#and i almost die at the battle of helms deep

[the-swift-tricker]

i'm just always. so fucking soft for aragorn legolas and gimli.. the three hunters. brothers in arms. they were there for each other from beginning to end and never faltered once throughout the whole journey. the second aragorn is alone and facing death gimli and legolas seem to appear out of thin air to help him. gimli jumping off the wall into a literal army of uruk hai at helm's deep to save aragorn. aragorn leading a charge of elves to save gimli. legolas always searching for his friends even in the heat of battle. pulling them to safety when they're about to be overwhelmed. his and gimli's heartbreak when they think aragorn died falling off the cliff. "you're friends are with you aragorn." following aragorn under the mountain into the arms of certain death. legolas pushing through the fighting to try and reach aragorn when the troll almost kills him.

"never thought i'd die fighting side by side with an elf"

"what about side by side with a friend?"

"...aye. i could do that."

#the lord of the rings #lord of the rings #lotr #aragorn #legolas #gimli #swift-tricker's posts

[newtonsheffield]

Okay, I can’t get this little snippet out of my head so this is for @plishprincess927 who I know is an Inheritance Cycle girlie from way back

The heat was sweltering in the tent and angry voices buzzed in Anthony’s ears but he drowned them all out. He could still feel the heat of the battle hours ago. He could feel the sweat soaked into his leather shirt under the armour and his ears rung with the clang of swords.

His arm had ached from the shock as he whirled through the field and men fell in front of him, the blood and sweat and grime had felt as though it were caked against his skin. A sword had clattered against his side and he’d pushed his sword through the soldier’s mail shirt with a feral snarl and it had all happened so quickly. He pulled his sword back and as he turned he realised the next soldier was upon him, too quickly. His heart started to pound in his chest as he took a deep breath, almost sure it would be his last when he felt an enormous beat of wind and an almighty roar as fire spread across his vision and the golden dragon’s scale glittered in the sunshine as it landed and soldier’s fell all around it.

“Anthony, I thought you were supposed to be guarding me, Princeling.”

His heart fluttered in his chest as the woman sat astride the dragon laughed, her dark curls tossed back and her golden sword seemed to glitter as it moved swiftly through the air. She leapt from the dragon driving soldiers back from Anthony in a wide circle, and he could see the terror in the men’s eyes as they saw her.

“I thought you looked a little bored in truth, Kate.” Anthony grunted, swallowing the panic in his chest, “Where’s your helm?’

She laughed again as her Dragon leapt forward and she caught his saddle, pulling herself up seemingly effortlessly. “I must have misplaced it! Don’t die, princeling.”

The dragon took to the sky, lighting the field with fire as it did, arrows bouncing off his own armour and Anthony bit back a curse as he forged forward.

She was sitting across from him now, her feet lazily on the table, her bracers and greaves still on but the rest of her armour abandoned as soon as she possibly could and Anthony could feel the hot breath of her dragon on his neck where his head was poking through the flap of the tent. The dragon he had sworn to protect when he was only an egg. Long before a farm girl from nowhere had found it. A trick of fate. A trick that had started every moment of turmoil Anthony had felt since.

“Anthony.” He snapped to attention, ignoring the smirk that turned Kate’s lips at the corner and turned slowly towards his mother’s voice. “What say you?”

He swallowed, “The way forward seems well set. We were glad to see your army on the horizon today.”

The murmur had rippled through the battle and he’d recognise the horns anywhere, The elves were here. Finally coming to fulfil the promise they’d made over a stolen egg and a treaty.

His mother’s eyes burned into him as the meeting broke and she turned slowly towards Kate who snatched a chicken off the table and winked as she tossed it towards Newrius, the dragon huffing happily as he caught it. Kate bowed her head, greeting his mother.

“Well met, Rider.” His mother had honoured her, by speaking first and everyone in the room knew it.

“Well met, Majesty. A Welcome sight.”

Newrius tugged on the back of Anthony’s shirt with a wheezy growl that sounded almost like a chuckle as Anthony stumbled and his spine prickled as his mother’s eyes burned into him again as the Dragon teased him.

Without a word Anthony ducked out of the tent, glad of the breeze fluttering through the camp and took off running, desperately hoping to clear his head. The wind whipped past him and the camp disappeared behind him and his lungs burned in his chest. He came to a stop on a grassy hill, trampled flat as the army had retreated and Anthony ran his hands through his hair, squeezing his eyes shut against the pounding in his chest.

This has to stop. This must stop now. You cannot feel this way about-

“You seem very fond of her.”

Anthony sighed at the sound of his mother’s voice, neutral as it always was since the death of his father. “Kate and I have become good friends, these last years. I pledged myself to ensure the survival of her dragon.” He leaned against the tree, “Surely you remember, Mother. You were so against my taking this position.”

His Mother sighed, “I became the queen of our people because you were not ready, Anthony. You were too young, you are still young amongst our kind but… You will take your place one day. I had already lost so much, I couldn’t… Well. You never did listen anyway.”

He could feel the weight of her expectations weighing down on him, just as he had then. When she had raged against his choice. “I believe in the cause we fight for. I have a duty to our people, to fight for that cause.”

“And is that all it is now? Duty?”

He should have been expecting the question. He had faced it with so much dread when what he had feared was stirring in Kate’s chest, in the smiles she tossed him across the fire as they travelled to his homeland together was laid at his feet with Kate’s hands gripping his tunic lightly.

His voice had shaken, even then. “Kate, please. You are young, you…”

“I will live as long as you will, Anthony.” Her lips had nearly been brushing his and his chest had ached to lean in and close the distance between them. “You know that as well as I.”

“You will… What you feel… you will not feel forever.”

“Do not do that, Anthony. Do not minimise what I feel for you. What I feel is real and I will love you, as long as I live.”

“This can never be.” He’d whispered it and felt the tears sting his eyes as he turned as walked away, ignoring the sob that broke the night and the growl that rumbled over his head as her dragon caught sight of him.

Anthony swallowed, tilting his chin to look his mother in the eyes. “It is a duty. We all have our duties.”

His mother nodded slowly before she sighed, “She has a destiny, Anthony.”

His stomach churned, “We all have a destiny, Mother.”

A wry smiled crossed her face, “Yes. That is true. But not every destiny involves the fate of every person in this land. I do not think I need to remind you how very disastrous it would be were she to be distracted from this task.”

“No, Mother.” Anthony said quickly, his heart pounding in his chest. “You do not. I’m sorry, I’m very tired and there is much to do for tomorrow.”

He bowed respectfully and strode past her, his boots crunching against the grass as he did. His head was still spinning as the sun set over the camp and the smell of campfires filled the air. He felt exhausted, tired in the very bones of him as he tugged at the laces of his leather bracers approaching his tent. He let them fall to the floor as he swept aside the flap of his tent, stepping inside.

“I don’t think your mother likes me very much.”

He relaxed at the sight of her, lounging in his bathtub, her dark hair damp with the water and she was so beautiful in the candlelight his chest ached. He crouched beside her, pressing his lips to hers gently, “No, she’s disappointed in me. I’m a distraction for you.”

Kate sighed, chasing his lips for a moment, “I would very much like it if you were distracting me. Don’t worry. No one saw me come in here.”

Anthony chuckled, leaning into her touch, “Very well then. I do still have to thank you for saving me today. And Newrius as well I suppose.”

“Oh I wouldn’t thank him,” Kate hummed, “He was very torn about it.”

“I would expect nothing less.”

#dragon rider au #kathony #anthony x kate #kate sharma #kate sheffield #anthony bridgerton

[iamstartraveller776]

HALADRIEL WEEK: FIRSTS OR FIRST TIMES

ACROSS THIS GREAT DIVIDE (ao3)

Galadriel swings her blade, slicing through leathery orc hide. She spins to meet another at her rear. The battle around her has devolved into a cacophony of metal against metal, guttural snarls clashing with cries of pain. Her horse was lost some time ago, downed by a spear. She leapt into the fray, not sparing a breath in mourning for the beast. There will be time enough for that later.

She fells another orc. Then another. More and more they come, and she ignores the fatigue lapping in her sinews. Inky, putrid blood mars the steel of her sword, splashes against her breastplate and helm. But she does not stop. She cannot. Even when her companions barely hold the line, she charges ahead with a growl. For it is not the orcs that drive her single-minded fury, but the monster who watches the battle in terrible, spiky armor and a great pike in his gauntleted fist.

She has a vow to keep.

He turns when she breaks through the rear flank, the weight of his black interest pushing against the unseen barrier that hides her mind from him. Nenya hangs safely on a chain between her breasts. But Galadriel would be known as she faces her singular foe, and she rips her helmet off, throws it at his feet as a challenge.

The sounds of the melee behind die away as he pulls off his own helm, revealing the face of her once-friend. No. No, he was never a friend. His features are harder, shadows deep in the hollow of his cheeks. His expression is almost soft as he smiles at her. She curses the answering ache in her chest, conjures up instead the memory of her brother, of her missing husband, of every atrocity he’s committed.

“Galadriel.” His voice is both familiar and not.

She raises her blade, charges at him with a feral cry. He easily blocks her swing with his pike. Again and again. But she does not stop coming, not until he knocks her sword from her grip. With unnatural speed, he sweeps her feet, boot on her breastplate as he levels his pike at her throat.

“You should have taken my offer.” He presses the serrated tip against her chin. “Yield, and perhaps I will be merciful.”

“Never!”

His face contorts, eyes twin flames of angry red-gold. “You are defeated, Elf!”

She isn’t. She draws on Nenya’s light, fills herself with its power, and then shoves. She catches his shock and rage as he flies backward. A thick swirl of smoke envelops him before she can reach him. He’s gone, his army retreating.

Galadriel sinks to her knees, tears hot on her cheeks. To her shame, her sorrow is for him—for them both. For Halbrand who, after a similar campaign, confided in her with painful sincerity. Fighting at your side…

She scrubs away the wetness. No more. Next time they meet, she will see only Sauron.

And she will banish him to the void.

~FIN~

#haladrielweek #haladriel week #haladriel #saurondriel #my fic #across this great divide #trop #otp: one ship to rule them all

[skylarkking]

"One In The Same"

A TFA Blitzwing x Mech!reader

Word Count:1k

Chapter 11: A Con's Choice

"Decepticons! Fall back!" Megatron had ordered, sending them into a retreat. The Allspark was shattered, saved from being abused by Megatron.

Some of us, however, were not as lucky, and now I was chained to the stone walls of the Decepticons' new hide out deep inside a mine, and Professor Sumdac was their captive. In terms of condition, however, I was far worse off than he was.

It took everything in my power to stay functioning, even with Blitzwing being extremely gentle whenever he would check on me. It was a struggle just to vent properly, and I felt extremely ill, almost as if i had one of those infections organic lifeforms would get.

"You don't look too good." Blitzwing said as he gently patted my forehelm with a damp cold cloth. It hissed with steam when it made contact with the metal, a small cloud of white jumping off of me. "Primus, you're burning up."

"Why do you dote on that pathetic autobot?" Blitzwing asked.

"IT ISN'T DOTING YOU OVERGROWN SLAG PILE!" Blitzwing's Hothead persona barked.  "ZIS AUTOBOT IS IMPORTANT AND YOU KNOW IT!"

"HES USELESS WITHOUT THE ALLSPARK!" Lugnut snapped. "AND ANYONE WHO IS USELESS TO OUR MASTER SHOULD BE TERMINATED!"

"YOU LAY A SINGLE CIRCIUT ON HIM AND ILL POUND YOU TO SHEET METAL!"

"Will both of you SHUT IT!" Megatron snapped as he stormed over. "We aren't terminating Enigma. Not yet."

"But master, why would you keep such a useless thing?" Lugnut asked.

"Because he knows too much." Megatron said as he grabbed my helm and forced me to look up at him. "Far too much."

"I... I don't know what you're... talking about." I rasped weakly.

"You may not be fully aware of it in your current condition." Megatron growled. "But you contain a millennia's worth of data, battle tactics, and so much more."

"Lord Megatron," the Icy persona of Blitzwing asked. "Vhat, do you mean by zat?"

"Enigma wasn't just designed to be a weapon." Megatron growled as he released my helm, a whimper of pain leaving me as it dropped down to a limp. "He was a prototype for the perfect Decepticon until Starscream attempted to manipulate his coding for his own purposes."

"And... Do you plan on extracting that information?" Blitzwing asked with a nervous twitch of his wings.

"Precisely. His body is of no use to me anymore. Once I've contacted our... asset on Cybertron, I will have him extract the information."

"But... that would hill him, wouldn't it?" Professor Sumdac piped up.

"WHO SAID YOU COULD SPEAK TO OUR MASTER!?" Lugnut snapped.

"I-i didn't mean offense!" Sumdac cowered.

"Lugnut, that's enough." Megatron growled, his crimson optics shifting over to the terrified human. Sumdac shrunk back and stared up at him with fear. "To answer your question, dear professor, it will kill him. Slowly. Painfully. A fate that all traitors deserve."

"Please..." I quietly begged, catching the Decepticons' attention. "I... I dont... want to die."

"But you must, Enigma." Megatron sneered. "You have no choice."

"There has to be another way!" Professor Sumdac said.

"Zere might be." Blitzwing said.

"Do you know something Blitzwing?" Megatron asked suspiciously.

"Ze autobot medic knows his processor inside and out, vouldnt he be able to extract the data?"

"Blitzy...." I whispered. "Please... don't... don't bring Ratchet into... into this..."

"The medic is useless in this regard." Megatron said. "Our inside bot will have to do."

---

"His condition is worsening." Professor sumdac said as he and Blitzwing looked me over while Megatron and Lugnut were elsewhere. "And I know nothing about Cybertronian processors or illnesses."

"So you don't know how to help him?" Blitzwing asked.

"I'm... afraid not." Sumdac said. "If he were missing an arm or something, I could. But this is illness since his internal repairs seem to have healed most of his injuries."

"Dammit." Blitzwing muttered. He then heard Megatron and Lugnut returning, and he quickly scooped up the Professor and returned him to the workstation before they noticed.

As the pair spoke to the professor about something, Blitzwing knelt down by my side  with a somber and apologetic look.

"I'm so sorry, Y/D." Blitzwing whispered.

"It... it's okay." I rasped.

"No... it isn't." He said as he gently touched the side of my face. "You're sick. Really sick. And... I can't do anything about it."

"Megatron... can only control... you with... with fear for so long." I whispered. "I won't tell you... what action to take... that is not... not my place. I... I'll understand no matter what." My internal systems blared with alarms as my internal temperatures began to rise again, the cool damp air causing a light amount of steam to radiate off of me.

Blitzwing paused as he became deep in thought, eventually coming to a decision. While Megatron and Lugnut were distracted, Blitzwing released me from my bindings and carefully scooped me up, his strong arms holding me close to his chassis and almost perfectly concealing my small frame.

Silently, he snuck out of the mines and made a beeline run for the city.

-with the Autobots and Elite Guard-

"we did a sweep of the entire planet," Sentinel huffed at the repair crew. "Not one trace of decepticon energy -"

A loud beep from a nearby console startled the mech, all bots that were present turning to look at the monitor.

"You were saying, Sentinel?" Optimus said with narrowing optics.

"Jazz, bring up the location of that signal." Ultra Magnus ordered.

"Yes, sir." Jazz said, the cyberninja tapping away and then freezing somewhat. "Uh, it's right outside."

"What?!" Sentinel barked.

"Bring up the external surveillance feed." Ultra Magnus said. Jazz complied and brought up a video feed of Blitzwing standing tall, his Hothead persona glaring directly into the camera.

"I KNOW YOU ARE IN THERE AUTOBOTS!" He yelled. "BRING ZAT MEDIC OUT HERE BEFORE I DRAG HIM OUT!"

"What is he on about?" Ratchet said.

"Hang on, he's holding something." Jazz said.

"Zoom in." Ultra Magnus said. Jazz complied, and the video feed juttered a little as it focused on the triple changers' arms, Ratchet's optics widening in a mixture of shock, fear, relief, and grief.

"Who's that?" Sentinel asked.

"Kid...

---------

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#transformers #transformers animated #tfa #x reader #reader insert #tfa fanfic #tf fanfic #transformers fanfiction #fanfic #male reader

[checkoutmybookshelf]

My Favorite Star Wars Book Ever

At this point, my deep and abiding love of the Star Wars EU Legends Continuity Books is no secret, and I have apparently pissed off a few people who were fans of Kenobi (the book, not the the show). Them's the breaks in the fandom that is helmed by Anakin *bring the goddamn drama or get off my stage* Skywalker. (Please realize that that is said lovingly; I am HERE for Solo/Skywalker legacy shenanagins.) And speaking of legacy shenanagins, the fact that this book is the culmination of arcs for so many characters that we have literally been able to watch grow up and survive many adventures as the Yuuzhan Vong threaten to annihilate the galaxy is what makes it my unequivocal, hands-down, ride-or-die favorite Star Wars book. Let's talk Star By Star.

*Spoilers abound below the break*

So, like many Star Wars books, the plot of Star By Star is pretty darn straightforward: The Mission to Myrkr to kill the Voxyn Queen and it's immediate aftermath, interlaced with the fall of Coruscant to the Yuuzhan Vong. (For anyone who needs a refresher or an explanation, let me direct you to the one, the only, the wonderful Wookieepedia.)

What makes this book absolutely fucking AMAZING is a combination of the character work and worldbuilding, much of which comes to a glorious head in this book--as well it should, this is very much the turning point of the Yuuzhan Vong war. It also launches a solid half dozen long-ranging new arcs for characters that I just adore.

Normally I do my best to have coherent, organized thoughts about books, but at this point what I really want to do is just a big, messy, disorganized list of stuff I love about this book. So, in the immortal words of Captain Han Solo: Punch it!

The whole concept of the voxyn and the voxyn queen. Let's be real, predators bioengineered to hunt down and murder the crap out of jedi with their ability to sense force-users, sonic blast roars, acid saliva, retrovirous-laden paw pads, and a poisoned tail barb. These things are horrifying and genuinely felt like a threat to the jedi, which honestly got kinda hard to do sometimes in the EU. The big "they're all cloned from a single queen" is a wee bit video game weak spot/boss fight, but honestly I'm not complaining given the sheer grind that this mission becomes.

The Jedi Strike Team Dynamics. This TEAM you guys. This team is an absolute disaster from start to finish. Not only do you have all three Solo kids with their sibling fuckery dynamics--specifically Jacen and Anakin's crippling fundamental disagreement on force use ethics that ultimately is a rehash of Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon's debate about the living vs. unifying force but in an apocalyptic combat zone--but almost every member of this team is potentially a disaster. You have Tenel Ka, Tahiri Veila, and Zekk on the team, who are collective love interests for the Solo siblings, and I'm pretty sure that sending siblings and couples on life-and-death missions is not a good idea because instincts and motivations get all sorts of fucky and tangled. Then you have Alema Rar, whose sister gets acid-in-the-faced-to-death by a voxyn in chapter 1 of this book, which is just a disaster waiting to happen. Then you have the friendship dynamics with Raynar Thul, Lowbacca, and Tesar Sebatyne, which arguably carries over some of the young jedi knights dynamics that never got solved. This team was a TIME BOMB, and frankly the fact that they managed to pull this mission off is a miracle.

The Battle/Force/Jedi Meld. So, not only do we have a team full of hideously complicated and unstable relationships, but they spend the entire goddamn mission in a meld that basically lets them all be in each other's thoughts and feelings and share extreme physical sensations, including pain. Which like...The Vong are major pain fans, so this might have been a poor life choice. Plus, it sets up some of the complicated stuff with Raynar and Jaina and Zekk in the Killick War later. *weird telepathic forearm rubbing* That said, I love the idea of the battle meld, and it really is just a great ride to watch this shred the team.

The Yuuzhan Vong Worldbuilding. Literally the worldbuilding for the Vong in this whole series is A+ horrifying and fascinating. We just get a lot of it here, and it's used to excellent effect.

Anakin's Death. Ok, so this was fucking heartbreaking, and it might seem like a weird thing to put on a list of things I love about this book. But what makes this death just an incredible read is the quality of the writing, the impact on the mission, and the fact that this death sets Jacen on the path to becoming a Sith Lord, pushes Tahiri into becoming the badass she grows into, fundamentally changes how we think about the unifying and living force, and honestly adds some stakes because if the Solo kids aren't safe, then literally ANYONE could die here. This death is so critical and changed so much and was done with respect and weight.

Borsk Fey'lya's Death. We don't love this Bothan. He's kind of a dick. But uh...I will give him credit for buying time for people to get off-planet during the fall of Coruscant, and for blowing 25,000 Vong to hell along with him.

Lando Calrissian Being the Only Adult in the Room With Eyes. Lando delivers the strike team to the Vong, but before he does, he starts a fight. Lando Calrissian HAS EYES IN HIS HEAD and can clearly see the lines along which the strike team is destined to fissure. He tries so hard to get them to air it out before the mission and to clear the air. It doesn't work, but he TRIED, and that's more than Luke or Han did. I guess that's what happens when you're a farmboy who has never had to lead a pre-fractured team and a gruff loner who did everything himself. Lando though...Lando understands that even Jedi have fracture points and conflict points. Give this man more credit.

I think that more or less covers the things that I love about this book. If you love the EU Legends Continuity, I strongly recommend this whole series. There are more good and great books than there aren't, and the Yuuzhan Vong are such great antagonists.

#star wars #star wars eu books #star by star #the new jedi order #troy denning #yuuzhan vong #han solo #luke skywalker #princess leia #jaina solo #jacen solo #anakin solo #voxyn #the myrkr mission #star wars books #books and novels #books and reading

[rohirric-hunter]

Hey, it's the pelargir anon again! You have no idea how much your answer helped me, because it explained quite a lot of things. I actually did the helm's deep epics, but it wasn't exactly fun and afterwards I thought "well, let's never do this again" 😂 which obviously did not work. But maybe now's the time to repeat it, I've got maybe like 13 points? That probably won't work... The point where the twins die on me is mostly in the last third, after the barricades, where the two ballistas are. The barricades surprisingly aren't that much of a problem, considering I'm not using the skill tree and instead mostly winging it. But in the last third there are so many haradrim and corsars, either I die and till I can get back to the twins one of them is dead or they die on their own. Quite frustrating. And thank you so much for your offer to help me! Sadly I'm on another server (belegaer), but gosh, your kindness made me a bit teary eyed. I really appreciate it!

I'm glad it helped! Yeah, Epic Battles aren't very much fun until you've got some Promotion Points. I find them very fun once I do have those points, but getting those first few points is always such a trial.

If you've figured out how to get the twins past the barricades alive, then you probably don't actually need all sixty Promotion Points (though of course more will make things easier). In fact, you might consider ignoring everything I said about barricades and instead setting up an Officer spec and an Engineer spec that focuses on building and firing siege engines. Then, when you get to the catapults at the end (I said they were ballistae in my original post but I've since remembered that they're catapults) you can try to take out as many enemies as possible before they climb up the wall, then switch to buffing your troops once they get up there. I'm not sure how many Promotion Points you need for various upgrades, but upgrading catapults is super helpful; just don't upgrade range because you don't need to in this instance.

In order to avoid dying (I think one of the twins will always die if you do and I'm not sure why), it's worth remembering that enemies will almost always attack other NPCs before they attack you, so try to limit how many enemies you engage at a time to not get overwhelmed. Your troops should be able to handle the rest as long as you keep buffing them.

If you want to experiment with the different EB mechanics Helm's Dike is great for that too; the battle won't start until you talk to Gamling and they have pretty much everything set up along the Dike, so you can take as much time as you like to experiment and figure out how everything works.

I'll see if I can dig up my guide to Helm's Dike for you. It's probably the easiest to complete side objectives on, since for the most part the NPCs in the instance can handle attacking enemies from the main objective and you can just leave them to it to complete side objectives (and you have as much time to set up as you need). Some of the side objectives you won't be able to complete until you've got some Promotion Points, because most of them involve siege weaponry of some sort, but it's a good way to start earning, at least.

#lotro #actually usually to get my first few promotion points i typically join a six man of pelargir ironically lol #although its harder to find those anymore since its no good for farming legendary item stuff #and idk in my experience its gotten a lot harder to join random groups #anyway hope this helps! <3 best of luck anon #oh! another general epic battle tip; if you get any rewards in boxes dont open the boxes until you leave the instance #these boxes often drop jewelry that will scale to your level and if you open it in the instance itll be level 100 #if youre above that normally then youll get better jewelry if you open it outside the instance #and if youre too far below it then you wont be able to use it if you open it inside

[yzeltia]

A Y'zel Story

Title: Fear Characters: Y'zel Tia, Mephina, Halone, Nymeia Rating: T for Tears, again? Groundbreaking. Notes: Haven't you already had this talk?

Night had come to Mor Dona. Everyone had said their goodbyes or found a place to rest at The Rising Stones, and Y'zel found himself alone for the first time in a long time. It had been mentioned, delicately, that perhaps he hadn't the gumption to lead the law offices of Gage Acquisitions. While he wasn't exactly in need of more responsibilities, he'd suddenly found himself imprisoned by his own anxieties. 

"Another amaretto," the tavern master asked while the Miqo'te gently circled the remaining liquid around in the bottom of his glass.

"I think not…," he answered, looking away as he sat down a few extra Gil, "Should my allies ask in the morning, tell them I grew homesick and returned home."

"Will do."

With a nod, Y'zel made his exit, yet did not blip away through aetheric and instead took the road east on foot, back to Silver Lake then through the passage into Omphalos. Arriving, he brushed his hand through his hair, feeling the unnatural light start to warm him. 

"A gil for your thoughts," a honeyed voice rang out.

Looking up, Y'zel found Mephina innocently down at him. "I found myself…ill at ease after I departed. I believe some of my allies have sought audiences with their patrons immediately after; however, I found it a bit more difficult to face Nymeia or Halone on my own."

"I see…," the goddess mused, thinking a moment before offering a smile, "I think, winter will be short this year. An early spring yields a greater bounty I suppose."

Y'zel stepped back, looking to the confused goddess, "I'm sorry?"

"Hm? If you're not going to speak from the truth of your heart, then I don't think it prudent to indulge in anything beyond idle small talk. If it's company you seek though, perhaps you should return below to one of your paramours? Or do you mean to answer me now in earnest, as you are so well loved for."

The Miqo'te was taken aback for a moment. Absorbing what was said, he placed his hand over the center of his chest, "Speak the truth of my…heart?"

"Yes, it cries out to me. It's almost drowning out all else," Mephina answered before shaking her head, "But a roll of a die and I would have been your namesake, surely you must know that I can feel the love within you as well as the fear."

Y'zel's focus shifted to the stone path as he clutched lightly at the breast of his shirt. "I fear…I've no more to give…or rather, I've come to fear I hadn't anything to begin with. By now shouldn't I have fallen into place?"

 "Is that my little Battle Master," a voice cut through. 

Y'zel and Mephina looked up as Halone approached, frowning as she noted the Miqo'te's tears, "What's all this then?"

"Y'zel's close to a breakthrough," Mephina hummed.

Y'zel nodded, "I've…defined myself by other's for so long…my father's son, my dad's son, Ysayle's brother, my Uncle's nephew, the Scion's cousin, Zoissette's paralegal, The Saint's helper…I realized, that I've yet to find a means to define myself. When I can cannot, through circumstance or removal, I don't know who I am…I'm…lost."

"Why do you think that is," Halone asked, crossing her arms as she looked down at him through her helm.

"Dig deep," Mephina echoed, "I already gave you a hint."

Y'zel held himself for a moment then looked up between the two before letting out a little sniff. "Because…I'm afraid of losing them like I lost so many others…Because I'll lose more of myself if they go away?"

The love goddess hummed then rested her cheek on her fist before answering, "Well, that's the glass half-empty answer."

"Didn't you just have this crisis," a third voice sounded out, "Surely you've shed enough tears over this my little helper. Just because Starlight has ended, the message of hope does not go away."

Appearing before them, Nymeia crossed her arms and lowered herself to kneel and look Y'zel in the eyes, "Would I weave your own words into a tapestry for you to believe them."

Y'zel swallowed then took a couple steps back, bumping into Halone. The Fury wrapped her arms around him, "I can always beat it into you."

Mephina giggled, "We all are the sum of the love others put into us, god or mortal. You are well loved, Y'zel. It is okay to fear loss; however, you shouldn't let it rule your life."

"But…when I have nothing left to give…"

Halone let Y'zel go, letting him stumble forward.

"Give? If love was an exchange then we'd have the Traders hold dominion over it! Love is not a resource, it is abundant my earnest little try-hard. Do you think I love you any less when you falter in battle or fail to master a skill? Have you ever worried about the depth of our love for you?"

"You've cursed your fate many times, but yet light up in my light come Starlight. There's never been any doubt I watched over you within you," Nymeia offered, setting her spinning wheel down to lean back on.

"If you can believe in our love and care, then why not that of your family, lovers, and friends? Up until now, they were far more tangible," Mephina asked, gently reaching out to pet Y'zel's ear.

The Miqo’te’s ears perked as the tidy realization hit him. Sniffling, he wiped his eyes then took deeply inhaled. “You make it sound so obvious,” he laughed softly.

“That’s because it was,” Halone answered, giving a little flick to his forehead.

Y’zel whimpered then rubbed the reddening spot as the Fury let out a laugh, “Come now, did you just come for reassurances, or are you here to cross swords once more!” “Assurances,” Y’zel squeaked out, garnering laughter from the three of them. “I believe, I should speak with him, given I am his Guardian,” Nymeia interjected, “Now that you’ve calmed down, perhaps you can lend me an ear.”

Y’zel was taken aback for a moment, “My ear? Should it not be the other way around?”

The goddess shook her head. “Come, I shall make all clear,” she answered, holding out her hand. With that, he followed on curiously, leaving his fears in the care of the other goddesses for now. If the lesson was finally learned, time would tell.

#ff14 ffxiv #final fantasy oc #final fantasy #final fantasy xiv #ffxiv #ff14 #endwalker 6.3 #endwalker #y'zel tia #halone #mephina #nymeia

[astrovian]

I think my issue with The Rings of Power is that I just wanted it to have really good writing (even if that meant deviating from Tolkien) so badly

What I mean by that is that I wanted us as the audience to be intentionally mis-led and deceived and double-bluffed... especially the Tolkien fans. While yes, they're trying to attract casual viewers, they also knew they'd have a big Tolkien audience and didn't cater to us at all in terms of giving us anything interesting/exciting re: plot

Like yes, it's awesome to see Númenor & Khazad-Dûm & all these 'unseen' things visually but for Tolkien fans there's not a lot plot-wise that's as exciting as the visual interpretations

I almost didn't care how much they changed up lore, if the trade-off was good TV writing... then I could accept that because we all went into this knowing it would be a bit of a bastardization of Tolkien's works

But this season finale was just so bland it's actually a little sad

The Mt. Doom reveal a couple of episodes ago was much more interesting and shocking than either the Sauron or The Stranger reveal which is pretty sad given they based the entire season upon the premise of "who is Sauron/The Stranger???"

Like if the reveals shocked you then great, but honestly both identity reveals were seen coming a mile away by pretty much anyone with a passing knowledge of Tolkien's works

They were basically hitting us hard on the head with a hammer in regards to the clues they left each episode which I was basically fine with because I expected the finale to be a be a big "gotcha! we were tricking you the entire time! It's actually not them at all!" rather than what it actually turned out to be which was just "why yes... it was exactly what you thought/predicted 6 or 7 episodes ago"

As a pretty die-hard Tolkien fan, I'm not as down on and harsh about the show as some others are and have enjoyed it for the most part but like... this episode broke me simply because the major plot twists they've been hinting at all season weren't twists at all by the end

I wanted it to be a big shock and that moment you get with good writing where all the puzzle pieces suddenly click into place and you're like "how did I not see this coming??" rather than reading the clues and knowing where you're going before you've even really left for the destination

In fact, I much preferred other theories we ourselves came up with while watching the first two episodes. If they had ended the series with the Mt. Doom eruption reveal (or something as suprising like it) it would have been a great cliffhanger shock ending. This ending just felt really weak

Really this big disappointment made me reflect on what bugs me the most about the series as a whole:

1) the fight in the Southlands that was like a bad tribute/homage to the battle of Helms Deep. It made it really obvious that the writers were struggling to find Tolkien's voice in the script and that they don't know how to come up with an original battle that still feels like a Tolkien battle

I feel like this is a good summary for the series - a wink and a nod to Tolkien's work with some referential dialogue or a visual scene or a specific important item scattered through-out episodes here or there to mask the fact that coming up with a Tolkien show when you can't write like Tolkien and haven't really captured his voice is hard

It's a very superficial and almost like... surface-level/lazy way of writing a Tolkien-based show imo

2) the whole 'mithril has special Silmaril powers now'/dying Elves plot is just SO BAD AND DUMB. Why would you change mithril like this???

The only good or interesting part about this plot is the tension it creates between Durin/King Durin and the Elves & Dwarves as a result. The actual idea of the plot itself made me laugh because I thought it was a genuine joke in the first few eps but now that it's not it just makes me angry

3) the fact that it was so obvious like 4 episodes ago (if that) who Sauron/The Stranger are lmao

4) there was literally nothing impactful in this entire season finale that made me go "I need more now!!" which is literally the exact opposite thing you want to do when you make a season finale of a TV show

5) the pacing and weird time-skips depending on which group of characters we're following is really weird through-out the entire season which I can mostly ignore but like... you're also just gonna have Celebrimbor make the elven rings overnight like that? alright lol

Theories we came up with early on in the season which would have been so much more interesting:

a) make Halbrand the King of the Dead

b) tbh I don't really care who The Stranger is just don't make him Gandalf because that was obvious the second we met him

they won't do it but even if it was Saruman I'd be like well... at least this makes for an interesting juxtaposition to his treatment of Hobbits in LotR/makes his corruption much more heartbreaking

my personal faves that were so unlikely but were thrown around in this category have been Tom Bombadil, a Blue Wizard or like a pre-Balrog Maiar(??)

c) have Gil-Galad think that the Elves are dying and mithril will save them (and in turn make Elrond etc. and us the audience think so) but have it all turn out to be a massive mis-direct where Gil-Galad has been unknowingly tricked by Sauron into getting mithril from the dwarves

d) I can't remember the episode number but a personal favourite theory early on that emerged during the ep where Elrond finds out Durin is mining mithril is that Sauron is actually in disguise as Elrond all along in order to gain access to mithril/Celebrimbor (though what that means for real Elrond in terms of his whereabouts I dunno). it only made sense during that episode really and look, it practically doesn't really work at all... but you can't say that wouldn't have been an exciting plot twist

TL;DR Yes, Amazon needs to cater to casual viewers who don't know much Tolkien, but the way that they have done so has made the plot immensely boring/predictable for anyone with a decent knowledge of (or background in) Tolkien's work

They demonstrate a basic understanding of some of the core central themes of Tolkien but their inability to cater to Tolkien fans beyond referential moments shows that they have a very shallow understanding of how to build alongside Tolkien's work/story-crafting style (or perhaps an innate inability to do so)

e.g. if you're gonna bastardize something at least make sure it's not extremely predictable and boring for a good 1/2 to 2/3 of your audience - you may as well just go all in

#sorry to take a break from the usual but look i just need to vent #look i am still not super against it and enjoyed in as equal measure as i hated it #but that being said there are major issues lmao #and this ain't even half of them!! #the rings of power #rings of power #trop #spoilers #trop spoilers #the rings of power spoilers

[silkiemae]

Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J Maas

My Rating: 3.25

Well, this book did not need to be a thousand pages long. Holy god, did this thing drag. Honestly, if I hadn't read the ACOTAR series before this, my opinion on this book might be much different, but unfortunately, I am very unimpressed. SJM seems to have a habit of recycling plot lines a lot. Making incredibly powerful women give up their power to save everyone, a nameless villainous king, and a big war where every time you think they're going to lose or die, another army shows up just in the nick of time to save everyone. And because I know that's something she does already and because she did it a crap ton in EoS and in ACOWAR, it was unsurprising and infuriating to see her do it about a thousand times in this book. Like, you really couldn't think of anything new? I understand she wrote these books simultaneously, so my theory is either she was getting tired of writing this and just thought, 'oh well, I'll just do the same thing I did in ACOWAR,' or she was on a time crunch and couldn't think of anything else, so she just ripped her own book off(and of course Helm's Deep from LOTR). Not to mention repeatedly making her villains rapists. Amarantha, Erawan, Maeve, the kelpie, Lanthys, Tomas, etc. I am sick of SJM using rape for shock value purposes. Because she never once has a discussion about the aftereffects of rape. It just is thrown in like 'oh btw Erawan has a girl chained up in his bed, eheheh.' 'oh btw, Maeve forced Fenrys and all of her other cadre to service. her'. I was also recently told she intended to make Amarantha bisexual so that she could have her rape Feyre. Like...come on, Sarah. 

I feel SJM has a bad habit of not killing people and that this book suffered greatly for it. If half the people who should've died kicked it, this book would probably be half the length. I stand by the fact that I think Chaol should've died in place of Nehemia, and she would've brought far more to this story. I think that Lysandra should've died during her battle with the sea wyverns(don't get me wrong, I like her and am glad she lived, but she still should've died). Everyone keeps miraculously recovering or surviving, and it feels like a cop-out. Another person I feel should've survived, though was Kaltain. I feel like her character was so wasted because this bitch ate a demon that possessed her and was clearly powerful as hell, but then she kills herself. And just it's irritating to me because I feel like she could've been such a valuable addition in helping defeat the Valg. Still, unfortunately, nobody can be more powerful than Aelin. This book promises war and death, but aside from some side characters, no one truly important dies. So as I talk about the book below, I'm going to tell you who I would've killed because I am ruthless and evil. 

So Aelin has been imprisoned by Maeve for a little under three months. She is being repeatedly tortured by Cairn(I hate this name because all I can think of is a little pile of rocks), and then healed so that there is no evidence of her injuries. Maeve is also messing with Aelin's mind so that she can't tell reality from a dream. Fenrys is chained and forced to watch this whole thing in his wolf form. At some point, Maeve summons them and makes Fenrys' brother kill himself in front of him, and then they're both sad and grieving. They both survive this and get out physically unscathed. Fenrys manages to break his blood oath and is almost dying, but Aelin saves him by giving him one from her. Now, personally, I would've let Fenrys and Aelin form this bond together. Fenrys is her only lifeline, the one thing she has to hold onto. And then I would've killed him in front of her. Then Aelin would've been alone, and she would've truly had no one, and her breaking and losing it and the mad dash to suicidal freedom would've had so much more emotional meaning behind it because she truly feels abandoned. 

Lysandra and Aedion are fighting with the Bane in the North. They're mad at each other, Lysandra is still pretending to be Aelin, Aedion is still mad about that whole situation. I don't blame him tbh, I would be pissed too but at the same time he needs to realize that Lysandra probably hero worships Aelin for rescuing her from a life of prostitution. Of course she's going to do anything that bish asks. When he threw her out in the snow butt ass nekkid I was done with him tbh. But then naturally, she forgives him. The part where she refused to run to safety because she wanted to stay with him was so aggravating because girl...you are in charge of a small child. She didn't think to get her out then at all but suddenly towards the end of the book she's like 'oh yeah! Evangeline should abandon the town!' I would've killed off Lysandra after she tried to rally the forces as Aelin and then fell.(when she shifted back to her true self how did she even know it was her true self since she said she couldn't remember her true face in EoS) and I would've killed Aedion when he got stabbed by the Valg prince. It would be sad and shit but like...THEY SHOULD'VE DIED. 

Manon, Dorian and the Thirteen are trying to find the Crochan witches and rally an army to fight against the Valg. Dorian wants to find the other Wyrdkey so he can forge the Lock and Manon is slowly accepting her place among the Crochans. I really enjoyed Manon's story arc tbh. She was probably my favorite character in this book. I would've loved to have Manon and Dorian never be a thing though and have Manon kill Lord Lorcan Lochan so that she and Elide can go rule the Wastes together. RIP Asterin and Narene. :( Poor Abraxos. 

No one cares about Chaol and Yrene. I'm sorry. I loved their story in Tower of Dawn but here it was so dull and I just...don't care. I would've rather read more about Nesryn and Sartaq but they fell to the wayside here to focus on everything else. She might as well have just killed them all off for all the attention she paid them. As I said, Chaol should've died ages ago. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

Eventually, Aelin goes to Anielle to meet up with Chaol and the others and she helps them fight the Valg, a big wave shows up at Helm's Deep because a dam broke and Aelin expends all her magical fire energy to stop the dam. I really don't understand anything about how powers work in this series tbh. How is it that Aelin can warm an entire camp full of bathtubs without even being there? Like the limitations of her abilities are inexistent it feels like. She can exhale a breath and crumble a man to ash. How? She can control the heat of her flames? How? 

Speaking of powers that don't make sense. Dorian has raw magic right, and he's able to do basically anything magical. So he starts learning to shapeshifter and turns himself into a woman and then 'explores his new body' which is something only a man would write so I wonder if SJM's husband told her to include that. But here's my question. Why doesn't Dorian teach himself to become invisible? Or teleport? Or astral project? He literally goes to Morath for a whole WEEK looking for those keys. Just think if he learned to astral project he could search the place without anyone even knowing he was there. He could walk through walls like a phantom and then when he finds it, he can teleport into the room, snag the key and teleport out. Boom. Instead, he just chills with Maeve and flies around like a gnat. Honestly, how is it no one else sensed him? 

The way SJM writes people sensing/smelling things in this series makes absolutely no sense to me. There are so many times that I’m thinking to myself that somebody should’ve been caught because they are with a person with heightened senses. Like let’s think, Maeve should’ve been able to sense that Aelin didn’t have the Wyrdkeys right? Considering they are of her world and she seems able to sense everything else. Why couldn’t Erawan smell Dorian in Morath but Maeve could? They’re both Valg, does Maeve suddenly have different sense than Erawan because of her fae body? Why wouldn’t Erawan also choose to wear a body with heightened senses? 

Also, another thing I’ve been wondering. Why is it that none of the Fae seem to be able to tell when anyone is lying? Like they can tell by the cadence of someone’s voice or just like by knowing that person but these people have super hearing and smell. Can’t they hear a shift in heartbeat that might betray someone’s lie? What about a change in scent? Most people with supernatural smell can always smell fear. Like…?!??!?

I totally loved the scene where Elide goes to rescue Lorcan on Hellas. I liked the mad dash to the finish the line vibe of it but I do think it would’ve been a really fitting tragic end if Lorcan did sacrifice himself to save Elide. At the same time, I’m not mad about Elide being like UH NO I DID NOT SAY YOU COULD DIE. That’s probably the only time I have not been mad at a character’s failed sacrifice in an SJM book. I also want to thank SJM from the bottom of my heart for not disgusting me with a sex scene of these two. Not only are her sex scenes some of the cringiest things I have ever read in my life but if it was between Elide and Lorcan it would’ve felt DISGUSTING because of the way she repeatedly had to tell us that Elide just became a woman and how keenly aware of this fact that Lorcan was. Not to mention Elide is a virgin and Lorcan is like 'anything you do will be enough to please me'....sir, your pleasure is not important here. Elide should be the focus considering it's her FIRST TIME. I really wanted to like Lorcan and Elide but the way SJM writes men ruins it for me constantly. 

Now, I would not have been so mad about Aelin having to give up her power if I hadn't read ACOTAR before this. I think it's set up much better in this series and like you can see that that's what it was always leading up to. But the fact that she reuses the same exact plot device in ACOSF and ACOWAR is so LAZY. Like come oN. 

WTF was the point of the first book, guys? I’m just sitting here thinking. Why did they ever do that King’s Champion thing? What did Erawan want a Champion for because I know he had something to do with it. What were they looking for there? I am so confused about that whole situation because like even with Aelin they never did anything with her except send her out to kill people. What was the point of any of that??

Also, WHAT THE FUCK IS UP WITH FLEETFOOT. I AM ENRAGED THAT THIS DOG IS KICKED TO THE CURB CONSTANTLY. Aelin never once throughout this entire book series thinks to herself ‘man I miss my dog’ and like…WHHY? In 980 pages, this dog is mentioned 4 times and it is not ever as a 'I miss my dog' thing it's like 'oh yea I have a dog'. Like you're telling me not once during this big war, not once when Aelin was being tortured did she think about her dog. Not even when she was going to die did she feel bad that her dog was never going to know where she went or what happened to her. Aelin never deserved that poor dog. 

This book could've ended like 300 pages earlier if Aelin had just kept her mouth shut and let the gods take Erawan as they promised. Then they wouldn't have had to risk the pregnant woman. But no worries, she magically kills this guy that we've spent 7 books building up as this undefeatable creature in five seconds. I think the fight with Maeve was much better done aside from the whole wolf people showing up. Because like once again, Aelin magically has an army come to save her that none of us was ever aware of. 

There were 124 blinks in this book. And that is 124 too many. I know that blinking is a natural part of being a human being but I don't need to read about every time a person blinks. Like Sarah, why are you so obsessed with blinking. 

Aelin sucked on a tooth. ….Just one tooth? Which tooth was it? Does Aelin have a little snaggle tooth that she sucks on when she’s being contemplative? Does she have a tooth necklace that she sucks on for nerves? WHAT IS THE TRUTH?

There are so many repeated phrases in this book that had me rolling my eyes out of my head. “She opened for him” (in reference to kissing???) “She said softly, but not weakly” (literally please stop) “She gobbled up the book she was reading”(if I have to hear the word gobbled one more time I am going to lose it) 

Everyone is just blinking at each other. Saying ‘holy gods’ anytime something wild happens. Eyes are guttering and throats are bobbing. Sarah, I'm going to buy you a thesaurus. 

I kind of spiraled and got off track on my kill list so I'm just going to write it here. Chaol Lysandra Aedion Fenrys Lorcan Nesryn and Sartaq(sorry guys) And Aelin because I hate her.

#Sarah j maas #kingdom of ash #throne of glass #book review

[sillywolffoxwrites]

9th of Flamerule, 1368 - Day 67, Hour 11

The leader of the thieves guild greeted us, and asked us for help freeing some of his best agents from the city jail.

Of course we refused. The trouble came when Ferrum insisted on being honest. We were told in no uncertain terms, now that we knew of their hideout and what their leader looked like, we had to be an ally to them and help, or die to keep our secrets.

Jaheira peered at Ferrum from the corner of her eyes, I could almost feel her pleading with Ferrum in her head to just go along with it.

"I am a servant of Helm's justice, and I am happy to leave your thieves with their just rewards." "Then you leave us no choice, this is a regretful alternative."

At a snap of fingers, all the thieves guild members pounced. They had been watching from the tables they talked business and played cards at, staring through the open door to their boss's office. We all scattered too, my five taking our favored battle positions. Ferrum engaged with leader, swinging his morning star wide. I climbed up a bookcase and began sniping the thieves in the back of the mob, clogged into the bottleneck of the office entrance, easy picking. Jaheira and Khalid barred the entrance, Khalid's shield doing the bulk of the blocking, while Jaheira sliced at any hands that came through with her scimitars.

Yuze though, was almost still by comparison. He had backed into the bookcase I was standing on, the crown of his head floating at the bottom of my view.

"Too much blood" I heard him whisper "Time to leave."

Ferrum brained the Thieves guild leader into submission, and then turned to Yuze, who said something to low for me to catch.

They nodded at each other, and Ferrum turned away from Yuze, his back to our enemies. "Look away Aurelia" Ferrum's eyes were locked straight forward and away from his husband.

Yuze glowed an eerie green color, and then walked towards Jaheira and Khalid's defense point.

"Step back friends, I would suggest you look at your feet." Yuze put a hand on each of their shoulders, and gently parted them. I couldn't see Yuze's face, but the couple did, not looking down quick enough. Khalid shrank back in horror, and Jaheira's face turned stony. The thieves burst through the now open door, then fell back screaming. The first one in turned tail, crashing into his comrades, knocking the 6 or 7 remaining men to the ground in a great heap. Like insects they skittered out from one another, looking back over their shoulders at Yuze as if they had been addressed by Myrkul himself.

The dull green glow faded, and Yuze rounded on Ferrum.

"What the Fuck was that?? Was it really necessary to try and kill everyone?"

Khalid stumbled out over the bodies and into the next room, throwing up in a corner, waving away his wife's concern. Jaheira returned to the office, quietly leaned against a wall, crossed her arms, and listened in on the argument.

"They attacked us Yuze, this was self defense!"

"You know how to incapacitate people Ferrum, you told me yourself how the Church of Helm taught you! I saw you go for death blow after death blow, I saw you double tap, Ferrum. You had already caved in his fucking- look at him!!" A crumpled body lay silent where he pointed, seemingly decapitated. His head collapsed from the sheer force of Ferrum's assault. I regret looking.

Ferrum kept his eyes on the dead leader. His face contorted, as if he battled deep within himself. His eyes welled, he bared his teeth, tusks jutting out.

"You know how this city works, has always worked, Yuze. These people fleece the vulnerable, find the wounds of our city and put a tap in them to squeeze out every last drop of blood." Ferrum motioned to the leader, to the goons who hadn't the luck to live to be scared off.

"Do they not deserve this? These thieves, these miscreants? These cancers upon the people??"

"Ferrum do you hear yourself? You don't know that each of these men deserve death! They are not necromancers, or slavers, or torturers -- all you had to do was lie and we could walk out and never come back! If they send us any assassins I would be happy to fry them! But this? This was not necessary."

"They. Were. Thieves." "Like Aurelia?"

The room was dead quiet. I stiffened, my heart beating faster

"What did you say?"

"Like. Aurelia?" Yuze's eyes were wide and,his nostrils flared. He was now inches from Ferrum, his head tilted up to look at the taller man.

"If Aurelia comes to camp with some un-acounted for jewelry, will the recourse be, to hit her in the head with your morning star? Bludgeon her until you can no longer recognize your daughter's face?"

Ferrum shook, eyes locked with his husband, fury boiling off of his body

"Is this how we solve all our problems now, my angel, with blood?"

Ferrum broke eye contact, staggered away from Yuze, and roared.

He hadn't answered the question. I kneeled down to catch my fathers eyes, meeting him where he now slumped against a bookcase.

"Is this what you have in store for me?"

"Helm demands justice!" He sobbed "It's my duty!"

"Duty to who?" Yuze interjected " To Helm, and to Justice? Or to Hoar, and Revenge? Kin they may be, but the same god they are not. Your actions may honor but one at a time."

A second silence fell over the room. When it seemed that it had stretched to the most anyone could tolerate, Jaheira spoke.

"I'm glad we got that out, you've all been stewing in something for weeks and now it's out in the open. So if we are done having a crisis, let us go back to helping the people who need us."

We all agreed, filing out of the house in silence. - Aurelia

#Baldur's Gate #BG1 #RP #Aurelia #Chapter 5 #fight

[bisexualbumblebee-writes]

Break Free- Legolas Greenleaf x OC

Legolas Greenleaf x Alphine Barrowes

Description: Alphine learns how to break free from her physical and metaphorical prison. 

Word Count: 2.7k

“Farmers, farriers, stable boys,” Aragorn muttered to Legolas, Alphine and Gimli as they stood in the caves under Helm’s Deep. King Theoden had called for every man and lad as young as eleven to aid in the upcoming battle. The quartet was watching as they prepared, saying goodbyes and receiving armor and a variety of weapons.  Alphine shook her head sadly. 

“These are no soldiers,” she said quietly, crossing her arms. 

“Most have seen too many winters,” Gimli agreed. 

“Or too few,” the Elf added. An unspoken agreement settled amongst them, and yet Legolas continued. 

“Look at them. They’re frightened; I can see it in their eyes.” Everyone stopped to look at him, including Aragorn, Gimli and Alphine. The latter’s brows furrowed, and Aragorn shot him a warning glance. 

“Boe a hyn. Neled herain dan caer menig (And they should be. Three hundred against ten thousand),” he spoke fiercely. 

“Si beriathar hyn ammaeg na ned Edoras (They have more hope of defending themselves here than at Edoras),” Aragorn retorted. 

“Aragorn, nedin dagor hen erir ortheri. Natha daged dhaer!  (Aragorn, they cannot win this fight. They are all going to die)!” Legolas snapped. 

“And I shall die as one of them!” The man all but shouted. If the room wasn’t quiet before, it was dead silent now as everyone stared between them. The Elf glared at him, but Aragorn only returned it before storming off. Legolas went to go after him, but was stopped by Gimli grabbing his arm. 

“Let him go, lad. Let him be,” he instructed carefully. The Elf didn’t look pleased about it, but he let it go anyway with a deep sigh. He faced Alphine, but before he could open his mouth to say something, she pressed a hand to his chest. 

“I already know what you are going to say. And if you attempt to keep me from this battle, then you are an even bigger fool than I originally mistook you for,” she demanded softly yet still firmly. Once again he was not pleased with that command, but he nodded. 

“Very well.” With that settled, she offered him a nod before walking off to prepare. As she did so, she couldn’t help but think about Aragorn and Legolas’ argument. 

Alphine was both happy and upset that she’d learned Sindarin on the journey. One one hand she was glad to understand what they were saying, but she was angry at what Legolas was saying. It wasn’t fair of him to say such things, and it wasn’t like they had much of a choice at this point. It was too late for Rohan to call for aid, so they were on their own and they had to make do. And yet Legolas complained. 

It seemed like only an hour or so had passed when she heard a knock on her temporary chamer’s door. Upon calling for the person to enter, she was met with Theoden’s right hand man. Gamling, if she remembered correctly. She offered him a weak smile. 

“What is it?” She asked softly. The man shot her an awkward and apologetic grin, resting his helmet against his hip. 

“Sorry to bother you, My Lady. But your presence is requested,” he explained. The woman nodded, instructing him to lead her to wherever she was needed. Gamling did as she said, but rather than lead her back to the caves or even outside where the soldiers were already lining up, she was met with a large door that just led into another room. She immediately became on edge as she walked to the center of the room, seeing no one in there. 

“Gamling, what is this?” She questioned as she turned to face him. To her surprise though, she came face to face with the door rather than the man. Her eyes widened as she heard a lock click from the other side and she ran to it. 

“No!” She exclaimed as she banged on the door so hard her hands began to sting.

“Gamling! Let me out of here!” She demanded, pulling on the handle desperately. Almost immediately she pulled away as her hands began to burn. Upon looking down at them she realized they were red and had an odd looking white symbol momentarily sat on her palm. It wasn’t just any symbol, it was an Elvish one. A protection spell had been placed on the door. That meant no other magic could penetrate it. 

“Forgive me, My Lady. I am just doing as the Elf ordered,” Gamling’s voice called from the other side of the door. And he truly did sound guilty, but all that Alphine could feel was rage because she knew exactly who he was talking about. She continued to yell at him to let her out despite the fact that she could hear his footsteps fading away. 

Eventually she gave up, dropping to the floor beside the bed. Frustrated tears ran down her face as she fought the urge to just scream. It was only then that she’d heard the sound of a battle raging just outside. Almost immediately she was up and running over to the single window that sat in the wall across from the door. Just as she expected, the battle had already begun, and it wasn’t looking too good. Despite the fact that Rohan had the higher ground and was defending the wall in front of Helm’s Deep, she knew that it wouldn’t be too long before Sauron’s army got the upperhand. Alphine wasn’t just going to sit around and watch that happen. She needed to help, Legolas be damned. 

With luck, the protection spell was only being used on the door and not the window. She hesitantly reached a hand out and touched the metal bars that had been built into the windowsill as a safeguard for the inhabitants of the room. A minute went past and she felt no burning or the force of other powers at play, and hope rose in her chest. She lifted her hand from the bar and her eyes fell closed as she focused her energy on getting rid of those bars. When her eyes opened again all that was left was melted metal that dripped off the ledge outside. After finally managing to free herself from the room she climbed through the window and fell to the ground, using her powers to help soften her landing and land on her feet. 

That ended up being in vain as she fell to her knees just moments later when the ground shook. A massive boom was heard along with the shaking of the earth. When she looked up she realized that a part of the wall had been blown off somehow, effectively weakening it. Men and Elves alike laid on the ground, some unconscious and others already dead. 

“Brace the gate!” Theoden yelled from somewhere up above. Instantly a large group of soldiers surrounded the gate and braced themselves as the Uruk-hai ram it. Other men lifted their barricades and threw rocks and spears at them to slow them down. Alphine looked around desperately, then froze when she spotted Aragorn as one of the unconscious soldiers. She sprinted over to him, falling to her knees and attempting to shake him awake. 

“Ási, mellon nin, ortu (Come, my friend, get up),” she begged desperately as she shook his shoulders rather aggressively. It only took a moment for him to come to, and he stared up at her confusedly. 

“Alphine?” 

“We mustn’t waste time,” the girl continued firmly as she stood up. She helped Aragorn up and handed him his sword. He offered her a grateful smile before lifting his sword to the Elves behind them.

“Hado i philinn (Release  arrows)!” They did as he said and fired their arrows, hitting Uruk-hai soldiers. As they did so, Alphine grabbed the sword of a fallen soldier and went to help wherever she could. She had no idea how long she’d been fighting before she heard Theorden yell again. 

“Aragorn! Fall back to the Keep! Get your men out of there!” The man nodded in response then called out to the Elves fighting alongside them, repeating the Rohan King’s message. Haldir, who he’d personally called out to, nodded then gestured to his soldiers, also calling out to them. 

“Nan Barad (To the Keep)! As he finished his command he turned and killed an Uruk-hai, only to be stabbed in the stomach by another soldier behind the one he’d just killed. Alphine’s eyes widened and she yelled his name as he stumbled, clutching his stomach. Terror filled his eyes as he leaned against the wall. 

As that same soldier lifted his sword to stab Haldir in the back, all the witch could think about was Mirabella, who she’d had the pleasure of meeting in Lothlorien. The sight of her anguished expression upon learning that her husband was dead flashed through her mind. The rage Alphine had felt earlier came back, though for different reasons this time. There was no way she could let him die without doing something. 

Just as before, her hands lifted up. One hand placed a protection spell over the Marchwarden for what she was about to do. She hadn't even realized what she had done until she realized that a small mass of Uruk-hais’ bodies were essentially raining over the soldiers of Helm’s Deep. There had to be at least a hundred dead. Shock ran through her. Had she really done all of that? Based on the sudden spout of exhaustion that accompanied her surprise, her answer would have to be yes. Haldir looked around at the dead bodies that surrounded him then faced Alphine in shock, and apparently he wasn’t the only one either. As the Witch pushed herself to run towards Haldir, she heard Gimli yell from somewhere behind her. 

“Why didn’t you just use that in the first place? Where has this Alphine been all this time?” A fatigued laugh left her lips as she reached the Marchwarden, and she wrapped his arm around his shoulder and lifted him up. Using the remaining strength and magic she had, she lowered them from the wall he originally stood on and began heading towards the Keep. 

She got as far as she could before the other soldiers of Lothlorien met her and took their Marchwarden from her arms. Since she no longer needed to support someone else’s weight and after pushing herself much farther than she would have liked, Alphine felt herself become weaker by the second. She fell to her knees before she even realized, but before she could fall to the ground she felt arms around her waist. Upon looking up with droopy eyes and a heavy head, she was met with Legolas’ worried face. 

“M-Make sure Haldir gets help.” And with that, her vision faded to black and she passed out in the Elf’s arms. 

When she woke up again, it was light out. She was lying in the large bed of a bedchamber and without armor. Her brows furrowed as she carefully stood up. Memories of what happened ran through her head and she found herself running out of her room. There were people chatting happily as they walked through the many hallways of Helm’s Deep, which made her smile as she realized that they’d won. And yet, she still couldn’t find any of the companions she’d arrived with. Eventually she found one of the King’s men and stopped him. 

“Pardon me, sir, but have you seen any of my companions? The ones I’d arrived at Rohan with?” She asked, remembering that he’d been in the throne room of Rohan when she arrived with what was left of the Fellowship. 

“Why yes, they just returned with three more Hobbits. If my memory serves me, they should be in the Golden Hall preparing for the celebration tonight,” the guard, Corain, answered. Three Hobbits? Surely he couldn’t mean… The Witch offered him a quick thank you before practically running towards the Golden Hall, a hopeful smile on her face. 

It didn’t take her long to reach it. The doors were already wide open, which allowed her to see who all was in there, namely her companions. Just as she suspected, Merry, Pippin and Camelia had joined Aragorn, Issa, Legolas, Gimli, Brooke, Lalia and Gandalf as well as several of Rohan’s royal court. Her smile widened at the Hobbits and, as if sensing her presence, the trio turned to face her. Their smile was not unlike hers as they sprinted at her full force, practically leaping into her arms when she dropped to her knees. 

“Alphine!” They exclaimed jovially as the four of them hugged.

“Oh, my dear Hobbits, I was so worried about you,” she laughed out tearfully, pressing a kiss to each of their foreheads. After they finally pulled away, she stood up as the rest of her companions reached them. Issa was the first to pull her into a hug followed by Aragorn. Lalia was next and Gimli patted her on the back with a gruff laugh. Finally, she turned to face Legolas. As soon as she did she was nearly crushed in one of the tightest hugs she’d ever been part of. Turns out Elves are much stronger than they look. A small smile appeared on her face as she returned the hug. A moment later they pulled away and rested their foreheads against each other’s. 

“Can I speak to you? Alone?” The Prince asked softly. The girl nodded, allowing him to take her hand and lead her out of the Golden Hall. They stopped in an empty hall and Legolas let go of her hand to face her. He looked troubled, which concerned her. 

“Legolas, is everything okay?” 

“You almost died,” he muttered softly. 

“We all almost died,” the girl responded in the same tone. 

“Yes, but not everyone used too much of their powers too quickly and over exhausted themselves. If Lalia hadn’t been there to grow the healing herbs you could have died. It was reckless and dangerous what you did,” the Elf retorted. Alphine’s eyes darkened a bit and she crossed her arms. 

“Maybe you think so, but it is because of my ‘recklessness’ that the Marchwarden of Lothlorien still lives,” she said curtly. “As vain as it may sound, Haldir is still alive and Lady Mirabella still has a husband because of me. And I survived as well, so there should be no reason for you to speak so rudely to me.” That gave Legolas pause, and a deep exhale left his lips. She could physically see his shoulders relax before he spoke. 

“I’m sorry,” he said, much calmer now, which surprised the girl. “I just worry about you, Alphine. We have all been through so much together thus far. I would hate to see you fall because of something like this. I did not mean to undermine you or reprimand you, so for that I apologize.” His explanation made the Witch's gaze soften, and she uncrossed her arms. 

“You are forgiven. And, if it makes you feel any better, I worry about you too.” Now it was the Prince’s turn to be surprised. 

“Really?” Alphine nodded with a small smile. 

“Yes. You would not believe how scared I was when we were attacked by the Uruk-hai soldiers on the shore of Nen Hithoel,” she laughed weakly. “And I know that you can handle yourself better than any of us, but then I saw Boromir’s state plus Merry, Brooke and Pippin being kidnapped. I just… I just assumed the worst. But then I saw you emerge with Issa, Lalia and Gimli beside you. I admittedly had to hold myself back from hugging you. It brought me peace to see that you were safe.” Her little confession made her blush, but it made Legolas smile wider than she’d ever seen it. 

“It warms my heart to hear that you care for me as much as I care for you,” he muttered, taking both her hands in his. Alphine copied his smile and leaned forward to rest her forehead against his once again. They stood like that for several minutes before she spoke again. 

“The celebration will be starting soon. We should probably return to the Golden Hall soon,” she whispered. They were the only ones listening after all. Legolas pulled his head away to nod, and the two of them walked back into the hall hand in hand.

#lord of the rings #lotr #lotr imagine #legolas greenleaf #legolas imagine #legolas x oc

[smhalltheurlsaretaken]

I know Aragorn and Legolas having an argument in the movies right before Helm's Deep is mostly a bit of cheap added drama to heighten the tension, but at the same time it works really well with Legolas' background arc of learning to deal with the concept of mortality. (Sure Elves die, but you'll see them again in the Undying Lands, right? But this is different.) By TTT it feels like he's really getting it, especially with Aragorn's recent near-death and the very real possibility of him actually dying during the battle because he's super tired (Gandalf coming back might have contributed too: it's the reminder that it won't happen like that with anybody else. Mortals don't get sent back by Eru). So Legolas getting angry for seemingly no reason - because none of what he's pissed about are things Aragorn or anybody else could control - is a great way of showing where he's at in his emotional maturing. It's not that he's suddenly chickening out because the odds aren't good and he has become a completely different character who vocally objects to stupidly dangerous enterprises - he's certainly never been bothered by the very highly probability of his death before. But he's seeing people who have 'seen too few winters' about to get massacred (and to him it's all of them, not just the kids - all of the men of Rohan have seen too few winters to die) and it's just so unfair that he lashes out. At no point does he ever say 'we're all going to die,' it's always 'they are going to die,' because he's not despairing for himself, he's despairing at humans being humans. (By the way, all of that is a bit undercut by the Galadhrim coming to assist and getting wiped out, but I get why the movie needed them.)

It's also great symbolically that he switches to Elvish to talk to Aragorn - sure, he's doing it so that nobody will get what he's saying, but it's more than that. If he didn't want to be understood, he'd whisper or save it for when they're in private. He's switching to Elvish because it's his Elven nature that's doing the shouting - up to now, he's been trying to fit in with the mortals, talking Westron, walking at their pace and (more or less) refraining from calling them kids every other sentence... but he's finally letting his strange, not-like-you-guys side come through, and that side has had enough of the brief taste of the sorrows of the world of men. Aragorn initially answers in Elvish because he's trying to be a conciliator, the one walking between both worlds, as he's always been - the problem of Elves losing mortals is at the core of his family's issues, so he knows what's happening there - and he doesn't want to spook anybody either.

But then he snaps at Legolas in Westron, because he too is at the end of his rope. It seems pretty dumb of him, to the point it's kind of a meme (like... my dude... now they've all heard the part about dying), but it's really because there's more to the scene than two people despairing and trying to hide it. They're not really thinking about hiding it, in fact Aragorn is probably switching back to Westron pretty much on purpose. He's not in any state to comfort anyone, and so he reminds Legolas that he's mortal and forces him to confront that fact instead of serving as a recipient for Legolas' angry ranting/coping mechanism. He's not an Elf. He doesn't get to yell about death in Sindarin just because it makes it easier, it's as familiar to him as Westron is to the men around them. What's more, Legolas is concerned with an immutable fact of life while Aragorn's chief concern at the moment is his own ability to protect people, so while Legolas isn't doubting Aragorn but surrendering to pointless, almost childish frustration, that fatalism devalues his own efforts and struggles as meaningless. Yes, men die, it's what they do - but if Legolas thinks that's a reason to give up on them, then he'd best give up on Aragorn too, because he'll die as one of them.

((EDIT: I checked the Elvish, apparently the subtitles are missing something. Before Legolas says "they cannot win this fight, they're all going to die he tells Aragorn "men i ndagor" which roughly translates to "we are warriors" - thus further showing that his anger really has nothing to do with Aragorn's skills or with fear for their own safety. He is, again, angry that normal men are not like them. And Aragorn's retort is a reminder that while he may speak Elvish and understand Legolas best out of anybody present, he's still very much a man too.))

Legolas looks pretty shaken after that and wants to immediately follow after Aragorn, again because he clearly wasn't angry at him, but it's another nice bit of characterization that Gimli stops him to let Aragorn deal with his own stuff in peace, and that Legolas doesn't force the issue.

Coupling all of that with their next scene, it really all comes together: Legolas apologizes for doubting Aragorn, which isn't what he was doing. He says "we have trusted you this far and you have not led us astray" when he never accused Aragorn of doing that, or expressed the slightest fear for himself. He's apologizing - in Westron - not for what he felt but because of what Aragorn felt: he's giving Aragorn what he needs, the confirmation that he's a great leader than will see them all through this, and the acknowledgment that he's mortal, and it's okay. And Aragorn forgives him in Elvish because he's giving Legolas what he needs: the acknowledgment of his Elven nature and the understanding he was seeking when he vented.

It's two tiny scenes that could easily be left out (I've never seen the theatrical editions, idk if they're extended cut only) but they provide a ton of character depth for the both of them.

#legolas #aragorn #the two towers #ttt #lotr movies #helm's deep #meta #my meta #long post

[yourwakingnightmares]

Eomer is a freaking chief

Don’t get me wrong, what Eowyn did was badass. No argument.

But uh... Lemme point a thing to you.

So Eomer gets banished, right? Takes two thousand of his men, and rides through the Westmarch, killing Uruks as he goes.

Gandalf rides up, and basically says, “Hey, I fixed your uncle, but the Uruk-hai are marching to attack him at Helms Deep; he needs you, or he’s gonna die.”

So Eomer rides two days, nonstop, and then him and his men dive right into a battle against 10,000 men. And they win.

They march back home, spend a day celebrating. Gandalf rides off, and Eomer thinks, “Hey, maybe I can relax for a bit now.”

Nope. Two days later, the beacons are lit. Eomer is sent to rally the men of the countryside, then meet Theoden. They’re there approximately two days, in which time, Eomer -as Marshal of the Mark, the king’s nephew, and now heir -presumably helps with planning, logistics, and inspection. He rides three days, breakneck speed, into the battle of Pelennor Fields. They crush the orcs...

BUT THEN... the mumakil (elephant) riders show up. So without taking more than a few deep breaths, he rallies his men to turn and keep fighting.

In the books, during that battle, he finds Theoden, and basically says, “Protect his body, we’re gonna get him off the field. This is important.” Then he finds his sister, and basically Hulk rages out, and runs off alone, slaughtering as he goes until he runs into Aragorn, and they then have a Bro It Up slaughter-fest.

Finds out his sister is still alive after the battle, and stays by her side until Aragorn calls him to a meeting. It’s at that meeting when the suggestion of taking their few remaining men, and marching on the Black Gate is suggested.

And Eomer... This dude probably hasn’t slept in at least two days, slept in a horse for almost a week before that, who had maybe two or three days of non-fighting/non-planning. Who fought a massive battle he was supposed to lose two days ago, and another massive battle against a force that out-numbered him a week before that, with only two days of down time in-between...

That dude right there says, “Fuck it. Let’s do it. I’m down.”

Like this dude had the fortnight from Hell, and he still marched into every battle, fought like an absolute beast, survived, and then was down to march into his third unwinnable battle in less than two week’s time.

And what makes this even more impressive? His men loved him enough to go, “Hell yeah dude. Let’s do it.” All three times.

Like... Eomund and Theodwyn had boss ass children, with the stamina of a horse, the fierceness of a tiger, the loyalty of a dog, and the ‘give no fucks’ of a wolverine.

#Lotr #lord of the rings #eomer #eomer appreciation #eowyn #the two towers #the return of the king #Rohan #rohirrim

[skylarkking]

"One In The Same"

A TFA Blitzwing x Mech!reader

Word Count:1.5k

Chapter 13: Breaking the Enigma

Blitzwing sat in his cell with a stoic expression, hiding the fact that deep down inside, he was absolutely terrified for me. He knows he can help. He knows how to dismantle the very thing that's hurting me. Yet, just like with Megatron, he wouldn't be able to.

He felt helpless.

"Blitzwing?" Ratchet said as he entered the brig.

"How is he?" Blitzwing asked.

"He's in Stasis Lock right now on spark support." Ratchet said with a pained expression. "His internal temperatures are... almost fatally high. His cooling systems can't keep up and... it's only a matter of time before his spark goes out."

"No..." Blitzwing whispered as he slumped on the floor, and, for the first time in a long time, he quietly began to weep. Fluid fell from his optics and to the floor, his spark practically shattering in his chassis. "Zis is all my fault..."

"It isn't."

"But it is!" Blitzwing snapped. "Shockwave and I were both key figures in the Enigma Program. And now? I'm responsible for what's happening to him." The then swapped to his Hothead persona, and his wings violently shook on his back as he tried to contain his anger. "AND ZAT STUPID ELITE GUARD FRAGGER WONT LET ME HELP!" He slammed his cuffed fists into the wall, leaving behind a massive dent. "Zey won't let me help, and now he's going to die because of me!"

"No, he won't." Ratchet said as he went to the cell control panel and lowered the barrier. He then freed Blitzwing from the stasis cuffs and motioned for him to follow, the now slightly puzzled mech following the medic to the med bay.

"Von't you be put in ze stockades for zis?" His Icy persona asked.

"Look, desperate times come desperate measures." Ratchet said. "And when it comes to...a bot, I consider a son. I'll do anything for him."

The pair entered the med bay, and Blitzwing could feel his spark drop to his tanks at the condition I was in. My colors were pale and almost completely gone, my optics were shut, my vents clicking with each strained intake of air assisted by spark support. I was on the verge of death.

"Blitzwing," Ratchet said, pulling the triple changer from his fixation to look at him. In the medic's servos was a cortical psychic patch cable in excellent condition. "I have this."

"Zis vill work." He said.

"What exactly does it do?" Ratchet asked. "I never had the chance to work with these."

"In essence, I will be able to enter his mind through this and hopefully be able to deactivate Enigma." Blitzwing said.

"What makes you think it will help?"

"Enigma was designed to be a superweapon, the perfect Decepticon." Blitzwing said. "But... despite me playing a role in its creation, I never knew vhat Megatron planned on doing with it."

"You didn't know anything? At all?"

"No, I simply created the battle protocols. I assumed he wanted a drone similar to the autotroopers." Blitzwing explained. "Primus, was I wrong."

"Why did you side with the Decepticons?" Ratchet asked.

"It seemed like the right thing to do at the time." Blitzwing said as he hooked up one end of the patch to the back of my helm. "But... when the war started to really heat up, Megatron showed his true colors. I tried to leave and go into hiding, but... Megatron found out and had me sent... sent to her."

"Who?"

"Blackarachnia." He shuddered. "She... she was the one who turned me from a flyer to a triple changer. And since then, i... I've been too afraid to challenge him or to run away until recently."

"What made you turn?" Blitzwing paused a moment and glanced over to my frame with a softening expression.

"It was something he said to me." Blitzwing said. "He said zat Megatron can only control me vith fear for so long. He was right, and since he gave me freedom, I shall undo my greatest mistake." He looked down at Ratchet with a strange flicker of blue in his optics for a brief moment before returning to crimson. "Do not allow anyone to disconnect the path prematurely. It will cause serious processor damage."

"I'll do what I can." Ratchet said. "Just... please bring Y/D back safely. I'm taking a great risk with this."

"I am too." Blitzwing sat on the floor and connected the patch, his frame stiffening and his optics going blank.

His consciousness was transported into my mind, which looked like it was covered in shattered shards of mirror scattered across a black void.

'Y/D?' He called out, his voice echoing in the void.

'Ohohoho!' His Random persona giggled as it materialized next to him. 'It's like one of those human fun houses!'

' SHUT IT YOU ADDLED BRAINED IDIOT!' His Hothead persona barked as it appeared on the other side. 'WE NEED TO FIND Y/D AND ENIGMA!'

'And then turn  Enigma into a servo salad?' Random cackled.

'AND BREAK IT INTO TINY PIECES!'

'Zen let's go!' Ranom giggled.

'Hold on.' Blitzwing said, silencing his two ther personas. 'Do you hear that?' The other two heard quiet sobbing somewhere in the void, the trio quickly running through the shards and following the sound.

The crying grew louder and louder until they saw me hunched over with a massive figure looming over me like a shadow, wires and cables slowly creeping and attaching to my frame like tendrils of a sickening creature, each time they made contact with my frame I would let out a cry of pain.

'Y/D!'Blitzwing called out to me, my helm whipping around to reveal 4 sets of optics, each pair a different color.

'GET AWAY!' I cried out, my voice sounding like 4 speaking at once. 'DON'T HURT ME! I DONT WANT TO BE HURT! PLEASE! NO MORE!'

'Y/D, it's me.' Blitzwing said gently as he continued to approach, more and more details of my now drastically changed form coming into view. I had multiple arms, my helicopter blades were split into 3 separate sets of rotars, my legs were twisted and tangled in the wire, and cabling of the distorted figure that towered above. 'Everything will be okay now.'

'NO! YOURE JUST ANOTHER CREATION OF HIS!' I cried at him and his personas. 'YOU ARENT REAL! NONE OF THIS IS REAL!'

'I'm real.' He said as he knelt down and framed my face with his servo. 'It's me, Blitzwing.'

'Blit... Blitzy?' I whimpered.

'Yes, it's me, my dear. I'm here to help you.'

'I... I'm scared!'

'I know. But I need you to stay calm, okay?'

'Get... get me out of this.' I sobbed. 'It... it hurts!'

'I know your processor cannot handle this much data, and it is causing it to malfunction. What did you do?"

'I... I tried to save Enigma.' I said.

'Zat explains a lot.' Random said only to get whacked by Hothead.

'SHUT IT YOU STUPID DOOFUS!' Hothead barked.

'Yeesh, someone needs a stasis nap.' Random cackled. 

'Both of you quit it.' Blitzwing growled, silencing the two instantly. 'Y/D, do you know how you tried to save Enigma?'

'I... I tried merging him with me.' I said. 'I... it hurts so much!'

'I know my love, Enigma contains a lot of compressed data that has spilled out of its proper files. It's why it's attacking you right now.'

'That... that thing is Enigma?' I asked as yet another cable wrapped around me and dug into my frame.

'It's Enigma's defense protocol.' He said. 'It was designed to keep bots from rummaging around without the proper access. I can disable the defenses, but I need you to do something that I would never ask you to do unwillingly.'

'Wh... what is it?'

'I need you to allow direct access into your core consciousness, your spark.'

'I... but wouldn't that hurt you?' Blitzwing grabbed one of the sets of servos and held it between his own, his forehelm pressing against mine with a soft sigh.

'I can handle it.' He said.

'Are... are you sure?'

'Positive.'

'How... how do you know this?'

Blitzwing hesitated and gently ran a thumb down cheek.

'I... I was partially responsible for creating Enigma.' He said. 'The battle protocols at least, which is what is destroying you right now.' He hung his helm and tried desperately to contain his emotions. 'I... I would understand if you... you don't trust me now that you know or... or you'd hate me.'

'I can't hate you, Blitzwing.' I said as I tilted his helm up, another cable embedding itself into me. 'I can never hate you for doing what you thought was right. I trust you.'

'Then stay still, and relax.'

Outside of the patch, Ratchet was keeping a close optic on our vitals when a certain Elite Guard entered with weapons drawn and a snarl on his face.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Sentinel snapped.

"Saving my son!"

-----

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#transformers #transformers animated #tfa #tfa fanfic #tf fanfic #transformers fanfiction #fanfic #male reader #x reader #reader insert

[greetings-and-salutations]

“I Make My Own Destiny.”

Luke Castellan x Reader

Masterlist

(Gif not mine)

Requested? No

Summary: After being sent on a dangerous quest to retrieve Hades’s Helm of Darkness, (Y/n) just wants to see Luke again. But, of course, nothing can ever be that simple…

Warnings: Starred out swear words, a complete and utter lack of sticking to the plot of the source material, and Luke doesn’t show up until the end.

Pairing: Luke Castellan x Fem!Reader

(A/n: this is like the first time I’ve ever written an entire fight scene fun fact. I’m kinda proud XD)

(Y/n) ducked as another wave a heat flew over her head, the brightness of the fire lighting up the night sky around her. She was so close to camp when the Chimera and its mother, Echidna, showed up. She could even see Thalia’s tree in all its glory about a mile ahead of her. But, the Fates apparently had other ideas.

“Die demigod!” Another blast echoed loudly in her ear as she felt the burn so close that it could have singed off her eyebrows. She rolled back onto her feet.

“I’d actually rather not a the moment. Kinda got some business I gotta take care of…” She waved Hades’s Helm of Darkness in the air. She’d been sent to get it from some graveyard in Cincinnati where he’d left it and couldn’t be bothered to go back and pick it up himself.

The whole quest in itself was ridiculous, but she couldn’t exactly say no. Then some other poor demigod would have to do it, and she knew if the option were given, Luke wouldn’t think twice.

Her thoughts flitted back to how worried she’d been when he returned to camp, all battered and bruised, with that bloody cut on his face, too deep to not cause some sort of scarring. Yes, taking this quest had definitely been the right decision. Though now, with a Chimera grinning down at her threateningly, she wondered what she had ever done to deserve such a fate.

“And I’ve got someone I gotta meet up with in about an hour, so I think I’ll have to take a rain check on that. Can we reschedule for say, never?” Luke always told her that she talked too much during battle, but (Y/n) couldn’t help it. Quips and One-Liners were currently the only thing stopping her from dropping her sword and crumbling into a fetal position until the Chimera sent her barreling down to Hades the hard way.

“Disrespectful Half-Breed!” A mighty roar sounded, so loud she felt her ears ringing.

“That’d be me.” In all the ruckus, she managed to stumble her way closer and closer to the hill, but she was still far enough away that any run for it would be futile. In other words, she had to keep fighting.

“Hey, Gryffindork!” The lion head turned to glare at her angrily, though there was no way of knowing if he actually understood her reference. She didn’t care much though, as the Chimera tilted its head in confusion. It had served it’s purpose. “Eat Metal!” Time seemed to slow down as she jumped at the monster, her sword held high as she aimed its point at the lion’s forehead. Before it could make contact, however, a strong paw smacked her out of the air, the force of its push sending her almost a hundred feet away, only to plummet to the ground painfully, a sickening crunch leading her to believe that the crash landing had broken her wrist. Well, this just got a whole lot harder.

She glanced back towards the tree. While the Chimera’s toss had gotten her exponentially closer, she was still too far away. She’d never make it if she tried running. (Y/n) sighed.

“I guess this is where I’m making my stand.” She muttered bitterly.

(Y/n) stumbled to her feet, the pounding in her head and the throbbing of her wrist weighing her down immensely, but she refused to die like this. Not when she was so close.

“That the best you got?” She called out tauntingly, her sword practically limp in her hand, but she’d be d*mned if she gave up now. Not when Luke and everyone else she cared about was just over that hill.

“Puny hero. You’re too weak to fight me. Why do you keep trying?” Echidna was trying to get a reaction out of her, but (Y/n) wouldn’t give her the satisfaction. The Chimera stalked closer to her, it’s heads all licking their lips, anxious for her inevitable defeat.

“Didn’t you hear? I got stuff to do.” She answered simply, grimacing as she hoisted her weapon threateningly, well, as threatening as a tired, wounded, teenager in an orange camp t-shirt and high tops could look. “Any last words?” The Chimera roared menacingly.

“Insolent child! This is your demise!” Echidna screeched, the Chimera’s snake tail hissed in agreement.

“Noted.”

The Chimera came barreling towards her as she lifted her sword to meet it, a determined expression overtaking the terror and pain that had been gracing her features previously. She could do this. She had to do this.

Everything happened so fast when the monster reached her. She hadn’t even been able to swing at the Chimera before it had her on her back, it’s large foot holding her down with its claws daring her to make a move against it. Echidna appeared over its shoulder with a demonic smirk as (Y/n) fought desperately to be released.

“Don’t be too sad, little demigod. This was always your destiny.” (Y/n) glared up at her, feeling a sudden burst of adrenaline. She was going to prove her wrong. She was going to prove everyone wrong.

“I make my own destiny.”

The Chimera cried out in anguish as (Y/n)’s sword pierced through its chest, the point glinting sickeningly as it came out the other end. Echidna screamed as her beloved son was reduced to monster dust in front of her, (Y/n) standing from under it, her sword still glinting with the creatures remains.

“You ignorant-“ She was cut off by (Y/n)’s sword slashing her in half.

“Yeah, yeah. See you when you get out of monster jail… a*shole.”

A sudden loud roaring of cheers gained the girl’s attention, and she turned to see that the hill that held Thalia’s tree was no longer empty. A group of orange t-shirted, armor clad teenagers crowded around excitedly watching (Y/n) as she stood ankle deep in monster dust.

“Gee, thanks for your help…” she grumbled in annoyance, before leaning down to grab the Helm of Darkness from where she’d dropped it during the fight. She’d gotten it this far. She was going to get that d*mn thing over the property line. She’d fought to hard to stop now.

It took longer then she’d wanted it to, and she probably looked pathetic stumbling all the way up that hill on her own, but she managed, the resolve in her too great to give up. When she crossed into Camp Half-Blood, her fellow campers didn’t move, didn’t say anything as they watched her make her way to Chiron, who stood a few feet away, having been told of her return. She tossed the oversized helmet down at his feet, before falling to her knees, exhausted from the last few days.

“Anyone missing a Helm of Darkness?”

“(Y/n)!” Her head spun faster than any movement she’d done since the Chimera died, her eyes falling on the one person who’d been clouding her thoughts from the moment she left Camp.

“Luke!” She made to stand to greet him, but the blonde boy was faster and had practically tackled her to the ground before she had a chance to do anything, his arms wrapped around her in a hug that would have hurt with how tight it was had she not been so hyped up on adrenaline. “Luke…” (Y/n) breathed in his scent with a sigh of relief. She’d missed him more than she thought she would, and after everything that just happened, she wanted nothing more than to cuddle up next to him and never leave again.

“Thank the gods you’re okay.” (Y/n) chuckled a little at that.

“You worried about me?” She asked with a light smirk that made him roll his eyes as he pulled away just enough to see her face.

“You know I was. I can��t believe you fought Echidna and the Chimera all by yourself.” He shook his head in disbelief.

“We’ll, I hope I did you proud.” She replied cringing a little as she started to feel the pain in her head and wrist, the adrenaline clearly wearing off.

“You always do me proud. But, gods, I was so worried.” He ducked his head into her shoulder again, causing (Y/n) to smile a little.

“I’m sorry… but, do you think we could finish this conversation in the infirmary? My everything hurts.” Luke nodded quickly, moving away from her body, as if trying not to hurt her. “Can you- can you…” (Y/n) didn’t know why she was being so awkward. Luke had picked her up dozens of times, but she wasn’t usually this helpless. Thankfully, Luke figured out what she wanted and his arms found their way around her once again, this time holding her bridal style as he started for the infirmary.

“Everything’s gonna be okay… I promise.” (Y/n) just nodded a little, resting her head against his shoulder as he walked, the both of them ignoring the stares and whispers they received as they went, as neither knew whether it was because of their rather romantic “welcome back” or (Y/n)’s seemingly impossible heroic feat, and neither cared. They were just glad to be together again.

Tag lists are open!!!

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#luke castellan x reader #luke castellan fanfiction #pjo luke #luke castellan #percy jackson and the olympians #percy jackson fanfiction #percy jackson #pjo x reader #pjo #pjo hoo toa

[snowpiercer-recaps]

Season 1, episode 8: You're a Filthy Liar

Spoiler alert!!! This is a rewatch recap of Snowpiercer s1e8: These Are His Revolutions. Naturally, it is full of spoilers for that episode. However, it also contains spoilers for some other episodes of season 1 and season 2. You have been warned!

Ruth polishes silverware and gushes over how brilliant Mr. Wilford is in this episode’s opening monologue. She can’t understand why any passengers would challenge him! Oh Ruth. Sweetie, you’re in for a rough few days. When Ruth pauses, we cut to Miles wandering around the engine in pyjamas (which don’t have trains all over them - boo!). He presses a button that turns the lights on and off in at least eight carriages. Subtle! LJ sees the flashing lights from her window. But, most importantly, my favourite guest star has returned! Snowpeter even gets a line this episode, which he delivers perfectly. Where was his Emmy nomination?

This scene also gives us some more clues about the train’s geography: the Folgers’ car is far enough away from the engine to be able to see the front of the train when it’s coming around a curve. At least forty cars, I’d guess?

Miles lets LJ into the engine. Because she’s LJ, she immediately discards all instructions and heads straight for the driver’s seat. Javi is at the helm, out of uniform, listening to music and reading a book. There’s some very tense music, but LJ doesn’t get caught. When they finally get back on track (train pun!), Miles shows LJ around his new bedroom. LJ steals one of Miles’ fifty-year-old roommate’s pictures, then leaves. On her way home, she passes Ruth in the corridor, so that Ruth can finish up her monologue.

After the opening credits, a new character walks through the Chains to deliver a note to Clay. A new person introduced in episode eight? And the word ‘revolution’ is in the episode title? We know they’re gonna die.

Clay takes the note to a revolution planning meeting, where Layton, Till, Audrey, Jakes and a bunch of others are poring over blueprints of the train. They make some kind of battle plan, but the most important part of this scene is Miss Audrey’s revolution outfit.

It’s been a year and a half since this episode came out, and I have still not recovered.

Till puts on a deep voice (which I’m not complaining about - just confused!) to tell Layton that she’s still not sure which side the Brakemen will take. Layton responds by ominously telling her that there will be casualties. Oh shit! That reminds her! Till pops home to tell her wife to stay home today, away from the secret war where she might die. Jinju and Till then establish that they’ve both been lying to each other for the entire ten minutes that they’ve been married. When Till tells Jinju that Melanie tortured someone to death yesterday, Jinju practically admits to knowing about it by replying, “Please don’t make me choose between you and the train.” I have never rooted harder for fictional queer characters to break up.

Up in the Folgers’ car, the whole family plus Commander Grey have invited Ruth over. LJ thinks they’re going to blow Ruth’s mind, and Snowpeter thinks everyone should please shut the fuck up at nap time! They tell Ruth that Wilford hasn’t been seen since departure, and there’s evidence that Melanie is in charge. Ruth doesn’t want to believe it.

Up in the engine, Melanie is teaching Miles lesson #1 in the class How to Drive While Distracted by the Crushing Responsibility of Keeping Three Thousand People Alive. After class, he casually asks Melanie how her daughter died. WOW! Shockingly, Alex died the same way as Miles’ whole family and almost every other person on earth at the time. After they’d covered that, Miles tells Melanie that he has his Tail mom, Josie. Ha! Not any more, kid! Luckily, Bennett drags Melanie away before she starts to feel too guilty. She’s needed in First.

Oh shit, here it comes! Ruth tells Melanie there’s been a report that Wilford isn’t on the train. Melanie bluffs that she met Wilford last night, but Lilah and Grey demand to see him in person. She asks whether they'd prehaps prefer a phone call to Bennett, instead? But no, they wouldn't. They know she’s running the train. They even have an eyewitness account… from LJ.

Melanie immediately points out that LJ isn’t exactly the most reliable witness. Martin agrees, causing a stir among the First class passengers. But LJ has a picture! A picture of Melanie and baby Alex, to be exact. I'd argue that all it proves is that LJ was able to get a picture, but apparently it's solid proof that Mr. Wilford doesn't exist. Melanie lunges for LJ, but unfortunately some Jackboots grab her and hold her back. Very disappointing - that could have been a fun fight!

Scared of missing out, some of the First class bodyguards decide to have their own little fight. One of them even pulls a gun and fires!? I'm really not sure why! When that’s all under control, Grey gives the order to bring all available Jackboots uptrain. Melanie tries to tell him that it’s a stupid idea given the whole brewing revolution, but Grey doesn’t take orders from Melanie any more! He’s not about to let her prevent him from falling into Layton’s very obvious trap!

Downtrain, Jackboot Jefferson (the one who got smashed into a gate by Till in ep 2) receives Grey’s orders. He’s doing his part for timeline detectives by standing under a massive clock! For anyone who cares, it’s 10:18.

Next, we’re treated to the return of another outstanding guest star: Roche’s lunchbox! Roche and Osweiller are enjoying some father-son bonding time in the lockup room, when they’re interrupted by Jackboots running uptrain. They don’t know what’s going on, so they peer around the door together like Looney Tunes characters. No wonder these guys needed Layton’s help for detective work.

The Jackboots also run through the Nightcar, and Miss Audrey is delighted that the rebels’ plan is working.

She tells Clay to, “Do it” (whatever “it” is), then heads behind the bar to tell Till and Layton they're free to move. Usually when Audrey watches someone get handcuffed in the Nightcar, it’s not like this. Layton offers his hands to Till, and she prepares to fake-escort the “prisoner” back to the Tail. The rebels begin to send out their signals: little strips of red are hung in windows and from pipes, and one is even delivered to the Tail. Mama Grande announces the revolution.

Up in First, Grey sends everyone to their quarters until further notice. Martin points out that they’re grown ups and Grey can’t just send everyone to their rooms! Grey tells him, “Shut your mouth, boyo.” This guy’s lines! Melanie tries to warn Grey and Ruth that they’re making a mistake as she’s led away by a Jackboot. Ruth is suddenly very worried that their mutiny might be mutiny, so Grey suggests that they go and double check that there really is no Wilford. It is fucking ridiculous that they've gone this far on nothing except LJ’s word! Imagine if they stormed into the engine and just found Wilford having a bath!

Downtrain, Astrid brings some Halloween costumes for the sanitation crew - today consisting of Lights, Murray, and Big John. Murray complains that feels like a wanker in his Jackboot costume, and I’m not sure whether any of his American counterparts have a clue what he means. Astrid begins to introduce the Tailies to their new buddies up in Third. John is paired up with tunnelman Jakes, Astrid is going to take Lights somewhere else, and Murray is going with Miss Audrey. Strewth!

Melanie has been taken to the torturey hospitality room (which, luckily for her, has defrosted since her last visit). Instead of immediately cuffing Melanie to the table, Jackboot Tyson lets Melanie fetch a photo of her daughter. But really, Melanie just wants to push a button that sets off a lockdown alarm in the engine.

Javi immediately accuses Miles of causing the lockdown, and gives us more timeline information: Miles has been in the engine for two days. “Two days” could mean last night and this morning (i.e. less than 24 hours), or that there was a whole day between episodes seven and eight. Miles’ change of pyjamas probably suggests the latter, but it’s hard to be sure in this show.

As the engineers rapidly lock down, Jackboots try to open the door to the engine car. Javi is feeling a little dramatic today!

Bennett and Javi scream in each other’s faces about what to do, then completely ignore what each other just said and do whatever they want anyway! Javi lets Grey and Ruth into the engine car, so Bennett responds by punching Javi’s glasses off and shutting him out of the engine room. Grey and Ruth are on Javi within seconds, demanding to know where Wilford is. Javi tells Ruth that Wilford is dead, and her heart breaks.

Ruth wanders around Melanie’s bedroom in shock, and has a little cry. In another demonstration of just how much the idea of Wilford meant to her, Ruth asks Grey, “What will people hold on to, now?” Crushing! Then, upset Ruth gives way to vengeful Ruth. She wants Melanie to pay.

Downtrain, Astrid takes Lights to Walter The Papermaker. He is apparently also an electrician. Okay then! Lights uses Josie’s friendship bracelet to break into an electrical room. She argues with Walter about which wires are the communication lines, then decides, “I don’t have time for this, I’m just gonna pull!” Ummmm, that’s a questionable plan on many levels. But, luckily, it works!

Meanwhile, Till takes Layton to the Tail. Jackboot Jefferson’s clock reads 12:40. That means it’s Layton-punching time! JJ tries to make a call to confirm that Layton is really supposed to return home, but Lights has taken the lines down just in time. Till then beats Jefferson up. She definitely enjoys it, and so do I. Layton spits on the Jackboot, for good measure. Then, they head into the Tail.

Layton is welcomed home, and Till hangs around awkwardly in the doorway until Layton remembers oh, yeah, he should probably tell his friends not to kill his new little sister! Till’s one of them, now. Layton makes a speech to get everyone pumped and ready to march. He name-checks Josie, Suzanne and Old Ivan. The Tailies have saved something red for Layton to wear: Josie’s invisibility bandana. Then, they begin move out. One Train!

Walter and Lights leave the electrical room, and run straight into four Brakemen. Walter apparently also attends the same acting class as Till, Miss Gillies and Zarah! Even Osweiller can detect that something’s wrong, and quickly recognises Lights from the Tail. Osweiller orders one of the other Brakemen (sidenote: why the fuck is Osweiller in charge!?) to call up to Commander Grey. But the phone line is dead. The Brakeman has to run all the way up to First to relay the message. Lights and Walter are arrested.

Next, we catch up with Audrey and Murray. They’re visiting Creepy Klimpt, who is apparently with the revolution now! It doesn’t make much sense why Audrey (rather than any other rebel) had to deliver Murray to the drawers room, but I’m fine with it because it gives us the opportunity to see her revolution outfit in good lighting.

Up in the Folgers’ car, Snowpeter is chilling with LJ while the others are planning how to take power. The messenger Brakeman bursts into the car to tell Grey that comms are down and there are Tailies running around Third. Grey finally realises that bringing his entire army uptrain while there was a fugitive revolutionary on the loose in Third may not have been his best idea ever. He sends all the Jackboots back downtrain, via the tunnels.

Meanwhile, Ruth visits Melanie in the torturey hospitality room. She asks Melanie not to talk. Naturally, Melanie immediately talks! But when Ruth asks again, Melanie is quiet. Ruth is doubting seven years of tight knit co-working, friendship, and daily flirting rituals. She’s crying by the time she mentions the personal commendation she got from Mr. Wilford. I don’t know how the fuck the show managed to make me feel sorry for Ruth after all her callous classism and de-arming, but I really do! Someone needs to give her a hug, please!

Ruth asks whether Melanie killed Wilford, and Melanie dodges the question. She tells Ruth that Wilford was a fraud. He didn’t build the engine - Melanie did. Wilford was just the ticket salesman. He didn’t care about saving humanity: he just wanted to party for as long as possible! And that’s why Melanie pirated the train. She’s sorry for lying, but she’s not sorry for trying to keep everyone alive. Ruth decides to get herself cancelled in the fandom.

She’s right, and she should say it!

Before she leaves, Ruth reminds Melanie that her execution is tomorrow. Then, she simply bids her goodbye. DAMN. Take note, everyone: do not lie to Ruth Wardell.

Back at the revolutionary front line, let’s take a moment to appreciate the second-best revolution outfit: Till has removed her uniform jacket and tie, but kept the waistcoat. Y E S. Let's also appreciate that Mama Grande is the first person in line behind Till and Layton! I love that for her! The new character from the opening scene informs Layton that the Jackboots are on their way back downtrain, and that the Brakemen are forming in the Chains.

We immediately get a look at the aforementioned Brakemen. Osweiller is, as expected, shitting himself. He doesn’t want to face an army of tailies - especially not after the way he’s treated them over the years. Roche tells his son employee to get his big boy pants on. That’s not a joke this time - Roche literally says that line! Incredible!

Till and Layton come to negotiate with the Brakemen. It’s a good job they were at the front of the army! Till is brandishing an axe, which begs the question: is she the true originator of the conversation axe? Or is a negotiation axe different from a conversation axe? Anyway, Brakeman Roche tells his daughter employee that she’s a great disappointment to him (again, not a joke! Roche literally says these lines!). Till, in true queer tradition, seems pretty proud of disappointing her parent.

Roche doesn’t want to let the Tailies pass, because he thinks they’ll tear the train apart. And he doesn’t believe that Wilford is dead, either. Till tries to convince him. Layton addresses Third, stating that Third and the Tail need to stop First from taking power. Then, Layton tries to flatter Roche into letting them pass by calling him a “good cop”, and Till plays her trump card: she makes Roche think of his family.

Osweiller’s nerves finally get the better of him. He quits as gracefully as you’d expect: he declares, “Balls to this, man,” and pushes past his colleagues. Then, Roche caves. He believes Till. He orders the Brakemen to stand aside, and let the rebels through.

Up in the drawers car, Strong Boy is awake. And speaking! He’s used his six-ish weeks in the drawers to learn Mandarin! What did you achieve between episodes two and eight?

Meanwhile, Layton and Till are teaching rebel school in a Thirdie classroom. “L is for Layton, M is for Melanie, N is for knife...”

Down below, Jackboots are running through the tunnels. But John and Tunnelman Jakes have set up Big John’s Big Spike Launcher, and it works better than they had hoped! They take out multiple Jackboots on the first attempt, quickly reload, then take out more. Grey (who STILL isn't wearing his fucking helmet!!) is shitting it, and decides to go up and over rather than staying in the tunnels.

But that’s what the rebels were banking on! They're waiting in the Nightcar. The Jackboots arrive to find that the music and lights for the usual mid-afternoon rave are in full swing. However, the Nightcar is suspiciously empty. There's also a suspicious cardboard box in the middle of the floor. How did the rebels know that the Jackboots love to steal unattended Amazon packages? The Jackboots cautiously approach the box - they've seen enough YouTube videos to know that it could just be a glitter-based trap. Commander Grey takes a peek inside, and finds Jefferson’s decapitated head. At least it wasn't a glitter bomb!

Then, the music pauses. From the First class balcony, Layton calls out to Grey, then orders the rebels to attack.

Most rebels fight Jackboots on the ground, but there are also a few archers firing from the balcony. Till and Layton guard the stairs, protecting the archers. With all the flashing lights it’s difficult to follow the fight, but there are brief glimpses of various recognisable Tailies and Thirdies. There's plenty of blood and death, but I think Patterson is the only named character killed in the battle. His death is followed by a slow-motion montage of Commander Grey screaming and Till and Layton axing a lot of Jackboots.

Then, Grey calls retreat. He grabs a hostage - it’s the Thirdie from the start! They're finally gonna die! Layton tries to get to Grey, but Grey slits the hostage’s throat and pushes them down the stairs into Layton. Meanwhile, the surviving rebels cheer - they did it! The Jackboots have retreated!

Down in the tunnels, Big John is out of ammo. He orders his squad to take the weapon back to the next barricade, and buys them some time. The Jackboots launch themselves through the barricade, one at a time. It looks like John takes out a total of five Jackboots, all by himself!? It’s very impressive, and leaves me wondering whether these Jackboots ever had any training? No shade to John, but one sick man shouldn’t be that difficult for a team of professional soldiers to handle!

Back in the Nightcar, the floor is covered in blood and bodies. Survivors (including Till, Pelton and Audrey) are tending to the wounded. Santiago closes Patterson’s eyes. Layton tells Santiago to keep pressing on the Jackboots, and Santiago begins to gather a group of rebels, including Clay. They move towards the bar while Till calls out the order to gather weapons from the fallen Jackboots. But then, the retreated Jackboots return. They throw gas grenades off the balcony. Many of the surviving rebels escape back to Third, but those closer to the bar - and presumably many of the wounded, too - succumb to the gas. The Nightcar is already lost.

The escaped rebels retreat, then weld shut the doors behind them. In better news, Jakes informs Layton that the tunnel barricades are holding.

There’s a quick scene showing Melanie, alone, cuffed to the table in the torturey hospitality room while the sun sets behind her. Then, we catch up with Murray and Klimpt in the drawers car. They’re still waiting for the rebels to turn up. They have no idea that their comrades have just welded themselves into Third. Not knowing what else to do, Klimpt and Murray continue waking up the prisoners. Murray says they’ll wake Pike next. It doesn’t make much sense that they didn’t start waking him earlier, until we discover that it’s for dramatic effect: Murray opens Pike’s drawer, and discovers that it’s empty.

Pike is up in First, enjoying chocolate-covered chocolate cake and hot chocolate. After seven years eating nothing but bug bars and human flesh, I can hardly blame him. Grey (who has the time to sit around and watch Pike eat, but hasn’t bothered to give his blood-drenched face a quick wash) asks for information on Layton. Pike tells Grey how he and Layton used to date, and promises he’ll give his ex up for another piece of cake.

In the final scene, Layton wanders through cars of injured rebels in slow motion. He’s covered in as much blood as Grey. Audrey and Till (both also bloody) make eye contact with Layton as he walks. Zarah is also covered in blood - presumably from tending the wounded, rather than fighting - and passes in front of Layton wearing a haunted expression. Meanwhile, Pike’s conversation with Grey plays as a voiceover. Layton doesn’t handle failure well. Grey just needs to keep pushing, and Layton will crumble.

For someone who promised “never again” re. cannibalism, Layton sure has a lot of human blood on his mouth!

#snowpiercer 1.08 #snowpiercer s1e8 #snowpiercer recap #snowpiercer rewatch #incorrect snowpiercer recap #snowpiercer season 1 #snowpiercer