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fortysevenswrites · 5 years

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11/11 Writing Tag

Tagged by one of my fav Rogue One writers, @theputterer, and I’m glad I came across it on my dash because I didn’t get the email about the @, so…thanks Tumblr…

I was also tagged a couple weeks ago by @incognitajones, so I’m going to answer their all 22 questions in one long post, so—be aware of that.

Rules: Answer the 11 questions of the person who tagged you; make up 11 questions; tag 11 people to answer them.

@theputterer’s questions:

What is your favorite fandom to write for?

I think my favorite fandom to write for would have to be whatever fandom is in the forefront of my mind. I’m not exactly one to hop from fandom to fandom. It’s more - here’s the current fixation, watch how it takes over my life. It’s how it’s been since…as far as I can remember.

So, I guess for an actual answer, it would mean The Punisher, which—I’m not going to lie—I started about thinking about writing for before I watched anything from either Daredevil or The Punisher. And I thought to myself, I have to be good and start from the beginning, but I didn’t feel like slogging through DDS1 (still don’t), so I said fuck it and started season two. Best. Decision. ever.

Remember - do whatever the hell you want.

What is your most “hot take” of a headcanon?

Hmmmmmm. That’s a good question.

For Star Wars, I’d say that Padme is definitely force sensitive as fuck (which also probably explains why I bring her in as a Force Ghost in all my Sequel Trilogy fic. Also, Leia Fucking Badass Organa is more force sensitive than Luke.

For Daredevil/The Punisher, I head canon that Karen doesn’t actually think of Matt as her ex-boyfriend. I really don’t. They went on a date and a half, and made out once. (I will give them credit for having a nice make-out scene, even though I definitely do not ship them and Matt’s not high in my hierarchy of favorite Netflix-MCU characters).

Is there a trope you just can’t stand?

I’d have to say a tie between ABO and Poly, but now that I’m typing it, ABO definitely comes out ahead. I just can’t. For poly ships, it has to be written REALLY well for me to be about it.

But mostly just, no.

In what writing area or style would you most like to improve?

I’d love to get better at action scenes. I’m great at exposition and dialogue, and dropping epic plot-twist bombs, but fight scenes are hard, yo.

What’s an AU you’d like to write but haven’t, and why haven’t you written it?

Since binging Star Trek Discovery this year, I really want to do a Kastle/Star Trek Disco AU, and that’s if I have to pick an AU. I’m really best served in the canon-divergence side of fandom, but if there’s one I’d like to try to tackle eventually (like after The Big Indulgence), it would be that one. Especially after how ST:D pulled off the season 2 finale, because holy shit.

Describe an OC you created for a fic in five sentences or less.

From my stilllllll unfinished MCU AU, Just Fake It (And No One Will Know You’re In Over Your Head) Charlotte Lewis:

1. Darcy Lewis’ younger sister.

2. Adorable genius.

3. Insomniac.

4. Badgers Bucky until he agrees to teach her Russian.

5. Is very, very, very (SPOILERS).

I promise, I’ll finish it someday.

What is your best writing tip?

Just write. Inspiration isn’t going to hit every single day, but if you want to be a consistent writer and churn out fic at whatever pace you want (or even your own original fiction work), then you have to just write. It doesn’t matter if it’s shit, as long as you get words on the page, you can go back and make them suck less.

Name a writer who has influenced your writing style, and how.

That woman who wrote Harry Potter (whose name I do not like using anymore, because reasons) inspired me to be interested in fantasy, and open the door to my love of reading and creating stories (including stories that are, you know, better).

Which character do you wish you wrote more about, and why don’t you?

I want to write more Mitchell Ellison, specifically Ellison interacting with Frank. The stories I read where they meet are some of my favorites. The only thing stopping me is that I haven’t had the chance to fit him into any of my current plots…yet.

How do you deal with writer’s block?

I have 2 favorite things to do. One is to just talk out the overall plot of the fic or story with a friend (that usually helps me fill and plot holes and get around blocks), or I go on a walk and run through the story in my head. That’s a great way to go about it.

If you wrote a story that was a fusion of two separate fandoms, which would they be?

Well, I’d also like to write a Kastle/Veronica Mars fusion, and damnit now I have another potential plot bunny to throw into my ALREADY FULL HUTCH DAMMIT.

@incognitajones’ questions:

What was the last book you read, and what did you think of it?

Fiction-wise, I recently re-read my one of my favorite easy reads, The Givenchy Code by Julie Kenner. It’s The DaVinci Code, but with fashion.

Are you a multishipper or an OTP type of fan?

It really depends on the fandom, but I tend to lean more toward OTP.

What’s a song you always sing along to?

Throwing it back to 2006: Call Me When You’re Sober by Evanescence since

If you could be adopted by a Star Wars character, who would it be?

None of the men.

But probably Padme or Sabe (#HandmaidensForLife)

A movie you can’t help but stop and watch when it’s on TV

Battleship. It has its problem, but it also has Taylor Kitsch.

What city/country would you really like to visit?

Japan and Australia. I’ve committed myself to traveling more now that I’ve left my job and started my own online business that lets me work from wherever I want.

If you had to live in a historical era (i.e. more than 50 years in the past), which would you choose?

Oh god, I don’t know if I could live without my laptop.

Would you rather be rich or have amazing talent in your chosen field?

You can have both.

That one little pet peeve you know is irrational but still bugs you

We don’t have time to list them all, but probably people who are bad at reading aloud. That’s been a big one since I was in school.

What’s a favourite small indulgence when you want to treat yourself?

Since cookie dough shops (like, places that are just like ice cream shops, but they sell edible cookie dough instead) are super in right now, there’s a shop around the corner from my place, and it’s super dangerous. I try to go only when I have something big to celebrate.

As a child, did you have a favourite toy or stuffed animal?

I had (and still have) a yellow blanket that’s super worn and threadbare and soft. It still lives with me in my bed. I’ve also had a stuffed cow since. Was 17 that’s traveled with me wherever I’ve lived. Including 10 months in Alabama.

And now, I’m going to tag for my 11 questions: @ck90, @the-restless-brook, @nxbodygoesafterher, @arms-and-arrows, @tuntematonkorppi, @heidiamalia, @ninzied, @thevampirecat, @ejunkiet, @kteague, and @jynirso (and anyone else who wants to answer.

Are you more of a Crowley or more Aziraphale?

What is your favorite fic you’ve ever read? (Give me recs, people!)

What’s your favorite fic that you’ve ever written?

If you had 8 million dollars to spend on your dream home, where would it be?

What is your Oh-Hell-No-est of NoTPs?

If money was no object, what would your career be?

What is a fandom you’ve never written for, but would like to?

One shots or series?

If you walked into a library and could not find a new book to read that tickles your fancy, what would your default be?

Are you afraid of clowns?

Do you prefer writing short-fic or long-fic?

#writing meme #ask me anything #and i promise to respond to your questions eventually #i should be packing #and working #but i'm answering asks instead #i leave for the airport in less than five hours

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itsclydebitches · 5 years

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RWBY Recaps: Volume 6. Argus Limited

This is a re-posting from Oct. 27th, 2018 in an effort to get all my recaps fully on tumblr. Thanks!

Volume Six is here, folks! I am so very, stupidly excited for this season. Heartfelt thanks go out to my friend who was all, “lol yeah sure” when I begged to use their FIRST account to watch. There are heroes in this world and they’re one of them.

A quick note about recaps from here on out: they will (my productivity willing) be uploaded sometime on Thursday or Friday proceeding the new episode. This is partly so that I’m not scrambling to post immediately afterwards—stress and bad writing all around—and partly so that, you know, we can actually recap stuff before the next episode airs. So yeah, that’s the goal.

Let’s do it!

We open on a gorgeous, snowy scene with ROOSTER TEETH PRESENTS smack dab in the middle. You know that feeling you get when you hear the Harry Potter theme at the beginning of a new film and the whole theater loses their shit? Same with Doctor Who and Star Wars? Whatever your preferred fandom, the point is I get the same chills when RWBY comes back and it’s excellent.

The animation really is gorgeous though and I sigh happily whenever I see it, thinking back to the days when cookies disappeared directly into Ruby’s mouth. There’s nostalgia, sure, but it doesn’t beat this detail.

We hear the distant sound of a train and then we’re thrown into exactly what we’ve wanted for literal years now: Team RWBY back together again, fighting not creepy adults but just some good, old fashioned grimm. They’re chimeras and… griffins? Ngl I’m not entirely sure, but they’re big, flying, fire-breathing nasties, so that’s really all we need to know. Luckily everyone falls back into old habits, easily supporting one another and executing perfect attacks (a contrast to the residual tension we’ll see in just a bit). Ruby is so busy posing after a successful kill that she misses the grimm coming at her from behind. Weiss saves her ass with a cheeky, “Thank me later!” At the end of the fight we get a reversal wherein a hit nearly sends Weiss tumbling off the side of the train, though Ruby grabs her at the last second with her own, “Thank me later!” It’s a fun little exchange made better when we think back to the Vytal Tournament. Weiss still “had her back” then too, but was more resistant to Ruby’s proclamation that they’re BFFs. Now the teasing is on both ends.

Notably, Ruby saves Weiss by taking her into her semblance, creating a cloud of rose petals that are half red, half white. Now combined with the old team-ups and some shots in the new opening, this has led a number of fans (myself included) to wonder if a WhiteRose pairing is in our future. Which also means that the ship wars are in full swing. Needless to say I’m not about that nonsense and I’ll only point out here what I said episodes back: if it’s a queer relationship with one of our main girls, and not a random side character who was previously out to murder a whole family? I’m on board.

Back in the fight though. The rest of team RNJR appears with Nora exclaiming, “Why is it always something?” God that’s a mood. Welcome to adulthood, kid. It’s just one crisis after another—except in your case the crises are objectively more dangerous. Sorry about that. We get to see Jaune’s improved reflexes as he fends off all the fireballs with his shield while Ren and Nora team up to knock some of the monsters out.

Honestly, I love this trope in action stories. Where—as Nora does here—a character just shouts out a friend’s name to get their attention and they immediately know what kind of move they’re about to pull off. It’s made more hilarious to me given that RWBY once had attack names and Jaune at least made the attempt with JNPR...but apparently they're not needed anymore. So unrealistic, yet so very cool when used.

So yeah, things are going pretty smoothly… up until Oscar yells out “Tunnel!” Ruby saves Weiss from falling, they manage to get over or between the cars, and in the sudden darkness we transition to what we only realize later is a flashback. At least, I didn’t realize it until later. Totally thought we’d had a time skip and they were just hopping another train…

My stupidity aside, before we hit the train station we actually see a familiar hallway filled with angry voices discussing the disaster at Haven—one of which is Adam’s. I really enjoyed this technique, wherein we slowly pan across the room as the voices grow more frantic and the sounds of fighting break out, the camera revealing bodies scattered across the floor. By the time we reach the throne—and Adam on it— we realize that the fight occurred prior to this moment, something that Adam is now remembering. He goes all skyward scream on us as he howls menacingly. Okay, dude. Compared to Cinder and Salem you’re really not all that.

Now we’re at the train station where Qrow is narrating a letter to Ironwood. Hell yes, please bring back the badass, protective Ironwood who defended the students at Beacon and stood up for Weiss. I’d be very pleased if he joins the RWBY gang by the Volume’s end. Qrow’s optimistic about the trip—they’ve plans to reach Ironwood before the letter does, which says either good things about Remnant’s transportation or bad things about its mail—though of course we as the audience know it’s not going to be nearly that simple. We learn that only two weeks have passed since the battle, but people are still reeling from all the implications. Lionheart tragically lost his life defending the school and oh, some students coincidentally were there and did some stuff. Excellent choice in showing us the mindless crowds while we hear this, the naive masses who, yes, would absolutely believe a story like this.

It’s easy to criticize no one supposedly noticing Salem, magic, the finger Ozpin has in every pie, etc. but ultimately people believe what they’re told—especially when it’s much easier to swallow than the truth.

Enough of the doom and gloom though. Ruby is having the time of her life.

Qrow: “What’s with the running?”

Ruby: “What’s with the standing?!”

I love this girl so very much and it’s wonderful when we get to see her acting like the kid she is. She uses her semblance with abandon because yeah, if I could turn into rose petals I’d be doing that all the time too. Ruby teases Yang with something from the gift shop and I really hope we get to see what that is. Yes, we end the episode with everyone left stranded in the wilderness, but if Yang’s bike can survive then so can Ruby’s souvenirs.

(Seriously though they presumably lost all their luggage that sucks.)

Everyone else is in top, feel-good form too. Nora daydreams about hitting the beach, complete with a thought bubble of topless Ren and a beachball. Weiss quips about how she spent all last Volume getting out of Atlas, thanks, but Ruby reassures her that at least she’s back with the team now. When two jokers arrive boasting about how they’ll be the ones keeping the train safe from grimm, Ruby and Yang act exactly as nieces should when your cool uncle is telling them off. AKA, making fun of them behind his back.

God they must have been terrors as toddlers. I mean we already know Yang carted Ruby off into the woods one day so yeah, I’m pretty confident in expressing my surprise that Tai doesn’t have a full head of gray hair.

The two Nice Guys go on to specify that they’ll provide extra protection for a “generous tip,” which—while essentially a throwaway line—reminds us how most of the world functions outside of our close-knit cast. Money, and more specifically Schnee money, quite literally dictates who lives and who dies. Not everything about RWBY is fantasy oriented…

We learn that everyone is just waiting on Blake— “as usual”—and we cut to her with Ilia as the two of them say their goodbyes. Ilia will be helping Ghira lead the Faunus in a “new movement” and is supposedly 100% on the straight and narrow now. Cool? I guess? To be honest I’m fine with her taking a back seat for this Volume. There’s a moment where we get a shot of Ilia and Blake’s feet, the former’s angled forward in a classic kiss pose, and I was super glad to see that they were just sharing a hug. I really don’t want the first LGBTQIA kiss on RWBY to be iffy on consent, considering that Ilia knows Blake isn’t interested. Hug though? That was super sweet.

Sun and Neptune show up to say their goodbyes too. They’re heading to Vacuo to meet up with the rest of their team because, in Sun’s words, he’s the “worst leader” ever. You kinda are, dude? I loved Sun up until they had him following Blake without her permission and continuing to do so after she asked for space, all in the name of the guy supposedly knowing what the girl really needs. The reminder that Sun abandoned his team to do this just reinforces how much I dislike that plot-line.

Sun gets the kiss—on the cheek—and after leaving Neptune lectures him on “letting [Blake] go.” Except it’s not about you? Blake is off to quite literally save the world and the fact that these guys view that as a threat to any potential relationship is… icky. Ugh. Oh well. They’re presumably gonna be offscreen for a while.

The train finally arrives and everyone piles in. We’re back to bunk beds! And of course Team RWBY is situated exactly as they were in Beacon’s dorms. Weiss gets annoyed with Ruby’s cloak hanging down over the side. Blake has a book in her lap. Ruby challenges Yang to a video game. Cue nostalgia. I fully expect fluffy AU fics where they ride the train all the way to Atlas and treat the trip as one giant, dramatic sleepover. This is non-negotiable.

Tension seeps back in though when Yang moves to pull her luggage from the rack and Blake immediately hops up to help her. In a super guilty “I know I fucked up and now I’m gonna smother you” way. Really excellent voice acting here. Yang ends up reassuring her. No, things aren’t perfect between them yet… but they’re definitely improving.

While short, for me this scene was perfectly balanced between acknowledging the girls’ complicated relationship without totally undermining the happy mood. Nicely done.

Then Qrow shows up with a drink. A drink with a slice of orange on the side. I have never enjoyed a moment more and I was so surprised I didn't take a screenshot of it. Clearly I was too distracted and am I too lazy to go back for one now? You betcha. The point is everything is fine, dandy, and filled with alcohol.

So of course RT goes and ruins it for me. Something hits the train and in a split second everyone is on high alert. A quick peek out the window reveals grimm and Blake mutters darkly that it’s “just my luck.”

Qrow: “Not yours.”

Are they gonna leave the safety of the train to those bozos from before? Hell no. Especially when one guy is grabbed right when the fight starts. I mean, poor dude, but he also kinda sucked as a Huntsmen. He wouldn’t have even made it past Beacon’s initiation, let alone graduated.

…I guess he’s kind of like early Jaune? Useless, wannabe hero who acts more confident than he actually is? Aw, now I really do feel bad.

He’s grimm food though. Gotta move on with our lives.

The other dude isn’t doing too well either, though RWBY and NJR + Oscar quickly show up, coming full circle to where we began the episode. Oscar insists that he’s got this fight under control which tells me (hopefully) that in the past two weeks they’ve had serious conversations about if and when Ozpin gets to have control. That’s super great, though I do wish we could have seen it. Flashbacks, maybe?

As the fight begins Ruby announces that the plan amounts to “don’t let anyone else die.” Uh...Ruby? Buddy. Pal. This is why people die. Because they didn’t have plans! Pyrrha—god rest her reckless soul—went off after a freaking Maiden by herself. Jaune got Amber killed because he didn’t obey the plan of watching the door. Lionheart frantically calls Salem with no real plan for what he’s going to offer her in exchange for his life! Plans are important, Ruby. You’re the team strategist. It was a badass line, I grant you, but please do not.

Luckily, no one (else) dies. That would have been pretty brutal for a premier. +1 point for world building where we see that trains like this have built in defenses to fight off grimm. -2 points for how useless it ends up being. As Qrow quickly points out, the turrets are drawing all the grimm to the front of the train where the passengers are. So, not good. Oscar is charged with telling the surviving goon to knock it off already while Qrow faces off against the super fierce chimera grimm. Not gonna lie though, when its tail first started up I thought Qrow was getting attacked by a dove…

This time when we hit the tunnel everyone makes it back safely inside with the exception of Goon #2 who gets his arm injured in the scramble. He’s literally crying on the ground when, in a pretty harsh move, Qrow drags him up and demands to know what the hell all that was. Civility and benefit of the doubt? Not Qrow’s strong points. It allows Ruby to take control of the situation though. How do you make sure that your cast of kids is continually calling the shots? A) isolate them and B) when you can’t do that have the adults act like children instead. We see that a fair bit in RWBY.

Jaune steps in to heal the guy’s arm, which is an unexpected surprise. I honestly thought we'd get a whole Volume’s worth of him figuring out how to access and control his semblance, though I suppose once it manifests you’ve got the basics down. We’ve seen that semblances can be improved upon—Ruby turning other people she carries into petals; Ren dampening the emotions of a whole train—so presumably Jaune will be able to heal more complex and life-threatening things in the future. We also hear in the ensuing conversation that he can amplify someone else’s aura…to be decided what exactly that means, how it connects to healing, and what the limits of the skill is.

During some theorizing about the attack Ozpin brings up that grimm are attracted to the relic they’re carrying and… oh boy. Here we go. Is it tradition that every recap the fandom goes for Ozpin’s throat while I stand here defending him? Might be. Let’s create a (semi) comprehensive list:

This might have been less of a secret and more of a slip. The guy is thousands of years old and the forces they’re dealing with are stupidly complicated. He can’t info dump every detail of a multi-century war in one sitting. So—

He might have thought this was one of those innocuous things that shouldn’t take precedent right now. Not the sort of thing he needs to worry them with. He claims in the promo that he didn't lie to the group and he quite possibly didn't. There's a big difference between lying and not telling someone every single possible thing that might be pertinent. Especially when—

We know that grimm are already attracted to people/negative emotion and they’re sequestered within a whole train full of presumably stressed travelers. There’s no reason to think the artifact would put them in more danger than they already are and therefore isn't at the top of the list of revelations to dole out. Especially with—

Qrow and his bad luck semblance. He literally just implied that the grimm were there because of him. There’s a reason he didn’t want Ruby near him during the fight with Tyrian and now they’re all stuck together in close quarters. The grimm were coming anyway. Even if we didn't have Qrow's semblance and big crowds we can also assume as much because of—

Those turrets. They weren’t there for a fashion statement. The whole train was crazy armored. They’re clearly very used to getting attacked on this route. It's a normal thing.

All of which is to say that the relic is one of MANY reasons why they might have gotten a buttload of grimm on their tail. Ozpin mentions this as one possibility in a very “Here’s something else to consider” way and everyone (characters and fandom alike) jump on him like he’s solely responsible for this predicament. Besides, what would they have done differently? Not carry the relic? That’s not an option. Be more on guard? They’re already constantly on guard. None of their actions would have changed had they known.

Really though, it’s the keeping of secrets that people are mad about, not necessarily what the secret is. So if we ignore the possibility above that Ozpin legit didn’t think this was worth mentioning/even forgot about it, we have a) he withheld the information because it might have made them wary about traveling with others, but they need to get to Atlas as fast as possible and the train is the best way to do that. So yeah, that’s a possible change, though I agree with Ozpin’s theoretical logic here. It was worth the risk.

b) he didn’t tell them because—again—worry is a negative emotion and that might have just doubled their problem. Awful as it is, knowing you're carrying a thing that might attract more grimm is one of the best ways to make sure that you do, in fact, attract them. Knowing what the relic does is dangerous.

c) he doesn’t trust them with all the information about these super powerful relics that are going to decide the fate of their world. Which honestly? Kind of fair. Yeah, I know he promised them no more secrets, but this is a centuries old, god-like entity making a promise to a child. It’s not even really a matter of trust anymore. We’ve got a core group of nine here and everyone has someone else they’re close to. Ruby isn’t going to keep secrets from Tai. Blake will probably fill Sun in when she sees him again. Weiss is close to her sister. Etc. In short, as soon as this many people know a secret it isn't a secret anymore. Ozpin is no doubt aware that anything he tells to their now massive group is fair game and he has to carefully consider what he wants to risk going public/landing in Salem's hands. A general doesn't tell every lieutenant the details of every plan. That's a good way to lose the war. Fate of the world vs. a promise made to Yang? C’mon. There are priorities here.

d) finally, we’ve seen evidence—particularly after the iconic food fight—that Ozpin desperately wants his students to be kids as long as they can. He might keep information to himself simply because he doesn’t want to burden them. And given all the reasons listed above for why they'd be dealing with grimm anyway, what's the harm in giving them what little peace he can? It's not perfect reasoning and if this is the case the others have a right to be annoyed, but it's understandable. It certainly doesn't make Ozpin the monster I see countless posts painting him as.

Plus, Yang? I’m not sure you have the right to get indignant about keeping secrets right now. Granted, there’s some ambiguity surrounding whether she’s mentioned Raven as the Spring Maiden, but regardless we haven’t seen any evidence that she’s told the group the details of what happened down in the vault. That’s a pretty big thing to be keeping to yourself.

A lot bigger than, “Oh yeah this relic attracts the thing we’re attracting anyway. My bad.”

Why the relic attracts grimm is another question. Because it’s connected to the original brothers? Just because Salem wants it and she seems to be the grimms’ creator? We’ll have to see.

Ruby interrupts everyone’s fury to point out that they have bigger issues at the moment and Ozpin’s expression kind of kills me? He looks so shocked to have anyone standing up for him, even if it’s a defense of practicality instead of his actions. I wonder if this Volume is going to have the team starting to lose a little faith in Ruby. Given the clear divide here (angry Ren, Nora, Weiss, Yang, and Blake on one side; Ruby, Oscar, Ozpin on the other) this might be a major theme moving forward. It would make a lot of sense too given Ruby's past relationship with Ozpin. To Yang he's just her headmaster; to Ruby he's the headmaster that let her into her dream school early. To Blake he's someone who wanted information from her before she was ready to give it; to Ruby he's the adult who gave her advice at the dance and was emotionally open with her about committing more mistakes "than any man, woman, or child." No matter how far she's come, they'll always be a part of Weiss that sees Ozpin as the teacher who didn't give her the leadership position she thought she deserved; to Ruby he's the man that has put a staggering amount of trust in her: by letting her into his school, giving her a team, sending her to Mountain Glenn, etc.

Now, it might be time for Ruby to put her trust in Ozpin.

Fight temporarily averted, they decide to separate the teams… which felt a little forced to me. I mean I get it. As said, giant group. It’s hard to write and keep track of that many, so let’s knock three offstage for a while. Jaune, Ren, and Nora will see the people to safety while Ruby and the rest of the gang eventually catch up. We get a glimpse of Maria—the old lady with awesome glasses—clearly plotting something and then everyone heads back to the roof to finish the fight with the grimm.

Blake has a quick vision of Adam; the last time she separated a train car. Excellent touch there. Ruby tells Ren to use his semblance through the scroll, but we also get a glimpse of their signals getting weaker. Another nice touch considering how important we know the scrolls are throughout the RWBY universe: how the team keeps in contact during the Volume Four short, the damage that the fall of the CCT tower has caused, etc.

We get a final, epic showdown with a massive grimm where everyone’s teamwork proves to be some top tier stuff. Blake and Yang capture it using Blake’s ribbon. Weiss freezes off its wings. Then—in a fantastic split screen—Ruby and Qrow both use their scythes to cut the creature in two. I’m here for the power family moves.

Only problem is that a final fireball from the grimm hits the train, derailing their section. Weiss keeps them all from dying an awful death, but now they’re kind of stranded.

I mean, they already were stranded before, but I guess the hope was the back of the train would have carried them farther down the tracks before losing momentum?

In the final scene we have an unexpected voice happily proclaiming that they’re still alive but boy, that was a close one! Maria hobbles out, having clearly planned to be with this group when they went their own way.

My personal theory? She knows (and to some extent recognizes) Ozpin. I can’t believe he wasn’t involved in a conflict like the Great War. Hell, he was probably at the center of it and Maria looks very old by RWBY standards. We have no concept of how long people in this world can live so I don’t think it’s a stretch to put her in her 90s or well over 100—old enough to have fought in the War and potentially recognize one of the central figures, even in a new reincarnation depending on her instincts, knowledge, and semblance. Her name lends a bit of credence to her age, if nothing else. As far as I know “Maria” doesn’t mean/isn’t evocative of a color… though I’m far from an expert. Could totally be wrong about that.

Regardless, we’ll see. More info arrives next week!

Other Details of Note

The grimm are at a distance when we first spot them and they actually look a lot like crows. The same motif we’ve seen with Raven and Qrow’s entrances but, you know, bad.

I really liked Qrow’s line to Ironwood about how they’re bringing “more than bad news.” It’s appropriately vague—can’t go admitting that Oz is back with the group—and at the same time quite up-lifting.

I personally take Ozpin’s “I hope they’re not from Beacon” as more of a joke than a true worry. If you’re telling me that this old as balls control freak doesn’t remember every student that’s ever passed through those doors… I don’t believe you.

When Blake is saying goodbye to Ilia and Sun we have lots of animation for her ears, helping to express her emotions. It says a lot about her character development that she hasn’t re-adopted the bow in such a crowded, human packed space.

Neptune is pursuing the “wrong tree” okay lol that was good.

When Neptune and Sun discuss re-uniting the team we briefly hear the soundtrack from their Vytal Festival match. Excellent.

Interestingly, Oscar gives Ozpin control immediately during the conversation about the relic, almost like he already knew what was going to be revealed and understood that it was important… I wonder how much they’re sharing thoughts now, two weeks later.

Here, have a beach Ren and happy birb. Yes, I went back for the screenshots...

#rwby #rwby spoilers #mymetas #RWBY Recaps

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blaineandsamevanderson · 6 years

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Title: Nailed It! Chapter 1

Author: @blaineandsamevanderson

Fandom: Teen Wolf

Ship: Thiam

Rating: PG-13

Summary: The Nailed It! AU no one asked for. Liam is a contestant, Theo is a guest judge….

“Welcome to Nailed It! The baking show based on the internet phenomenon where ordinary people try to recreate masterpieces...but don’t always get there. I’m Nicole Byer, along with chocolate boss Jacques Torres and today’s special guest, scrumptious treat Theo Raeken. Today three home bakers will recreate epic, magical desserts over two rounds of competition. One of them will walk away with $10,000! Let’s meet our bakers!” Nicole announced, standing in the Nailed It kitchen with Jacques and Theo.

The scene shifted to show a young man running across a lacrosse field before transitioning to him in a kitchen. “Hi, I’m Liam,” he introduces himself as a title card identifies him as Liam Dunbar - Student/Lacrosse player at UC Berkeley. There are various hots of him baking (with varying degrees of success) and being teased by his friends about it. “I started baking with my mom when I was in high school cuz it helps me relax...plus, there’s food at the end and I’ll eat anything, so...win win no matter what! I wanna prove to my friends Mason and Corey that my cakes are edible...no one's broken a tooth in years!”

A beautiful redhead appears on screen next. “Baking is simply science,” she notes as the scroll names her Lydia Martin- Noted Theoretical Physicist. “Sometimes, after a long day of unlocking unknown secrets of the universe, it’s nice to come home and unwind in the kitchen.” There’s a brief montage that shows he baking several nice looking cakes.

The final contestant stares at the camera with dark eyes and an annoyed expression. “Derek,” he grumbles, unaware that the screen identifies him as Derek Hale - Grumpy Cat Doppelgänger?. There are a bunch of shots of him glaring at half cooked or charred cookies. “I lost a bet.”

The door at the far end of the studio kitchen slides open, admitting the three bakers. “Hey guys!” Nicole greeted them enthusiastically. “Welcome to Season 2 of Nailed It! You guys ready to bake?”

The three contestants nodded with varying levels of enthusiasm.

“Today we’re celebrating all things sexy. With me, as always, our head judge, as hot as chili pepper chocolate, Jacques Torres.”

The man in chefs whites smiled. “Nicole, I love you, I’m so glad to be back. Hello, Bakers, bonjour.”

“Today’s guest judge might have abs that say he’s never eaten a cake, but rumor has it he’s got a sweet tooth. You might know him from billboards, runway shows and television...Theo Raeken,” Nicole continued, indicating the handsome young man on her other side. “Wow...I just want to stare at you for a bit.”

A bright smile crossed Theo’s face and he wrapped his arms around Nicole in a warm hug as he smiled at the bakers. “Hey guys. Can’t wait to taste what you come up with!”

Playfully fanning herself after the hug, Nicole faced the bakers. “There’s a special prize for the winner of this round: Baker’s Choice! Behind door number 1, there are 3 sexy ass treats. You get to choose which one you want to nail. If you’re trying to impress someone on a first date or even get a little action, nothing gets the party started like these...Erotic baked goods!” The doors opened to reveal three small cakes. “Three perfectly formed, nearly anatomically correct cakes are yours for the taking. Each of you must choose one to recreate. First we have a Bootiful Bottom...next Bountiful Bosoms...and finally a rather impressive example of baked manhood. Grab your favorite!”

Of course he’d wind up with the dick, Liam thought with a sigh. Lydia had darted in, surprisingly fast on her high heels, and grabbed the ass cake, leaving him and Derek to choose between the Boobs and dick. Longer arms had won out and Derek retreated to his kitchen with the boobs. Not that he had an issue with the cake, he just thought the other two looked like they’d be an easier bake.

He consulted the iPad mounted in his kitchen, reading the recipe and nodding. It seemed like a fairly standard cake recipe, the shape of it coming from carving out the cake, so he’d have to make sure his bake was on point. He could hear Lydia clicking around her kitchen, then the whir of a mixer from Derek’s and scrambled into action.

“Have you ever made erotic baked goods, Jacques?

The chef laughed. “This is a first for me, Nicole! It’s not often I get to say that after so many years in this business.”

She turned to Theo and teased, “Is there any tasty treat you’re especially eager to try.”

Theo’s eyes twinkled and he gave a nod toward Liam’s kitchen. “I have to say, I’m kinda interested to get my mouth on Liam’s cock...cake.”

It totally wasn’t Liam’s fault when he dropped a pan. Thank god it was empty, but how could they expect him to focus when Theo Raeken was saying things like that? Okay, so there was no way the show could know Theo had been Liam’s first celebrity crush that made him realize he wasn’t 100% straight, but still!

The man was clearly a menace!

Cakes safe in the oven, Liam went to make his buttercream, trying to ignore the sexy distraction at the judges table.

“Uh oh...Derek’s putting his butter in the microwave.”

“That’s a mistake. The consistency will be too loose. Oily.”

“I think Lydia’s skipping the buttercream all together in favor of a ganache.”

“I’m not a fan of ganache. If I’m eating a cake, I want frosting.”

Crap. The cake was a little under done, Liam was pretty sure of that, but he had to get it frosted. Not focusing on shape yet, he made a rough attempt at the shape of the cake before jamming it in the blast chiller.

The only reason he wasn’t panicking was that the others seemed to be at a similar stage.

Ripping it out of the chiller, Liam hurried back to his counter and began carving the shape of the cake.

“This is a tight race. Everyone’s on the decorating stage with 5 minutes left.”

“I’ve seen some good skills and a few questionable choices.”

“Everyone seems to have some impressive skills...certainly better in the kitchen than me. I especially appreciate Liam’s handling of his cake. Impressive.”

When the first round came to a close, Liam found himself standing by Lydia and Derek, each of them covering their cakes before the reveal.

Nicole looked to Derek first. “Okay, Derek, you were trying to nail a tremendous ta ta cake! Let’s take a final look at the example.” Everyone looked at the impressive cake before turning back to Derek.

With a sigh, he lifted the lid off of his cake. There was a beat of silence before he grumped, “Nailed it.”

The cake kinda looked like boobs. Sure, they were a little misshapen and different sizes, the fondant not really smooth but it was the nipples that were really odd. Liam felt a small stab of hope that maybe his cake wouldn’t be the worst.

“Okay,” Nicole said, tilting her head to the side. “Okay, they kinda look like boobs. I can see it.”

Jacques nodded. “If your buttercream had set right, it would have provided a smoother base for the fondant. Next time, no microwave!”

“I mean, I’d eat it, but it looks like you airbrushed off the nipples and just left the areolas,” Theo said as they approached and sampled the cake.

They seemed to like the taste of the cake though and then moved on to Lydia.

Her cake actually looked like the example, not perfect, but really close. Everyone was impressed and the only complaint anyone had was that it was slightly dry.

When Liam pulled the cover off his cake, he blurted, “Nailed it!”

Because why not?

The judges were quiet for a moment and then Nicole said, “It kinda looks like the example, cake, so, props for that.”

“Yes, your carving was quite well done,” Jacques added. “Have you ever worked with fondant before?”

“No,” Liam admitted, eyes darting over to Theo who was approaching.

“The fondant’s cracked right at the tip and the buttercream is leaking out,” the man said with a smile, swiping a finger through the escaping frosting and then sucking it clean. “Mmm, your cream is tasty.”

“This isn’t that kind of show, boys!” Nicole said and Liam barely heard their praise of the cake’s flavor. He did have to admit that bits were undercooked.

Lydia won the Golden baking hat and Liam wasn’t entirely surprised to discover he was at the bottom of the pile. He resolved himself to at least beat Derek in round 2.

TBC....

#Thiam #Teen Wolf #fic #AU

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