#like i understand the hobbit comes first but it was never edited

[cantsayidont]

I am generally fond of the Peter Jackson LORD OF THE RINGS movies (much more so than THE HOBBIT trilogy, which is an unmitigated disaster from start to finish), but I still feel that it was a tremendous error to remove "The Scouring of the Shire" from the ending of RETURN OF THE KING. I think I understand the rationale for omitting it — it further complicates what's already a protracted finale, and it is kind of a downer — but I suspect it's one of the changes to which Tolkien himself would have most objected.

First, it's an essential element in the arc of Frodo. Frodo has already been wounded in a way that even Elrond and Gandalf can't entirely fix, even after they remove the notch of the Morgul-knife. After enduring an impossible ordeal, he returns to the Shire to find that the war has come home in a way that, at least for him, can't be fully set right even after Saruman is dead and much of the immediate damage repaired. Frodo's original conflicts have been seemingly resolved: At the beginning of the book, he's seen in Hobbiton as an irresponsible youth of dubious background who grows into another suspicious eccentric like Bilbo, but by the end, they want to make him the mayor (to which Frodo only very reluctantly and temporarily agrees), and even his feud with the Sackville-Bagginses is ended. Even so, Frodo is left far more alienated than he ever was to start with, which is why he finally chooses to go over Sea rather than live out his life in the Shire.

Second, while it is superficially rather grim, I think Tolkien might have argued that it's actually his most hopeful chapter. Tolkien says in the introduction to the second edition that "The Scouring of the Shire" had its roots in his own childhood:

The country in which I lived in childhood [in Warwickshire] was being shabbily destroyed before I was ten, in days when motor-cars were rare objects (I had never seen one) and men were still building suburban railways. Recently I saw in a paper a picture of the last decrepitude of the once thriving corn-mill beside its pool that long ago seemed to me so important.

Thus, it seems significant that the shabby destruction of the Shire at the hands of Saruman and his men is actually set right remarkably quickly. As soon as Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin return, they're able to rouse the other hobbits to action and drive out the ruffians within a matter of days, and Sam is even able to use Galadriel's gift to replace most of the trees that have been carelessly destroyed, with a magnificent mallorn-tree in place of the beloved Party Tree. The Shire hasn't wholly escaped the scars of industrialization, but the hobbits have come to their senses and turned back before it was too late.

That is really the most optimistic element of the story's finale. Aragorn's coronation means a restoration of order to the West, but magic and wonder are fading away or departing over Sea. Arwen has made the choice of Luthien and is doomed to eventually fade and leave the world; in the Appendices, after Aragorn's death, she returns to Lórien, now deserted, and essentially lies down and dies. Tolkien did not feel the Ents would ever find the Ent-wives, so they too will probably never flourish again. However, the Shire endures, in a way that the country where Tolkien grew up did not — not by remaining completely aloof from the world, but by rejecting the new mill and the smokestacks, and by "thousands of willing hands of all ages" deliberately tearing down everything built by Saruman and using the bricks "to repair many an old hole, to make it snugger and drier."

#movies #books #lord of the rings #lotr #peter jackson #return of the king #jrr tolkien #the scouring of the shire #frodo baggins #saruman #tolkien's ecological imaginings are not above criticism #they're still rooted in a kind of pastoral fantasy #but it is somehow heartening to imagine #that the horrors of industrialization aren't irreparable

[kilibaggins]

Hello! I would like to request bilbo/kili where kili gets a little protective/possesive of bilbo during the journey from the other dwarves. maybe with a little bit of bilbo having to calm kili down from trying not to fight the other dwarves when kili thinks one of them hurt bilbo accidentally somehow(dwarves forgetting their strength over bilbo). hope this finds you well and i cant wait to see what you write if you choose to do this :)

Important To Me | Kili X Bilbo

kili x bilbo baggins

A/N: I hope you like this! i love kili x bilbo so i was really happy to get this request going and im sorry it took a little bit! let me know if you want any more fics i will happily write them !! my requests are open <3 also i just realized i never went through and edited kili's name so for this one there's no accent mark over the i !! sorry about that <3

Warnings: confrontation, accidental harm, yelling, but i promise it's fluffy and there's no actual yelling between kili and bilbo.

Words: 1493

Might Post on Wattpad in the future !

from the river to the sea, palestine will be free 🇵🇸 READ: this account stands with palestine, and so— i require everyone who interacts to educate themselves, and support/donate. READ THESE; 1 and 2, HELP HERE, BOYCOTT. silence is complicity, do not scroll past this.

Bilbo has noticed a few… Peculier changes in Kili. More irritable with the other dwarves, and more likely to jump into danger, it's like Kili has started getting… Protective.

It started with the trolls, which everyone might see as just a regular bit of protectiveness. Bilbo saw it as that, at first. It was just Kili stepping in to save him, there was nothing off about it.

No, the changes really started happening that night, When Kili gently took his arm and started touching it to check for bruises. Oin had offered to step in and do it but Kili snapped that he could do it just fine.

That was weird enough, yes, but then it got stranger. He started yelling at the other dwarves for every little thing around Bilbo.

Bilbo isn't easily breakable. He's had his fair share of roughhousing when he was younger, he's been hurt more times than he can count, and especially more than your average Hobbit, but even so being around these 13 dwarves can do a number on him.

They don't know their own strength. They push and punch and hug too tightly, and overall it's a painful experience for poor Bilbo who can't seem to catch a break from it all now that he's an official member of the company and has been accepted.

Kili will see this and react… Angrily? Bilbo doesn't understand it and he can't bring himself to ask because what if Kili stops caring? He likes the idea of someone caring for him, and that's why the dwarves including him in things makes him happy.

It's a regular day, they've made camp in some forest that Bilbo can't tell the difference from the last one they were in, and they're sitting by the fire.

Dwalin, in the heat of the moment and while laughing, slams his hand down on Bilbo's shoulder, and Bilbo winces. It's not even that bad, not really, but Bilbo still winces. Dwalin is quick to notice and move his hand and gruffs out a small apology, but apparently to Kili that isn't enough.

Kili quickly gets up and starts to yell, which leads Dwalin to yell, which leads to the other dwarves yelling, and Bilbo quickly gets up and stands between Dwalin and Kili.

"Kili, Kili! Hey, hey, I'm fine!" Bilbo says, putting his hand on the dwarf's chest. Kili is glaring over at Dwalin, Dwalin! Dwalin of all people! For accidentally hurting the Hobbit. It's not as if it's his fault, Dwalin just doesn't know his own strength when it comes to the burglar. Bilbo puts his hand on Kili's chest and pushes him away gently. The look on Kili's face morphing from anger at Dwalin to a little bit of hurt as he moves away from Bilbo and storms off is enough to make Bilbo feel bad for some reason. He huffs and mutters out an apology to Dwalin.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what has gotten into him." Bilbo rambles, talking with his hands. Dwalin though, isn't angry when Bilbo looks up. He just has a small knowing smirk on his face.

"You really don't see it?" Dwalin says, tilting his head slightly. Bilbo throws his arms out in confusion and Dwalin nods to where Kili ran off. "Talk to him."

Bilbo huffs a bit, fixing his jacket. He turns from Dwalin and walks off in the direction Kili went.

Admittedly, he should have thought this through a bit more. He's not good with tracking or finding his way in forests, so as soon as he makes it a bit too far out to hear the other dwarves being rambunxious he realizes he won't find his way back without the beautiful dwarf he's looking for. Bilbo grumbles to himself as he continues to walk and he makes his way to a small stream. It's beautiful, of course. Colorful rocks underneath the water, probably there for years slowly being eaten away at by the flowing water. Bilbo finds Kili sitting at the edge of it, his knees bent up and his arms crossed on top.

It's a sight, for sure. Kili with his hair lying on his shoulders sitting in front of a stream. It's a picture Bilbo would be happy to draw one day.

Bilbo makes his way closer, obviously tripping over stones because he can't be safe for the life of him. Kili doesn't look over when he approaches for a second and Bilbo worries if he speaks up he'll scare the dwarf, but then Kili starts to speak.

"Are you alright?"

Bilbo sighs softly and sits next to him. His shoulder is a bit sore from Dwalin earlier, but other than that he's fine.

"Yes," Bilbo says insistently. "I'm fine. I have been."

Kili stays silent for a while, just staring at the stream. He looks like a kicked puppy.

"I do not understand," Bilbo admits, huffing to himself as he turns from Kili and looks to the water. "I don't understand why you're upset."

"… I just want you to be okay," Kili says softly, looking over at him. Bilbo shakes his head and fiddles with the handkerchief that Kili found him.

"I am," Bilbo says again. Kili looks slightly frustrated again. "You don't have to worry about me so much."

"Yes, I do." Kili snaps, and then instantly deflates. He groans and covers his face. "I'm sorry."

Bilbo watches him for a moment and thinks about Dwalin's questioning earlier.

"Why? Why have you been acting like this? Dwalin is not the only one you've threatened in the past few days. Oin wanted to check a cut of mine and you practically pushed him away. You even snapped at Thorin. The King. Your uncle. What is going on?"

"I- I want you to be okay," Kili says again, and when he sees Bilbo go to argue he speaks again, "I NEED you to be okay."

Bilbo stops for a moment and looks down at the ground. Kili turns to him this time, gesturing with his hands for a second before talking.

"You are… So important. You don't-" Kili laughs, "You don't see it. You don't see how important you are or how much I care and It drives me wild! The trolls capture you, hurt you, and all you do after is apologize to us! Apologize to us? We're the ones who got you in that mess, to begin with! You get hurt by Dwalin and your first instinct is to let it go and you don't care about yourself! What happens when someone threatens to kill you and you just sit back and let it happen and then you die and you leave me-"

Bilbo looks at him in shock, floored by the rant but especially the last part. He goes to speak but Kili interrupts him again.

"You are… You're…" Kili doesn't know how to proceed and deflates. "You're you. That's why I'm worried because you're you and we- I need you. I-I love you."

Bilbo doesn't know what to say. He must look ridiculous with his mouth gaping and a confused look on his face, his eyes teary. He can't force a sentence out as he lets out a harsh breath. He instead reaches forward and takes the dwarf's hand. Kili holds Bilbo's hand and for a moment the only sounds in the forest are the wind blowing through the trees, and the water flowing next to them.

"You can't…" Bilbo says, confused. Kili… The nephew of the rightful king under the mountain. He's royalty. He's a part of something much greater than himself, there is no way that Kili loves him.

"I do," Kili says quietly. he turns from Bilbo and shakes his head. "I understand if you do not feel the same, but all I ask is that you understand why I am protective of you. I love you, and to me, you're more important than any piece of gold in that mountain."

"I love you too, Kili… But you can't fight your own kin for me." Bilbo says gently. Kili sighs and nods and affirmative. Bilbo smiles and leans forward. "Now, I'm not sure what Dwarves do when they admit their feelings but Hobbits have a fun way of doing so."

Kili's bashful look turns to a smirk.

"What did you have in mind, burglar?" Kili teases, leaning closer.

"Oh, shut it you fool." Bilbo laughs, rolling his eyes. He leans forward and kisses him quickly before pulling back. He abruptly stands and gestures around them. "Now, I have no clue where we are. Guide me, adventurer."

Kili beams up at him and he gets up, and they make their way through the forest.

They have a lot to work out, a lot of people to talk to, a King (and most importantly uncle to confess to), but for now they have each other. and oh, that's the best adventure Bilbo could have asked for.

#the hobbit #the hobbit fanfic #bilbo baggins #kili durin #kili x bilbo #bilbo x kili #kilbo #request #requested #my fanfic #letmelickyoureyeballs

[mask131]

The cosmogony of French fantasy

The title is not by me - this is actually the title of an article I want to kind-of-translate kind-of-recap here. "Cosmogonie de la fantasy française - Genèse et émancipation", "Cosmogony of French fantasy - Genesis and emancipation", by Marie-Louise Bougon. It was an article part of the "Worldbuilding" issue of the French National Library review (La revue de la BNF), back in 2019, and it brings a lot of interesting element for those who are curious about what fantasy literature looks like currently in France (since all the fantasy we talk about is mostly American or British).

Here is the rough translation/summary:

Fantasy only appeared quite late in France - and if the first translations of English-speaking fantasy only come from the 1970s, we will have to wait for the new editorial dynamic of the 1990s for a true "French fantasy" to appear and specialize itself - many talk of a "French touch" that makes these books clearly different from their English companions.

I) The first translations: a fragmented territory

The first translations in French of fantasy books started in the 70s. The decisions of publishing houses at the time made it quite hard for a reader to identify "fantasy" as its own genre. Indeed, most fantasy authors (especially British ones) were published by houses specializing in "general literature" - The Hobbit was translated as "Bilbo le Hobbit" in 1969 by Stock, before it took care of the Cycle de Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake, while in 1972 Christian Bourgeois releases the first French translation of the Lord of the Rings. Another part of fantasy books - more American, these ones, the inheritors of the pulp aesthetic, the sword and sorcery books - was rather translated in collections dedicated to either science-fiction, or fantastique. [N.o.T.: The French term "fantastique" designates a specific literary genre in which supernatural elements suddenly happen in an otherwise normal, regular and mundane setting identical to our own - as opposed to "merveilleux" which is about describing worlds where the magical and fabulous is mundane. Dracula would be "fantastique" while fairytales are "merveilleux".] There was the collection "Aventures fantastiques" by the editions Opta, or the science-fiction collection of Lattès.

Fantasy was perceived originally as merely a sub-genre of science-fiction - an idea that was kept alive by collections such as "Pocket science-fiction" or "J'ai lu - SF" that published a mix of science-fiction and fantasy works throughout the 80s. Outside of the short-lived collection "Heroic Fantasy" by Stan Barets at the Temps futurs publishing house (it only lasted from 1981 to 1983), we would have to wait for quite some time before publishers started to understand that fantasy was its own genre. In 1988, the Atalante creates the "Bibliothèque de l'évasion" (Library of evasion) collection. Fleuve noir creates in 1998 a fantasy collection called "Dentelle du cygne" (Swan's lace), that in 2002 was replaced by "Rendez-vous ailleurs", "Meetings at other places". These were for large formats - pocket formats also started their own specific collections. J'ai lu Fantasy in 1998, for example, and in 1988 the Pocket SF collection started to add sub-titles such as "Fantasy", "Dark Fantasy" or "Science-fantasy" to differentiate the works. However, despite all these efforts, the original decades-old confusion between fantasy, SF and general literature hindered the growth of the genre in France, since it never got a true visibility...

II) Cartography of the "great old ones"

If people only start to realize and understand the genre itself at the end of the 80s, it doesn't mean that there never was any French fantasy works until this date. In fact, the Callidor editions, specializing in "fantasy archeology", have made an effort to dig up and bring back to light the works that shaped the French fantasy - and for them, the oldest French work of fantasy would be the epic Les Centaures, in 1904, written by André Lichtenberger. In 2005, the author Laurent Kloetzer went even further than this - he claimed that Flaubert's Salammbô (an 1862 sensual, violent and Orientalist historical novel) was one of the earliest examples of French fantasy. Kloetzer notably pointed out the similarity between Salammbô's baroque style, and the one of Michael Moorcock's Gloriana, and how the way Robert Howard described bloody battles was quite close to Flaubert's own war descriptions. By retrospectively considering these works as fantasy, this would make the French fantasy a continuation of the merveilleux genre (see my mentions above).

So, French precursors did exist - but they remained lonely and rare experimentations, that never got any true success upon their release. Nathalie Henneberg, an author of science-fiction (who often published under the name of her husband, Charles Henneberg) did made a few fantasy pauses in her SF career during the 1960s - Le Sang des astres (The blood of celestial bodies) and Les Dieux verts (The Green gods), republished by Callidor in 2018. However the most notorious example of this "primitive French fantasy" would be Jacques Abeille's Cycle des contrées, published in 1982 at Flammarion, then re-edited in 2012 by the Attila editions, and finally released in pocket format by Folio SF in 2018. This cycle, that describes the exploration of another world full of wonders and magics, took more than thirty years to be recognized as a fantasy works - and that despite Abeille having sent his manuscript to Julien Gracq, one of the greatest French fans of Tolkien at the time. If people did notice a similarty between fantasy books and Abeille's works, editors made nothing of it - one would have to wait for the more modern reedition for the "fantasy" aspect to be advertised. In 2011, in an interview, Jacques Abeille recalled a sentence one of his readers said to him: "As a kid, I watched Star Wars. As a teen, I read Tolkien. As an adult, I read you."

Abeille's new success in modern fantasy is however an exception, since other "precursors" of fantasy never regained such a late recognition: for example, Isabelle Hausser's Célubée, published in 1986 by Julliard, is still not sold as a fantasy work, and that despite being re-edited by Fallois in 2000 (with a Marc Fumaroli preface). Among other French early attempts, we can find Sous l'araignée du Sud (Under the South spider), a 1978 novel by Dominique Roche and Charles Nightingale, published by Robert Laffont. Unlike the previous works, this novel actually had a consciousness that it belonged to a new and "infant" genre. The back of the book doesn't use the "fantasy" word yet, but it does describe it as "a marvelous and terrifying fairy tale, in the line of Tolkien's work, in the heroico-fantastical tradition of the Anglo-Saxons, but this time written in French, in a rich and visual language, sparkling with humor."

In the 1980s, we see an hesitaton, an ambiguity between publishing/editing decisions that made the birth of this first fantasy completely invisible to the public, and a slow, creeping recognition by authors and publishers of a new genre. In 1983, Francis Berthelot's Khanaor duology was published in the Heroic Fantasy collection of Temps futurs - and in the preface the author clearly states its "fantasy" status. "No need to lie to ourselves, the same way general literature disdains SF, the SF disdains heroic fantasy. It makes it a sub-sub-genre, a doubly-poor parent of the Letters with a big L." This preface highlights the bad reputation of the genre at the time - for French people of the 80s, fantasy was just a sub-science-fiction, less thoughtful, less prone to reflexion, more turned towards adventure and entertainment. Despite all this criticism, fantasy will still manage to grow away from science-fiction, and find its place in the "genre literatures".

III) An expanding universe

It was around 1995 that a true turn of event happened, around the same time the first French publishing house entirely dedicated to fantasy were created (Mnémos and Nestiveqnen). Mnémos, originally conceived by Stéphane Marsan and Frédéric Weil to publish role-playing game novelizations, still edited during its first years French authors such as Mathieu Gaborit, Fabrice Colin, Laurent Kloetzer, Pierre Grimbert and Sabrina Calvo. Nicknamed "the Mnémos generation", these authors created a true boom and multiplication of the French fantasy works in the 2000s. Les Chroniques des Crépusculaires (The Chronicles of the Dusk-people), of Mathieu Gaborit (1995-96) and Le Secret de Ji, by Pierre Grimbert (prix Julia Verlanger in 1997) form the two first commercial successes of French fantasy.

This new fashion was certified by the creation in 2000 of the Bragelonne editions: this very prolific publishing house released translations of English works, but also promoted the writers of the "Mnémos generation", while discovering new authors. For example, Henri Loevenbruck with his Celtic saga La Moïra (2001-2002), or the Ange duo (already famous for their work on comic books and roleplaying games) with their cycle Trois Lunes de Tanjor (Three Moons of Tanjor, 2001-2003, re-edited in 2005 under the title Ayesha). Les Editions de l'Oxymore (The Oxymoron Editions), created in 1999, also allowed numerous French authors to start in the genre, via periodical anthologies - these anthologies contained short stories from authors now quite well-known, such as Justine Niogret, Mélanie Fazi or Charlotte Bousquet. The editorial expansion follows all the way throughout the 2000s, with new publishing houses opening regularly. Le Bélial', which created the Bifrost journal, published fantasy novels since 1998 (their collection "Fantasy", renamed "Kvasar" in 2011). The webzine ActuSF becomes an editing house in 2003, and dedicates its collection "Trois souhaits" (Three wishes) to French authors. Les Moutons électriques (The electrical sheeps) were born in 2004, and made famous Jean-Philippe Jaworski, while La Volte, around the same time, started the very noticeable Horde du Contrevent (Horde of the Counterwind) by Alain Damasio. The years 2010s also saw a few house apparitions - such as the Critic, Callidor and Scrineo editions - and there was also a very dynamic microedition market.

Of course, French youth publications also stayed very rich and prolific - finding a true audience after the Harry Potter phenomenon. Two famous French series played on the idea of "the adventures of a young wizard" - the Tara Duncan series by Sophia Audouin-Mamikonian, started in 2003 and a mass commercial success, and also started in 2003 the saga of the "world of Gwendalavir" by Pierre Bottero. While these works all evoke the Potter-phenomenon (teenage characters promised to a great destiny and magical powers in a fantastical parallel world), they do keep an original voice, find their own themes and specificities, and thus gain a faithful audience. In the Fantasy forum of the university of Artois, Pierre Bottero was the most frequently mentionned French author when participants were asked "Who is your favorite author?", making him a good rival of English-speaking fantasy authors.

If French fantasy managed to build itself, and to singularize itself - and if the genre became even more visible thanks to the recent mediatic success of the Game of Thrones TV series, Jérôme Vincent (director of ActuSF) made a quite disappointing observation in a 2017 interview. He noted that the "wave" expected did not happen. "The big cinema blockbusters all belong to either science-fiction or fantasy, the great TV series are all tied one way or another to fantasy, that's the same thing in comic books and video games, and that's without talking of role-playing games... [...] But it seems that is no effect, no repercusion of this onto fantasy literature." In order to ameliorate the visibility and the sales of fantasy books, since 2017 publishers created the "Mois de l'imagination" (Month of the imagination), a way to rival the "literary new year". While it is too early to establish if this worked or not, it is quite a hopeful sign to see that in "fantasy reading recommandations", French names start to pop up alongside the great English ones. As Estelle Faye wrote, "French fantasy seems to still suffer from an inferiority complex" - but we can only hope authors and readers will manage to fight it off.

IV) A world of its own ?

Is there a "French touch", a specificity to French fantasy? This question, frequently debated by fan forums, became the subject of a podcast produced by the website Elbakin.net, in which was noted the lack in France of huge cycles carried over several volumes (a very prominent feature of English-written fantasy). French fantasy authors prefers one-shots, short series (rarely more than a trilogy), or series of distnct novels merely sharing a same world (for example, the works of Lionel Davoust that take place in the Evanégyre world). This formal difference would however be due to the "fear" of editors, who do not dare putting in the world too-ambitous projects. Due to this format specificity, it seems that there is a lesser importance of the worldbuilding in French fantasy - which might be why its authors had a hard time building an audience in the beginnings. As David Peyron wrote it in Culture geek, fantasy fans tend to prefer the quality of the worldbuilding over the quality of the style. "If the quality of the world becomes essential, in return some traits such as the literary style, which gives its value to a cultural object in a classical system, are pushed aside." French fantasy, which is less of a worldbuilder and much more literary than its English counterpart, is as a result swimming against the stream. However, nowadays this particularly is accepted by the fans. Indeed, in recent reviews and articles, several French authors such as Jean-Philippe Jaworski or Alain Damasio are praise for their mastery of style - the first one because of how he writes like Alexandre Dumas, the second because of how versatile he can be with tones and genres. These literary qualities are obviously tied to the inspirations of the French authors, who do not have the "pulp inheritage" and rather take from French classics or swashbuckling novels. Of course, we also cannot ignore the theory that French readers are more sensible to the style when it comes to writing in their own language.

If we go towards themes, we can see several recurring motifs and traditions shared by both English-speaking and French-speaking fantasy. For example, Arthurian fantasy has sparked a certain interest in France - La Trilogie des Elfes (The Elf trilogy) of Jean-Louis Fetjaine (1998-2000), or Justine Niogret's Mordred (2013). However, French authors truly seem to express a taste for historical but non-medieval fantasy. Jean-Philippe Jaworski's Gagner la guerre (Win the war, 2009) takes place during a reinvented Renaissance, Johan Heliot's takes an interest in the rule of Louis XIV in his Grand Siècle (Great century) saga (2017-2018), Pierre Pevel choses the 17th century for the setting of his Les Lames du cardinal (The Cardinal's blades, 2007-2010), and finally Fabrice Anfosso takes inspiration from World War I in his Le Chemin des fées (The road of fairies, 2005). Urban fantasy also has a big success in France - especially one focusing on a reinvented Paris. There are numerous works reimagining the French capital as either filled with surpernatural beasts, either invaded by a scientific-marvelous touching to both the steampunk and gaslamp fantasies. For examples you have the Paris des merveilles cycle, by Pierre Pevel (Paris of marvels, 2003-2015), Un éclat de givre by Estelle Faye (A fragment of frost, 2014), Les Extraordinaires et Fantastiques Enquêtes de Sylvo Sylvain by Raphaël Albert (The Extraordinary and Fantastical Investigations of Sylvo Sylvain, 2010-2017), or Les Confessions d'un automate mangeur d'opium by Mathieu Gaborit and Fabrice Colin (Confessions of an opium-eating automaton, 1999).

Jacques Baudou described with enthusiasm the originality of French fantasy, whose main specificity is - according to him - a tendency to go to the margins. "The best works of French fantasy [...] operates a subversion of the codes, they practice the art of mixing, and as thus come off as greatly original literary objects". It seems indeed that, due to its late apparition, French fantasy benefited from a certain look-back on its own genre, making it easier for French authors to play with or subvert its codes. Anne Besson, however, nuances this opinion: she points out that the small number of French fantasy authors (compared to the mass of English-speaking authors) makes the differences in tones, themes and motifs much more obvious - which creates what is merely a feeling of a greater diversity.

Another element of French fantasy that seems to be born of its "lateness" is its reflexive dimension: French authors have a strong tendency towards the commentary and the erudition. For example, the fantasy anthologies of the Editions de l'Oxymore include between its short stories things such as critical files or textstaken out of classics of French culture. These practices seem to be an attempt at legitimizing a genre that still has a hard time being recognized as "true literature" - even though modern days receive fantasy works with much more benevolence than before.

V) To the conquest of the world ?

If French fantasy grew enormously since the first experiments of the 70s, and if it now benefits from a much better visibility, its market stays quite weak. A proof of that: the numerous funding campaigns launched these last years by different actors of the genre. French fantasy also has a hard time crossing the frontier. Le Livre et l'épée by Antoine Rouaud (The Book and the sword, first volume released in 2013) was translated in English, German, Dutch and Spanish. Le Secret de Ji of Pierre Grimbert (Ji's Secret) was also published in English via Amazon Crossing in 2013. But these are exceptions to the rule. But there is hope for future French publications - for example the Bragelonne publishing house established a partnership with the British Gollancz, a science-fiction specialist.

#fantasy #fantasy literature #french fantasy #french literature #history of fantasy #french stuff #french culture #fantasy novels #foreign fantasy

[catofadifferentcolor]

The Hobbit

It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him.

I first read The Hobbit in sixth grade. It had long been one of my mother's favorites, and the fact she delayed so long in giving it to me to read was almost certainly so I could appreciate it fully the first time I read it.

I read The Lord of the Rings the next year, largely because one of my teachers said it was too difficult for a child my age, and fell rather more in love with it - and the movies which came out a few years after that - but The Hobbit always had a special place in my heart because it was my mother's favorite. Words like second breakfast and elevenses peppered our conversations long before I knew their source.

I read the book again about a decade later, shortly before the first movie came out - it is a rare book I read more than once every 5-10 years, even my favorites - but was so disgusted by the movie that I never saw the second two despite the love I have for the source. Indeed, for many years the movies and the inexplicable love the internet seems to have for them turned me off everything but solitary rewatches of The Lord of the Rings extended edition and its extras.

Over the past few weeks, however, I've felt the deep desire to reenter Middle-Earth and, somewhat against my better judgement, decided to start at the beginning: The Hobbit. (Actually, once I decided this I put it off for almost a week because The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey really did traumatize me and my love for the source material that much.)

But The Hobbit remains a good little book. I can easily see why I enjoyed it so much when I first read it as a child. It remains enjoyable as an adult, though I do have to pinch myself from time to time and say this is a children's book.

My biggest complaint is actually that we have 13 dwarves... and are given very little detail about them. They are interchangeable save for the brief mention of cloak and beard colors at their introduction. None of the lineage stuff that comes to be so important later, or indeed any hint of how any of them are connected to each other until page 150 of my HarperCollins edition. Hell, I'm not certain half the dwarves have speaking lines. (I can understand why Peter Jackson did what he did with the dwarves in his movies, to make them unique and memorable, but there's little-to-no basis for any of it and frak if it isn't so over the top it's in fraking orbit.)

Also: the complete lack of female characters, other than a passing mention of Bilbo's mother.

Otherwise... that's all I really have. It's a good little book and a nice little adventure, but I prefer the meat LotR gives us. I remain baffled how anyone managed to eek 3 movies out of it, but I love it and now must lie in wait for the little ones in my own family to be old enough to appreciate it. Maybe then I'll recapture some of the delight I had at my initial reading. Until then, I'll just have to remind myself I may one day be old enough to truly enjoy fairytales again.

#aadarshinah reads #tolkien #the hobbit #book review

[imakemywings]

Because I love to gossip, and I want another edition of your 'Are you still bitter about the treatment of [silm character]', 7, 8, 12, 22, 25 for Elrond ;-)

CHARACTER ASKS

You guys encourage me in the worst ways XD

7. What’s something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you like?

There are a LOT of ways to interpret Elrond's character in terms of his feelings towards others, his heritage, Middle-earth politics, etc. and I think the fandom does a great job of exploring this. I've also enjoyed some of these takes where he struggles with growing apart from Elros once they leave Amon Ereb, because they're used to being almost claustrophobically close by circumstance.

8. What’s something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you despise?

Feanorian Elrond. Enough said.

12. What’s a headcanon you have for this character?

I think it was Elrond's disconnect from his heritage and his desire to learn more about the Doriathrim/Gondolindrim/Edain that first led him into scholarship and began the library he keeps in Rivendell.

22. If you’re a fic reader, what’s something you like in fics when it comes to this character? Something you don’t like?

Probably apparent from the above answer, I especially enjoy probing into the sense of absence wrt his parents and his family history and culture. How he handles it, how it impacts his views and attitudes, etc. In this way he's so different from Celebrian, who has such a direct line back to the very beginning of her family.

I really don't like when Third or Fourth Age Elrond is still bitter and resentful towards his parents for their forced absence during his childhood. It's one thing for a six-year-old child to feel that way; quite another for a grown man of several thousand years (and now a leader in his own right facing catastrophic dangers of his own) not to understand the position they were put in. It just makes him look really bad, imo, but it's usually presented in a way that we're supposed to sympathize with him.

25. What was your first impression of this character? How about now?

I always liked Elrond! My first introduction to him would have been reading The Hobbit when I was eleven, and in that book he sort of embodies the friendly helper to the questing heroes. After that I saw the LotR films and his relationship with Arwen was really touching <3 I still feel that way! Elrond is a character who only grows more complex the more of Tolkien you know, and it's still amazing to me that he never ended up being more than a side character, for someone so central to much of Tolkien's lore XD

#asks #meme reply

[marvelita85]

Christmas morning found all of you already awake in your twin pijamas, you coudln't believe Bucky was willing to wear it too, you were hopefull but still

- he loves you honey...- Pepper said sipping her eggnog sitting in the couch while you and Bucky enjoy watching your sister and your dad wearing a Santa suit

- you are Iron man dad not Santa -Morgan said standing beside him wearing a very similar pijamas of her mother

There was a lot of toys a play station 5 for Bucky who look surprise to be resiving that kind of gift but he knew he was with his family now

- this is my sister's and mine to you - Bucky looked at you expecting and grab the wrap gift but he didnt lpen it yet

-come on uncle Bucky open it - Morgan was very cheerfull and Bucky opened a first edition of the Hobbit book in his hands

-how did you...

-come on I'm a Stark after all and as much as you and Steve hated when I become a snob it has it's advanteges, I thought having a first editio would bring u close to your home

- thank you both of you - Pepper noticed in Bucky's eyes how much you meant

Tony sat down beside his wife giving her a box and he look to where she was looking it was you putting a santa hat on Bucky as he took the oportunity to kiss you

- you know I'll never get use to this, you are going to be single for the rest of your life - Tony told Morgan and she look at her dad not understanding much

- oh don't be cruel dad... maybe Peter can wait after all 10 years difference is not that much

- Parker? - Bucky asked and you nod putting a finger in his mouth telling him you only wanted your dad's reaction

- very funny y/n - Pepper coudln't stop laughing

- think about it Bucky and I we have mike more than 70 years difference and look at us

- don't remind me, beside the kid is like your brother so is Morgan's brother too

- alright for now

- was he always that jealous with you growing up?

- nah I was never interested in boys, just computers and building things just like him

- you are definetly a Stark doll

- not for long anymore, I'm going to be y/n Barnes - you gave me this, you show your left hand with the ring shining bright - no refunds

- I don't want any doll... as long I shall live I want you always by my side

Happy holidays everyone 🎄🥂🎉

#sebastian stan x reader #sebastian stan imagine #bucky barnes x reader #sebastian stan #bucky barnes imagine #bucky barnes #james buchanan barnes #james bucky barnes #bucky fanfic #bucky barnes fanfic #bucky x y/n #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes x fluff

[self-indulgency-n-fries]

General headcannons of the au

a/n: i'm working in the kitchen of the restaurant this year, for the first time, and it's being a bit traumatizing to adapt to it. honestly i mostly feel like shit while working, so i decided that this is going to be my stupid way of coping with it when i'm home. enjoy.

.

anyway, here's some headcannons to start with:

- Aragorn is the one who orders the food. I don't know why I am so sure of this, but he would be the one coordinating the whole group when it comes to interaction with the waitresses. Even if Gandalf is there with them.

- Legolas is a perfect gentleman with the waitresses, and the same goes with Frodo and Sam. They're always polite, and kind, no matter what of situation occures, in their table. Legolas and Frodo thank the waittesses at least twice whenever they do something. (e.g: a thank you when they come to the table with the food, and a thank you when they leave).

- Sam thanks the waitresses everytime too, but he's most entertained thinking about the food almost in a chef/food critic way. He will always tell the waitress what he thinks of the dosh, and it's always a short but sweet compliment - he always asks to compliment the chef.

- Gimli and the hobbits in general scare the shit out of the staff with how much they eat, but especially Merry and Pippin. They are the living hell of the kitchen and the staff washing the dishes.

- Actually the whole group ends up being problematic because: Aragorn, Boromir and Legolas eat the normal amount of food for a person, but the elf usually asks for a vegetarian dish that has to be made at the time; Gimli, Frodo and Sam eat for two people each, (though, upon noticing how tiresome it is for the staff tge two hobbits start ordering less food for them) and the dwarf usually prefers the rare meat; then there's Merry and Pippin who eat for about 3 people each, and are either blind enough not to understand how it weights down the restaurant or too hungry to feel guilt in their innocence; then there's Gandalf who somehow is satisfied with like... a soup? It always ends up with a gigantic and stupidly diversed order that takes ages to make and makes other clients wait longer to be served.

- Merry and Pippin are like children in two specific ways, they are a bit too loud and enthusiastic sometimes, and they order the same food as children usually do ("and a plate of fries, please!!").

- Gimli is always safisfied, and will always compliment both chef and waitresses for the food and the service, always wifh some kind of story that the waitresses usually don't have time for, but he is lovable and appreciated everytime anyway, because of his kindness.

- Gimli always laughs at jokes that Boromir makes that tend to scare the shit out of some of the staff (*coughs* me.). Boromir is borderline annoying with it, and Aragorn usually ends up apologizing for him, but he is nevertheless nice to the waitresses, and always gives the staff a new story to laugh at each other.

- Gandalf is so nice to the waitresses, speaking politely and kindly, though, after he eats his soup he octen spends quite some time smoking his pipe. Aragorn joins him for a few minutes sometimes.

- Aragorn is to this day the salvation of the waitresses because of how helpful he is. Precisely because he controls the dynammic of everything, whenever they need to ask anything, the waitresses can just go directly to him. He is the parent of the group.

- Once he becomes more acquaintance with the staff, he tends to ask about the easiest/most convinent hours for tbrm to come and always books for that time, because he is aware of how complicated the group is - he comes to a point of apologising for everything that Merry and Pippin order, everytime.

- Merry and Pippin even get to go with the waitress to the see new deserts, and the kitchen staff find hilarious how they eat like 3 grown men and still look like children.

- Sam goes with them and is amazed. He also gets to know the staff that makes the food he adores and gives them all the positive feedback. He eventually makes a habit lf saying hi to the chef after his meal, sometimes accompanied by the other hobbits.

- Aragorn is always the one who pays, but Gandalf is usually the one to leave the tip - always a good amount.

- Frodo always eats the same desert: biscuit cake. All the times he went to the restaurant that was what hr would have.

- Gimli tends to go for the restaurant's exclusive dessert. He and Sam are trying to guess what is the recipe and ingridients that even most staff doesn't know. Gimli tries to make them tell him what it is but he is never successful.

- Every single waitress loves Frodo. He is baby.

- And every single staff person finds Legolas attractive. Some of the people in the kitchen are always trying to sneak their way to the room where he is just to take a look at him. It always makes him confused and Boromir teases the shit out of him but nevertheless he smiles at them.

- Whenever something breaks, or falls, or is mistaken, or whatever happens Boromir is the first one to reassure the waitress that it's alright, and not to get anxious :).

this is will be edited, and there's probaly more to come, but flr now it's 2 am and I need to sleep.

#lord of the rings #lord of the rings au #lotr #lotr au #lotr headcanons

[yourehomesickiunderstand]

About/Rules/Verses

Hello, and welcome to my Bofur RP blog. This post is a HUGE wall of text, if you are on desktop and would like to see it a little tidier, please see the separate pages in the sidebar to the right. 

Promo Post Found Here

About the Mun

1. Firstly I am over 30, own a house, have a husband, 1 baby, 2 cats, and a wealth of commitments and responsibilities. I will do my best to reply in a timely manner, but will state up front that sometimes life gets in the way.

2. I am in EST and work M-F from 9-5, plus a half hour commute. Please understand that I can not post from work, and will not be posting during those times.

3. In addition, I am Mom to a very active toddler who is my priority over writing and who’s nap schedule tends to dictate when I can post.

4. My native language is English, though I can understand French, and a little bit of Spanish and Japanese. Don’t bank on me carrying on a decent conversation in any of those languages though.

About the Blog

1. When I first set up this blog I didn’t realize that secondary blogs can’t follow back, ask, or submit. My main blog name is Saffity, so if you see that blog follow you, it’s me. If I send an ask or submit, I will mention this blog name so you don’t get confused.

2. My inbox, ask, etc. is open. Please feel free to write me any starters, questions, or whatever.

3. Please send any critiques or suggestions to me. I’ve been on Tumblr forever, but have never really been a poster. If you see me doing basic noob mistakes with my posts that can be easily fixed, please let me know.

4. I will be tracking #yourehomesickiunderstand so please use that tag with our threads.

Mun’s Playing Style

1. I prefer my Bofur straight. I understand Boffins and other ships and have no qualms with them, I’ve been known to enjoy a good fluff fic once in a while, but this Bofur is straight.

2. Please send me an ask or fan mail if you would like our characters to have an already established relationship, I’m totally cool with it. I respond to all cannon characters as known as it shows in the books or movies, but if you are an OC and want something other than a “Nice to meet you” please let me know first.

3. I’m willing to do some fluffies, but not full on smut, if the thread calls for smut (which will often happen), I’ll fade to black when I’ve gone as far as I feel comfortable with. (Don’t worry, I’ll fade when I’m ready, you’ll never get any angry messages from me about going too far.)

4. Bofur here is multiverse, au, indie, whatever you want to call it. I’m sure he’ll fit into whatever crossover or world you decide to drop him in, he’s very easy going after all.

5. I tend to write in the past tense, third person. If you’d prefer a different style, just let me know and I’ll try to accommodate.

6. I’m bad with my images, so bad! I’m still figuring everything out, so if I’ve royally screwed something up, please let me know and I will delete and repost correctly.

7. I am super okay with editing anything I write if it doesn’t jive with your character or where you want the plot to go, please just let me know.

8. I mainly play on mobile, as such, I’m not able to cut my posts down. Please do so whenever you feel the need/want, I won’t be upset.

Head Cannons that go across all verses

1. Bofur has a Northern Irish accent and his hat, always his hat.

2. Bofur has named his hat Bundushathur, which in Khuzdul means “Cloudyhead” and will sometimes refer to his hat as a sleeping rabbit. If Khuzdul does not exist in the verse (like Modern) then the hat is called Cloudyhead and still referred to as a rabbit.

3. Bofur is the everyman, he isn’t special or high born. He is good natured, friendly, and the world’s best wingman, even if it means connecting someone he pines after with someone else. He would rather see them happy and keep their friendship than try to force his feelings on them or lose their friendship because of his pride.

4. The main characteristic about Bofur is that he is unimportant in the hierarchy of society.

Main Verse - The Hobbit/LOTR

Bofur is 4'6" but fairly thin for a dwarf.

Bofur is a dwarf who’s family line comes from Moria. He is of the mining class. He was born and raised in Ered Luin with his brother. Shortly after Bofur became an adult, his parents died, leaving him to raise his brother. Shortly after that, Bifur was injured in an orc attack. Bofur and Bombur took Bifur in, however there were a number of difficult years as they all got used to Bifur’s new personality.

Once Bifur was stable enough, the brothers decided it would be a good idea to head out and find new customers for their skills. They ended up at Bree, opening up a shop to sell Bifur’s fabulous toys, and offer tinkering services.

During their stay in Bree, Bombur got married to a passing female dwarf and moved his overly large family near the shop. Bifur and Bofur live together in living quarters at the back of the shop, Bombur lived with them until he got married.

Bofur travels around Middle Earth, usually west of the Misty Mountains, and most often between Bree and Ered Luin by way of the Shire. He collects supplies, sells wares, and visits many friends and family that are about the lands.

When Thorin calls for assistance in taking back Erebor, Bofur and his kin lock up their shop and head for the Shire.

After the quest they settle in Erebor, though Bofur heads back to Bree to close up their shop and settle accounts prior to settling in for a long life of enjoying his 14th share of the treasure.

Head Cannons that can totally change if my partner is a Bifur or Bombur

1. Bofur’s father was killed in Moria at the battle of Azanulbizar, his Mother died in an Orc attack when Bofur was in his 40s. He has taken care of his brother ever since.

2. Bofur took Bifur in after Bifur was orphaned as well, the three are like brothers, having shared the experience of loss and growing up together.

3. Bombur stopped speaking after their mother died. Bofur’s tried to get him to speak, and has managed to get him to speak sometimes, but usually just small replies and often with much prodding. Bifur and Bombur use the same sign language to speak to each other and those who don’t speak Khuzdul. Bofur takes care of both of them and is the one who speaks to customers.

Modern Verse

High School

Bofur is not popular, though he’s friendly and basically knows everyone. He enjoys shop class, classical music, and historical literature.

Studious and hard working, Bofur can often be found with his nose in a book, when not sitting on the bleachers playing the tin flute he always has on him.

College Student

Bofur is a TA in college. His major is historical literature, and his goal is to eventually become a professor. His passion is delving into historical fanatasy from cultures other than England and Western Europe.

He enjoys learning languages in order to read what he is researching in its original state.

General Modern Adult

In most modern adult verses Bofur is a general labourer, most often a janitor. If he is a teacher, he teaches music and drama.

Ice Cream Shop

Bofur runs a small home made ice cream shop that is part of a coffee shop run with a companion or family member (his partner can be any member of the company). He makes a variety of flavours, and offers lactose and gluten free varieties.

He prides himself on being able to guess his customers’ favourites on sight (like the movie Chocolat).

Marvel

Bofur is a janitor within shield. He can be found on the helicarrier, within the Avengers training base, or basically anywhere the heroes may be destroying things that need to be cleaned up.

While he is quiet and without powers, he has wisdom and a patient ear to lend to those supers who require a moment to vent.

Star Trek

This is the only verse where Bofur stands out. Bofur is a red shirt, but by some miraculous turn of events, he has gone on a number of away missions and made it back alive. Poor Bofur would love to get off the enterprise with his life, and shirt, in tact, but it appears some of the higher officers like to see him lose his mind and suggest him for more away missions, even if only in jest.

Head cannons that exist in all modern verses

1. Bofur and his family are from Northern Ireland, though Bofur travels around, goes to school abroad, and in general can pop up anywhere in the world.

2. Bofur is short for a male - 5'6", with a stocky build, and fairly strong.

3. Bofur’s younger brother Bombur is still at home (or married with kids depending on their age).

4. Bofur’s parents took Bifur in after he got injured during Armed Forces training, as Bofur’s family lives closer to the rehab resources that Bifur requires.

#out of songs

[glitter-x-gold]

requested: i hope it lasts another year (MCU - Sam x Bucky)

requested by @/Late_to_party_81 on AO3

in which it's Bucky's birthday and fluff ensues

TW: i don't think any apply

Bucky woke up to the sound of Sam’s nephews running around, which, at that point, had become a familiar and somewhat welcome noise. After so many years of loneliness, it felt good and warm to be surrounded by laughter, and chatting, and people, in a house that was constantly as full as it was happy. He opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling for a couple of minutes, realizing with a certain surprise that he, for the first time in a long time, had gone through the night without any nightmares.

A certain weird feeling seemed to poke at his sleepy brain; there was this vague sensation that there was something important he was supposed to do that day which he was forgetting about.

Something or someone pulled the blankets from above him in a millisecond, followed by a loud choir of:

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY UNCLE BUCKY”

Bucky had to crack a smile at that, sitting up to see Sam walking in the room with a coffee mug in his hand.

“Couldn't stop the little rascals" - he said, although there was not a trace of an apology in his voice; he seemed even amused at the rude awakening - "Morning, sour wolf. Happy birthday”

Voice still raspy from sleep, he said:

“I’m not even going to pretend that I remembered today’s date”

Sam rolled his eyes at him. Of course Bucky would forget his own damn birthday. He handed him the mug he carried.

“I made you coffee. Don’t get used to me being nice, though”

Bucky scoffed, though smiling, and thanked him, then wincing slightly when his back ached a little at a movement. Sam took a seat right next to him.

“How many times do I have to tell you there’s an actual bed you can use upstairs?”

“I can’t sleep on a bed. You know that” - Bucky replied - “well, at least it’s not the floor anymore, I guess”

Sam chuckled; in the meantime, the boys had gotten distracted and had taken off running outside, loud and cheerful as ever, leaving both men alone in the room again. Without realizing, the older man had zoned out, lost in thoughts; for a second, he remembered birthdays from long ago, with his old friends and family, none of them around anymore. He looked at his metal hand, moving his fingers that shimmered lightly when the sunlight peeking through the curtains reflected off of them.

With a gentle nudge, Sam brought him back to reality, smiling at him.

“Earth to Buck. You there?”

Bucky laughed mirthlessly.

“I was just- thinking” - he said - “damn. I turn 107 today. It’s — “

Bucky couldn’t quite explain the feeling; grateful for his second chance at life, but still, sometimes it could be easy getting lost in a time where he didn’t truly belong. Sam knew he couldn’t even begin to understand him; however, he could sympathize. He put his hand on Bucky’s knee.

“Hey, we’re having none of that sad crap today. It’s your day” - he told him - “who cares if you’re 107? You’re here, you’re free… and you don’t look a day over thirty. I’d say you’ve done pretty well for yourself”

Bucky smiled at that. Sam got up from his seat to go grab a box, wrapped in colorful paper, that was placed on top of the table, then coming back to hand it to Buck.

“This is from me, to you” - he said - “Sarah and the kids have their own gift, they’ll give it to you later”

The super soldier looked stunned for a second; he had to admit, small, loving gestures like this one still surprised him. Sam wasn’t one to say I love you often; he preferred to show it daily through the tiniest things that sometimes only Bucky would notice, and they never failed to warm his heart.

He ripped the colorful paper to reveal a hard cover book, which read, in capital letters on the front, “The Hobbit”. Although it looked pristine, it had an old feeling to it, reminding Bucky of past days, before the war, before everything, when he’d sit reading for hours, sometimes at home, sometimes out in the sun, sometimes at Steve’s bedside.

Sam looked at him, waiting for a reaction.

“Did you like it?” - he said - “it’s a vintage edition. Figured you’d like to reread it”

“I loved it. Thank you, Sam. It’s a beautiful gift” - Bucky replied, sincerely - “these days with movies and everything, everyone seems to have forgotten about books. ”

Sam raised an eyebrow.

“You do know The Hobbit has movies too, right?”

He had to laugh at the look on Bucky’s face.

“Oh man, we have to watch it today!”

Bucky knew it was useless to protest, but deep down, he didn’t really care. It even amused him, how Sam's willingness to get him up to speed with what he called "the modern world" never faltered. Later that day, after they had gathered around the cake that Sarah had baked with the kids and after the happy birthday song had come to an end, the boys had loudly demanded that uncle Bucky made a wish.

Bucky didn’t really know what to wish for, but, just for those adorable kids, he did pretend to think very hard about it. When, in the evening, he and Sam were together on the couch, cuddled up comfortably eating popcorn and watching The Hobbit while Bucky made a snarky comment every now and then (“This is nothing like the book, Sam!”), he knew there was nothing else he could wish for, he had it all.

He was home.

#mcu imagine #mcu #sam wilson #bucky barnes #sam x bucky #tfatws #fluff #the falcon and the winter soldier #imagine #fanfic

[jazajas]

okay so i finished love, victor a while ago and i saw some other reviews and thoughts about it here so now i've got a pretty good list on my thoughts and feelings.

tl;dr: it has some issues, yes, but im gonna hold out and hope it gets better later on because the same thing happened with the first few eps, i wasn't that into it but then it got good, and nothing is ever great with the first season, because at that point we're getting used to those characters.

⚠️caution: spoilers ahead (im on mobile, i cant get an under-the-cut)⚠️

1. while a leah on the offbeat movie would have been amazing movie sequel (even tho i havent read the book yet, im just here for the wlw content) i am kind of glad we got this instead. mostly because I've seen book series where one movie was good, so they decide to do the rest, turn out bad (hunger games? divergent? percy jackson? the hobbit?) because so much was cut from the book-to-first movie writing, that other scenes wouldn't make sense to future movies if they had those in while cutting others. however, i am sad that i didn't get to make the choice of deciding whether what was cut was wrong etc. about future movies, but i'll take what i can get.

2. LGBTQ+ POC as a lead! that's amazing! as a ace/bi lantina that's close to home (it also is great that victor's from texas and so is ya gorl) and even then it's a mixed latinx family! i think pilar mentioned that at least the grandmother left Colombia and i saw the Puerto Rican flag in victor's room. also the salazar's are definitely from small town texas, even without knowing the name. (church barbeques, the use of the words "such a diverse city" in regards to atlanta)

3. a lack of actual lgbtq+ main storylines (so far) is kind of sad for a show like this. i was getting serious bi/pan vibes (as a lot of other people) from victor from the beginning, and when it was implied that victor was actually gay (while great, not shaming) as it has been brought to my attention, there was a lot of looking at a lot of straight relationship problems (please let us know more about benji)- edit 6/18: upon further consideration, it very much is a show about questioning your sexuality, I'm speaking about the other straight relationship issues, not mia and Victor's, its just the first season.

4. let us talk about cheating for a sec. never okay, in any circumstance. i feel sorry for mia that she saw victor making out with benji and the fact that he was doing any of that in the first place. victor made a choice to lie about the espresso machine and then kissed benji at the hotel and then when benji was fighting with derek, basically confessed his love and mistakes, then proceeded to makeout with benji after he broke up with derek, he built that grave and now he must lie in it. i get having feelings for a guy when you are in a relationship with a girl, and not accepting yourself enough to end that relationship but you really want it to work so you can be "normal". really, he should have told mia after he got back from the trip tho. i get being in highschool and doing stupid stuff and making dumb decisions, but for a show aimed at teens i think we should also remind said teens to make good choices even if we have to lose some realism within the character choices.

4. pilar and her decisions based off her brother pissed me off. because i honestly think that if she'd kept her mouth shut about what she knew or confronted victor about it in the first place we could have avoided a LOT of mess. did she not learn from snooping around her mother's business about her relationships that going behind a person's back doesnt end well? i did, however, like the pilar/felix friendship and was really kind of hoping that they'd get together during their coffee hangout (although now im glad that didn't happen) because they had a deeper understanding of each other. same with wendy/felix, although they do seem to much alike to work out in the long run but i still feel bad for wendy.

5. i don't know how i feel about lake and andrew, as people separate from each other. both seem to be the way they are from their upbringing (not confirmed why andrew is such an ass, but if his comment about his dad is anything to go by i bet it's got something to do with attention) but andrew seems to be less, idk, superficial? like he turned down mia because he didn't want to be a rebound, he didn't out victor, he actually stood up to early teasing the other dudes in the lockerroom were doing at victor (with teasing of his own obviously but that interaction had him on my nice list until much later). lake? lake. i honestly don't have an opinion of her? not really. i mean after hanging out with pilar i was hoping felix wouldn't go back to lake. is her name laken? i feel like her full name is laken. but they also played the "im only like this because my mom is really superficial about stuff and i do like the geeky nice guy but appearances" to "actually screw the norms im gonna makeout with him infront of the whole student body". i honestly thought she was gonna be bi because she kept hitting on mia when she was helping set up for her "date" and "big night" and there was one point where i saw her face fall at something mia said in relation to her and idk i was hoping she'd be bi (i figured early on that victor/mia wasnt gonna work and was like "oh mia/lake would be cute" but now idk.

6. okay on to the "big night", i have one word. NO. i didn't like the peer pressure into having sex. i agreed with felix when he said "your body your choice" but im also disappointed that victor made out with mia and when lake was talking to felix after victor left he didn't try to stand up for victor.

7. on to age gaps because i hadn't really thought of this at first. we'll start with benji/derek: WHAT GRADE IS BENJI?! because that determines my thoughts. if he's a sophomore that meant that he and Derek started dating benji's freshman year and thats eugh, don't do that, don't care if its a gay couple that shouldn't be happening because the maturity of the two characters is DRASTICALLY different (this is also a reason i am not a fan of cmbyn) but that would explain why they were so rocky. hoping the event at the gay bar was open to anyone not just for drinking, but not liking that fact that not one of the adults with victor were like: hey, this is a 16 year old, that's kind of wack when that dude was hitting on victor. that made me question some stuff. although i figure it might be making up for the lack of a gay bar scene in love, simon. but even then, in svthsa it's a restaurant with a bar that some people go to just to drink at, it wasn't just a bar, simon could be there but should NOT have accepted drinks from college kids, not matter how attractive.

8. i loved how bram and simon and their friends helped victor out though. i like how bram was like: hey i know my friends are a lot so here's a gay basketball league becaue there's no one way to be gay. i like how Simon talked about needing help himself just to help victor and how he said his friends were cool with it because it's a community. i like of justin(?) mentioned how being what his parents wanted was putting on a mask and pretending, not him doing drag. my favorite lines from that ep are: "and before you ask my pronouns are they/them/theirs" "'they're all gay? even that guy? he's like [insert really tall number]' 'yeah. you should see him in heels'" "or in simon's case: really unathletic" "and also because bram said that if i wore [the jean jacket] one more time he'd burn it". also katya was there. and the group hug too!

9. the back hand homophobia in relation to family is sad, but realistic and i sincerely hope his parents are kind enough not to be too harsh on victor because of it. anything they say that isn't positive or supportive of victor is bad but i hope they realize that there is more to him than that and that they can come to terms with it because it's not always that hard to be a part of that community and super religious. i am biromantic and catholic. and while there are some things i wont agree on my mom with, i know that it's more of a strike against God for kicking out gay kids from families than it is to be gay, because those parents were given trust by GOD to love those kids no matter what, and be good parents. so in the end, the parents are wrong and harmful and in the case of christians against jesus's teachings to love everyone.

10. this is fan speculation but dont think simon/bram are going through a rough patch? i honestly think it'd be a little cruel to the characters to have on of their actors be producing but then not have that relationship stay. and while it's not set in stone and obviously things happen in the real world, we have no proof script wise about there being a rift. all we have are bad photoshopped ig photos and scenes where two characters are never standing next to each other probably beccaue schedules never link up correctly for minor characters. who knows, maybe nick robinson was filming for a movie where is does have an even more major role than victor's gay guru in a series about victor so his filming time was around that. im gonna keep hope that things are okay.

11. that being said: we need more mainstream wlw content, because someone said it earlier and it really does seem to be catering to straight girls. i'll admit i did freak out when benji played call me maybe which is something i associated with him and victor but then kissed a guy because who wouldn't? we get that serenade and sweetness and then it'a ripped from us. but i did mellow out. if i flipped later it was because victor was making dumb decisions and i had to give myself a moment of compsure before i continued.

in the end, i'd say that there is a lot of growth this series needs to go through, but i also know that some people just aren't going to like it and i get that. but i also know that sometimes the best of stories have rocky starts, nothing is ever perfect from the beginning. and besides, further seasons are on hold until we figure out this covid thing, which means that you bet they're gonna be looking at our feedback. they saw what we thought before, they can do it again

i really did like it but we need more ACTUAL lgbtq+ relationship stuff from this series and better decisions on what we are teaching the younger generations, as well as what we want to focus on and realism within characters. i'm giving it an 8/10, because there is always room for growth and i really hope we get better things out of this than what we have been given in season 2.

edit: someone mentioned it really seeming like it was meant for Disney+ and i felt that. also to anyone who reaches the tags agter reading ALL OF THIS: i am sorry

#love victor spoilers #love victor #love simon #simon vs the homosapiens agenda #leah on the offbeat #simon spier #bram greenfeld #victor salazar #felix weston #jas rambles #i have opinions #and i am very tired #just like in general #like my current state of being #although i am tired of straight being constantly shoved down the thoughts of lgbtq+ people #and like the state of the world because people are bigoted a-holes #but like #it's nice that they upped the airing because they didn't want to conlfict with juneteenth #although now im questioning motives on why #was is out of support? or the want if making money #who knows #i sure dont #i hoped there aren't too many grammatical errors

[luna-helps-writing]

Okok first of all im so sorry for how mant fandoms im gonna put- But can i have a match up? The fandoms are the hobbit, star wars, marvel, and harry potter (im so sorry i could not choose im sorry)

I am currently identifying as a girl though ive been on the edge of enby for a while i am bisexual and use she/they pronouns. I am 5‘4 with brown hair, blue eyes, and fair skin.

I am pretty quiet upon first meeting me but once i get comforatble I can be very hyped up and rambunctious. I am into the arts and film.

I love cottagecore vibes and frogs. I am a cancer. I hate math. Im sorry i never know what to say for these.

I love climbing trees and I want a sword. I have adhd and a very bad attention span.

I hope thats enough! If not dm me again im sorry that i put 4 f*cking fandoms I just couldnt choose

I don’t mind the many fandoms! You didn’t really specify in Star Wars, so I’ll do Star Wars in general. If you wanted a specific Prequel ship instead of Star Wars in main, please send me an ask again, and I’ll edit it! I will not write in The Mandalorian and The Clone Wars since I didn’t know if you would like these. If you do want to know them, send me another ask and I’ll add those two for you!

For the Hobbit, I ship you with Kili!

• Will 100% help you through identity crisis, which is fun because he actually has no idea how it works. He’s just there for you and calls you every pronoun you wish him to call you.

• He will absolutely gush about attractive people with you, because -obviously- he is bisexual too. That scene in Rivendell said everything for me.

• He is very hyped too, so combine you two and there will be absolute havoc around the mountain. Not that you mind, since you’re the culprit of it all.

• I don’t know where, but somewhere on Tumblr I found a headcanon that Kili is actually a math genius and I really liked it, so I’m using that right now. There will sometimes be problems at the table and Kili loves solving these! Whenever he’s ranting and explaining the question, you just roll your eyes and busy yourself with something else.

• Listen: this sweetheart will get you a sword for your birthday. Even better; he made you one himself. It’s the best thing you own now.

• Both of you have very short attention spawn, so it usually ends in the two of you accidentally breaking things in the throne room or pranking Fili or Thorin.

For Star Wars, I ship you with Rey!

• Will absolutely buy a little cottage somewhere on Endor and spend the rest of her days there. When she said “I’ve never seen this much green in the universe” I would immediately assume she’d love the forest planet.

• It took some time for the two of you to really get to know each other, since you both can be a tad bit shy, but when you did connect, everything just fell into place.

• Has no issue with your gender identification and will say exactly what you want her to say. She was actually very interested in genders at first, so you took your time explaining it to her.

• As a jedi, she must have a good attention spawn, which you don’t have. At all. She’ll be training in the woods somewhere as you’re running around in the distance one second and climbing in a random tree the other. She sometimes messes with you and pushes you into the tree further, which you only love more.

For Marvel, I ship you with Thor!

• He is such a himbo. Specifically in his first two movies, yet gender might be one of the things he actually understands as Loki struggled a lot with it. He immediately knows what you’re trying to say and will help you without you even asking for it.

• He might seem very serious in the Avenger movies, but we know him; He’s a child. He will have tree climbing competitions and will give you all the swords you want, which was fun at first, but now you need an extra room for it. You also haven’t found the heart to tell him that you can’t just walk around on the street with a sword.

• He will be the first one to engage in random activities, knowing almost exactly when your brain tells you to do something else. He found the craziest things to do, but somehow, you always enjoy. This one time, you ordered three 20 chicken nugget packs at McDonalds and played Jenga with it. It might’ve been the most competitive game yet, as you were allowed to eat the pieces you won.

• He is a math disaster too, don’t worry. If a problem comes your way, the two of you literally ignore it. In the supermarket, he always buys a pack of apples instead of a bag since he otherwise has to count how much money the damned fruits are.

For Harry Potter, I ship you with Luna Lovegood!

• You had me at cottagecore vibes. I knew exactly who to pick. She has a dream of buying a cottage along a sea coast, just as one her father has, only more organised.

• Also loves frogs. She will probably give you one of these tropical frogs for your birthday. Don’t ask her how she got it though. It’s probably something illegal.

• We know Luna; she isn’t shy, she’s just different. When you first met, you had no idea what to think of her, but things clicked quickly and she let go of her natural behavior around you.

• Will absolutely do art with you. She’s not quite as good at it as you are though, but you appreciate her gestures nonetheless. She will also help a lot with your film hobby. Whatever you need her to do, she’s right there for you.

• Luna can be busy with things for hours, but you can not. She realizes this reasonably quickly and always makes sure you have something fun to do when you’re done with your previous activity.

I hope it’s what you wanted! Stay safe during these times please❤️

#self insert quotes #match up #requests #requests are open #send asks #luna x reader #rey x reader #kili x reader #thor x reader

[britesparc]

Weekend Top Ten #474

Top Ten Characters Who Came Back from the Dead

I am stunned – stunned! – that I’ve not done this one before. I mean, come on! It’s right there.

So there’s obviously a thematic resonance going on here. This weekend – the weekend you’re meant to be reading this – is famous where I come from because of a story where someone came back from the dead. Unlike other holidays – Christmas, Halloween, the release of a Star War – I’ve actually been a little slow off the mark in making lists that celebrate Easter. I’ve done eggs and bunnies, but incredibly I’ve never done resurrections, which really is the day’s whole deal. I mean, if you get down to brass tacks, it’s kinda the big selling point of the entire religion really. I hesitate to say “USP” because, well, it’s been done elsewhere, but it’s still supposed to be one of the big Christian takeaways (there’s definitely a chain of Christian takeaways in the States, isn’t there?).

Anyway, resurrection. It’s actually more common than you might think. Certainly in terms of comics there are probably more characters who’ve “died and come back” than have never “died” at all. But! And this is where I get pernickety. Most characters who “die” don’t actually die. Take Batman for instance: he’s shot in the face by Darkseid, and then Superman ups and finds his charred corpse, but – shocker! – he’s not actually dead, he was just sent back in time, where he Quantum Leaps his way back to the present day, accumulating enough Omega Energy with each leap that by the time he reaches the present day he’s blow a hole in reality. Or something, I’ve not read that story for quite a few years. Anyway: he wasn’t dead. Neither was Sherlock Holmes, or for that matter Dirty Den. Generally speaking, if someone dies in a story and then reappears, they’re not dead. Not really.

So this list here is supposed to be people who actually died. Now, even here, it’s debatable; I mean, is E.T. dead, or does his body just go into some kind of hibernation? If Optimus Prime’s brainwaves survive, does he ever really die? Is a clone someone coming back to life or not? It’s all a bit wishy-washy really, which kind of makes sense when you’re talking about resurrection. And let’s not get onto the chief resurrector, the Doctor; do they die every time they regenerate? Or is the regeneration itself a way of staving off death? When David Tennant turned into Matt Smith, did the Tennant-Doctor die? “I don’t want to go,” and all that; there’s always a subtle (or not-so-subtle) change in personality. Does that count? Well, for the purposes of this list, I’ve kinda decided it doesn’t. But it’s an interesting discussion to have, if you’re a big old nerd like me.

So yeah: people who have died – properly, I suppose – and then come back to life. That’s the list. No fakery, to mistaken identity, no alternate universe shenanigans; they were dead but they got better (no Chev Chelios either; sorry, Stath stans). No zombies either! Or vampires! They’re not undead; they were dead, and now they’re alive again. That’s the rule. Also I’ve seriously tried to limit comic book characters. And I’m sure there are some big omissions (like, I know there’s one from Game of Thrones that’s not on here, but that’s because I’ve not seen that far into the show yet; I know, I know). But I reckon these are the best at being back.

Optimus Prime (Transformers franchise, from about 1987): OP is the OG when it comes to coming back to life. Dying and then stopping being dead is pretty much his thing. Technically the first time he came back from the dead was in the original animation; famously being offed by Megatron in The Transformers: The Movie (1986), he came back to life a year later. Subsequent media have frequently killed him and brought him back, even in the live-action movies, but I want to talk about the comics. Because the original Marvel run killed off Optimus at a similar time as the cartoon; he’s blown up in slightly contrived circumstances, but his brain is saved on a floppy disk. Two years later he has his body rebuilt and his brain restored and he’s off to the races once more. Then in 1991, when facing down planet-eating mega-bastard Unicron, he sacrifices himself again, but this time his personality has begun to merge with that of his ostensibly-human companion Hi-Q. Hi-Q/Prime is converted/rebuilt into a new body, and he wins the war. So there you go: even in this one sliver of continued continuity – not including off-shoots or spin-offs, let alone other iterations of the overall franchise – Optimus Prime died and came back to life twice. Beat that, Easter.

E.T. (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, 1982): not much to say here that we don’t already know from the Book of Spielberg. E.T., doddery little alien magic-man, grows sicker and sicker as he’s stuck on Earth, until in a thrillingly-edited set-piece he seems to expire, human doctors unable to help him. “I know you’re gone,” says best bud Elliot, “because I don’t know what to feel.” But then! His heart glows! His colour returns! And he positively yells, “E.T. phone hooooooome!” – and Elliot’s euphoric laugh is just devastating. The whole sequence – what is it, ten minutes? Fifteen? – is masterful in every way, from the technical to the performative to the emotional. Bloody magic is what it is.

Gandalf (The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, 1954): Gandalf the Grey famously leads the Fellowship of the Ring across the Bridge of Khazad-dûm, where he faces off against a Balrog. After a bit of “you shall not pass” and all that, they both fall from the bridge, battling each other on the way down, before both perishing at the bottom. Gandalf, though, is not really Gandalf, but Olórin, one of the Maiar – basically a kind of angel, I guess. He is returned to Earth by the powers-that-be to complete his mission, and is promoted to Gandalf the White, supplanting the corrupt wizard Saruman. This new iteration of Gandalf is a bit more serious and steadfast, although he does retain his fascination with hobbits. Regardless, he gets a terrific death scene and a triumphant resurrection, and how it ties into Tolkien’s wider mythology is interesting.

Superman (DC Comics, 1993): comic book characters die and come back all the time; it’s pretty much a staple of the medium. I guess Jean Grey/Phoenix is probably the most famous, but they’ve all done at some point (even if, like in my Batman example earlier, sometimes they don’t actually die). Anyway, Superman died, very famously, after getting into a tremendous barney with genetically-engineered super-git Doomsday (as famously, and atrociously, depicted in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice). The whole “Death of Superman” arc is interesting and entertaining as an example of mid-nineties big-panel EXTREME storytelling: as the issues tick down to the fateful scrap in Metropolis, the number of panels-per-page is reduced until the final issue is basically just full of splash pages. It’s a terrific, exhilarating rumble, really selling the heft of the confrontation. Interestingly, the comic spends a lot of time afterwards dealing with life without Superman, as a raft of imitators/wannabe successors emerge from the woodwork; these include the best-ever Superboy, Conner Kent, and Steel, who’s basically Superman meets Iron Man. Eventually, of course, Superman comes back, his body essentially having been sent to a Kryptonian day spa to recuperate; he emerges clad in black and with a mullet, so death obviously has some lasting repercussions. Overall, it’s a whopping arc with long-term consequences, and whilst it’s easy to make Christ parallels when discussing Superman, this story doesn’t really hew that way (unlike the Snyder-verse which really goes all-in on that plot point, much to the films’ detriment). One of the better aspects is how, even in death, Superman is an inspiration, which in itself has a long trail; leading, eventually, to Batman’s famous withering diss, “the last time you inspired someone was when you where dead.” Anyway, I’ve gone on about this far too long.

Spock (Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, 1984): let’s start by acknowledging just how great Spock’s death is in Wrath of Khan. As a plot point within the film, as a piece of staging and performance, and as a landmark moment in this franchise, it was seminal; a death for the ages (as an aside, it’s crazy to think Star Trek as a whole was only sixteen years old when Spock died; the MCU was eleven when Tony Stark clicked the bucket). Anyway, they built an entire film around how to bring him back, and Spock as we know him is absent for much of it; a presence looming over everything as he rapidly ages, going through his Vulcan super-puberty and everything. It’s actually a rather sombre film as Kirk’s son is killed and the Enterprise blows up; bringing back Spock comes with a very real cost. Trek III is not one of the top-tier films – in the loose trilogy that comprises Khan, Spock, and The Voyage Home it’s certainly the weakest – but it’s still pretty good, often underrated. And, of course, it brings back Spock, which is nice.

Agent Coulson (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., 2013): Coulson’s death in Avengers comes as a huge shock, one of the fan-favourite characters being brutally offed in surprising fashion. In a film chock full of super-people, it’s the ordinary guy who buys it tragically. However, did any of us really think he was dead-dead? And so barely a year later he pops back up in the TV series Agents of SHIELD. However, his reincarnation became a recurring plot point; his references to spending time in Tahiti (“It’s a magical place”) becoming increasingly sinister as we come to understand even he doesn’t know how he’s back up and running. The eventual truth – Nick Fury using painful and transformative alien tech to basically bring Coulson back to life – may be a bit underwhelming, but it gave Clark Gregg a lot of meat to chew on dramatically speaking, and it underscored a lot of his character development going forward (especially when he, yes, died again, and then sort-of came back, twice).

Buffy Summers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 2001): full disclosure: I never watched Buffy religiously. I think I just missed it at the start and it was only when all my friends were talking about how great it was that I started tuning in more regularly. Weirdly, I think the most I watched it was around the time Buffy died and came back. It’s fascinating, really, and full credit to the show for the way they explored it; in a series full of magic, the afterlife, and the undead, bringing a character back to life isn’t too shocking. Willow, Buffy’s witchy mate, resurrects her with magic; but in an excellent twist, it turns out that she was in Heaven, and is super pissed off to be pulled out of paradise and stuck back on Earth, leading to her feeling depressed and alienated all season. That’s a great hook for bringing a character back, and leads to some meaty stuff for Sarah Michelle Geller to do.

Agent Smith (The Matrix Reloaded, 2003): do you ever feel that The Matrix has slipped from popular culture a little bit? Twenty years ago it was ascendent, rivalling Lord of the Rings for the title of “the new Star Wars”. Everyone was copying it. but now hardly anyone talks about it. probably because it hasn’t had a multimedia shelf-life comprising dozens of games and spin-off shows. Maybe the new film will change that. But I digress; Hugo Weaving is tremendous as Agent Smith in the first film, and is exploded at the end (spoilers) by Keanu Reeves’ Neo. Unsurprisingly – especially as he’s, well, just bits of code – he’s back in the sequel. However, he’s now been corrupted; he becomes, basically, a virus, self-replicating and threatening not just our heroes but the Matrix itself. This builds across two films, as Neo has to fight dozens of Smiths in the famous “Burly Brawl”, before the final conflict in The Matrix Revolutions when it seems everyone in the program has been Smithed. It offers Weaving a lot of scenery to chew on and makes for some great set-piece battles, even if the films themselves are a little disappointing.

Olaf (Frozen II, 2019): let’s not beat around the bush here – Olaf carks it in Frozen II. Okay, maybe Elsa dies; maybe Anna dies in the first film. They’re frozen, right, but I feel like it’s “magic ice” and there’s something going on there. Do they come back to life or were they ever really dead? Anyway, Elsa is effectively “gone” but we get a protracted death scene for the comic relief talking snowman. He literally fades away, slowly dying in Anna’s arms, and melts into a flurry of snow that blows away. People talk about Bambi’s mum all the time, but mark my words; “Olaf’s death” is going to be cited as a major traumatic incident for twenty-year-olds in 2030. His resurrection, truth be told, is slightly less great, Elsa just straight-up bringing him back to life, reminding us that “water has memory” to let us know that it’s the same Olaf and he remembers everything (including, presumably, dying? That’s creepy). And that, to be honest, is where I draw the line; sentient wind and rock monsters I can handle, but we all know homeopathy is bollocks.

Emperor Palpatine (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, 2019): look, I hate this. But let’s deal with it anyway, because I have a funny feeling it’s going to lead to some quite interesting stories being told in spin-off Star Wars fiction. I personally feel quite strongly that Palpatine should have stayed dead. And maybe he did? We are led to believe that the Palpatine we see in Rise is a clone; there are jars of stilted Snokes floating in the background. He’s all knackered and broken, eyes blackened and fingers dropping off; clearly he’s not well. So is he really the same character at all? Is his Sith essence somehow fed into this new body, the way Prime’s mind is downloaded from a floppy disk (“run prime.exe”)? Let’s say it counts, let’s say he’s the same slimy Palps we know and love. He is, at least, a sinister presence, and like I say, the whys and wherefores of how he came to be back is quite interesting. There’s a fascinating story to be told about the rise of Snoke and the seduction of Ben Solo – a more interesting story than anything told in The Rise of Skywalker, for starters. Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian seems to be researching cloning and seeks to extract midichlorians from a Force-sensitive being; are we to conclude that this in service of making a new body for the Emperor? All this – stuff hinted at but not explored in the film itself – is, like I say, interesting if not outright fascinating. And I agree, there is a certain degree of circularity in bringing back the series’ Big Bad for the final instalment. But I still feel, hand on heart, that it undoes a lot of the victory of Return of the Jedi (as did The Force Awakens, if I’m honest), as well as throwing away all the development of Rey and Kylo in The Last Jedi. So: Palpatine is cool, his presence and backstory in Rise of Skywalker is suitably creepy and interesting, but on the whole it’s crap and they shouldn’t have brought him back. The end.

Ten people who definitely died and definitely un-died! What could be more Easter-y? Honourable mention goes to the episode of Red Dwarf where Rimmer changes history and ends up not being a hologram, only to accidentally blow himself up in the final seconds.

#top ten #dead characters #alive characters #easter #back from the dead #resurrection

[de-profundis-ad-astra]

Tag Games!

I was tagged by @teriwrites​​ in multiple tag games and because I love these so much I’m just going to do all of them and put them in one post. Thanks for the tag!!

Meet the WIP Tag

Title: Legion (A 4-part series)

Logline (1-3 sentence premise): Two agents who work for the same highly classified espionage corporation are forced to work together after they learn they were assigned to kill each other. At the same time, two similarly displaced agents try to locate their missing team members after a mission goes awry. As they dig deeper into the infrastructure of their employer, they learn that the lies and deceit go far deeper than they could have imagined.

Favorite theme explored: There’s a lot going on in this series, but I think my favorite has to be either exploring the concept of absolute power corrupting absolutely, or the idea of revenge vs. forgiveness.

A character I’m proud of and why: Probably Kerri. She’s gone through so many changes since my co-author and I first created her, but she’s really come into her own and I’m super proud of her development and arc that we have going through her across the four books of the series. I can’t wait to see how she continues to grow.

That character’s tag: I’m really bad about tagging - but it might just be “kerri”. The general inspiration tag is “legion inspo”, or you can search “the fox and the ghost” for posts that inspire me about her and her partner.

Link to a piece/excerpt/post that I’m proud of: I have a few, but this one might be my favorite for undisclosed reasons

Any additional info I want people to know/am proud of: I finished writing the second/third-ish draft of the first act of book one last year, and I’m FINALLY starting on act two. I was spending too much time trying to make sure the first act was polished so I’ve decided to just keep forging ahead. I’m really excited to get back to writing about the supporting cast, and I hope to post more about it here, as well!

Manuscript Search Tag

My words: accept, voice, near, resent, silence

Accept

And she might have said no, were it not for her audience. There simply was not enough information in the file for Kerri to accept a job with such heavy ramifications in good conscience. 

“It’s... she seems so rigid.” Charlotte watched Kerri accept a fresh glass of water from the bartended with barely a nod.

She almost felt that she could accept the things she could not change, face the things she could, and have the confidence that she had the knowledge to tell the difference.

First her father, then Ward, had dangled over Kerri’s head that her hearing impairment normally wouldn’t have been acceptable within Legion’s ranks--no less from an agent in a position as renowned as hers.

It was far from a promise for something more, but even the insinuation that, upon completion of the assignment, Max could potentially take upon himself the rank of Names Agent, was more than enough to sway him and the rest of the team into accepting the challenge.

Voice

Her voice felt oddly detached from her body when she said, “I understand.”

He managed to keep his voice low, despite his rage. “I’ve done more than my due diligence.”

The dial tone in Charlotte’s ears cut off in the middle of the third ring, followed by Director Soren’s voice saying: “It’s been less than twenty-four hours, Agent Gatsby. You can’t have run into a problem already.”

A small voice at the back of her head told her it was just paranoia. Kerri was not about to take that risk.

Near

Charlotte shrugged, an air of indifference about her that brought Director Soren’s blood to near-boiling temperatures.

Ward brought a hand to his mouth, appearing to be deep in thought. “If your information is anywhere near accurate, there aren’t many options left.”

She watched, mouth parted slightly, as Stevens took her seat near the end of the bar and called out for a pale lager.

Her hand still tingled from the residual heat and near endless lathering as she hovered her thumb over the green ‘call’ button.

She didn’t have time to be relieved before Charlotte grabbed her ponytail near its base and dragged her off the island.

Resent

Her disability had been nothing but an obstacle. Another hurdle for her to overcome on her journey. She’d grown to resent it. Strongly.

She did, and she resented the opportunity it provided more than anything.

Silence

At her silence, Shaw added, “Consider this a test run.”

She was met with more silence, as she had been for the past hour.

Suddenly being in such silence was... jarring. She clenched her jaw, hating that her target, the person she’d been assigned to kill, was such a friendly person.

Charlotte’s laugh broke through the silence; Kerri never thought she would feel anything like relief to hear it.

There was one statement that was seared into her brain, nagging at her from the moment the snap of his breaking neck faded into silence.

Typically--as she was well aware--such infractions were dealt with by way of probationary periods and, in the most dire of cases, dishonorable discharges and vows of silence.

Words I’m leaving: never, swing, reason, and hurt

Tag Game: This or That (Fantasy Edition)

spell or curse ∙ abandoned mansion or haunted cemetery ∙ vampire slayer or ghost hunter ∙ phoenix or griffin ∙ wrist bite or neck bite ∙ fairy godmother or evil stepmother ∙ herbs or potion ∙ ghost or wraith ∙ dragon scales or werewolf claws ∙ druid or mage ∙ elf or hobbit ∙ divination or necromancy ∙ wand magic or hand magic ∙ centaur or unicorn ∙ dark fairytale or disney-style fairytale ∙ sword or bow & arrow ∙ siren or water nymph ∙ garlic or silver ∙ talking animal or walking tree ∙ demon trap or crossroads pact ∙ enchanted fairy forest or mermaid lagoon

Heads Up, Seven Up

This is going to be waaaaaaaaaaay more than seven sentences but I wrote this last night and feel pretty proud of it, so I’m gonna post it here

Charlotte wasn’t laughing anymore. “Here’s the thing,” she said. “I know exactly why people—anyone, really—would want me dead. So yes, the list is as long as I am tall! There’s a reason why intelligence specialists have the highest mortality rate of anyone in Legion.”

Kerri paused at that, her body giving the tiniest jump before going still. Something flickered behind her eyes. Recognition? It’s wasn’t a secret that agents in Legion’s intelligence sector had the highest turnover of any department. Charlotte had dealt in information long enough to know people didn’t take kindly to having their secrets stolen from them. Many of them would stop at nothing to see those that vilified them dead.

But it wasn’t recognition in her face, and Kerri averted her eyes a moment too late. Charlotte let go of her own rage long enough to see that it was pain written across her features.

Everything clicked. Kerri had refused to answer her questions in jail, then later on at the cafe. Now, her shoulders seemed to sag under some unseen weight, her jaw clenching and unclenching.

Who had she known?

Who had she lost?

I’m gonna tag a few people; don’t feel like you have to do them all!! Pick ones you like and have fun!

@marmaladewords​ @procratinatingwriter​ @nominalnebula​

#tag games

[lordxgrinnyxboy]

watching london tgm! pt 2!

they actually carry clarence in in his coffin????

Kupsak sounds Different

OOOOOOOOOOH THAT WAS OSRIC’S VOICE THAT DID THE “Will our land at last be free” LIKE THE LINGERING ECHOES OF THE TRELAW SPIRIT. NICE.

the voice he used leaves me with no doubt he could’ve been another amazing Gwynplaine.

“Get out” WAS OSRIC LITERALLY THERE DID OSRIC STRAIGHT UP GO BUST A FUNERAL

 OOOOH IT’S THE TRELAW REBELLION NOW. SPECIFICALLY THE TRELAW REBELLION. THE REBELLION BELONGING TO TRELAW.

for just a second i was living in a world without Barkilphedro but there he is, man, there he is. i was surprised to see him.

ooooh. oooooh “Angelica has not emerged from her chambers for almost exactly 20 years, during which time, she has not uttered a single word” WHAT?

DON’T SEND SPIKE TO GO GET HER WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU

off topic but getting back to the previous post if the “father she’ll never see” was part of the inscription and Ursus gave it to her then he’d know about it so it can’t be that did the MOM get her a necklace that said she’d never see her father??? was the mom like “ope we gotta pack up and sail away without your dad but lemme get you a cool trinket first” or was there no inscription and Ursus is just assuming that it was the dad who gave her the necklace but it was actually the mom and the mom got a necklace for Dea without telling Ursus but hold up aren’t they poor? wouldn’t somebody have known? do they have separate bank accounts? did the mom say “well I got our unborn child a present but it’s a surprise you’ll find out later” why a necklace that says “dea”? did the mom name her without consulting Ursus? how’d she know wh-? was she going to name the baby ‘Goddess’ regardless of gender? (valid?) was she asking a goddess to protect the baby??? did she have the baby, immediately go get her a little trinket, and then freeze to death? was ‘Dea’ a deliberate move or was it just the last name trinket in the shop? Were all the  “Makynzeiye” necklaces taken? I Have Questions About This Necklace

anyway

the other version always makes me feel almost like Barkilphedro murdered the king himself. i don’t get that so much in this one but i do get the impression he Knows What He’s Doing with this speech and is Doing It On Purpose. Having A Good Time, as it were.

angelica????

oh my

“SWWIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE” uhm

b-bird noises?

ooh she’s actually. calling out the corruption of her father. good girl angelica.

“I will make this country great again” did they. have. to say that. did they have to. was it necessary. why make me think about that man. why do that to me. london has no rights u-u

wHAT we’re back in the cart? No JoJo?

london gets rights for the fact that Gwyn’s crouching. that is a very good crouch sir, perfect.

“with mojo and father...GAH” oh gwyn :(

that hit him so hard so sudden like :(

FIDDLIN WITH THE BANDAGES IS CANOOOOON IT’S CANOOOOOOOON I AM VALID! I’M VALID! I KNEW IT! I THOUGHT SO! YES. YES. WOOHOO

gwyn your arm

the drama of that dismount. the delicate self-yeet. incredible.

WHY IN HEAVEN’S NAME IS YOUR SHIRT TUCKED IN YOU STOP THAT THIS INSTANT

“please help me find” gwyn what is she supposed to do, google it?

CROUCH

oh here we go

that was terrifying jojo

jojo that was terrifying

the dance is. worse.

pleeeease no please no please no pl

where did she get that

i am scared for my life rn

JOJO STOP

ohhh i’m dreading Brand New World. can’t believe i’m gonna have to watch Gwynplaine Trelaw literally be killed for sport. she’s gonna snap him like a twig 😭 

JOJO I AM BEGGING YOU TO PUT THAT DOWN

i am so scared of this jojo i am so

oh JOJO’S gonna offer to make the scuttling dream a reality???

book canon right there

😱😬😭

in this one she literally warns david personally to his face he’s got no excuse let’s go david wygd

but sure let’s go to the fair

i don’t hate this david but he’s like the mellow, zero-energy edition.

he bouncin

he’s turned into a starfish???

i hate Bristol!Jojo’s costume so bad but dang if i haven’t gotten used to it and now this one’s a little weird

i’m not strong enough tbh

dirry-moir just crouched and i’m gonna have to sue for copywrighte on gwynplaine’s behalf. i’ve apparently lost my ability to spell

idk man these people are just incredibly scary

oh thank goodness that part’s over

london!gwyn looks like a hobbit that’s been stretched out. like a screenshot of Mr. Elijah Wood in Unexpected Journey, but it’s been pasted into MS Paint and then stretched out a bit and then squished down and stretched out again and somehow pasted back into the movie.

i am genuinely so grateful we get another cart scene. i need time to recover from never seen a face.

the dynamic feels different in this version

awww the shoulder pat :3

this Gwyn is a whole other person. he’s both Calmer and More Wound Up. at the same time.

😭 he just 😭 literally choked 😭 i can’t 😭 he just fell right over 😭 wilted like a flower 😭 howm i supposed to cope with this 😭 

Don’t pat him so hard Ursus for pity’s sake DX

aw we’re not doing Born Broken in front of an audience this time? rights are evaporating.

is Gwyn even alive rn i think he straight up died

did he take the medicine yet?

Ursus are u touching his face?

HE’S HAVING A WHOLE SEIZURE

What Was That Move

i have lost my ability to exhale

i think Gwyn’s doing a physical impersonation of a fish being mercilessly dragged from a lake by a grappling hook thrown from a moving speedboat

i do like how Ursus crouches down to their level while they’re on the ground

love how Mojo looks over like “are y’all seeing this”

LOOK AT THE SMILE OF YOUR MOTHERL

THAT’S WHY URSUS FREAKIN SNAPS

Ursus is holding Gwyn by the wrist and just shaking his arm as punctuation like “I CANT tell you ANYthing you DON’t already KNOW” URSUS STOP

GWYN TRIED TO PULL AWAY AND URSUS YANKED GWYN’S ARM

URSUS YOU HAVE NO RIGHTS

i mean i always thought the near hysteria was valid and acceptable but you know what Gwyn is MORE than allowed the “NOOO NOT TODAY” line. he can HAVE IT. understandable. he did nothing wrong.

someone’s drinking a beer

i’m sorry but the way he just climbed through that curtain was hilarious

it’s too calm. mr. maskell you’ve got three seconds to lose your damn mind and go absolutely OFF

BOING BOING BOING BOING BOING

CLAP

twinge

this one doesn’t have enough hysteria but it gets points for being even more boneless

lost an elbow again

here we go his brain’s going AGSHAFUIABNAVSBKJAG AGFYAIAFIguAI here we go it’s happening i can see the sparks

MR MASKELL PLEASE

GWYN YOUR ARMS

YOUR SPIN GWYN

that right there was what medical professionals commonly diagnose as a Religious Experience.

his pantlegs are even shorter in this version

OH HE JUST YANKS THE BANDAID RIGHT OFF.

jojo please

hangon i gotta go back and see him in Zero Bones mode one more time that was actually so personal

i must say that rewind was Flawless. without even looking i took it back exactly to him coming through the curtain. at myself goodjob man

i would like to formally apologize to myself for just having the “talent show au” thought. stop that.

WIGGLY FINGERS ON “WALKS IN THE NIGHT”

can’t believe i’m in love with an overcooked linguini noodle

he is So Floppy it genuinely hurts to even look at and honestly i love that for me. I’m living. i’m about to watch this scene a third time in a row see if i don’t

it really is a little low on the sheer manic vibe but at the same time it kinda has the energy of if you climbed into the washing machine or maybe dryer while the appliance is on? or if you got in the washing machine but you brought a toaster with you. and threw your phone in separate.

another perfect rewind let’s go I’M THE STUUUUUUUFF OF YOUR NIGHTMARES WAS I

his voice sounds like it’s coming from a vintage record player and it’s definitely in black and white with a smattering of static and just a slight flavor of tin and honestly i love that for me

Gwyn’s literally one of those old door stoppers you know like the little stick on the bottom of the door and sometimes you pull it all the way to one side and then let go and it’s like FWOBBLEFWOBBLEFWOBBLE and you’re like “OOOOOOH”

JEAN VALJEAN

ARMS UPPPPPPPP GO BACK AND BOIIIIIIIIIIING

LOVE that dude. Amazing.

did he just spit actually? he physically can’t? at least traditionally?

steppy leggies!

one more time and then i’ll move on. just one more.

rewound too far i’m now back at “Ursus If You Don’t Let Go Of That Boy’s Wrist”

come on through that curtain Gwynlit i am Ready for You.

I’M THE STUUUUUUFFFFF OF YOUR NIGHTM

i want this played at my funeral and i want mr. maskell to be there to dance to it

so i guess in this version his limbs just short-circuit at different times huh because i mean genuinely for real his elbows just seem to nope out every now and then

this right here is what mr. hugo meant when he said, if not in as many words, that you were a ten.

ARRRMMMS UP! ANNNND BAAAAAAACK AND

B O U N C E

he has the x factor

love how he just shuffles back through the curtain like that one gif of the yellow dude being absorbed into the bushes

JOJO I LOVE YOUR DRESS WHAT

Dirry-Moir’s voice is nice even if it’s Very Different

fr jojo that’s actually kinda cute

Osric my dear i Love You

and now they’re all dirilious

dilirius

dilirious

dileros

d e l i r i o u s ?

that

Dea and Gwyn just dropped out of the sky

awww mojo came to check on him

Mojo’s nudging at Gwyn’s arm and Gwyn’s Not Having It

Ursus you’re banned from touching him i am Mad At You

Gwyn’s having another attack in this version it is constantly happening. has this boy sipped any sauce yet?

he just stood up and now he’s like

HE’S DOING HAND FLAPS HE’S GOT FLAPPY HANDS HE’S ACTUALLY. WHAT. FLAP FLAP FLAP I LIKE IT I AGreE WITH THIS

ooh he reacts a little bit to “all the other fairground freaks”

FIDDLING WITH THE BANDAGES

Ursus sounds Angery

 oh. gwynlit :( he’s cryin :( on “I don’t believe you” :(

😭💀😭💀

these two have PROBLEMS in this version and i am Hurt

he’s doing hand things again

VOCAL THINGS

this is canon now

DEA JUST HELPED HIM WITH THE CRIMSON LETHE

it looked like he was too jittery or something so she puts his hand over his and helps him bring the bottle of crimson lethe up to his mouth

im really just filling up a shopping cart over here

did quake just clock ursus over the head or did someone get shot boy golly that was loud

wait though with the little noise that Gwyn did a second ago, we hear it after the crowd starts doing it but in-universe did they hear him do that at some point and now they’re imitating it 👀 

THAT CRISMSON LETHE JUST KNOCKED HIM OUT HE JUST FLOPPED FORWARD AND DEA HAD TO CATCH HIM 📝👀

oh. “The Grinning Man Is Not To Be Disturbed” is because he’s straight up out of it after having the medicine. oh no

Mojo just growled as Gwyn stood up and i heard it wrong and thought there was like a cartoon sound effect like “LOOK HOW FAST HE JUST STOOD UP. WOOSH.” but no it was a growly bark

he held onto Dea’s hand and kind of hopped over to the door that was neat

i’m gonna start holding everything i read Like That

shjshgsj he just held it Like that and Stared before switching to holding it normally and actually opening it

random Itch

her outfit really is cute though i like this costume

“who I aaaaaaaaaam” stop the voice is too good sir

okay but that maneuver really is illegal y’all ought not to have done that

wait wait lemme go back and

i don’t know how i feel about that

one more time lemme check lemme just ch

*phil collins voice* oh lord

there is no reason

gwyn sweetheart you are not strong enough. she will kill you.

i now know what song this reminds me of now and i’m so upset

why do they have the outside of the cart looking like a happy meal box

GWYN WHAT WAS THAT

he just did the squawkiest laugh oml

HOLD UP

“you must see or you’ll never know” “YOU’RE RIGHT! Something is changing! She wants to meet me!” WHAT IS THIS CONVERSATION

HE SOUNDS HAPPY

SHE KNOWS HE’S GOING TO MEET SOMEBODY AND SHE ACTUALLY KISSES HIM LIKE “You must go!” WHAT

boy i know you did not just finger-gun goodbye at the blind girl

he’s walking in place now and i’m crying

she told him he must go now and he took it so literally he left while she was still talking

THE WALKING IN PLACE THOUGH. IT’S IN SLOW MOTION. I AM DISTRAUGHT

did you just wave at someone Gwyn

he’s so doped up

i think he thinks he’s about to get beat

okay in this version he doesn’t Let Osric grab his hand Osric just kind of grabs him and then Gwyn snatches his hand away and Osric’s like “i’ve got a funny feeling in my hand” meanwhile Gwyn puts his hand up and looks at it for a second and shakes down his sleeve and then he’s all hands-on-hips and looking at Osric like >:?

i think he just did the sound with them

and he’s having another attack.

he just fell back and they caught him and one person grabbed his hand and yanked him forward and now they’re picking him up

idk think he knows he’s alive in this version

AJSHFAJGAH THEY’RE DOING HIM LIKE THE PUPPETS IN THE BEAUTY AND THE BEAST DANCE SEQUENCE THEY JUST TOSSED THAT BOY LIKE A FRESHLY-LAUNDERED BEDSHEET

he ain’t well sir

that’s all for now!

#bristol is still immeasurably better but i am having a great time negl #tgm #the grinning man