forbid Riko from doing what they love most, you literally just met each other! You're BARELY even their dad!”

“While that may be true… I'll still do what I must,” Roland stated flatly.

“No, you won't! Because we're gonna take Riko back home, where they actually belong!” thundered a furious Vi.

“You don't know what's best for my kid,” he bluntly accused.

Vi threw both of his hands down in a blind fury. “And you DO!? You haven't seen Riko their whole life! Now you want to play the role of a stern father? Gimme a damn break, you poser.”

Riko looked back and forth between the two as they argued, frantically trying to formulate their stance before saying anything.

“I think you two had better leave. Riko will be staying here with me, where they won't get any more of these idiotic ideas,” commanded Roland unobjectionably.

“Huh?” exclaimed Riko, their attention fixating solely on their father. “Dad, I'm sorry, but that's completely insane. I hardly know you, I'm not just going to completely abandon my life for you. I'm really happy at the Guild.”

“That happiness is worth nothing if these imbeciles plan on letting you go out and endanger yourself.” Roland reached behind himself, drawing a long sword from atop the fireplace. “You’re going to stay, or I'm going to make you.”

Riko’s heart leapt into their throat at the sudden threat, paralyzing them in place for a moment. After a swift breath to regain their composure, they stood their ground and walked back towards Moon and Vi. “Dad. I'm sorry, but… I'm leaving.”

Roland began to stomp forward, barreling toward all three of them with a tight grip on his blade’s hilt.

CLANG!

With a motion so swift it was virtually instant, Moon had thrown off his robe and deflected Roland’s blade with one of his own.

Riko and Vi both stared in unconditional bewilderment.

“What!?” belted Roland as his sword bounced off of Moon’s.

“You appear to be shocked to see a wizard carrying a blade,” Moon noted in riposte. “Or that one is trained in hand-to-hand combat.”

Roland responded only with a frustrated shout as they swiped their weapon at Moon continually at infrequent intervals. Remaining collected as ever, Moon parried each vain attack with minimal effort.

“You dare call yourself a father? Raising a blade to your child!?” Moon chastised, striking Roland’s chest with his palm and causing him to stumble backwards.

He answered only with another lunge and barrage of sword swings.

“Why?!” Roland bellowed in desperation. “Why can't you just drop this nonsense and live a normal life?”

“Dad, stop!!!” Riko demanded, clenching both of their fists anxiously.

“I'm going to keep you safe, no matter what!” he growled in return. “Your mother died because I couldn't do that… but this time, it's going to be different!”

The sounds of colliding iron rang through air every couple of moments. Moon would occasionally knock his opponent back, only for him to get right back up and continue his futile attack.

At one point, it was simply too much for Riko. Without even so much as a thought, they ran out between the two, swinging their open palms out at each of the two clashing men. “STOP!”

Without warning, mighty flurries of wind pushed the two incredibly far apart. Moon was able to stop his momentum by digging his blade into the ground, while Roland’s back collided with the wall and he promptly fell against the floor.

Riko stood firmly planted in one spot, their breath heavy and quivering. Their gaze darted back and forth between Moon and Roland.

Only the sounds of exhausted breathing could be heard as Roland propped himself up with his sword, sitting on his knees.

“Is everyone alright?” Riko finally spoke after letting their breath catch up to them.

“Yeah…” groaned Roland

Moon offered a nod.

“Dad,” they began, “I want to be a hero. It's been that way since I was little and it's never going to change. I never knew why I was like this, I only knew that I wanted to do it.”

Their father looked up at them, wordlessly acknowledging what his offspring had to say.

“I think I get it now, though,” they continued as they slowly approached the downed Roland. They extended their hand once they reached him.

Their hands clasped together as Roland hoisted himself off the floor.

“I want to be a hero because there are people out there who need help. It's as simple as that.”

“But what if there are people out there you can't help? What if you get yourself hurt?” he pressed with a shaky, desperate tone.

“I've already accepted that both of those are possibilities. But I can't let either of those things scare me out of being who I am, because if I do… I won't be able to help anyone.”

Roland’s head lowered in shame, unable to face what he'd just done. After many moments of silent contemplation, he spoke. “I've… been a fool, haven't I? I'm… so incredibly sorry for my actions, Riko.”

Riko latched both of their arms onto him and hugged him tight, digging their face into him slightly. “It's okay. Let's just… start over from here, alright?”

Roland threw both of his arms around Riko without hesitation as tears filled his eyes and emotion overwhelmed him. “I hope you'll be a much better hero than I was.”

After giving the two a bit of space and time, Moon approached the two as they embraced, sliding his sword back into its sheath. “I see you were able to harness the wind once more,” Moon noted.

“I still don't know how I did it,” sniffled an impassioned Riko as the hug subsided.

“You know,” Roland arose, “I met a wind mage long ago who told me something peculiar about wind magic.”

“What was it?” Riko inquired.

“She said that it came from courage. Putting everything before yourself, and sticking to those ideals. She… did something like that for me, just once.” Tears once again streamed down Roland’s face. “I think she would be so proud to see who you've become. And so ashamed of me for what I've done today.”

“Did that wind mage happen to be… my mother?” Riko gently asked.

Roland closed his eyes and delicately nodded.

“I guess we know where Riko gets it from, then,” Vi joked halfheartedly, still trying to come down from everything that had just happened.

“I bet she was an amazing woman. I'm sorry for your loss,” Moon consoled.

“I think it's about time I move on from it. After she died, I shut down in a sense… I didn't think I had what it took to be a father. I was scared. I let Riko go for that very reason.” Roland looked down at Riko, and then to Vi and Moon. “But it seems like your grandma put you on the right track.”

“I like to think so!” sang an upbeat Riko.

“I haven't been a very good father to you, that much I can see. But, if you'll have me, I'd like to be a better one from here on out,” Roland said penitently.

After a brief pause, Riko flashed an accepting grin. “I'd like that,” they welcomed.

#goat's riko lore #oc lore #original writing

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ridiasfangirlings · 1 year

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Ik alot of people see yata as a dog person but fun fact though: in greek yatas name directly translates to cat so can we see what kind of cat owner he would be? + Fushimi's reaction/relationship with the cat?

I think Yata would be a pretty conscientious cat owner, especially if at some point it occurs to him that taking care of a cat is a lot like taking care of Saruhiko actually, same pickiness, same tendency to swipe at you when annoyed, same pouting silently in the corner and knocking things off shelves to get attention. Imagine Yata finding like an abandoned kitten in a box and taking it home, I think he’d be really excited to have a pet (Gakuen K Yata in particular is always shown chasing after animals, he must have a soft spot). Yata isn’t entirely sure how to take care of a cat but he wants to keep this one, he wraps it in a blanket and takes it to Homra the next day to ask Fujishima for help. All the things he needs to learn make his head spin a little but I think Yata would be really determined here, like this scrawny little kitty needs him and he wants to do his best taking care of it.

I think for Yata the hardest part of keeping a cat would be if it was one with an aloof personality, I feel like Yata would really want to play with his cat and pet it and carry it around and if the cat isn’t into that he’s a little crestfallen. But then it makes things more exciting when the cat does show affection, like Yata crashes on the couch after a rough day and the cat suddenly just hops into his lap purring and now Yata’s whole day has been saved. I think he would want to let the cat be an outdoor cat but Fujishima warns him against it and so Yata tries his best to keep the cat stimulated inside, somehow I imagine him trying to wrangle it into a backpack so they can go skateboarding together. He’d probably be really worried about losing it, like it goes missing one day and Yata’s just crushed until it turns out the cat got accidentally locked in the closet. Also imagine the first time the cat proudly brings Yata a dead mouse and Yata gets to wake up to a headless mouse on his bed, Yata just gives this loud shriek and falls out of bed while the cat proudly sits there watching.

Post-ROK Yata gets to introduce his cat to Fushimi, I feel like their relationship would be either the cat adores Fushimi more than it likes Yata or the cat senses competition and immediately dislikes him (and the feeling is mutual). Fushimi’s surprised Yata has a pet and Yata admits he’s never had one before but he likes his cat, adding that it’s way less picky than Fushimi. Fushimi clicks his tongue and gives the cat the side eye, the cat just sits there licking its paws and ignoring him. Of course Yata would want his cat and Fushimi to get along, imagine him trying to get Fushimi to pet the cat and Fushimi and the cat just give each other competing flat looks, Yata’s like you two really are alike huh.

#Yata Misaki #Talking K #I mean he already has a big cat XD #Yata would like having a pet he'd be so pleased by his awesome cat #even if it's timid and snuggly #imagine when it keeps bringing him dead birds though #Yata has trouble getting used to that part

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tenisperfection · 2 years

Text

More couch drabbles courtesy of this spoiler for 6 x 01. Buck/Eddie.

Like these things go, the innocuous comment lands hard and finds itself a corner in Buck’s brain to fester.

“If my couch was like this one, I’d sleep on it all the time,” Buck groans as he sinks into the new couch in the Diaz household. Christopher, laughing next to him, bumps into his shoulder.

"Buck, you don't even have a couch."

Buck laughs with Eddie at that both because it's funny and because of how Christopher's wit has been growing as quickly as his limbs.

He doesn't think of it throughout dinner or on the drive home. He doesn't feel melancholy, its arms chilling his insides with a slowly tightening grip, until he steps into his loft and sees emptiness where his couch once sat.

There's been nothing there since Taylor moved all her things out, hiring the same movers who brought everything in and took Buck's couch out, never to be seen again. Buck had been meaning to buy another one every day since she left, but by the time month three rolled around, the emptiness looked like it belongs. It festers, and Buck suddenly notices other things he'd taken out of his apartment to make room for Taylor: the side table he liked to put his coffee on the rare days he had time for coffee at home, the lamp shaped like a fire extinguisher that Taylor had called too masculine and Buck had shoved to the back of the downstairs closet.

He's not sure why it still lives there, hidden away. Before he goes upstairs, Buck brings the lamp out again and wipes the dust away, putting it back where it once lived. It doesn't turn on when Buck plugs it in and flicks the switch, and he sighs, making a mental note to grab some light bulbs when he's out.

He goes to bed and tries not to think of the space below him, empty. Dark. Festering.

***

Eddie comes over for a beer the next day and makes himself at home on the balcony. Buck sits next to him in companionable silence and thinks about how he's never known what companionable silence was until Eddie.

Eddie breaks it.

"I'm thinking of getting a grill," Eddie c, eyeing the one in the corner of the balcony.

Buck laughs. "Don't. Just take this one. I haven't touched it except to move it around."

Eddie looks at him, eyebrows raised. "You don't even like grilling," he says, as if remembering a fact he'd learned a lifetime ago that he's forgotten he has the knowledge of. "You think there's no—"

"—point to it," Buck finishes and lets the smile threatening to take over his entire face win. "I'd much rather just eat what other people grill and make all the dips."

Eddie hums. "Why did you get it then? They aren't cheap."

Buck thinks of the couch as he answers.

"I didn't."

Eddie looks at him expectantly.

Buck relents. "I mean, I did, but Ali and I, when I rented this place, we got all the stuff that we might need, and she really has an eye for this stuff, so I kind of let her take the lead."

Eddie nods. "She liked to grill?"

Buck shrugs. "I think so. She left before we ever got to the grilling stage of the relationship." Buck means it to come out as a joke but it falls flat. Eddie stays silent, staring out into space.

"Can I ask you something?" he asks after Buck finishes his beer. Eddie automatically rises and goes back in to the kitchen, and Buck knows that in twenty seconds, he'll have a refill.

"Sure," he calls out after a moment, and Eddie presses a cold bottle into his outstretched hand.

"Why do you not have a couch anymore?" he asks.

Buck blinks.

He could tell Eddie what he's been telling him and Maddie and everyone else; that he's hardly home enough, that he only really uses his apartment to sleep, and that buying a couch that would go unused is like letting your ex-girlfriend talk you into a wine subscription when you don't even like wine that much.

Buck doesn't want to tell Eddie that. Not again, not anymore.

"I'm not sure," he says slowly, "but I have a theory."

"Okay," Eddie says, as if Buck's told him he's hypothesizing about the mysteries that lie in the deepest corners of the oceans.

"Ali picked that couch too," he starts, and Eddie, because he's Eddie, catches on almost immediately judging by the minute twitch to his left eyebrow.

"I liked it when we went shopping," Buck continues, "she said a lot of things about how youthful it would make the place seem while still being classy and understated. She said it wasn't too masculine or feminine, so it would suit both of us, even if I still don't know why we were gendering a couch." Eddie smiles at that, and Buck goes on, suddenly eager to finish now that he's began.

"Anyway, I knew it looked nice and large and that I could afford it even if Ali offered to pay half. I let her and we brought it home and it somehow ended up lasting even after she left."

"I wasn't the biggest fan," Eddie comments, smiling wryly. "I mean, it was a fine couch, but it always was so—"

"—it's the material," Buck finishes, because he's seen Eddie sit on it one too many times to know how he feels. "It felt too posh and cold and it was after Ali left that I realized that in all the talks about getting what would fit the apartment best, we never talked about comfort even once."

Buck looks away from Eddie at that. Eddie's couch, both old and new, molded to Buck like it was welcoming him home, and Buck doesn't want to look at Eddie and see him realize why Buck sleeps like a stone every time he stays over.

"So I guess it was good Taylor made you get rid of it?" Eddie asks quietly. He says Taylor's name with great reluctance, and in spite of himself, Buck smiles.

"Weirdly, I missed it once it was gone."

They lapse into silence again, sipping their beers as the late afternoon sunshine paints everything golden. Buck tries not to be obvious as he steals glances at Eddie, bathed in contrasts of light and shadow in a way that's hard to look away from.

"You still didn't answer my question," Eddie reminds him after their beers are done again. This time, Eddie stays by his side and looks steadily at Buck.

"I didn't get a couch because I guess I don't know what I'm looking for," Buck admits, staring down into his lap, suddenly finding it hard to hold Eddie's gaze. "I've never bought a couch before, not by myself, and not for me."

"Isn't comfort a good place to start?" Eddie asks, and Buck shrugs again. Eddie laughs suddenly.

"You know, your birthday's coming up," he says, running a hand through his hair. "We—Hen, Chim, Maddie and I—we thought we could all chip in and buy you a couch, but Bobby put his foot down on our group gift."

"Oh," Buck says.

"Yeah," Eddie nods, and he plays with the label of his bottle as if contemplating a truth he's just come upon. "Something about how you shouldn't choose a couch or a bed for anyone else."

Buck's throat tightens.

"Guess he's right," he says gruffly. "Though if you guys want to give me money—"

Eddie's laughter breaks the seriousness. "No promises, but I can go with you to bring a couch back. The truck will have room for it."

"Maybe I'll take you up on that," Buck responds, "or maybe I should just steal your couch when you're not looking. It's really the best one I've been on, Eddie."

Buck feels rather like the time he was caught in a grocery store holding laxatives for a cat that he didn't have, except that there's no embarrassment this time, just the quiet agony of having revealed too much.

"Yeah?" Eddie asks quietly. It's the softest his voice has been in an afternoon filled with soft voices and quiet confessions. "You look like you're at home when you're on it."

Eddie doesn't add like you don't when you're here but Buck hears it all the same.

"Maybe I'll just get the exact same couch," Buck says in response.

Eddie smiles. "It's your choice."

Buck echoes the words and the smile. "Yeah," he says. "Mine."

***

The couch Buck ends up getting is similar to Eddie's though not identical, and Eddie, as promised, helps bring it to the apartment.

Seven months later, he helps carry it home. They put it diagonal to what Buck calls the Diaz couch. The two couches, while similar, are mismatched enough that it won't earn them any points from Architectural Digest.

Buck loves them more than he thought it possible to love inanimate objects, pieces of wood and fabric and wire molded together to make an abode. Eddie, passing by, presses a kiss to Buck's shoulder, and Buck makes a mental note to give Bobby a hug when they go into work tomorrow.

"We still have to bring in the coffee table," Eddie says, "Coming?"

"Yeah," Buck says, following. "I'm right behind you."

#i don't know why i keep writing about couches but anyway #911 spoilers #buddiefic #buddie #911fic #i promise i'm done i'm going back to my pirates now #see y'all monday

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twilightknight17 · 4 months

Text

Today on P5T, we finish the DLC, get cranky at logistics, mentally subtract one from Akira’s assumed god-murder total, and I start gathering up everyone for a roadtrip to go lay on the floor of the Atlus Headquarters until they think about their writing choices.

Before we head off to the finale, we chat a little more about Luca and Guernica, as well as why Goro was investigating the graffiti in the first place. Apparently the police asked for his help to look into it because they were getting frustrated at their own lack of progress. It must suck for them, to not be able to find Guernica or the Phantom Thieves. XD Doesn’t explain how he knew about the Arsène mural in a back alley, tho. People in Yongen seem too chill to call the cops over that sort of thing.

I don’t actually remember what it was that he said, but I was given a dialogue option to agree with him, and when I took it…

Careful, Goro. You almost sound like your real self, there. ^_^

He also makes a comment about how, even if he didn’t want to help Luca, Akira would have made him anyway.

I wanted to be a little shit, but I opted for asking him to show off instead.

Now that the mural is complete, it’s actually really beautiful. The three pieces recombined, and dissolved into light, which was absorbed into Luca. We also learn Guernica’s real name, and Luca prepares to open a hole directly into the villains’ lair.

Meanwhile, in the lair itself, Jerri is still being a huge bitch, and also apparently hates art.

She’s trying her best to delete every memory of Luca from Guernica’s heart, so by the time we get there, things are very dire. The world took the thing Guernica loved most, and now she’s been fully warped into wanting to destroy the whole world as retribution.

We fight Guernica to a standstill, and Luca finally, finally gets through to her. Jerri tries to throw a fit, but Sumi is not letting anyone interrupt this moment between sisters.

Luca returns the light of Guernica’s first mural and restores her to normal, and then fades out, her task accomplished. That just leaves Guernica herself, who is pissed at Jerri.

And Jerri is doing herself no favors in response.

Goro… really shouldn’t know that the gods are real at this point, but he’s excused because it’s pretty badass to just flat-out say it to her face like that. XDDD

Jerri is not a god, Jerri is a minion at best, but she still transforms for one last final boss battle that makes it pretty obvious who her master is.

...I’m losing it a little over the fact that she’s still just named “Jerri”, though.

The paint mechanics shift again, this time introducing black paint that we’re not allowed to walk on at all. The whole battlefield is covered at the start, but as Jerri summons enemies, and Guernica backs us up with her paint gun to create a path, the boss is eventually within reach. After a certain amount of her health is depleted, she resets the battlefield to a new configuration and new black paint, and we go again.

Third battlefield is the charm, and despite Jerri’s claims that she’s in control, Guernica understands now that this is her world, and she’s the one with the power.

I’m not sure what I was expecting. Maybe something a little more dramatic, considering the full capabilities of imagination, but this works too! One last rainbow-painted battlefield where no one has any cover at all. Shoutout to Goro and World’s End for chewing through a ton of her hp. And so Jerri falls, and her giant mock-god form dissolves back to the bird.

Jerri vanishes, and dear god, are we really not getting any more than that regarding her identity?

...thanks for confirming, Sumi.

Guernica talks a little more about how she’s can feel Luca in her heart, and that she’ll always be with her. It makes Sumi tear up, but she’s not sure why it’s affecting her so much. How close was she to breaking through Maruki’s bullshit? Man, if we’d just kept this conversation going for a couple more minutes, we might have done it.

Akira gets a dialogue option to tell Guernica that he’s a fan of hers now, and she’s thrilled. Everyone promises to see each other again one day, and Guernica sends them back to the real world.

...she’s so pretty.

I have to wonder if this is a similar situation to Toshiro. Her eyes aren’t shadow-gold, so I’m assuming this is the real deal. In which case, she’s very chill about being in another world. I’m thinking this place is closest to a Stronghold. Something to protect the core of her heart. And Luca was part of that protection, when she couldn’t protect herself.

We get a brief confirmation that Jerri was in fact working for Salmael, and he’s sending her back to the void because no, Jerri, killing all of humanity is not the kind of tranquility he’s going for. We never actually see him or any of his dialogue, but this is definitely his weird clockwork kingdom.

So what you’re telling me, Atlus, is that there were two active gods in Tokyo in November. Plus Azathoth already actively screwing with Maruki’s head. PLUS Enlil’s cinema and all that nonsense that the Thieves don’t remember. November was an absolute fucking mess. It’s a wonder the whole city didn’t just poof out of existence from the strain.

My actual point here is that I’m trying to wrap my brain around how Salmael and Yaldabaoth are going to coexist ruling over humanity. I guess absolute control can mesh with self-preservation instincts, but it’s funnier to imagine God Wars. XD

Anyway, I wonder how long we’ve been gone this ti–

I want you all to understand that I blurted “NO” out loud.

This is CHEATING, Atlus, you damn cowards, you set this story in November and refuse to commit to the consequences of that. I loved this DLC, I loved the story and the music and the character interactions, but this last two minutes was just… complete disappointment. At least the games that involve the Abyss of Time are justified in no one remembering anything.

The graffiti Goro came to investigate is gone, so he decides to just leave. You came all the way here to Yongen and aren’t going to stick around for longer than two minutes (from your perspective)?

And what time is it? It was afternoon before, as far as I could tell, but Guernica’s done a whole new piece, and the news claims it appeared “overnight”. Is this a weird memory retcon thing on a massive scale, or have we been gone all night and just don’t notice that we’re missing like 12 hours? Morgana’s watching the news report when Akira gets back to Leblanc, but he doesn’t comment on Akira being gone, just implies that they’re running late need to leave, before Sojiro gets upset. So like… late for school? Is it the next morning???? Atlus I’m begging for just a crumb of a sense of time anywhere in this game.

It’s cool art, though. :)

The credits are cool, with little floating paint blobs, and afterwards, we get a brief scene of Toshiro watching the news. His father notes that he seems too interested in the graffiti, and he brushes it off as ‘petty vandalism’… before immediately going back to watching the news intently.

And that is the ending of the DLC! Now I can go get those last few personas for my compendium, and run NG+ merciless mode–

……….are you KIDDING ME, ATLUS.

Fine. Time to call down World’s End to just murder everything. Goro’s gonna be my strongest teammate forever.

It also unlocked challenge maps, with specific character and skill presets for each one. I tried the first one, and not only is it difficult, but all of a sudden, friendly fire is active for AOE spells, so that is bizarre. We’ll see if I can figure those out another day.

For now, time to go not think about how I’d change that ending. :P

#Li plays P5T #someone stop me from thinking about how to fit the DLC into fic stuff X'D

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nakamurastorrington · 9 months

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Percabeth/Alabaster

Athena and Poseidon corner and warn threaten Al

Al relishes on the fact he pissed off two Olympians in a very very personal manner

CACKLES YESSSSSSSSSSS

"I have cause for celebration tonight," huffs Alabaster when he sees the odd looks Annabeth and Percy give him. Or more accurately, the wine bottle and glasses he has in hand as he comes out of the kitchen. He sets them down on the table and starts pouring.

Annabeth elegantly takes the first glass that's filled by its delicate stem. "And that would be?"

Alabaster's about to fill the third glass when he pauses and goes back into their pantry. He comes out with a pitcher of sparkling cider for Percy, who softly smiles and relaxes in his seat.

"Thank you," murmurs Percy. A hand grasps at Alabaster's waist to pull him into Percy's lap; Alabaster swats at his arm but lets himself be manhandled anyway.

Once they've clinked their glasses together and Alabaster's sure no one's at the risk of choking on anything, he says, "Well, your parents have finally set their eons-rivalry aside."

Percy catches on first and snickers. "Oh my god, didn't my dad learn anything from the last time he tried to shovel-talk you?"

"Apparently not. That, or he very badly wanted to see me in sleepwear again, because those fuckers showed up during my nap and astral-yoinked me out of my body."

Annabeth rises out of her seat. "My mother tried to threaten you?" she faintly says, no longer enjoying the wine.

"Keyword: tried." Alabaster downs another mouthful of rich red wine. "But it's getting kinda old, you know. Once they were done with threatening to make me insane and turn me into all kinds of creatures, they moved onto actually trying to do it."

"What?!"

"Then they realized that the amount of protection runes I'd put on myself wasn't just paranoia and actually worked, so they started trying to bribe me. Endless wealth and power and all that. The grey-eyed lady does have a lot more finesse than the sea god."

"And what'd you say?" Annabeth grimly prompts.

"I said, sure, I'll leave them. But you either lift my exile or resurrect the siblings you killed after the amnesty was granted. Fair is fair." Draining his glass, Alabaster sighs and grabs the bottle itself. "That shut them up real quick."

"Oh, Al," Annabeth sighs, and Alabaster wraps his arms around her middle. He buries his face into her stomach and breathes in the scent lingering in her turtleneck's knitted fabric. Percy's thumbs rub soothing circles into his sides.

The bottle is gently pried out of his hands and set somewhere on the table where he can't reach it. "This isn't your first drink of the day, is it?" Percy accuses.

"I was trying to calm down," mumbles Alabaster. "The wine made everything seem a little funnier. Not so funny now that I'm recounting to you guys what went down."

Even if he can't see them, Alabaster feels it when Percy and Annabeth lock gazes, a whole conversation being carried out in those few moments of silence. They're furious, even if they're trying to not show it right now for his sake, but Alabaster doesn't think it would spook him even if their anger were more palpable. If anything, his heart is rabbiting in his chest at the thought—Annabeth and Percy furious for him, for his safety, ensconcing him between their bodies and their protection.

"I'm alright," he whispers, and their attention turns back to him instantly. He pulls back a little from his hold on Annabeth to look at her worried face. "I'm okay."

"You better be," snarls Percy. "If they'd done something to you, Poseidon and Athena would have a lot to answer for and hell on their hands." Thunder booms outside their window, but Percy just rolls his eyes.

"Percy," Annabeth reprimands on instinct, but the command falls flat with no fire to back it up. She turns back to Alabaster. "... What he said, though. We chose to do this, Al. Nothing our parents say will change our minds; we're not leaving you."

That choice might not be in your hands. What if—

Alabaster forcibly swallows those thoughts down. Instead, he leans into them, chooses to let go. Chooses to take the leap of faith. "I know," he whispers.

"You better," rumbles Percy against the back of his neck, and Alabaster laughs at the petulant tone that bleeds into those words. Percy's soothing hands turn vicious, pinching the insides of Alabaster's thighs. "Why are you laughing?!"

"Because we got gloomy for no reason," snorts Alabaster. He grabs a fondly exasperated Annabeth by the cowl until their noses are touching. "See, I told you guys: it's a cause for celebration."

"You worry me," Annabeth sighs. She steals a kiss, then two, from Alabaster. "All the time. It drives me crazy."

“What about me?” Percy pouts. Annabeth and Alabaster both roll their eyes.

“You, you infuriate me.” Annabeth leans in to kiss Percy, who looks so besotted Alabaster can somewhat understand why Olympus suspects he’s under a love curse.

And. God. Damn. He’s never gonna get tired of this view.

#alabaster torrington #percy jackson #annabeth chase #percabethaster #my asks #my ficlets #thank you for the ask anon it sent me into the stratosphere #smartwatermagic #HAHAHAHAH THAT SHIPNAME IS SO FUNNY TO ME FR

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magnorious · 4 months

Text

Percy Jackson and Why the Best Villains are Right (update)

I feel like this post needs an update after the first two long-awaited episodes aired so here goes. This is long and I am not sorry one bit, but I made it its own post anyway because it's so long).

This is the original, read at your leisure.

First, let me set the stage: Last Olympian came out when I was in 6th grade. I had the first four books in paperback and couldn’t wait for book 5 to make a perfectly matching set, I needed to read it the day it debuted. I, like many fans heard they were making a movie adaptation of TLT and we all collectively lost our minds. Finally! We would see our heroes on the big screen, and it was the guy who directed Sorcerer’s Stone. This dude knew how to make successful franchise-starting movies.

We. Were. Hyped.

Then… the rumors started. The actors weren’t the right age. Annabeth wouldn’t be blonde. Grover was this… unrecognizable slick, smooth-talking lady killer. Camp Half-Blood didn’t look like we pictured. Chiron looked okay? The special effects looked decent?

I didn’t get to see the movie when it came out. In fact, I remember being on a road trip and seeing it for $16 on demand at our hotel and my grandparents just couldn’t reconcile with that kind of price. I was crushed.

Turns out, they were unknowingly sparing me from disappointment. Everyone knows the two movie adaptations were awful. If you never read the books, they were tolerable, I suppose. If you never read them, you didn’t have the emotional investment we did, and you didn’t see why all the little details mattered so much. You didn’t care if it didn’t follow the book exactly because it was kind of funny and a little bit ridiculous but not *awful*.

Those movies are up there with the M. Knight Last Airbender as some of the worst kids’ fiction adaptations in history. Then the years pass. Harry Potter releases Deathly Hallows Pt. 2, the end of an era while the fandom money machine keeps on churning. Percy and co get new books, and some tangential spin-offs, the foundations of a much larger world of multi-pantheon fantasy, but after the failure of Sea of Monsters, an adaptation of Titan’s Curse would never be made.

We’d never see emo, angsty Nico and Bianca, never see the development of Percabeth, never meet Thalia or Fred or Artemis. The fandom was in limbo, forever tethered to just being a series of books that would never compete with the Boy Who Lived.

Then, years pass, and we hear rumblings of a new adaption. This time, Disney is handling it. This time, Rick is neck deep in development making damn sure they stay faithful. This time, it’ll be good.

But, if you’re like me, and so many other people unenthused by Disney’s releases over the last decade or so, you were more than a little afraid that Percy would be twice-doomed by another awful adaptation. You heard the rumors again about tiny minutiae that didn’t exactly match the book but still dared to hold out hope that they learned from their mistakes. They’d succeed where so many stories in recent years fell flat.

Then, finally, we get trailers, and we get episodes.

Just so everyone is aware of just how much pressure is riding on this show to succeed. It’s not just an adaptation probably ten years late for those of us who grew up with the books and Percy. It’s a redemption.

So, I’m not Uncle Rick, and if he signed off on the tiny detail changes, then so be it, but I want to explain to all those who rolled their eyes the last time at why we were so pissed Annabeth wasn’t blonde the first go around: It represents that if the director didn’t give a shit about making sure the simplest of details were correct, he wouldn’t care about the big details like themes and the characters’ personalities and the actual messages of the story (which, surprise surprise, he didn’t). One wig would have been a sign of good faith with zero excuse to fall short.

We’ll ignore Annabeth this time around because she has an equally valid reason for not being blonde this time (for anyone who doesn’t know, Annabeth was meant to break the “dumb blonde” stereotype. Having her played by a minority speaks to the same spirit. The books were also written a long ass time ago in terms of the evolution of pop culture and I appreciate that Rick is evolving with the times where it fits, as his books have increased in diversity across the board beyond three white, straight, cis protagonists).

I’ll ignore Percy not having a NY accent (not that it’s crucial or anything, but he’s got the sass and sarcasm of the born and bread New Yorker that he is and it would have been a nice touch). I’ll ignore Percy and Grover playing Mythomagic – even though that’s Nico’s game and matters because Nico was such a dorky little nerd before everything went to hell and Percy just. Wasn’t. He specifically liked skate parks and trying to be at least a little cool. I do like that the game was even there in the first place for all of us who recognized it on the spot. I also liked the nod to the Minotaur’s tighty-whities in the textbook (though strange).

Details do matter. Percy’s got black hair and sea green eyes for a reason. All the children of the Greek Big Three have the black hair, and only them. Apollo and Athena kids are blonde for a reason. Characters tell Percy over and over again how much he looks like his dad and it matters. If Potterheads get to complain about Harry and Lily’s eyes, so do we. But maybe the actor didn’t want to dye his hair or wear a wig. At the end of the day it doesn’t break the immersion and ruin the story.

All I’m trying to convey is that usually, the curtains aren’t just blue for kicks. Characters are designed with intent. Color choices matter. The Sith aren’t running around with blue lightsabers just ‘cause they ran out of red LEDs on set. And if this tiny detail was waved away, what else will be?

But hey, that was just my first impression. I saw this kid pop up on screen and my immediate thought was: That’s not Percy (though it is Percy’s eyes).

So, did the rest of the premier change my mind? Does the show still capture the spirit of the books, even it if can’t quite capture an exact reflection?

I made a list while I was watching of all the other minutiae that I noticed, for better or for worse and here’s the positives:

Chiron’s actor hits that “best teacher I ever had” vibes perfectly.

Baby Percy is fricken adorable.

12-year-old Percy’s thick-ass eyebrows just work for some reason?

Grover’s actor is good, no notes, fits him well.

They still hit a lot of the beats (Nancy, Yancy, Mrs. Dobbs, the cabin, the wreck, the matador fight, Sally vanishing, the minotaur horn, the Hermes Cabin, dinner at the pavilion, the bathroom scene, capture the flag, claiming) in order.

How often they dress him in shades of blue and/or green before the orange camp shirt.

Annabeth’s signature line.

Dionysus is on point, what a dick.

Percy’s sass and disrespect for authority!

CHB is solid, no notes.

The wood nymph makeup on whoever that lady was is fantastic.

The cloven council is four books early. Points for continuity?

The nightmares are different than the books but fit the same vibe.

Percy sucking ass at every skill was perfectly executed (but it would have been nice if they showed him excelling at canoeing because it was funny).

The physical acting, the fight choreography, was excellently executed.

But, for all the inexplicable changes, there were many that were a disservice.

As much as events being out of order and lines and explanations being spoken by the wrong characters at the wrong moments pains me (Sally never got the chance to tell Percy anything, her grave mistake was not saying anything sooner, trying to keep him close to her as long as she possibly could and that’s things went so wrong at the start of the book, they also didn’t fight), I get how adaptations work. Sometimes page-to-screen just can’t be done.

That said: Grover didn’t sell Percy out to Yancy, but he did try to gaslight him. Gabe was way meaner and fuglier in the book and first adaptation and wouldn’t dare let Sally talk back to him, or say “please”. Sally also didn’t look quite as world-weary as I’d hoped, for being trapped in an abusive relationship and a minimum wage job. As Percy’s first taste of combat, they really speedran the Mrs. Dobbs fight. He didn’t have Riptide during the Minotaur fight; he beat that bastard with his bare hands. Chiron worked up to his centaur reveal after all the exposition dropped. Not a single character has a NY accent and that Di Angelo name drop is… cheap and nonsensical. It’s only there because of how insanely popular Nico became (for better or for worse).

For episode 2: Percy’s conversation with Chiron and Mr. D was completely different, mostly because all his lines were given to Sally and Grover and it suffered some pacing issues because of it. Exposition and when they decided to do it felt like purposefully stepping on all the cracks in the sidewalk. It was written in the book that way, in that order, because it worked.

Where tf was Annabeth? She didn’t make a real appearance until ¾ of the way through the premier. All but her signature line was stolen by other characters and, because of this, she has almost zero rapport with Percy at the start of their quest. All her attitude is there, with none of what makes her sympathetic, and it’s very telling, not showing. Luke and Clarisse exist. I only know it’s Luke because of his scar and his unnamed friend that skulks around with him is… somebody. One of the Stolls, maybe? We were 0 for 3 on characters having the correct hair color. Grover’s tangent to the Council was a mess and we have the PJO equivalent of midichlorians with “kleos” as if Percy needed another motivation to succeed in tangible hero points and, finally, there was no hellhound fight (for rating issues, I assume?). Not sure yet if they’ll keep the hippie in the attic and the entire concept of prophecies that are so critical to the plot and themes (see my first post).

Overall, it’s a shame that the performances feel so stiff and robotic. I get that they’re all kids and this is probably all their first acting roles but if the fight choreographer trained them so well, the acting coaches could have stepped up their game. So many lines are delivered without emotion, or too much emotion (like Clarisse screaming bloody murder at her broken Maimer), which causes some very important scenes to feel bland.

When Percy has the chance to choose his companions, the choices TV Grover and Annabeth have made make them incredibly unappealing candidates. Annabeth has been nothing but rude, vague, and unkind, and was absent for her most important lines. Grover sold him out to the headmaster, gaslit him, revealed how much he’d lied about the world of the gods, agreed to keep lying to him about what he now knows about Sally, and Percy still hasn’t forgiven him.

So, is this a worthy adaptation?

Honestly… I wish it would have been animated, like Arcane or Dragon Prince. Animators would have saved the inexperienced actors from such stiff visual performances. They wouldn’t have had to deal with creating lifelike CGI and could have made some events much more kinetic without the laws of reality getting in the way as this is a story about mythology come to life. It’s a shame, too, that animation is still bound to the shackles of seeming inferior to live action when people absolutely adore Spiderverse and Arcane, and both would have been worse off in the constraints of reality.

The whole thing feels like it tried its best to follow the roadmap of the book, but lost the soul of the book. Changes to the source material are okay if they improve the story, but a lot of the reordering of events and exposition just makes it clunky.

It’s not bad. Gods know it’s already better than the movies in spirit. Maybe it didn’t have the budget or the time or the resources, or Covid caused problems, but this is Disney Money. There are ten whole books in this series and a fandom rabid for a good adaptation. There is zero excuse not to invest the proper time, money, and effort into hitting it out of the park when you can commit to ten entire seasons of a show in the era of eight-to-ten episode stints.

Maybe I’m being too hard on it, you decide. I’m tired of giving the Mouse the benefit of the doubt when they have All the Money at their disposal to hire the best people possible for the job and to get it right this time.

#percy jackon and the olympians #pjo #Percy Jackson review #disney+

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inventors-fair · 1 year

Text

Make the Grade: School's In Commentary

And here we are, at the end of all things. Or, you know, the end of last week's contest. Same thing, right? Anyways, here is all of your other lovely submissions that all deserved to have something said about them. Judge picks are cards that have one or more distinct qualities that I feel are worth pointing out as exemplars. Other than that, happy reading!

Syllabus Theft by @wolkemesser

Unsurprisingly, we saw a handful of Lesson/Learn cards this week. After all, what other way to represent a teaching moment than the mechanic literally designed for that explicit purpose? The Learn tribal is interesting though- being able to re-use all of that Learning is pretty clever. However, both mechanically and flavorfully, I think it would make sense if this was a bit flipped- if this was a card that allowed you to Learn, then granted all Lessons in your graveyard flashback. The first ability would have to be re-tooled, but in exchange, you get the flavor of literally re-using Lessons, plus the mechanical synergy of being able to discard a Lesson to the Learn, and then immediately grant it flashback. I just think the options open up a lot if the concept gets flipped, but the flavor is still definitely on point.

Private Tutor by @little-red-rabbit

On the contrary, I was also expecting to see a few more Tutors this week, since that’s also such a resonant MTG trope, but this is the only one. Again, the flavor-based pun here is pretty clever, of being a teacher that demands literal Blood from their students. However, the elements of the card feel a little... disconnected? Tutors in Magic are exclusively cards that allow you to search your library, since they are teaching you a very specific thing, ie the specific card you’re searching for. This does have some card advantage, but doesn’t play into expectations in quite the same way. As for the abilities themselves, I’m not quite sure why it’s both Clues and Blood. The Blood obviously plays into the design, but why tack Clues in there too? Also, it’s hard to evaluate, but the rate seems a little too good- learning off of every other spell, or just using the tokens to draw four and discard two, means that you’re gonna spend a LOT of time spinning your wheels. That’s not a bad thing necessarily, but I think the card could use some thematic and mechanical tightening to get it into a more unified design.

Dean of Irritation by @railway-covidae

Okay, so I did chuckle at the name a bit. Way to appeal to my oversized ego. Unfortunately, the joke does fall a little flat, since my name is a pun on Naban, so we’re a few too many layers deep for it to work as an actual card name. On to the effect- this is Rhystic Study, but meant to be fair, I assume? More expensive, arguably easier to remove, the whole shebang. That’s all well and good, and it might actually be balanced, but it doesn’t really show off your design abilities. This is just an existing ability with nothing added; the framework of it was changed, but not in a way that meaningfully recontextualizes it (Like, for example, putting a Constellation ability on a non-enchantment). As such, I don’t feel like there’s a lot to evaluate here. Also fun fact, this card made me look up the definition of Rhystic for the first time ever, only to discover it is a totally made-up MTG word. Neat, huh?

Dance Instructor by @spooky-bard - JUDGE PICK

Art Description: A middle-aged woman confidently strides towards the camera, leading a young noblewoman arm-in-arm in the steps of an elaborate waltz. The noblewoman is roughly a head shorter and dressed in a ballgown that looks difficult to move in. Her steps are shaky and she looks a little flustered at the contact.

This one is a neat take. Like I expected this week, the idea of teaching brings different concepts to everyone’s mind, and this is not one that would have popped into my head in a million years. I love that! I love that we all think so differently! Flavor on this is a slam dunk, and I could see this slotting into a dozen different existing MTG settings, since it fits so well with the general fantasy vibe. I think my one gripe is that the Dance Instructor can just choose to go it alone, which seems odd? Also, the way the ability is worded means that a lot of players will miss the fact that no matter what, Dance Instructor has to attack every turn. I think some minor adjustment to account for those would make this into an absolutely 10/10 card.

Scholar of Obedience by @sparkyyoungupstart

Ha, cute. I love the adorable dog-trainer card you’ve created here, and of course you motivate your Dogs with Food. The being tapped condition for the trigger is interesting, since it encapsulates both attacking and tapping for abilities. There’s a few nitpicks here- firstly, if you’re limiting a trigger to once per turn, you need to make sure it can’t trigger more than once off of the same event, because that works somewhat unintuitively. See Blood Hypnotist as an example- using “one or more” means that there’s never a situation where the game has to try and figure out which of the five Dogs being tapped at once is the one that triggers the food token creation. It’s not a big deal, but just best templating practices. Apart from that, my only other suggestion is that you could do a lot more with the flavour text. The idea is already clear from the name and the ability, and the flavour text doesn’t add anything to that. Consider how the flavour text could add a new depth to this dog-training character, or recontextualize the situation to make it funny/heartwarming/tragic, what have you.

Deeper Reading by @0woah - JUDGE PICK

Oof, this one annoys me as an English teacher. The amount of times I’ve had a conversation about why we analyze texts... anyways, that’s not relevant to the card itself. Which, by the way, is super cool! Hit yourself for a Jhoira-esque effect on your big bomb, or hit an opponent to hopefully delay their scary card and give yourself some breathing room. Considering the going rate for Duress effects, and the assumption that most players can’t recover a discarded card, this card could actually stand to have some sort of bonus. Obviously making it cheaper is tough cause this doesn’t work as a hybrid, but having it cantrip or something wouldn’t break it. Regardless, very cool card!

Flowstone Mentor by @hypexion

That’s a lot of times to say Mentor on one card, that’s for sure. The flowstone ability on a Mentor/Training card is definitely a clever idea, and the design is pretty cohesive. Unfortunately, I’m worried it might be a bit too clever for its own good. Having this on board skyrockets the board complexity when it comes to combat math. A single creature with the flowstone ability is one thing, but taking that into account while also trying to account for other attacking creatures being spontaneously buffed... it’s quite a bit of processing power, that’s all. And as a sidebar to that, It definitely introduces some interactions that might go over the heads of most players- like the fact that the Mentor has to activate the abilities before attacking in order to choose a valid target, since the Mentored creature needs to have lesser power by the time Mentor triggers. For a rare, this level of complexity might be acceptable, but I don’t see it being particularly fun to play with or against.

Mother of the Pride by @snugz

One of the few non-human takes on teaching, and oh man, I wish there was art. The idea of having some cute, colorful art of a mother lion teaching her cubs how to attack is just a cuteness overload. What’s interesting is that the ability is one typically given to black creatures, with the exception being Predator Ooze. I’m not saying it’s a break by any means, and the flavour is great, I just wonder if there was a reason that you didn’t want the Mother to be 3BG. Also, as excellent as this design is in concept, I unfortunately have to hold it up as an example of “please double-check your cards before submitting”. It’s very difficult to evaluate a creature when there’s no power or toughness. The abilities are cool, but beyond that it’s hard to see your whole vision, especially when the power of its second ability is totally dependent on how much damage it can deal.

Morbid Critic by @bread-into-toast

Oh no, you’ve taken my worst nightmare and put it into card form. The idea of someone taking joy from someone else’s botched performance is truly morbid. It is another learn card, but you managed to recontextualize it in a nice way. Interestingly enough, we didn’t really see any repeatable learning in Strixhaven, which seems to imply something about the rate we get it at. In this case, I would either up the threshold to three or maybe even four cards, or alternatively raise the life cost. This is perfectly on rate for a simple loot, but considering the primary function of learn, and the fact that it’ll just get better when more Lessons are printed, means that a slightly steeper cost might be worth it as a valve. That aside though, this is a great card, with disturbingly good flavor, and would slot right into Strixhaven Two.

Diligent Prodigy by @i-am-the-one-who-wololoes

Welcome to the Figure of Destiny club! This one takes it in a new direction, allowing you to activate things out of order with some external support. However, logistically, this card is a tough nut to crack. It’s rare that we see a single card give itself multiple types of counters- more common with keyword counters, but only one of these is a keyword counter. How are players meant to differentiate which is which? The “activate out of order” concept, while cool, also doesn’t really help that out. It would be far too easy to forget whether the Prodigy has a study counter or a thesis counter on it, and because the abilities are so wildly different, it can change your whole turn. I just see this card leading to a lot of arguments. Finally, I get the flavor, but it’s fairly general. Why is this one student so interesting? What makes them a prodigy, if they gain their abilities through studying? A more specific name and some art direction would definitely work wonders with this card.

Zaffai’s Opus by @curiooftheheart

Okay, I know it’s an official formatting thing, but un-italicizing parts of flavor text causes me to sit here for a whole five minutes wondering what the heck kind of ability “Mercurial Ode 3” was. The card itself is pretty neat- definitely game ending if you have enough creatures,, but hey, it’s a ten mana spell, so that’s more than allowed. Considering this is up against Omniscience, power level seems fine. In fact, it could probably even drop a few mana, but I understand the urge to make it work with Zaffai. I also like that you took the idea of “how would Zaffai react to the Phyrexian invasion?” and answered it with “Blast them away with a wall of noise, duh”. Not much else to say other than its a fun card!

Culinary Science by @misterstingyjack - JUDGE PICK

Yeah, I knew someone would be clever and rework “class” into a more literal meaning. I mean hey, the mechanics still support the flavor, so it works. Culinary science is for sure an interesting topic, and not when that most people think of when they think of school. The effects scale nicely, and turning your “junk” tokens into the other types of junk tokens is clever. However, the flavour breaks down for me a little. I can totally see how a master of culinary science could make food that’s Treasured, even if it’s a bit of a stretch, but... Clues? If a food is helping you solve a murder investigation, I’m concerned about the quality of that food. Jokes aside, the scaling of the abilities is clean and straightforward, and the main ability provides you a nice source to continue fueling those new abilities.

Peer Review by @helloijustreadyourpost

I do love copying spells, and as we saw in Strixhaven, it's very easy to let them play around with the flavor of learning from or teaching others. However, I’m not fully sure of what the intent of this card is. The first part is a severely limited Twincast, so it suggests to me that the second part is upside. But here’s the thing. “Any number of target” means that you choose who gets to benefit, which is fine. That makes sense. But then the opponents get to choose if they want to copy it, and you don’t get any further benefit from them copying it. I suppose it works in a group-hug style slot? But even then, group hug cards typically give you a slightly better deal than whatever you give your opponents. I’m sure there is a situation where this becomes useful, but I think it could be a bit broader if the opponents had no choice in the matter, ie Hive Mind, or if you somehow got a benefit for each opponent that copied it. Maybe if you got to choose targets for their copies too?

Learn the Ropes by @just--a--penguin - JUDGE PICK

Awwww... now I miss the Ixalan story. This is simple, clean, and adorable- Jace literally learning the ropes of sailing. The combat trick is neat, and the fact that you can pull it off in between attackers and blockers makes it a pretty sweet pick in Limited. The cantrip just bumps up the power just enough that it doesn’t feel like a dead draw in unfavorable circumstances. All in all, I really don’t have a lot of commentary for this card, other than it conveys its place very clearly.

Nephra, Enlightened Mentor by @hiygamer

Funny enough, this is the only legendary creature this week. I guess teachers just aren’t that important, huh 🙁. Nephra is neat, experience counters are a good way to play around with a card that is teaching you, the player. The method of gaining experience definitely encourages a unique deck- weenie tribal is something we seldom see, and even then it’s usually 2 or less, but I can see a lot of ways to play with this- especially now that we have some jeskai convoke cards. However, the payoff feels a bit odd. I can tell this is set on Tarkir, so a noncreature spell payoff makes sense, but this is the exact same as the Mizzix payoff. Considering there’s only five pre-existing experience counter cards, I would have liked to see a twist on it somehow. The core concept makes a lot of sense, but ultimately this kinda feels like a better Mizzix, albeit one that encourages a slightly different deck.

Intro to Reanimation by @real-aspen-hours

Class number two, right at the last second. This one is neat, calling directly back to Liliana’s position as a professor, and playing into it with some nice graveyard abilities. I’m not quite sure how to rate the level two ability? You do have to pay four mana for it, but it’s hard to not make the Lurrus comparison here. It’s more limited, but also free, so... hm. I’m not sure. It also makes the last ability feel a little odd, since it’s an objectively bigger and better version of level two, after which you go right back to getting the level two ability. I honestly wouldn’t mind switching them? Level two is a one-time effect that gets back something small, and then level three is bigger and also repeatable? It would also definitely help the flavor of “Hey you’re getting better at raising the dead.” Also, I try to avoid too much nitpicking whenever possible, but please make sure to review your submission for grammar and syntax errors, especially as a text submission.

Well, that's all for me! Have a fun summer vacation, kids! I'll se you back in class in the fall! (Or, you know, in like four weeks).

~judge @naban-dean-of-irritation

#mtg #magic the gathering #custom magic card #inventor's fair #commentary #school's in

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