#just seems like a waste of an episode that could have focused on another of the main castaways that haven't been featured yet

[goldsbitch]

Just don't talk---

-to me.

p4 to Just don't talk

summary: Enemies to lovers on steroids. Y/N unknowingly crosses a line, making it impossible for Lando to continue their little affair.

warnings: cursing, typos

Sometimes, the world of F1 really required one to grow up fast. Y/N had noticed strange looks from few of the team members during meetings and sessions for the whole week. She tried not to give it much thought - that was until her manager called, on a late Wednesday evening and broke the news. There were serious talks of her being replaced by someone, who used to drive for her team before and wanted back. She, as an average rookie, couldn't stand a chance and couldn't possibly play the "female driver" card (which she hated anyway). The phone call with her manager was a hard one, nothing seemed to be confirmed, but her pro active guardian angel worked on having enough close friendships around the team to know the news before it got to be known around the paddock. Her heart was racing for life, hand shaking, mind running wild. This couldn't be happening. They can't just drop her out of nowhere, she tried to convince herself.

She lived in this uncertainty for three days, constantly in contact with her own team, focusing on not failing at her job, completely ignoring any texts or calls from people outside her comfort zone. Yet, she didn't hesitate to schedule a hook up with Lando. A break though came when her manager called, informing her that she currently in negotiations with another f1 team for potential transfer, she called it a "just in case" back up, but sounded a little too excited for it being a back up team. Even when Y/N begged to know what team that was, her manager did not cave in, saying it was just too early stages.

//

What a perfect waste of time. Every evening in her busy life was a calculation, a plan to keep or alone time prescribed by herself. Tonight they were suppose to meet up with Lando, in the morning they'd texted about it, he even cracked a joke and appeared to be in a generally easy going mode. But 8pm rolled in and no text, call or even a doorbell. After a half an hour of pacing around and pretending to be busy, she found herself in a completely clean kitchen, finished emails and painted nails. Lando was rarely ever late without a note beforehand. She was not going to text him. That would be too needy. Few episodes of some sitcom, which she had to rewind several times as her attention span lasted about two minutes. Minutes rolled in like a cruel indicator of how much she took as a given that they'd see each other. How much it wasn't on the table that he would ditch her. At some point, she had to come to terms with it. But nobody was there to force to admit that she felt a strange hollow feeling in her stomach. She pushed all thoughts into the back of her head and focused on her next racing plan. That's what she was suppose to be anyway. She might face being replaced out of nowhere, she had to be at her best game. Only when she lost the option of the only distraction that seemed to work in the form of Lando's smirk, she realized how much tension she held within her. It wasn't a night filled with much sleep for her. The late night loneliness crept in, loveless mornings had pilled up over time into a tower blocking the sunshine in. She sat on her bed, second guessing every choice she ever made - was the racing even worth it all? She could have been married by now? What a strange concept. Was she ever going to do so? In a man's world, was there an option to find a lover who would not challenge her and only induce her anxiety? She circled back to her first and only love and wasn't even sure if she had the privilege to call it that as the memory of the slacker guy from her hometown literally slept through their break up. Often she'd watch her colleagues hop on the first plane to spend as much time as this lifestyle allowed with a loved one. She had yet to find out what that kind of a flight felt like.

A whole week had passed since that night. They saw each other on numerous occasions and both of them avoided each other's looks, as if they would turn to stone if their eyes had met. It was good for their public image.

Y/N was excited when her manager finally met up with her in person to tell her about a potential team transfer, should the silly season kick in hard. "I'm not saying anything is set in stone. There have just been few meetings, lawyers checked up your contract again for potential breach causes, so we did some work in the meantime," she stated dramatically over a coffee date they'd set up at Y/N's hotel room. Her manager seemed unusually giddy, excitement poking through her professionalism. "There is a possibility, now, hold your horses, just a possibility, that there might be an open seat at McLaren soon." This came as a shock wave. Y/N always admired her manager, who was always three steps ahead of everyone. Her mind started to race in many conflicting directions. McLaren was an exciting team, definitely a promotion. So was this why Lando ghosted her? Because she might potentially become his teammate? That was just a little too childish of him, she thought, judging her own choices in a hook up "buddy". "So does that mean that Oscar is thinking about leaving the team?" "Well, not exactly. Technically, nobody is thinking about leaving the team. Also, it's not Oscar, but Lando." And the penny dropped.

//

Lando had been in this business for years. He knew well enough what was up. Made sure to have people at the right places, faithful souls who loved him a little too much and were willing to breach their NDA for him. Of course he knew that Y/N's managers were speaking to McLaren. And also why. It took him by surprise, that was for sure. He was a great racer with a big potential. When he learned in secrecy that the reason why McLaren is thinking of changing up their driver line up, it wasn't exactly because of the actual racing, but more of marketing and appearing as a young hip team, it made him furious. Lando had started to become an old news for the marketers. Oscar and Y/N pairing had intrigued them. Of course he wasn't going to keep on with their little love affair. She was becoming a threat, more so outside the track than on the track. He was mad when he found out. Of course he had always kept his distance from Y/N. But this felt personal. She truly was a ruthless bitch, as his gut had told him from day one. It probably wasn't even attraction what he felt towards her, just his subconsciousness telling him to keep his enemies closest physically possible. He tried to hold of thinking about their glorious sex. There were bigger things at stake. He didn't feel threatened. Just little bit betrayed. He had to take action.

//

Once her manager left, she found herself pacing around her room yet again. Thoughts jumping one over another. Excitement skipping over anxiousness, joy being overrun by a sinking fear. She was always going to put her career first. So why was there a sudden urge to run to wherever Lando was and explain that she had no idea this was being set up in her name.

It was a strangely bittersweet feeling, standing at a photoshoot for her contract renewal. There was an unspoken tension between her and the team leaders, nobody willing to talk openly about the fact that they were about to drop her and she was talking about running to different team. But there she was, faking smiles, staying with the team for another two seasons, hating this industry more than ever before. In the end, she gave her everything just to stay in an environment that made her feel just like another clog in the all too big entertainment machine. McLaren calls were getting postponed and everyone knew what that meant, so her own personal team decided to jump for the first option that offered some security. With that, she smiled and posed again. Merely a shell of the fiery girl that bit Lando's arm just weeks ago. All this stress, loneliness and self-doubt had changed the course of her energy.

//

"Oh, you're taking the same elevator?" Lando asked, shooting arrows at Y/N as he pressed the close door button. He had imagined many times that he would slam a door in her face and this was the closest her could get to that. She put her hand into the door gap, giving him a strict eye roll. Finally, faith brought them into a place where they were alone again. "Really?" she said walking in the elevator. Lando tried to be the bigger and mature person. Being around her was making it impossible. He was angry and frustrated. "So...how are you?" she tried to break the ice. "You have never asked me that before. Are you sick?" "No, I'm just...we haven't spoken-" "-ever. No reason to start now," he said, acting as if this was all passing him by. Scrolling on his phone without a care in the world. "I didn't know..." "What..?" "I didn't know that my managers were having these talks," she said softly. There was an apology on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't bring herself to actually say it. "And are you looking for my advice on how to keep the people who you pay in check? Or what is the purpose of this conversation?" "I'm just...I never wanted to try and push you out of..you know." Lando laughed. "That's some severe delulu vibe you're giving off." "Sorry?" she reacted, genuinely confused. "The audacity you have! Thinking you can manipulate the situation better than I do. Princess, I've been in the game years more than you and survived bigger shitstorms - do you really believed I'm here only because I'm a good driver? No, these games are half of the work. So no, I absolutely do not believe that you didn't know about this. And the fact that you're trying to convince me of that is highly disrespectful." Y/N was taken back, processing several conflicting reactions at the same time. The always calm Lando got pushed over the edge. And he was not done. "Next time you're drowning, don't reach out to drag me down too. You should be grateful, you got to keep your job and certainly no thanks to the shitty managers of yours, so you're welcome. I'm genuinely surprised that you landed the job you now have in the first place."

It was a lot of information blurted at her. But she got a hold of the important part. "Lando? What did you do?" He took a deep breath. He said too much. "You will never find out. Now stop talking."

Y/N hit a pause on the elevator. Not that it would help, she figured they had only few minutes extra before someone would be over to run the machine again. "The fuck are you doing," Lando exclaimed and tried to stop her. His hand grabbed her arm and Y/N got an instant flashback to the night he tied her to her own bed frame. "Did you help me?" she asked, anger spitting out of her lips. "Let's not dive into that, shall we? Now, get the elevator running." "I don't need your help, Lando." "This was not any help, I'm trying to keep you out of McLaren, so don't read into it." While that did sound reasonable, Y/N knew there was more. With that, the fire she'd been missing for weeks entered her system again. "Stop helping me, Lando," she said in a serious tone, stepping closer to the guy still holding her arm. She quickly pushed it away. "I don't need your help." She was really pushing it, he thought and bursted. "Is that so! I saw that last week. Your weak strategy and poor results nearly got you dropped. " "No, not dropped. Replacing you." "It would take the hell to freeze over for that to happen, Princess naivité. It was a straight path back to f2 at best. Get your shit together and get a grip over those who act in your name and grow up. Nobody is going to save you next time." She wondered what exactly he did, but knew that there will be a time and place for that conversation. Lando cursed himself for saying it all at once. He was there, lecturing her on strategy, while not being able to follow his own for a second when she was around. Said things he planned on keeping for himself forever. She stood in front of him and he could read the surprise on her face. Anger left her body and suddenly she never looked so innocent. Just a scared girl standing in front of him, trying to navigate their complicated world. The only reason he helped her was because he felt sorry for her. Nothing else. Definitely. "How can I repay you?" she asked, humbled by the newly found information. He took his time to respond. Prolonging this moment just a little. Knowing that soon enough, the innocent face he stared at would soon turn to its usual pseudo-tough-cool-girl mask. It was as if he saw the real Y/N for the first time. "You could stop whining and get this elevator running," he said slowly, as if his body was rejecting these words. Without any other comment, she obeyed his wish. They both turned away from each other and continued in silence. Lando had secretely hoped that she would question him more. She let out a little thank you when exiting the elevator. He watched her leave and forgot for a moment into which floor he was supposed to originally go. She paced away from his as fast as she could. These past few days have pushed her to the limit and the conversation with Lando was the last straw, the word "Princess" screaming in Lando's voice in her head.

part 5

_________________________________________

@scopeiguess @multifandomwhore-003 

#lando norris #lando norris smut #lando norris smau #lando norris x reader #lando norris x you #lando norris fanfic #ln4 imagine #formula 1 #formula one x reader #lando norris x Y/N #f1 fanfic #meet cute #slow burn fic #formula 1 fluff #formula 1 fanfic #ln4 x reader #ln4 x y/n #lando norris x y/n #f1 smut #smut #f1 imagine #f1 social media au #ln4 fic

[krakensdottir]

I think the reason I'm not vibing with a lot of speculative Good Omens meta now is that I'm focused on what I think the scenes actually mean, what actually is and will be, rather than what could be.

Crowley's memories, for example. I fully agree that other things COULD explain his seeming memory gaps, and there's a lot of ways you could interpret them. But I'm focused on what the scenes are intended to convey, what the probable thought was behind them, and therefore, work out whether it's likely to come up later in the story. In this case, I'm at least 80% sure we're meant to pick up on those moments as significant. It's not that there aren't alternative explanations, or that some of them aren't completely logical. I'm not speculating within the story, I'm picking up on story cues from outside of it.

And that goes for most of my speculations, to be honest. I think we probably won't see the same human characters again, because that would fit the pattern of the series so far - human players are introduced for each chapter of the story. And it feels like Nina and Maggie have concluded their arc, and don't need any more celestial intervention (if they really needed any in the first place). It seems unlikely, too, that Crowley will hang around his and Aziraphale's space when he's not in it. He's already living in his car, so it's easy for the plot to move him wherever he needs to be. That seems deliberate to me. Like, if I was about to move the story to another location - say, America - this is the way I'd set it up.

I also think that's why the unreliable narrator / 'we're not seeing what actually happened' theories especially annoy me. Partly because they feel like coping and I think some people are setting themselves up for disappointment. Partly because when it's an unreliable narrator, it's always Aziraphale, and that carries an assumption that this is just Aziraphale's story. Which it is not. But the biggest thing is how unrealistic that idea is. We are two-thirds of the way through the story. There are six more episodes in which to tell the rest. Spending a good chunk of that going over S2 again and showing us 'what really happened!' would be a massive waste of time. I don't see why there would be a secret narrative, because there's literally no time for one. Everything we see onscreen has to count. If you want to make serious predictions, not just headcanons, then you have to take things like that into account.

[relatable-trxsh]

What We Came Here To Do pt.4

The 100 Episode 2 pt.2

A/n: This Post is a little short and goes into ep 3 just a little bit bc I needed filler. also if you squint you'll see a little bit of Bellamy falling for the reader.

Summary: Y/N Kane was a mechanic apprentice that worked under Jake Griffin and Sinclare until Jake gets floated and you get locked up for treason. Now you are part of the 100 getting sent to earth. Of course, you miss your best friend Wick but is stopping your dad Marcus Kane from coming down to earth worth losing Wick forever, the hot (totally not a guard) Bellamy Blake thinks so, so you just might follow him.

Warning: Cursing, violence, sex (Eventually), Slow Burn!!!

Pairing: Bellamy Blake x reader(eventually), Wick x best friend reader, Raven x best friend reader, Finn x best friend reader

pt.1 pt.2 pt.3

Finn Pov

In the drop ship, Finn was helping Clarke gather supplies when Wells walks in.

“There you are, I've been looking everywhere for-what are you two doing? I already said my father left us with nothing.” Clarke shakes her head looking up at Wells, silently examining the cut Murphy gave him. “I'm fine.” He mumbles hiding the wound a little as if he was a little kid about to get scolded for playing too rough. “Just a Scratch.”

“Clearly you’re making friends fast. Keep the scratch covered.” She squints her eyes a little, focusing on the pack hung on Wells’ body. Finn looked at it as well, admiring the craftsman ship.

“Yeah I pieced it together with some parts off the dropship insulation, seatbelts, parachute, you name it I used it. Figured we could use the parachute to carry Y/n.” 

“Good give it to someone else. You're not coming.” Clarke says standing up and not giving Wells another glance.

“Clarke, my ankle is fine.” She scoffs, spinning on her heels so fast Finn was worried the rubber souls of her shoes would melt.

“I don't give a shit about your ankle Wells. It's you. I don't want You to come with.” Finn watched in shock. He hadn’t expected to see a side like this with Clarke.

“You came back for reinforcements. That's me.”

“He's got a point, Clarke.” She shot a look filled with daggers at Finn causing him to cringe a little. “So far only Monty and Jasper have volunteered. I can carry her on my own but it'll be easier to protect ourselves if we have more eyes and hands.”

“Monty, you can't go either.”

“What why?! Y/n is my friend too!” 

“You were raised on  farm station. What up here,” She tapped his forehead gently with her index finger. “Is gonna save us all.”

“Then I definitely have to come if you are making Monty stay.” Clarke rubs her temples.

“Fine.” She says in a curt tone. “We leave now.” Clarke turns on her heels again, this time Finn and the others close behind her s she walks up to Bellamy and Octavia.

“Are you leaving? I'm coming too.” Bellamy scoffs at Octavia.

“Like hell you are.” She pouts about to protest when Clarke cuts in.

“He’s right, you’ll only slow us down, Octavia. But you on the other hand,” Clarke turns towards Bellamy. “You are coming with us.” He scoffs.

“Already planned on it princess. I wasn't gonna let you guys go get Y/n without my help.” Clarke nods and makes her way to the edge of the makeshift camp everyone in tow.

“Murphy follow us, Atom you keep my sister fucking safe do you understand me?” Atom nods and Murphy falls in line with the rest of the group.

Everyone walked in silence for what seemed like forever until there was a click of a gun behind Finn and Clarke. They both turn in unison to see Bellamy with his gun pointed at Clarke and Murphy with his signature cocky grin. 

“What’s the rush guys? Not like Y/n actually survived a spear to the heart. Which sucks cause the kid had a spark.” Bellamy says inching closer to Clarke.

“Put the gun away, Bellamy.”

“Why don't you do something about it?”

“Y/n screamed when they moved her, which means they didn't spear her heart.”

“The kid still has a spark.” Bellamy mutters under his breath.

“We don't have time to waste.”

“Take the wristband off and then we’ll go rescue Y/n” Clarke scoffs at Bellamy.

“The only way the ark is gonna think I'm dead is if I’m actually dead.”

“Brave little princess.” Bellamy Smirks and uncocks the gun placing it back into his waistband.

“Hey get your own nickname.”

They keep walking when Bellamy let out a loud sigh.

“We need to split up and cover more ground. Clarke come with me.” Finns ears perk up.

“Ill come with you guys as well, Jasper can go with wells and Murphy to make sure they dont kill eachother.” Bellamy shrugs a little.

“Whatever.” The silent journey continues until something crosses Finns mind.

“Bellamy why do you care if we find Y/n. Isnt she one of the privileged?” Bellamy is quiet for a moment before speaking.

“From what I’ve seen of her, she doesnt act like one of them, she acts like one of us. She has a sassy spark and doesnt deserve to be taken out by a fucking spear.” He stops walking and turns to look at Finn. “Why do you care so much if we find her?” 

“Shes one of my best friends. Me her and wick always hung out in the mechanic wing. God Wick is probably worried sick about her.” Bellamy goes to open his mouth but Finn cuts him off. “And no Wick isnt her boyfriend just her best friend in like the entire galaxy.” Bellamy nods and keeps walking. It got silent again. Eventually Wells, Murphy and Jasper meet back up with the other group.

“How do we know were going the right way? Do we even know where they could have taken her?” Wells asks, his ankle clearly starting to bother him.

“We dont. Spacewalker over here thinks hes a tracker.” Bellamy says matter a factly. Finn goes to say something snarky but theres a low groan that stops him.

“What was that?” Finn asks.

“Now would be a good time to get out that gun.” Clarke tells Bellamy. They all slowly continue to walk forward when Finn sees you, bloodied and barley alive strung up in a tree like some sick christmas tree ornament.

“Oh my god Y/n.” Finn and Clarke walk forward but clarke was alittle ahead causing her to fall into a hole. Some how Bellamy caught her before Finn could even process what happened. “Pull her up! Hurry!” Finn panics. Bellamy pulls clarke up and Finn rushes to her side. “Are you okay?” She nods and stands following Bellamy around the hole to where you were tied up.

“I can climb up and cut the vines.” Finn says getting out his makeshift knife. 

“Ill come with you.” Wells says following him. 

“No you stay down here and watch murphy, Bellamy lets go. I need you to hold her up while I cut her down.” He nods and both of them start climbing up.

“Look her wound, it has poultice on it.” CLarke points out.

“Medicine? Why would they try and heal her just to string her up like live bait?” Wells interjects.

“Maybe they were trying to catch something that likes its dinner breathing.” Bellamy says starting to climb up the tree.

“Or maybe they are trying to catch us.” After a few minutes of cutting and Bellamy trying to sooth you as you cried and whimpered from the movement, you were finally free. Bellamy carried you down from the tree, Finn jumped down after and opened his arms for Bellamy to pass you to him. 

“Are you sure? I dont mind caring her.” Everyones heads head snaps in the direction of the sound of a branch snapping. 

“Bellamy gun!” Clarke urges. He quickly goes to pass you off to Finn when a gun shot goes off. He looks over and Wells is shooting and missing at a large cat lookin thing. Bellamy goes to reach for the gun when the animal finally goes down. Bellamy looks at Wells a little shocked. 

“Now she sees you.”

Time skip back to camp

Y/n Pov

Everything was dark and felt like fire. The fire would stop for a moment and then it would continue like hot knife being stabbing into your soft skin. You knew you had to of been being loud there was no way you werent you just hoped whoever was making you feel this way knew what they were doing.

After a while the burning stopped only to be replaced with a new pain, that made your whole body writhe in pain. In you time in this darkness you heard voices. Some you could recognize like Clarke, Finn, Monty, and Jasper. But there was one that you recognized but couldnt put a name to it.

“Hey, youre gonna get better okay? You cant die on me.” The voice spoke softly “I have this plan, and idea really that me and you can run this camp but I cant do it with out you.” You felt a large, rough and callused hand grab yours. “I need your spark.”

You were unsure how much time had passed but you knew clarke and Finn continued to check in on you.

“Her pulse is through the roof, its pushing 380.” Clarke says as she lets go of your wrist.

“GO TO BED”

“SHUT HER THE HELL UP” “JUST LET HER DIE ALREADY”

Finn leans down and brushes the hair from your forehead.

“Dont listen to them okay, you are gonna make it.” Clarke stand up, watching the way Finn is so soft with you and smiles.

“Im gonna go get some water, watch her okay?” Finn nods and positions himself in a way that he can watch the door and you. 

~Taglist~

@gaymansruse @severa-kane @slut4bradley

#bellarke #the 100 #bellamy blake #the 100 clarke #the 100 bellamy #bellamy x reader #octavia blake #the 100 finn #the 100 imagines #john murphy #bellamy blake imagine #bellamy blake smut #bellamy blake x reader

[btr-rewatch]

Big Time Rush Season 1, Episode 1: "Big Time Audition" PART 1

Well, here we go! I'm super excited to be revisiting this show after so many years. I was so deep in the fandom back when the show was on, but it feels like going into it with a blank slate at this point. I have no idea what the fandom is like anymore and also forgot so many of the episodes. Ugh, I wish I could remember what my BTR blog from like 2011 used to be called (and if it even still exists; I might have deleted it). It'd be so cool to take a look at it.

I'm gonna try to just jump right in here. A few things first: I'll be pausing the episodes perodically as I watch in order to write up my posts on here, so it'll be a very "real-time" depiction of my experience, lol. Posts will also always be put under a "read more" on account of length.

Y'all the smile on my face at just the beginning few seconds of the episode. It brings me right back to 2009, watching the premiere with my sister. And I love how there's really no time wasted in making it loud and clear what each of the boys' roles are in the group and what their personalities are like.

Kendall's first line is literally a little motivational pep talk. He's trying to motivate them to do something that's going to get them into trouble, but still...it's in character. (btw, I will absolutely be focusing in on Kendall's character development—and my criticisms of it—as I move through the series)

Anyway, continuing on down the line: Logan counters Kendall's words with math, thus promptly labeling him as The Nerd of the group. Carlos jumps at the chance to cause some chaos (very Carlos. he was my favorite, btw) and James is just not paying attention to any of it. He's just standing there preening.

James is another one who changes a good deal from this first episode, I think. I mean, if I'm remembering correctly, he stays sort of self-absorbed and concerned with his looks, but not quite to THIS degree.

Also, the guys all work well together and fit, but I can't help but wonder how this group came together. It's such an oddball mixture of extreme personalities that you'd be hard-pressed to find in real life. In fact, if it were real life, they probably wouldn't be able to tolerate each other at all, let alone be friends. But that's the beauty of the show.

They do all eventually help Carlos turn the sprinklers on.

Troublemakers. Oh! And I spy plaid on Kendall. He wears plaid in like every episode, doesn't he? I remember that being a thing.

Logan's hair looks very dark. Was it dyed for this episode? I don't remember it being that dark.

I'm only ONE MINUTE into this episode. Yikes; these are going to be long posts, aren't they?

Yes, Carlos gives James the helmet right before they get pummeled by the mob of angry girls! Kendall knows James has to protect his face! Just a little over a minute in, and we have a leader of the group firmly established.

GUSTAVO AND KELLY!!!

I love him.

Meanwhile, the guys are nursing their injuries back at Kendall's house. It's so funny to me the way that Kendall seems to have the rest of them (mainly Carlos?) "trained" in a way? He tells Carlos to give James the helmet, and Carlos does do without hesitation. Then, when James starts dancing on the couch, all he has to do is say Carlos's name, and Carlos tackles James to the floor.

But when you've got a group of buddies like that, someone has to step up and take the reins, and that someone is Kendall Knight.

Look at these goofballs smiling as Carlos and James beat each other up.

The FLIP PHONES

Amazing. This show already kind of feels like a fun little time capsule.

I'd be remiss to not talk about this specific moment (when James and Carlos are throwing hands again) that I recall the fandom latching onto back in the day. As things start spiraling and glass starts flying, Logan simply calls Kendall's name, and Kendall immediately runs to Logan's side.

This is the point in which I probably start overanalyzing, but. Well, that's half the fun of this project, isn't it?

It speaks volumes about who Kendall is, what his role is in the group, and how the other three (especially Logan) look at him. Things are getting out of hand, and Logan is overwhelmed. So what does he do? Simply call for Kendall to take control and fix it. Because that's who Kendall is, right? He's Mr. Hold Everyone Together, Fix Everything All the Time, Carry the World on His Shoulders Guy.

I'll be delving more in that in future posts, I'm sure. Many thoughts.

Also, can we talk about how James and Carlos are just. Destroying Mrs. Knight's home?? Throwing things and about to hit each other with a lamp and a...whisk?? Is that what Carlos has? As a kid, I was like, "ahahaha, funny," but now I'm like, "I hope Mama Knight made those boys pay for every item they ever broke while in her house."

I was originally going to break this up into just 2 parts, but it's already pretty long, and I don't even know if anyone will read it, so I'm going to wrap it up right here for now. I'm sure once I get into the actual series, the posts will be shorter, but there's a lot of ground being laid in this episode, and I'm also still finding my footing on this blog.

Thanks to anyone who checks this out!

#big time rush #btr #btr rewatch #btr season 1 #kendall knight #james diamond #logan mitchell #carlos garcia

[church-of-lilith]

Honestly what does give me a little comfort in kind of a messed up way is the fact that us sapphics aren't exactly alone-they pretty much screwed over EVERY minority lmao: Nate's storyline wasn't really explored and mostly centered around his relationship with Jade, Keeley could have had a whole fish out of water storyline like Ted about winning over her coworkers but instead the focused on her relationship drama, completely wasted Edwin and Shandy's potential for cheap laughs, gave a half assed attempt at writing Sam's storyline only to call him literally getting hate crimed a "big whoop" and never address it again, never actually giving Dani a storyline, like the list goes on and on XD its honestly kind of impressive how they managed to lowkey tear down their entire legacy Omg if you can edit your reddit post you should also mention how the only other sapphic character on the entire show is that creepy dog breeder..

This is so true. It feels like they dropped the ball for every single minority character and the longer you think about it the worse it gets.

Let’s talk Nate for a second because his whole storyline really baffles me. They had him coaching at Westham, and then they had him quit (or was he fired?) from Westham OFF SCREEN? And then suddenly an episode later he’s back as the assistant kitman for Richmond? I’ll never understand why these writers were so dead set on him coming back to Richmond, all so he could just fade into the background. And while I do believe the whole kit man decision was a temporary one, and that going forward they made him a coach again, I don’t like the implication that he worked through his issues this whole season to just end up back where he was. There’s no reason Nate couldn’t have gone off and gotten another coaching job at another team! He’s still the Wonder Kid, clearly has mad skills and credibility, you can’t tell me there isn’t a team who would have wanted him! I understand he had to return to Richmond briefly to have closure and make his apologies, but then he could’ve gone off to coach elsewhere and continued to spread the Lasso Way and change the lives of other people! We didn’t need him at Richmond when basically all the work has already been done. I wish they would’ve given me any indication that he’d really been impacted by this whole arc he went through & then gone off to be the change he wanted to see in the world.

Keeley’s whole storyline being about Jack & the business was such a waste of Juno Temple’s amazing acting, and an underutilization of the fan favorite character we know and love. Most everything about her seemed so off this season? And as you pointed out, she really didn’t even become Miss Independent until the very end when Rebecca took over financing and she was able to make decisions about her own business finally. I would’ve much rather they had Rebecca funding it from the start (or at least earlier in the season) so we could have seen her adventures and misadventures through running her own company that didn’t have anything to do with her messy, exploitative relationship with Jack.

The way I feel about them trying to tackle racism with Sam’s storyline is the same way I feel about them trying to tackle homophobia with Colin’s. If you’re gonna half ass it, don’t do it at all. And they certainly didn’t put half the amount of time and effort they needed to into thinking up how to properly handle Sam’s storyline. We went through the whole hate crime that was never addressed again. And then we had this big problem with Edwin in the final episodes where he was like “I’m going to destroy your entire life and you’ll never make money with the restaurant and you’ll never play for the National team.” And then that was just NEVER addressed again?? Not even a throwaway line about Rebecca taking care of it or something?? He was suddenly playing on the Team and the only explanation we were given from Brendan during the AMA was that it was due to ‘national outcry’ like give me a break. Not to mention we never saw Simi again and so we never got to see if she and Sam ended up together. We were sort of just left to infer that everything worked out for Sam, and that just doesn’t work for me.

Poor Dani Rojas was doomed to be nothing more than a joke from the very start. He deserved more, but at the same time I’m almost glad they didn’t give him more because the storylines this season were awful.

So yeah, feels like all of the minorities on the show lost. I don’t know how the writers managed to do this in so little time, but you’re right it is really impressive.

#thanks anon! #how did every character manage to lose #ted lasso #nathan shelley #nate shelley #keeley jones #jack x keeley #sam obisanya #colin hughes #dani rojas

[rainbowangel110]

Episode 39! Was a fun one! Let's go

So we start off with a livestream that goes wrong... cuz something exploded. As is usual with most streamers tbh.

So now we've stopped at a nearby twon who's name I cannot remember so that's fun :) but it's a metal down that's pretty industrial so we're stopping by for supplies. Dot needs a new mic but... well the others have no idea what she's talking about

So!

If y'all don't watch this show, this is a pretty big deal. Dot doesn't normally come out of her room other than to grab the occasional snack from the kitchen or something. It's pretty rare to see her out and about but even more rare for her to leave the ship, because as she puts it, "A waste of my time." The last time she was actually off the ship was the curry competition, and before that was when Liko's memories got wiped by Spinel and was left wandering in one of the cities.

Anyways smash cut to the theme song which hell yeah.

Annnnnnnnd she immediately loses the two. So they've already got what she needed and were checking out the 'vintage' section of the market, where Liko and Roy were ogling at the T.V. and radio. And then in the mere minute it took Dot to buy an old mic from one of the stalls, they vanished.

Ahhh

And then she hears yelling from an alley way which uhhhh alright guess we follow that

Okay so it wasn't bad, just some guy yelling at a Tinkatink. It's trying to take his hammer to create it's own. Tinkatinks are small, and want to make hammers to their liking using any scrap metal they can find. So this guy, working at a factory, had something that caught it's eye.

Anyways she eventually lets go, and Dot gives back it's old hammer and that mic is so getting snagged by it isn't it

Called it. Dot decided to leave it be cuz, hey the thing is already pretty old (she was going to use it as a prop but eh, change of plans)

Awwww that's adorable. you do you little squeaky pink gal

Murdock chill out, everything is fine, they were gone for half an hour at max. He's such a doting uncle to her. This is definitely embarrassing her lol.

SEX MICE SPOTTED

LEAVE THEM ALONE

They're also on the card for the mons who are just living on the ship, no trainers!

Which is just as adorable as them :)

Idk ma'am you seem pretty angry to me..... I definitely didn't see what happened though, so don't look at me.

Anyways, as Orio is interrogating everyone over the metal she was going to use.....

BABY ON BOARD!!!!!

Awww that's so cute.

NO SHE ISN'T!!! LOOK INTO THOSE EYES AND THEM ME THAT THIS LITTLE GAL IS THE CULPRIT-

Anyways one hilarious chase later....

NOOOO NOT MY BOY!!! NOT THE COLON D MON D:

So apparently it eats metal to harden it's outer shell, which explains a lot.

NOT THE HAMMER ANYTHING BUT THAT

It ate one of the masts??? Are you kidding me??? Oh this is bad.

DOT FIGHT!?!?

DOT FIGHT!!! WHOO HOOO!!!!

So uhh didn't take much screenshots of the fight cuz I was too focused on it but!

Quaxly was using water gun to create a circle of wet sand, so the Orthoworm can't escape from crawling over the sand. But Dot left one part of the circle dry. Where she was.

So the Orthworm runs straight to her, and Quaxly quickly hits it to knock the hammer out!

Which lets our baby get it and give the final blow! Gosh I wish I could gif these things it was so cool!!!

OH?

DOT HAS ANOTHER POKEMON LET'S FRWAKING GOOOO!!!!!! WHOOO!!!!!!

And now it's part of the streamer family :)

cute.

#pokemon horizons #just posting #pokémon #this was a good episode I liked it very much :)

[strawberryqueen00]

Do you think that Viren is dead?

I hope this meme accuracy describes my words. If not…oh boy

But legit…there’s a chance. So Aaravos very clearly words it “the blood of your child” not the “life of your child” the blood. That is some SUPER specific wording I’ve been thinking of. Because well…Claudia is currently missing a leg and is letting a lot of blood. But Aaravos also uses the words “sacrifice” later. This implies a death(or that there just needs to be ENOUGH blood that the only one to get it is death which Claudia bleed out could provide).

But then there’s the question of

1. Can they find Viren in time. He’s in the woods(i assume this isn’t that big of a deal)

2. Would Claudia even have the strength to do this?(would be interesting if Terry used dark magic here 👀 but also unlikely)

3. How does she figure out how to do the spell. The homunculus saying “Blood of Child” seems like a detail that the writers very likely put in to let Claudia know about the blood but who tells her the symbol in the spell? I guess the homunculus could draw the symbol in the ground?

But we’ve seen this happen before where Claudia has done something the person didn’t want/had accepted reality in Soren. Soren was fine with what happened after the dragon fight. And having the extra drama of Claudia using dark magic to bring him back if he didn’t want to. THE ANGST YOU GUYS!

But I’m not just conflicted from a logistical perspective but from a character perspective.

If the story better if Viren comes back?

Is it more narratively fufilling for Viren to choose to die a meaningless death without dark magic when he was so prideful of positions of power. Of being remembered for something greater than this. To die on his own terms humbly on the ground, forsaking that thing that his pride focused on so much?

To some him dying without seeing the rest of the gang or them knowing he gave up dark magic is a waste. But, I don’t think so. Because it is a legitimately an interesting take to have a villain come to a moral change and become a better person without the heroes ever knowing. That you can grow as a person even in your last moments and that you don’t always have to reconcile with the people you hurt for your growth to be valid.

They can still hate you and you can grow as a better person and that’s okay.

So. Do you understand why I made the meme I did st the top of my post? There are so many unique possibilities for Viren’s development from this point forward if they let him live or not.

I don’t think it’s as obvious in one side of another if his death will be permanent.

Now time for a crack theory if you were there just for that answer you can leave. I don’t fully believe this but as a not normal.tm person. My brain is…interested in this potential connection. Follow my lead for a second.

So. Terry is an Earthblood Elf and we have seen in the show and the spellbook that they can control plants and stone. And the image we’ve seen at the beginning of every episode? Viren turning to stone. What if Terry had a way to seal Viren in stone in a state where he’s on the edge of death until they can help him?

This is also an additional theory that works here.

Just to be clear, I even LESS believe this but the threads are there for it.

We know that humans can have revelations about the Arcanums after their dark magic dream. What if, in this moment of death. Of accepting life and staying true to his beliefs, grounding himself for the first in his life. We know from the Tale of Xadia books(sorry using wiki screenshots my phone is cringe) the associations the show has with Earth. We know we can trust what the book has to say about Arcanums and the show because what they say about the Ocean is what Callum uses to learn it.

A lot of these currently don’t currently fit Viren but they could in a symbolic sense. In the future(harmony to represent the growth he’s made in his relationship with through Terry along with harmony in himself AND harmony between dark magic and Arcanum magic! Patience he showed in how long he waited for the throne and his plan but also a symbolic patience of how it’s taken for him to get here,

Before this he’s also been shown to be stubborn, resilient, he literally is a representation of the deep history humans have with dark magic. HOW MANY HAS HE TRIED TO HEAL PEOPLE WITH DARK MAGIC GUYS COME ON! BALANCE! BALAANCE Light and Dark come on!

This is all just a crack theory but the more I connected then points made and more sense. The narrative potential of the greatest user of Dark Magic in the series. The Magic that hurts creatures to use, becomes a magic user of EARTH AND NATURE. To heal what he has done. To take what he used to use and help it heal and grow. Like talk about a full circle opportunity!

But it’s pretty unlikely with what we know and it anyone wants to write a fanfic or make art off Earth arcanum Viren AU PLZ @ me I love this.

#the dragon prince #season 5 spoilers #tdp s5 #tdp #the dragon prince spoilers #viren redemption #earth viren #i guess thats a tag now

[quarktrinity]

quark watches star trek season 2 episode 12

wow what a conveniently expository conversation theyre having just after beaming down

no chekov dont enter the spooky building

holy shit a dead dude

yep that dude sure is dead

holy shit alive people

weirdly loud and intense music

obviously old people think theyre in their late 20s. uh oh

old guy: "elaine was so beautiful. so beautiful." kirk: :T

yes kirk we get it ur into blondes

"old friend" ok so shes his ex. how many exes does this dude have

"when my husband died" so shes single. alright

i think i realized why i find so many of the Kirk Romances boring and annoying and only some of them fun and interesting. most of them are entirely on the basis of "shes blonde and hot and likes him because hes blonde and hot," and all the interesting ones actually establish chemistry and tension and its not just showing that theyre attracted to each other, its showing WHY. and then the boring ones just assume u understand why kirk wants to bang this blonde chick of the week. i actually dont. shes boring, show me why he wants her

obviously plot relevant comet mentioned off-handedly by spock as having not been investigated

kirk having memory troubles methinks

it seems the whole crew is becoming Old

topless kirk <3 thaaaanks <3333

kirks definitely having memory troubles

kirks tummy is so good

kirk has Body Pains

mccoy has gray hairs. theyre all entering their dilf eras

mckirk sexual tension

kirk has arthritis. lmao

they tried to make kirk look like hes balding by just slicking back his hair. he looks kinda goofy

mccoy looks ancient

mccoys southern accent is coming out

whoever wrote this episode thinks aging is horrifying

off-screen lady is off-screen

ok blonde doctor lady is starting to get interesting. my favorite part of this is that kirk points out that she talks like spock. interesting of u to say abt a lady ur hot for kirk.

blonde doctor lady is into dilf kirk. aight

honestly they didnt make kirk very dilfy :/ they shouldnt have slicked his hair back like that, it looks silly

kirk calls out that blonde doctor lady is into older men

alright this is a good love interest. im cool with this

chekov is grumpy

kirks memory troubles are starting to become problematic

kirks napping <3

woah so crazy how the comet was plot relevant

kirk you gotta go take another nap or something

weird tinfoil dildo

spock says Its Too Cold

commodore guy says kirk is getting too stupid to be captain

"this isnt gonna hurt a bit" "thats what you said the last time!" "did it hurt?" "yes!"

dead lady

kirk is obviously insecure

spock were in crisis i think its fine if kirk repeats himself sometimes for a bit. give him time to fix this

mccoys napping <3

kirk is canonically 34

kirk is grounded

kirks being funny <3

kirk does make a good point that theyre wasting time they could spend fixing this problem

commodore dude immediately makes dumb decisions

kirk as a rambling old man is fun to watch

hes acting like a jilted lover with spock. i love this show

the camera is still obsessed with kirks ass

hahahaha this show thinks radiation poisoning can be treated

commodore dude forgot about the space cold war

kirk is once again in restraints

"it could cure or kill" so itll obviously work

kirk has no fear of death

camera is weirdly focused on kirks crotch

yes lets zoom on his crotch while he writhes on the bed in pain. i couldnt make this shit up if i tried

commodore dude doesnt know shit about the space cold war

kirk is Fine now. damn i almost forgot how sexy he is

kirk is so good at captaining

the romulans should know that kirk would never blow up his ship. dont they even watch star trek

mcspock banter

"well, gentlemen, all in all, an experience well remember in our old age- /stops, reaches for his back with a surprised and thoughtful expression, then adjusts so it looks like hes just holding his hand on his hip/ ...which wont be for some while, i hope" youre 34 kirk it happens

#quark watches star trek #star trek #star trek tos

[beneaththetangles]

Reader’s Corner: Rooster Fighter, Zom 100 (Vol. 7), and A Galaxy Next Door (Vol. 2)

Zombies, wizards, alien princesses, and rooster superheroes? It’s just another week here on Reader’s Corner. Scroll down to see the eclectic mix of manga we’re reviewing for you in this edition.

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The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague, Manga Vol. 1

I didn’t think there was another josei manga that could exceed the wholesomeness in A Sign of Affection, but I have been proven wrong with the digital manga The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague! I truly don’t even know how to talk about this manga without squealing from excitement and giddiness because it literally is one of the most wholesome manga I’ve read! Himuro, our male hero, is a descendant of the snow woman from Japanese folklore, and as a result, he ends up expressing his emotions through blizzards, melting puddles, and snowmen. Although he has a fairly “chill” personality, his emotional “displays” become more prominent when he starts to fall for his cool (but clueless) coworker Fuyutsuki. The more she shows kindness to him, the colder the office gets and the more he falls for her! I absolutely loved this first volume! Literally after every chapter of this episodic story, I would giggle or smile and say, “They are so cute!!” This manga excels at creating all the warm fuzzy feelings, notwithstanding that a blizzard forms if Himuro focuses too hard, or he completely ices over if he gets too nervous. I am so very desperate for Fuyutsuki to see how much he likes her and deeply thankful that her coworkers have asked subtle questions that get her thinking (such as if she will give him chocolate on Valentine’s Day or what she thinks of him). Truly, this manga is so very enjoyable, and I highly recommend it to those who like office romcoms and slow burn romance! ~ Laura A. Grace

The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague is published by Square Enix and is available to read on ComiKey.

Fiancée of the Wizard, Manga Vol. 1

It’s a manga/anime fantasy romance story. Except there’s no actual romance, just the narrative telling us the two leads like each other. The wizard goes out of his way to avoid seeing his so-called “fiancée” for SEVEN YEARS. And when he finally does start coming to see her again, all he does is insult her. And he keeps postponing their wedding to prioritize work. The girl apparently likes the rude wizard, but the story totally fails to convince me why she would feel that way, nor does it explain why she would put up with this jerk for so long. Another shortcoming of this volume is that it progresses through time weirdly quickly (like, 8+ years in one manga volume is a lot), and yet nothing meaningful happens in all that time! This is the garbage fire titled Fiancée of the Wizard. I know I’m not the world’s biggest manga reader, so take this with a grain of salt, but this was seriously the worst manga I’ve read yet. Don’t repeat my mistake by wasting money and time on it. ~ Jeskai

Fiancee of the Wizard is published by Yen Press.

Formerly, the Fallen Daughter of the Duke, Manga Vol. 1

I absolutely love “female villainess” manga, and the new series Formerly, the Fallen Daughter of the Duke does not disappoint! Claire Martino is not your typical “villainess,” even though her story matches plenty of others in which the protagonists are living their “best lives” with loving family and friends, wealth, and prestige. Her life takes a turn when her half-sister (whom she was genuinely close to—at least in Claire’s eyes) lies about her, thus making her a “villainess” to those in her kingdom. Rather than “suffering” in scorn from those around her, she goes to a convent up north. But somewhere in her travels, the lines become unclear between her new reality and past life, because why does her life seem to match the route of an otome game her friend once told her about?! While I confess the “info dumping” at the beginning (and feeling overwhelmed as a result) had me concerned that I might not enjoy it, I appreciated how adventurous Claire’s life is. The subtle magic, her mysterious childhood, and the fleshed out world-building made this story stand out from other manga in this genre. Claire also reminded me of Shirayuki from Snow White with the Red Hair, in that she is not one to let others decide for her and instead makes a life for herself without her past title (or other people’s titles). There was also a great cast of characters (including a female knight!) that I really enjoyed getting to know. I think if you like Snow White with the Red Hair and villainess isekai stories, this is a good one to try! ~ Laura A. Grace

Formerly, the Fallen Daughter of the Duke is published by TokyoPop.

Rooster Fighter, Manga Vol. 1

When the world is in danger from giant demons, who you gonna call to save the day? Superheroes, buff and cocky OP characters with spiky hair, or a rooster? Well, this time it’s the latter, so get ready for a wild ride! This manga is as ridiculous as the cover looks; a rooster standing up to gigantic monsters and taking them out in one hit “One Punch Man”-style. The puns are all over the pages, as this rooster often takes himself more seriously than he should and gets into all sorts of silly trouble. Like when he tries to eat a bug that made him sick, or when he fights a one-eyed sea turtle on the beach. The art has lots of detail, and even though it’s a gag manga, this would certainly make a great anime. I will be back for more! ~ Samuru

Rooster Fighter is published by VIZ Media. Volume one releases on August 16th.

A Galaxy Next Door, Manga Vol. 2

Two volumes in and I am now fully charmed by A Galaxy Next Door and its cast of lovely and warm characters, led by the earnest alien princess–turned–manga assistant, Goshiki, and her now-boyfriend, the kind mangaka, Kuga. With all the surprises involving Goshiki’s background and her unusual power and anatomy out of the way, volume two takes the time to develop the relationship between her and Kuga through a zoo date, the winter holidays, and a follow-up trip. The two are falling for each other quickly, and yet their relationship remains so cute and chaste that it almost makes this old man squee (yes…almost). Part of the reason that the relationship keeps this pure feeling while advancing through the couple’s emotions and words for one another so quickly is because it always involves family. In fact, out of all the lovely confessions and actions by Goshiki and Kuga in these chapters, the greatest is Kuga explaining how he plans to care for both her and his younger siblings always. It’s these moments of tenderness and sacrificial love that remind me that in the right hands, a blend of romantic fufu and familial care can work together to create a series that is as full of “be still my heart” scenes as it is “aww” moments. And I’m further engaged by how the supporting characters aren’t archetypal, a feature which not only makes the story feel more genuine and lovely but also has me guessing what the next major conflict will be. I’ll certainly be looking to the next volume to see how this story progresses. ~ Twwk

A Galaxy Next Door is published by Kodansha.

READ: A Galaxy Next Door Vol. 1 Review

Shortcake Cake, Manga Vol. 3

I’ve already really been enjoying Shortcake Cake, but with this third volume, I am officially hook, line, and sinker! The “love triangle” is underway with feelings on all three sides as Ten and Chiaki continue the dating façade for the sake of Riku’s brother Rei (so he will hopefully leave Ten alone), and Ten and Riku having an amazing moment where Ten begins to view Riku in a way she hasn’t before (aka potentially romantically). Not only do we see Chiaki affirm to Ten that despite Ten’s rejection of Riku’s confession, Riku does still like her, but we also see a new vulnerability in Ten. Thanks to this, Ten can lower her barriers around Riku, and they have this moment where it looks like the #TeamRiku ship could sail here soon. I am all board that ship sailing and have no qualms; as the volume goes on, we see Riku act like an amazing gentleman, and I could not help but get deeply excited that Riku has a chance with Ten. That’s not to say that Chiaki isn’t a gentleman too, because he is! In fact, I’ve really appreciated his “struggle” because it’s obvious he does have feelings for Ten, but he’s thinking of Riku and his feelings. I really respect him for doing what he can to get Riku and Ten together. I can say that from this point forward, I will be desperate to see more sweet Riku and Ten moments like we had in this volume! ~ Laura A. Grace

Shortcake Cake is published by VIZ Media.

READ: Shortcake Cake Reviews: Vol.1 // Vol. 2

Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead, Manga Vol. 7

Zombies meet…sci-fi? Zom 100 has played fast and loose with varying genres and conventions as it keeps its zombie apocalypse story fresh; this time, after a chapter that takes the central group of survivors all the way to the north of Japan, that means moving into the world of robotics. I love sci-fi and I adore robot stories, but at first this new mini-arc felt kitschy. After hitting it out of the ballpark volume after volume, the story of Akira and the rest stumbling onto Japanese technology at its best felt like the rest of the story at its worst: meandering, pandering, and filler. But by the end of volume seven, I came to appreciate what Haro Aso has done with these chapters, crafting a story that works as sci-fi and features an endearing new character (and also an awesome zombear). Though these chapters largely exist to give the readers a fun break after the previous tense chapters and cross a few items off the bucket list, they remain an engaging read. That’s the magic of both the incredible artwork by Kotaro Takata and the writing by Aso, who (I discovered through a bonus chapter in this volume) is also the author of Alice in Borderland, another series that takes a standard genre and bends it in a novel way. I hope that like that series, this excellent one will receive an anime adaptation (preferably before the impending zombie apocalypse). ~ Twwk

Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead is published by Viz Media. Volume six releases on August 16th.

READ: Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead Reviews: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5 // Vol. 6

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“Reader’s Corner” is our way of embracing the wonderful world of manga, light novels, and visual novels, creative works intimately related to anime but with a magic all their own. Each week, our writers provide their thoughts on the works they’re reading—both those recently released as we keep you informed of newly published works, and those older titles that you might find as magical (or in some cases, reprehensible) as we do.

#Manga #The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague #Koori Zokusei Danshi to Cool na Douryou Joshi #Fiancee of the Wizard #Mahoutsukai no Konyakusha #Formerly the Fallen Daughter of the Duke #Moto Ochikobore Koushaku Reijou desu. #Rooster Fighter #Niwatori Fighter #A Galaxy Next Door #Otonari ni Ginga #Shortcake Cake #Short Cake Cake #Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead #Zom 100: Zombie ni Naru made ni Shitai 100 no Koto #Reader's Corner #Articles #Author: Laura A. Grace #Author: Jeskai Angel #Author: Samuru #Author: TWWK

[small-screen-superman]

I love My Adventures with Superman, but I decided to write some thoughts about the one thing about it that bugs me most. Spoilers for episodes 4-6! The best way to read it is my non-Tumblr blog, but I'll include the text below too.

About a month ago, it finally happened. My Adventures with Superman came out. I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time; I wrote a blog post when it was first announced over 2 years ago. Based on what little was known about the show back then, it seemed like exactly what I wanted: a show focusing on Clark’s humanity and his life at the Daily Planet, and especially his friendship with fellow Planet employees Lois and Jimmy. That is indeed what the show is about. So do I like it? You bet I do! It’s charming, fun and exciting. It is indeed very focused on characters and relationships, but that does not mean it skimps out on the action. It’s also pretty humorous.

If any of this sounds like a good show to you, I recommend watching it. It’s available on Max (formerly HBO Max). At the time of this post’s writing, the show is up to its seventh episode. This post contains spoilers for episodes 4-6, so if you want a “fresh” experience of the show, you should stop reading. But if you do decide to finish this post instead of running off to watch the show, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t watch the show – I don’t think learning the information found in this post will ruin your experience at all.

At any rate, this is your last warning for spoilers.

When MAWS was newly announced, I thought its premise sounded so promising that it might end up being basically exactly what I’d want a new Superman cartoon to be. That might’ve been a little too optimistic. I didn’t fully realize how nontraditional MAWS was going to be. That’s not a bad thing in and of itself, of course, but as a fan of the traditional Superman setup, I don’t necessarily consider it ideal either.

The first big change that’s obvious from the very first episode is that Lois reciprocates Clark’s interest in her from the start. Many villains are also massively re-imagined. But in this article, I want to focus on what I consider the most radical change and the one that I’m least on board with: by episode 6, both Lois and Jimmy know Clark is Superman. Or, in in-universe terms, they both learn Clark is Superman shortly after Superman first appears.

Wasted Potential

It took some effort for me to fully understand why this idea bothers me, so it will take a bit of time for me to convey it too. The first and most obvious issue is that it closes off a lot of potential stories that could be told. Of course, it also opens up possibilities for other stories to be told, so the real issue is that it means stories, plot points, and ideas that I personally want to see are closed off.

I’m sure after decades and decades of superhero media, a lot of people are tired of seeing superheroes constantly keeping their identities secret from even their close friends. But in all honesty, I just am not. I think this setup, tried-and-true as it may be, is full of potential.

Some of that potential is for humor. MAWS is pretty humorous, so it would fit right in. What’s a bigger deal is that I enjoy the irony and tragedy of this premise. In the 1950s Adventures of Superman live-action show, the friendship between Clark, Lois, and Jimmy is also important, but they don’t know that he’s Superman, and to me, there’s something about that which is just so interesting and sad in a way: having a strong, almost family-like bond with others, and yet not willing to let them know something so fundamental about yourself. It just seems poignant to me. I guess I always like for Superman to have at least a touch of sadness to his character.

Not being able to open up to others, even others we care about, is something that I think almost everyone has experienced at one point or another. There’s something strangely satisfying about seeing Superman represent such a basic human struggle in an extreme way. I guess technically, MAWS also depicts this struggle since Lois and Jimmy found out Clark was Superman, rather than being told by him…but it happening so fast means there’s no time to dwell on this struggle or really appreciate it.

MAWS could’ve still been fairly revolutionary by making Lois and Jimmy learning about Clark’s identity happen relatively early, but not within the first couple of episodes – at the end of the first season, for example. This way, they would’ve had time to actually use the potential of the “classic” setup.

However, as I thought more about my dissatisfaction with MAWS’ choice, I’ve come to realize there’s an even more fundamental reason why it bothers me.

I Want a Contrast Between Clark & Superman, and Now That’s Much Harder

There are a lot of foundational aspects of Superman that contribute to his appeal as a character. Which aspects are more appealing or important is highly variable from one person to another. As I’ve thought about why MAWS’ decision and its consequences don’t feel right to me, it’s brought to mind how important a certain aspect actually is to me. That aspect is simply the contrast between Clark and Superman.

Now, Clark and Superman’s apparent personalities have varied greatly over the years, both in general and in relation to each other. Sometimes, Clark and Superman act extremely differently – Clark acts cowardly, mild-mannered, and clumsy, while Superman is bold and headstrong – that sort of thing. I’m not necessarily talking about that. Some versions of Clark don’t seem to act much differently from Superman (especially in Adventures of Superman and many Post-Crisis depictions), and I actually like these versions better a lot of the time.

Even without a big personality change, there’s still a big contrast between Clark and Superman. Clark, as an identity and persona, is a human being with no powers who lives a human life and is in effect limited in many of the ways humans are, since he has to hide his powers and chooses to live the same kind of life humans live. And while we, the audience, know Clark is Superman, we still see him acting as a normal person and being treated as a normal person by most people he interacts with. This causes the idea of Clark the Human to be firm in our mind…and that, in my experience, makes it more powerful and compelling when we see Clark and Superman “meet”: when we’re reminded that they’re one and the same. It can lead us to contemplate how unusual it really is that a man who appears normal is actually, well…Superman.

I’ll give a couple of TV examples of seeing Clark and Superman “meet” that gives me a certain sense of wonder. In the 5th episode of Lois & Clark (Requiem for a Superhero), while Clark and Lois are investigating, in order to hinder the people who are about to discover them, Clark creates a mini-earthquake, pretending it’s an actual earthquake. In a way, this gives me a sense of awe because Clark had been acting as a normal human around Lois, and in a sense it’s almost as if I had fallen for the illusion of Clark being human. To suddenly see such a display of his powers gives me a sense of amazement that such a powerful being would practically “be” a normal human. I don’t think I’d have had this sensation at all if Lois just…knew Clark was Superman. Of course, Lois does eventually learn Clark is Superman in this show, but there’s still plenty of time giving to establishing the illusion of Clark being human.

An “opposite” example (seeing the Clark-ness of Superman, rather than the Superman-ness of Clark) is in the 6th episode of Superman: The Animated Series (Feeding Time). Parasite finds out Superman’s secret identity (due to being able to gain knowledge from people whose energy and powers he’s absorbed) and kidnaps him. As Parasite explains his plan to keep Superman there indefinitely, Superman says that his co-workers will look for him when they realize he hasn’t come into work for a while. Seeing this be one of the first things Superman says makes me think that he doesn’t see himself that differently from how we see ourselves. To the viewer, there’s something a bit shocking about Superman suddenly having to rely on normal humans, but this doesn’t seem to be the case from his perspective. In a way, it makes me amazed to contemplate how Superman can be one of us despite being, well, Superman. A powerful contrast like this would be hard to create if Superman talking with someone who knows he’s Clark is something that happened extremely frequently.

Do you see what I’m getting at? I enjoy being amazed at the fact that Superman and Clark are one and the same. I enjoy seeing that contrast and then being reminded that it’s all an illusion. It really makes you think about who Clark/Superman is, and how his humanity and, well, “Supermanity” can coexist – how for him, it might be natural, but for us, it’s remarkable. I like finding it amazing that he’s both man and Superman – both human and “god”. If Clark is constantly interacting with people who know his secret identity, it’s very hard for something like that to ever happen.

I have a feeling this might have been a deliberate choice, but in MAWS, the two personas of Clark and Superman feel…a bit insignificant. After all, since he spends so much time interacting just with people who know his secret already, he’s free to openly use his powers even when he’s not in his Superman persona. Heck, in episode 6, Clark doesn’t change into his Superman outfit at all, and it barely seems to matter.

I don’t like the fact that it doesn’t matter. I like that Superman has 2 different identities that are perceived very differently. It’s a pretty important factor as to why I like the character. I love to see that contrast and to remember that it’s just an illusion. It makes me think about who Superman is in a deeper way – about how there are realities about himself that he keeps separate in the views of others via his two identities, and how that dual identity both conceals and reveals who he is, in a sense. It’s really interesting stuff that I feel like I can’t encapsulate in this article without going off on a tangent, but the point is, if you don’t really get to see Superman “doing” his dual identity that much, it’s hard to get much out of it.

An Aside: MAWS Could Still Make a Contrast Between Clark and Superman…But They Don’t

OK, this is somewhat tangential, but I think it needs to be addressed or this article will feel a little incomplete.

I established that there being a contrast between Clark and Superman is not dependent on Clark and Superman acting as though they have noticeably different personalities. Obviously, though, them having different personalities is still a big way for them to have a contrast between each other. If MAWS actually employed this method of having a contrast between them, perhaps it would bother me a little less that another huge method (him mostly interacting with people who think Clark is a normal human) wasn’t present. However, MAWS…definitely doesn’t do this.

The two most common ways to depict Superman and Clark is to have Superman be bold and for Clark to be “wimpy” in some way (with the “wimpiness” being a fake personality to fool people into thinking he’s not Superman), or for them to both be bold. MAWS takes a road less traveled and makes Clark being awkward and nervous (though not to an extreme degree) be his actual personality. It would then make perfect sense for Superman to have a fake personality of boldness, but they don’t really go in that direction, except maybe very subtly. I guess Superman isn’t that openly insecure, but he’s certainly not as confident as you’d expect him to be. It feels…very wrong. Heck, even if they didn’t make Lois and Jimmy learn the truth so fast, it would still probably bother me that Superman acts in such a nontraditional way. But the fact that they did makes it worse, because it makes seeing a contrast between Clark and Superman basically impossible.

An Additional Aside: It Might Not Hurt MAWS, But It Sets a Precedent

I do wonder if I’m overreacting about this. MAWS is still a great show and Lois and Jimmy knowing the secret from early on is a part of it, and the show wouldn’t be the same without it. So maybe it doesn’t really matter. It’s not like MAWS has to be the ultimate version of Superman that contains everything that makes the character appealing.

But a popular show making a big change could very easily influence future interpretations, so the very fact that MAWS is doing this could have ramifications for future versions of Superman. I’m not meaning to say adaptations should be afraid of changing things just because other people might copy them. I’m just saying, it wouldn’t be surprising if other media took cues from MAWS in this area, and I think that could be unfortunate.

Maybe this is paranoid, but I think it’s at least worth mentioning. It’s normal for adaptations to influence other adaptations and even the comics themselves, and this change traveling to other media is not a happy prospect for me. (Though I’m keeping in mind that this change can be used for interesting and quality stories, of course. But it becoming widespread and making its way to very important and/or high-profile media would be quite disappointing to me.)

So yeah – I think I did an okay job articulating why I’m unsatisfied with MAWS’ decision to have Lois and Jimmy learn the truth so early. I can’t say there’s anything inherently wrong with it from a storytelling perspective or in terms of what the writers want to accomplish. And it certainly doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the show – it doesn’t even mean I can’t enjoy the parts of the show that are direct consequences of this decision.

Essentially, all that it means is that MAWS will never feel anywhere close to a “definitive” version of Superman to me. It will always feel more like “Superman with a twist” or something like that. That’s not a horrible fate to be consigned to at all…it’s just not as good as what I was hoping for from MAWS.

#my adventures with superman #superman #clark kent #dc comics #lois & clark #superman: the animated series #my writing

[prettybi4ajedi]

First Article I guess; and it's about Body Swaps in TV

I've developed a deep love for body swap episodes in TV, because it's so fucking fun to watch actors have to play each others characters after they've been established and imbued with the original actors quirks. I'm rewatching The Good Place and just got to the "Everyone Goes to the Void and Accidentally Becomes Janet" episode and watching D'Arcy Carden play everyone is one of the most delightful things ever. This one is probably my favorite. I also like when it happens in Glee, when Tina is Rachel. My least favorite is The Owl House, even though that's one of my favorite shows; it felt like a waste of a body swap episode. That's not to say you can't get the results I like in animation; Gravity Falls fucking SLAYS animated bodyswap in Carpet Diem. Not only do we get another tick in the 'Grenda is trans' headcannon/canon/I don't know what's been confirmed but I'm confident it was intended and I'll meet Disney in a Denny's parking lot to fight about it; but every time characters swap bodies, even if it's brief, there are consequences. Even if it's just a character saying 'ah, this body is different from my body and here's how I feel about it.' In The Owl House, the characters designs change maybe slightly by adding or removing things like eyelashes to denote perceived gender, the voices don't change at all, and the entire storyline focuses on switching back without any real reflections on the fact that they're all in bodies of completely different types of beings. I know we don't find out King's heritage til later, but there's enough foreshadowing that I'm confident the creators knew that he was what he was from day one, and that could have been a very interesting opportunity to lean into it a little bit. I feel like a body swap episode should thematically be a perspective swap episode, and considering how strong TOH is thematically, and how well they handle difficult and breakthrough topics, I have to admit I was a little disappointed with that episode. Maybe it would have been better if it was done in a later episode when we understood the characters better, so the contrast between experiences would have been stronger, but like- TOH is probably my favorite show. I, a blue haired, glasses wearing recently-out nonbinary person saw my first nonbinary person in media with Raine Whispers, in what has become my personal favorite episode of TV ever. (Eda's Requiem). I have King Clawthorne holding Francois tattooed on my right forearm, and he brings me joy every day. I'm not hating on it and I want to make that clear. I just don't like how they do their body swap episode. It seems like such a trope; I feel like I've seen it in almost every show I've watched. But I do love the trope. I think it provides interesting opportunities and chances for character growth. Also I just got to the line in The Good Place where Jason says "Thanks Tahani. It's nice to know I can talk about girls with my wife." Love that light poly rep. Not related to the rest of this article I guess but that's probably just what the vibe of this blog will be. Mostly cause I just don't know how to end things. -Alex

#the good place #the owl house #gravity falls #glee #body swap #writing

[eggsaladstain]

my god the wasted potential of tomorrow is just staggering

for a show that centered around suicide, i initially thought it was admirable the way they handled the subject matter by treating these stories with compassion and understanding (especially considering korea’s high suicide rate) but by the halfway mark, it just felt gross and voyeuristic to keep watching so much suffering and it frankly feels a bit irresponsible that all the cases were magically solved by a heartfelt conversation as opposed to any onscreen professional help

i also found joong-gil’s disdain for people who committed suicide to be extremely shitty and unnecessary, like i get it was part of his backstory but considering the show’s message was about hope and lifting these people out of despair, hearing this character say that people who commit suicide deserve to go to hell because they’ve committed the ultimate sin just feels needlessly cruel and directly at odds with the show’s core message

and on that note, the whole “suicide severs your red thread of fate” thing did not sit well with me either and i was digging into the general mythology around the red string of fate and couldn’t find anything about this so i think the show may have made that up, which also seems unnecessary - like, so much of the show was about showing compassion and kindness to people in their darkest moments but then the same show has this rule that harshly punishes people who commit suicide?? i felt like this show ended up undermining its own message, like yes, people who are suicidal should be treated with understanding and empathy but at the same time if you do commit suicide, fuck you go to hell and never see your loved ones again even in your next life

and then we get to the pacing and i have to scream because they had 16 episodes to weave in the reapers’ backstories but instead we got a handful of breadcrumbs about ryeon and had to wait until the last 3 episodes to get the full ryeon/joong-gil backstory, meanwhile they spent a whole ass episode on a suicidal DOG and don’t get me wrong that episode did make me cry but it also felt incredibly contrived and unnecessary and they gave ryung-gu 2 episodes to get closure with his mom yet ryeon and joong-gil only had the final episode to work through their centuries of baggage and they only had one convo about it???!?

and i know kdramas love connecting all their characters with a tidy bow but was it seriously necessary for jun-woong’s previous life to be tied to the old woman who had been a comfort woman during the war and also why would he reincarnate while she was still alive and could recognize him like that just made no sense to me and gave me terrible flashbacks to born again (which was another tragic waste of lee soo hyuk, sir, please get a better agent)

i have a specific issue with that episode in particular because while it was incredibly moving and important to give those women a voice, i felt like the show kind of cheapened that impact by tying in jun-woong’s backstory and then showing the same thing happening to ryeon centuries earlier. for one thing, i don’t think we needed that parallel to remember that women have been suffering for centuries (we been knew sis!) and for another, the story had enough weight and gravitas to stand on its own without tying it into the main characters. and we saw in episode 6 with the old soldier how effective the show was at honoring that man’s sacrifice and life and i just really wish they’d done the same with jeong-mun and yun-i’s case as well and focused on them instead of using that story as a vehicle for the main characters.

also i HATED ryung-gu’s nose-picking tick and i absolutely HATE that they wrote it into his backstory like bruhhhhh why the fuck was that necessary to make his gross habit an actual plot point

AND ANOTHER THING!! they really had lee soo hyuk and kim hee sun as reincarnated tragic lovers and barely gave them any scenes together and had lee soo hyuk as a grim reaper and hardly gave him any screentime at all like what the fuuuuuuck what a goddamn waste

to be fair, i did really like the main team and i thought the first half was effective and poignant but it fully fell apart for me in the second half and i hate how rushed the ending was

kdrama writers i am BEGGING you to learn how to properly pace a show please for the love of god it is 2022 we cannot be doing these sloppy and rushed 2000s-era endings anymore

#kdrama #kdrama meta #tomorrow #mbc tomorrow #kim hee sun #lee soo hyuk #rowoon

[mach-speed-spin]

I'M GONNA BE REAL HERE. GENUINELY DID NOT REMEMBER DR K HAVING AN ASSISTANT. actually i kind of forgot about jim having Anything notable too admittedly kane and salima are pretty much the designated Relevant Ones out of that quartet

i think the main thing that made those 5 snake pit battles fun to watch is that even if it's members aren't particularly distinct from one another, it's not like the show is stopping everything to try and make them seem more intimidating than they actually are.

also, while i never did watch most of metal fusion, dark nebula def seems like it benefits from having a specific pool of recurring members as opposed to making them all just one-offs.

thinking on it i actually kind of wonder if this is another case where just... cutting out the middleman and merging the psykick and zagart plotlines would've helped things? cause that way you've got the whole season to atleast establish a few goons, maybe bring king and queen in after the big halfway point, they could've had somethin there 4 sure if things were more planned out

MFB gave each member of the Dark Nebula (except the Kumade brothers, who are the least relevant members) at least one episode that heavily focused on them, with most members getting several focus episodes (and even those with only one still had significant moments in other episodes). The Snake Pit made 5 mooks and they were done with in the span of 3 episodes. The Dark Nebula members deserve to have this much time dedicated to them because they’re recurring characters with their own developed personalities, and most of them having their own reasons for joining the Dark Nebula. The masked bladers aren’t very developed characters (Black Eye and Azure Eye get superficial traits, while the rest get about as much as a V-Force mook), but since they collectively last 3 episodes (and not even 3 whole episodes), it’s fine

V-Force didn’t give any of their mooks the development needed to justify a full episode. Dennis (the dinosaur guy) is the least bad because, like the masked bladers, he didn’t last very long. He was disposed of early into his introductory episode and his only narrative purpose is to create a scenario that forces Max and Mariam to work together

The rest of V-Force’s mooks took up most of their episode with no character to show for it. It’s fine to make a villain with the personality of cardboard cutout if you can make the battle itself good enough, but V-Force’s battles weren’t that great (for an example of this done right, Rago in the third season of mfb is barely developed as a character, but taking on a dozen of the world’s strongest bladers and only losing because of the collective power of every blader in the world makes him memorable as the biggest physical threat they ever faced). V-Force’s mooks weren’t interesting enough as characters nor as challenges for the heroes to face, but they take up a lot of time

Even if the mooks were done after one episode (unlike the Dark Nebula’s recurring villains), they could still be more interesting. Metal Fusion episode 34 has Teru, a one-off rival for Gingka (he only appears afterwards in cameos). Teru is given a backstory about how he got into blading (and what he did before blading), we see his relationship with Gingka (admiring him but also wanting to surpass him), and he is given a full character arc (albeit most of it is told via flashbacks). V-Force, given the same amount of time in an episode with a very similar premise (main characters doing everyday things when a new opponent shows up to challenge them), manages to waste a lot of time on a battle where the only way for the audience to get invested is through spectacle (something V-Force isn’t very good at)

I don’t think more time needed to be spent on developing recurring mooks like the Dark Nebula (though that is one possible solution). I think each mook should’ve either been disposed of faster (Snake Pit), or the episode should’ve been focused on the individual mook and their character (Teru)

#beyblade #mfb #beyburst #beyblade burst

[literateleah]

ok thus far if I was a character it would probably be toni or dot. cackling at the thought of being henry but im too bitchy and irritable for that irl 💀 if I was stuck with the girls, i would probs hang with fatin and dot 🥰 maybe rachel too bcuz i love her (so many feelings about s2 Rachel. this is sooooo fucked up). i would not talk to Leah. I rlly would not. she would mention her bf and i would go 😐. im sorry Leah. I understand u as a character and understand ur narrative complexities and being a vessel for the plot but LORD if I met her irl.

anyway if I was in the guys little fucked up circle initially i would've chilled with ivan and henry. would bicker with ivan 75% of the time, but it would be fun. bo is so sweet tho. also liked rafe for a bit. 💗💗💗💗 something that has been killing me is 1. the seth plot. and 2. how uneven the boys backstories are compared to s1... they're just not given the same respect. i also see what u mean about rafe potentially being protagonist but then there's no way to confidentially call him that the way u can for Leah. granted, this IS the girls' story, but it feels like a waste ... only 2 eps left tho so idk

ok u as dot just feels real and right to me that’s so true. and u ivan and henry is kind of a nuclear trip that would be so funny

and hard agree on 2 i think the space to include the boys full stories would have been great but there just was not enough time in the episodes. like the girls were progressing in a really intriguing way but i also wanted space to fill out the lore of the boys to give their stories justice and due diligence too like it just felt so crammed. i feel this season should have been ten eps just so things could be more thinly spread because the boys are INTERESTING and i really like seeing them it just seems like a dilemma of focus that will be cast aside by s3 no spoilers ofc.

and the seth plot being the central conflict for the boys was. a choice. because i hate it on its merit and the fact that it exists but also the ripple effect of how it radically changed the atmosphere on their island and their chances of survival was something that i feel the girls didn’t have (and intentionally so because clearly that’s gretchen’s aim) particularly irt the development of characters like henry kirin josh and raf. it builds the meat of the boys screen time and basically defines their time on the island but i just wish it was anything else.

then again i’m not sure if ur up to seth’s backstory bits but i feel like those make u go “ok yeah that tracks and is completely expected from that creature” as vile as it is. which is also kind of wack because initially the end of ep4 came as a huge like WHOA tw out of the blue thing besides the precedent of his scene with henry on the beach, so it’s just introduced poorly then not really supported well until the end of the season basically. ugh just sloppy but conflict is conflict i guess and also alex fitzalan is acting his ass off if i ever saw that man in public i would cross the street and start running away

edit: back to the boys characters THIS IS A CHARACTER DRIVEN SHOW!!!!!! yes it is plot heavy and set heavy but like there’s a reason season one depended on individual vignettes and spotlights on each girl, and how she related to their journey to survival you can’t just eliminate that and try to tell another compelling story without that element of strong full focused characters to tell it for u. ugh

#ask tag #logan tag #the wilds

[houdinicorbini]

Late night drive

I wanted to make something that was focused on a character and not a x reader

Not meant to be too long either

Tw: spoilers to episode Ardyn

As the time grew closer to exacting Ardyn's revenge, the more stressful things eventually became. but he knew this, he knew the chosen path would not be so easily walked.

There were moments where Ardyn would think and ponder about the times he would sit under that same tree that both him and his fiancé could stay hours upon hours at.

The simpler times before everything went to chaos. Before he was betrayed by the ones he worshipped, by his own family.

At some points Ardyn finds himself trying to remember the past, but all he can remember is his undying hatred for his brother, the false king, and his plans to destroy the bloodline of Lucis.

Along with memories that are not his own but from the people who he had to kill in order to know more about this wretched world. A price he was willing to pay in order for this long-awaited plan of his to come true.

So, stress was a definite given with this current path he was treading.

Recently he overheard some people chatting while he was out walking, they were talking about how driving is a major stress relief for them.

Ardyn kind of shrugged the thought away, because how could something like that relieve stress?

But now he has nothing to lose at this point. So here he is, driving alone in his car, in the middle of the night with very slight hope that this preposterous idea will actually work.

He wasn't really expecting much, at this point Ardyn was only passing time. Though it felt like he had all the time in the world at this point.

Not that he wanted it. But fate can be rather cruel.

"Why not take this road to a new place? Maybe I'll find something exciting!" He said in a somewhat mocking tone towards himself.

And so, he continued to drive down the road, only having his headlights to illuminate the way through the never-ending darkness that the night seemed to bring.

It was rather peaceful and quiet, the only sound being the wind passing through Ardyn's hair since the roof of the car was down. It quite was nice to feel the cool breeze of the night.

But one can only deal with the quiet for so long, so balance out the lack of noise, Ardyn turned on the radio, just to see what was currently playing at this hour.

Though he quickly turned it off when news about the war started to immediately play.

The whole reason as to why he's doing this is to get away from all that talk of war and nonsense. He just needed a few hours to where no one even mentioned anything about Lucis, or the Crystal. Nor to speak of that damned false king.

Just thinking about it made Ardyn's blood begin to boil. Hopefully this trip would help clear his head. Even if it didn't, it's still time away from the empire.

A part of him felt stupid for taking this random dirt road, but another part held hope that it would be something new, a place that could be a potential getaway for when he needed the fresh air.

Continuing the drive, Ardyn could see that there were plenty of daemons out right now, but it's not like they'd ever bother him though.

He's practically the ruler of them, the queen bee of the hive.

Not exactly something he ever thought he’d be, but there’s no going back, only forward now. There’s nothing back there anyway.

Not alive anyways.

After driving for what felt like hours, it was probably maybe 30 minutes or less, Ardyn came across a giant tree on top of a cliff that over looked the lake.

The moon made it clear enough to see, and it was absolutely beautiful.

Stepping out of the car, Ardyn made his way over to the tree, he didn’t drive for so long to just go back after finally reaching a destination.

Would’ve been a waste.

He looked over the edge, admiring the view, the way the moonlight illuminated the water and danced off of it.

A view he would’ve loved to have spent with his one and only.

But we don’t always get what we want.

“I might as well take advantage of this, marvelous find.” He said while strolling over to the tree, sitting down under it.

This tree reminded him a lot of the one he’d sit under with Aera. Many moments were spent at that tree, and unfortunately, not enough.

Because if Ardyn has realized anything from being cursed to live so long,

is that nothing, truly lasts.

#ardyn #ardyn izunia #ff15 ardyn #ffxv ardyn #ardyn lucis caelum #ffxv #ff15

[the-lady-writes-what]

Have I ever played League of Legends? No. Do I intend to? Maybe not. Have I watched only 5 episodes of Arcane and fell in love with Silco and now I can't get this brain rot of a story out of my head? Yes.

Am I going to make you all deal with it? Also yes.

Content/Content Warnings: mentions sex work, mentions of burn scars and leg amputations

Chapter 1: Fish Out of Water

Sneaking out of the under belly of Zaun and into Piltover is always the easy part. The truly skilled and knowledgeable can scamper along pipes, climb makeshift ladders, and sprint along cobbles undetected by enforcers. If you know your way, you can scamper between cities and squeeze through the tightest places like a rat. Things become difficult when you have two metal legs. Aeroships and blimps whizzed over head even in the dark of night carrying last minute cargo or a load of drunken aristocrats back home. Fey pulled the dingy hood further down her head before sprinting between headlights of passing vehicles. The clunk and clank of metal feet barely muffled by the cloth she wrapped around them to move about without too much noise. Still, having not just one but two legs replaced with metal bits and pieces was half the struggle of getting in and out. Movement in her legs was limited thanks to the old gears getting snagged on something or worse breaking mid-step. Always breaking or in need of repairs, there was only so much money a working girl like Fey could do with her modest income.

Fey tucked the braid of white hair that had come loose from the hoodie. It was a blessing and a curse. Men seemed to fall in love with her if only for her unnatural white hair, but it made her stand out all the more. Her mother and half-siblings didn't have such hair, so it probably came from the father whose name Fey never learned. Her palms itched under the ragged bandages she'd wrapped her hands in. She could feel the old scars burning. Sometimes she couldn't feel them at all, and other times she couldn't even use her hands because of the searing pain. No matter. Fey ignored the itching and focused on sneaking past enforcers making their rounds up and down the streets.

In the far distance, Piltover nightclubs thrummed with bases one could hear all the way in the slums of Zaun if they listened closely. However, Fey sprinted in the opposite direction. Not only would she never be dressed for the occasion of crashing a party, there was another destination she had in mind. Not the many shops that lined the streets or houses where she could plunder while the inhabitants slept. Fey made a serpentine path towards the fashion district of all places. Piltover complained about the refuse and inclement air of its neighbor, Zaun, but never stopped to consider the considerable waste they created themselves. Zaun had no such place like the fashion district in Piltover. People usually wore what could be cobbled together from vintage stores, hand-me-downs, or stolen from Piltover racks. Fey ducked behind one such designing house where a dumpster was left unguarded. The building itself was of immaculate plaster and stone free of graffiti which decorated nearly every building down in the undercity. The second floor was all glass windows while the first floor was a solid brick block. Fey glanced briefly at the mannequins showing off the latest Piltover fashion before running to the side of the building, clamber over the fence, and dash for the dumpster.

The broom was left right where she found it last time, propped up against the dumpster. Streets lights illuminated the almost pristine bin. It looked ridiculously clean for a place to drop one's garbage, but then again the Piltover fashion district didn't have to worry about environmental waste being chucked inside their rubbish bins on a daily basis. Fey glanced around her to make sure the coast was clear All the lights remained off in the building behind her. She picked up the broom and nudged the lid off the dumpster. The gears in her prosthetics scrapped against the metal bin as she hauled herself up and over the dumpster's side. Her short fall was cushioned by the dozens of bolts of cloth, scrap fabric, and ribbons too short to be of use to anyone. Bags of unsold buttons and beads lay beneath the silken, velvety, or sheer layers of cloth. Fey tore off the large duffle bag she'd strapped to her back and unsheathed a pair of scissors from her belt. She let her hands do most of the work as the dumpster was filled with mostly shadow.

Fey felt up every cardboard bolt of fabric in search of her favorite kind, velvet. She knew the subtle softness and could tell the difference in quality just by running her fingertips across the fabric. The spring collections were coming out soon, so whatever winter fabric that wouldn't or couldn't be sold (by lazy, careless Piltover standards) was pitched. Fey long suspected the practice to be in use to keep the luxuries out of Zaunite hands. Their loss was her gain in spite of their best efforts. Her heart hammered against her chest as she dove and tore into the leftovers like a pack of hungry dogs. In the dim lighting, she found rich jewel tones, damask and scroll prints, and velvet embroidered with exotic flowers. She snipped away what she wanted or unfurled whole bolts and left behind the cardboard in stacks on the dumpster floor. Fey stuffed jingling bags of beads and buttons a season or two out of fashion along with her feather-soft goods. When she could fit no more into her duffle bag, Fey chucked the bag over the lip of the dumpster. She climbed out and carefully replaced the lid.

Fey dragged the bag to the fence, threw it over, and hefted herself over. She almost doubled over when she threw her loot unto her shoulders, but regained her balance. Now came the tricky part. Sneaking into Piltover was easy, getting out with a loaded bag of semi-legal loot was another story entirely. Fey was by no means as weak as she looked having to literally pull herself up by her own strength sometimes. That didn't make it any easier. Loaded down, she wasn't nearly as fast as she liked to be.

Running back to Zaun relied on sticking to the shadows and ducking into alleys. She couldn't afford to lose her goods or damage them too much. Fey couldn't readily hurl them over a fence or stash it in a random corner while waiting for an enforcer to pass her by. She weaved in between buildings until the greenish glow of Zaunite lanterns approached her horizon. Fey stopped only once to redress the bandages on her metal "feet."

She reached the harbor as a bell tolled somewhere. Three in the morning. In a short while, the enforcers would be making their rounds near the docks. The window was closing.

Fey ran alongside the reeking river that cut between the two cities, forever and irrevocably cutting them off from one another. Even on the Piltover side, the water stank of fish and bilge water, though it was more bearable when it didn't combine with the fumes of Zaun factories. Beneath dingy lamplight, Fey spotted her little dingy still tethered to the dockyard. Her small boat was covered by the shadows of the piers. She looked behind for any sign of enforcers making their way down the docks with their too-bright flashlights.

Fey just about tossed herself unto the rocky shoreline of the river. She imagined every small noise at her back to be a Piltover warden running towards her with a weapon raised. Her prosthetics struggled over the large rocks leading to the water. Her vessel bobbed on the waves slowly rising as if to meet her. Fey dumped her load first and then herself, narrowly avoiding getting her rust-prone prosthetics wet. She hurriedly untied the rope, grabbed the oars, and paddled straight across the river. She got about half way when she looked over her shoulder once more. Fey paddled harder once she saw the dim lights of enforcer lights flicker across the dockyard.

She raced to the other side as if in hot pursuit. There was no other way. Slowing down meant getting caught and that she couldn't afford. Fey forced her muscles to push past the ache threatening to make her cry out in tired agony. Sweat beaded down her brow and settled into her eyes, but she didn't stop to wipe them away. Fey glanced again to find no one there. Not a shadow of a patrol boat anywhere in sight, however at this point why tempt fate and slow down? Fey paddled harder, faster, forced her way across the competing current until the dingy boat on made a thud against the opposite shore.

Fey tied her craft to the Zaun side dock, though she didn't doubt she'd find it missing the next time she tried going out. She climbed shore, jumping from rock to rock to skip over the mud and muck lining the undercity's shore. With her haul strapped to her back, Fey started for the hazy, green-lit shadow of Piltover.

Though it was early in the morning, the party crowd still loitered in the Lanes and congregated near The Last Drop. Fey would have to make her way through the throngs of shambling drunks in the main square, but not before she passed her workplace. Babette was sitting in her usual spot waiting for customers. She smoked from her long thin pipe as Fey stopped to greet her.

"Dumpster diving again tonight?"

"Yup," answered Fey.

"You certainly smell like it." She blew a stream of smoke away from Fey. "Somebody was asking for you tonight. Told 'em you had the night off and come back. So take a bath or two before you get here tomorrow night."

A secret loathing settled in Fey's stomach. Requests were frequently men who had...unique interests as they say. One in particular she hated most of all. It made her skin crawl just thinking about him.

"Well, let's hope that the pipes work when I get home," said Fey.

"You could just live here. You're going to give me a head of gray hair walking all the way home by yourself. It would be so much easier if you kept a room where you worked."

Fey inhaled the smoke from Babette's pipe. This wasn't the first time they had this conversation, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. Fey shook her head.

"It's a good offer, but I need space to work and a quiet place to think," said Fey. "Thank you for the offer though."

She shuffled the bag on her shoulder and walked away before Babette could say another word. Fey weaved through the crowd surrounding the bar and walked into the dingy streets. She let her hood down and ran fingers through her sweat-slick hair. Yes, a bath should be in order if the pipes didn't run with sewage...again. Fey walked down several streets undisturbed. Though the homeless slept in the gutters, they were too tired to bother her. Fey strode past them and walked further ahead with eyes glued forward. That's how you get fewer people to bother you, make them think you've got some place to be in a hurry. It worked, some of the time.

Fey switched her duffle bag from shoulder to shoulder three times before home sweet home appeared in sight. A former fire brigade station, Fey renovated it into a home. The property was dirt cheap with ample space. She checked the lock on the back and front door because you just never know. People will do anything including stealing from one another if they're desperate enough to survive. All the perimeters were secured though as far as she could tell. A wind chime made of broken bottle pieces whispered in the breeze. Fey crossed the threshold and sealed the outside world behind her door.

Her palms itched more fiercely. Fey unraveled the dirty bandages she wore, revealing strange markings for her eyes only. The skin seemed to sizzle in the center of her palms like she put her hands on a hot stove. Fey dumped her loot at the base of a patched-up dress form with a half-finished red project draped on it. Her body demanded sleep, but the smell of her own body started to nauseate her. The bathroom was the cleanest room in the whole building but lacked a vital thing for privacy, a door. Fey kept some semblance of it via a curtain she tacked onto the wall above the door. She didn't know where the door went, just that it wasn't there when she purchased the abandoned station.

Bottles of chemicals sat on the back of the toilet. Fey sat on the edge of the tub and turned on the faucet. Cold water gushed out with a slight murky tint. She daubed a bit of solution onto a Q-tip and put it under the running water. The cotton tip turned pink, but Fey shrugged her shoulders.

"At least it doesn't contain parasites this time." The chemical test just proved there was a bit more salt and minerals than probably should be. The pipes began to groan though they didn't shut down.

While Fey waited for her tub to fill up, she undressed, leaving her clothes in a pile on the floor. A long nightdress hung on the wall. She plucked it off the wall and a towel and laid both within reach of the tub. Next, came the daunting task of detaching her prosthetics. Chemical burns covered her upper thigh, which was all that Fey had left of her right leg. Scars from the same incident was mirrored on the other leg, but these went from the ankle up. Her left foot had been cut off. The tub filled up to where she would splash it all over her floor and get her clothes wet. With the aid of ropes hanging from the walls and ceiling, Fey could ease herself into the water and safely sink down. She grabbed a bottle from a shelf along the wall and scrubbed her hair clean.

The scent of jasmine filled the room. The bottles lining the shelf looked out of the place with the whole building, not just the bathroom. They were exquisite glass bottles that matched the frippery and exclusivity of where they came from. Perhaps no one else in Zaun had such luxuries. Fey acquired them as gifts from the Piltover men who liked to visit the slums for shits and giggles. Oh, how she hated those men who'd otherwise turn their noses up at her, but then gave her exactly what she asked for if she batted her eyelashes or sucked their cock good enough. Fey washed her hair and dunked herself beneath the cold water. Wash, rinse, repeat.

When she felt like she got the dumpster smell off of her, Fey emptied the tub and heaved herself onto the bathtub sill to dry off. She wore her nightgown with nothing beneath and reattached her prosthetics. Her "bedroom" was the loft in the mezzanine area up the metal staircase. Her queen-sized bed was courtesy of those slum-exploring rats from Piltover, but the beauty part was that none of them ever got to see it. Jokes on them. Exhaustion hit her body like a train once she crawled beneath the sheets. It took only a short while before Fey drifted off to dreamless sleep.

#arcane #arcane: league of legends #arcane show #arcane smut...? #eventually #OC #oc x canon #OC x Silco (deal with it) #brain rot #and now all of you have to deal with it too #minors begone #minors dni #fuck it i'm posting it