#which only makes me feel more evil about it all.

[ganondoodle]

"bc i find it weird and uncomfortable how nintendo treats and comments on Riju and the gerudo as a whole"

Could you elaborate on this? Outside of men perving on the Gerudo (which is honestly just representative of real life scenarios) I can't think of anything problematic in regards to how they or Riju are treated. (Her being put into power at such a young age is questionable but that's just one of the downfalls of hereditary ruling I think.)

This is genuine, I'm not trying to be sarcastic or obtuse or anything! I never noticed anything overtly concerning so I just was curious what you were referring to. (Sorry I'm sure there's a post or something I missed where you were talking about it.)

so, this ask comes off as a little weird since the Gerudo are very overtly orientalist/racist stereotypes and you can just .. .research it instead but, given that i recently got an ask from someone saying they were 14 i will answer it bc i know sometimes you think first about asking someone about something instead of looking it up yourself

so, mind you, i am not a person of color, and the issues are a giant can of worms i cannot possibly go into every detail of nor know every detail of

the Gerudo, both in older games and new ones (botw/totk) are basically a bunch of stereotypes about black and arab people rolled into one, they are based on a mish mash of middle eatern cultures together with popular stereotypes about them

they wear stupidly impractical sexy clothing for people living in the desert, its very skin exposing (something that is the opposite of what you do living in an environment like that) and based on the wrong but popular idea of the 'belly dancer' outfit- an outfit that isnt sexual but was popularized as something akin to a strippers outfit by western people (colonizers im pretty sure .. who else) and is STILL used as that, they also wear high heels ... in the desert ......... a sand desert .... and wear heavy make up (like hylian women dont)

even worse then that the EXACT SAME outfit is used for the children as well, they too are put into heels, heavy makeup, and that 'belly dancer' outfit which is very VERY uncomfortable if you know what that oufit is largely seen as .. (even if youd try to argue that Riju wears it to seem more like a competent leader, it falls flat bc the children wear the same damn weird outfit as everyone else)

the Gerudo are also all very muscular in a way that no other women is in the game, which plays into the stereotype of black women being more masculine/mannish than uwu frail little white women and thus, among more, less women, or being able to feel less pain (yes that is an actual belief wtf??), while at the same time still sexualized

now in OOT they were thiefing evil women (thief being yet another stereotype for arabs as well as evil) whos only 'good' one both rejecting some of their tradition (kinda playing into the idea of those tradtions being wrong and adhering to the "good" traditions of western people is what makes you good) and is also abused throughout the game; in botw/totk they are not eviiiil but live in a closed to all men city and their entire society revolves around finding a hylian man to marry, their only goal in life is basically to find a man and have a family which i HOPE i dont have to explain why that is problematic (misogyny anyone) while it is treated by other NPCs as something to be conquered, something alien and other that beckons them to invade, they constantly try to get into the city where all da sexyyyy women are (hello????????????) and its less treated as disgusting and more like a haha little joke (in botw theres a guy circling around the city at all times??? excuse me?? and in totk the same guy is SNEAKING ON THE ROOFS OF THE HOUSES IN THE CITY LOOKING TO GET IN?????????????????)

the argument of that just being real life is ... not all wrong per se but the thing is, ONLY the Gerudo are treated like sexy things to be oogled at (both in OOT and botw/totk, possibly even more but i am not as familiar with all games in the franchise) and no other women from any species is eyebrow raising to say the least, and it never really gets called out either beyond making fun of that one guy by scamming him out of his boots by .. pretending to be a girl (pretty sure link is the only non Gerudo that is oogled at by anyone and its the creepiest creep)

then, with Riju in particular its made even worse that she is not just young but VERY young (which also begs the question why the fuck the Gerudo would put someone so young into the seat of leader of their entire region- something also no other race does), shes only 12 in botw and yet, like all the other children too, put into the same kind of outfit, but then theres also the commentary in the concept art book saying that "gerudo age faster than hylians and thats why shes got a mature air to her" which, among being a way to make how shes sexualized (both in outfit and at times camera angles- also applies to Urbosa) seem more okay (its not) and plays into the stereotype that people of color are quicker to gorw up and thus be treated as adults despite being children like any other child- hence why often in the news when a black child is shot they dont call them a child but "young man", using that to subtly shift it to seem more okay (like we are currently seeing in the genocide of palestine, news calling a murdered SIX year old palestinian "YOUNG WOMAN" while calling a 19 year old white soldier lady who got a little bruise an abused child)

and it also applies to Ganondorf, he is the epitome of evil arab men stereotype, power hungry abusive and ruling over lots of women (in this case its his entire race...), (with a hint of antisemitism too, his hooked nose being both used as an overemphasized feature for arabs and jewish people as a sign of their connection to the devil/sing of evil and to other them from white 'good little noses'- (((i want to yell about this so much bc big and hooked noses are so cool and beautiful argh))) and his skin tone being always some strange greyish-yellow color no one else has and even worse mint green in totks official art, despite him being very dark grey in model- green skin being yet another antisemitic trope PLUS playing into the whole idea that being evil means you also LOOK evil, whichs is often, who would have guessed- anything that isnt the traditional western beauty ideal of thin thin white and young)

while also in totk, he as well is sexualized with his new revealing outfit and the weird constant emphasis on how he is meant to be sexy to everyone alike (and it not being apparent in the game nor used in it) in multiple interviews with the main people in charge of the franchise- and his evilness being what all the Gerudo must atone for, they birthed this eviiil man (who is evil from birth i guess bc thats totally fine and logical) and they have to bear that sin for all eternity (as in dialog about him in the gerudo sage cutscene, plus the whole idea of the closed off city, despite there having been no ganondorf in thousands of years, being closed of to men as to shut out any potential Ganondorf or similar evil? though the latter im not sure how supported it is .. i cant remember every line of dialog ok) while the hyrulean monarchy and its uwu blonde god descdendants are never even confronted with the horrible shit they did, bc its fine if they torture and murder people (OOT and possibly more), chase them into the void or persecute their own servants bc da king got afraid they could rise up against him- with their only choice being give up their tech and knowledge to live under the royal rule (botw/totk ancient shiekah- shiekah, and its presented as a good thing, we are all happy beign the eternal servants of the monarchy :)))) or be killed, and the ones resisting are eviiiill and now a cult and also very stupid and silly and not to be taken seriously (yiga) while its mentioned once as a fun fact and never ever mentioned again, bc, the hyrulean monarchy is all god descendant uwu white blonde people that are so good you guys, everything they do is in the name of good uwu and neva to be questioned uwu bc obviously everyone that opposed to them is evil bc they are the perfectest good guys uwu

youd think, and i hoped, they would do better by now, in botw, the gerudo are not well done at all, different than before but still bad, but at least they introduced other people with darker skin tones that arent Gerudo so they are not the literal only people with non white skin anymore- but with totk espeically, they had the chance to make Ganondorf into an interesting villain with a point, maybe not even full blown villain, bc he has a point- he does but its not treated as such, its treated as if he is the most blatantly flat evil guy ever- even more flat and one note evil than all his previous appearances, which is frankly, quite insulting to say the least

look i wanted to keep it short but here we are, i dont know if this anon was genuinely being genuine or not (since bigots like to act all non offensive and like to ask you to explain your very obvious point ..) but i dont htink i ever talked about it as a whole so eh- i probably missed stuff but anyway, heres a good video about it for zelda in particular

#ganondoodles answers #zelda #i really dont think you need to be an expert to see why how they are portrayed is off #but who knows #none of the biggest zelda youtubers ever mention it either #so maybe to some people it realyl is a non problem #...given how many baffling racist comments i have seen about the gerudo .... theres worse i guess #wasted work time with this #but anyway

[utilitycaster]

I don't know how you feel about it, but I was extremely frustrated last night when I found out that break was called after around 3 hours. I just felt that at that point they should have just made it a Crown Keepers episode instead of promising that BH would be back and then them barely being in the episode. I don't know, I'm usually really go with the flow with CRs creative choices, but this was just a real big swing and a miss for me. I wish this had all just been its own episode

So here's my feelings:

My thoughts on EXU Prime, and later Kymal, were that I love the player characters and their relationships and much of the worldbuilding (notably all of Niirdal-Poc and the Qoniira Tetrarchy) and I liked many of Aabria's NPCs but there were some pretty big gaps left in "what the fuck is going on" that left me feeling as though I wouldn't mind seeing the characters again but I didn't feel strongly about continuing the story in-world, if that makes sense. The Aevilux reveal, for example, was sort of what the main plot of EXU Prime hinged upon (ie, that was Myr'atta Niselor's motivation; that was what the deal with Ted was) and so the fact that didn't come out for over 2.5 years irl after it ended meant I'd just kind of said "well, some weirdo from Syngorn really wanted to do shit to Opal for some reason related to her sister, who is also her patron, and we don't know why either of these things is the case, and I guess that's what happened" and made my peace with it. Similarly, I don't know what the Nameless Ones want, and never have (other than, at one point, the circlet of barbed vision, and I don't know why they want it). I made a joke that Myr'atta, Poska, and Otohan are all kind of the same and honestly that is the thing: if you don't know why a villain is doing something - even if the reason is "because I love to be evil and terrible!" it's hard to care, and if those are only villains, it's hard to be invested in the story about the heroes either, even if you like the heroes as characters.

When I say I like how this ended, I mean it - I think it could have gone only a few ways, but I like that Morrighan and Opal have both become divine champions, Morrighan willingly and Opal less so (this is yet another case of "the gods don't do take-backsies on oaths", but also, I do feel for Opal despite it all because of Aimee's excellent work throughout). I mentioned how I felt about the exact details of Cyrus's death but I don't mind that he's dead. Fy'ra was a highlight throughout, as she frequently is, and I think she was faced with two extremely unpleasant choices and made a fascinating decision. But I'd have preferred to see this as a flashback (see next paragraph) or like. Just decide what happened. If I'm being extremely honest a lot of my issues with the Crown Keepers portion is that it felt like there was a very specific desired ending (Opal's complete corruption and Cyrus's death); I also said at some point well before that you can only do so much with the Crown Keepers while Dariax is there because Matt does, even if he's turning his brain off to play our Charisma-only kinda short king, know all the cheat codes for the main campaign. It's kind of like why how, even if the DM will control an absent player during RP, they usually have another player control in combat.

I don't mind that the Bells Hells portion was short. I think the choice to break where they did makes sense given everything else that went on. But I think that, criticism of the actual Crown Keepers portion aside, while you might have lost some of your audience for a Crown Keepers-only episode on the main feed, you would have preserved the drama of FCG's death better and gotten people more excited for the Crown Keepers if you had essentially run things exactly as done here but then just cut the two episodes together, which, as a pre-taped medium, they can now do! Hindsight is again 20-20 but: Run the first half of 92 as is. Break and tape a full Crown Keepers episode. Return to Bells Hells and narrate the message back from Dorian saying he'll be there, play out the rest of Bells Hells in the camp dealing with FCG's death, and then have Dorian arrive at the very end of that episode and end the episode when the party asks him what's been going on with him, then reveal there will be a Crown Keepers episode. Air your full Crown Keepers episode as episode 93, and then return to the main campaign with 94. It would have been better balanced in terms of time, people who wanted the Crown Keepers to return would have gotten hyped up, and people who dislike them or are neutral would have at least known what to expect and frankly if they skip the episode that's their choice to make. Hell, since there were 2 weeks? Could have even been like "hey, we'll do a Crown Keepers Marathon on Twitch and Youtube on some random weekday" to build up some hype!

So overall my answer is that I agree this wasn't a great creative choice. I don't think this means they shouldn't take big swings! But some will be misses and this was, while not an entire miss for me, at best a walk.

#answered #minxie-the-sabertooth-kitty #cr spoilers

[wheelie-butch]

Monster Con info from the discord

I thought I'd share some of the info we got about the game/characters from the monprom Discord last night. Disclaimer this is just me summarising conversations from the devs and I might be misinterpreting stuff, plus everything is subject to change in the game anyway

General

All the characters obviously have geeky hobbies but some of them have more focus on it than others.

Release is looking at sometime in 2025 hopefully!

Omen (she/they)

this isn't canon yet so might change, but Omen was a normal monster, ascended to a magical evil energy being, got imprisoned (possibly by the Slayers but this isn't final yet) and has only recently escaped. Omen isn't tied to the 'The Old Ones'.

She uses she/they because she doesn't care for mundane stuff like gender anymore but also is somewhat attached to who she used to be. Omen is the most lore-heavy character.

"Omen is a friggin' gremlin" apparently and Mihail is a fan of their dynamic with Liam.

Omen's arm looks to be amputated on the left. It's unknown if their existing arm is a prosthetic or original. This makes her the first disabled romance option! (Mihail also said the team have notes on looking at an RO with mobility aids for MP5)

Doug (he/him)

Mihail said "Doug is a nice dude who can't manage his own finances and blows up his money instantly in nerdy stuff"

April (she/her)

So clowns are mentioned as a monster type in Prom but April wasn't really created with that in mind. The team have been discussing what it means for clowns to be in the Monster Realm and have some answers that the game might explore eventually.

April is an idol/streamer. She has a contract that means she needs to be 'camera perfect' all the time, so using magic (?) all of her 'bad thoughts' get repressed and come out through those balloon animal mascots. "The different mascots are different sort of not-OK-thoughts". Mihail lists some of the existing ones as 'sad, nervous, lazy/glutton (the Garfield one), angry' and 'psycho' which is the bunny.

Nico (they/them)

Nico is a mimic and their gimmick is cosplay. We're going to see a lot of different cosplays from them, like over 5 likely.

They're a bit of a 'thembo' Mihail says "they surely feel like the choice for anyone who liked Scott. They have their differences; but it is evident Nico would fill that spot"

#monster prom #monster convention #monster con #I hope this is interesting to people :)

[helloalycia]

𝐀 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐋𝐎𝐔𝐒 𝐕𝐎𝐘𝐀𝐆𝐄 [𝐓𝐖𝐎] — 𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐀 𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐅𝐓

one / masterlist / wattpad

summary: after managing to escape Yamatai, you’re left to deal with the aftermath of emotions it brings for you, whilst also trying to be there for Sam and Lara.

warning/s: same as last time, with the additional mention of nightmares.

author's note: here’s part two! hope the Lara enthusiasts liked this one :)

also just a reminder, Y/M/N = your mum’s name

"She'll be here, I know it," Jonah said with certainty, but it was looking more and more hopeless as him, Reyes and I stared into the distance at the colourful arrays coming from the monastery.

Sam had been taken again by the island natives and Lara had gone after her whilst Jonah, Reyes and I bought her some time, but we'd all promised to regroup on the beach and Lara hadn't returned with Sam yet. The storm that had been ravaging the island since we got here had cleared up, which could have only meant she'd succeeded in stopping the Sun Queen – but where were they?

After what felt like a lifetime, we spotted Lara approaching through the trees, bloody and battered, carrying an unconscious Sam in her arms. Jonah immediately leapt into action to help her, taking Sam from her arms, whilst I joined Lara's side and led her back to the boat. Reyes was quick to prepare the boat for our departure.

"What happened?" Jonah asked Lara what we were all thinking, setting Sam down in the boat.

Exhausted, Lara answered, "It's over. We can leave now."

Jonah and I exchanged worried glances as Reyes wasted no more time in setting off. Everybody was as tired as they looked, so we sat in silence, looking out at the water as Reyes steered us back to civilisation.

Thankfully, after a few hours, a passing freighter spotted us and took us in, giving us food, drink and first aid supplies to keep us going until we reached land. So much had happened in the past few days that seeing real people who actually wanted to help us felt impossible.

After getting some help with bandaging my arm up by one of the crewman, I noticed Lara approaching me on the lower deck.

"Thanks," I said appreciatively to the crewman, who nodded with a smile before leaving me be.

"Hey," Lara said softly, taking a seat beside me.

"Hey," I replied, offering a small smile. I noticed she'd had chance to clean up a little, but her skin was still littered with bruises and scrapes, and her shirt was soaked with dried blood. "How's Sam?"

"Resting," she said with a sigh. "Jonah is watching her."

I hummed, worried for my friend. She'd been kidnapped, tortured and possessed by an evil spirit – I could only hope she'd get the help she needed to recover when we returned home.

"I wanted to check on you earlier, but I was distracted," Lara admitted, finding my eyes. "How are you?"

"I'm okay, Lara," I assured her gently, before resting a hand on hers. "How are you doing?”

"I'll be okay," she said dismissively, making me exhale sadly. She was always minimising her own feelings, now more than ever.

"You really did it," I said after a moment, knowing now was the right time. "You stopped Himiko. Saved Sam. Defeated the Solarii. You saved us all, Lara. And I can't express how grateful I am for that."

She shook her head, pulling her hand back and sinking her face into her hands with defeat. "I didn't do anything. This was all my fault, Y/N. I shouldn't have insisted we come here."

I furrowed my brows, resting a hand on her back comfortingly. "You didn't know. And you got us out of it. We wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for you."

She frowned, eyes staring ahead, glazed over and lost in thought. It was obvious she was beating herself up about everything, but I refused to let her soak in self-pity.

Relieved she'd made it out alive and somewhat safely, I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her in for a hug. She relaxed after a moment, tucking her head in my shoulder as if hiding from the truth, but I'd keep reminding her every day if it meant she'd listen.

"You're capable of a hell of a lot," I muttered, squeezing her gently. "I've said it once before and I was right."

She pulled back, cheeks tinged pink and eyes avoiding mine, though the tiniest of smiles was on her lips. I smiled at the sight, pushing a loose strand of hair from her eyes and admiring the view.

"I'm really glad you're here," she said quietly, dark eyes darting to mine briefly before she pulled back. "Obviously, I'd rather you hadn't experienced any of this at all, but–"

"I understand," I cut off the start of her probable never ending ramble. "Me too."

She pressed her lips together, looking down at the wooden floorboards of the deck. Despite all of the amazing things she'd done to keep us safe these past few days, she was still her awkward, adorable self. It was refreshing to see some things hadn't changed her completely.

Of course, that didn't mean the events at Yamatai hadn't taken their toll on us in other ways.

We were still a couple of days out from land, so the freighter crew were kind enough to give us all rooms to sleep in below deck. The second night was admittedly the hardest. I found myself reliving the horrors of the island all over again once my eyes closed, but it was worse than the previous night. Between murdering crazy cultists in self defence, being kidnapped, held captive and watching our friends die, my night was riddled with nightmares.

It became too much and I woke with a start, drenched in sweat and trembling with confusion as I couldn't make out my cabin in the dark. Realisation dawned on me – including all the events that led up to this moment – and I suddenly felt nauseous, bile rising in my throat. Without a second thought, I clambered out of bed and raced down the hall for the shared bathroom, just about making it to the toilet before I vomited all of last night's dinner up.

It burned my throat, but it wouldn't stop coming until I was eventually vomiting nothing but my stomach acid. A moment passed when I heard footsteps behind me and then hands held my hair back.

"It's okay," a familiar voice soothed, their other hand rubbing my back, and it took me a second to realise it was Lara.

Once I was finished, I sat back with exhaustion, my body aching from my bent over position, and gladly accepted the tissue Lara handed me.

"Are you feeling better?" she asked with concern, her face lit up from the sliver of artificial light coming through the porthole.

I didn't even realise I'd been crying until her thumb wiped beneath my eyes, and the touch suddenly reminded me where I was and how I looked right now, no doubt a mess before her.

Swallowing hard, I straightened up. "Sorry, I–"

"Don't apologise," she said, returning her hand to my back to comfort me, but the way she was watching me so delicately made my cheeks heat up with embarrassment.

"I'm okay, I–" I started, pushing her hand away and moving back slightly, but I was acutely aware of my dishevelled appearance and the stench of vomit.

"Hey, stop it–" she tried to reassure me, ever so generously, but I couldn't meet her gaze.

"I didn't mean to wake you," I mumbled, moving to stand up.

Pressing my lips together, I flushed the toilet before moving to wash my hands and rinse my mouth in the sink.

"You didn't. I was up already."

I tensed my jaw slightly, splashing my face with cold water before straightening up again, avoiding her eyes in the reflection of the mirror.

"What happened?" she asked gently. "Was it a nightmare?"

It felt so silly to admit that, but I was still in fight or flight mode and the thought of being alone right now was horrible. Instead, I nodded weakly, busying myself with the hand towel.

"Me too," she muttered, making me finally look to her, though with a mutual concern. "C'mon. I know what'll help."

I soon found myself following her down the hall, past our cabins and to the small, deserted kitchen area. She merely motioned to the booth in the corner before moving to fill the kettle. It turned out the simplicity of watching her make us both cups of teas in silence was more comforting than I could have guessed.

She joined me with our teas shortly after, pulling her legs up on the seat beside me and holding her mug for warmth. I mirrored her action, the two of basking in the silence and each other's presence. Though, despite Lara initially trying to be there for me, I was worried about her too.

"Are you okay?" I asked stupidly, glancing at her.

She chewed on her lip, eyes glued to her mug. "Honestly, I've been having these nightmares since we left the island."

I frowned, hand resting on her forearm. "You should have told me. You could have woken me up."

Her eyes lifted to mine. "So could you."

I sighed, knowing neither of us would ever burden the other like that. But I wished she would.

"It's over now though," she reminded me, her hand resting atop mine on her forearm.

"It is," I agreed halfheartedly. "But it won't go away. Not now."

"But it will eventually," she said with certainty, and I wondered how she still remained positive despite everything we'd endured.

I yawned tiredly. "I can't wait to go home."

"Same."

Quiet fell upon us once again, only the creaking of the ship and the distant lull of the waves to keep us company. Periodically sipping on my tea, I found myself laying my head on Lara's shoulder comfortably. Though, with that and the swaying of the ship and my general fatigue, my eyes were slowly closing.

"You're falling asleep," Lara whispered from beside me.

"Mmnot," I mumbled, hoping she'd drop it so I could actually fall asleep.

Unfortunately for me, she found this amusing and began to chuckle, making her shoulders move. "C'mon, let's get you to bed."

"Or we could just stay here," I said tiredly.

"You'll be comfier in your own bed, Y/N," she promised.

"I'm pretty comfy here."

She snickered once more, before pressing a gentle kiss to the top of my head. "C'mon, love."

I sighed disappointedly before forcing myself up, sliding out the booth. She was lovely enough to take me back to my cabin, leading my half asleep self to bed and even tucking me in.

"Goodnight, Y/N," she said, squeezing my hand and smiling down at me with amusement. "You'll be home soon, I promise."

I smiled tiredly, though my eyes were drooping shut. I wanted to ask her to stay, appreciating the comfort her presence gave me, but I didn't want to overstep. So, I had to settle for the moment I had with her before letting her leave for the night.

—

I'd never missed home more than I had now. As soon as I stepped foot in my family home, still living with my parents, I almost cried at the familiarity of it all.

I could never truly tell my parents what I'd endured, but they must have sensed something had gone terribly wrong because they were as supportive as they could be. Still, it wasn't the same as being with people who had gone through the same thing.

Lara and Sam didn't live far, only a tube ride away, so I visited them a few times whilst we were back. The only good thing to come out of this whole mess was my friendship strengthening with Sam and forming with Lara. They were the only ones who understood how I was feeling, though Sam was less reluctant to talk about it than Lara was.

I stopped by their flat a week after returning, with the intention of checking in on them but also bringing a bunch of leftovers my mum had made for dinner and insisted I shared with them. Lara was a terrible cook and Sam hadn't been herself lately, understandably so, so I was happy to make it a little easier on them if I could.

Once I knocked on the door to their flat, I heard someone on the other side before it opened to reveal Lara. She smiled softly when she saw me, eliciting a smile of my own.

"Y/N, hey," she spoke with surprise, before pulling me in for a quick hug. "I didn't know you were coming."

I returned her hug, admittedly already comforted by the subtle scent of her perfume. "Sorry, I should have called really. It was a last minute thing. My mum made some food for you and Sam and I just wanted to drop it off. If you're busy or it's a bad time, I can just leave you with the food."

"No, no, it's not a bad time at all," she assured me, tugging me into her flat and closing the door behind me. "I'm glad to see you. And gosh, your mum is just the sweetest. She really didn't have to."

I chuckled, holding out the bag of food. "Good luck telling her that."

Lara accepted the bag with a snicker before taking a peek inside. "It looks delicious, Y/N, thank you. I really need to meet the chef behind all this great food."

I followed her into the kitchen as she put the bag in the fridge, before glancing around the place. "Sam not in?"

At the mention of Sam, Lara sighed quietly, her smile fading. "No, sorry. She actually just left. We... we got into an argument."

I frowned. "What about?"

We both took a seat on the couch as Lara collected her thoughts, clearly still upset about their argument.

"Sam's been having nightmares," she said guiltily. "I know she has. I've even had to wake her from a few. But she won't talk about it with me. She's outright denying there's anything wrong. It's not right."

It was true that Sam was in denial about what she'd experienced, but I had at least hoped she'd been confiding in Lara about it, if not me. This definitely wasn't what I expected to hear.

"That's a lot to deal with," I sympathised, feeling a little guilty myself, and I wasn't even sure what for. That I had it easier? That I hadn't been possessed like she has? I didn't know. "But Lara, I'm sure she'll open up to you when she's ready. Everybody deals with trauma in different ways."

Lara frowned, jaw tensing. "But it's me! She's supposed to tell me what she's thinking! We're best friends, Y/N. She's never acted like this before."

"I know, but–"

"This is all my fault," she reminded me, voice breaking slightly. "I just want to help her."

I rested a hand on her knee, squeezing gently. "She knows you're here for her, but this is all frustrating. She's processing it on her own first, okay? You can't rush it. You have to go at her pace."

Lara hummed, eyes staring past me and into the distance thoughtfully. Whether she would listen was beyond me, but I hoped she knew I would be here for them both.

"Aside from that, how have things been with you?" I asked, speaking when she didn't.

Her eyes flickered to mine. "Not good. Not bad. I... Jonah checks in every other day. Reyes won't speak to me."

I frowned at this, though it was expected. She still blamed Lara for the whole trip.

"I spoke to Grim and Alex's families the other day," she continued halfheartedly. "Broke the news."

"That must've been hard.”

She smiled sadly. "Wasn't easy. But someone had to do it. Only felt right it was me."

I leaned on my elbow on the back of the couch, facing her sideways. "I would've sat with you if you'd asked. You shouldn't have had to do it alone."

She exhaled through her nose, eyes twinkling slightly. "That's sweet of you to say, but I wouldn't have asked that of you, love."

I gave her a disapproving look, but she brushed it off as she always did.

"How have things with your parents been since you got home?" she changed the subject. "Sam and I appreciate you always coming to check on us, but we would love to do the same."

"You're always welcome," I said lightheartedly, though I meant it. "My parents would love to meet you. Especially my mum."

She half-scoffed, frowning to herself. "I almost got you killed on an expedition. They wouldn't want to meet me. If they knew the truth, they'd hate me."

I quirked a brow. "Okay, firstly, my mum literally forced me to bring you all that food. You really think she does that for everyone?" Lara opened her mouth to speak, but I continued, "Secondly, they know the truth. Well, most of it. And they don't hate you for any of it. They'd love to meet you."

She pressed her lips together uncomfortably, looking down.

I tried to find her gaze as I said gently, "Thirdly, what happened in Yamatai wasn't your fault. How many times do I have to tell you?"

She didn't say anything, so I took her hand between mine, finally earning her attention.

"It wasn't," I repeated, needing her to believe me.

Her dark eyes softened as they held my gaze and I could have stared into them forever, but then she looked to my hand before slowly pulling hers back. I cleared my throat awkwardly, wondering what I'd said to make her so uncomfortable. I considered apologising, but Lara was quick to change the subject.

"Maybe I'll stop by soon," she said, referring to my house. "It's the least I can do for your mum."

"How about this weekend?" I asked hopefully. "You and Sam can come over for dinner."

"Oh," she said, surprised, and definitely not expecting me to ask so soon. "Erm, I–"

"Please?"

She blinked, glancing at me, before wincing. "I suppose we can."

I began to smile, excited. "Great. I can't wait."

—

"...nothing, not even a hint about it," I pleaded with my parents as they moved around the kitchen, prepping the last few bits for Sam and Lara's visit. "As far as this household knows, Yamatai didn't happen. I don't want to upset them. Or make it awkward. Or–"

"Y/N, we understand," my dad cut me off, squeezing my shoulder. "We won't bring it up."

"It's not you I'm worried about," I mumbled, glancing at my mum.

She only ever meant the best, but I worried bringing up Yamatai might set a bad tone for the evening, especially with Sam's reluctance to acknowledge everything that went down.

"I'll stay quiet, love, I promise," she assured me, though I couldn't be sure she would.

Just on cue, the doorbell rang and I was both delighted and a tad nervous, mainly in case my mum said the wrong thing. Still, I shot both my parents a warning look before going to answer the door.

"Sam, Lara!" I exclaimed with a smile when I opened the door. "So glad to see you."

"Y/N!" Sam returned with excitement, before immediately pulling me in for a hug. "God, it's good to be here after so long. I'm so looking forward to your mum's cooking."

"Wow. And here's me thinking you came to see me," I joked, making her chuckle as she pulled back.

"I think I see you enough," she played along. "I'm here for Y/M/N and Y/D/N."

I scoffed jokingly as she stepped inside, moving my attention to an uneasy-looking Lara, still stood in the doorway. Naturally, it brought a smile to my face and I quirked a brow.

"You coming in today?" I teased, stepping to the side.

She cleared her throat, nervous smile on her lips and some flowers in her hand. "I– yes. Sorry. It's good to see you, Y/N."

I chuckled as she stepped inside, closing the door behind them both.

"We bought some flowers and chocolates for your parents," she added, and I noticed Sam was holding the box of chocolates.

"That's sweet of you both, but you didn't have to," I told them knowingly. "Just you coming was enough."

They exchanged looks, making me laugh, and then footsteps were heard and my mum appeared in the hallway.

"Ladies, welcome!" she said brightly, before looking to Sam first. "Sam, it's so good to see you. It's been too long!"

"It has, Y/M/N, I'm sorry I haven't visited sooner," Sam returned with a laugh, before holding out the chocolates. "Hopefully these make up for it."

My mum looked at the chocolates with a cheeky smile. "My favourite. Of course it does."

Sam winked at me playfully, making me roll my eyes.

"And you must be Lara," my mum continued, expression softening. "I've been very excited to meet you, dear! Y/N has only said great things about you."

"Mu-um," I whined, cheeks flushing.

Lara smiled with amusement, nerves dissipating slightly, which I suppose was worth a joke at my expense.

"What? It's true!" she defended.

"It's lovely to finally meet you, Mrs. Y/L/N," Lara said politely, before holding out the flowers. "These are for you and your husband."

"Call me Y/M/N," my mum replied, before accepting the flowers with a chuckle. "You lovely ladies are spoiling us! Do mind my husband. He's just making sure the roast doesn't burn."

"I just wanted to say that we're also really grateful for all the food you've been sending over recently," Lara added with a small smile. "It's been a massive help."

"And it tastes beautiful," Sam added jokingly.

My mum began to smile sadly as she looked between them both and I knew what she was thinking. Please don't bring it up. Please don't bring it up. Please don't bring it up.

"I'm here to help in any way I can," was all she said, as I held my breath. Then when I shot her a look, pleading for her not to mention Yamatai with my eyes, she cleared her throat. "I'm gonna check on dinner. Y/N will take you to the dining room."

As she walked away, Sam and Lara seemed confused, so I attempted to brush it off as I took the lead to the dining room.

Soon enough, my dad joined us, introducing himself to Lara and reacquainting himself with Sam, before my mum brought out the dinner and we all dug in. To my relief, they both steered away from all things Yamatai, instead talking about work or family or anything else that wouldn't make them upset.

Sam settled in easily enough, as she always did when she spent time with my parents. I was more concerned about Lara, who initially didn't want to come tonight and was acting a little shyer than usual. Thankfully, she seemed to warm up to everyone as the evening went on, and I was glad my parents were able to put her at ease. They truly did like her, and contrary to Lara's fear, they didn't blame her one bit for our disaster voyage.

To make things even better, my mum went out of her way to truly help Lara feel at home by baking her a special dessert.

"Y/N mentioned you fancy a Jaffa Cake every now and then," my mum teased Lara as she brought out the cake in her hand and set it down, "so I thought I should make something special since it's your first time coming over. It's a Jaffa Cake cake!"

Lara stared at the cake with surprise, smile on her lips in disbelief. "What? Seriously?"

"This is literally her dream dessert, you know that?" Sam said to my mum with amusement.

My mum chuckled as she took her seat. "I figured."

Lara blinked, speechless, before her eyes glanced at me across the table, unsure. I nodded reassuringly, trying not to laugh, and then she looked to my mother with sparkling eyes.

"This looks amazing, Y/M/N, I don't even know what to say."

"You don't need to say a thing," my mum assured her. "Just dig in!"

Lara pressed her lips together, smile permanently fixed on her face in a way that warmed my heart.

After having some dessert and tea, my mum insisted on boxing up some leftovers for Sam and Lara.

"Sam, it's been a pleasure as always," my mum said with a smile, before offering her the food. "This is for you and Lara."

"Awesome," Sam mumbled as she accepted the bag, before hugging my mum. "Thanks, Y/M/N."

My mum laughed before looking to Lara. "Lara, love, it's been an absolute delight meeting you tonight. I hope we can see more of you. You're part of the family now!"

Lara smiled, cheeks turning pink. "Thank you, Y/M/N. I appreciate that."

I watched them both hug, always grateful for my mum's ability to put someone at ease.

After she and my dad wished Sam and Lara a good night, I walked them down the hall to see them out.

"Get back safe, yeah? Text me when you're home," I told them both.

"We will," Sam assured, before lifting the bag of food in her hand. "Can't wait to devour this tomorrow."

I chuckled tiredly, accepting her hug before opening the door for her. She stepped outside as I looked to Lara with a grateful smile.

"Thank you for coming, Lara. I'm really glad you did. It wouldn't have been the same without you."

"I don't know about that," she said with a slight snicker, before looking between my eyes patiently, "but thank you. I..."

I waited, curious, but then Sam interrupted, calling for Lara impatiently.

"Thanks for having me," Lara said quickly, aware of Sam's whining in the background, though a tender smile was on her lips. "Goodnight, Y/N."

"Goodnight, Lara." I pulled her in for a brief hug, though my insides were spinning butterflies at the proximity.

She offered me a final smile before I watched her join Sam's side, the two of them walking away. I exhaled gently, closing the door and unable to clear my thoughts of Lara.

—

A few days later, I was over at Sam and Lara's flat, helping Sam do some cleaning and throwing some old belongings out. With Sam, this meant waiting for her to decide whether a possession was worth keeping or not, fighting her about it, then finally getting rid of the clutter.

As I was leaving another full box of belongings by the front door as Sam continued to dig around her bedroom, I heard keys jingling in the door. Straightening up, I saw Lara letting herself in, eyes finding mine with confusion.

"Y/N?" she said with surprise, shutting the door behind her and kicking off her shoes. "What are you doing here?"

"Just helping Sam get rid of some stuff," I said, before noticing her gym outfit and headphones. "You go to the gym?"

As if suddenly aware of her appearance, she glanced down before wiping the film of sweat from her face with her sleeve. "I– no, sorry, I'm all gross. I went on a run."

I chuckled, shrugging. "It's cool."

She cleared her throat, smiling a little, before saying, "I was actually meaning to call you so it's good you're here." When I lifted a brow curiously, she continued, "I wanted to thank you properly, for dinner the other night. Your family are really lovely and accommodating and I just–"

She paused, eyes flickering away momentarily, and I wondered what she was so nervous about, but I didn't want her to feel rushed, so I waited.

"It was the first time I've properly felt at home somewhere since, well, since I was a child," she continued slowly, awkwardly, and I hung onto every word.

"I'm glad," I spoke gently. "My parents love you. And I really enjoyed having you there."

She breathed out, nodding. "Even after everything... I'm glad it went well. I should have said as much the other night, but... yeah."

I couldn't help but smile at her adorable uneasiness. "No problem, Lara."

She swallowed visibly, eyes meeting mine briefly, before hesitating.

"What is it?" I asked, noticing she was holding back. "What's on your mind?"

She chewed on her lip. "I lost my parents young and I never had a family, not a real one. I had Roth, but he's..."

"Lara," I started, stepping forward with a hint of concern, but she shook her head.

I waited, and then she pressed her lips together. "Forget it."

Feeling bad for throwing her off, I started, "No, wait–"

"No, it's fine, I'm just rambling," she mumbled.

"Keep rambling," I urged, afraid if she stopped sharing now, she'd never do so again.

She paused, pursing her lips as she looked to her shoes. I watched the strands of her fringe loosen from her ponytail, covering her face for a moment, and fought the urge to push it out the way.

"It all seems so futile now," she admitted.

My confusion only grew. "What?"

Just when I thought she may stay quiet forever, she finally looked up, golden-brown eyes meeting mine. "I like you. A lot. I have for a long time now, but after everything... there's bigger things going on and it's a lot to admit. And I understand if you don't feel the–"

She was rambling again, already talking herself out of her admission, so I kissed her without thinking, lips catching ablaze when they touched hers. She froze, shocked, and I pulled back slightly, finally moving those damned strands of hair from her stunning eyes.

"It's not futile," I assured her, meeting her deer-caught-in-headlights expression. "I actually feel the same way."

She breathed out slowly, a small, hopeful smile forming on her lips. "You do?"

I mirrored her smile, nodding. "Do you know how hard it is to fancy someone who barely spoke a word to you?"

Embarrassed, she looked away. "Not any easier than fancying someone who you couldn't say a word to."

I chuckled. "Touché."

She licked her lips, nervous, before meeting my gaze once more. "Why didn't you say anything?"

I shrugged, it being my turn to be nervous. "I don't know... at first, it was because you didn't speak to me much so I didn't think you'd like me back. And then, like you said, after everything that happened... it was a lot. It didn't feel like the right time."

"How about now?" she asked hesitantly. "Is it the right time now?"

"It could be. If you want it to be."

She nodded. "I'd like that."

I began to smile. "Me too."

She smiled too, eyes flickering between mine before settling on my lips, and without another second wasted, she leaned in to kiss me. I closed my eyes as her finger curled around my cheek, pulling me close, and melted into her touch.

I could have stayed there forever kissing her, but the sound of Sam in the hall grumbling to herself about cleaning made us pull apart. I wasn't sure what would happen with the whole Lara and I and Sam thing, but Lara must have had the same thoughts as I.

"We keep this from Sam until we figure out what this is?" she proposed quickly.

I sighed with relief, glad we were on the same page, and nodded in agreement.

"Oh, Lara, you're back!" Sam noticed when she finally entered. "Great, you can help Y/N and I."

Lara's eyes twinkled with adoration as they lingered on mine before she gave Sam a convincing smile. "Sounds good, Sam. Just let me shower and I'll give you both a hand."

I smiled to myself as she walked past Sam and I, heading for the bathroom. I was still in awe.

I just kissed Lara freakin' Croft. Twice!

#tomb raider #tomb raider imagine #lara croft x you #lara croft imagine #lara croft x reader #lara croft

[imajinxnation]

hi. how are you?

would it be okay to request a don john x reader where the reader lived with Hero and Beatrice? And to see what would happen in the play if an anxious reader was there?

Love Letters

Don John x FEM!Reader

SUMMARY // You're an old friend of Hero and Beatrice, and are staying with them for a little bit, but you catch the eye of a certain bastard prince..

TW // Angst, Fluff, Suggestive..

Gif is by @scarlettspectra

Not really proud of the ending, but whatever!

The moment you showed up to Messina, Don John's eyes were on you, silently judging and analyzing you in your every move and mannerism. You'd caught him staring at you on more than one occassion, and every time you tried to figure out what it was that he was looking at you with. Was it hatred? Jealousy? Lust? You had absolutely no idea, nor did you want to find out, especially if it was one of the first two options. You had heard about what had happened to Hero, and didn't want to be on the receiving end of the stick of Don John's mischievious, envious schemes.

You see, after what Don John had done to Hero and everyone else involved, he was only in jail for a short time before Don Pedro gave him pity, being the ever so forgiving man he was. Despite his brother being a bastard child, he still loved him, and got him out of jail, but only if John never strayed from his side in public.

John liked to think he was discrete with his subtle glances coming your way, but Pedro knew.. ohhhh, he knew. Pedro was quite the romantic at heart and could always tell when someone was in love and pining after their love, but he had never expected for John to take an interest in you. John had been more inclined to brothels for one night and leaving when he was done, so it came to quite a shock when Pedro noticed the look in his half-brother's eyes when you were present.

One night when John was asleep, Pedro had gathered his closest friends in the garden with him, including Hero and Beatrice, to tell them of the wonderful plan he had thought of for his bastard brother and you.. When he told everyone what he had noticed, everyone was shocked at how he knew, as John had such a mean pokerface, it would seem as if he had no soul at all!

Pedro told them all of how this might be the answer to curing John's evil ways, and making him see the world in a lighter, more positive perspective! If John was to have you, and you were to reciprocate his feelings, then Pedro truly believed his brother would try to be a better man.. Oh, if only he knew what chaos this would stir..

"(Y/n), a letter has come for you!" Beatrice called out, a small smirk on her face as she flipped through the rest of the letters, keeping yours on the table while she read through the other ones.

You come tumbling down the stairs, your feet banging on the creaky floorboards as you race down in surprise.

"For me!? Who could that be? I have no family here, I'm just visiting!" You say, excited yet confused.

Beatrice nods her head, gesturing to the letter on the kitchen table while trying to hide her smirk by holding one of the other letters up to her face, as if she was reading it very closely. She watched as you opened the letter carefully and took out its contents, the wax seal the mark of Don John, which you didn't know it was.

You read through it carefully:

'Dear, (Y/n),

It seems as though you have caught my attention, and I, hopefully, have caught yours. Tonight at dawn, I will be in the rose garden near the fountain. Come find me, I want to share something with you,

D.J.'

Your heart skips a beat and your face flushes, your cheeks and ears getting hot, a heavy nervousness filling your stomach. What did this mean? How have you caught his attention, in what way!? Do you fill him full of hatred? Or do you fill him full of lust and desire, where there is no room for love and care?

"Beatrice! What do I do!? Prince Don John wants me to meet him tonight to have a talk! Oh, dear lord.. What if he hates me!? Or.. or what if he likes me!?" You stutter out, anxiety filling you to your core.

Beatrice smiles gently, meanwhile her mind was running wild, excited for you and John to confess your feelings, hoping Pedro's plan would all work out in the end.

"My dear, don't worry your pretty little head! I'm sure it's nothing harmful, Pedro has made sure that he behaves now that he's out of prison," Beatrice tries to console you, reaching out to hold your hands gently.

You take a deep breath and sigh out, "You're right.. you're right, Bea.. I'm sure he has learned his lesson and will not hurt me. Besides, he knows he would be back in jail if he tried, so he won't dare.. right?"

Beatrice grins and nods, squeezing your hands comfortingly. You give a shy smile back and slip your hands out of hers before snatching the letter in your hands and squealling in excitement the whole way up to the guest bedroom. Beatrice shakes her head in amusement and sighs, going back to flipping through the other letters that had come, a small grin on her face the whole time.

Later that night, you had arrived at the fountain at dawn, just as John had said, and lo and behold, there he was, sitting patiently on a bench, his brother nowhere to be found.

You shyly walk up to him and sit beside him, his body tensing and his face stoic as you softly take a seat, practically shoulder to shoulder with him. Your brain goes blank for a few moments, anxiety bulling within' you once again, but you take a deep breath and try to stay calm.

"Hello, dear prince.. aren't you not to be alone? Where is Pedro?" You ask quietly, a hint of nervousness in your voice as you spoke.

John tilts his head down towards you, staring at you with an unreadable expression before answering.

"He thought I might want to meet with you alone, so he has allowed me this one chance to be rid of his presence," he informed you with a low and monotonous tone.

You nod nervously at his tone and twiddle your fingers, not sure if you should continue with this anymore, but before you could say anything, John spoke up once more.

"Your letter was.. sweet. Do you really think so highly of me?" He asks, a small hint of vulnerability in his stony tone of voice.

You furrow your brows in confusion and finally look back up to him, your heart doing flips when you look into his deep brown eyes.

"I never sent you a letter, you are the one who asked me here," you reply, still confused.

John's own brows furrow slightly and then his face slackened in realization. This was a set up. This was a set up to fool him, to get back at him for all that he had done! You didn't care about him, both of your letters had been forged by, no doubt, his brother and your friends!

Don John stood up angrily, pacing back and forth, his thoughts running wild before he turns to you and grabs you by the wrists, pulling you up forcefully to stand.

"I never sent you a letter, and you never sent me one. Oh, this.. this is low! Even for me and what I have done in the past, did my darling brother think I wouldn't figure it out!? That letter was a supposed 'confession' from you of your feelings for me! But no.. you don't love me, that was not you!" He starts to shout, angry and feeling betrayed.

"I.. What do you mean!? Of course I love you! It is you who does not love me! I've seen the way you look at me, it is not love in your eyes, it is nothing of the sort!" You exclaim, beggining to become stressed and anxious at the situation at hand.

Don John stops pacing abruptly and whips his head towards you dramatically, astonished at your words and tone, having never heard you so loud and outspoken before. His mind went blank and his heart was beating wildly in his chest, his body moving without him telling it what to do. He grabs your flushed cheeks in his hands and smashes his lips onto yours desperately.

You squeak in surprise, your eyes widening before fluttering shut, your hands reaching up behind his head to grasp at his hair, showing the same, if not even more, desperation as him. His hands slide down to your waist, pulling you closer, his body pressed up against yours as you make out in the garden, his tongue snaking through your lips and entering your mouth, battling with your tongue, fighting for dominance which he ultimately won.

"You.. you are mine.. and maybe.. maybe.. my idiot brother had a good idea for once.." John murmers against your lips, a smirk starting to form on his lips.

He pulls away fully before leaning over to whisper in your ear, grinning.

"Maybe it's time you show me just how much you love me.."

#keanu reeves #x reader #keanuverse #keanu my beloved #keanu reeves characters #keanu reeves x reader #keanu reeves imagine #don john x reader #don john keanu reeves #don john imagine #don john #much ado about nothing x reader #much ado about nothing imagine #much ado about nothing

[red-balloon12]

My actual thoughts on TADC Ep.2

(Spoilers below)

1. This was a cool episode! I like how it explored the whole thing with NPC’s and them just being there to defeat. I felt bad for Gummigoo. Him not having memories and stuff. It’s no wonder why him and Pomni connected so quickly……oh god there’s going to be a lot of “fanservice” fan art of him (and him with Pomni), isn’t there…HOOOO GOD- But I admittedly didn’t feel as attached to Gummigoo as a lot of the other fans. Not that Gummigoo was a bad character, but I knew he wasn’t going to last as a permanent character so I guess that’s why him getting poofed by Caine didn’t affect me as much (and why I’m not mad at Caine as much. And I guess I’m also just…very biased against GummiJester as a JesterDoll truther….I’m so sorry-)

2. Caine was a lot more pushy in this episode. Before he made the activities seem optional (though the activities themselves had a way of finding and including Zooble against their will). Bro really wants to impress and entertain the crew.

3. I don’t like how sidelined Ragatha was in this episode (I really just want her to go Buck wild and kill Jax-) But she also seems to REALLY want Pomni to like her. And I think it’s because she empathizes with Pomni. According to Kinger, Ragatha had a hard time adjusting to the circus so maybe Rags doesn’t want the same for Pomni. So she tries to make her feel welcomed (even though it was counter productive) I honestly felt bad for Ragatha when Pomni showed up with Gummigoo.

I’m glad they didn’t show her getting jealous but I can imagine Ragatha feeling dejected because she tried so hard to befriend Pomni only for Pomni to make fast friends with someone else. But I’m not totally giving up hope. Also a lot of people were righ about Rags being the type of person to bottle things up. That toxic positivity is bound to run out at some point. (I can’t wait to see her snap).

4. I really liked how Pomni was in this episode. Her stepping up a little to help Gummigoo, the facial expressions and stuff. As much as I love Ragatha, she DID come off as a bit patronizing which I’m glad Pomni called her out for it. Her friendship with Gummigoo was also really heart warming and I did kinda feel it when Caine made Gummigoo just disappear like he did. Also Pomni is canonically stretchy and she has chompers. Very cute. I also find it very interesting that this is the second time Pomni was separated from the group and missed out on the majority of the adventure. Maybe this will change as time goes on and Pomni gets more comfortable with the activities, I hope.

5. I also really liked Kinger in this episode. The writers seemed to shift his personality a little, making him more wiser. He also seems to have good memory when it counts. I appreciate he also tried to help Pomni. Emphasis on the “try”. I love him. He’s just doing his best. Also his plushie is SO FUCKING CUTE OMG!

6. I don’t have much to say about Gangle except LET THIS WOMAN BE HAPPY PLEASE! PLEASE JUST LET HER HAVE HER HAPPY MASK! Also let Gangle also go wild on Jax. She deserves it.

7. I liked the princess. She looked cute! Also you can’t tell me Ragatha has a small crush on her. (A little side tangent: BunnyDoll/Ragatha x Kinger shippers confuse the hell out of me. You’re going to look at Ragatha, someone that’s based off of Raggedy Anne who’s ALSO SAPHHIC AF, and tell me that she’s into men? I don’t fucking think so-) I honestly thought the princess was going to turn out to be an evil tyrant that was going to manipulate Ragatha to accomplish some goal…idk where I got that from-

8. (Probably the one you’ve been waiting for) Jax. My opinions on Jax hasn’t changed all that much. I’m still don’t like him. But damn did they turn up the “asshole” meter on this guy. I mean…I expected it since Gooseworks said he was going to get worse, but I didn’t think it would happen so fast. I also am starting to understand the sentiment if not wanting a particular character to have development/redemption. I don’t want an excuse to actually like this dude. I want him to get worse actually. (That or he severely gets chewed out by the others…mainly Ragatha or Pomni. That’s like…the only way I can remotely start to like him.)

But I’d be remiss to ignore that one scene before the funeral. He obviously cares for the others but puts on a front for….some fucking reason. It does make me wonder if it’s out of concern or maybe…guilt? I’ve heard a theory that Jax played a part in why Kaufmo got abstracted. Idk how true that theory is but I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case. It would also explain him not going to the funeral despite feeling bad. (I wanna point out how funny it is that everyone thought that one screenshot of Jax sitting was going to be an angst moment. But no, it was just him being mad there was no bloodshed lol) But yeah, I’d still like for this due to get punted, please.

9. The ending. Zooble surprised me a little. I thought they were going to be the actual angsty character with a soft side and I was kinda right but I was surprised with how considerate they were putting together Kaufmo’s funeral. It made me appreciate them a little more. And I like there wasn’t a gag where no one had anything to say because they all didn’t care about Kaufmo. They all really do miss him and I think that’s heartwarming. And the ending that parallels the beginning where Pomni is falling only to be caught by everyone (except Jax lol) was the nail in the coffin. Pomni finally realizing she still has friends despite loosing Gummigoo. It’s why I’m not giving up on her friendship with Rags. I still believe they’re going to bond the most. Especially now knowing they both had similar experiences when they first came to the circus.

10. Can we take a moment to appreciate the animation? It just seems more crisp than the pilot which I didn’t even think was possible since that animation already looked clean af. Literal eye candy. (Pun intended)

Overall, I’m very interested and exited to see more. 8/10 episode. (Also F’s in the chat for CainexPomni/Caine fans. Yes this includes me.)

#the amazing digital circus #tadc pomni #tadc ragatha #tadc jax #tadc caine #tadc kinger #tadc gangle #tadc zooble

[hexoskeleton]

See I interpreted Porter using that legendary action stomp as the result of the telepathic message he got. I think Kipperlily was watching that whole conversation and coordinated that to test Fig’s response- to see if she had immunity to being stunned somehow, for example. I imagine the Ratgrinders probably have telepathic communication between themselves, like the Bad Kids have Message Telepathic Bond, etc, and could talk to Porter that way too.

Also, in the Ratgrinders private Discord server they referred to Jace (JSD) and ‘the big guy’ as separate people. ‘The big guy’ kind of has to be Porter in that case. If Kipperlily planted that evidence TOO, then that just makes every investigation check made completely useless and would be hella railroady for no reason.

I also don’t think that Brennan would intentionally mislead the party that much when talking about out of character meta info. Like, maybe if the villain was super into deception, but otherwise that’s just a mean thing to do to players and makes anticipating twists really hard. Bad storytelling.

I get your hang ups on Jace cause we still know basically nothing about him. A fake out this big, this late in the season doesn’t feel realistic to me though.

Also lesbian love wins and I would 100% worship Ankarna her and her (ex)wife are so cool.

That’s absolutely true; it’s mainly the names that are giving me a hangup. Sunstone is like an exact homonym for Stardiamond. Why? Why pick that name for the evil giant clan??

That second point about JSD and the Big Guy being separate people is the biggest point against my theory, to be fair, and is a big part of why I’m only like 30% invested in it. Buuuuut it’s not exactly conclusive evidence against it either, which is really what I’m waiting for—I just want conclusive, in-world evidence that Porter is the Big Bad so i can stop thinking about it!

We’ve got 4(?) episodes left, remember. (I think?) A lot could happen, and we still don’t know the exact details of the ritual. But we know Porter is involved in at least one way: he’s the heir of Cliffbreaker and is in possession of evidence pertaining to the ritual. I just don’t know why he doesn’t communicate with the ratgrinders directly, unlike Jace. And, for that matter, what Jace’s role is in all this! But yeahhhh… those are all valid points and Porter is probably the Big Bad.

Oh, and personally I think I’m more of a Cassandra follower! Something something “how would you like to blind and belittle your foes with the powers of night,” Kalina style. Let’s go lesbians!!

#fhjy spoilers #fantasy high spoilers #dimension 20 spoilers #fhjy #fantasy high #fantasy high junior year

[foodsies4me]

May Malec fic rec!

Thanking @crystalmir for this month's theme which is soulmate AU's! The same rules apply as always, one fic per author, even though all of these authors have other brilliant fics you should be reading and if you want to add your own recs in the comments, tags, or reblogs please feel free to do so! 💜

Also, I have tagged the authors whose Tumblr account I know (aka found on their AO3 profile), but if you'd prefer I not tag you, please tell me! I don't want these to be annoying for the authors.

One-shots:

Magnus, How Long Have You Been Twenty by @Master of Unlocking: A soulmate AU where you don't age past a certain age until you've met your soulmate!

Summary:

Soulmate AU where you age to about 18/21, and then you stay that age until you find your soulmate.

The Space Between by @gingersnapwolves: soulmate AU, the usual Clave being awful as well as some Alec and Magnus being badass. I don't know how often I've read and reread this fic by now.

Summary:

Every warlock has a soulmate. 98% of the time it’s another warlock, but sometimes it’s a mundane, a seelie, or even a Shadowhunter. Until their name appears on the warlock’s chest (and their corresponding soulmate’s), there’s no way to know. Enter Alec Lightwood, who wakes up at fourteen with a warlock’s name on his chest. Horrified at what it means, he keeps it hidden. But five years later, Magnus Bane is captured by a team of Shadowhunters, and it’s only a matter of time before someone sees Alec’s name on his chest.

see me light up from the rooftops by @oh-la-fraise: Short and sweet and fluffy, just the way I like it.

Summary:

“Alec,” Magnus said, his face falling. “Short for Alexander, I assume?” Alec frowned. “Yeah. Why do you look so disappointed? Are you more of an Alexi kind of guy?” Magnus smiled for a second, and Alec cheered with victory internally. “No, I just. . .Oh, it’s so stupid, and not something I should be discussing on a first date. It was an Alexander that broke my heart in Paris.” “Yeesh,” Alec winced. “Well I can promise you, not all of us are complete idiots. Which he would had to have been, to dump you.” Magnus snorted. “That’s the even sadder part—he didn’t dump me. We never even met.”

Before the Day is Done by carmenlire: Ales as a Head of the Institute but also as an author! Magnus as his kind of pen pal, the High Warlock of Brooklyn and his unknowing fan.

Summary:

Alec reads the email twice through before letting out a breath. He feels anticipation thrumming through him at the invitation and it doesn’t vanish no matter how hard he tries to shove it down. He’s looking forward to meeting Magnus in person. While there’s still some anxiety lurking underneath it all, it feels almost inevitable. Truth be told, he’s always felt drawn to the High Warlock. Magnus had been the only downworlder to acknowledge the change in leadership first. He’d been surprising magnanimous in wishing Alec a successful tenure and providing his contact information if he ran into any problems.

Who are you really? by @skylar102 : The scene of Magnus pressing Alec's lost baby blanket to his face as he realizes he finally has a soulmate after 400 lonely years makes me slightly feral.

Summary:

When your soulmate loses something it gets sent to you and vice versa. For almost 400 years Magnus thought he would never have a soulmate until one day a pacifier shows up in his loft.

all these stumbles and falls by @echo-bleu evil on the feels-front like all of Echo's fics, but what else is new. (Love you, Echo <3)

Alec has always kept his male, warlock soulmate a secret. He knows he can never have what he wants. On the eve of his wedding to Lydia, he finds himself on a warlock’s doorstep to finally break the bond, and be free to complete his duty to the Clave and his family. It will all be fine. Except that his soulmate mark is desperately clutching at his chest, shaking like a leaf, and its large golden eyes are pooling with tears. And that said mark looks exactly like a tiny version of the warlock who just answered his knock.

To Touch and Be Touched by TobytheWise: short 500-word ficlet, but still an adorable and enjoyable read nonetheless.

With a black handprint across his cheek, Alec always imagined meeting his soulmate for the first time would be a painful affair. When the day finally comes, Alec is pleasantly surprised.

Multi-chapter fics or series:

Making Memories With Mistletoe by @notcrypticbutcoy is another lovely fic by notcrypticbutcoy. There's a small amount of angst, but it's mostly a feel-good fic for me

Summary:

How was that even possible? How could Magnus’ soulmate be someone who didn’t believe in the concept? The universe had to be playing some kind of cosmic joke on him. *** When a mysterious and very attractive stranger walks into Magnus’ magic shop three weeks before Christmas, he doesn’t expect it to be his soulmate. Nor does he expect his soulmate to deny the entire concept of such a thing. Or: in which Magnus owns a magic shop, Alec doesn’t believe in soulmates, and the universe has a funny way of making things work out.

Machiavellian by @alxndrlightwoods: While a one-shot the fic is part of a series that I love even though it's dark and gory - or maybe just because? Warning (especially for the later parts) for Underage, Gore, and some very enthusiastic and graphic murder aka make sure you read the tags.

Summary:

He can see the thoughts whirling in Magnus’s brain. Magnus had managed to make it four hundred years, patiently waiting and keeping a weather eye on the Lightwood family for the majority of that. And his beautiful, perfect, wonderful soulmate hadn’t even managed to make it three years. They were disgustingly perfect for each other.

The Gift of Choice by @tinylilemrys: Soulmate AU where you can choose whether to accept or reject a soulmate (something I'm personally a huge fan of) and it's just written so well.

Summary:

Neither Alec nor Magnus is particularly thrilled at the discovery of their soul marks. Alec because he knows that the design of it means that his soulmate is a Downworlder, something practically unheard of in Shadowhunter society. For Magnus, the idea of being permanently attached to a joyless demon-killer is hardly a thrill. Given that they can choose if they accept their soulmate or not, the decision seems like a no-brainer. But when Alec finally meets the beautiful, other-worldly Magnus and Magnus meets the gorgeous, self-sacrificing Alec, it becomes clear that the decision might not be as easy as they thought it would.

it doesn't matter (if it's now or then) by @soveryaverageme: Alec knows Magnus is his soulmate. He also knows he isn't Magnus', but he's fine with it. Really.

Alec’s words were branded across his right forearm, spiraling towards his shoulder. The phrase “I’m Magnus, I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced?” was stark across his skin, as bold as his own love. They were a comfort and a reminder every time he drew his bow back to fire another arrow. He knew every curve and bend of his words. He could trace them without looking. He had never seen Magnus’ words, but he knew was that they weren’t his.

Through a Glass, Darkly by SolarisRasa: Last but not least on this list, a fic that deserves more love in my opinion. Magnus creating a Veil between the Downworld and the Nephilim is such an interesting concept!

A century ago, Magnus Bane, sick of the struggles between the Downworld and the Clave, created a spell: The Veil. It separated the Downworld from the Nephilim, both sides blind to each other in the world. A red-head with demands, a sharp spike in demons, a new Head of the New York Institute, and...gardening? Draws Magnus toward the Shadowhunters world again. With his city slipping, the Clave bearing down, and the High Warlock's demand for better protection, Alec Lightwood seeks a more equal footing with the Downworld.

#Malec rec list #this list ended up having slightly more recs #but consistency is never a thing with me #so that's okay

[tellnotalespod]

TNT S1 E1 - Not For Long came out on 2nd May 2022, which means Tell No Tales turns two today!

(and if we're being honest, TNT being in the terrible twos explains a lot about how emotionally fraught it's been recently)

Going ahead with this show is the best decision I've ever made, and it changed my life for the better. I'm so incredibly grateful for this community for welcoming me in 💜

I got a little nostalgic and found an old voice note (from almost three years ago!) that's posted under the cut. I sent this to Michaela (one of our ghostie VAs) almost immediately after having the idea for the show. It's edited a lil to keep it down to a reasonable length, because much like Leo Quinn, I sure can Yap.

[Image ID: A whatsapp voice note sent by me, followed by another message by me that reads "oh I think I've decided the name of the main character is going to be Leo, bc hell if I'm going to do this completely self-serving project for no other reason than the enjoyment of creating it then I'm damn well gonna use the name I'd use if I ever decide to change to a more masc sounding name." The following messages sent by Michaela on 4 July 2021 are sent in quick succession, "omggggggggg yesssss" "I want to listen to thisss" "I am 100% happy to help" "I love this idea" "so much" "pls do it" /.End ID]

Note: audio quality changes around a lot because I was, I think, dyeing my hair at the time

Voice note transcript:

 I have a… an idea. And it might be really stupid and it will probably never come to anything. However, I'm really excited about it. So... hear me out (LAUGHS). My idea is, uh, I want to write a podcast about an ex-employee of a ghost hunting company, and the- the basis of the podcast is... I literally just had this like half baked thought like five minutes ago, so bear with me while I talk this through. This character works for a quite renowned institute, company, whatever, organization that hunts ghosts. Uh, they destroy the ghosts whenever they're called to it, but the main character is starting to get suspicious of the fact that some of the ghosts that they're called to don't necessarily seem violent, and some of them are completely harmless and they just want to exist and so they have been working on a recording system that can capture the voices of ghosts. And they start off as an assistant to like the head of this company, but they're already starting to feel complicit in what they're becoming kind of more and more aware is potentially a very evil operation. And it's gonna alternate between like their their notes and the recordings of interviews with ghosts that they are sent to hunt, but don't. They sit down and they get their life story instead and then either leave them be or try to help them move on peacefully or whatever. And there's gonna be a bit of a, like a, an overarching plot in that the organization that they work for is corrupt, but not in the way that they think. And I'm thinking the main character is trying to, like, capture enough evidence, basically, before they can quit this organization- t hat's, that's, that's their intention, is they want to make sure that this recording system is completely functional. They want to capture enough evidence of completely harmless ghosts. They want to have like a huge backlog of stuff to use against the head of this company, and to do that, to have access to ghosts and all of that kind of stuff, they have to continue working for it, which they hate, but that's the only way that they see themselves being able to achieve good in the long run. So, the first season is going to be them, like, trying to work on this project in secret while you get glimpses of the boss doing some, like, shady shit. And like... who's to say that I need to finish my novel this month anyway? You know?? But fuck it, this is... I'm really excited about this, so I'm gonna give it a shot.

#tell no tales #tntpod

[weaveandwood]

Weave and Woods Chapter Nine: Shadows and Clarity

Gale/Named Tav | Slow Burn NSFW 18+ | Read on AO3 | Read Entire Work

Summary:

After receiving Mystra's demand for Gale the previous day, the party finally enters the Shadow Cursed Lands. Auroria and Gale deal with realizations about their feelings after the orb is stabilized.

CN: Masturbation, NSFW

She smiled to herself.  How funny it was to be in the middle of such a desolate and cursed land and be thinking about whether or not someone loves you as much as you love them. Perhaps this was how she would show him that he is worth having around - that he is wanted, needed, and desired. Could her steadfast belief that they would find another way to defeat the Absolute break through his bleak resolve?

Auroria stood at the door that was now opened to the Shadow Cursed lands, one hand holding a torch, the other tapping on her thigh with nervous energy. 

“You okay?” Wyll placed a hand on her shoulder. “I can’t imagine the mood could be any more appropriate given the location, but you seem especially tense - which I suppose is understandable given the previous day’s circumstances."

“I’m….fine. I have a million thoughts running through my head and I’m finding it hard to focus on the task at hand,” she motioned to the door. “I also might be stalling a little. I must confess I am worried about what these lands have in store for us.”

“I am going to assume most of those thoughts are about Gale?” He leaned over to ask quietly in order to keep the conversation as private as it could be with the rest of the party behind them.

She nodded. “How can I make him see that he doesn’t have to do something the gods desire solely because they have decided it fits their agenda? How do I show him how much he is worth, how much he is wanted and needed here? Alive. With us.”

“It’s difficult for us to understand since Gale is a man of faith, unlike you and me. I sometimes appeal to Helm, when needed, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen you appeal to any god before a battle.”

“And you won’t,” she replied with a scowl. “The gods have done nothing positive for this world, only unleashed evil and let it fall into ruin, hiding behind the excuse that they cannot intervene. Case in point,” she gestured to the deadened landscape that stretched on before them before taking a step out into it, instantly feeling unsettled. “And when they do decide to break their own rules and intervene, they tell a good man to go to his death. The gods are cowards.”

Wyll’s eyes widened a little at the declaration - not often heard outright, but likely thought by many. “I don’t believe hope is lost. We don’t know yet what or where the Heart of the Absolute is. Gale will see in time that it’s the faith that he holds in himself and in those who matter most to him that will lead him to reject Mystra’s demands and we will defeat the Absolute. Together.” 

“Hmm. Perhaps you’re right.” Auroria could feel Gale’s eyes on her back from his position near the rear of the line, but she couldn’t bring herself to look back at him, though they hadn’t spoken since she refused to entertain Mystra’s orders the previous day. It was hard not to be stirred by Wyll’s speech - he had a keen ability to make you believe you could do anything, no matter how impossible. Maybe they did have a small chance to change Gale’s mind. The entire party traveled onward in silence, looking for a good place to set up camp before a small party went out to do some scouting. After some time, they came across a relatively clear area with a small abandoned cabin nearby.

“Gale is lucky to have you on his side. I can only hope I find someone who loves me as much as you do him,” Wyll said before walking off to set up his tent.

Auroria froze. 

Wait. Love? 

Hells. 

*******

“All good?” Ora looked at Wyll, Shadowheart, and then finally Gale, panting as she put her bow behind her back, her forehead glistening with a slight sheen of sweat from a hard won fight allied with a small group of Harpers against several shadows.

She was resplendent. She was magnificent. She was absolutely the most arousing vision he had beheld in quite some time.��

“You know, it’s quite thrilling to fight off the grim creatures this land throws at us…Especially at your side.” Oh gods what am I saying? He thought, his brain unable to put a stop to whatever was about to fly out of his mouth as if someone had cast Zone of Truth.

“Did you get hit on the head?” Shadowheart asked, raising an eyebrow. “Do you need healing?”

He cleared his throat. “You know I once read a book…” A book? “That explained in some detail about the effects a brush with danger has on one’s desire for…other forms of stimulation.”

He heard Shadowheart and Wyll choking back laughter as Ora’s eyes widened and the tips of her ears turned pink, a faint blush spreading across her now smiling face. And yet, he couldn’t stop. 

“Have you ever read anything on that subject?” He asked, his voice awkward, halting, out of character. She paused, but then he saw a delicious smirk form on her face as she took two steps toward him, the torchlight illuminating her like a heavenly glow in this cursed environment.

She leaned in and spoke softly, her voice in his ear. “You know I’m not much of a reader, Gale. But I have seen some rather informative diagrams. Perhaps we should pool our knowledge again like we did at the puzzle entrance to the Underdark?” His heart pounded, he felt his own skin flush, but no reaction from the orb. She looked at him, her green eyes alight with amusement at her payback for his unrelenting flirting at the Goblin Camp, then looked back at the others, speaking clearly. “We should get going.”

“Yes, yes, you’re right, this is neither the time or the place for such feelings. We must be patient and push such thoughts aside. For now.” He stammered as Wyll walked by, laughing and clapping him on the shoulder as he passed.

Hours later, Gale was mortified, to put it lightly. As everyone rested for the night in the silent camp, he lay in his tent and found that sleep was unwilling to release him from his embarrassment. He ran his hand down his face, replaying the events of this afternoon (or perhaps it was evening - who could tell in this sun-starved land?) over and over. Why couldn’t I stop talking? Is the orb truly stabilized? Why did Ora delight in teasing me so? He sighed, rolling onto his back, staring up at the tent.

Ora. He smiled to himself. She was amazing fighting the shadows off. The way the light from the nearby braziers played off the copper tones in her hair, her ferocity as she aimed arrow after arrow at them, calling out to Wyll and Shadowheart to use certain skills with her brilliant strategic mind. The way her armor hugged her body as she climbed up to a higher vantage point. The flush in her cheek, the bead of sweat that slowly ran down her neck afterwards. 

He waited for the telltale pain from the orb that usually occurred when he thought of her, but nothing came. He felt…normal. Better than normal, as he no longer felt the deep empty hunger that could never be sated. He felt his desires stirring, and ignored the habit to squash them down as he had for longer than the past year. Could he act on his impulses, his want for her? He thought back to the previous morning when he had caught her stretching, her fitted camp gear showing off every curve as she arched her back. He felt himself becoming hard at the memory. Tentatively, he reached his hand down, rubbing his growing erection over his pants, testing the waters for the orb to glow, for the familiar pain to shoot through his veins like an icy needle. 

Nothing. 

He dared to go further, slipping off his pants and smallclothes, casting mage hand to make sure the flap to his tent was completely shut, leaving him in pitch darkness. The better to imagine her here with him. 

He wrapped his hand around himself, reconnecting to a part of him that had been neglected for so long - desire, lust, pleasure. Mortality. A long exhale escaped his lips as he finally started to move his hand up and down, feeling his body’s reaction to his own touch. His hips started moving in time with his strokes as his mind once again flitted back to Ora, imagining her stripping out of her armor after a battle and climbing on top of him. He spit on his palm, quickly returning to stroking himself, his grip tightening ever so slightly as his hips thrust up into it. As if she were there and it was her he was thrusting into, not his own hand.

Oh…gods.  

He continued stroking, giving in to his impulses. Giving in to his humanity that had been cast to the wayside for ethereal trysts with Mystra, for complete abstinence once his folly had been branded on both his skin and in his heart. He rediscovered himself as he ran his hand over the tip, back up and down the shaft, imagining Ora was the one doing it instead of him. He felt tension building inside and knew he was on the precipice of release. Still, he could not stop picturing her, and could feel the sensation of her warm breath on his ear as she teased him even now. His breathing quickened, letting out soft pants as he clutched at his bedroll with his free hand. Oh, how he longed to kiss her, to press his lips against hers, to roam his hands over her body. To peel off all the layers of her armor until she was pressed naked against him, bare skin against bare skin. To lay her down and finally enter her, to hear her call his name, to - 

His body tensed up and he clamped his hand over his mouth to quiet the instinctual low groan that rumbled deep within him as he gave one last thrust into his hand. He knew he would not last long during this first act of relief, and as he spilled all over himself, he was glad to be alone in this moment. 

Panting, he laughed to himself. Wizard gets cursed orb stabilized, and touches himself within hours.  

The orb was truly stabilized. He was practically giddy - he could finally, finally , let her know the real depth of his feelings. He wanted her with every fiber of his being, both emotionally and physically, though now that he could, he was torn on whether he should. Could she possibly feel the same way about him as he did about her, even with Mystra’s demand hanging over them? He knew there was a physical attraction there, something more than friendship, but he knew deep in his bones that he loved her. Love! And if she loved him back? Whether it was for a day, a week, a month, or if by some miracle they managed to change his fate, everything would have been worth it - being cast out by Mystra, the orb, the tadpole - everything. It all led him to her. He was sure of it.

He couldn’t keep it to himself anymore. Maybe this wasn’t the right time, but who knows how much longer he had? There may never be a right time. She deserved to know how he felt, and any decision she made about their future, no matter how short that future was, would be final. But he wouldn’t tell her here, in camp, not on a night like any other. He had plans to make.

He drifted off to sleep, Mystra’s orders the furthest thing from his mind for the first time since receiving them. 

******

Across camp, Auroria’s mind was racing. Love? Did she love him? She thought she had been in love once before, when she was young and a recruit for the High Forest Scouts. Looking back now and comparing her feelings in her youth to what she felt for Gale, she wasn’t so sure anymore. She rolled over onto her side, looking at Gale’s tent across from hers through her slightly opened tent flap. 

What was with him today? Did Elminster’s message fully crack his brain? She replayed his last statement through her head - “For now.” For now? Did he intend to act? Could their flirtations and sweet nothings turn into something real, something lasting?

She smiled to herself.  How funny it was to be in the middle of such a desolate and cursed land and be thinking about whether or not someone loves you as much as you love them. Perhaps this was how she would show him that he is worth having around - that he is wanted, needed, and desired. Could her steadfast belief that they would find another way to defeat the Absolute break through his bleak resolve? 

Sleep finally came to her and along with it, a quiet resolution. She would prove to him that he was more than his past, more than his folly, more than this future that would be cut short. He was Gale of Waterdeep, yes, but he was also Gale, the man she loved.

#bg3 #gale dekarios #gale of waterdeep #baldur's gate 3 #gale x tav #gale x auroria #my writing #bg3 fic #gale fic #bg3 fanfiction #auroria galanodel #weave and woods fic #aka gale gets the biggest post nut clarity in existence lmao

[alicentes]

I just found out Viserys is only 10 years older than Alicent in the books, they married when she was 19 and he was 29.

Which begs the question: why did they make Alicent a child bride who was forced to marry a man old enough to be her father in the show?

I knew alicent was 18 but didn't realise V was that young, I thought he was mid-late 30s. That age gap isn't too bad by asoiaf standards. He married Aemma when she was 11-13, put her through all of those pregnancies and he was an adult when they married I believe (EDIT: he was 16 when he married Aemma so not yet an adult but still notably older than Aemma) and it was also him that married Helaena to Aegon when they were also just teens so he is still pretty gross.

As for the creative choices on the show, aside from recycling general abuse/grooming/SA storylines that GoT and GRRM himself used, I always thought they merged book Alicent's tragic backstory with the previous king Jaehaerys with her relationship with Viserys

"When her father was named Hand of the King by King Jaehaerys I Targaryen in 101 AC, thirteen year-old Alicent accompanied him to court together with her brothers and mother. In 103 AC, Alicent became the constant companion of King Jaehaerys, whose health was failing.[N 1] She fetched his meals, helped him wash and dress, and read to him. In the end, King Jaehaerys sometimes mistook her for his daughter, Saera Targaryen. Jaehaerys eventually died the same year, while Alicent was reading to him"

This outline makes me think they've definitely merged Alicent/Jaehaerys with Alicent/Viserys. The show definitely adapted this from the book: She was forced to become the companion and carer to the king by her father, She tends to personal care needs of both kings like bathing them, She gets mistaken for the kings daughter near the end in both instances, She's still a victim of grooming via her father who for sure would have married her off to J if he wasn't so old and unwell. Viserys in the show is essentially taking on the role sickly older man with a teenage companion. Book Alicent may be a victim and went through trauma in her teenage years but thankfully was not subjected to marriage, pregnancy and SA at 15. As for her relationship with book Viserys I think by that point she wanted to be queen? she wouldn't have had the power to turn down a proposal from the king or go against her father in any case but she also had goals of her own and I imagine after taking care of a sickly old man for years, probably dealing with rumours that she was perhaps his mistress then she probably thought marrying the new younger king and having some power in her own right, even if it is through marriage and having sons that would inherit the throne then she was okay with that. Girlie put in the work so I can hardly blame her for wanting her son on the throne, and wanting to benefit herself.

Final thoughts: I feel like teen alicent on the show is probably similar to how she was as a teen in the books so it wasn't purely a show invention. Alicent in both stories was groomed, used by her father, made to be the "companion" to the king, was probably pretty isolated because of this companionship. The difference is Alicent grew up and even if her goals were influenced by her fathers manipulation. She HAD goals, wants and desires. Alicent was the one who was scheming behind the scenes, who was head of the green council and willing to be ruthless if she had to be. I'm glad the show added a few more layers to her character and didn't have her be a two dimensional evil stepmother but they went too far in the other direction and in an attempt to make her more likeable she ends up overshadowed by the men in her life who take her power. throughout the show regularly mocked, abused, SA'd and worried about her children safety because Viserys won't protect them. Although this is clearly one reason why she resents rhaenyra and her life, they never used it to fuel alicents own wants and desires and what she's willing to do and who she's willing to step on to get it. Alicent is the queen but rarely do we see her pull rank (she should've with Larys) and she often goes back on her `power moves or doesn't follow through (like actively plotting to get Aegon on the throne) and even apologises for her "behaviour" (the aemond incident) which is not just inconsistent but makes her come across as more hypocritical that she is meant to be. The show took away the little power she had by not allowing her to fully embrace what she wanted for herself and her children.

.

#sorry you probably weren't expecting an essay #but this pretty much sums up my thoughts on the changes and where the idea to have her as a child bride came from #alicent hightower #house of the dragon #hotd meta #I imagine book Alicent being a bit more like show Margaery tbh #If you combined show Ali with show Margaery you'll probably get a more accurate version of book alicent if you think about it #The Tyrell's wanted power and intended to gain it through Margaery #Margaery wanted to be THE queen and was willing to marry Joffrey of all people #Alicent and Margaery (show version) are both passive aggressive #have beef with the “other queen” (except alicent mirrors Cersei in that respect because she's beefing with a literal child) #(like queen alicent hightower had beef with child rhaenyra so Queen Cersei Lannister could have beef with more children Sansa and Margaery) #book!alicent and show!margaery both have their own goals #capabilities when it comes to politics and need for power despite still being victims of the system.

[unopenablebox]

doing evil behaviors (looking up different methods of engagement ring sourcing to try to identify the most ethical one)

#as far as i can tell it's 'a vintage ring' followed closely by 'a vintage ring you have melted down into a different ring' #but that means i have to find a vintage ring and vintage [anything] hunting rapidly becomes a task of fractal complexity #that exhausts me until i give up #lab gems ... seem ... fine but i'm not sure how the labor conditions are for workers in them and not making a lot of research progress #'ethically sourced' gold seems nice but is hard to verify effectively and 'ethically sourced' silver might... not exist? unclear #now of course my girlfriend is a biosafety level 3 infectious diseases researcher who handwashes and adds and removes #gloves hundreds of times a day #and so this is going to be a not-actually-very-frequently-worn item #which only makes me feel more evil about it all. #we're‚ like‚ engaged in the sense that we have agreed we want to get married and my whole family knows we're planning on it #we're not engaged in the sense that their family doesn't know we're planning on it and we're not making it public or actually #planning a wedding. so. #acquiring a ring is like the least relevant part of this whole exercise and as mentioned will almost never even be used. so im fixating

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

The girls are plottinggggg

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#poorly drawn mdzs #mdzs #wen chao #wang lingjiao #Realizing she was supposed to have an upper lip mole was a cold slap in the face. So sorry ma'am. I won't forget again. #They are evil dumbass 4 evil dumbass and I think we are all missing out on the sheer potential of the comedy between these two. #They have way too much power and are using it for the wrong reasons - which makes them truly great villains. #And when things don't go their way they become piles of whining sludge. #Wang Lingjiao is forever fascinating to me even though we only get crumbs about her. #She's a servant girl who's greatest asset is her beauty and her attractiveness. #Meaning she's had a life being in the gaze of people with significant positions of power over her. #I can't help but read her childishness and petty tantrums as someone who has finally been given the chance to not feel powerless. #If she was a more virtuous type we might 'like' her more but honestly...I don't think she would have survived to this point. #WLJ has only known power hierarchies her whole life. Probably accused of seduction before she even understood what that meant. #I love contrasting her with mianmian because they have similar(ish) backgrounds but different approaches to moving forwards #But WLJ's story is about flying too close to the sun and mianmian's is about going too close to the water. #Like the sea mist dragging her down into complacency - all the sect powerplays are mandatory to 'go along with' if she wants to climb- #-the social ladder. Yet she is the cautionary tale (and a foil to JGY as well) she leaves before sacrificing her own morals. #Mianmian flies away with her wings only slightly plucked while those who sacrificed everything to reach for the top crash and burn.

[scoliosisgoblin]

Which version of Rick is your fav?

it's so hard for me to choose tbh. HOWEVER, I'd say Evil Rick

then I'd say it's C-137 and Memory Rick

I love how pathetic™ Evil Rick really is tbh. love that he's being controlled by his Morty. can you guess who my favorite Morty is?

#the only reason why Evil is above C-137 and Memory is because #Memory's design is something I don't really like in the style of the show #his fanart makes him look so much cooler but in the show he just looks.. unfinished? #idk it's weird to me. I love him outside of that though #and with C-137. I'M SICK OF HIM LMAO I AM SO SORRY #there are too many fucking episodes dedicated to this man. pushing everyone else aside just to have him yap about his dead wife #I love him so much but there's only so many times we can bring Diane up and not really develop her as a character but rather to boost Rick #and the show is Rick and MORTY yet all I see is Rick 😭😭 don't get me wrong I love this man #I just feel like we know more about Rick than the rest of the family #WHICH IS FINE IF THAT WAS WHAT THEY WERE GOING FOR #and if they wanted to go in that direction so be it! it's fine! #I just feel like he needs less screen time or at least balance episodes among the family #cause even the most recent Morty episode is about Rick. it was so frustrating watching it cause it's literally MORTY'S fear hole experience #yet we're watching Morty's head canons about his grandparents #I also hate the narrative they took with Diane. only ever having Rick talk of her or others bring her up #it just doesn't make her a character but rather an extension off of Rick. that's how I'm feeling rn with the family #they're all just there to prop up Rick or something. super annoying #but that's about it. I'm not gonna continue my rant #unless you want me to? #idk if I even made sense but that's all good #rick and morty #rick and morty fandom #rick #memory rick #evil rick #C-137 #Rick Sanchez

[ragnarokhound]

"reading under the red hood and it's pretty good i think" - jason todd fan who has only seen the cartoon adaptation of under the red hood

#getting my hands on the comic for utrh is cracking my entire brain open about werewolf fic like you don't understand #the cartoon movie was pretty tight but the comic is more robust. and yall the themes for werewolf fic...they're all coming together #now if only i could write the girls fighting FR I'M TOO SOFT YOU GUYS OTL #i'm just feeling insane over the first confrontation with bruce and how Jason tells him that 'gotham is evil' #and 'you have to fight her where she lives' and 'i live there' LIKE #it's only fueling my crazed impression that the end to Jason's philosophy has only two ends #when he's done what he's set out to do and rid the world of evil by cutting it out (which is futile; blind and toothless etc but details) #either: he changes his philosophy and becomes the very type of villain he hates or he dies himself. because he also deserves death #'i live there' ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? #sorry if this is Not News to people or if Jason has had some serious growth vis a vis this entire mindset but like. #I'M INSANE ABOUT IT. I'M CHEWING ON IT FOREVER #and bruce is the wrong person to try to sway Jason off this path. theres way too much baggage too much history too many complicated feeling #but...tim...? >.> #tim i think has enough 'this is not my philosophy this is company policy and i'm the worlds okayest employee' energy to eventually do it #like obviously stuff would need to Happen for it to be possible lol but you guys. this is what made jaytim so tasty to me in the first plac #tim being capable of meeting jason halfway like bruce can't; tim being able to hold the conversation with jason without it collapsing #tim having rebuttals to jason's arguments that might actually get somewhere with him eventually... #i'm not saying it would be fast or easy or even make sense in canon lmao but think there's a lot of fic potential there owo #like tim's vicious streak is something jason would appreciate. :3c #local jaytim fic author rambles about jaytim in the tags once again more at eleven lol anyway #jason todd #dc

[gotyouanyway]

man leave it to a doctor to make you feel endlessly guilty for trying to ease your own pain i'm gonna kms

#i'm STILL upset about my pt telling me not to use my crutches and offering no other helpful or viable short term solutions #i've only used them once since wednesday bc i feel like i'm not Allowed now and i feel guilty for even owning them #and my pain is getting slowly worse bc it builds up!! the only reason i survived work today is bc i took 2 naproxen which i'm #ACTUALLY not allowed to do more than like maybe once a week or ever if i can help it. so i don't BLEED OUT #i GET that she doesn't want me to create more problems for myself by using my body in weird ways i OBVIOUSLY don't want to either!!!! but! #i can't WIN and anything i try makes me feel evil and stupid and her ignoring my current problem bc of long term hypotheticals #made me feel 1000x more evil and stupid. bc *i* care about my day to day life too much #like can't she just trust that i already feel insane and stupid and guilty for all of this without Making Sure. #she never even asked how often i use them or asked to see how i use them btw lol. she just assumed shit and told me to stop #p