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antiloreolympus · 2 years

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10 Anti LO Asks

1. I kinda hate how Hades has only had 2 relationships before Persephone and one being his brother’s brother and the other being toxic on both ends. I sorta wish Leuce was in there as like an ex with no drama like the two just didnt work out or something chill (break ups are hard but there’s less dramatic break ups). Idk I just feel like a little internal conflict like that would have some spice to the story but also make me root for the couple a bit more.

Going deeper into it, as a reader we know Minthe as his evil gf whose never gonna work out and Hera and Hades are toxic secret affair, but what if Hades did have a functional relationship with someone who wasn’t toxic but they didn’t work out and she didn’t want to stay in the underworld/be queen. I just feel like that would add a complex layer to the story, not making it all black and white.

With Persephone having more dating experience it’s kinda hard because everyone wants her BUT they aren’t allowed to date her to keep her pure/her mother would kill them/TOGEM. But if RS ever wrote more Persphone and Hermes I’d just want them together like forget hades.

2. Ive seen some LO fans say "NOW the actual myth will begin" and it's like??? Wasn't that already done in the first three episodes? Why would you RESTART IT? More so, it is objectively awful writing to publish nearly every week for FOUR YEARS to actually get to the main point of the story, which even then will probably take month at best to even start. This is just such a train-wreck in terms of planning, writing, development, and even basic story creation yet the fan will insist it's genius!

3. What I find so aggravating about LO and its fans is they are convinced it's the most unique, groundbreaking work ever, when it's anything but that. Modern settings, Technicolor skintones, "humanizing" the gods, etc have all been a Thing for decades, sometimes even centuries before LO even existed. Even the idea it "deals with heavy topics' is false since the original myths already did so and didn't treat it as haphazardly like Rachel does. They want it to be anything but what it really is.

4. I see so many of the fans excuse Rachel making it just modern NYC as "it's a fictional world so she can do what she wants" begs the question: do they think Ancient Greece is a fantasy land that never existed? It very much did, and had cultural and social differences from modern day. Even modern Greece is different from America. She does't even try to keep any of it intact despite it being set in that exact time and place. At some point we have to admit the "Greek" part is lip service at best.

5. the "anti" community for LO is overwhelmingly queer, BIPOC women and NBs who used to like the series who where in turn forced out of the fandom because of the almost entirely cishet, white fanbase who refused to even court the idea of differing opinions. The idea all of us marginalized people are "oppressing" a privileged white woman and her entitled fanbase because we critique how she' butchered countless real issue and a real country's stories for her white "feminism" fantasy is laughable.

6. i do not get why all the new book covers we're getting for lo are so boring?? like at least the first normal cover was visually grabbing (even if just lie about what the comic is actually about and has some questionable symbolism in it) but the newer ones are so boring. they don't even have backgrounds now and the logo is so randomly placed and I don't get why. they have book cover artists on staff surely they could help her do it? or work off her sketches and make something better?

7. rachel retweeting a single old picture from cyprus: see! i can about greece! anyway let's ignore that while I retweet 20 pictures in a row about how eris is literally an apple and how hades just needs so many babies RIGHT NOW.

8. rachel spends more time posting about her nails on twitter than even bothering to retweet even one post from her co-workers to give them a needed promo to her massive audience. it's just off putting to me how every other webtoons creators minus her, mongie, and snailords will do anything to support and promo each other while they refuse to do the bare minimum even as the webtoon company bends over backwards to make sure they get them everything they want while ignoring the rest.

9. Even ignoring the issues Rachel added into the story for her own weird reasons, how naive are her and her fans to think whitewashing and romanticizing perhaps the most infamous of all Greek myths into an idealized romance aimed towards pre-teens at the youngest wouldn't come with built in criticism? Like there's a reason the myth is so hotly debated, and it's not because of "misogyny", it's because of how misogyny is used to demonize a mother for the sake of a romanticizing a male abuser..

10. I love how LO fans say "hera only cheated with one person! so that's different from zeus's many affairs!" like no it's not lmao. a person who killed one person and serial killer both get life in prison regardless of how many victims they have. rachel also seems to be implying hera is having an emotional affair with echo which by her own in comic logic is just as bad as a physical affair, so wouldn't that be at least two people? regardless two wrongs do not make a right, hera is also bad here.

#anti lo #lo critical #lore olympus critical #anti lore olympus

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itsonlystrange · 3 years

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It’s late and I feel like talking about ST characters trauma

I feel like most people only focus on Will’s or El’s (which both are very valid ! ) but I think we both need to remember that:

1: characters exist outside of their trauma. If you believe that all a single character is is their trauma, and that they deserve no further character depth, you’re psycho

And 2: all characters in this fking show are traumatized. All. Of. Them. At this rate, I think Lucas is the most unscathed mentally, yet he ALSO has so much trauma! Which nobody ever talks about!

I love Will and El, however I feel like other characters (especially the females) deserve more expansion on the sh!t they’ve been through.

I WANT TO ALSO SAY:

This isn’t me narrowing down characters with the “most trauma” as I simply cannot put every character in this post and go on a full analysis rn as its 4:00 am. And also, trauma isn’t a competition. I am sick of people saying “so and so is more traumatized than so and so.” Or “so and so is the most/less traumatized.”

All trauma is valid.

People will trauma of any kind know that it doesn’t matter if someone lost 2 legs and half their brain, but you only broke your foot. That’s still gonna be painful! Mentally and physically! It isn’t a race. I don’t want to see ANY of that anymore. It’s disgusting and undermining other characters traumas to benefit others. All characters trauma is V A L I D. It all is! There is no “well so and so is the most traumatized so the others don’t get to complain.” NO! NO NO NO! That’s not how it works! This isn’t a game!! And don’t ever feel bad about not having gone through as much as your friend, your trauma is yours and all experiences are valid.

ALSO REMINDER: characters exist outside of their trauma and ab*se and I know that! This isn’t me belittling or shrinking down people to only a component to their trauma. It’s me pointing out their trauma rather than having their trauma he their whole character. I just think we need more people to talk about other ST characters, especially right now.

Now, without further a do:

MAX:

Max’s dad left fairly early on from what we’ve seen, however she still had some contact with him for at least a few more years as she seems to remember him and miss him quite a lot. We don’t know much about Mr. Mayfield, but we do know Max mises him a great deal. We also know that she has most likely witnessed a lot of physical and verbal ab*se from her stepfather. It’s never stated if Max is a handle to this ab*se either, but she’s definitely witnessed it. Which is why I believe she pushes people away, she’s afraid to get latched on. Because If she does she’ll start to care, and then they’ll just leave like almost everyone else, like her old friends and her father. She puts up walls and feign strength and a somewhat high ego to keep up the hallucination that she doesn’t care about what others think, when she really does. Not to mention she literally witnessed Billy die right before her eyes. Do you know how traumatizing that is? She’s also seen multiple others die aswell, making it worse. Now with Billy gone, Max will most likely be the center of Neil’s ab*se, and Will distance herself from everyone, and will probably spiral into a severe depression. She acts all tough on the outside when in reality she just wants to be loved and accepted, by her friends and family. She gets critiqued quite a lot, especially for being a girl, and you can tell she definitely has gotten the short end of the stick most her life.

KALI:

Do I even need to explain this one? She was literally ABDUCTED AS A CHILD, then adopted, then her adoptive family DITCHED HER, she was forced to see others get hurt or to hurt others for experiments, she’s seen multiple people d!e, and she feels like the only way for life to get better is by k!lling people. Although she’ll never show it, she feels so alone in the world. With no real family, and only her friends, she has nobody to turn to. Kali was so hated upon, which in a way, I understand. I don’t entirely agree with her morally but I do see where her intentions lay and I don’t think she’s as bad as a person as everyone says she is. She’s just a broken girl that deserves to be loved. And she’s so distant from love because she’s afraid of getting hurt. But she deserves happiness, and I wish the Duffers would allow her that happiness, too.

JOYCE:

Nobody EVER talks about Joyce’s trauma as much as they talk about Will’s or El’s (which I’m not invalidating either of theirs I’m just pointing out Joyce’s)

Joyce is said to deal with frequent panic attacks and anxiety. She was verbally and probably physically ab*see by her husband leaving her with severe trust issues. For awhile the whole town thought she was crazy, and we’ve seen her be treated like an outcast. She doesn’t fit in. Back in the 80’s, single moms were looke down upon. Will is constantly referred to as “Lonnie’s Boy”, because that’s what people see him as, even when Lonnie ditched Will and hurt him more than Joyce ever could. Joyce works/worked multiple jobs, and had to keep up her family of two boys. It got so bad even Jonathan had to get one or two jobs just to keep a roof over their heads.

Joyce really deserves happiness. She’s always alert now and her anxiety has only gotten worse. She’s constantly looking for things that aren’t there and although she may have been right about the magnets, it’s worrying that she saw a pattern there, anyways. Her life has given her the short end of the stick multiple times. She’s seen multiple people d!e, her son get possessed, her son get exorcised and be in so much pain, the love of her life (Bob) die right in front of her, the other love of her life (Hopper) die right infront of her, she’s been losing herself since season one, and knowing it’ll only get worse in season 4 scares me so much. She deserves to settle down and find a happy family. She deserves love and support and therapy. And she deserves support system that will listen to her and be there for her. Joyce is so strong in so many ways, she has always percerviered through the thick and thin, and life has ever gone in her direction yet she stays there, for her boys, and doesn’t give up. She is so kind and loyal, she took El under her wing, she was there countless nights when Lonnie was screaming, protecting Will. She was there, staying up all night to make sure Will went to bed safely. She worked two jobs and has tried to get enough money for Jonathan to go to college, and yet life has never given her anything back. This woman has been through hell, she deserves to be loved with no consequences. She deserves to be happy without it backfiring. Joyce is such a dimensional character. She’s had her ups and downs, and she’s somehow always found ways to keep on pushing forward past where most people would break. THATS Queen shit

NANCY:

Now, it looks like Nancy had a fairly peaceful upbringing. While I don’t think she has as much trauma as Mike, I feel like a lot of people over look her and her existence and immediately write her off as “selfish” or a “brat”. And while I do agree that she does have some selfish or self centered moments, she’s always grown from those. Character development, people!

Nancy, the oldest of 3, definitely got the most love from her mother. I don’t think her home life has ever been bad. Although Karen and Ted aren’t the perfect happy couple, they don’t seem to fight much, and they seem pretty peaceful. So I don’t think Nancy’s home life is bad necessarily, and from the outside it could almost be described as “perfect”.

However, there is so much beneath that.

Nancy was stuck in a loveless relationship for about a year. She did the best she could at school to fit in or “be popular”. She wanted to stay with Steve because that seemed like the most logical option. He was popular, rich, he’d be the perfect guy to settle down with. But her heart was telling her to go else where. Jonathan was poor, unpopular, and isn’t necessarily the perfect guy to settle down with financially. Her parents put pressure on her to be the perfect housewife (more so her dad, I don’t think karen did as much.) so when Nancy falls for someone the exact opposite of what she should be going for, she’s in denial. She’s torn between the two. She had a perfect life ahead of her. Great friends, popularity, a loving boyfriend, but she didn’t want that. She didn’t want to settle down and living a boring life just like her parents.

Besides all that, she’s been pulled into an alternate dimension, she’s seen multiple people d!e, she’s nearly been k!led MULTIPLE times. She’s had to k!ll people for her own safety. She’s had to watch her boyfriends brother get excorcised, and also stab her boyfriends brother with a flaming hot rod. She’s had to live with the guilt of Barbara, her best friend, dying while she was sleeping with Steve. She feels so much guilt, survivors guilt, for not doing anything that night. She’s had to live with the fact that her bestfriend since she was little passed on right outside where Nancy was, and Nancy could’ve done something about it, which is the worse part. She’s been harassed by misogynistic coworkers for the fact that she’s a female, lowering her self esteem. And it seems that whenever she does something good in the world it always backfires. She feels like an outcast even though she has so many “friends”, or so it seems. She has the perfect house at the end of a culdesac. What can she possibly be sad over? Her life seems seamless. Yet there is a lot buried under there. She seems like she’s in denial over a lot of things, and constantly in a stage of grief. Nancy deserves to not feel ridiculed. She deserves to be a winner, and to prove those misogynistic @ssholes wrong. She shouldn’t have to fit this cookie cutter ideal. She’s a badass. She’s experienced way more than I feel like most people realize, and has been put in the center of absolute insanity yet still was able to come out of it intact. She deserves to live the life she wants to live, without Survivors Guilt, without the feeling of being an outcast, without low self esteem. Nancy is such a strong young woman in more ways than one, and I feel like so many people hate on her solely because she isn’t doing what most of these girl next door characters usually do. She subverted her own trope. And most people are angry that she isn’t this cookie cutter girl the way she’s “supposed to be”. She gets overlooked, and most people prefer the men of the cast, over her. And yes, everyone is entitled to their opinion, however I’ve seen people hate on Nancy for stupid misogynistic things, which isn’t a valid reason to dislike a character. And most people assume she’s just a spoiled, self obsorbed, ditzie girl, but she really is just someone trapped inside a box trying to get out. Nancy is a baddie. She’s always defended her friends. She’s always defended her brother, and has fought interdimensonal demons before. SHE IS SUCH A BADASS! She learned how to use a gun at the age of 16, despite most woman in the 80’s not even slowing themselves to touch a gun. She grew independent and learned to work for herself and not for others. She cracked a major story at the Hawkins Post, and even when people didn’t believe her, she still pursued it, and was right! She doesn’t give up, and people should be looking up to her and aspiring to be her. She literally beat up someone with a fire hydrant while playing a game of Marco Polo. Why does nobody talk about that! She will kick your ass into the next dimension. THATS Queen shit.

That’s all for now. I will touch back up on this later with some more characters traumas (probably Mike’s, Dustin’s, Lucas’s, and more.) but this is it for now. I really think we should pay more attention to the woman in the ST cast and their characters. A lot of focus is usually on the boys, which is understandable, but I wanted to point out how strong all these girls are and how much I admire them. I love Will and el as well, but I’ve already made several posts talking about them and how badass they are, lol. I wanted to shine light on more people that usually don’t take the spotlight very often. I’ll be back with more, later! As I said above, I’ll totally touch on some more people’s trauma as well, as there’s a lot beneath the surface I feel like most people don’t pay attention to.

SORRY FOR SUPER LONG POST

PS: I began writing that at 4:44am, then fell asleep. It’s 11:45 am now.

#stranger things #stranger things 4 #st4 #nancy wheeler #joyce byers #kali prasad #max mayfield

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thequeenb · 4 years

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Enemies With Benefits

Poppy x MC

This fic is inspired by @nerdy-twin post.

Warning: Smut

My, my did i heard right? My sources have been telling me all day about the hilarious fights between Queen Bee and our new starlet

Newbee proved to us since day one that she isn't one to be messed with but don't let her charms blind you. Yesterday Chlo-- i mean Poppy's dog got humiliated Infront of our eyes loves so grab your snacks because this is going to be a long semester isn't that right Bea?

Kisses, The T

Oh that's great. Another post from The T and everyone is looking at me again. Why do people care about this stupid blog anyways? Its so irrelevant and so--

"Oh my god Bea!!" Zoe runs up to me basically jumping from excitement

"Wow slow down what happened?" Seriously she can't even catch her breath

"Girl you are top 15 material now!!" she shoves her phone on my face and i gasp. Alright now i love this blog. Everyone around me whisper and after a moment i can hear cheers from every direction of the pathway

"Woooo B-E-A, B-E-A" they all chant my name and i bow laughing at my sweet victory, i cant wait to wipe Poppy's smirk off her face

Everything stops as i hear clapping behind my back, Aaaaand there she is. "Congratulations you managed to get pass the emo wannabes and the bimbos"

"Big words coming from a bitch like you" it feels like i am in a movie because everyone gasps not knowing how to react to that. Poppy stare at me long enough to kind of worry

"Listen here you ugly pathetic idiot--"

"That's not what you told me last night" i say kinda proud of myself and that's when basically everyone looks shocked. Zoe covers her giggles because she knows alllll about it and Miss Regina George over here have gone completely pink

"I would never not even in a million years touch someone as cheap as you, Chloe go fetch me a latte, ta ta garbage" and she walks away just like that

"Wow you really have an effect on her" Zoe comes behind me laughing and i roll my eyes brushing off another stupid fight

"Do you want to watch a movie and eat our feelings?"

"Girl you know me so well"

___

"Okay but do you want to watch Mean Girls, or the finale of Gossip girl?" I ask shuffling through Netflix

"Bea this school is the definition of Gossip girl and dont get me started on Mean girls, Poppy is--" And that's when we hear a knock on the door

"It must be Penelope i invited her" Zoe yells from the kitchen pouring us both a glass of wine

I walk to the door opening it wide and thats when i see my dear enemy

"What can i do for you?" I say smirking

"For starters buy better clothes, this shirt is hideous" she gestures at my Deadpool shirt, excuse me? How dare she?

"If i wanted to deal with your attitude i would have..oh wait yes you stalk me so you are always on my way"

"Agh can you just stop talking"

I roll my eyes so hard my brain hurts. What the school doesn't know is that we have our secret fights in the bedroom. Of course i was shocked as well but here i am kinda liking Poppy, gosh i probably hit rock bottom

"Goodnight boo" i smile slamming the door shut continuing my night drinking wine and gossiping with Zoe.

___

"I will see you after class, those new burritos are to die for" Zoe says as she kisses my cheek goodbye, i love this woman

I walk freely around the empty campus. One thing that i love about Mondays is that on third period i can just have five minutes to myself and collect my thoughts, that until i find my self pinned against a wall

"Never do that again" Poppy says pointing her finger to my chest

I gasp at the surprise and she looks amused, her and her little games "Do what exactly? Exist?"

She rolls her eyes but i can see how hard she is trying to hide her smile "No one slams the door at me Newbee" and she poke her finger once

"Oh please you are always being an asshole"

"Listen here, just because i let you kiss me once doesn't mean anything, you are still garbage to me and you will always be" and another poke

She tries to do it again but i grab her finger looking at her deep into her eyes

"No you listen Poppy, i am tired of your manipulative games, you are the most awful person i have ever met!" I am glad the campus is empty, if people were here they would probably record or take pictures for The T

"Oh please Hughes you play tough but you really aren't, maybe you were important back in pig town, but here? You are just another pawn" her glare is dangerous, her eyes on fire, our tension so thick you can feel it through your bones

So i did what every logical person would do, i lean in and i capture her lips before she can say anything else that will ruin the mood. At first she tries to deny and make a surprised sound but soon her tongue is dancing against mine.

I pin her against the wall taking a quick glance around to make sure we are alone. I should be in Miss Kingsley class right now but oh god am i distracted

She places her hands around my neck pulling me closer to her, didn't i tell you? She really likes me deep inside this cold heart of hers

"Am i tough now?" i ask, our lips so close, our breaths ghosting on eachother's faces. She swallows hard "Not enough"

And as these words escape her mouth i pin her hands above her head with my one hand effortlessly as my other travel from her waist down her thighs. Poppy always wears a mini skirt enough to ignite my fire

I dig my nails slightly into her flesh and ask once again "I said, am i tough now?"

Poppy moans against my mouth and i start kissing her neck, something that drives her crazy. She wont admit it, she never does but she knows well how much i turn her on and it annoys her

"Let me hear it" i say sucking at the sensitive spot underneath her ear

"Yes you are!" she says holding onto me tight like her life depends on it

My hand now goes beneath her skirt and my oh my do i make her excited. My fingers brush slightly against her underwear and thats when the bell rings, ugh cockblocker

We both immediately separate adjusting our clothes watching the campus slowly getting crowded. Poppy's cheeks are red and i can already imagine what she is thinking of. I smile to myself watching her walk away

And that's when my phone buzz, of course a notification from The T

Hello loves,

Another day another drama. My rising star is now top 10 material, i am proud of you girl but i wouldn't count on it because we all know Miss perfect always gets what she wants. I love drama and Hughes is providing me with the best one yet. Good luck, you will need it

Kisses, The T

I still cant believe what i am reading. Top 10?!! I am here almost two months and i have outsmarted most of Poppy's moves. I smile as Zoe approach me screaming

"I knew you had it in you!!" she hugs me tight spinning me around

"Suck it Poppy" i yell as students around us are cheering. It feels good knowing that people are on my side finally seeing who they are bowing to years now

Someone tugs my hand and as i turn around i see Chloe crossing her arms

"So you managed to reach top 10 i see"

"Oh do you want an autograph? Thats so sweet" i say smirking

"Poppy is waiting for you behind the field"

"And who says that i am going?" I practically laugh but her face remains the same

"Listen i dont have all day Channel is having--"

"Alright dog, good girl! You earned a treat" and like that i give her head a pat walking towards hell basically.

I am sure Pops is mad at me, maybe she likes me but she is serious when it comes to her reputation. I approach her enjoying how nervous she looks

"If you wanted a date we could have arranged it" i say sitting next to her

Her expression is cold and distant and i sigh defeated "okay what is it? Is it the fact that i am top-"

"That list isn't that important Hughes, i can drag you down to the bottom within seconds" Wow okay i get it thats not the reason you are grumpy

"Why did you asked your dog to fetch me?"

Poppy rolls her eyes clearly annoyed by every word i say. Again i sigh not knowing what to do exactly. Sometimes i like to take her in. The way her foot is jiggling, the way she flips her hair when she is awkward. Everything about her is so perfect when all the eyes are laid on her but when we are alone i see another version of her

"I hate how entitled you feel" she finally says standing up "since you got here the only thing that you want is to ruin me!"

I feel my blood boiling as i stand up to get on her level "Excuse me? You attacked me the first moment i laid my foot in here!"

"That's because you love to shove your nose where it doesn't belong!" she now takes a step closer, anger written all over her features

"Oh give me a break, you were always cruel, people just now start to realise it" i take a step closer as well trying to intimidate her

"I run this school Newbee, you like it or not so go back to your little town where you were important because here? You are nothing" she spats out coldly and all i can do is stare at her. Her mask now falls completely

I can see the worry in her eyes,regret. Her posture isn't radiating power, instead i can see how uncomfortable she is. Aw are emotions a new thing for her? How charming.

Without missing a beat i kiss her letting all this anger turn into passion. "I hate you" i say kissing her neck desperately trying to find an inch of bare skin to touch

"I hate you more" she tries to say but her voice trails off when my hand goes underneath her skirt. I smile between our kiss when i feel how wet she is

"Did our fight made you excited?" I ask teasingly

"More kissing less talking" she says capturing my lips into a passionate kiss. I push her against a wall as my hand connects with her center

"Oh Bea.." she whispers against my lips and thats when i increase the pace just to hear her moan. Only i can watch her like this, so vulnerable so real

With each stroke i can hear her shouting my name digging her nails onto my back. Finally her body shakes as she has a violent release and i hold her tight against me

I bring my fingers to my lips and i lick them clean locking eyes with her. For a moment all we can do is stare at eachother and i think we are both questioning what did we just do? I smile trying to reach for her hand but she pulls away

Great she turned on her bitchy mode. "I will see you tomorrow?"

"I will ruin your entire life Hughes!!" She yells while walking away. Well that wasn't what she was saying seconds ago, oh wait yes she was busy screaming my name

"And yes you will, now go fuck yourself!" She yells again and i flip her off smiling

Thats how the rest of the semester went down. Infront of the eyes of the school we hated eachother's guts but behind closed doors we did the craziest things in the bedroom. Overall i do hate Poppy Min-Sinclair but i have to admit, this woman knows her stuff, enough to wonder how many layers does she really has?

Tag list: @lolimugly @origmansello @greatestflirt-hero @mvalentine @otakufangirl-12 @sugarplumpnhoneybun @coldbatfriendroad @coldbatfriendroad @indecisive-choices @i-loveeveryone @kiara-36 @ognenniyvolk @somewillwin @it-lives-in-braidwood-manor

@ghalind @jayrnada @sergeant-pepper-loves-choices @dibberdipper @justastranger-passing

#queen b #queen bee #poppy min sinclair #poppy x mc #queen b poppy #choices fic #choices fanfiction #my fics #play choices #playchoices #pb choices #choices

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piduai · 3 years

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this has been on my mind for a while, i feel like at this point women mangaka are generally just better people than their male peers. id love to hear some manga ud recommend by women, or even counterpoints, but series like Dungeon Meshi and Full Metal Alchemist (among others) handle almost every concept way better and with more tact, from writing complex stories and compelling characters, to treating women like people and not literal naked rubber dolls colored in and posed like p*rn

you are so correct and right and speak the truth. female mangaka are superior. the only thing i’d say women don’t do inherently better is technical skill, there’s a ton of men who are very artistically talented, but arts such as drawing and music are sexless because they come from within and aren’t influenced by external factors such as upbringing and culture like storytelling is. everything else though is done better by women.

the problem with female mangaka is that they’re gatekept in the industry big time. if you google ‘top selling manga of all time’ and go to the wikipedia page, there’s only one woman (kimetsu no yaiba) and she’s hiding behind a male pen name just like arakawa hiromi did when fma was publishing. neither of these are a coincidence. women are generally discouraged from pursuing writing, and if they do so they’re supposed to be kept to female-catering genres such as shoujo, josei and BL, which are all much less mainstream, aka much less known and much less money making, than shounen. women having to go behind male-sounding pen names just so men don’t feel emasculated when consuming their stories has been a thing since forever across many different cultures. misogyny is universal.

however since i personally am more into grittier stuff and i love gratuitous violence and other Mature Themes i just naturally gravitate more towards manime with all its faults. my favorite genre overall is comedy though and women ARE much funnier and wittier and more clever. female mangaka also typically avoid drawing gore, which i guess is cultural but a shame.

i’m not a manga person, i prefer watching anime, so i compiled a list of my favorite anime based on manga written by women a while ago. i am VERY picky and nitpicky and very, very difficult to please so keep in mind that the list is not comprehensive in the slightest, it’s just things that i personally liked. there’s tons of non-shoujo stuff written by women that generally have a good reputation (ao no exorcist, gangsta, kuroshitsuji, noragami, d gray man, magi, xxxholic etc etc etc) that didn’t stand out to me at all so again, short as it may be the list isn’t comprehensive in the slightest, i’m sure that people who are more easily entertained than me could come up with much more names. anyway everything else is copy-pasted, i know you know of fmab but it needs to be included because fmab is my favorite series of all times:

anime based on manga created by female writers that is in fact not heterosexual shoujo/BL garbage and i liked (bc i saw a post talking about female mangakas and all of the examples were in fact heterosexual shoujo/BL garbage that i unfortunately do not like and my anime opinions are super important obviously):

fullmetal alchemist: brotherhood (adventure/action) any comments on why fmab is the best product the anime industry has ever put on the market that will not be outranked ever is tired at this point. fmab is a masterpiece through and through. most of the cast including the mcs is male tho, which is sad

saraiya goyou (historical/drama) if fmab didn’t exist it would have been the best title out there. the word masterpiece was invented solely to have a concept to describe it. the ost makes up about 40% of its greatness and was also written by a woman. too bad all the characters are also dudes

acca: 13ku kansatsuka (drama/political) not quite as good as saraiya goyou but from ono natsume as well. pleasant is the word to describe it. relaxing. most of the cast is male.

dorohedoro (horror/gore/comedy) the best title since like 2006. everything about it is great. i don’t have a single criticism and that’s rare. the cast is actually balanced and the Female Characters™ all 3 of them are like, written like people and are also queens

hachimitsu to clover (slice of life) saddest shit i’ve seen in my whole life in a colorful packaging. heterosexual as hell but not in an obnoxious way. cast seems diverse but it’s predominantly male

3gatsu no lion (drama) from the same great umino chica who is a master at writing uncomfortable truths and playing on emotions. she’s great truly, her character crafting is genuine but it gets under your skin, it’s filled with melancholy. 3gatsu is actually better than hachimitsu to clover but 1) i have history with the former so i like it better and 2) it was produced by shaft which is a sin in itself. they did a great job and all, i just hate the studio. has 3 speaking female characters in total but all 3 are great.

hoozuki no reitetsu (comedy) it’s hilarious it’s fresh it’s pretty it’s original it’s creative it’s clever. i love everything about it. the whole cast is male with like 2 exceptions and a rabbit (best girl).

saiunkoku monogatari (historical) i know it LOOKS like heterosexual shoujo garbage but it in fact isn’t. fits the reverse harem trope solely because everyone is in love with mc, but there’s next to no actual romance in it. unironically a feminist power fantasy. i’m still shooketh at how incredibly pleasant it turned out to be. the mc is a young girl but the rest of the cast is almost exclusively male.

arakawa under the bridge (comedy) surprisingly… by shaft again. maybe i am prejudiced. anyway, hilarious to a fault. is technically centered around a str8 romance but it’s not too invasive so whatever. cast is pretty balanced and the women are written smartly.

saint oniisan (comedy) THE funniest thing i’ve ever watched, or nearly. it’s just great. same author as above. cast exclusively male

doukyuusei (gay romance) which i refuse to categorize as BL simply because it’s not BL. it’s a good gay story, arguably the best one yet. cast is exclusively male but i mean lmao

gekkan shoujo nozaki-kun (comedy) straight to A FAULT but funny nevertheless. is, technically, heterosexual shoujo garbage. but SOME heterosexual shoujo garbage can stay i guess. cast is balanced, there’s still more male characters tho

gokusen (comedy/action) which i don’t remember much about except kumiko being best girl and me liking it. if i remember liking it it means it was good overall just not memorable. cast is exclusively male except mc.

kaleido star (sports) which is the ONLY good, or like decent, or like watchable sports anime, the rest don’t exist. not based on a manga but the writer is a woman which is strongly felt through and through. good story about perseverance and will and optimism and competition. cast is predominantly female and all of them are wonderfully written

michiko to hatchin (adventure) again no manga but main writer is the woman known for creating the skating BL people pretend isn’t BL. michiko to hatchin is way better than the skating BL, but i’m just a humble girl. tons of sexy sexy i could have lived without but otherwise good shit. cast predominantly female.

mushishi (mystery/fantasy) mushishi is just unique. it has similar vibes to saraiya goyou and natsume sure, but ultimately it’s one of its kind. it has what ghibli wants. again no criticism about it at all except that it’s SO chill that binging it is super tiring. cast is predominantly male but it has few reoccurring characters so who cares.

natsume yuujinchou (mystery/fantasy) again similar to mushishi but less grim. chill story, the definition of wholesome unproblematic etc whatever kids are into these days. cast predominantly male but not memorable in the slightest

petshop of horrors (horror) watched it a million years ago so don’t remember shit but i do remember liking it. cast is probably predominantly male

sakamoto desu ga (comedy) well THE actual funniest thing i’ve ever watched, it licherally had me in tears, i watched the new episodes like 3 times on the days they came out, including watching them on tv in real time at like 3 am or whenever it aired in shinya. just really really funny. cast predominantly male.

#anon #ppl have recced me dungeon meshi so many times bc it's similar to gk one day...... one day i will check it out #then again ppl also say that vinland saga is similar to gk and boy it is not i fell asleep like 509 times while watching it so

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salmonthestoryteller · 3 years

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Shannara Chronicles

So I finished both seasons of the Shannara Chronicles. Love season 1, mixed feelings on season 2. Spoilers ahead!

I did grow up reading the books, but it’s been forever since I read them. So overall that didn’t affect most of my opinions on the show. My one exception is I love Flick, and was unhappy about his lack of screen time or mention in season 1. I was super salty about Eventine not being the one to tell Wil that Flick fought in the war.

I was watching the episode going: “Wow, Eventine, you hear the name Ohmsford and don’t even ask about the man who went behind enemy lines to save your sorry ass during the war?? Wth, dude. Not cool.”

So I actually did appreciate getting more Flick in season 2, and Wil finally learning his uncle had fought in the war. The scenes between Bandon and Flick were well done, and even his death worked for me. Because Flick fought a war to stop the Warlock Lord, watched his beloved brother lose his mind after that war, and there was no way he wasn’t going to do everything in his power to prevent his return.

I will also say, I do feel that Bandon should have said “Flick was right”, not “Allanon was right” in his final scene. Not just because I’m a Flick fangirl, either. Flick was the last person to try to reach out to Bandon emotionally. I also would have accepted “Wil was right.” Because Wil was his friend in season one, so if he’s going to think about who he should have listened to in the end, it should have been the people who did try their best to help him and show they cared. And the facts are, Allanon never showed Bandon he truly cared. He admitted himself that this situation existed because he pushed Bandon too hard and didn’t think of what was best for him. Because he treated him like a tool to use and not a person. So I’m not fond of them giving Allanon that moment. It’s understandable Bandon wouldn’t want to listen to Allanon. But he should have listened to Wil and/or Flick. And that’s what he should have said when facing the truth.

I actually ended up liking Eretia/Wil/Amberle in season one. It starts out and you're like - oh, god another love triangle. And by the time they’re reaching Safehold, you're like - holy shit. Not a love triangle. This is totally poly, and I’m down for it. Of course, then Amberle becomes a tree, so… But I felt like it was still addressed in season 2. Wil is jealous that Amberle talked to Eretia and didn’t talk to him, Eretia calls out Mareth on her feelings for Wil while admitting she knows what it’s like to love him. The year apart has led Wil and Eretia on different paths and to different people, but they don’t write off their history, or their shared love of Amberle.

Okay, just insert all the squeeing about the Eretria/Lyria romance in season 2 here. Because it’s gorgeous. Their fights are understandable, but not for a moment do you not think they aren’t in love through every moment of it. I just wish they’d let Eretia keep Lyria’s ring. It’s made more than obvious she will return to her, so why have her return the ring? I am so disappointed in that choice.

On the flipside, what the heck was with the Ander/Catania romance in season 2? It made no sense. It did nothing for the plot. Let’s be serious here. Given that Catania was with Bandon in season 1 - is the very reason he is on the loose - and is probably a little traumatized over her boyfriend turning evil, and the love of Ander’s life - Diane, the woman he pined over for ten years, remember her? - just died last year, the idea that they suddenly fell so madly in love Ander would consider giving up a marriage of alliance for Catania is ridiculous.

Not to mention that Catania is killed so quickly it barely matters that they’re together anyway. On that note, why did we have to kill Catania exactly? It felt so pointless to murder her. I really hate deaths that are just for drama and not for plot. And before anyone says “they had to stop her from giving Eretia’s message to Ander”: So Edian had the chance to kidnap the woman the King of the Elves is supposed to be in love with to use as a hostage against him - which would make way more tactical sense - but chose to just kill her and offer a lame excuse even Ander didn’t believe? With geniuses like this as spies and leaders, it’s a wonder The Crimson is succeeding at anything.

Sorry, but the whole Ander/Catania thing felt like it was there because

“Women and Men can’t be friends”

“We can’t have the only couple kissing in season 2 be w/w”

And nobody is ever gonna convince me those aren’t the backwards opinions that made the writers put them together in season 2, as opposed to just having her be a friend and advisor. Ander could have hesitated over the marriage cuz he still isn’t over Diane’s death and Catania could have been like, “She’d understand. She’d want you to put our people first.” And they could have kidnapped her instead of killing her and then that would explain her presence in the Crimson stronghold when Bandon took over, rather than having the Warlock Lord raise her from the dead. Edian could still have given the excuse, “Catania left cuz she disapproved of the marriage.” And Ander could still have frozen and been like, “Wait, what? She encouraged me to accept the marriage.” Almost nothing would have changed by them not being a romance and not killing Catania. (Twice at that.)

(They could also have also just… not killed Diane in season one. Just saying…)

On the note of deaths that make no sense. Let’s talk about having Ander survive the battle against Dagda Mor, witness the death of pretty much his entire family and the woman he loved, only to have him killed in season two by an antagonist who dies an episode later. Purely for drama and audience pain. Not because it makes one spit of sense for the story.

Remember how Slanter only agrees to the alliance in season one because of Ander? Because Ander was willing to let him out of the prison he’d been kept in. To make the choice as a king that, despite Slanter killing the brother he loved so much, if he wanted this alliance - then he needed Slanter. He also was willing to respect Slanter’s culture when they found the dead gnomes. If Eventine had still been in charge, Slanter would have told him to go eff himself for asking for their help, but Ander had shown Slanter he had more depth and understanding and Slanter was willing to risk his people on him being the man he hoped he was. The evolution of their alliance and tentative friendship was a great story. And then they threw it away for what?

If they killed Ander so Eretia and Lyria could be together, first Ander already knew Lyria loved Eretia and this was strictly a political marriage so he wasn’t in the way in the first place. Second, they still didn’t end the season with them together, so what was the point?

The elven-gnome alliance exists for exactly two reasons and their names are Slanter and Ander. It is not going to hold with Ander dead. For that matter, the alliance with Leah will probably not hold with him dead either. Lyria is the daughter of the woman responsible for the death of the last known (Cuz nobody knows about Mareth) member of the elven royal family. (Queen Tamlin is a fascinating and complex character, but the truth remains Ander is dead because of her machinations). In a world that has been set up as misogynistic from episode one (Amberle wasn’t supposed to run the Gauntlet because she was a girl ringing any bells?) there is no way Lyria would be able to keep the peace under these circumstances. Not because she wouldn’t be a good queen, but because she was just handed a political nightmare.

That’s before considering that part of Ander’s story both in season one and the struggle with the Crimson in season 2 is because he had spent the last ten years avoiding his duties. He wasn’t taken seriously as king because of that. Um… Lyria has the same issue. She literally was “missing” for the last year and has a history of running away. She’s going to have the same struggles Ander had in getting her people to put their faith in her, let alone other kingdom’s people. Realistically, someone would rise up, seize the throne in Arborlon - probably go for Leah first before attacking the gnomes. Or possibly vice versa. Even if Ander had lived, he and Lyria would have still had a giant mess on their hands - killing him only makes this “Yay, party, everyone’s going to stick to the alliance this time” ending feel super unrealistic. Sigh.

In a lot of ways it would have made more sense to have the Crimson’s defeat be the end of season 2 and Bandon resurrect the Warlock Lord in the finale. Not bring the Warlock Lord back for - what? 2 episodes and defeat him? It made him look really weak by comparison to Dagda Mor, and that was a bit of a disappointment for me. He’s the Warlock Lord. His defeat should have taken a whole season. I guess considering we won’t get a season 3, I get why they made sure to wrap it up in season 2. At the same time though it feels rushed after the build up.

All and all, I still enjoyed the show a lot. And I would have come back for a third season if we’d gotten one.

#meta #salmon rants #the shannara chronicles

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sebastianshaw · 4 years

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Fic suggest: Black Queen Haven

((ooh, thanks Anon! I usually write haven post-possession and in current canon, but for this I decided to go with her still being under The Adversary’s influence, and still during the 90s. I think actually she was DEAD by this point in canon, actually, when Selene was trapped under the Hellfire Club but ehhhh. tagging @badmusesdoitwell since there’s substantial Tessa in this, though you don’t have to read it!)

“You can’t be serious,” he’d told Tessa when she had first recommended Radha Dastoor, or “Haven” as she went by, for the rank of Black Queen. The woman was an ordinary member of the Hellfire Club, just another of the ridiculously elite civilian crowd who came for galas and balls and had no idea of its dark underside. She was a philanthropist, like so many others, and though she had taken on advocating for mutantkind, she was not one herself. According to Tessa though, there was more to her than met the eye. She had...mad goals, and power to match. She was no mutant, but Tessa claimed to have accessed government data that described power on an incredible scale, a devoted cult following, great resources yes...but devoted purely to chaos, to devastation and destruction for its own sake, all the name of bringing about the Mahapralaya, some kind of Hindu apocalypse. It was not the sort of thing the Hellfire Club trafficked in, and not something he wanted to tie them to. Sure, she had power, but if she was only interested in wielding it for religious zealotry, she had no place here. “It can be profited from,” Tessa urged him, “The “natural” disasters, the riots and revolts incited, the famine...all these things, Shaw Industries can find a market in. You know this.” “I can profit from her acts without having to have anything to do with her.” “Emma has defected. Madelyne has left. Selene is trapped beneath the basement of the Club. We have a great many empty seats, and I think it would be wise to fill one with someone of your selection, who will not be a threat to you, rather than wait for someone it is to fill it herself.” “If she is not a threat, she’s not worthy to be here.” “Haven...is a threat. Just simply not to you. Your destruction...would have no benefit to her cause. She has power enough to fill the seat and be safe from anyone who would take it, and thus keeps it occupied from anyone who would use it against you.” Shaw furrowed his brow, exhaled through his nose, and thought on it. Finally, he agreed. *** Tessa’s motives had been twofold. Firstly, she indeed didn’t want Sebastian killed by one of his cohorts, as much as he might at times deserve it. If Sebastian was no longer head of the Hellfire Club, then she could no longer influence it through him. Speaking of influence, that was the second reason for her recommendation. Xavier had contacted her about Haven, made this suggestion. His own confrontation with her had gone...poorly....but he said he had sensed a second mind within her, and he wished for Tessa to investigate. And, perhaps, Tessa hoped, she could stop this woman, save her, as she had been unable to stop or save Jean, another woman of great power from the influence of a being beyond herself. Haven herself had taken some convincing, some coaxing, just as Sebastian had. She’d been shocked at first to find out there was something more to the Hellfire Club than a mere social group, but she had accepted the surprise with grace, conceding that perhaps she should have guessed that the super-rich among the super-rich would form such cabals. Cabals that, she had said with the most polite of phrasing, she simply wasn’t interested in. Her actions were based not in the desire for personal power or gain, but in holiness, goodness, compassion. And she believed it, Tessa could tell. Even as the woman spoke of the massacres to come, she radiated both sorrow and divinity, the purity of her belief making it all the more tragic. She hated what she was doing yet she truly, Tessa didn’t need to be psychic to see, was compelled to. Tessa did most of the talking. Shaw was scornful of religious at the best of times, and she knew that Haven’s strange angelic, soft-spoken zealotry engendered nothing but scoffs and sneers from him, which hardly would persuade her. Tessa also made no use of telepathy, not just yet---Xavier had spooked her when she’d been aware of him creeping in, and Tessa knew she was no Xavier. No, she manipulated in a different way. She appealed to logic, made the calculations of what would appeal rationally to Haven, rather than pulling at her heartstrings. But if she had done that, if she could have---she knew it would have worked. After all her data on the woman’s deeds, she was unprepared for how...kind she was. Even her conversation was gentle, and she looked to Tessa with eyes of...it was as though she were being held by that gaze, embraced, as though Haven had never met her but loved her nonetheless. She’d looked the same way at Sebastian, though Tessa doubted he saw it. It sometimes seemed that just as Sebastian was insensitive to tender feelings himself, he was just as insensitive to seeing them in others. But Tessa...was taken aback by the woman, and she continued to be taken aback by her. Over her years in Shaw’s service, Tessa had become used to being ignored at best, derided at worst. Not by Sebastian himself---she was a valuable asset to him and he treated her as such---but by the others of the Hellfire Club, who were her primary, perhaps only, source of human contact. They either looked past her entirely, or leered at her when she was in her lingerie costume, or derided her because they could not directly attack Shaw without consequence. This was good. It was what she wanted, what suited her mission, to be considered invisible, beneath notice, beneath ever being seen as a threat, as nothing more than Shaw’s lap dog or ornament, a mere secretary or eye-candy, usually both. Haven wasn’t like that. She smiled every time she saw Tessa, asked her how she was, and sounded like she MEANT it. It wasn’t just a social nicety. It made Tessa feel...human special, even if Haven said the same to Shaw, to everyone. Because she really did mean it for everyone. She tried to find out Tessa’s interests, bring her small gifts, connect with her...it, it was hard to fend off. She’d dealt with would-be gal pals from the maids and would-be suitors here and there, but everyone eventually understood---Tessa was cold. Tessa was a robot. Tessa wasn’t interested. Tessa wasn’t real. Haven...she didn’t press. She didn’t try to CHANGE Tessa or try to make her feel something, yet at the same time treated her so... It didn’t matter. The death toll on Haven’s hands had continued to mount. The reports had been true, and now she had the resources of the Hellfire Club at her disposal. It was up to Tessa to begin doing what Xavier what could not. It was up to her to free this woman...or, if it came to it, end her. *** Haven made Shaw uneasy. Tessa had been right, her simpering philanthropic principles and soft-minded religious zealotry were ridiculous to him in equal measure, but neither was disturbing to him. Indeed, the former was more immoral to him than the latter, but it was nothing unusual. Many people swallowed the societal norm that the haves should help the have-nots with hand-outs, and Haven was clearly not the sort to think for herself---hence the religious zealotry---it was something he’d seen countless times before in countless other fools. And her powers, whatever their source...those were unusual, but as much as she was wasting them, Tessa was right, they at least kept others at bay. No, this wasn’t what got under his skin. Nor that fact she cared for the sick and orphaned in the same day as wiping out millions of the same and seemed equally sincere in both, nor knowing she could wipe him out of existence if she so chose just by thinking about it, nor the way her eyes were sometimes solid black like volcanic glass. No, her eyes bothered him for a different reason. It was when they were normal, when they were plain big brown eyes that looked at him like...like...like she felt sorry for him. The softness in them, the sympathy, the gentle way she spoke when she refuted any attempt he made at engaging her in rationality. It was infuriating, provoking. It made him want to push harder, and he didn’t like that---not because Shaw had any qualms doing it, but because he didn’t like the feeling he was being influenced towards ANYTHING, even something he’d have done anyway. He’d walked in on her crying once and been struck by the shocking urge to hit her. The shocking part wasn’t the violence in mind, but the fact he cared enough to think of it, that he wanted her to stop crying, that he did not want her to cry, to be distressed, that it distressed him, and his only understanding of what to do to make her cease was that violence. And that unnerved him too, that he had given a damn, enough to want to hurt her. He hadn’t. But he’d wanted to. He wanted to hurt her a lot, to force her to fight back. She was a gentle thing, for all her power, and someone else was going to do it sooner or later, someone who MEANT it, someone who knew what she was doing with that power and planned to stop her PERMANENTLY. Better she learn NOW, since she should have long ago, against someone who WANTED her to do it. Who WANTED her to fight back. Of course, if she did, well...given what her powers did, that’d be the end of him, so he didn’t. But he wanted to. To see those soft eyes turn to hard obsidian and those open palms curve into claws that would tear his own from their sockets. But he didn’t. One day, someone else would make her. And that was not, he reminded himself, his business or his responsibility. If she wished to be weak despite all the power she possessed, she deserved what she got, it was not his problem. Not his problem. Still, his growing irritation with her lack of self-preservation and his disgust with her...expressions at him...began to color their interactions. Until one day, she had to asked, gentle and polite as ever, “Have I offended you, Mr. Shaw?” Of course she had. But he wasn’t exactly sure how to express that without sounding like a lunatic. “I’m not offended, Ms. Dastoor. I simply find you unbearably insipid. That’s all.” And she smiled at him. That sweet, damnable smile. And he’d lost it. He’d told her in no uncertain terms---and no uncertain volume--what he thought of her, why he thought, and what he’d like to do to her for it, what he’d like for HER to do, what--- She’d kept smiling, even as her eyes got sadder and sadder as he spoke, and she reached out and touched him, holding the side of his face, "There’s a hole in you,” she said, like a deathbed nurse giving comfort, “A hollow, with no opening. No light gets in. Any bit of brightness someone sends your way goes out and you can’t perceive it or produce any of your own to return it. I don’t know if you were hurt or you are made this way but it’s as real a defect as if you had a missing limb. And like a missing limb, it does not cause you pain but it impedes you. And just as physical deformities make others wince to gaze upon, so too am I in pain when I feel this from you, when I see you suffering without knowing you are suffering. Do you think I do not feel your crushing void?” He felt it, in that moment, a black hole that sucked out any possible response, any possible THOUGHT for response. But it wasn’t from inside him. It was coming from her. He told Tessa the next day to get rid of her.

#fic #writing

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lumi-klovstad-games · 4 years

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Ramses-17′s opinions on Destiny 2′s cast in the unfortunate event of his Death or Amnesia

The Prompt: Your Guardian, or a character of your choice, making video logs in case they die or start losing their memories

Ramses-17:

*shuffles nervously in front of the camera*

Hey you... so, I guess I’m either dead-dead or I’ve lost my memory completely. If I’m dead, I hope I pulled a Cayde-6 and went out like an absolute badass, defiant to the end. I mean, not that I’m eager to punch out or anything, but I at least hope my death measures up to what I hope my life amounted to. Preferably, even more so, but that’s a tall order. It’s been quite a life so far.

Some notes: I hope Saint-14 is still hanging around. If he is, go say hi. Make friends with him. He’s a damn good example of the very best of us. The image of a Guardian. He’s the icon I strive to live up to -- he taught me what it means to be a Titan and a Guardian. Just don’t don’t engage in a snowball fight with him. I don’t care how tempting it seems.

Be nice to Zavala. Yes, he’s made some dick calls, I mean, really dick calls... but his one love and loyalty is the City. Everything he’s done, smart or not, kind or not, was in its defense. He just... doesn’t understand that not all Guardians are like him, I think. You can get the story of what went down between us from Ikora, Shaxx, or Reena Feng but... dammit I’m just no good at telling stories. Point is, don’t judge him too harshly. There’s a good man underneath that gruff and social ineptness. Kind of like me, I guess.

Speaking of Reena Feng... it’s taken me a while to come to terms with the girl, and the choices she made, but ultimately... she made a better call than I did at the time. Showing mercy to Kaya-Sei was absolutely the right call, and I’m glad she was there to stop me. If she hadn’t been there, I think I would have regretted my decisions forever. If it’s Ramses-18 watching? Go thank that plucky Warlock. Say 17 told you to do it. She’ll laugh it off, tell a joke to try to deflect how much it makes her feel, but she’ll really appreciate it. With luck, you’ll be best friends with her, just like I used to be.

On the note of Kaya-Sei: she’s not that different from Zavala. She’s stuck in her way of seeing the world, but she’s not a bad person. If you cross paths with her, don’t treat her like the traitor everyone says she is. You can absolutely trust her, and this is coming from me, so that’s gotta mean something. Normally I wouldn’t say “trust the personal hitwoman of Mara Sov”, but if Kaya’s involved, take her side. She’s damn well earned that apology from me. Also her judgment is much better than it looks from the outside, which is a good thing because sometimes she really looks like a moron. Don’t tell her I said that. I mean, the part where I called her a moron. Go ahead and flatter her with the bit where I said she has good judgment. Mostly because it’s true.

Quick bits: Ikora Rey? Excellent sagely counselor. If you have concerns, she has some of the best advice out there. If you’re concerned about where to turn or what to do, ask her. You won’t regret it.

Drifter? Keep well away from that smarmy bastard. Something about him doesn’t add up, and the loot just isn’t worth the risk.

Ada-9: Worth kissing up to. Her gear is second to none. Just... learn to put up with the attitude; it’s not going away.

Devrim Kay: I may not have taste buds, but his tea is so good I’ve forgotten that fact any number of times. You can rely on him too. He may not have a Ghost, but he’s every inch a guardian in my book.

Asher Mir: ...kind of an asshole with a heart of jerk. Deal with him only when you must.

Sloane: Lady gets stuff done. Can be gruff, but don’t let it get to you. She’s worth getting to know.

Failsafe: I used to stop by every weekend and play board games with her. You should too. I know she likes the intellectual stimulation and the company.

Ana Bray: Ana Bray.... what do I say about her? That she’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen? That I’m grateful to have ever known her? That she’s kick ass? That she helped me discover some bits about myself before I was all... metal? Ana’s brave and beautiful and unconventional and a trouble magnet, but she’s up there with the best of us. She should be a legend, in my opinion. But maybe I’m biased. If you’re watching this, Ramses-18: go get her, Tiger.

Eris Morn: Queen of spookiness. Has a knack for knowing where we should really make our stand. You should absolutely dance in front of her. The worst that can happen is raisins. *barely contained laughter*

Emperor Calus: Bad news, and definitely that “friend” nobody should like. Steer clear.

Xur: Oh dear god, ditto. Even if his loot is awesome, he’s shifty as hell and keep an eye on him. You don’t need his gear anyway. A real Guardian makes do and has plenty of tools in every situation anyway. Whatever he’s selling, you don’t need it. Even if it is really, really cool.

Tess Everis: Shrewd woman. Offers some neat stuff, but keep your hand on your cash when you deal with her, because she’ll probably rob you blind and call it “commerce”. Cayde never did finish that investigation of whether or not she ran Eververse sweat shops in the City. You should look into that for me.

Fenchurch Everis: I really don’t think he exists. Tess 100% made him up. I mean, has anyone ever actually seen him? Like, in person? Exactly. He’s pure fiction and you need to tell Tess to knock those stupid stories off.

Petra Venj: God I hate her. But... *sighs* she occasionally makes a good point and she’s handy in a fight. Also, if you kill her, I’m pretty sure Kaya-Sei will go all hitwoman on you and you will not make it through the rest of the week so play nice, I guess.

Mara Sov: Everything I just said about Petra Venj goes triple for Mara Sov.

Mithrax: Pretty damn chill for a Fallen.

Spider: Same, and oddly trustworthy. Do not trust him anyway, just for pragmatism’s sake.

Osiris: Means well but will 100% screw you over purely by accident. Keep your distance, but be ready for Ikora to draft you into cleaning up his latest mess on a monthly basis.

Banshee-44: Ever seen an Exo with Alzheimer’s? Banshee’s as close as you get. I heard a rumor that 44 is just the amount of reboots he lost count at. Either way, he’s got a memory like a sieve, but it’s hard to find a better gunsmith. Be patient with him. He’s been through more than I could possibly know.

Shaxx: He’s loud, he’s proud, he will get you killed many, many, many times, but he’ll help you stand back up every time. He’s quality guardian.

Lord Saladin: He’s grim, but like Eris, he comes by it honestly. Make sure he adds my name to his list.

Amanda Holliday: God I love her. She’ll have more than few tales to tell you about me. Not just me, lots of interesting stuff from our recent history. I think she’s seen almost as much as I have, and in a much shorter span. I have no clue how she keeps it together, but she does, and I’m grateful.

Suraya Hawthorne: I mean, she’s a nice gal and a great ally, but I think her desk job is getting to her -- sometimes it seems like she doesn’t realize how much stuff actually happened since she took her posting in the Tower. Poor girl needs some time in the field again if you ask me.

Who else is left? I guess I should mention Caesar, my ghost. Hopefully he’s watching over a Ramses-18, who is hopefully watching this. We’ve been through some times together, and hopefully, he’s there to get you through some more. I couldn’t ask for a more stalwart partner.

I guess all that’s left is me. I’ve always been a survivor. From Twilight Gap all the way to the Crimson Spire Offensive, I’ve made it through battle after battle. If I’ve lost my memory, maybe in some way it’s a blessing. I can’t begin to tell you the things that witnessing what I have does to a mind. Sometimes it’s better to simply know what you’ve faced and overcome and not know the details. I wouldn’t choose to forget any of it, but... if I have, I’d be hard pressed to say I regret the loss. But if you’re watching this, I don’t care if you’re Ramses-18 or someone else: by watching this, you’re picking up a piece of my legacy.

Go on and make something great with it. Most (keyword: MOST) of the folks I’ve mentioned will help. But you’ve sat and listened to an old Exo reminisce long enough. The future’s yours, Guardian. Go build it.

#ramses-17 #ramses 17 #destiny #destiny 2 #destiny the game #my guardian #The Guardian #my guardians #guardian #destiny guardian #fanfic #kaya-sei #kaya sei #reena feng #reena #writing prompt

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bobasheebaby · 5 years

Text

On the Tree Tops- When Fairytales Break chapter 3

Pairing: Liam x MC; Bastien x MC

Word count: 2,562

Warnings: angst, hospital setting, past cheating

Summary: Bastien’s POV we’ve seen Everly’s now we see Bastien’s. Memories and health issues.

A/N: I blame my muse and PB. My first thought when I saw the cover for TRR4 was “what if the baby comes out looking like Bastien?” My muse took this to a kinda dark place. A huge thank you to @stopforamoment who helped me figure out how to make what I wanted happen and figure out the rest of the series including how to finish this chapter.

Series warnings: dark, depression, feeling of being trapped, past cheating, cheating, may go NSFW. By asking to be tagged you acknowledge you are at least 18 years of age and can handle the content.

Let me know if you want to be added or removed from my taglist.

Disclaimer: I don’t own the characters, I’m borrowing them.

So, do it. Decide.

Is this the life you want to live?

Is this the person you want to love?

Is this the best you can be?

Can you be stronger?

Kinder? More Compassionate?

Decide.

Breathe in.

Breathe out and decide.

— Meredith Grey

Bastien sat in his chair, his favorite spot to read or relax, only this time it was anything but relaxing. He held a tumbler of Scotch, his eyes trained ahead as he became lost in thought. He knew he shouldn’t have gone to check on her, it would only add to the pain of being kept apart. Except he needed to ensure she was alright, he had become increasingly worried as he noticed her leave her quarters less and less in the months since she became Liam’s wife, became Queen.

Bastien’s heart had broken when he’d seen her in the royal quarters. The day Liam said he’d be leaving Bastien to care for her he knew she was in trouble. She looked so sad, broken, her eyes were haunted, she was but a shell of who she was. If I had listened to her, run away with her she wouldn’t be this broken. He took a sip of his drink, relishing in the burn down his throat, if only it could burn away his pain. He didn’t understand how Liam could be so blind to the significant change in Everly. She’s right, he’s never seen the real her to know the difference.

Bastien rested his glass down on the table to his left. His right hand reached into the inner pocket of his suit jacket, still wrinkled from where her hands gripped the fabric, clinging to him. He pulled out a folded piece of paper. He carefully unfolded it, gently smoothing it out against his thigh. The paper was fading well before it’s time from the frequent folding and unfolding it was treated to. His stormy grey eyes filled with tears as he gazed at the picture, his fingers gingerly tracing the lines of her face. Oh Evie, I can’t protect you when I already failed you.

Bastien allowed himself to be transported back in time. Back to when he would see a smile gracing her beautiful face every day. Back when there was hope for them. Back when they were both happy. He could see the woman in the picture clear as day as if it had happened just days before instead of months prior.

He’d taken her to the lake that most of the inhabitants of the palace, royalty and workers alike, weren’t aware existed. As head of the royal guard he knew the grounds and every secret they held. Everly stood with her face tilted up towards the sun, her hands holding her hair up, a few stray strands floating into her face. She looked so hauntingly angelic he couldn’t resist taking a picture of her.

“I’d say take a picture it will last longer, but you already did.” She teased turning to look at him after the distinctive click of the shutter was heard.

Bastien smiled stuffing his phone back into his pocket. “I can’t help that you’re so gorgeous that I can’t stop staring.” He slipped his arms around her waist.

Everly smiled up at him, her grass green eyes sparkling brightly as if they contained a million stars. “Does that mean I get a free pass at staring at you?” She ran her hands up his chest, slipping her arms his neck. She tangled her fingers in the hair at the base of his neck as she pulled him down for a kiss.

Bastien broke the kiss smiling. He’d never felt happier than when he was with her. “You can look at me whenever you want Evie.”

“Good, I was going to anyways.”

Bastien chuckled. God he loved her. He couldn’t wait until the season was over and he could be with her in the open.

Bastien was broken from his memory by frantic banging on his door. He jumped up, photograph floating to the ground, forgotten as he quickly crossed the room throwing open the door. “You don’t need to keep banging—” He broke off when he saw Everly bent over, clutching her stomach with tears in her eyes.

“Bas, I’m scared. Something’s wrong.” Everly cried, panic written on her face.

“It’ll be okay Evie. I’ve got you.” He said scooping her up into his arms. He radioed to have a SUV waiting as he raced through the halls. This can’t be happening, not to her. His heart pounded in his chest but he couldn’t allow panic to overtake him. She needed him to be strong in that moment. “We need to get to the hospital NOW!” He shouted as he approached the awaiting vehicle. He slid her in the back seat sliding in next to her, the driver taking off as soon as the door slammed shut.

Everly clung to his arm as he removed his phone from his pocket dialing Liam. The line kept trilling until it finally switched over to voicemail. Bastien looked down at her as he listened, waiting for the beep. Her jaw was clenched as she gritted her teeth, one hand still clutching her stomach, the other gripping his forearm. Finally he heard the beep. “Your majesty, sir, it’s Queen Everly, she’s having stomach pains and I’m taking her to the hospital—”

“Ahhh.” Everly cried out in pain. “Bas I’m scared!” Her grip on his arm tightening.

Bastien dropped the phone just as he heard the message telling him how to re-record, his arms encircling her in a careful hug. “I know. I’ve got you. We’ll be there soon. Everything will be okay.” It has to be. She can’t take another thing going wrong. The scent of strawberries filled his senses as he kissed her crown. What are you doing, she’s not yours!

Everly looked up at him with hollow tear filled eyes. “Is Liam coming?”

“I don’t know Evie, but I’m here.”

“That’s cause your my white knight, always there for me when I need you.” Her face fell, remembering he wasn’t hers, not anymore, maybe not ever.

They pulled up in front of the hospital, Bastien jumped out lifting Everly gingerly. He walked to the awaiting doctors, gently placing her on the gurney. Thank god someone called ahead. Normally that would have been his job but he was too focused on keeping Everly safe and calm. His mind raced as his feet blindly followed her to a private room. He gave her a rueful smile as they whisked her inside and he stood guard outside. It wasn’t his place to be inside, his place was here, keeping a watchful eye out for her. He straightened his suit jacket smoothing out the wrinkles the best he could. He stood, his back straight, hands clasped behind his back, blank expression on his face. Inside his mind and heart were racing. He hated leaving her in there terrified and alone, but it wasn’t his place to lend her comfort.

***

A nurse walked out the room approaching him instead of walking past like the dozen times since Everly entered the room. “Sir, the queen requested to speak to you.”

“Of course, thank you.” Bastien replied. He entered the room, surprised by how small she looked laying in the bed. She was hooked up to an IV and had a strap running across the swell of her abdomen. He gave the machines a cursory glance as he moved further into the room.

Everly smiled as she saw him. “Bas. Have you gotten ahold of Liam yet?”

“Not yet.” Bastien watched as the sadness returned to her face. “Do they know anything yet?”

“Well they know I’m not in labor, so that’s good.” She pointed to the the strap across her belly. “This is keeping an eye on the heart rate.”

“I’ll try to contact Liam again and let him know he’ll be relieved to hear that.”

“Don’t lie to me Bas. Please. We both know he should have answered by now. Or at least checked in, but he hasn’t.”

“I’m sorry Evie.”

Everly looked up at him with solemn eyes. “It is what it is.” She trained her eyes down as she fiddled with the edge of the stark white sheet. “I know you want to ask so just ask.”

Bastien looked at her, instantly knowing what she meant. “Evie, is it mine?”

Everly looked up at him, her lip quivering. “I honestly don’t know. I mean maybe. Probably.” She looked out the window. “I told him I was tired after, and we…”

“And we made love all night.”

Everly nodded sadly. “I don’t know what to do Bas. On one hand I want it to be yours, but then…”

“Then Liam finds out.”

“Yea. I’m half hoping she’ll come out looking like one of you so I don’t have to figure out how to do a paternity test without him finding out. But then I don’t want to wait.”

“She?”

Everly smiled. “She. The doctor told me when they checked her out via ultrasound. We were supposed to find out later this week, but then he went on the trip.” Her smile faltered. I’m all alone in this. “They gave me a picture. It’s on the tray there.”

Shit! He could have a child, a daughter. As much as he wanted a family with her, he worried what would happen if Liam found out about their relationship. It ended before they married, but it should have ended the moment she became the queen to be. He picked up the ultrasound, smiling softly at the image. He wasn’t sure if he wished she was his or Liam’s more. He wanted her to be his, but he needed Evie to stay safe. He was beginning to regret not running away with her more and more.

“I picked a name.”

Bastien looked up from the ultrasound setting in back on the tray. “Tell me.”

“Alouette.” Everly replied rubbing her bump. “Perfect name for a little bird don’t you think?”

“It’s beautiful. It’s French for lark.” Bastien laid his hand on hers. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have.” He said pulling his hand away.

Everly’s smile fell. “It’s fine Bas. I want you too.” She grabbed his hand, placing in on her stomach. “Here.”

Bastien’s stormy grey eyes went wide as he felt a little thump against the palm of his hand. Is she mine? “Was that a kick?” His eyes trained intently on her growing bump. He felt oddly connected to baby growing in her. She has to be Liam’s.

“Yea. I think she likes you.” Everly said smile meeting her eyes for the first time in months. Bastien knew what she was thinking but wouldn’t say, I think she knows who you are. “Bas, I know what I said but I don’t want to wait. I want to know now.”

“Evie, it’s too dangerous.”

“He’d find out anyway Bas. I just need to know. We can ask them while I’m here.” Everly looked up at him with pleading grass green eyes. “I can’t wonder anymore. We can have them send the results to you.”

“Okay Evie. We’ll find out. Maybe there will be nothing to worry about.” Bastien still didn’t know what answer he wanted. He knew that the baby being Liam’s would be easier, but is that what he wanted? When he’s felt her kick his hand he’d felt a subtle twinge of hope in his chest. He had immediately felt guilty, he didn’t want things to be harder for Evie. Aren’t things already bad if she’s this broken? Could she handle a lifetime knowing all they’d lost? Could he? He removed his hand from her stomach. “I should go back to my post.”

“Okay.” Everly said defeatedly. “Let me know if you get ahold of Liam please.”

“I will Evie.” Bastien moved to kiss her forehead before remembering his place and pulling away.

Before Bastien could leave the doctor stepped into the room. “Your Majesty, I have your results.” He said giving her a bow.

“I keep begging you to call me Everly, please I don’t need any formalities.” She replied.

Bastien had to stifle a chuckle, it was a small glimpse, but he saw the real Evie. The Evie he knew and loved.

“Of course your— I’m mean Everly.” The Doctor stated glancing at Bastien.

“You may speak freely.” Everly said noticing the doctor’s hesitation.

“Understood your— Everly. It appears you have a pretty serious urinary tract infection. We will start you on a round of antibiotics that are safe to clear it up.”

“So all that pain was from an infection?” Everly asked surprised.

“Yes, UTI’s can be rather common during pregnancy due to everything being on top of everything else. That’s what can also cause the cramping.” The doctor explained. “I would like to keep you overnight to ensuring there are no complications or side effects for Cordonia’s future Queen.”

Everly grimaced. “Actually I was hoping to discretely have a prenatal paternity test done while I’m here. You can send the results to Bastien.”

The doctor struggled to contain his surprise, eyes going wide. “Of course. Who shall we be comparing?”

“Bastien.”

“Understood. I will alert a nurse and we will get the test handled. It will be a few weeks until the results come back.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.” A flicker of an unknown emotion in the doctor’s eyes. He bowed before exiting the room.

“I’ll go and try to contact Liam again and update him on your condition.” Bastien said removing his phone from his pocket.

Everly nodded. “Bas can you come back and sit with me when you’re done? I don’t want to be alone.”

Bastien knew he should say no. He needed to keep his emotions and feelings out of it. “Of course.” He said before he exited the room, kicking himself for given into temptation. He needed to keep his distance, not stay close. As much as he missed her he knew it wasn’t meant to be.

***

Bastien looked down at his phone, his jaw clenching as he reread the text. ‘Thank you for getting her care Bastien. As long as she’s fine I’m going to stay and handle this deal. Please keep me apprised of any and all changes.’ He keyed in his response, biting his tongue as not to say what he felt. You can’t come back for her? Again he found himself questioning why he had let her get away, denying them both of their happiness.

“He’s not coming is he?” Everly asked her grass green eyes pleading with him to tell her she was wrong. She was inexplicably hurt by the fact that her husband couldn’t even call her to check on her. She felt even more broken than before, at least then she could pretend he cared. She knew she shouldn’t be surprised, he’d only be worried if something was wrong with little bird, his heir.

Bastien felt anger course through him. Liam was putting a deal over his own wife, own child. He doesn’t deserve her. His heart broke at the thought of telling her she was right. “No, he isn’t.”

“Okay.” Everly said blinking back tears.

Bastien took her hand giving it a comforting squeeze. “I’m here and I’m not going anywhere.”

Feedback fuels me, please like, comment or reblog to let me know how much you like it. I can handle the screams, so scream away.

Masterlist can be found in my bio.

Taglist will be reblogged.

#bastien x mc #liam x mc #bastien lykel #the royal romance #trr au #the royal romance au #Bastien x Everly #bas x evie #on the tree tops #when fairytales break #chapter 3 #angst #tw cheating #long post #read more

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crazy-hand-official · 5 years

Text

on hole

ok so this posts been a long time a comin’ but i finally feel like im drunk enough to talk about (and never shut the fuck up about) one of my favorite bands... Hole

hole’s music has meant a lot to me since i picked up Live Through This at some boring ass used cd store that also happened to sell erotic fantasy novels about good fathers. but anyway. holes music is for women with bad fathers. women who are kind of fucked up and angry about it, too. women who have trauma and scars and are kinda gross. women who were wronged but somehow by the grace of god empowered in the face of their horrible experiences.

or at least it feels like that, dont it?

that was the main appeal of hole to me, anyway. i fell in love with this album around the second or third listen through. i was like, damn, shes pissed. it was so refreshing to hear a woman just screaming out her frustrations. how cathartic must it have been to be able to not only get it out, but also be taken somewhat seriously? of course hole never got the recognition they deserved. im of the unpopular opinion that they were waayyyy better than nirvana. without sounding kinda sappy... you know what fuck it im not apologizing to any of u. hole totally made me embrace womanhood. it influenced my own, much beloved way to just exist.

but also i guess i just really love tunes.

ps im not here for the courtney killed kurt debate lmfao!!

ok so heres the part where i write my onions about their four studio albums

Pretty On the Inside

their first album and admittedly, my least favorite (that doesnt say much because i still really enjoy it). its sound is much more abrasive. love employs her most guttural screams in this one, but ill get to that. to its credit, its the most experimental but many interpret it as amateur guitar screeches and song bits just hashed together. and maybe theyre right! but what band doesnt have that not-quite-there-yet first album? its an unrefined, beautiful mess. A song title or two is spelled wrong. Garbadge man is one that comes to mind. and for some reason, its just... fitting. its an artistic mistake left in and its so dumb but thats the fun in it! thats the punk in it! they dont give a fuck so why should you? this album is a messy bitch.

track im gonna nut about: mrs. jones

this song is apparently about a back alley abortion, and its just as brutal. love is screaming, just guttural sounds and expletives and nauseating lyrics. when i first heard it, i was absolutely entranced in the atrocity of it all. shes sweating, panting. i will follow you down the sick drain

other favorite tracks: teenage whore, good sister bad sister, pretty on the inside

Live Through This

their most popular album also happens to be my favorite! the start of it all...

i havent shut up about this album since day one because i just like it so much! she refines her skills and just comes out with a successful album that ties an array of horrible themes and wraps them up in a pretty pink bow. its soft aesthetic covers the dark, sickening themes that make the album. rape, anorexia, self harm, self hatred, violence, abuse... the list goes on. someone i one knew asked me why women with bipolar disorder and bpd love hole so much and i had to bite my tongue but to be brutally honest we probably like it because love had the nuts to scream about taboo themes that are so hurtfully common in our lives. just like how the depressed rally behind the smiths. oh that and the musics awesome. but anyway, the cover is a beauty queen the moment shes crowned. its supposed to represent someone who has fought, clawed, and fucked her way to the top. but look! shes the queen! shes the beauty queen! everyone will finally love her and treat her with respect! and all she had to do was sell her soul. all she had to do was get abused over and over to the point of breakdown. but she made it, didnt she? i mean, look how pretty the crown is!

favorite track im not gonna shut up about: i think i would die

im gonna be super lazy and just copy and paste what i wrote up one time when i talked about this song before:

wait nevermind i cant search for my post through my tag because tumblr is broken. something about breastmilk? ill update once i find it lmao.

other favorite tracks: violet, softer softest, miss world

Celebrity Skin

i dont have as many onions on this one. supposedly, love didnt want this album to become ‘the widow album’, but theres a song or two about kurt’s death snuck in there. this albums loud, but not nearly as angry as the first two. in fact, when shes not singing catchy pop tunes about how jaded she is, shes being sincere and heartfelt. all in all, its a fantastic album and my second favorite that hole has to offer.

favorite track of the album: heaven tonight

ive heard two stories about what this songs supposedly about. on one hand, people say its about two lovers. the girl wants to lose her virginity to the guy, so she drives (recklessly) to his house and dies in an accident. she’ll never grow old, she’ll go to heaven tonight. on the other hand, i heard that love just wanted a fun song to sing to her daughter, frances bean. either way, it makes me want to dance. so idk if its about teenagers fucking or about a little girl who just needed a song, but its cool.

other favorite tracks: awful, celebrity skin, reasons to be beautiful

Nobody’s Daughter

years later, hole released their final album. when i first heard it, i was disappointed. the first track was great, but then.... i noticed her voice had deteriorated significantly due to her smoking and other vocal abuse. and i thought, damn, i really wish she released this when she was younger. she sounds normal when she screams, but i guess to compensate when singing softer parts, she does this kind of weird weird thing when enunciating that... ok i cant pinpoint or describe what exactly it is but it kinda sucks. ‘honey’ is the only hole song that i dont like very much, and its the best song to use as an example when trying to explain how her voice got all fucked. now, we cant all be bowie (whose singing voice only got better after years of smoking). but still.

anyways, i listened to the album again, and i mean really listened to it. and actually! the smoker voice is the beauty of it! its a woman who is past jaded and past giving fucks about anyone or anything. its songs from a woman of experience. and she still sounds badass! her voice is so rough, she sounds like she could still fuck anyone up. its exciting.

favorite track to get all sappy about: letter to god

i really found an appreciation for this song. this is a song about someone who cant be saved. and isnt that fucked up? youre so bad, so hated by all of those around you, but no one can hate you as much as yourself. and you try everything to pick yourself up but just nothing works. and everyone has their two cents in what they think will help you. but youve tried every med in the book and youve tried this and that and the other thing, and you come to the conclusion that you just cant be saved. youre drowning. so what do you do? you turn to god, a supernatural all-mighty being. but shit, i hope he can help you. because if he doesnt, fucking nothing ever will. so go write him that letter.

i never wanted to be the person you see

other favorite tracks: nobodys daughter, skinny little bitch

and thats what i have to say about that!

#hole #courtney love #long post #goddamn this took forever to write lol i just had a lot to say #and still have more but ill shut up... for now.#im not actually drunk but i wrote this post last night at like 1 am #well i was drunk but not christmas morning damn

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sarah-bae-maas · 6 years

Text

Lorcan makes a deadly decision, Elide doesn’t like it

I’m rereading Empire of Storms and I’m in pain. So here’s some Elorcan!

Masterlist

***

Lorcan hated dreaming.

Every night, as his weary eyes closed after his patrol, he would dream of the image he fell asleep to.

Elide. Beautiful, lovely Elide. His light in the shadows. The life to his abundance of death.

A life that was not his. And rightfully so.

They didn’t dare sleep around a fire, and so Elide had taken to sleeping next to Gavriel for warmth. The Lion, ever the gentleman, never touched for more than heat, to help her small human body when she shook from the cold winds and biting rain. But the image Lorcan fell asleep to and the one he dreamt were two very different things.

His dreams were vivid, so much so that while in them there was no way to discern what was truly reality. In his dreams, he watched Gavriel wrap his arms around Elide. He watched her turn, the way she once had for him, and lean up to brush her lips against his. He watched as her delicate hands explored his chest, his hair, and watched and her hands pushed him back so that he was lying flat. She would then swing her leg over his waist, straddling him while kissing him scandalously. He focused on their tongues, and the sensual way they would dance with each other. Only the sight of her top coming off, of Gavriel’s following, of their discarded clothes littering the field and her riding him, made him look away from their mouths.

The way Elide had once moaned Lorcan’s name was now the way she said Gavriel’s and it was horrifying.

Lorcan would wake in a sweat - not from arousal, but from fear.

Fear that he would never redeem himself.

Fear that he would never get anything from her but the cold glares she sent his way every time he was in the vicinity.

Just as Elide had said, Lorcan had lived a miserable existence. His life was nothing but death, fucking and pining for Maeve.

Elide. Oh, Elide.

He sighed loudly through his nose and turned away from the sight of Elide sitting next to Gavriel, preparing for the night. Whitethorn was hunting for tomorrow’s breakfast, and the young wolf was on watch. He rubbed his hands over his eyes as he lay and dreaded what image his subconscious would give to him tonight. Maybe the usual, Elide moaning atop Gavriel, her hips moving in time to his labored breaths, or maybe it would be more creative. Maybe tonight it would Elide atop Maeve, crying while the demon queen forced her with a blood oath.

When Lorcan had those dreams, he often had to excuse himself. The full-blooded fae may have been able to smell and hear him vomiting, but they weren’t privy as to why he was hauling his guts up every few days.

“Lorcan,” Prince, no, KingRowan snapped. “Take Fenrys’ duty. I want him rested for tomorrow’s journey.”

If not trained, Lorcan may have cringed or snapped at the lesser male for his insolence, but as much as Lorcan detested it, he was no longer commander of this group.

He was no longer anything at all, really.

So Lorcan didn’t complain when he stood and brushed himself off, baring his teeth at the grinning Fenrys as the young male took his bed roll, and dragged it so that was on Elide’s other side.

“I’ve been wanting to join in on this sleepover for weeks. Do we gossip? Is there tea? I’ve no marshmallows but Papa Rowan probably wouldn’t let us have sugar past bed time anyway.”

This time it was Rowan who snarled, but Fenrys’ words had the desired effect.

Elide laughed her twinkly laugh, and settled in against Gavriel, the tension leaving her shoulders at his joke. Lorcan couldn’t bear to watch her anymore, and now that he was away from her, he welcomed the opportunity.

He approached Whitethorn, his lips upturned and his brows knitted together.

“You want the child to have a nap?”

“Actually, I need to speak to you privately. Come.”

Lorcan detested the order but followed the silver haired fae anyway. As he stepped, he felt a tap on his shoulder, not guiding him along, but pushing him away, urging him to return to the human woman. Lorcan shook it off - it was not the first time he had gotten such an order.

But it was the first time his stomach clenched as he followed Rowan.

Perhaps the male deemed him too much a liability. Perhaps it was time for Lorcan to be put down.

Lorcan was not scared of the thought.

“Lorcan.” Rowan’s voice was grave.

“What.”

“We have Fenrys, and we have the layout of the chambers. We need to get in there, quietly, if we’re to save Aelin.”

“You act as if I don’t know that. But unless you’ve thought of a plan since the two days we’ve had this information, then I don’t know why you’re telling me this.”

Rowan’s eyes were blank from centuries of training, but he could not hide the slump in his shoulders, nor the bags under his eyes.

“I have a plan. But it’s dangerous.”

“Everything we do is dangerous.” Lorcan had to refrain from rolling his eyes.

“What we do is a constant threat to our lives. What I’m going to propose means guaranteed death for at least one of us.”

Lorcan knew Elide could not hear them. But Gavriel and Fenrys bloody could, and neither reacted at the news. It seemed Lorcan was the last to hear this.

“And you’re suggesting I take the blow.”

“You have nothing to live for.”

Lorcan opened his mouth to refute the statement but no, Rowan was correct. Fenrys was so young and had scarcely lived before being put under Maeve’s thumb. Gavriel had a son, so much like the Lion, who he doesn’t know, but desperately wanted to. And Rowan had his fire queen.

Lorcan thought of the girl now sleeping in the arms of his former soldier, and knew that she would be happier without him.

Lorcan looked Rowan in the eye, centuries of history passing between them with the look.

Rowan had been tortured by Maeve the most, and the little spark that Elide had lit in his heart told him that Rowan deserved his happy ending.

And that Lorcan, whether they win this war or not, wouldn’t. He would still be the merciless brute with no friends or family, and whose company was forced on others to their disdain.

Lorcan nodded, he thought of what Perranth would have been like, and something in Rowan settled at the gesture.

_____

Elide knew there was something the fae males weren’t telling her. They were all solemn, quiet, but retrieving Fenrys had been a valuable victory for them. Even the Wolf himself could barely meet her eyes, and every time she felt Lorcan gazing at her he turned away before she could stare back. It wasn’t until three days later that Rowan pulled out a map and makeshift figurines that Elide realized they had a plan to save her Queen.

“Elide, you will be waiting here with the carriage. Fenrys will meet you with Aelin, and Gavriel and I will be a week behind you. We’ll meet you at this port, where we will have a boat that we’ll row to meet a ship that’s four kilometres from the coast.”

“How will you get her?”

Rowan swallowed. “The plan is complicated. Best you memorize the routes you’ll need for your journey with Fenrys and Aelin.”

“Why not you?”

“They will hunt me first, thinking I wouldn’t dare separate from my wife. I’ll lead them away while you get her to safety.”

“You have the most important task, Elide, better it be not to confuse you with ours,” Gavriel said.

“But what if something goes wrong? I can’t improvise if I don’t know what I’m working with.” It crossed her mind that they were treating her as though she was dumb. And maybe she would have felt stupid or inadequate next to their centuries of experience, had it not been for their irregular behaviour. Up until now they had shared everything with her. Elide didn’t think they thought it too confusing at all, Elide knew they were just hiding something from her.

“What is it?” she asked.

They stayed silent.

“What is so ghastly about your plan that you can’t tell me the truth?”

She thought about the measly details they had given her.

Her with the carriage. Fenrys and Aelin would meet her. Gavriel and Rowan would come a week later.

“Where will you be?” She turned toward Lorcan.

The males stiffened.

“I will be staying in Doranelle,” he said vaguely.

“To do what? Let those nobles squabble amongst their selves on who the new ruler will be once that bitch is dead. They don’t need you to guide them. You should be helping Aelin escape.” Her voice was laced with contempt. “It was you who caused this mess after all.”

Her anger at him had not faded. The first time she saw him during the day, her first thought was always how dare you betray her like that. Her last thought was how dare you put me ahead of her, you stupid, horrible, sweet male. How dare you make me feel this way.

She enjoyed seeing him flinch. He knew how much she needed Aelin, he should have known she rather die in a starfire than have her captured by either Erawan or Maeve.

It was not Lorcan who responded to her, rather her King, and as she listened to him the ball of anger in her stomach unfurled, and re-wrapped itself as a tight nerve, making her feel sick. Her hands started to shake, and she became pointedly aware of the magical brace that was still around her leg even after all this time, one she never thanked him for, and one that she would never feel again.

It was not the ease of walking without pain that she would miss. It was the knowing someone was always with her, always caring for her no matter how bitter she was, that she would miss.

Because to save Aelin, Lorcan would die.

If the idea had been suggested to Elide, she might have welcomed it, but being told like this, with no choice in the matter, made the voice in her head golook look look at what you are missing.

Rowan had laid out exact plans between them. Elide went over every detail presented to her, but she couldn’t get past the section where Lorcan’s fate was shown without becoming hazy. She couldn’t read the words, but the pictures were enough. The three males, obviously more than familiar with the plan, let her be in silence. The only sound she could hear was her feet crushing the leaves and sticks below her and she minutely swayed from shock. They would definitely hear her now thundering heart and breath that hitched on certain diagrams or areas on the map.

After pouring over them again and again Elide turned and stalked away.

____

Lorcan didn’t plan on following her. But Hellas may as well have picked him up by the ankle and ploncked him in front of her his avoidance was so bad.

Fenrys, Gavriel and Rowan were well away from ear shot. Elide just kept walking, and he followed her along like the lap dog he was, bracing her ankle every step of the way.

She didn’t stop until she was completely out of breath and standing before a white cliff face. The trees had thinned and any fae could see them if they looked up, but Lorcan knew if he tried to order her back all he would get was a mouthful.

“They can’t force you to do that,” she snapped.

“I volunteered.”

“Explain yourself.”

“It’s the only way.”

She fisted her hands at her side, turning to him with a snarl on her face. “Is this some sick ploy to make me forgive you? Do you think killing yourself will somehow redeem you in my eyes? Because it will not. That is a disgusting way to think.”

He shook his head. “No – no. Elide, I would never try to manipulate you into something by using my life, or someone else’s, as leverage. I am many things, but godsI’m not that.”

“Then what the fuck, Lorcan? You need to tell me more because I can’t possibly understand how you were ready to be executed, and how you weren’t even going to tell me.”

“I didn’t tell you because it didn’t matter.”

Elide’s actions were confusing him. He knew she would have one, but anger wasn’t it. He was expecting her to be relieved. Now he would no longer be there to interfere, nor would she have to worry about keeping her word about him coming to Perranth – a place he knew she didn’t want him anywhere near anymore.

Even if for a moment he thought maybe he could find a home there – a home with her. Until he royally fucked everything up in an attempt to save the woman he loved.

She threw her hands up. “Not matter? How could the end of your life not matter?”

“You’ve said it yourself. I have no family, I have no friends, no one who cares about my existence. In fact, you were quite adamant about that, if I remember correctly, especially when you said it was my own fault.”

“I said that before everything happened-”

“I’m not disagreeing with you, Elide. I think you’re correct. I did then, I do now. If one of us has to die, it must be me. I have the least to live for.” He repeated the words Rowan said to him.

Her nose flared at his words, and she stomped over to him just so she could push back his chest. He didn’t move, her mortal strength against his immortal one like a bird beating at a mountain with its wings.

He caught her wrists in his hands held them between them.

“I am older than some cities, deadlier than nearly all other living fae. I am tired, Elide, and the Darkness would not be unwelcome.”

“Gods you’re a bastard, you’ve always been such a bastard,” she whimpered before she did the last thing Lorcan was expecting.

She stepped into him and stood up on the tips of her toes, barely reaching as she pecked his lips. Her bow lips barely grazed his, and he was so shocked at the kiss that she wrenched her hands free, only to tangle them in his hair and bring him down to meet her.

He could have pulled away, maybe should have, but Hellas be damned Lorcan missed the taste of her mouth. He curved over her, leaning her chin up with his fingers and angling them so he was wrapped around her as she kissed him feverishly.

Her tongue brushed against his, and it had him moaning into her and pulling her closer. The way she pressed into him was sinful, but gods, that’s not what he wanted. He wanted to be gentle, he wanted to take his time, and as Elide’s hurried hands shakily undid the top two buttons of his shirt he found himself pulling away.

“What are you doing?” she breathed, her hands still latched onto him.

“This is a bad idea.”

“No,” she shook her head, “It’s not.”

He walked away from her so quickly she didn’t have a chance to follow – not so far that he was gone, but so the intoxicating scent of her hair no longer filled his head and clouded his thoughts.

“You never would have done this if not for the… situation we’re in.”

She scoffed. “You have no right to tell me how I feel.”

He bit his lip. “Of course I want this, Elide. I want you, more than I’ve ever wanted anything. When I did what I did, I knew it would likely cost me you and my life. I made my bed, and now I am lying in it. But you,” he sighed deeply, “there is much better out there for you than a dishonorable bastard. And I have no doubt this was spurned wholly because I am to die.”

Her face was sad as she looked over him. “I can’t change your mind, can I?”

“No.”

____

The sun had barely risen when Elide woke all the males up early – except for Rowan, who had been on watch. In his hawk form, he monitored everything around them, including her as she poured over the diagrams of their plan again. It was written in a code of pictures she could easily understand, since the written word was useless to her, and she’d made Rowan repeat it enough that it was singed in her brain.

“Get up. Now.” She used a voice fit for a commander, and they all followed suit. They fell into line, weary curiosity on their faces.

“Lady Elide, what is the matter?” Gavriel queried.

She looked them all in the eyes, and said clearly, “You cannot send Lorcan to his execution.”

“Elide,” Lorcan groaned, pinching his nose with his fingers.

“Shush. Queen Aelin Ashryver Galathynius put Lorcan and I under her protection. It was a direct order.” She felt their shift, they stood taller, and they looked thoughtful but confused as they considered her words. “Our queen waned him alive, and she never revoked her words. You can’t kill him any more than you could me. It would violate her command.”

The silence hung over them like a smothering blanket and Elide could feel Annieth crackling in satisfaction. She had told Elide to look again, so she had. And Elide had found a fatal flaw.

Rowan cursed. He turned toward a tree and slammed his fist into it. His face scrunched and Elide was shocked to see silver lining his eyes.

“We were so close,” he seethed.

Looking at the face of a desperate man on the brink of a meltdown made Elide flinch, and she wondered if Rowan would ever forgive her for taking away what he perceived to be the only chance to save his mate.

“You’re still close, Rowan,” she assured him. “Your plan, albeit good, would’ve ultimately failed. Let me show you.” She set up the map of Doranelle they had been using, one Lorcan had drawn, and pulled their figurines from their pouch, laying them out.

She went through their plan, highlighting the faults only someone truly objective from Doranelle could have seen. Sure, Rowan’s plan may have worked, but she doubted that it would have succeeded. But hers,her plan with their input was safer, and had a better chance of setting their queen free.

Gavriel nodded along with her words, smiling at the new plan. “This is good, this is very good. Excellent work, Lady Elide.”

She smiled tightly. Rowan didn’t look at her as he joined Gavriel at his side and the two fae, with Fenrys occasionally chiming in, crafted her plan to perfection.

____

Rowan had told her thank you, and that was it.

Lorcan wanted to rip his throat out because of it – she would be the fire queen’s salvation, and Rowan wasn’t giving Elide nearly as much respect as she deserved. But Lorcan wasn’t much to talk. He hadn’t spoken to her either since their kiss.

But his dreams last night weren’t as heavy. There were no sexual acts, just him and Elide in a field, a warm and welcome light and darkness swirling around them. She wore that ridiculous oracle’s dress from the carnival, and he wore the dirty clothes he had been wearing when he’d first met her. They’d held hands, she she’d smiled, and all was good for those few hours of sleep.

Rowan was on patrol tonight, so Gavriel and Fenrys set up their beds with a space for Elide to be between them. Lorcan turned away. His dreams may be better, but gods above he didn’t need Fenrys joining in on his recurring dreams about the Lion and Elide if they came back.

He heard her before he felt her. She’d walked right past Fenrys and Gavriel, only to kneel at his back. She placed her hand tentatively on his shoulder but didn’t make him turn.

“Lorcan,” she whispered.

He grunted faintly in return.

She swallowed hard and her hands gripped him ever so slightly. “You’re no longer to die, so you can no longer use the excuse that the reason I want to be near you right now is because I’m afraid of your impending death.” Her voice, even if it was a quiet as she could make it, was still easily heard by him.

“I get cold at night,” she continued. “May I share my bedroll with you?”

“Why?” he hushed in return.

“Because yesterday I was faced with the knowledge that you wouldn’t always be with me, and it scared me. I’m not ready to forgive you yet Lorcan, but I’m done being scared.”

He paused.

“Okay.”

She crawled over him and into his arms. He tucked her in close, savoring every moment he could.

#elorcan #kingdom of ash #throne of glass #fanfiction

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darkdevasofdestruction · 7 years

Text

Ramsay Bolton/Snow x Fem!Lannister Reader

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King's Landing was busier than usual,being a fine Spring day,and Sandor Clegane,again,had to take care of the oldest Baratheon child, Y/N,who kept pulling on his hand to walk with her through the gardens. Her golden blonde hair kept swaying as she twirled in the divine light of the Sun,her giggles rang out like lullabies,which made Sandor chuckle softly at her childish behaviour. He knew,however,that despite her innocent and lovely appearance,her deep,emerald eyes held only mischief and cunning. She,like her mother and grandfather,was a true Lioness,despite her 'Baratheon' title. She was stubborn,and everytime someone would call her by her proper name,she'd offer a poisonous grin and correct them.

"Y/N Lannister,if you please."

The girl was the epitome of freedom,a powerful feline who manages to trick everyone into letting her do whatever she pleases,and therefore,she's either out with her beloved Guard dog,or inside,bugging into the Kingdom affairs,much to Tyrion's amusement.

And just imagine the shocked faces of Robert's advisors when they saw his daughter sitting on his leg,reading a book,and when she heard a rather disagreeable statement,she'd refute in a second,shocking everyone.

Y/N:Come on,Sandor,loosen up a bit!It's such a gorgeous day,it'd be a pity to be all grouchy~! Sandor:Sorry,little song bird,but being a Sunflower isn't my thing. Y/N:Dear Sandor,I am a Lioness,not a useless song bird,but you are excused.However,you won't be excused from missing out a nice dance with me! Sandor:Don't be ridiculous,girl,I'm your guard,not some fancy shit lord. Y/N:*chuckles* You are Sir Woof Woof,whatever do you mean~? Sandor:You're crossing a fine line there,girl,I'd pay attention if I were ya. Y/N:And what are you going to do,sweet Sandor?Bite me? Sandor:Sometimes I wonder who's a bigger cunt. Y/N:Joffrey.Always Joffrey.Definitely Joffrey.He doesn't care about you like I do~. Sandor:And he doesn't use me like you do either. Y/N:Oh,Sandor,your words cut me deeper than the Marianna Trench.Honestly,you must know my intentions of dancing with you are purer than the first snow of the year! Sandor:It hasn't snowed in King's Landing since the last Winter. Y/N:*giggles*Then...I want to see the North!Don't the Starks always say how Winter is coming?Oh,Sandor,I've never seen snow!It must be so beautiful!I am quite tired of this golden landscape,it's so old-fashioned!Silver is the new trend! Sandor:You might like snow,but only when you first see it.It's like a gorgeous enchantress,but sly and deadly,much like you. Y/N:*arranges her hair*Oh dear,that was so poetic of you,sweet Sandor!If I were to go to the North,would you come and crown me the Queen of Winter? Sandor:Snow is much better than fire,anyways. Y/N:*gleams*SWEET!I shall talk to uncle Tyrion at once!I overheard my lord father when he was talking to someone from the Small Council.Apparently,Jon Arryn died mysteriously,and he wants Ned Stark as the new Hand of the King~!Do you know what that means~? Sandor:Oh great,more death in the City of Death,how unexpected. Y/N:Call it Murderville.But I wonder...why did they call it "King's Landing"?Is here the place where Kings just...land?Fall?To their death?*gasps*Oh no,it's raining Kings! Sandor:How childish...it almost fooled me. Y/N:Come on,Sandor,relax.Let's go to a pub,and I'll treat you to all the ale you wish!Just smile for me~! Sandor:Not bloody likely,little song bird.But I'll take your offer,for now.After you.

#####

After talking to the right people,she convinced her father to ride on a horse along her beloved Hound on the way to the North,which was oddly entertaining for the both of them,much to the displeasure of her mother and brother. When they arrived,however,they were not only expected by the Starks,but another noble house- House of Bolton.

The girl quickly asked her friend about the Boltons,not having heard much about them,and found out a few details about the Lord,Roose Bolton,and his bastard son,Ramsay,who's treated just like his legal son. Much to the dismay of every existing courtesy,seeing Ned Stark,she jumps off her horse and runs to hug the said man. Most of the ones witnessing the act were horrified,while the others were quite impressed,much like the youngest Stark daughter,and a certain Bolton.

Y/N:Uncle Ned!It's so good to see you again!Oh,how I've missed you so dearly!And now that I'm finally here,I get to meet your children!I'm so excited! Ned:*ruffles her hair*Welcome to Winterfell,my Princess.These are my children,though they are a bit younger than you,I believe you will enjoy their company. Robert:Ned Stark,you look much older.The cold sure took its toll on you. Ned:And you got significantly fatter.Is it the privilege of being a King? Y/N:*giggles*You sure are best friends! Robert:*laughs*Ned Stark,my greatest friend,and Y/N Baratheon,my dearest daughter.Might I say,she reminds me so much of Lyanna... Y/N:*confused*I don't know who Lyanna was,but she must have been a truly amazing woman. Robert:Y/N,go play with the others,I and Ned have some catching up to do. Y/N:Yes,father~!Have fun!

She got her siblings and they all introduced each other merrily or shily,and then went to play together. Arya,Myrcella and Sansa were cheering as Tommen and Bran were sparring. The young lioness,on the other hand,noticed the older Bolton boy staying lonely and observing the youngsters. Being a princess,she got in front of him and smiled brightly at him,surprising him.

Y/N:*extends hand*Hello,I heard your name is Ramsay,it is nice to meet you!I am Y/N Lannister.

Ramsay,however,smiled charmingly at her,and kneeling in front of her,he took her hand delicately and kissed it,making her cover her mouth lightly and giggle,a light blush blooming on her pale cheeks. She was used to having people be court with her,but never this... Charming. She gently put her hand on his hair,then caressed his pale visage,smiling softly.

Ramsay:It is my honour of meeting you,Your Grace. Y/N:Honestly,Ramsay,please get up,there is no need to go this far.I'm nothing important,just another Southern girl.Forget of my titles and enjoy our time together.Shall we? Ramsay:My lady's wish is my command. Y/N:Ramsay~ Ramsay:Yes,my lady, Y/N: Just Y/N is fine,please.

He chuckled lightly and went to the group of younger children along with the fair princess. Obviously enough,Tommen lost against Bran,and the next round was Robb versus Joffrey. Much to the annoyance of the young blond,the only one cheering for him was Sansa. Robb obviously beat him up easily,but when he turned around to put back the sparring sword,Joffrey ran to attack him. To his dismay,his older sister grabbed the sword from Tommen's grasp and easily parried his blow. When the two swords collided,everyone but Joff,who growled angrily,gasped. The girl smirked victorious and easily disarmed him.

Y/N:*grins*That wasn't very honorable of you,younger brother,now,was it~?Is this how you were raised? Joff:Don't cross me,sister!

The girl was japing and taunting him further,until Robert and Ned came by,and seeing the scene unfold,rushed over.

Robert:Were you fighting again? Y/N:No,papa,but I wanted to play fight too,and one of the boys volunteered~! Robert:Are you sure you didn't beat Joffrey at sparring again? Ned:Robb? Robb:Father... Y/N:*giggles*Busted~! Ned:At this age,Lyanna was beating me up too... Robert:At this age,everyone was beating you at sparring,Ned. Y/N:*bows*What can I say,I trained with the best in the Seven Kingdoms. Robert:*laughs*She has the Baratheon fury in her blood!Look at her!Who did you train with? Y/N:Woof~

The King was confused,until Sandor Clegane handed her Joffrey's discarded sword,and patted her back,then barked,smirking proudly.

---

That night,at the feast,Y/N had both bastards sit with them at the table,making everything more chaotic than it was.

After Arya threw lemon cakes at Sansa,making her cry,Lady Catelyn made them both go to sleep.

During the commotion,Ramsay whispered a nice plan in Y/N's ear,making her slip away unnoticed,and meeting the older bastard outside,in the freezing cold.

Y/N:Why,Ramsay,whatever do you wish to show me? Ramsay:It's your first time in the North,is it not,my Princess? Y/N:It is,but it is not the first time I'd correct you. Ramsay:My apologies.I only wished to show you the North's beauty,at its finest.Nevertheless,it will always pale in comparison to you. Y/N:*giggles*Oh dear,if I had a golden dragon for everytime I've heard that,I'd be rich. Ramsay:Aren't you,already? Y/N:Borrowing money from the Braavosi Bank doesn't make you rich. Ramsay:The affairs of King's Landing are much too troublesome and confusing,so I will not bother with it. Y/N:Neither should you~.

As they walked and chatted,the girl started trembling from the freezing cold,and even her voice became shaky,making Ramsay chuckle and put his furs tightly around her. She tried to protest,arguing that he will get cold too,but he merely smiled and pointed out that Northmen are cold resistant. Getting to a high peak,the girl was left awestruck at the godly landscape in front of her.

Having started snowing,the dark blue sky suddenly lit up with thousands of powerful coloured lights,dancing and sparkling. The young lioness was gleaming and cheering,more enthusiastic than she had ever been before in her life time,and much to his shock,she hugged him tightly,thanking him. The young bastard was rooted to the spot,not having expected such a physical act of pure affection and warmth from one that is supposedly a mere stranger in his eyes. Having grown up as a bastard and with only his father,in a cold and harsh environment,he never experienced any emotion that would make his heart leap,and not from fear.

Instinctively,he wrapped his arms tightly around the frail girl's frame,protectively,and unconsciously smiled,seeing her happiness. All his life,he's only witness dread,hate,torture,sadness,rage,misery...but this time,it seemed like a light of hope appeared in front of him. A light of purity that seemed to fill him... And he couldn't seem to get enough of it. He was greedy.

Big snowflakes were slowly falling,and with that,they knitted a crown of crystals in her golden hair,sparkling,making her look like a true Queen. And that's what he was going to do. He'll make her his Queen. All those playthings he's had his fun with were dirty,unclean,disgustingly plain,worthy of being tainted and abused. But her... This young lioness... He was going to preserve her purity and innocence... All to himself.

Being already late enough,he picked her up bridal style and walked her home,promising to take her there each night.

###

The true reason why the Boltons were at the Starks to greet the King and his family was so Roose could ask for a favour and legitimize his son,so he could one day inherit the rights of the House,which,with little persuasion,Papa Baratheon agreed (much to his daughter's glee).

Without even realizing,when she got home,she started telling Uncle Tyrion of all the nice stories she shared with Ramsay during that little amount of time,and seeing his sweet niece so happy,he decided to make up an elaborate plan and make her dream come true,as much as possible. Since Ned Stark kindly refused the Hand of the King position,saying that his kin must always remain in the North,her father had no other wise option but to trust Tyrion,yet another Lannister. And thus,he organised frequent trips to the North,giving her the role of the Ambassador of the Seven Kingdoms,and along with her dear Hound,they'd travel all day long.

---

One beautiful day of Spring,the golden maiden was taking a stroll through the forest,enjoying a light conversation with her potential paramour,when she noticed a few changes in his behaviour.

Slightly more affectionate acts

More compliments More smiles More protectiveness

And all this made the girl smirk-but she had to keep her façade,still.

Y/N:Why,sweet Ramsay,if I didn't know better,I would have said you might be...courting me~? Ramsay:And if I were to admit my crime,what would you do,My Princess? Y/N:I do not know,my dear.Your punishment might depend on the gravity of your actions~. Ramsay:But would Your Grace be merciful if this one would dare to be so bold and ask for her hand in marriage? Y/N:Honestly,I hope you are not jesting,for it would be quite a pity otherwise. Ramsay:I may love japing,but not about this subject,for I am thoroughly serious.Princess Y/N Lannister,would you allow me to be the happiest man in Westeros and become my sweet wife? Y/N:But are we not too young for this,sweet Ramsay?This is very serious,and if we don't take in account everything that might occur- Ramsay:There is no rush,so do not fret,my love.All in due time,and everything will be resolved. Y/N:Ramsay...I have only one request,before everything...and it might sound weird but... Ramsay:What is bothering you,my sweetling? Y/N:So far,we have only ever done and discussed mine own passions,but I know nothing of yours.I wish to know everything about you before I take such an important decision.Therefore...*smiles*next time you flay someone,please call me to assist you. Ramsay:*hesitant*I...am not sure how that will influence or affect your final decision,however,if this is your sincere request,and you will not be bothered by any illicit or nefarious deed I might do...then by all means,you are my guest even now.The Dreadfort has enough prisoners to last a lifetime. Y/N:*grins*Thank you for trusting me,my dear.Now,let us prepare for an entertaining activity~!

He chuckled at her and during the whole week,he showed her the dungeons,the flaying,the torture,and the hunts,in which she was greatly interested,and asked to join as well. It was a great shock for the man,who never expected such a pure golden light to enjoy and embrace his darkness,but he felt more and more attracted to her. He was lost in the well of light that engulfed her,and swore solemnly that he would make sure no harm ever comes to his angelic saviour. He will protect her from anything and anyone that might wish her ill,despite being loved by the Realm. He was now Lord Ramsay Bolton,son of Roose Bolton,and rightful heir,and he would make sure Y/N Lannister,his golden lioness,is going to love him forever.

####

All the time alone,he tried to straighten his priorities,all while still enjoying his release with Myranda,but truly,he felt rather bored of the plain girl. Nevertheless,she was the only woman worthy of keeping around for such deeds,for he would never dare taint his paramour,sent by the loving Maiden to be his light during the darkest times. He just needed her near him,to touch him with those soft and delicate hands,to gaze at him with her forest green eyes,full of love and admiration,to rest his head on her lap,by the calming river,as she played with his dark hair,and would sing some foreign song she'd hear from the travelling singers.

All of these seemed like the sweetest Utopia,which quickly broke when he realised days and weeks passed,and upon the turning moon,she hadn't returned. Gravely worried and not having received any word or letter from the South,he quickly mounted and got a few trusted members of the Bastard's Boys,and went for a private audience at the court.

But much to everyone's horror,he found out that the girl departed two weeks prior and was expected to arrive soon. Because the King specifically requested the Hound to guard his other three children during a very important meeting,the girl took with her other knights on the journey- Proving unsuccessful. Cersei was the first to go hysterical,being her mother,and ordered Varys and Maester Qyburn to gather as much intel as possible. Tyrion,thinking of a shrewd plan,sent word to Bronn to search around all low-life building and find anything useful. Within the week,they haven't found out much,which shook the whole Realm- Until a strange Raven arrived,and with it,a barely readable scrap of parchment tied to its leg.

"Save twins frey flay me save"

The paper had drops of blood and liquid that could only be tears,and the writing was as messy and shaky at it could get,but at least they had a lead,false or not. What would the Freys have against the poor girl,though? Ramsay returned to the North to tell the problem to the Starks and call all their bannermen,to aid the cause of the kidnapped Princess,and great was everyone's shock and rage when they found out the circumstances of such a horrible crime against the Crown.

In less than a Fortnight,an endless army,lead by Jaime,Ned and Ramsay went against the Lord of the Twins,the abominable Walder Frey,who kept the Lioness in his basement dungeon. After an outright war,the young Bolton's Bastard Boys managed to sneak inside and raid the castle,searching around the dungeons,until the sharp hearing of the anxious brunet heard a soft whimpering from one of the cells. Gently opening the door,he saw his golden maiden all bloody and broken,struggling to breathe,and tied up on a wooden X table,made to resemble the Bolton flaying methods.

His breathe hitched in his throat as he sat there,rooted on the spot,unable to breathe,due to the burning rage. He could only see red in front of him,as damaging thoughts were attacking his sanity.Shaking,he could only think of the answerless questions that kept swarming his head. why her? why like this? what had he done wrong? was he not worthy of happiness or love? No...He had to save his beloved angel sent to him by her Maiden God as a gift... The only gift he’s ever got. The only gift he’d ever need..

Regaining himself,he quickly cut off her restraints and caught her as she fell like a feather in his arms. Seeing his only means of sanity damaged and tainted,he swore eternal revenge and cursed the whole family tree of the wretched House of Frey.

###

Days later,the girl,treated by the best Maesters brought from Oldtown,managed to remain stable,but she wouldn't leave her room,nor accept any visitors. Instead,the maids would have to leave the food trays in front of the door,and relatives would have to write letters and shove them under the door,hoping-in vain-to receive a reply.

But she felt disgusted. Wretched. Tainted. She wasn't what she wanted to be. And what frustrated most,is that the true Mastermind's identity was known to her,but she just couldn't seem to remember. It was someone she knew very well... Someone she saw often at the court in King's Landing... Someone she obviously knew not to trust... But who was to be trusted in that God-Forsaken place?

knock knock knock . . .

knock knock knock

Ramsay:Love,I know you're there.I know you want to hide,but you're worrying everyone.I am not one to beg,and you know it,but open the door. Y/N:Go away... Ramsay:Don't make me break down the door. Y/N:Leave... Ramsay:My sanity is going to disappear if I don't see you soon.I can't breathe,I can't think,I can't control my anger around anyone,not even my own father. Y/N:You won't like me anymore... Ramsay:There is nothing in this world that will make me not love you.

With a soft whimper,she put her hand on the handle and opened it,still hiding behind the door,and looking down,avoiding any eye-contact. Upon seeing her,he dropped to his knees and embraced her torso,trying to calm himself. The whole scene unfolded like a bad tragedy mummers’ show,and she put her bandaged hand on his tired and desperate visage,just like in the old,happy days that passed way too soon. He kissed her hands,all her knuckles and fingers,then raised and kissed her forehead,hugging her properly and holding her tight.

The girl had had her fingernails peeled away,a cut on her face,slightly damaging her eye,and multiple cuts along her limbs,along with obvious malnutrition,which weakened her greatly,barely keeping herself standing. She let herself be engulfed in his warmth and closed her eyes,finally feeling safe,after having endured so much,for no reason,and allowed herself,for the first time,to weep at her own misery. After she managed to calm down slightly,he wiped away her tears with his thumbs,and touched foreheads.

Ramsay:The King requested an urgent Council meeting and wanted you to attend.It was the order of your little dwarf uncle. Y/N:Uncle Tyrion asked that...? Ramsay:I think there's more to it than meets the eyes.Do you know who kidnapped you? Y/N:I do,in a way.But...I'm not sure...I told Tyrion of this... Ramsay:Then this is his master plan. Y/N:How despicable...how unsightly of me...to be seen like this... Ramsay:You are the only light I see in this darkness,never doubt yourself. Y/N:So easy to speak when you’re not the ugly one. Ramsay:You are the Grace of the Realm.All these wound will soon fade,but your beauty is eternal. Y/N:Better pray you’re right,or I’ll kill you...

With help from her beloved,she out on a hooded cloak and walked to the court room,where all the Council people,Cersei,Jaime,Ned and Tywin sat,letting the couple stand in the middle of the room.

Cersei:Y/N!My sweet babe,you're finally standing.Have the Maesters attended you properly?I'll put their head on a spike otherwise. Y/N:I'm fine...but it was rather cruel to summon me while looking like this,Uncle Tyrion.Nevertheless...I... Tyrion:My sweet niece,I do hope you are feeling much better.All these people came here to see how you fareth after such a horrible crime. Y/N:*scanning the room*Yes,I am feeling much better,but I cannot say I'm fully cured yet.

Saying that,she went into a bloody coughing fit,making her lose her balance and dirty her bandages,and leaning on her paramour for support. Her mother tried to rush over,but Jaime stopped her. It was all according to the plan. She slowly took of her hood,revealing her bandaged eyes,and smirked.

Y/N:It has come to my attention that the perpetrator of my kidnapping has been caught and punished accordingly,am I correct? Varys:Yes,your Grace.Lord Walder Frey has been set up in our dungeons and is currently tortured. Y/N:Perfect.And what of the Mastermind?Varys,you and Lord Baelish are the ones with the greatest information network across Westeros and beyond. Petyr:Your Grace,I think you are mistaken,there was no Mastermind. Y/N:*smirks*Uncle Tyrion~!It seems my memory hasn’t betrayed me yet~!The disgracious cockroach that came to visit me just before I've received this wounds...was him.Petyr Baelish. Petyr:Excuse me,your Grace,but I am confused.I have not left the Kingdom. Tyrion:Is that so?Because funny enough,my trusted sources said otherwise. Petyr:Well maybe your trusted sources failed you! Tyrion:That is where you are wrong,again.You see,money never fails.Humans are so easy to corrupt with a few golden coins. Y/N:Oh,but what a shame.You were a decent Master of Coin to the Crown...But that’s where your shrewdness stops and mine overshadows yours.Don’t you know?A Lannister always pays his debts.Always.And I believe it’s high time we get rid of your treacheries and betrayels to the Realm and to the King and...experience the horrors of being tortured and humiliated. Ramsay:The flayed man is on our banners for a reason,filth.we’ve been flaying our enemies for 1000 years. Y/N:Never go against the Realm,or cross a Lioness and a Flayed man.It’s bad luck~!

Being attacked from everywhere and not being able to refute,he tried escape,but Jaime got to him much quicker,and in his rage,almost choked him to death,until his calm,but triumphant “niece” stopped him,saying that he needs proper torture,not just a petty beating.

---

All is well when it ends,and the two retreated for the rest of the day,enjoying the peace and quiet in each other's loving embrace,after such a rollercoaster of emotions and bad things happening. He held her tightly,not daring to keep his eyes off of her,in fear of the nightmare repeating itself over and over again.

Y/N:Sweet Ramsay... Ramsay:Yes,my sweetling? Y/N:I will marry you.

The time stopped for him,and he didn't even realize he was smiling brightly for the first time in his life,until he felt a light kiss,which woke him up from his trance. Seeing her gentle smile and her doe-eyes looking at him lovingly,he kissed her back just as softly,as if not to break her,but all the emotions were unleashed. As she rested her head on his chest,snuggling to him,he would sing softly a song and play with her soft golden hair. And for the first time,they finally felt at peace. Together. Forever.

((Picture by @littleaestheticmonster Thank you so much!They do amazing aesthetics! :3 ))

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the-11-doctor · 6 years

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Hellooooo mon cherie, as I am sure you are aware, it is a very important date today. We have made it to two years together in our relationship! As I have said in previous posts to date the universe is ridiculously challenging towards us (and whether that is due to the universe strengthening our bonds before we truly come together to be or not, I do not know) and it has been a shit year – not in terms of our relationship. Nonetheless, somehow, we have survived this over four-thousand-mile distance with all the ups and downs of the never-ending rollercoaster that is life. I want to say it’s been easy and full of happy days, but without the sad days and the bad days there would strictly speaking, be no good days.

You probably thought I wasn’t going to be prepared for today, but this is the least I can do for you for all the shit I’ve been putting you through recently. And yes, the baby picture is potentially what Ollie will look like – he will be a stunner like his father – and yes, that is total permission to use that picture as blackmail for whatever dastardly deed you may need it for. It has been a wild two years with you in ways I cannot say out loud for many explicit reasons, but after five/six years of knowing each other and still being able to carry out the friendship we had from the beginning – on a higher level (obviously) is something amazing.

I’m probably repeating myself from last years anniversary post, in a lot of what I’m saying, but I think you deserve to know how I still really feel about you. This is my inner monologue and I am just saying how weird the sentence “you deserve to know how I feel about you” seemed creepy; I don’t know why. Regardless, Mrs Edwards, you are my world and you continue to become a bigger part of my life day by day. Ever since I asked you to marry me (and for the many more times that I will) you have made me realize how much a future would mean to me. I used to be a twelve-year-old idiot (now going on nineteen hh thirteen in your eyes) who didn’t think he would ever want a future to settle down, or even thought about settling down with anybody – people sucked back then. But you don’t, not all the time, and certainly not for free. You changed my mind, you were the one who I matured down for, too – if I was going to have a life with you and make you my wife and have our weans then I was going to have to put a ring on that finger and mean it when I ask you the question. Whether that is in a Starbucks in Edinburgh or happens to be Cosmo when you can’t find any food you like, and I get annoyed with you, I’ll just distract you from the fact that our date goes disastrous (and we’ll get pizza or something on the way back). That’s not a plan, by the way – that’s not how I’m going to properly propose – but idea nonetheless.

Rambling. Right. Inner monologue. I didn’t want to word this as if it was an essay because if I don’t get out my inner thoughts then it’s drafted; scripted, even – and I want this to come from the heart so ignore the often-incessant nonsense I spout between the lines. We have made it this far, and you’ll properly be with me soon – and everything will be much better than we could have ever imagined it being. Obviously, that comes with its own issues and temporary delays (as everything does in LDR), but once we are settled in together (hopefully in a place of our own) life can truly begin for me. The life you have made me yearn for since I ever realized that I wanted to make you my wife, and have you in my life forever – the younger years that I realized shit, maybe soulmates exist. I was always meant to find you, my fish out of water – The TARDIS always takes me to where I need to go, never where I want to go – that’s why she took me to you. The man from the stars, that’s me – the sad old soul who is usually alone until somebody like you comes along, my companion. Every milestone we hit is technically a step further into the future together, and the future is scary, so hear me out – we face it all together… and then nothing can go that wrong. I know you’ll come out to me in January, and we’ll start the rest of our lives together (for you it will be starting over, which will be the biggest thing you’ve ever done, but you’ll always have me there by your side). Anyway, darlin’ before I rattle on for a few years (and end up with five thousand words) about how the rest of our life is going to be amazing and full of spontaneous, touristy adventures and road trips and babies, and dreadful college, I guess I better wrap it up.

This is the only thing I will wrap before I tap. Fuck, these inside jokes are gonna confuse the hell out of whoever reads them. Nevertheless, brain, stop rambling off into tangents. Focus. Megan Edwards, my wife, my life, my soulmate, my fish out of water, my companion, my best friend, my girlfriend, my fiancé, everything in between, my sweetheart, my baby girl, my love, mon Cherie, my beautiful ginger princess/to be made Queen. I am sorry for all the hell I have been putting you through, because I know I can treat you so much better and I know you’ll give me that chance for which I am forever grateful (bc I never know how you manage to put up with an angry Scirishman for so long – especially with my shit). I hope you will forever understand, forever be my best friend and my wife and so much more – and we will work on everything together… even if that takes time (unless the extreme were to happen – obviously). The fight of LDR is nearly over, January is not that far away. I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with you and officially get to call you my wife, my Mrs Edwards. You are the most beautiful woman I have genuinely ever met, inside and out, regardless of what I say or do sometimes to show otherwise or not to convince you otherwise.

I know I treat you like shit sometimes, and if you would allow me the honor then I have a lot of life left in me yet to make that up to you and make sure you are loved, remind you that you are the only woman I ever need in my life, and the only woman I will ever want or need. You are unbelievably attractive in your personality and you dazzle me with your looks (you won’t believe this, but you still do) – we are going to make the most good-looking babies planet Earth could ever produce. I can see it. I am Still rambling, alrighty then – good job, me – finishing my novel three hundred words ago. You’re worth a lot more than a thousand words, so who cares. I hope you don’t mind this rambling sappy nonsense I put to this picture – I thought I’d provide some context alongside why I made it – and I hope I never have to eat my words. Because you are my one and truly – the only one I’m devoted to. And I love you, I do. As much as you judge me saying that and I hate that, I still do. Nothing will ever change that. Unless you did something horrendously criminal. Remember, I’m Bateman, not you. I hope I can help make our 2nd anniversary a good one. I wish we could get lots of pictures together and vlog it, to make the memories, but such is life (until January). Joyeux anniversaire, mon amour. Je t’aime, mon Megan. J’adore vous ma reine. (Dѐsolѐ for embarrassing you in advance!)

#ladyrhioa1199 #outofstetsons #my baby #my all #my megab #our anniversary #thank you for staying with me this long #i sorry for being so mentally ill & ugly as well #i wish i was so much better for you #but it makes me so grateful that you stay because you do even if i am such a terrible person #maybe i can be good for you if not anybody else.#you know

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thisiswhatwereupagainst · 7 years

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“Mutant Empire: Siege” Ch 5 & 6

Okay guys, here's my notes for Chapter Five and Six of “Siege” the first book in the “Mutant Empire” triology! We get some interesting Charles/Erik debate stuff, reflection on the reality of how relationships are basically all sacrified for the X-Men, some Acolytes team dynamics, and MILAN!

MILAN IS SO ADORABLE OMFG I LOVE HIM SO MUCH especially because the way he acts with Magneto is the way I've always written Anne Marie with Magneto? I want to put him with the first-gen Acolytes so he can fanboy with Anne Marie about THEIR LORD AND SAVIOR MAGNETO and so Delgado can protect him <3 This is SUPER LONG so it’s under a cut

CHAPTER FIVE This chapter is about the X-Men, not the Acolytes, so no Magneto or Milan, but here's a few bits I thought worth noting

“Where Dr. Henry P. McCoy could forget, just for a moment, that he was a member of that elite race known as homo sapiens superior.” Elite race seems a....poor word choice. But this kinda comes back to what I talked to you two about before, about how I think certain forms of bigotry are actually MORE likely among mutants (ableism, scientific racism, etc.) because so much of mutant identity and the way mutants are understood both by society and themselves is based around being the “next step of human evolution” and being able to do things other people can't, etc.

“Finally, Bobby looked over at him, raised eyebrows in place of an actual shrug. His body had filled out from the time he'd joined the X-Men as a teenager. These days he was muscular and fit. But Hank figured that tousled brown hair and open, genuinely handsome features would make him look like a college boy forever.” Is...is Hank kinda gay for Bobby here? I didn't think straight guys thought about other guys bodies filling out with muscle or having handsome features. But then again, straight girls get to straight up compliment other girls on their boobs and it's not gay, so maybe I'm just falling victim to the homophobic mindset that guys can never ever EVER notice anything attractive about another guy or it's TOTALLY HOMO which is not something I support. Normalize bros saying their bros look nice today! You go novel! Anyway, Bobby has pointed out that they're fighting for their future and their children and all that, but the reality is that none of them except Jean and Scott have been able to have a consistent relationship that lasts more than a year, so most likely none of them actually will ever have children. Deep, man. I mean, I guess if you wanted to go all selfless hero you could say “yeah but other children still matter!” but the fact is, they have basically given up their lives for this. Wolverine tells Storm he wants to be on her X-team and not Scott's because Scott at least sort of expects Wolverine to call him boss, whereas being called “boss” surprises Storm every time. Okay, I'm calling bullshit, no way SCOTT would expect LOGAN to call him boss, whereas Storm is THE BOSS OF ALL BOSSES ok, this queen led a team of X-Men at the same time she was leader of the Morlocks at the same time she was White KING of the Hellfire Club. And this is when SHE DIDN'T HAVE HER POWERS. She is THE boss. I am just gonna say Logan is trying to suck up to her. BECAUSE SHE'S THE BOSS! “Attention X-Men. This is Colonel Tomko, United States Army. You are trespassing at a top-secret federal facility. Throw down your weapons and surrender or you will be fired upon.” “Seem a little anxious to shoot a couple mutants, don't they?” Uh, no, Wolverine, I think it's that you're a group of known vigilantes with a history of leaving a whole lot of destruction, trespassing at a top-secret government facility, and carrying A HUGE PLASMA RIFLE. Like I feel like the fact they are giving the X-Men warning here proves they'd rather NOT open fire, because like...look what happens to actual minorities when they encounter racist government authorities while NOT trespassing and NOT carrying weapons and NOT known criminals? Like I feel like this warning would have been just as easily issued to a bunch of humans, especially if said humans were a vigilante group commonly believed to be terrorists by the public and also toting A BIG FUCKING GUN like sell me on this 'feared and hated' thing a bit better please. I...have a hunch this writer might be a white dude, if he thinks this is what constitutes super-obvious out-of-bounds bigotry from government authority towards a minority seen as dangerous.

CHAPTER SIX Ok, here's where we get Magneto and Milan and the Acolytes! It starts out with some stuff about Charles and Erik, and I know you guys are hella down for that, so here's the bigass quote because I love you enough to type it all out: “Xavier would see the light at last. That was important to Magneto. Once, they had been the best of friends, but their divergent dreams tore them apart. Ever the idealist, Charles would argue with him hour after hour, day after day, until finally Magneto realized he must act to make his dream real, rather than simply debate its finer points. The last time they had parted as friends, at peace with one another, the argument had reached new heights. In the heat of the Israeli summer, desert sand flying in the sweltering wind, bodies baking inside uncomfortable clothing as their Jeep bounced on rutted unpaved roads, their already-tattered friendship was torn asunder. Finally, Magneto had insisted that Charles recognized the primary flaw in his philosophy. “And what might that be?” Charles asked, eyes narrowing at this new approach to the debate. “It's so obvious, Charles,” Magneto had answered, “You see it around you every day, in every newspaper, in every city. It's something I learned in war that you have yet to accept. Human society needs someone to hate. There must be a bottom rung on the ladder. Right now, mutants are it, and I don't see anyone else climbing up after us. Therefore, as long as mutant society exists in its current form, humans will hate and fear mutants.” Charles was quiet for a long time after that, his face darkened by the shadow of his consternation. When he met Magneto's gaze again, he seemed unsettled, yet determined. “There are certainly humans who need to hate,” Charles began, “But I do not believe that is true of humanity as a whole. Humans and mutants can live in peace, Magnus. I will never believe otherwise. Never.” That stubborn quality had blinded Charles from the beginning, and Magneto believed that it still did. But not for long. In one day, he would teach Charles Xavier what he not been able to in all the long years since they had first met. Today.” I think this is really interesting for two reason. The minor reason is that the “humans need someone to hate” isn't something I've seen Magneto say before (though that could be because I've read far less of him than you, Hex) Like I feel like he's said things that are CLOSE but not this specific. The bigger thing, though, is that this points out what a lot of people miss in fandom in my opinion, that Charles is as adamant in his stance as Magneto is in his. He gets painted a lot as the soft and yielding one who compromises, but he's NOT. He does NOT compromise with Magneto one little bit, he is NOT open to Magneto's ideas, and you know what, GOOD, he shouldn't be. But I feel like that tends to get forgotten and Magneto is the only one people talk about as being hubristic in his belief he's absolutely right, even though Xavier is doing the same thing. Also, even though I really like this, I have to point out that at this point in the timeline...the claim that mutants are the bottom rung really would not apply? Mutants were NOT really cropping up enough to be noticed by the public at that point in time, Magneto and Xavier were the first of their kind each other had met, the whole “mutants as a persecuted minority” thing didn't start till the 1980s. Magneto's belief back then, if I recall right, is supposed to be that mutants will BECOME treated like other minorities, not that they already ARE. Now on to Milan, my favorite part/person. He's still mentally hooked up to a computer to broadcast a jamming signal so the US military's radios don't work (Magneto and the Acolytes have taken over the military base where the Sentinels are kept) while Magneto's magnetic force shield (MAGNETS ARE MAGIC I GUESS) keeps them out. Milan's consciousness is “completely integrated into the computer core” and the poor baby is totally slumped over like a corpse. We get a POV switch to Amelia Voght. In case you don't know who that is, Jon, she's a mutant woman (a teleporter, precisely) who is not only an Acolyte, but was Xavier's girlfriend when he founded the X-Men. But she considered that to be “asking for trouble” and wanted to live a normal life, so she left him (and he tried to MIND-CONTROL HER INTO STOPPING) It's not clear exactly what happened in her life later, but apparently she lost her family and everything else to humans, according to her, and she decided that, also according to her, since every decision she made was bad, she'd let someone else do it. But she was always one of the questioning, less hateful Acolytes despite this claim she WANTED someone else to think for her. Oh, and she's the poor lady that Fabian tried to shove in his would-be harem. I would like to note he's still dead at the time this novel takes place, and while I would like to see him, I am glad for Amelia's sake that his skeevy self isn't around. Anyway, we get this infodump on her past, and this interesting bit gets said: “When he began to build the foundations for the X-Men, their relationship became...well, competition was the only word she could think of. If she had wanted to continue her relationship with Xavier, she would have had to throw herself wholly into his dreams for the X-Men.” I guess this is something I technically knew, but never thought about: That anyone romantically involved with Xavier basically has to be involved with his dream too. They're inseparable. I'd say the same is true of Magneto too except he does end up having a tryst or two where that doesn't apply, like with Lee Forrester, but then again I think that was when he wasn't a villain? I can't remember. But I think this also goes back to what Bobby and Beast were talking about, about how they probably won't ever have kids and a family and all. And canon reflects this. Not only do a lot of superhero relationships not last, but if one of the parties is NOT a superhero, they usually DIE. I guess this doesn't really come up in RP a lot because everybody is playing a member of the X-Men or Brotherhood or similar, no civilians, but, yeah. (Or civilians who can just...somehow be buddy-pals with bad guys and never had it affect them or think twice about these people being CRIMINALS >>) Also just because Amelia questions the violence and methods of the anti-human Acolytes, we're reminded she also thinks that the X-Men are “hopeless fools all, seduced by romanticism and wallowing in ignorance” and that she will be “happy to teach them the error of their ways.” Magneto tells Amelia to watch her back in battle around Carmella Unuscione, and Amelia thinks how she expects that from Unuscione but is surprised Magneto would “deign” to mention it. For some reason, this makes her worry he has romantic interest in her. I don't pretend to understand the leap that she's making here. She then wonders if he's trying to manipulate a confrontation between her and Unuscione, which makes slightly more sense at least. Just slightly. As for what Magneto is thinking, we get back to his POV, and it's neither. He is confident that Amelia can handle herself against Carmella, but he believes the women are on a “collision course” for each other's throats and he doesn't want to see their conflict undermine the “Empire Agenda” which is what his plot is called. We never see any sign of this dymanic between Amelia and Carmella in the comics, nor any backstabbing traits from Carmella, which is why I really enjoy these novels---the comics don't have time to give a lot of development to the personalities and team dynamics to the bad guys, it's hard enough working that in with the good guys in a 25-page issue, but the novels frequently take time to develop this stuff even for the baddies that don't usually get it. Milan 'wakes up' to tell Magneto that “We're ready, My Lord” and Magneto thinks he looks like he's dying and he's all sweaty but he seems super pleased at Doing A Good and dgkgksfkg I JUST LOVE HIM SO MUUUUCH and he says all that's needed to reprogram the Sentinels now is to enter Magneto's password. “For a moment, Magneto wished he did not have to disappoint one of his most faithful Acolytes, but there was no avoiding it.” Oh no! What is Magneto about to do?! Magneto: “I'm sorry, Milan, but I must take over from here.” Milan: “My Lord? Have I offended you somehow, Lord? What may I do to salve whatever wrong I have produced. Surely, there must be...” Magneto: “Please, Milan, be still. You have done no wrong.” OH NO, THIS PRECIOUS ANXIOUS NERD HE THINKS HE DID A BAD BECAUSE MAGNETO IS TAKING OVER THE REST OF THE JOB

LOVE HIIIIM Anyway, Mags puts in his password (“Empire”) and identifies himself as “Erik Magnus Lehnsherr, called Magneto, White King of the Hellfire Club” and we learn that Shaw programmed this all in for him while he was with the Hellfire Club in the 1980s. So Magneto not only KNEW that Shaw had Sentinels, Shaw set things up for Magneto to use them! Holy shit, HOW GOOD WAS THE MAGNET DICK, SHAW?! Magneto has to put his fingers down to scan for fingerprints and cut off a swatch of skin for genetic analysis to confirm it's him (smart move, Shaw, that keeps out shapeshifters) and when it does, Magneto winces, and: “My Lord, you are in pain,” Milan said, and Magneto almost laughed at the childlike wonder in the man. Though it was possible devout piety and childlike wonder were too often confused.” OH MY GOD HE -IS- ANNE MARIE ANNE MARIE IS THE GIRL JOCK, MILAN IS THE BOY NERD, THEY ARE THE RULE 63 VERSIONS OF EACH OTHER CLEARLY SRSLY THIS IS JUST LIKE HOW I WRITE ANNE MARIE WITH MAGS AND IT MAKES ME LOVE HIM I WOULD LOVE HIM ANYWAY ALL THE LOVE FOR MILAN

Cut to some government people. Specifically Valerie Cooper and Henry Gyrich. These are long-standing canon characters, and long story short, Cooper is on the side of mutants and Gyrich is not. But bigot though he might be, GYRICH IS CLEARLY SMART because I don't think ANYONE else has thought of this in the X-series before: “Then we can only assume, as I have long believed that Professor Xavier is directly tied to the X-Men.”

GASP! Val Cooper, who knows that's indeed the case, tells Gyrich basically pssh no, we just know that Xavier is friendly with the Beast (whose identity is apparently public? I guess because he was a member of the Avengers and Defenders for awhile) and Beast has been seen with the X-Men before, so probably Xavier passed on such and so info to Beast who passed it on to the X-Men. ...I feel like this is MORE support for Gyrich's guess, not less. But she continues she finds even this idea unlikely because Xavier has too much to lose in terms of support for mutant rights if he did something to make himself so unfavorable to the current administration. Yup, that's Professor Xavier, never puts a toe out of line, perfectly respectable law-abiding human guy! ;)

Surprisingly, Gyrich agrees with her, but now he thinks it's the X-Men who took over the facility (the one Magneto has taken over) Whoops. Back to Milan and beating himself up immediately when Magneto says he needs to take over, this reminds me of when he does that in the comics too. Like when he couldn’t get everything from Moira’s head that they needed all at once when he was trying to digitally reroute her memories on to the computer to get info they needed, he said that he felt like he had failed his brethren. Amazingly, it was FABIAN who comforted him, saying that,“You’ve done nothing wrong, Milan. The task you set yourself up for was monumental. Using your mutant ability to psionically transfer mental impulses into electromagnetic video impulses is difficult to apply under the best of circumstances. Having to fight this human’s formidable will makes it nearly impossible. I am confident that wherever Magnus is, our true lord and master has blessed you for your efforts.” AW, FABIAN Seriously, I really love this moment, not because I think Fabian has a secret soft side or something but because showing him being kind and encouraging to the Acolytes makes his manipulation and control of them more believable. If an abusive person is abusive and awful 24/7 all the time, nobody would get near them, but true abusers know how to balance the carrot with the stick. It’s ESPECIALLY common with cult leaders; they recruit with the carrot, and once you’re deep in and dependent on them, they can bring out the stick over and over, but the carrot still makes an appearance now and then so you have REASON to try and want to please them. Fabian showing that he values and appreciates the gifts and efforts of his Acolytes (or rather, acting like he does) is probably something they needed tremendously in their lives when he first approaches them, as likely no one else saw anything good about them being mutants, and that’s what enabled him to get them to stay around long enough for him to start showing his tyrannical dickbag side. Sure, he might be awful—but if they left him, they would be going to an even worse world, one that was ALWAYS awful to them, unlike Fabian, who, clearly, was not. I also notice that when he’s harsh on the Acolytes, it’s usually only on an individual to individual basis, when he’s alone with just one of them, so they probably don’t realize they’re ALL being abused, versus that they alone are being singled out like they probably think, so they’re less likely to think there’s a chance of uniting against him. But anyway, I’m getting off-topic, this is about MILAN, not Fabian. And Milan clearly wants to be useful SO BAD and he beats himself up over minor things/acts like he failed just because he didn’t 100% flawlessly succeed, and I just AW BABY especially since we see his teammates being jerks to him too. For instance, when the Acolytes were looking for Cable in the comics, Milan said that the base they were searching for him in was jamming his power, so he couldn’t use it to pick up any signs of Cable, and his teammate Javitz said “So you’re even more useless than usual.” SO MEAN, JAVITZ! WE CAN’T ALL BE TEN FEET TALL! So yeah, he gets ribbed, his powers aren’t good for fighting, maybe that’s why he stays buff, so he won’t be the scrawny nerd cliche (yes, I’m reaching to explain 90s-art anatomy, because this dork child is drawn all big and buff like every man in the 1990s) But I would just like to point out that he clearly has other talents! Milan, along with Joanna “Frenzy” Cargill and Carmella Unuscione, were the ones who found Simon “Neophyte” Hall, a young mutant who had holed himself up in a church, and they spent two days talking him out. This is just a hunch, but given the aggressive, downright mean personalities of Frenzy and Carmella, I suspect that it was Milan who did a lot of the actual coaxing, with the ladies just there to protect him in case this young mutant had dangerous abilities. Likewise, this is also just a hunch, but given how upset Milan was at Neophyte “betraying” the Acolytes later, I also wonder if he didn’t bond with him afterward, maybe feel responsible for him. It would make sense, with Neophyte being younger and someone he had personally brought into the fold at such a vulnerable point in the boy’s life. I like to imagine that Neophyte looked up these three Acolytes, seeing Frenzy and Carmella as the terrifying badasses they are, and Milan more as a kindred spirit cool big brother. Which would also be nice for Milan, since, again, it seems like the more aggressively-powered Acolytes looked down on him. I love Milan guys I love him so much ;A;

#xmen #x men #X men novels #francisco milan #mutant empire

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ultralifehackerguru-blog · 5 years

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New Post has been published on http://lifehacker.guru/the-13-best-movies-you-didnt-see-in-2018/

THE 13 BEST MOVIES YOU DIDN'T SEE IN 2018

LAST YEAR, FOLKS in the US spent $11 billion going to the movies. Yet the bulk of those people, and those dollars, went to the mega-blockbusters—the Panthers, the Venoms, the Avengerseseses. Even though indies are getting a renaissance thanks to streaming services, there’s just not the same thriving middle-class that there was in decades past, and a ton of legitimately great films still don’t get in front of as many eyeballs as they should. So, fine, you let some smaller gems slip by; now’s your chance to make things right. Got a few free evenings over the holidays? Queue up these 2018 unsung heroes first.

Suspiria

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Amazon Studios’ art-house horror flick did modestly well in its small theatrical run, but limited distribution meant it didn’t get the attention it deserved. Directed by Call Me By Your Name‘s Luca Guadagnino, the film is, on the surface, a remake of Dario Argento’s horror classic of the same name. But it’s also much, much more than that. (Star Tilda Swinton, who actually plays a few roles in the film, went so far as to refer to it as a cover version of Argento’s original.) Beautifully shot, with an appropriately haunting performance by Dakota Johnson, this Suspiria goes beyond the tale of a witch-run dance school by digging its nails into the many ways the past will forever haunt us. It’s not for everybody, but if you have an itch for something truly gruesome and mind-bending, this’ll scratch it. —Angela Watercutter

First Reformed

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Here’s a sentence I never imagined myself writing in 2018: Ethan Hawke gave one of the best performances of the year. It’s not that I didn’t think he was capable; I just didn’t see him showing up in a dark eco-conscious Paul Schrader film wherein he plays an alcoholic priest trying to keep his sanity and his congregation together. And yet, here we are. Moody, existential and even a little bit ethereal, First Reformed is one of the year’s craziest headtrips—right down to the ohshitwhatthefuck? ending. It got a very limited theatrical run but has been playing free to Amazon Prime subscribers for a while now (as well as Kanopy). If you happen to be one—or even if you’re not—go watch it immediately. —A.W.

Shoplifters

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I’ve tried half a dozen times to explain director Hirokazu Kore-eda’s teleportative tale—about an ad hoc family living in near-poverty in urban Japan—and failed in each instance. So instead, here’s what Shoplifters is not: mawkish (though it is deeply moving); downbeat (despite its character’s increasingly desperate turns); nor needlessly twisty (though the family’s backstory is full of slow-building surprises). Instead, it’s a lovely, quite funny accounting of ordinary people staring down extraordinary circumstances with pragmatism, wits, and sporadic joy. And, in a year full of movies that viewed tough realities with deep empathy—from Roma to First Reformed to First Man—it’s the denizens of Shoplifters that have lingered in my mind the longest: Wondering where they are now, hoping everything turned out OK. —Brian Raftery

Mandy

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You know what sucks? The fact that so few movies today are confident enough to feature coked-out demon biker gangs, strange Jesus cults, and a truly off-the-leash Nicolas Cage. Luckily, though, there’s Mandy—director Panos Cosmatos’ movie starts with that grand trifecta and goes about a thousand steps further. Shot using lush nighttime colors that would make the Stranger Things crew jealous, the revenge tale follows Cage’s Red Miller as he goes searching for his girlfriend who has been taken in by the aforementioned cult. Explaining it any further would ruin the fun (it’s also kind of impossible), but rest assured it has one of the best eviscerations of fragile masculinity ever put onscreen. —A.W.

Miseducation of Cameron Post

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If you were an indie movie fan in 1999, you remember a delightful little film called But I’m a Cheerleader. It starred RuPaul as an instructor at a gay conversion camp and Natasha Lyonne and Clea DuVall as two of the unfortunate souls sent there for “treatment.” The Miseducation of Cameron Post, based on Emily M. Danforth’s novel of same name, is a much, much less campy version of that. In it, Chloë Grace Moretz plays the titular Cameron, a teenage girl who gets sent off to a conversion camp after getting caught in the back of a car with another woman the night of her prom. Heartwarming and heartbreaking, director Desiree Akhavan’s adaptation of Danforth’s novel is as vital and necessary as Cheerleader was in the late-1990s. It just has fewer laughs. —A.W.

Matangi/Maya/M.I.A.

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The last time you heard from (or about) agit-pop hitmaker M.I.A. it likely had something to do with her flying her middle finger at the Super Bowl or the term “truffle fries.”That was years ago, and a lot has changed in terms of how the public, and pop culture, treats its female artists. Well, maybe not a lot, but there’s been progress—and in Steve Loveridge’s documentary, the ways in which Maya Arulpragasam was mistreated and misunderstood couldn’t be more obvious. Built on archive footage and personal footage shot by the Sri Lankan artist over years and years, it creates a fuller picture of M.I.A. than any magazine profile or online hot take ever could. It might be a little late, but it’s also right on time. —A.W.

Shirkers

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The set-up for Sandi Tan’s autobiographical Netflix doc sounds like something out of a pop-culture thriller: In 1992, Tan and two other bright, outsidery teenage girls decided to make a semi-surrealist feature film in their home country of Singapore. They were aided by a mysterious older American man who absconded with the footage—and then all but disappeared from their lives. Yet Tan’s story doesn’t involve tidy resolutions or shocking twists. Instead, Shirkers is actually something infinitely more compelling: A gorgeous-looking self-interrogation about creativity, power, and the strange twilight zone between adolescence and adulthood. It also contains the most succinct one-liner about ’90s alt-teen life I’ve ever heard: “When [we were] were 14,” Tan says of her pals, “we discovered unusual movies and unpopular music.” Decades later, they all reunited for a film more unusual and profound than they ever intended. —B.R.

Tully

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Here’s the thing about Tully: It builds up to one really great twist. I won’t reveal it here, and maybe you’ll guess it before getting to the end anyway, but it’s a gut-punch. Before that happens, the setup is fairly simple. Marlo (Charlize Theron), a mother of three children, hires hip twentysomething Tully (Mackenzie Davis) as a nanny for her new baby. Over the course of weeks, Marlo and Tully become close and Marlo begins to yearn for the life she had when she was Tully’s age. Sounds dry, but this is a project from director Jason Reitman and writer Diablo Cody, a pair that has wrung blood, sweat, and tears out of domestic dramas (Juno, Young Adult) twice before—and does so double-time here. The quest to prolong youth while also raising children has never been so cuttingly portrayed. —A.W.

The Favourite

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I truly thought that nothing could top Suspiria for the most haunting final moments of any film in 2018. I was wrong. Director Yorgos Lanthimos’ film about the love/hate triangle between Queen Anne of England (Olivia Colman) and her companions Lady Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz) and Abigail Masham (Emma Stone) ended on a note so unsettling, I’m still not done processing it weeks later. (I won’t spoil it, but I will say I’ll never look at rabbits the same way ever again.) Much like with his film The Lobster, Lanthimos’ latest lands somewhere in the gaps between drama and farce. It is, instead, a crooked glance at humanity’s relationship to power—the things people do to get close to it, to claim it, and to throw it away. In Lanthimos’ askew version of history, when Sarah’s relationship with the Queen is threatened by the arrival of her cousin Abigail, she does what she feels she must do to wrest back control and steer Queen Anne’s War to her liking. Anne, sensing the manipulation, grows closer to Abigail, only to realize her intentions might not be much better. It’s an unparalleled study in the utter lack of trust that accompanies being in charge, in the dread that comes with knowing those who seek your favor may never have pure intentions. It’s as bleak as it is laughable—and one of the most wonderfully weird tales to hit the screen this year. —A.W.

Annihilation

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Director Alex Garland‘s adaptation of the first book of Jeff VanderMeer’s Southern Reach trilogy was easily one of the best dystopia films of 2018. It was also one of the year’s finest specimens of female badassery, featuring Natalie Portman, Tessa Thompson, Gina Rodriguez, and Jennifer Jason Leigh as a team sent on a expedition to find out why nature’s rules seem not to apply in the mysterious, government-protected space known as Area X. Haunting, unpredictable, and science-y (someone turns into a plant!), it was a whirlwind head trip—and a weird examination of what it means to exist. —A.W.

Eighth Grade

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Even the title strikes fear in the hearts of anyone who didn’t have the easiest time walking the halls of their middle school/junior high. In writer-director Bo Burnham’s film, that uneasiest of times is compounded by the fact that it takes place in the modern world, where all insecurities are reinforced by un-Liked Instagram posts and unreceived Facebook invites. Heroine Kayla Day (Elsie Fisher) knows she’s on a pretty low rung in her school’s social hierarchy and with each new YouTube video she posts full of advice she doesn’t take, her story becomes more and more poignant, more and more real. And whether you grew up in the social media age or not, it’ll punch you in the heart—and make you glad you survived adolescence intact. —A.W.

Leave No Trace

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Debra Granik, who every reviewer will remind you made a star out of Jennifer Lawrence with her film Winter’s Bone, pulled off another wrenching look at a family on the edges with this year’s Leave No Trace. When Will (Ben Foster) and Tom (Thomasin McKenzie)—a father-daughter pair who have been living off-the-grid outside Portland, Oregon for years—are arrested and put in the system, it tests their bond in new ways, and exposes Tom to a life unlike the one she’s lived with her father. Granik’s latest is almost deafening in how quiet it is, but its message about finding one’s place in the world is loud and clear. —A.W.

Three Identical Strangers

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Were you surprised by the twist? What about the one after that? These are kind the kinds of questions folks ask you after seeing this documentary about three identical triplets who discover each others’ existence in their teenage years. At the time they found each other, they became America’s latest talk show feel-good story and national intrigue. Everything that happened after that, though, is so unbelievable it pushes all boundaries of credulity. It’s a Can you believe? story that quickly becomes an examination of heredity and (possible) corruption that goes beyond unbelievable into truly mind-boggling. —A.W.

(C)

#2018 #Best Movie #Lifestyle #YOU DIDN'T SEE

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venofire-moved · 5 years

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🖊🖊🖊🖊🖊🖊🖊🖊🖊🖊🖊🖊

Rori Faith

Baby! The most kindhearted young woman you’d ever meet! Even despite all the shit she’s been through, and all the meanness she’s witnessed first hand, Rori remains to be the kindest lady ever. Dressed in Saburan attire, with the symbols of the hostile desert tribe patterning her clothing, she was immediately looked down on in the world outside the desert just as much as she had been in the desert. She never belonged anywhere, because to the Saburans, she was an outsider, being born in their prison cells of an impure woman, but since she was born on holy ground, they couldn’t get rid of her.

The Saburan’s hostility to outsiders was known so well throughout all of Emtiris that the moment she was banished, she wasn’t welcome there either, and instead of becoming jaded, Rori tried to help and show that she meant them no harm!

She’s the sweetest lady honestly- she loves cooking, will spend all of her time doing it if she could, and it definitely shows. Gordon Ramsay would adore her. She gives her food to the homeless and in need, and honestly, she gets taken advantage of quite a bit because of her kindness. Some times she knows, some times she doesn’t realize, but she doesn’t really mind either way- it’s not going to change it. She is selflessly sweet to the point she would sacrifice herself for just about anyone, and has dedicated her own life to the preservation of the world and it’s inhabitants, both in morality and literally, as she took a vow to the Aranthian Goddess of Life to do so. As if she didn’t already have a green thumb, everything she grows is absolutely delicious or incredibly beautiful. Life itself clearly appreciates all the genuine hard work Rori is willing to do at all times.

Keiji Yura

An adorable baker and red squirrel hybrid. I don’t know how she doesn’t get all sorts of fluff in the things she bakes with a tail like that, but whatever she’s doing, she’s doing it right, because she runs one of the best bakeries in southern Sorestras. On top of that, she’s a full-time thief under Elliot, and her shop, with all of it’s hidden little nooks and crannies, serves as a safe place and hiding spot for any thief that may have fallen into a trap and been spotted by the guards.

She’s a very energetic little thing, but don’t be fooled by that- she’s got both a vile temper and a terrible mouth. You may not notice it at first in her excited delivery but just about everything she says is some sort of backhanded compliment, or downright rude. She’s ungodly sarcastic, and if you call her short, she snubs you. You no longer exist to her and her pastel pink platform heels that she’s constantly in.

Ariselli Ves-Loudain

Quiet and serious, with a resting bitch face that doesn’t match her helpful behavior. Ariselli has nearly unending patience, but she doesn’t look like she does- one glance at her and you’d assume that she’s about to stab you- which you might be right, but only because she’s a medical professional and you need a shot. She’s a conservative little thing with a clinic in a small town in Sorestras, but when her clinic closes for the day, she doubles as a thief under Elliot, in his crew of robinhoods. With poverty rampant in some parts of Sorestras, she often focuses on stealing food and dimes from the rich to give back to the poor, and also tends to help the sick free of charge.

Veselin Vetarra

Another that’s quiet and serious, at least in appearance. One look at him and you’d guess he’s some sort of brute! And really, with his hot temper, he probably should be. He’s a muscular Amaloran half-elf that wields a unique trap-weapon, but isn’t what he seems. His shyness stems from selective mutism, and the moment you talk to him, he melts into a look of confusion and nervousness, stuttering out short responses just to get the conversation over with. And despite his muscle and his nerve-driven temper, Veselin practices in healing based magic, which he lends fully to the underground organization run by Anhalia Saitoman, known as Evoltsiya.

Though he wanted to stay and help in the revolution brewing in Amalar, Anhalia elected to keep his sister, Eva Vetarra back, and send him to aid Evoles, to form an alliance with the soon-to-be High Queen, Lillia Caibre.

Aspen Varro

Monotone witch that loves purple and taking the gods for granted. A bully herself, but the moment you say something rude, she’ll piss you off endlessly with her near inability to get angry and the fact that she will literally say ‘ew’ until you storm off (Looking at Kralie). Memes, conspiracies, black cats, and magic, she somehow finds herself working with Ezriel and Gwen to stop the possible end of humanity and I assure you, she is not the kind of hero anyone wants.

Nataly Veltra

The young Queen of Emtiris. The older sister of two heirs to the throne, and after her mother passed, she took on the position herself at only 19. She’d been ruling for only two years when disaster struck the western half of her country- a circle of dormant volcanoes that hadn’t ever had an eruption in recorded history suddenly released all of their building fury, taking down a massive part of Emtiris as well as affecting the waters off that coast to a point that trades had to be cut off from all countries on that side. This left Nataly hurriedly trying to get help from the east- Amalar and Evoles came to her aid, but it managed to put her country in debt to both…

She’s a quick thinking young woman with a lot on her shoulders, though the stress never really shows through. Instead, she puts on a polite, happy demeanor, with clear grace and regality in every step. She tends to take things at face value, unfortunately, and occasionally gets a little messed up by it. She’s the kind of person that googles something, reads the first line of the wiki, and thinks she knows the whole thing.

Kaori [–]

Necromancer and Sekan. Vaisa’s raiser, and a woman that’s very sick of oppression. One of the chosen Queen’s of Valya Caibre, and likely would have been the next to take the throne if Lillia hadn’t forged the papers, because Kaori is cruel, cold, and ready to slaughter any human that gets in her way of a good meal. Having suffered through near starvation for decades, she’s done putting herself below others to avoid feeling like a monster, and her armies of powerful magic enhanced undead will help her get her way.

Y’know, originally, she had a husband named Kamina, but the more I write her, the gayer she feels. Kamina was always a toy she raised and used for her own entertainment anyway.

Gwendalyn Caira

I honestly don’t know a whole lot about Gwen and Ezriel. I’m excited to get to know them both more as I start on Aspen and Dire’s story, because I feel like to be grouped up with Aspen, they’ll have to be entertaining people. When I think about Gwen, she seems like the motherly type. To me, she seems like she’ll treat Aspen and Ezriel the way Buddy does Baby in the beginning of Baby Driver, particularly when they discuss his killer track the first time, then listen to it together.

Tya Maraise

Should I really start on this because I will ramble for days on how much I love Tya. Like I treat her like shit, and I insult her allllll the time, because god damn does she suck, and she FRUSTRATES ME TO NO END with the way she manages to ALWAYS fuck a story up when I’m in the middle of writing it, but god, she’s my favorite character.

She’s seriously so fucking stubborn that I’ve had to revamp her story four times because every time I’d settle on a catalyst for her to actually cooperate with the story, and as I was writing it, I’d write through her thought process and she’d come to the conclusion that she either didn’t care that much about what I set for her, or that something else would effect it, like she didn’t care about the possibility of her dad being targeted by Valya’s crew because she knew her mother would rip apart any asshole that came at him, and she knew that it didn’t matter if she helped Lillia, or told Lillia off as I wanted her to, because if she stayed back and refused to help, Lillia was going to die anyway. Right now I’m still working on a path for her, but she screwed that up too by acting like Kralie does when Toby’s mentioned, meaning OVERREACTING WAY TOO GOD DAMN MUCH when Vaisa requested a presence with Lillia. Now she’s justbeing a depressed baby in a prison cell.

But I digress Tya is a stubborn asshole, and as bad as I feel picking favorites among my characters, she is my favorite- her and Lucien. So here are some secrets about her that I adore but she’ll never ever tell other people: She loves jumping on the bed. It’s the first thing she did when she moved into the castle in Evoles, and if anyone ever caught her doing it, she’d probably hire a hitman.

She daydreams about adventures she could possibly go on, but more often than not she spends allllll of her time dreaming about possible answers to the world’s mysteries, and that’s thanks to Vaisa because the first night she talked with him on a friendly basis, they spent hours coming up with ludicrous answers, and she absolutely loves it.

The reason she loves people that are the exact opposite of her, meaning highly active idiots with a great sense of humor, is because she really wants to be like that but doesn’t really know how. A lot of the time as it is, she says that conversation is an annoyance to her, and that’s because it’s really really foreign and thinking over what to say, and how to say it and whether or not she’s going to offend someone and run them off and something like that is a huuuugeee nuisance that just stresses her out, so she elects to not talk to people so she doesn’t have to deal with it.

She doesn’t actually like being alone all the time- that’s why one of the most intimate things you can do for her is sit with her, and that sound stupid, but to her it’s an understanding that despite the fact that she says she hates being around people, you know that she doesn’t, so long as she knows she’s not going to run you off easily. So if you sit and you don’t force her to endure the stress of a conversation, but let her enjoy your presence, then she absolutely adores it. Alternatively, if you do like @infeliicis’s Zelda did, and you break into her space and start telling her about things she’s interested in, she will immediately adore you because! Please tell her stories!!

Though she looooveess history and loves seeing and finding historical things, she’s just as good with reading it most of the time. Her actual dream is to own a bakery! She doesn’t like telling people this, especially ones that know her, because she has no sense of smell and a severely dulled sense of taste, and she always feels like people are going to be rude about the fact that she won’t know if what she’s cooking is good, because she can’t taste it. But she knows recipes really well, even if she prefers wayyyyyy too much goddamn cinnamon in everything she eats, she knows the amount she should put in something for others, and she also knows that they can’t handle the amount of spice she can, though she may have found that one out by destroying her poor father’s sense of taste.

Okay this got long so if you want me to ramble more about Tya, send another one for her and I’ll dedicate it specifically to my girl.

Desil Ves-Anev

Desil is a Soresean blacksmith (and part time thief with Elliot) that loves learning about historical weaponry. He’s always super up for an adventure or a hike, and his adventurousness is a big part of his charm as well as his gorgeous complexion. Ladies in his town absolutely love him because he’s got a naive air about him, and is kinda of dense but is undeniably, accidentally suave. Some times, women just love looking at a sweaty muscular man with his shirt open to cool off as he works hot metal into a nice blade. Who doesn’t, tbh.

Anyway, he’s super into historic weaponry, and honestly wants to make something so renowned that it’ll be written in books for ages, but he hasn’t really gotten to that point yet. Instead, he’s aiming to collect a bunch of stuff and open a museum where people can come admire those and even get their own copies made by him, possibly without the enchantments since, despite being elven, he has no idea how to work magic.

Dire

Big ol’ wolf boy Dire was once the Wind Ancient. Another energetic soul, incredibly naive and loveable, the epitome of innocence and childlike curiosity and wonder, and that still pretty much sums up his personality, even though he doesn’t remember that life at all. Centuries after the fall of the Ancients, Wind’s soul was plucked from the skies by Life, and she stuffed it into the fresh corpse of the last remaining Dire Wolf in Arantis, after watching it be hunted for its thick, warm coat. She revived and healed the wolf, and transferred to it a portion of her magic, thus allowing it to take the form of both a Dire Wolf and a human so it could be sent off on a mission for her.

Despite his previous appearance as wind being monochrome white and gray, he’s taken on the body of a pole shaped, tan skinned, freckly boy with wide eyes and a haircut that’s only a step above a bowl cut. Since he was quite literally born yesterday, and also has the personality of a dog, you can bet your ass he’s going to be excited about literally every single thing you put in front of him, and honestly, it’s adorable.

Cedric Rega

Cedric is an adventurer through and through. He can’t ever stay in place for too long without getting restless, because there’s soooo much to see! He’s one of those people that’s always got a million stories to tell, isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty, and god damn is he good with animals- particularly horses. He’s quick to step in to any situation where anything is getting harassed, and doesn’t really seem to understand that some times the circle of life just has to go through- animals hunt, but if he has any say in it, nothing is gonna die on his watch, it’ll at least have to wait until he’s no longer in view.

He’s quick to take action on things that he sees are bad, and would be a great sell-sword in Skyrim.

#tanouttatan #ᴏᴏᴄ | ᴀᴍ ɪ Qᴜᴀʟɪᴛʏ ʏᴇᴛ ?

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