#I also wanted to see what was going to happen with the fisher king | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

allycat75 · 4 months

Text

Ok, I want to get real with you Boston Dumb Fuck.

I have been holding onto this post for a bit and the thought behind it has been haunting me for months.

While I am constantly amazed at your lack of moral fiber, when I see a fellow human in trouble I can't turn away. You look like you have just enough energy to literally put one foot in front of the other, play your part and slip into unconsciousness for the rest of the day. I have seen it before and it doesn't end well. It's a living purgatory.

But I also don't like being manipulated or being made to look stupid or crazy, so I will continue to call out your bullshit and how it is emblematic of everything that is wrong in our society. I also don't think many have called you out on your bullshit before so I am happy to provide that service. As much as I desire this to be my last rant to you, I am not naive enough to think that will happen anytime soon. The Red Knight has you tight in its grip (Side note: "The Fisher King" is a great movie to watch or re-watch. It may resonate right now).

I do wish I knew that you understood how fucked up you are and have at least a semblance of a plan of how you are going to make it right once you are free. I think the reaction from your (former) fans and even the general public was a shock to your system and you have so far to go to just come up to sea level again. If past is prologue, I fear you will just coast on your White Male Privlege and never learn the valuable lessons of this disaster. But ultimately, I am probably screaming into a void. At least I have put it out into the universe...

Early on, I compared your work in "Ghosted" to a Matthew Perry performance.

Before I continue, let me say I loved Matthew Perry and I can't believe he is gone. I always felt he had so much potential, as seen in "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" and "Go On", but there was always a barrier I sensed he put up, almost like it was a performance within a performance. What he thought we wanted him to be. Now, as we know, there was a mountain of insecurity he was hiding and numbing that haunted him to the end. How I wish he could have freed himself and enjoyed some true wins.

Now, I can't help but draw some additional mournful parallels to you and your current state, beyond your "Ghosted" performance within a performance.

We know you hate yourself (you were not joking during the SMA interview). You took your hand off the wheel and eyes off the road, relying only on your Captain America/internet boyfriend/dog dad persona, and wound up trapped in a blind alley. Now you are locked in this ridiculous contract.

To numb what you have become, you have disappeared into weed, at the very least. But escaping using weed is only healthy when you know what you are escaping from. When you have no tether, you are only sucked into a void where you risk not being able to return. You may say "it's just weed", but we have seen you make bad decision after bad decision and it only takes one to be life altering.

This may be hyperbolic. You may be in control of all of this and laughing at our reaction. Maybe you have mastered The Method and apply goth white makeup before you go out, have changed your diet to be sickly thin and hunch over on purpose, for your craft. But my daddy didn't raise a fool and I don't suffer them. I know when something is rotten in Denmark. I was raised to offer a hand when I could, regardless the reason or reward. So my offer is this (much of this is repeated from previous posts, but repetition is key to learning):

STOP! STOP! STOP! Your contractual obligations should be met by now. The little racist twat got press on her project release dates. That is all she deserves. If not, you need a doctor's note saying this is killing you, because it appears it is. And switching from awkwardly showing off that fucking ring or oafishly grabbing the wifey's hand in order to meet that contractual obligation to lovable, single dog dad so as to reinforce your dog food is Nazi-free has got to be dizzying; making the crazy-maker crazy. So whomever thought this was a good idea and kept you in it long after the effects were detrimental, remove them from your circle. They have no place in a healthy future.

Get help to change the behaviors that got you painted into this corner. This situation didn't come out of nowhere. Someone or many someones exploited your vulnerabilities and they could do it again if you aren't careful. And no more shushing or egoic narrative- either that is complete bullshit or no one taught you the next part of the curriculum. For once in your life, take accountability and accept responsibility for your actions.

Take the time to become healthy and strong in mind, body and spirit. And let those who still have a chance of liking you in the future miss you. You even admitted you don't make the best first impression. Lately you haven’t been making the best second, third or fourth either. Even Scarlett seems to be getting tired of you. One or two more stunts and no one is coming back. We may be talking about you, but a short term gain will mean a long term loss. Don't worry, we will remember you, and if you do the work, we will celebrate you.

Take an active role in rebuilding your life. Decide what to be and go be it. Others shouldn't care more about your happiness and success than you do. Enjoy some wins, you are allowed. Get back into the world again and see where you can make an impact (hint- it is not with ASP. I actually think that could set us all back. A good idea whose time has passed).

You were given privlege and opportunity and it is chicken shit you ran as soon as it got a little hard. Fight for your life. Others have lost their chance but you are still here and can make it chicken salad.

PS- "Cousins" is a great movie if you are wondering about the chicken shit/chicken salad line. And don't let anyone tell you the French version is better. They are just being pretentious.

#brian wilson vibes #Ai in human form #do better #Don't shush- learn the leasson #is this the life you wanted #We only get one life- you can either make it chicken shit or chicken salad.#Rich white male privlege- check it

19 notes · View notes

natashasfilms · 2 months

Text

Chapter Ten - The Fisher King: Part 1

Summary: FBI agent Leila faces a profound life change after giving birth to a baby girl, supported by her loving husband. Despite the challenges of motherhood, Leila returns to her role as a dedicated agent a few months later, ready to confront gruesome and haunting cases with the BAU team.

Pairing: BAU!Fem!OC x Male!OC , EVENTUAL Aaron Hotchner x BAU!Fem!OC (Like much later)

Warnings: This story contains mature themes such as sexual content, strong language, violence, mentions of alcohol and drugs, blood, gore, and death. All the usual Criminal Minds stuff. And there is NO CHEATING.

Note 1: I imagine Leila Kade as South Asian but I have decided to let you, the reader, imagine her appearance, hence the reason why I have not given her a face claim. However, her race does not affect the story, whatsoever. You, as the reader, are free to imagine her however you want. If you don't see her as South Asian, then that's fine. It won't affect the storyline. I also imagine the OC!Male as South Asian, but again, it won't affect the storyline.

Note 2: The team will consist of the main cast (Emily, Derek, JJ, Spencer, Penelope, Aaron, and Rossi) but will also include Elle Greenaway and Jason Gideon because they were some of my favorite characters and I wanted to include them with the rest of the team. Basically, Elle and Gideon never leave when Emily and Rossi join.

Note 3: There will be multiple time skips throughout this series. For example, the first chapter will begin on the first season and episode of the show but then there will be a time skip to later episodes (because there are obviously way too many episodes to write this series on and I wanted to include specific episodes that would help the plot of this story). This means that this series will be a slow burn romance but I believe it to be better this way. This will also stray from the actual show a lot, so don't expect it to follow the plot precisely.

Series Masterlist

Season 1, Episode 22

Leila's excitement peaked upon learning that she would finally enjoy a long and refreshing break from work. Aaron's decision to grant the entire team two weeks off filled her with anticipation. All she could think about was being able to devote her undivided attention to her family without the burden of a new case weighing on her mind.

As she ensured she had everything she needed from her office packed into her bag, she let out a sigh of relief. Rushing out of her office, she almost accidentally collided with Aaron, who had also just emerged from his own office.

"Hey, ready to leave?" Aaron's bright smile greeted her. It was the happiest Leila had seen him at work, and she couldn't help but feel that this break was the best thing to happen to them in a long time.

"Two weeks with no contact from this place? It's like a dream come true," Leila said giddily as they descended the steps. "And now it sounds like I hate my job."

Aaron chuckled, reaching the last step. "I don't blame you. It's nice to finally have some time away from here." As they approached their cubicles, they noticed Elle and Derek. "Hey, don't knock family. I'm going to get nothing but for the next 336 hours," Aaron remarked.

Derek hummed with a smile on his face. "Good for you."

"Haley's got a list of chores a mile long and I can't wait," Aaron exclaimed excitedly. "The biggest decision I gotta make is what I'm gonna do first."

"I bet she has a thought or two about that as well," Elle responded, sharing a grin of her own.

"Bring it on," Aaron said loudly, walking away from them.

"Bye guys, have fun!" Leila waved goodbye, rushing out the doors.

"Thank you, Grace. Please enjoy the next two weeks off," Leila expressed her gratitude, cradling Jasmine as the little baby babbled happily. "You're the best."

Grace returned her appreciation with a warm smile, gently patting Jasmine's head before bidding them farewell. "You three enjoy your two weeks off. You guys really deserve it."

"You're the sweetest, drive safe!" Leila called out as she watched Grace leave the house. She then looked down at Jasmine, who was still babbling away. "Let's wait for daddy to come home from work, and then we can have lots of fun, okay sweetie?"

A few moments later, Leila heard the garage door open, indicating Zaid was home. As soon as he walked in, Leila rushed over to him, still holding Jasmine. "There's my two gorgeous girls, come here," he greeted warmly, wrapping his arms around Leila, being careful of Jasmine in her arms. "Both mommy and daddy have two weeks off from work, so we're going to make the most out of it, alright Jas?"

When Leila had told Zaid that she was getting two weeks off from the BAU, he didn't hesitate to take some time off from his job as well, wanting to spend as much time with his family as possible. "Mhm, and I know a few ways we can spend it," Leila grinned, giving him a quick peck on the lips. Zaid winked before gently taking Jasmine from her arms, twirling her around as Jasmine giggled joyfully.

After dinner and some playtime with Jasmine and her favorite toys, Leila and Zaid finally settled their baby down for the night. Ensuring she was comfortable, they quietly exited her room. As they left, Zaid playfully grabbed Leila's waist, causing her to squeal a bit too loudly. He quickly covered her mouth with his hand. "Shh, you're going to wake her, honey."

She scoffed, gently pushing him away before turning to face him. "Well, then don't give me a reason to scream."

Realizing what she had just said, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as Zaid began to chuckle, his hands coming up to gently cup her face. "I think you're underestimating me, love," he teased affectionately.

Leila rolled her eyes before Zaid leaned down to capture her lips with his own. He pushed her against the wall, his hands reaching for their own bedroom door before opening it and pushing her inside. Zaid swiftly picked her up, Leila wrapping her legs around his waist as they fell onto the bed.

Their lips continued to move against each other while Zaid tugged at her shirt, his hands moving under it to touch her skin. Leila hummed against his lips as he tugged at his hair. "You gotta be quiet for me, honey. You can do that, can't you?" Zaid muttered against her skin, detaching his lips from hers to move down her neck. She tried to speak but couldn't, her mind focused on the pleasure he was giving her. Instead, she nodded her head. "Good girl," he chuckled, and the two fell into a world of pleasure soon after.

The ringing of the phone in the middle of the night jolted Leila from her slumber. She lay on top of Zaid, his arms encircling her, and her frustration grew as the phone persisted. With a groan, she reluctantly reached out to the nightstand, not bothering to check the Caller ID before answering. "Agent Kade," she mumbled into the phone, trying her hardest not to fall back asleep.

"Agent Kade..." the voice on the other end spoke, but Leila was too tired to register whose voice it was. "You need to focus on what truly matters. There's someone in danger, someone who needs your help. There have been many destroyed relationships in the family, don't get lost in the details. Remember, everything starts at the beginning. Time is of the essence, and the youngest holds the key. You must find a way to save her. Can you do it, Leila? Can you be the hero she needs? Can you finally do what's right?"

Leila furrowed her eyebrows as her eyes shot wide open, sitting up on the bed, still holding the phone against her ear. "Who's speaking? What are you talking about?" The sudden change in Leila's demeanor caused Zaid to become worried, who had awoken after she picked up the phone.

"Save her before it's too late," the voice said once more before the line cut off.

"Who was that?" Zaid asked with concern, his eyes scanning his wife's face.

She looked at him with furrowed eyebrows, shaking her head. "I have no idea."

Leila glanced towards their bedroom door and swiftly rose, hurrying to Jasmine's room, with Zaid close on her heels. Relief flooded her as she laid eyes on her sleeping baby, Leila's fingers instinctively clutching the crib's bars. Zaid approached, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder, prompting her to look up at him. "What's going on?" he asked, concern etched in his voice.

She swallowed hard, stealing one last glance at Jasmine before guiding Zaid out of the room. Leaning against the hallway wall, she crossed her arms tightly. "I just got a really strange call. Some guy insisted that I have to find a way to save a 'her.'"

"Her? Which her?" Zaid asked, his eyebrows furrowed with concern.

"That's what I don't know," Leila replied, exhaling heavily and shaking her head. "But there was something else." Zaid nodded, encouraging her to continue. Leila took a shaky breath before speaking. "He said something about a family, Zaid."

His confusion deepened, knitting his eyebrows together. "What do you mean?" he questioned, seeking clarification.

Leila pursed her lips, pinching the bridge of her nose. "He said that there have been many destroyed relationships in the family and proceeded to finish off by asking if I can finally do what's right." As soon as those words left Leila's lips, Zaid's eyes widened in shock. "There's no way, right?"

Zaid shook his head, gently rubbing her back in reassurance. "I'm sure it was just a prank call, honey. Don't worry." Despite his comforting words, Leila couldn't shake off the unease that settled in her mind. Her heart skipped a beat when the phone rang again, causing her to jump in fear. "Hey, it's okay. I'll answer this time, okay?" Zaid offered, his voice calm and soothing as he grabbed the phone. He answered the phone and listened intently to the person on the other end. Nodding in acknowledgment, he glanced over at Leila, who still wore a concerned expression. "Yeah, she's right here," he said into the phone before handing it over to her, silently mouthing that it was Aaron who called.

Leila furrowed her eyebrows, her concern growing as she brought the phone to her ear. "Hey," she answered, waiting for Aaron to speak.

"I just got a call from Derek," Aaron spoke, his voice tense. "The Jamaican police arrested Elle for a suspected murder."

"What?" Leila exclaimed, her voice tinged with shock.

"I honestly thought it was just a stupid prank call, but he called you too?" Leila asked in disbelief. "And now Elle has been arrested. What the hell is going on, Aaron?"

As the two FBI agents were en route to Jamaica to meet with Derek and Elle, they learned that Elle had been framed for a murder. The authorities had discovered a blood trail leading to her room at the resort where she and Derek were vacationing. The victim had been decapitated, making identification impossible thus far. Aaron ensured to bring in bureau lawyers and a crime scene unit as they didn't know what they were dealing with.

"I don't know," Aaron sighed, rubbing his temple. "So much for two weeks off." The two sat across from each other in the jet, grappling with the unfolding situation. Leila was certain that Elle was being framed. It was out of character for her to commit such a crime. "You didn't have to come, you know?" Aaron remarked.

Leila rolled her eyes. "Like hell I wouldn't." Aaron couldn't help but smile, chuckling softly at her response. Leila tilted her head, narrowing her eyes in confusion. "Why are you laughing?" she asked, puzzled by his reaction.

He shook his head, reassuring her that it wasn't bad. "You're a good friend," he affirmed, knowing that she would always stick up for everyone on the team no matter what. "We're all lucky to have someone like you on this team."

Her lips turned up into a smirk, laughing at his response. "Aw, Aaron. Don't get so sappy on me," she teased. "It's not good for your image." The comment made Aaron roll his eyes.

They soon arrived in Jamaica, driving to where Elle was currently detained. Upon meeting up with Derek, he explained everything to them to the best of his ability. Once they arrived at the location, the three of them walked into the room where Elle was being questioned. Aaron presented evidence to the investigator, proving that Elle was not even present when the murder occurred. Reluctantly, the investigator handed over the keys to unlock Elle's handcuffs.

They left the room, and Leila immediately enveloped Elle in a tight hug, relieved to see her freed from the unjust ordeal. "Are you okay, Elle?" Leila asked, gently rubbing her back in comfort.

Elle pulled back slightly to answer, her expression a mixture of confusion and exhaustion. "I don't even know what the hell just happened."

The four of them walked away, ready to depart for Quantico, eager to find out what was going on and who was sending them strange messages.

Once back at Quantico, they were informed that the headless victim's head had been sent to Gideon. The victim, identified as Marty Harris, had been rooming with a man named Frank Giles at the resort. Giles was revealed as the murderer but had fled Jamaica, prompting a search. Meanwhile, the unsettling individual who had called Leila on the phone had been sending cryptic messages to the entire team, repeatedly urging them to save a girl.

"So, clearly we have a psychopath intent on drawing us into his game," Aaron stated, the team gathered in the conference room, attempting to piece everything together.

"Playing with us," Gideon finished, his tone grave.

Elle chimed in with determination. "Then let's return the favor."

"He kept telling us repeatedly to save her. What 'her'?" Derek questioned, his brow furrowed in frustration.

Gideon pondered for a moment. "The items he's sent must be some kind of clues."

"We should put them all up on the board, then," Leila suggested, prompting Aaron to nod in agreement. JJ grabbed a marker to start writing on the board.

"I got a Nellie Fox baseball card from 1963 and I got a head in a box," Jason began.

"I got a rare butterfly in a shadow box," JJ spoke, turning her head towards the team before she turned back around to write the clues onto the board.

"And repeated messages to 'save her,'" Aaron added.

"He called me and said that 'There have been many destroyed relationships in the family,'" Leila retorted, shaking her head, her initial thoughts when she first heard the message gone from her mind. "Whatever that's supposed to mean."

"I got the decapitated body," Elle said, walking back and forth in the room with her arms crossed. "And a nice visit to the Jamaican Police Headquarters."

"Reid called from Nevada," Gideon informed them. "He's on the way back here with a skeleton key and a note he got, too."

"And the guy who called me said, 'The youngest one holds the key,'" Aaron finished off.

Elle raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "That's Reid."

"Okay, but wait a minute. UnSubs, they don't contact us this way," Derek began, shaking his head. "I mean, they might taunt us, dare us to catch them, but they don't drag us into their fantasy."

JJ turned to look at Derek, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion. "Why not?"

"Because they're sexual fantasies," Derek responded, waving his hand. "I mean, taunting us is a show of power, but making us the object is…" he paused, shrugging, before clasping his hands together. "I don't know what the hell that is."

"There's something else about the baseball card," Gideon started to say. "Nellie Fox was one of the stars of the 1959 White Sox. I went to almost every game with my father that year. Fox was my hero." Leila tilted her head, her mouth slightly parted as she tried to comprehend everything. "So is it a coincidence that he sends this to me, or does he know how I feel about him?"

The little story made JJ pause, turning her head back around towards the team when she realized something. "I collected butterflies when I was a little girl. That's how I knew what butterfly was in the box."

Derek tilted his head. "So then he knows us?"

"I got an anonymous message," Aaron said, shooting down the possible idea.

"I got a police raid," Elle added.

"And I got––" Leila paused, her breath catching in her throat for a moment, everyone else in the room staring at her before she continued. "I got a random phone call in the middle of the night. So I guess not."

"But he knew exactly where we were," Derek continued, paying no mind to the sudden hesitation in Leila's voice. She let out a silent breath of relief, but her eyes locked with Gideon's, the older man staring at her as if she was hiding something. She quickly looked away as Derek continued to talk. "Hotel in Jamaica, Gideon at the cabin, Reid in Vegas, you two at your homes."

Suddenly, a certain blonde walked into the room, her expression somber. "He got that from the Bureau computers. Your locations are always logged in there so they can locate you if necessary," Penelope informed them, holding a piece of paper in her hand. The team turned their attention to her, urging her to continue. "And I checked the log. The hacker was definitely in the personnel folders. There were room numbers for the hotel in Jamaica, the address of Gideon's cabin... There's a lot of information in those databases."

Aaron, maintaining his usual stoic demeanor, questioned her. "Have you figured out how he was able to breach the Bureau's computers?"

Penelope swallowed hard, her voice trembling. "I'm still working on that."

The team noticed the tremor in her voice, sensing that she was holding something back, a realization that struck Leila as hypocritical, given that she was doing the same. "Garcia, if you know something…" Aaron prompted, his tone firm.

"No, it's, um…It's just…I…" she stuttered, struggling to articulate her thoughts. "I was playing a game yesterday. An online game."

Gideon raised his head. "A game?"

Penelope quickly interjected to clarify. "Not on the Bureau computers, sir. On my own personal laptop."

Derek sighed, leaning forward. "No, Garcia. No, no, no."

"I don't understand," Aaron said, clearly puzzled. Leila released a breath, realizing the implications. She knew Penelope didn't mean any harm, but she couldn't help but pinch the bridge of her nose.

"Wireless Internet," Derek explained succinctly.

"By wirelessly hooking into the Net here to get online, the hacker could have accessed my computer first, and I have far less protection on my own laptop," Penelope clarified.

"And he could have infiltrated the entire Bureau computer system this way?" Aaron inquired, his brow furrowed and his arms still crossed.

"Yeah, it's possible," Penelope confirmed solemnly.

"Playing a game?" Gideon shrugged, standing up from his seat. "How could you be that stupid? Information, files. You have a responsibility," he said frustratedly, and Leila noticed the hurt on Penelope's face.

"I know, sir. I'm so sorry," Penelope apologized, her voice breaking. The team looked at her with sympathy, but then she spoke again. "But I found him."

"You what?" Elle questioned, disbelief evident in her tone.

"I know who he is, the hacker. His name is Giles. Frank Giles," she rushed out, unfolding the paper in her hand. They all looked at each other as soon as she revealed the name, their eyes widening. "He lives in Arlington, Virginia, four miles from here. I have his address."

Leila stepped forward. "Garcia, you said Giles?" she asked, seeking clarification.

They soon went to Giles' address to apprehend him, only to find him murdered in his room, stabbed with a sword. A chilling note, written in his blood, adorned the wall, stating, 'Here thy quest doth truly begin.'

Searching his room for any clues, they discovered a bag of money on his dresser. They assumed that Giles had carried out the murder of Harris as instructed by the unsub, who, in turn, rewarded him with money. However, the unsub had turned on Giles, ultimately killing him. The unsub continuously left them clues, using language reminiscent of the medieval times.

They found a CD the unsub left for them, watching it once they got back to the BAU. He named them one by one, including pictures of them, making it clear that only the team was to complete the 'quest.' Despite the unsub's instructions to exclude anyone but themselves from the case, Gideon was adamant about holding a press conference.

After the press conference, they continued to sift through the clues. Leila glanced over and noticed that Elle had fallen asleep on the couch. "Someone's really tired," she remarked, her gaze fixed on Elle's sleeping form.

"Can you blame her?" Derek questioned, giving Leila a sympathetic look. "She hasn't slept for thirty-six hours."

Aaron entered the room and immediately noticed Elle asleep on the couch. "Elle?" he called out.

The brunette quickly shot up. "I'm awake."

"I'm sending you home," Aaron told her firmly.

"No," Elle sighed, resisting.

"You need to get some rest, and we won't do anything without you," Aaron reassured her.

"Elle, seriously," Derek spoke up. "We're not any closer than we were. Get out of here. Go home."

"But––"

"It's an order." Aaron gave her a pointed look.

Elle turned to look at Leila, who nodded in agreement. "You need to sleep, Elle. Go home and recharge, you'll feel so much better."

With a defeated breath, Elle stood up from her spot on the couch and walked away with Aaron. Leila, Derek, and Spencer continued to work on the case, but nothing seemed to be coming to mind. Leila's eyes focused on the rows of numbers on the paper the unsub had sent them. The unsub told them that they needed a specific book to decode the message, but they were unsure of which book to use.

Leila ran a hand over her face, massaging her temples as she felt another headache coming on. She stood up from her chair to take a break, letting the team know that she would be back after a few minutes. Exiting the room, she headed towards her office but then noticed Haley with Jack in the stroller sitting in Aaron's office. She was only here because the unsub dropped off a note at their home.

Knocking on the door, she heard a faint "come in" and she walked inside. She gave Haley a warm smile as she hugged her. "You look really tired, Leila. Are you doing okay?"

Leila chuckled, nodding. "This unsub is really kicking our butts right now. We still feel like we're getting nowhere with all of this."

Haley gave her a sympathetic smile, putting a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, you guys will eventually figure this out, just like you always do." Leila returned the smile, but then her eyes moved over to the stroller. "Jack's still asleep. Aaron told us to stay here until it's safe."

"And he made the right call," Leila responded. "I'm going to get back. I just needed a small break from being in that small room."

"Of course, I'll see you later, Leila." Haley waved goodbye as Leila exited Aaron's office. Leila decided to walk to her office and try her best to think of anything that could help.

She sat in her chair, her mind drifting to Elle, who was likely already sleeping in the comfort of her own home by now. She felt a pang of sympathy for her best friend, knowing everything she had endured over the past day, from being arrested to the unsettling games the unsub was playing with them. She was relieved that Elle had finally gone home to get some rest.

Yet, despite this, she couldn't shake off the strange feeling that something was about to happen.

#angst #fluff #criminal minds #aaron hotchner #fanfiction #aaron hotchner fanfiction #criminal minds series #one shot #revelations series #aaron hotchner x bau!reader #aaron hotchner x original female character #original male character #original female character

14 notes · View notes

msfcatlover · 1 year

Text

@alycat76 : Can you give me the low urban fantasy AU?

YES! YES I ABSOLUTELY CAN!!! Ah, you have no idea how much I love this one!!!

Okay, so! This AU was actually born directly from my frustration with a bunch of Urban Fantasy AUs (and original stories, if we’re being real here.) Namely, that those stories will so often be like, “These magical beings are very, very rare,” and then the entire cast will be mystical beings of one sort or another. And I was like, “You can totally tell an engaging story in a world like this with an almost entirely human cast. You don’t even have to cut out the magic element or fun world building!” (And yes, that first part does accurately describe my Monster!Kids AU. Shhhhh, let me have my hypocrisy.)

I wanted to do that, and my brain is 90% Batfam brainrot right now, so here’s what I came up with.

(CW for minor mentions of sickness, canon character death, and child abuse. Bruce is not the abuser, for the record. But mentions are there. Also, Jason’s body is not restored to its pre-death state, and I do describe some of the things that would’ve been done to prep him for his funeral.)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Very first point: Bruce’s tie to Gotham is more than just his love & dedication to his city. The Wayne family are supposedly one of the oldest families in the city, and of those old families they’re possibly (I’m still a little unclear here) the only one not tied to the Court of Owls? They’re the ones most dedicated to improving Gotham and ending its corruption, anyway. So let’s do something with that, shall we?

The Wayne bloodline has a bond with the city. Some might call it a blessing, some might call it a curse. The eldest member of the family is a Fisher King; the health of the Lord is tied directly to that of the city. When the Lord is sick, the city suffers; when the city suffers, the Lord feels its pain. And for generations, the head of the family has near-always been ill. Bruce has vivid memories of his father retching over the toilet, or calling in sick because the trembling was too much for Thomas to risk operating on patients (they are, depressingly, some of the most vivid memories Bruce has of his father.) As a member of the family, Bruce could see the marks just under his father’s skin, from ink-black to bruise-yellow and every sickly color in between, that nobody else seemed to see (Zatanna did, and she was the only outsider to assure Bruce he wasn’t crazy over it, but there’s only so much she could do for him.) It was terrifying for a young boy to see his father so ill, but Thomas promised Bruce that even though it was a “family condition,” Thomas & Martha were working on it; Thomas promised his son that by the time Bruce had to worry about it, they’d have made enough progress that Bruce would hardly even notice it.

Of course, that’s not what happened. Thomas was actually feeling well that night, better than he had in months, and wanted to go out to celebrate. Martha chose the restaurant and Bruce chose the movie. And maybe, if Thomas had kept feeling well, if he hadn’t had to stop to catch his breath, if the family hadn’t stepped into that specific alley to avoid blocking the sidewalk... maybe things would’ve been different.

When Thomas Wayne breathed his last, his son collapsed under the weight of Gotham’s rot & suffering. Joe Chill assumed the bullet must’ve passed through one of the parents to hit the child, and fled in a panic.

The hospital could find nothing wrong with Bruce, but he saw the understanding in Alfred’s eyes when he arrived and the first thing Bruce said to Alfred was, “I think I’m dying.”

(In most legends, Fisher Kings cannot leave their homelands. The Waynes are slightly luckier, but the longer they are away, the more they... fade. Energy seeps out of them slowly, color leaves their skin, no amount of sleep is ever enough, and they eventually need to return to Gotham to recharge. Bruce’s record is 3yrs, and the doctors shipped him home basically in a coma.)

(Bruce swore he would never have children, never pass down his bloodline’s curse to an innocent child who should not have to carry it. He got a vasectomy as soon as he legally could. Needless to say, he was furious Talia would go so far as to create a clone-son for the two of them, violating both Bruce’s right to choose and cursing Damian to carry on that line of suffering.)

Bruce learned his city & body well enough that he can use it as a map. Not a map that would make sense to anyone else (street corners that are directly adjacent to eachother might be on completely different parts of him, like one on his ribs and the other behind his knee.) During the day, he uses his resources to try to treat Gotham’s suffering preventatively, going after unjust rules & systems, weaving a new security net for Gotham’s underclass, etc. At night, his methods are more surgical, cutting out the tumors & rot, while also taking the time to help as many individual citizens as he possibly can.

As the legend of the Batman grows, reality starts to bend ever so slightly under the weight of it. He jumps further & more accurately than a man of his bulk should be able to, can always find the perfect corner to hide in, always has something to grab when he falls off a building.

Despite all the suffering Gotham causes Bruce Wayne, he still loves his city. And the city loves him back.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Second point: Dick Grayson is human, and he doesn’t exactly have any magic of his own. It’s... I’m calling it “being a conduit.” Basically, Dick resonates with any magic in his vicinity. He’s very sensitive to the presence of magic, to the point of it being basically a sixth sense, and on an instinctive level he attunes himself to any natural or environmental magic around him. To a very limited degree, he can even take on a few traits of what that magic is, but not... he can’t tune into a fire spell and burn you with a touch, but when he’s resonating with Gotham, he is slightly more resistant to poisoning.

It’s much, much rarer than being a magic user (though many magic users do eventually become conduits through sheer exposure,) but in the same way having perfect pitch is different from being able to sing.

...I’m making it sound so much more powerful than it actually is here. The main benefit Dick gets out of it is that when he attunes himself to any given city, the city will treat him as a native and most citizens just passing him in the street will assume he is too (this does not affect his ability to, say, speak the language or change his accent, it’s just his “vibes,” if that makes sense.)

As far as story goes, this means Dick can see Bruce’s curse-marks despite not being a member of his bloodline; if they’re in contact with eachother, Dick can even very faintly feel what the city is inflicting on Bruce at any given time. (This scares the absolute bejeezus out of Bruce when he realizes, as he immediately assumes he misinterpreted the curse, and “bloodline” just means “family,” or even “household,” and he’s cursed Dick as well just by offering him a home!) It also means that as soon as Robin becomes part of Batman’s legend, Dick can benefit from the city’s protections just like Bruce does.

It is, in fact, Dick who causes Bruce to realize there’s something more than just good luck happening, when Robin is thrown off a roof but fortunately finds a pole of some sort hidden by the building’s shadow to kick off from and make it to the next one over (this also triggers a rumor that Robin can fly, something Dick is more than happy to lean into with some tailoring on his cape, and yes, he does move even better & faster as a result.) The thing is, Bruce is certain there was no pole there, because he would’ve incorporated it into potential escape plans. And when he finally has the time to go back & check, after the fight is over, after Robin is safe... he’s right. The alley is empty. There’s no pole, no pipe, no nothing. But Dick definitely kicked off of something in mid-air, Dick’s not a metahuman or a magic user, he can’t double-jump or anything. Dick himself insists his foot just caught the top of a thin, flat cylinder, no more than two inches wide, just barely enough to jump from; Dick’s even pretty sure he saw the pole when he glanced behind him, sticking up out of the shadows. Nothing weird at all, except for how it doesn’t exist.

(When Jason dies, Gotham’s grief is strong enough to feel it all the way out in space. Dick doesn’t understand the heavy feeling in his heart, nor the sudden urgency to get home. He tells the other Titans to just drop him off in Gotham, but the closer they get, the worse Dick feels. When they actually break the city limits, Dick just melts into tears as Gotham’s pain howls through every inch of his body. Donna calls ahead, more than a little panicked, and nearly gives Alfred a heart attack with how worried & hesitant Donna is to just straight up say what’s wrong with Dick. She offers Dick the communicator, saying it’s Alfred on the line, and Dick snatches it out of her hand to ask the only coherent word any of them will hear from him for the rest of the day: “Who?”

When Alfred answers, Dick just... breaks. Right there in front of them. He’s trying to say something, something about that being wrong, something about having plans, but he can’t deny what he’s feeling, and he can’t seem to get the words out.

The Titans land in the Batcave, and refuse to leave. Fuck Batman’s rules, they’re not abandoning Dick... and Dick isn’t the only one who didn’t get to say goodbye.)

(Bruce & Dick still fight about it terribly once they’re finally alone. Bruce never once raises his hand to his son, but Dick tries to reach out to him, to touch Bruce’s hand and resonate, to literally share his pain, and Bruce jerks away saying, “Don’t, it’s not---”

Dick stares in shock & horror as both of them silently complete that sentence: It’s not real. If you asked Dick right in that moment, he’d say striking him would have hurt less.)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Jason was human, fully human, with nothing special about him at all. Well, except for how Gotham loved him even more than Batman. The resonance Dick needs to wrap himself up in for Gotham to accept him, Jason has it echoing in his bones. He’s one of Gotham’s truest sons, he’s part of that city, and the city is part of him.

It’s not Superboy Prime’s reality breaking punch that brought Jason back from the dead. I... Look, I wrote a little nursery rhyme to explain it, and I’ve no idea if it’s any good (but it can’t be any worse than the Court of Owls’ rhyme, which has just a few too many syllables in certain lines for me to find whatever rhythm it’s supposed to have.)

Take me home to Gotham If I die far away Put me in her soil In a shallow grave

I don’t belong in Paris Or under London Town Don’t bury me in Tokyo Put me in Gotham ground

If you lose me out at sea In storm or dark of night I’ll swim back home to Gotham I’ll just follow the lights

Don’t send me off to Moscow Or drag me down to Rome I’m Gotham born and bred, my friend I only rest at home

Oh, take me home to Gotham If I die far away Put me in her soil In a shallow grave

I don’t need no tears or funerals Don’t miss me every day For I’ve come home to Gotham And right at home I’ll stay

(As far as most people are concerned, that’s where the rhyme ends. This next part is less well known, in-universe.)

I don’t want no fancy coffin Just put me in the ground Dig a hole on old Park Row And don’t let me be found

My soul belongs in Gotham She knows me blood and bone There is nowhere else that I may rest I’ll only toss and moan

But I’ll rest well in Gotham For two years and a day And if I’m feeling up to it I might even awake

So take me home to Gotham If I die far away You know I’ll only rest in peace In my shallow grave

...Yeah. This actually leads to a few traditions very specific to Gotham, like lighting a candle on someone’s grave on the anniversary of their death to help “lead them home,” or sitting vigil by their grave for the first 2-3 anniversaries. Lots of people don’t even know it has anything to do with this rhyme, it’s just part of Gotham’s culture.

Bruce & Dick of course know the whole rhyme and fight not to get their hopes up on the 2nd anniversary (have you seen that one post where Dick goes to smoke a cigarette for Jason on his grave, chokes on the smoke, and then Bruce shows up and they just silently share it? Yeah. Those vibes. Big those vibes.)

They made one crucial miscalculation, though: they calculated when Jason’s return would theoretically be from the time he died, not from when he was buried. Jason claws his way out of the ground just a day or two after they leave.

Now Jason’s a full-on undead revenant. In exactly the same condition they put him in the ground. He has embalming fluid in his veins, and wires holding his broken bones together. His mouth was sewn shut. But he’s not braindead, he’s fully aware, so enjoy that nightmare fuel for your near future! Additionally, people can’t seem to recognize him as being out of place; he’s walking around in his funeral suit, covered in dirt, and hardly anyone gives him a second glance. He doesn’t register to people, just a face in the crowd, just another part of Gotham, and it’s... Look, Jason’s not complaining that he’s not being arrested or having people run screaming at the sight of him. He can’t even say they’re ignoring him because people will still look up, say their greetings, whatever when he walks through a door, or grunt when they walk into him. But something about the way people brush past him, the certainty nobody will remember him after their interaction is finished, hurts.

(The only way for Jason to be remembered, to leave an impression on the people around him, is to become part of a legend once again.)

Revenants come back for a reason, and Jason’s is to kill his murderer. But he’s part of Gotham proper now, and unlike Bruce, Jason can’t leave. He tries to, he drives all the way to Arkham in a hot-wired car, but he’s still a good half mile away before the pain becomes too much and Jason’s forced to turn the car around or risk crashing when he inevitably passes out. This Jason never trains with the League of Assassins, but he doesn’t need to; no Lazarus Pit needed to fix his mind, and his undead body can take a lot more punishment than any living human could.

(I have this mental image of Jason going back to Wayne Manor, right on the edge of discomfort-not-pain outside of the city proper, and needing to spill so many identifying secrets to Alfred to get Alfred to even let him through the door. Bruce is out of the country, so Alfred calls Dick to please come help him verify their visitor’s identity. Dick has no idea who this stranger in their living room is, until he closes his eyes and focuses on the magic. Dives in deep, letting the resonance of Gotham’s soul wrap around him, and is surprised to find it so much clearer & louder than it should be this far from the city’s heart. Louder than it’s ever been since Jason---

Dick opens his eyes, and his breath catches in his throat as he finally recognizes the face staring at him with so much raw hope.)

Anyway, Bruce refuses to kill the Joker even harder when he finds out Jason is back, because he’s terrified that the moment Jason’s unfinished business is done, Jason will go back to being properly dead.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Okay, last stop: Tim! The only member of the family to be fully supernatural, non-human from the start.

Tim is a changeling. Specifically, he’s a fae who was born without the spellcasting abilities most fae have, so he was traded for a human child. Tim has no memory of the fae courts or his home mound, but he’s a smart cookie and it wasn’t hard to do the math.

Tim can’t lie. He has to keep his promises and he can’t help but keep track of debts (the kindest people in his life will give him quick, easy ways to repay them; a cool rock Tim found, or an interesting bit of information. Tim doesn’t like to hold debts over others most of the time, and will offer similar outs or just tell himself the next nice thing they do for him makes them even.)

Tim can’t cross salt lines or thresholds with horseshoes above them.

Tim can’t touch iron or silver without burning his skin.

Eating non-iodized salt makes Tim sick.

If Tim speaks someone’s full name as part of a command, they will do what he tells them to (other people don’t usually realize this, because they aren’t forced violently; their own minds usually try to find ways to justify what they’re doing.)

If someone has a piece of Tim’s body (like hair, blood, or nail-clippings) Tim’s brain goes into panic mode as quickly as if they held a knife to his throat.

Those are the obvious giveaways that point straight to fae. Tim’s inhumanity can also be found in minute details of his physicality.

Tim’s eyes glow in the dark.

The tips of Tim’s ears are pointed.

Tim has never lost a tooth (but his parents had his eye-teeth removed when he was eight.)

Tim’s nails grow in tough & black as pitch. (He’s gotten in trouble many times at school for painting them, despite the doctor’s note explaining it.)

Hidden under Tim’s hair, his scalp grows thick, curved thorns like a rosebush. (His mother sits him down in the bathroom the day before company comes over, and meticulously removes them with a pair of nail clippers. It hurts. They bleed. Tim’s learned not to squirm or show how much he hate it. It hurts worse if anyone messes with Tim’s hair afterwards, but he’s learned not to show that either.)

And, of course, there’s the biggest giveaway of all:

In all Tim’s pictures before the single trip his parents ever took him on (a whirlwind tour of Europe just before his 2nd birthday,) Tim’s eyes were hazel-brown.

They’re blue now.

(Tim tells himself his parents leave him behind and push him away because they can sense something is off about him, but that they don’t know what. He tells himself they didn’t notice when the fae stole their son away, that the real Timothy Drake would’ve grown up doted on & treasured, traveling the world with them, seeing the sights. Tim tries not to think about how Drake Industries was spiraling before they took that trip, or how it stabilized before they even made it home.)

Tim still becomes Robin, barely resisting Name-commanding his way into the role (it wouldn’t be right, it wouldn’t be honest, he needs Bruce to trust Tim if Bruce is ever going to get better.)

Gotham itself sees Tim as an interloper, but when Tim is Robin it can’t do anything about that. When Jason comes back, Tim sets off all his red-flag alarms, and all he can see is an alien parasite trying to worm its way into his family. It won’t be until Jason saves Tim from supernatural poachers who try to torture Tim’s Name out of him (fruitless in the first place, Tim doesn’t know his own Name,) that they’ll be able to move past that. Gotham can project its suspicions & paranoia through Jason, but how Jason chooses to see Tim will also affect Gotham.

(Someday, Damian will find Tim’s eye-teeth and return them to him as a birthday gift. It will be the kindest single act anyone has ever done for him, as Tim feels safe & whole for the first time since they were taken. Nevermind that they’re in a jewelry box and not Tim’s body, he has his teeth back, and nobody can take them ever again.

Tim will struggle to tell Damian that Tim can’t even begin to express how much this means to him. In the end, Tim just tells Damian, “Thank you. I owe you.”

Dangerous words, with no limit on the debt.

Damian will blink, realize what Tim’s answer really means, and scoff. “Don’t be stupid. It’s a gift. You don’t owe me anything, that’s how gifts work.”)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Basically everyone else has the same stories they do in canon, but with a little less dying. I’ve given dying so much more weight in this AU, so like, Steph doesn’t die, Damian doesn’t die, etc.

Damian does inherit Bruce’s curse/burden when Bruce is lost in time, though. Dick helps him learn to manage it, on top of everything else.

66 notes · View notes

radiant-reid · 2 years

Text

my cm skips and why

inspired by @steve-harringtons-slut post

season 1

fisher king pt1 it's my least favorite multiparter, i just don't love the plot and it's the start of elle's downfall which makes me sad

season 2

fisher king pt 2 for the same reason as above

aftermath i can watch the first bit but not after elle's undercover part because i don't like bad things happening to her

north mammon i used to like this one but it's hella sad, like one girl has to kill her best friend and the parents don't even really care and then it's all because they dissed the unsub 20 years ago !! like he's a sicko

distress boring af and also i hate watching sad spencer where no one does anything to help him

legacy also bores me and they should have used the 'unsub killing homeless people' once with the s4 finale

season 3

doubt boring and the ending sucked

In name and blood haley hotchner. i was a fan at the beginning and the end but she was cheating on him and i will never be persuaded otherwise. i hated her in this episode, also strauss too. and then spencer's sad at the end, nope nope nope

true night this one bores me, it's such a dumb plot, like a dude who writes comic books lmao

in heat i love JJ and Will and i think that's the only reason i occasionally put up with this episode because the rest of the time it sucks

season 4

normal i think this is a very boring one !! the road one where he ran over his victims >>

omnivore the first time i was cool watching this but now that i know what the start of it is, i save myself the emotional pain

season 5

nameless, faceless same reason as omnivore, i know what happens next and i hate seeing hotch sad. also the victim's kid, who is kind of the victim himself, i would not have cared if he died since he decided to go to school when he should have just stayed at home and been safe, like okay, risk the lives of everyone there

100 no no no no no, too sad

parasite i feel like they did a plot similar to this with the guy in charm and harm

solidarity man again, boring

our darkest hour plot is dumb af, and it's too similar to catching out with a homeless unsub breaking in and killing residents. also, I've always felt like it was meant to be based on Richard Ramirez and it's not scary enough for that

season 6

the longest hour obviously same reasons as above since it's the second part but also i really hate that the dad made Morgan promise to look after his daughter. i get it, he wanted someone good to be there for her, i just feel like that's a shitty thing to do to a near stranger

Devil's night nah, there's has to be a limited number of episodes about unsub's burning people and this one's the worst

what happens at home not a bad plot but ashley seaver ugh, she's the worst

Valhalla + Lauren it's not as sad as when haley dies because we know emily's still alive but i hate that she didn't tell the team and they're all sad

with friends like these not really a big fan of unsubs with hallucinated friends

season 7

heathridge manor sorry mgg, i just don't think this is scary or interesting

divining rod that whole wig thing creeps me out

season 8

god complex the plot is not good and i feel like the title doesn't fit at all

the good earth boring

magnificent light this is makes me laugh because it's so cringe

zugzwang too sad for spencer

season 9

the inspiration and the inspired okay maybe i have two least favorite multiparters because this one i also hate, like the praying mantises and random head in his fridge, nah

route 66 the hotch bit, i like, but the whole plot with the girl running away with her dad, i do not

200 i love JJ and i can't watch her in pain like that. also, i do not get why they went out to a bar right after her rescue like whos idea was that ?

what happens in mecklinburg boring and unrealistic because no woman is going to get out of her car and walk up to a massive truck when they can't see anything bffr

season 10

if the shoe fits makes me cringe so much

hashtag also makes me cringe

nelson's sparrow so unnecessary !!! like why would they kill gideon off when he's been gone for 7 seasons ?? and you're trying to tell me he just got killed by a random unsub, the jason gideon ?? that would have never happened

season 11

drive i hate the episode title and the plot, they should have called it something like execution

derek too sad, i want all the characters to always be happy

a beautiful disaster can the Morgans not catch a break ??

inner beauty plot makes me cringe hard

season 12

seek and destroy i feel like they kind of used this plot before and it felt like a lazy reattempt

(sometimes i skip every episode with spencer in prison but this is as if i'm not)

in the dark don't like the plot

true north an unsub making a sundial ? bffr

season 13

blue angel the plot is like pleasure is my business but with an unsub with a different relationship to the exclusive prostitute and it's way worse

dust and bones the unsub makes me cringe so hard

bad moon on the rise an unsub that thinks he's a werewolf bffr

miasma an unsub that thinks he's a plague doctor bffr

annihilator fuck you linda barnes

the capilanos an unsub that dresses like a clown bffr

the dance of love an unsub that kills based on song titles bffr

all you can eat like unsubs roasting their victims, there can only be a certain number of unsubs poisoning people and this one is the worst

season 14

innocence all because he's not related to his dad ?? shoulda just blackmailed his parents separately or run away

luke too sad, skip

night lights cringing

truth or dare jeid episode, no more needed

season 15

awakening nope jeid

ghost this just seemed unnecessary, like okay luke and matt worked together and caught someone, why would he then kidnap them and get arrested again ?? if you wanna be in the mob or diss the mob, you should know your fam will probably get killed

rusty be fr, i know people can be delusional and whatever but i just cannot with this one

family tree again, be fr, why did he cut the ears off and hang them up ? it's hilarious in an ironic way

face off + and in the end this is the way they chose to end the show ? nah

season 16

i don't even need to watch it to know it sucks, like a covid plotline bffr, that's the most cringe ever. it will never exist in my mind

#my top words: bffr cringe and boring #okay what does everyone else think ?#and i'm sorry for being judgemental af #criminal minds

73 notes · View notes

aroturier · 7 months

Text

Sebastian: Evil or Not?

I am having trouble with Tumblr tonight I wanted to repost a little discussion between @bapydemonprincess @warmmilk-n-honey and @cangrellesteponme's Tumblr blogs but it's not letting me do both so here's my thoughts w/o the texts that inspired it.

For context I'll say that the princess started it by posting (and I can't say I entirely disagree) the following:

"People now in the end of 2022 on this platform in the kuro fandom: Sebastian Michaelis is the bad guy. The worst, the most evil, unshippable character. "

Then the others gave their ideas and in the end I wanted to add a couple thoughts, to wit:

I am one who enjoys the butler and sees enough character development to keep me interested —though I do know what you meant @bapydemonprincess— I'd just like to add and suggest that perhaps this would be a better way to interpret Sebastian and his 'evil'.

So is he? Evil, I mean. Is he really?

Isn't he more like an intelligent, very hungry tiger who just happens to walk on two legs and to whom you can speak? By that I mean to ask you, do you call all meat-eating creatures evil because they must violently kill cute little furry things in order to stay alive? Don't we normally view wolves, big cats, badgers, bears, fluffy fishers, hyenas and such as frightening, yes, but also noble and elegant, and find their prowess in hunting rather thrilling and beautiful to watch?

When you see such documentaries who do you root for, the lion or the antelope? (well I was practically raised by cats so my answer'll be obvious.)

Or do you perhaps feel more like medieval people once did, that wild beasts and domestic any who kill humans deserve to be hauled into court, tried and ultimately publicly executed, hung until dead for having the audacity to kill a human being?(There is an argument to be made for that, but this is neither the time nor the place.)

Isn't it rather foolish and ultimately a waste of time to fight against realty? Against your own inborn nature, against what you are made to be?

Could your housecat really swear off meat and join PETA?

You know she wouldn't want to even if she could. She loves being a cat and catching mice is the best kind of fun... and I'm certain that represents Sebastian's opinion on the matter as well.

Reality in Ciel and Sebastian's world is demons must devour human souls to live. It is the price Sebastian pays to continue to live. He even goes about it in a quite honorable manner (well. MOST of the time. It’s hard to resist being a little ‘slippery’ when you can run rings around the other person’s intellect isn’t it.) And since when is it evil to do and be exactly what you were born/made/whatever to do and be? It would hardly be fair to ask him to adopt a human view of right and wrong, would it? Just like us he cannot rail against his nature any more than we can throw a fit and insist we can live without drinking water. Be dead in three days if we tried that nonsense wouldn't we?!

Dunno what would happen to Sebastian if he tried going 'vegetarian,' but I'll bet he has no interest whatever in finding out!

I don't feel like I can condemn him for following his very natural desire to continue to live. We all want that. Thus, the lion must eat the cute little antelope. We don't call ‘the king of beast’ evil for that, do we -- well, I hope we don't. Antelope's quite tasty after all !

Of course, I'm certain it all seems very evil to that particular antelope caught bleating beneath his claws right now (!!!) The whole subject seems quite subjective when you think about it like this, doesn't it?

#kuroshitsuji #sebastian michaelis #kuroshitsuji/black butler #catscatscats #roturier

11 notes · View notes

ellegreenawayslover · 4 months

Note

for the meta author asks 1, 18 and 20 :)

1. Tell us about your current project(s) - what's it about, how's progress, what do you love the most about it?

I have more, but 3 that I'm working on more right now.

The first is the 7th chapter of Hope. I'm a little stuck but also really excited about it because this fic is my baby. I have a couple of ocs in here that have become so dear to me, so it is even more special to me. Also, this is the Elle fic I wanted to read about what happened after the fisher king and when she left, and I got to the point where I can write her being soft and happy, so I love getting to write a happy ending for her because she deserves it.

The second one I've been working on a lot recently is an Elle/Emily au where they grew up in the same small town and fell in love when they were teenagers, but then Emily left, and Elle wasn't ready yet. 15 years later, Elle works in the bau, and on a girls' night, Penelope recommends Elle a book she has read, and when Elle sees Emily's name on the cover her heart stops. The book turns out to be about her and her relationship, and Elle doesn't know what she feels when Penelope suggests going to a book signing where she will see Emily again. I love it so much and I'm so nervous about it at the same time. I just have to change a few little details so I'm super excited.

And the third one is sad jemily fic inspired by Is It Over Now by Taylor Swift that has been on my mind since the first time I listened to it. I haven't written this one in the last couple of weeks, but I think about it constantly, and I have so many ideas for it!

18. Do any of your stories have alternative versions (plotlines that you abandoned, AUs of your own work, different characterizations)) Tell us about them.

YES!!

I have a few of my fics that have a couple of versions in my docs, although they change in just a few things, and they usually end up becoming one if that makes sense.

Also, my Hope fic was supposed to be a one-shot and very different, but I fell in love with the idea of the current version of it. But I might write the other version someday!

20. Tell us the meta about your writing that you really want to ramble about (symbolism you've included, character or relationship development that you love, hidden references, callbacks or clues for future scenes?)

I love exploring Elle’s and Emily’s characters, and I have a few fics that are just about that and exploring different versions and character developments for them.

In most of my fics, there aren’t many references or symbolisms, mostly because I haven’t written many long/multichapter fics. They have little references to songs, some of my other fics/headcanons, but they are minuscule.

The fic where I have let myself write with a lot of hidden references is in Hope. Like that fic is where I give myself free rein to write however I want, so that’s one of the reasons why it is so dear to me. There are clues for future scenes EVERYWHERE. I have a list of scenes I want to write in future chapters and references to past/future scenes that I need to write. I also have a playlist that I take care of so seriously. The songs are in a very specific order of scenes that they remind me of, and I write some of the scenes with those songs in mind, so the playlist is like a part of the fic itself, haha. I also started to explore different ways of writing, including trying to create images with my writing if that makes sense, but that is a work in progress, mostly in the last couple of chapters.

So, yeah, Hope (is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have) is the fic where I let myself explore all of this and try new things in my writing.

I forgot about this and ended up being so long haha :)

Thanks for the ask!! <3

#thanks for the ask!#ask game #ask box open

3 notes · View notes

limerental · 4 months

Note

Do you have any thoughts about the Wild Hunt across the show, books, and games? A part of me wishes they were figured more in the books, but I am also very satisfied that they are just *there* in the books (maybe they do more so than I recall -- I have forgotten a lot of things and that is a personal failing). I'll be curious to see where the show takes them as they may figure more given the various tie ins.

I'm sure many much smarter people have had deeper thoughts than I have about them, but a lot of things in the last book happen very quickly allowing us only little glimpses and ultimately, yeah, I'd have loved more but also am fond of what we got. There are whole worlds packed into the glimpse we do get. It's one of the weirder parts of the books for sure.

The games approach things... eh. I mean. They needed a clear villain and big bad and those just don't exist in book canon. Eredin is NOT unambiguously evil, and he certainly didn't explicitly kill Auberon or want to overpower Ciri. Also the choice to make the White Frost an adversary versus an inevitable phenomenon beyond anyone's control... good for a video game but boring otherwise.

I like the ambiguity and open-endedness of the books. Also, the lady of the lake chapter is basically a weird retelling of the Arthurian legend fisher king story. Eredin and Auberon and Avallac'h are all elements of that but also some of it just feels like Sapkowski patting himself on the back for making literary nods to it.

As for the show, I did like Blood Origin for everything besides the depiction of the Aen Elle and I have no idea how their depiction will go in that canon and part of me cringes at the thought of them even trying.

4 notes · View notes

melrosing · 2 years

Note

We all know the end of GoT is full of loads of stuff that is in no way going to be book canon, but are there any small details that jump out at you that you think MUST have come from George?

Here's some things I think sound like GRRM. I've omitted a few others because.... have you seen the state of this fandom lmao. But anyway:

King Bran: I know this is essentially confirmed, but am aware that some fans still don't buy it... so just reiterating that I definitely do. I think the foreshadowing is all over the place in the books, it's just that it points more towards the 'fisher king' concept than it does the King Bran we see in the show - which is just a guy sitting in King's landing doing much the same as previous monarchs had done, only with fancy powers. I think King Bran in the books will have a lot more mystique about him, and will be about restoring the supernatural and the symbiotic relationship between lands and their people. Kind of the opposite of what happens in LOTR, where magic instead dies away and the magical races just gradually vanish

Also I think he will be 'democratically elected' lol, but in Winterfell. Catelyn basically spells it out all the way back in ACOK: "We will send to Winterfell, so Bran may tell his tale and all men may know the Lannisters for the true usurpers. Let the assembled lords of the Seven Kingdoms choose who shall rule them." CAT IV, ACOK Obviously I think it'll be less about holding the Lannisters accountable (I think House Lannister will be largely dead/utterly depleted by then), more about just making sense of what has happened in Westeros and what is should become. I think Tyrion will also be instrumental in advocating for King Bran, they've had a connection since AGOT

Jon rejoining the Night's Watch and going beyond the wall: Controversial maybe lol, but I think this absolutely rings true for Jon. His arc starts with him trying to escape to support Robb, and his brothers of the NW reclaiming him and reminding him they stand for something beyond the politics of the south (or the relative south). In TWOW and ADOS I think Jon will be caught up in those politics and become utterly disillusioned with it all. He's spent his life craving recognition as a Stark, but I think honestly his true values lie beyond names and Houses with his NW bros - this is reiterated again and again in his POV. So the NW won't exist in the same way it does in the books currently, I think it'll be more a force to unite the wildlings with the country they'd heretofore been completely cut off from, and to help them rebuild what they'd been forced to abandon. I just don't see Jon ruling in the south or in Winterfell: GRRM believes in 'cripples, bastards and broken things', and I think Jon and his brotherhood in the NW is very much symbolic of that motif. I don't believe that means he'll be exiled/cut off from his Stark family, just that the wall and beyond it is where his priorities will lie post-series.

Arya might travel Planetos. I don't think it'll be what the show does where it's almost as though she's never coming back, or that she thinks she's somehow incompatible now with her own home. But basically just because Arya likes meeting new people and learning about their countries and cultures - I can imagine her wanting to do so on her own terms post-series. So I think that idea could easily have come from GRRM (D&D would've been more likely to just stick her in Winterfell as Sansa's bodyguard if it were up to them), but I also think her story is one of the more flexible - when GRRM recently said he'd thought of a new and very fitting ending for a character, I think it could easily have been Arya

Sansa will have Littlefinger executed. Hated how this was done in the show but was so relieved to have him gone lmao. Anyway i think the foreshadowing's there and honestly good for her

Cersei will be fucking around with wildfire. This has basically been broadcast all through both hers and Jaime's chapters, no way it's not happening

Jaime will wield Widow's Wail. GRRM basically confirmed this by having him wield it in those svudu cage matches (?) he did years ago. He'll fight in TLN as well

Jaime may knight Brienne? Have discussed the pros and cons of this concept before but ultimately I think it comes from GRRM

#ask #asoiaf #got for ts

41 notes · View notes

tellthemeerkatsitsfine · 2 years

Text

You know what I love to see happen in comedy? When one person is on a show and has been a fan of it since long before they got the chance to appear on it, bonus points if they’ve been into it since even before they were famous, and they’re clearly really excited to be there. It’s (part of) why James Acaster and Ed Gamble and Rose Matafeo were such great Taskmaster contestants. The Jo Brand and Alan Davies types, who don’t give a shit, are funny. But for my very favourite contestants, I’ll always pick the ones who have seen all of Taskmaster before, and really want to win partly due to natural competitiveness and partly due to a desire to conquer the game they enjoy so much.

That’s the energy in the early seasons of Catsdown, when Jon Ricahrdson is so genuinely pleased to be doing this. He’s there to advance his comedy career and all, but he’s mainly interested in getting to play Countdown and get paid for it and that’s the coolest thing ever to him. In the first couple of episodes he wore a suit instead of his usual cardigans/other casual clothes, and I’m pretty sure that’s just an Alex Horne with Mel Giedroyc situation, wearing a suit to honour the gravity of the situation. In a radio show from 2007, he told Russell Howard that he and his mother and sister had a board game that let them play Countdown as a family and they did that every Christmas. Knowing that makes me enjoy seeing him on Catsdown even more, because it confirms that his excitement about the puzzles on TV is not an affectation to play into his image as a nerdy comedian; it’s a thing he talked about long before he got on 8 Out of 10 Cats.

QI gets a lot of that, because it’s been such a well established and respected show for so many years. If someone is just now getting their career going well enough to get booked on QI for the first time, then they’re probably the right age to have been into QI long before they got famous. And if someone has chosen to pursue a career that’s led to them getting booked on QI, then they’re probably the sort of person who’s been into QI since they were young. So a lot of people on their QI debut are pretty excited to be there.

Sara Pascoe is one of my favourite examples of that. She was so excited in her first appearance, to be on the great QI and get to go back and forth with the great Stephen Fry. Then she appeared more times and started to settle into the situation, until the hosts changed, and she was like a new panelist again. So excited every time to show off all her knowledge to our Lord and Saviour Sandi Toksvig. That happens with a few of the comedians, particularly female comedians, of Pascoe’s generation when they get on QI and are so visibly excited to work with Sandi Toksvig, it’s so much fun to watch. A similar thing happened with younger comedians getting to meet Stephen Fry in the previous era, but with Toksvig there’s the added layer of older women who did this shit back when hardly any women were doing it and younger women who appreciate the trails they blazed, and that’s awesome.

That shows a similar phenomenon of a comedian who’s really excited to work with a specific person, rather than the show as a whole. Like that episode of Was It Something I Said? that had Brian Blessed as a guest. It was almost surreal to see both David Mitchell and Richard Ayoade downright star struck. These guys have built their whole personas on being fairly unshakable, and King of Deadpan Richard pretty much giggled his way through the whole episode and hung on Blessed’s every word. It’s an absolute delight to watch.

The Last Leg episodes with Carrie Fisher also come to mind. And the QI episodes with Carrie Fisher. And that time she was on 8 Out of 10 Cats, weirdly like 24 hours before she died. No one can pretend to be unphased around Carrie Fisher. Even the relentlessly professional Jimmy Carr melted in her presence.

I’ve gotten (sorry I said “gotten”, Andy, I have listened to so much of The Bugle that I have started to feel the need to apologize to Andy Zaltzman every time I use that word, and explain that it really is incorrect grammar to not use it over here) ten episodes into the post-Oliver era of The Bugle. It’s good, I’ve enjoyed many moments of it, but it’s come out of the gate a little a little uneven. There’s a process and a learning curve to both me getting used to it so I can fully appreciate it, and to all the comedians involved figuring out exactly what this is now. But one of the most straightforwardly lovely things about it is how Nish Kumar has clearly loved this show since long before he had a chance to be on it, and he’s so excited to be there.

Nish’s nerdy One of Us side is one of the things that makes him so much fun to listen to in general - he grew up loving similar music and similar comedy to me, and loving them in similar ways that I do, and I love hearing him talk about that. That side of him comes out in these early appearances he made on The Bugle, as his respect for the show and the people who made it before him is so palpable. That makes the uneven start easier to navigate, the unfamiliar easier to process.

12 notes · View notes

forthegothicheroine · 3 years

Text

How other great detectives would solve the disappearance of Rowan Morrison from Summerisle

A series I do sometimes. I think most horror fans know the basic idea behind the original Wicker Man, but if you don’t and want to avoid spoilers, scroll away.

I don’t think most of these detectives are virgins- maybe Miss Marple or Poirot, but maybe not- so I’ll be assuming that for ritual purity purposes, just refusing Willow will have to be enough.

Sam Vimes: Haha. Haha. Oh wow, haha. Picking a detective who’s already an apathetic polytheist sure throws a wrench in Lord Summerisle’s plans! Vimes starts arresting people when he arrives and basically doesn’t stop, mostly for child endangerment (don’t send your children to go jump over fire! there are plenty of murderers out there to do that to them!) He starts kicking back on the other side of the door when Willow starts singing until she gives up and goes away. There’s still some strong danger here since Vimes would fulfill the role of a man who came with kingly power (oh boy he’d hate hearing that!) but Vimes does have one advantage Howie doesn’t have: a loyal team. Lord Summerisle said that no one would come for Howie- maybe he was right or maybe he was bluffing, but he’d sure as hell be wrong where Vimes was concerned, and that’s assuming they got him to come here without any other Watch members in the first place. Without dying or after death, he’s pulling this place down.

Columbo: Here’s the best omen for Columbo’s success- I didn’t think of it until this list, but Lord Summerisle dresses exactly like a Columbo villain! Anyway, schlubby little Columbo solves his cases more or less by pecking at key suspects until he can figure out which ones are lying to him, so I think that bodes well here. He steps off the plane and finds everyone clearly lying to him; he takes out a notepad, writes “THEY ALL DID IT”, and gets back on the plane. Or maybe he could steal a boat and escape later at night so I can give him the chance to annoy Lord Summerisle ("Mythology, huh? My wife has a book about that, very interesting stuff. You know, I thought it was kind of funny how that inn was called the Green Man. See, in that book, Sir Gawain goes to meet this green man with the force of the whole round table behind him, but they’re planning to test and then kill him. Funny thing, right?”)

Phryne Fisher: This makes so much more sense if it was Jack they were after and due to plot hijinks, Phryne ended up there instead of or in addition to him. She has sex with Lord Summerisle almost immediately, and the village isn’t really sure if that counts as breaking ritual purity or not (Willow doesn’t seem like her type.) Besides the ritual purity, they have to deal with the fact that she does not have the authority of a king- she probably doesn’t even have police permission to be here! This whole operation has been a tremendous cockup on the cult’s part.

Dale Cooper: Despite being friendly where Howie was prickly, Cooper has a lot in common with that other doomed policeman who came to a creepy town to save or avenge a young girl. Things might go more or less the same as they did in the movie, but there’s one circumstance under which he might get out with his life. Willow bangs on his door naked, singing a sexy song, and he opens the door for her. She’s a bit disappointed that he failed the test, but instead of going along with the seduction, he tells her that she’s too young for him but that it looks like she could use a friend, and that he thinks she might be lonlier than people realize. Maybe- just maybe- the first genuine offer of nonsexual friendship she’s had in years might break through to her, and she might start to talk.

Philip Marlowe: I love Marlowe, he’s my guy, but I don’t think he’s getting out off this. He’s thrown naked girls out of his bedroom before- why should he think this time is any different? He and Summerisle have nice long chats about history and literature, but in the process he demonstrates that he has a very strong sense of morality and propriety (if not religion) and that he thinks of himself as a sort of fairy tale knight. That’s bad. That’s very, very bad.

Sam Spade: I think he ruins this by trying to extort Lord Summerisle for blackmail money and Summerisle just kills him and needs to find a new detective to trap. Either that, or he gets away with it because he absolutely sleeps with Willow.

Poirot: This trip is the single most miserable experience of Poirot’s life. Even more so than the nudity, he knows he has plunged into hell upon eating the terrible food and finding they don’t even have any of their famous apples! In fact, I like the idea that it’s their famous food that first leads him in the direction of the answer; the harvest was bad, the book suggests they might have made a sacrifice, but they’ve had girls pose by those crops every year without anything bad happening to them. If the girls aren’t the sacrifice, who is? Willow’s attempted seduction certainly upsets him (David Suchet says he played him as asexual, but even if that’s not your interpretation, naked youths pounding on his door are the last thing he wants!) I don’t know if he can escape, but I think he can pull the right threads to figure things out and ruin the event.

Miss Marple: Boy, does Lord Summerisle feel like an asshole about this! Miss Marple does her best not to judge anyone for so much nudity- these young people today do insist on being modern, she just hopes they don’t catch cold. I think she’d really frustrate the islanders by not seeming to actually do her role. She’s not breaking down doors and demanding answers, and when Willow sings at her door she just chats about how nice it is that youngsters are interested in traditional folk music, seeming not to even get the test. What they don’t know is that Miss Marple is very, very good at listening and observing. She knows. And she’s going to play the part of the dotty old lady right up until the very point when she can get back on that plane.

Kinsey Milhone: Kinsey may be in trouble here. Innocent young people being put in danger, especially when she could have saved them, is the sort of thing that drives her courage but could also propel her blindly into her doom. If things don’t go exactly as they did in the movie, it will be because she focuses on a different question- who sent her that letter? Everyone acts like they know what’s going on, so who “didn’t know” where Rowan was and was “afraid something terrible had happened”? The bigger the conspiracy looks, the less likely it is that anyone could have been ignorant or even sent a secret letter, and that might let Kinsey realize it was sent on purpose.

#the wicker man #great detectives series

301 notes · View notes

spencer-reids-adventures · 2 years

Note

"Anderson why are you sleeping on my couch? Also you know what happened to Elle was not your fault do you hear me? I should have been clear when I told you to take her home. I also should not have yelled at you." Aaron spoke softly and she walked over to his desk so he can set on it and look at Grant who was still laying on the little couch.

Aaron spoke softly and he walked over to his desk so he can set on it and look at Grant who was still laying on the little couch.

"I should have been more attentive," Grant mumbles. "I needed to-- I wanted to be here in case there was any news. Because I knew no one would call me and I just-- I needed to know."

"She's going to be okay," Aaron tells him. "She came out of surgery a little while ago. She's going to be just fine."

Grant opens his mouth but before he can say anything tears are spilling down his cheeks.

"Oh, my god," he sobs. "Oh, my god, I was so scared. I thought-- I thought-- Agent Hotchner, he was there when I dropped her off! I took her right to him! And he--"

"Anderson, it's okay," Aaron says, moving to sit on the couch now that Grant is sitting up. He claps a hand down on Grant's knee. "It's okay to feel guilty, and it's okay to feel relieved, and everything is going to be okay. But you didn't do this. This wasn't your fault. I promise."

Grant nods, but it's a fake nod, it's a polite nod.

"I'm serious, Grant, listen to me," Aaron says.

"You've never called me by my first name before, sir."

"That's because I've never told you something this important. We all make mistakes, and we all have regrets. But we can't see the future. We don't know what the outcomes of our actions are going to be. None of us knew the Fisher King was going to be waiting for Elle when she got home. We had no way of knowing that. You were just doing your job, and I yelled at you because I was upset. We're all just doing our best. Understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Now, I'm going to drive you home so you can get some rest."

"Will you walk me inside to make sure there's no one waiting with a gun?" Grant asks wryly.

"Don't push your luck, Anderson," Aaron replies, and he's turned towards the door, but Grant can hear the grin in his voice.

#cw shooting #aaron hotchner #grant anderson #maya writes more than 5 sentences

71 notes · View notes

maschotch · 2 years

Note

Skskdjjvsv I’m so glad I’m not crazy for seeing the foyet thing too. First time watching 5x01 with my sister we were both super quiet for the stabbing scene, and then we talked after and we like “shit bro we thought Foyet was gonna SA Hotch.”

I think the strange part of it is that they were willing to draw that parallel for the female character, that character being Elle, to her attack being related to r*pe but refuse to do so with Hotch. Even though Foyet is a confirmed sexual sadist?? And like watch the scene bro it’s creepy as fuck (I’ve seen honestly a surprising amount of people that agree with me).

All in all, I’m kinda glad they didn’t take that route cuz I don’t trust the writing of this show to handle it well (especially for hotch lol), but they did write the male SA storyline with Morgan fairly well so idk. It ended up just leaving the scene with strange vibes that the show doesn’t address (ok I do remember Foyet in 100 saying some shit like “be gentle? Like I was with you?” And my skin CRAWLED. Legitimately sounded like some shit a r*pist would say).

Ironic that this is popping into my mind right as ur about to start Omnivore lmaoo

"be gentle.. like i was with you.." chills aksjdhflajk i forgot about that line and honestly its one of THEE most horrifying things said on the show

im talking out of my ass here akjshfd bc idk anything ab tv networks or ratings or the production process, but i think there may be some kind of limit on what they were willing to put the characters through? there's no limit on what they'll do to the victims and side characters, but it's like they have a line they can't cross when it comes to what is currently happening with the characters...

they have their story about morgan's history (which really was a good episode? im sure it had lots of problems, but the general themes of the story seemed genuine and like they were trying to keep it respectful) but they don't really show the characters now going through anything like that. they toe the line.. they get close... they reference it to varying degrees in certain arcs.... (elle and the fisher king, hotch and foyet, emily and doyle when he kidnaps her, jj and hastings) but they don't quite make it there. i'm not sure if it's because they didn't want to deal with it, bc they weren't allowed to talk ab it, or bc they didn't want to handle it poorly. (which i mean. when has that ever stopped them before??) its not just something they do with sexual assault, it's something they also do with reid's addiction. they show the initial injections, but they never show him doing it himself or going through the process of rehab at all. they mention it, they reference it, but they never show it

maybe this is me giving the writers too much credit, but i like to think it was very intentional that they gave foyet Those Vibes. they didn't follow through with it, but i think the implication still holds and its one of those things thats left to interpretation: you can see it that way or you don't have to. but its definitely there and its there for a reason. especially with all the parallels to elle... honestly that's what its about for me more than anything. he's experiencing the same thing that broke elle, like the universe is asking if he could handle it too.

#tw sa #asks #tbh one thing i DID have issues with w the whole foyet thing was how quickly he killed haley?#like ik he wanted hotch to hear it so the gunshot was the obvi choice but... hearing her screams wouldve been just as sinister?#and again this is an unsub who almost exclusively stabs his victims #he gets off on torturing his victims... killing her quickly just wouldve give him anything #it would also definitely add to jacks' trauma.. hearing his mothers screams..#idk i just think its another one of those things where they didnt want to cross a line w a main character #bc it makes no sense for foyet to just shoot her like that

24 notes · View notes

janiedean · 3 years

Text

@seethemflying I think Sansa is in the next bracket down of important characters (with Jaime). In the outline, they weren't named as one of the big five, but in the process of writing have grown more important. No way is Sansa's ending going to be anything like Show Sansa's, though (and same with Jaime tbh).

agreed but lemme take a second from cramming to rant about this because I honestly have An Issue

in the sense: I 100% agree that both jaime and sansa are next bracket/secondary main (speaking as someone whose top five is made by ppl who are either secondary main or tertiary main if they have a pov like.... I'm not gonna argue that theon is a main fiver bc he's in my top three) but like what I can't deal with is the following as in that the main five are the main five bc they have in between them all the main themes george wants to tackle + the main plot stuff except for the 'romance is my #1 sense of existing in the plot', as in:

jon is azor ahai + has the chosen one deconstruction trope going on + most likely has the 'I never wanted to be Important™/have a throne but I'll have to for duty' ending + identity arc ie if he's not jon snow first of his name i'm eating my hat

dany has the dragons + the targ ancestry deal + 'I thought I wanted to rule but actually I don't I just want to help ppl' storyline (which is the hill i'm dying on)

bran has the oH WAIT fisher king deconstruction going on + the magic™ storyline + he's most likely kitn + he's tied to uh the literal rebirth of the continent so + how to deal with disability storyline

arya has the I NEED TO REALIZE WHO I AM storyline + the learning to be yourself as a gnc woman storyline + revenge is shit storyline + I'll become a skilled assassin and choose not to act on it unless absolutely necessary storyline + trauma/ptsd storyline tied to losing your own identity

tyrion has the shakesperean hero thing going on as in I have to make peace with the fact that I killed my father/did mistakes + overcoming the societal issues/problems/the prejudice most ppl have for him that’s caused by his disability storyline + he's the only one of these five who doesn't have any magical stuff in his background/only has his brain to rely on + overcoming his family's legacy and making it better storyline

now: a bunch of other minor/secondary characters have all of this (I mean idk theon and jaime have identity + learning to deal with/overcoming societal scorn given by them being disabled/having become disabled in various ways + ptsd, brienne has the gnc woman thing etc) but like each single one of these characters only lacks the OH I HAVE A BIGASS GREAT ROMANCE WITH MY BACKGROUND (I mean gendry exists to be arya's LI but idt it's gonna be important in her future storyline the way it'll be in brienne's to say one).. which oh wait SANSA JAIME AND BRIENNE HAVE, because guess what that's the next secondary bracket where those three characters have it as a main part of the story which is exempt from the politics angle (bc none of them is tied to the iron trap by the plot no none of them jaime doesn't want it, brienne isn't a contender and sansa was supposed to be queen in the beginning so she's obviously not going to be that later no not even qitn that's gonna be bran) and here falls the entire shebang because what half of this fandom doesn't seem to get is that *drumroll* george's favorite angle to tackle when it comes to romance is... THAT EXTERNAL BEAUTY IS NOT WHAT YOU SHOULD BE LOOKING AT IN PEOPLE AT THE END OF IT AND GUESS WHAT THAT'S THE MAIN POINT OF ALL OF THEM PLUS THE KNIGHTHOOD DECONSTRUCTION THING and with that I mean:

not counting that sansa's reaction to trauma is written to be specular and opposite to arya's as in arya tends to lose sight of herself/becomes someone else/resorts to violence to survive sansa never loses track of herself/her innate kindness which... is smth I wish dnd remembered, the thing is: sansa is presented in the beginning as 'i'm a twelve year old with all the issues with shallowness a 12yo brought up like me can have and everything I want from life is a good love story', which... guess what she's 100% going to get except

characters need to have an evolution, if sansa wants a handsome pretty guy who'll make her queen in the beginning and she has to realize joffrey was The Worst, do we really think her endgame is being queen of a handsome nice king when her entire schtick is liking songs about knights and wanting true love and someone gentle and brave blah blah? no, and that's exceedingly obvious when the text throws at you in the face that her only two actually viable choices for LI - sandor and tyrion - are.. guys who are either disfigured or disabled or traumatized or all three of them but are actually good people and she has to learn to see beyond looks, and no one else fits that bill period - sansa isn't getting with a pretty guy who'll make her queen, sansa will find love with a guy who's nowhere near pretty or handsome but will love her for who she is and that she will see the good behind the not-handsomeness dot and she'll prob go back north with him and be happy advising bran bc she learned stuff in court at most and I'm dying on that hill, bc again the entire point of her sl is having the nice good love story where she sees beyond external beauty which has been clear from page five of her first pov imvho

never mind that again she wants to be a queen in the beginning and then she realizes it's shit so why would she be one in the end? like not to be that asshole but george isn't exactly pro monarchy and it's obvious he's not going to paint it as an inherently positive thing

this attaches back to the fact that there's a whole knighthood deconstruction happening for which sansa has to realize that the gallant/true knights are not the ones who seem that/look like it/flaunt it around

which brings us to the fact that oh wait sandor and jaime in themselves are true knights in spite of the fact that sandor refuses to even consider himself one and jaime thinks he fucked it up and no one sees them as such

and that the truest knight in westeros who will get recognized as such is brienne

who doesn't look standard hot either

and has the love story with jaime right on page

and jaime also has the love story right on page where he has to realize he's into people that aren't c. especially brienne and so on which is what's happening right now like jb recognizing themselves as true knights™ is part of their whole thing like... it's... important

(this counting that san/san is beauty and the beast played straight with sansa as the beauty while jb is the same trope except reversed on itself five times because both j and b are both of them)

and this would also like make utter sense if oh, wait, jb weren't in the riverlands where sandor also is and if oh wait who has sworn a vow to find sansa like again I'm dying on the hill that brienne kills stoneheart, they go on the quiet isle to recover, sandor is like AH YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SANSA and sansa gets rescued in the vale by the only three true knights in these series including the one that's her actual love interest at least the way I see it and where do you think that's going to end yeah exactly

as in: she'll have the umpteenth proof that all the true knights in these books don't look like the songs and she'll get the one she wanted

(also brienne is way more like sansa than arya in personality so like... parallelism of two girls into romantic stuff getting with the guys they like? except that for b. it's relevant bc she's ugly and she gets with hot guy who's into her and for s. it's relevant bc she's hot and she goes with guy-everyone-considers-a-lost-cause showing that they're not exactly a lost cause)

like sansa is there to a) have half of the main love story plot b) as the resident song expert witness what knighthood actually means, jaime is the resident person doing things for love and finding ways to do it that aren't toxic/finds someone who'll actually love him and not what he represents, brienne is the resident 'I never thought anyone would be into me and I'm pursuing my dreams without a shred of hope they'll go well' and she gets all of that and sandor is there to be sansa's LI and to tell ppl that you can go to rehab and have a decent life even if you were used and abused to hell and back (jaime too tbh) and like none of that has to do with the iron trap, the magic, the zombies and whatnot but it's okay because it's their point in the plot and is2g I just wish people would take characters for what they represent instead of shoehorning them into others's themes/stories just because it's what they want for them, the end

(I could rant about the third bracket of characters ie theon & co & getting over trauma/ptsd without the Love Story™ but I have to get back to study if I wanna fill some prompts later so it's not gonna happen for now but... sorry for the rant I'm just really tired of the whole sansastark will get the iron trap and the north and be the ymbq and get with a guy that looks good for her depending on what we ship not considering the overall reaching plot or her book plot and everyone else will have zero relevance in the story because we said so especially when it means giving all of that to a character who is uh not belonging to any of the categories represented by the main five which are actually kiiindaaaa relevant rep but I'mma just gonna shut up here)

#janie rants #janie writes meta #i guess #anti show sansa #seethemflying #janie replies #jaime x brienne for ts #sansan for ts #long post for ts #janie speculates #right i'm back on studying penal law rip #my stuff

42 notes · View notes

camelotsheart · 3 years

Text

Alright. I’m watching 1x11 and trying a new way of liveblogging. Which is just me writing random paragraphs. Enjoy.

A creature of magic mourning the loss of a creature of magic 😭

“Arthur is a hunter. It's in his blood. Whereas you are something entirely different.“ reminds me of “He is a weapon, a killer. Do not forget it. You can use a spear as a walking stick, but that will not change its nature.“ “You are wrong.” Especially with the way that Arthur then proves what is in his heart by the end of the episode, and how his ‘heart’ is shown to constantly guide him towards the ‘correct’ choice in s5 (e.g. “My heart says do anything I can to save Mordred.“)

“You've got a face like a wounded bear ever since we got back from that hunting trip." Arthur means bear. I have no idea what to do with this information.

The unicorn as a metaphor for those sorcerers who “do no harm” and thus Camelot serves no purpose in killing them. Especially since people like the Disir and Alator describe the purge as a “hunt”.

The drought serving as a parallel to the events that happened before the purge to Uther, in that Arthur sees all the harm that “magic” is doing to the land and his people, just like Uther witnesses Ygraine’s death. Arthur initially refuses to accept that what happens is caused by him, just like Uther does. But unlike Uther, Arthur is able to acknowledge his mistakes given time (it’s interesting how in the book adaptation of 1x02 merlin makes this comparison too)

“If it is magic, it's more powerful magic than I possess.“ So unicorn magic is more powerful than Merlin’s magic. Would dragon magic be more powerful too? Is that why Merlin couldn’t heal Arthur from the poison of Mordred’s sword tha was forged in a dragon’s breath?

Merlin not understanding hand signals is my life 😂💖

Ok I can literally draw so many parallels between Anhora and Arthur’s first conversation, and Nimueh and Uther’s conversation in 1x09. Especially from how both Arthur and Uther seem completely unable to understand how the ‘curse’ that happened to Ygraine and Camelot was technically their fault.

“And could you bear for your children to see you be executed?“ The way in which Arthur says this breaks my heart because he does understand the feeling of blaming himself for the loss of a parent, just like those hypothetical children would. This is highlighted more by the fact that Evan later plays on Arthur’s insecurities about being his father’s son.

“If you're tested again, you have a chance to end your people's suffering. I know you want that more than anything." Reminds me of what Bradley says about Arthur putting Camelot above everything, even his personal relationships. Compare this to Lancelot and Merlin, who’s “something that is more important than anything” is a person (or people, in the case of Lancelot).

I LOVE S1 MORGANA. S1 AND 2 MORGWEN WOULD HAVE MADE A PERFECT QUEEN DUO FIGHT ME.

Merlin’s face when Arthur says he’s going to the forest to seek Anhorra out 🥺 Also the way he looks back like he wants to see the exact moment Arthur figures out that he’s eating rat meat 🤣 Merlin’s sarcastic little nod. Arthur’s shit-eating grin. This is what I mean by sibling dynamics.

AND THEN THEY TURN ON MORGANA ASDJSAJASLDKKLDJSA. MERLIN. ARTHUR. NO 🤣🤣🤣

“The King must wonder if you are even his son.“ I absolutely do not like how Anhora chose to do the test with Evan here. I hate it. But it does prepare Arthur for a lot of things. It prepares him to do things his father normally would not do. It prepares him to ignore when people compare him to his father (not that it worked with Agravaine, but Arthur does eventually come around most of the time with Merlin’s help). I find it like a mini 5x03 in a way. Also the fact that Arthur doesn’t even try to defend himself by saying that the looter would have been executed by the law of the land anyway; because deep down he knows that reasoning is wrong. What needs to be changed currently is Arthur’s arrogance in regards to his honour, not his internal morals. He has already proven his internal morals with saving Mordred, laying down his life in 1x09, as well as rescuing Ealdor and his reaction to finding out Will was a sorcerer in 1x10. Right now, Arthur needs to be able to accept that he is wrong.

“Besides I would rather starve than beg my enemies for help! What of our kingdom's reputation? Have you no pride?” “I cannot think of my pride when our people go hungry. They're all I can think of.” I’m screaming over the fact that what ends up beating sense into Arthur is his love for his people. I want to cry. He loves his people so much that his battle cry is “for the love of Camelot” 😭❤️

“Very well. But if you'd caught the sorcerer, I would not have to. That's your responsibility! One day you will understand what it takes to be King!” One day, Uther, you’ll learn to blame yourself for other people’s suffering.

“My people are starving. Camelot is on the verge of collapse. And it is all my doing.“ IT DIDN’T EVEN TAKE ARTHUR A DAY TO LEARN THIS I WANT TO CRY 😭 FUCK YOU UTHER YOU DON’T DESERVE ARTHUR AT ALL. (also the fact that Arthur fiddles with Ygraine’s ring as he says this 😭❤️)

“I trust Arthur with my life” the fact that arthur proves that trust right both in this episode by drinking the goblet and in the previous episode by admitting that he “of course” would not kill Will despite thinking he was a sorcerer.

Why the hell does Anhora use a sword to cast the vine spell.

“I thought I told you to stay at home.” Every time Arthur calls Camelot ‘home’ for Merlin I 🥺

Are those carvings... horseshoes...? Making the shape of a heart....? I--

(Sorry guys. By this point it’s 200% certain that my shipper brain is going to take over. Please expect a lot of screaming)

“What kind of ridiculous test is that? What does that prove?” “What it proves is for you to decide.” Which means that by the end, Arthur realizes what this test proves. And he proves what is truly in his heart by sacrificing his life for merlin. Remember “To sacrifice his life to save Gwen’s... I can’t imagine any man loving me so much.” “I certainly can’t imagine that either” “That’s because you’re not like Merlin. He’s a lover” “Yeah? Maybe that’s because I haven’t found the right person to love”. Remember how in the book adaptation this episode, it says that Arthur proves that there is love in his heart by giving his life for Merlin? Remember “there was magic at the heart of Camelot”? Remember how in the book version Arthur doesn’t deny having love in his heart when Anhora says so when the Unicorn lives again, and instead turns his head to smile at Merlin--

“I’m glad you’re here, Merlin.” @thebookluvrr1816 More 1x11-finale parallels to scream about 😭 The book version describes Merlin’s surprise at this statement, and how he thought it was “ironic and unfair” that they understood each other "at the very moment that death was about to tear them apart.”

“No, I will drink it!” “As if I’d let you.” Someone stop these dollopheads from having a domestic about who will die for the other i beg

“You know me, Merlin. I never listen to you.” reminds me of “I’m the king Merlin, you can’t tell me what to do.” “I always have. I’m not going to change now.” Also, in the books Arthur actually says “farewell, Merlin” after this. Book Arthur is way more suave just saying.

HOW ARTHUR LOOKS INTO MERLIN’S EYES IN HIS FINAL MOMENTS UNTIL HE ISN’T PHYSICALLY ABLE TO ANYMORE. SOMEONE HELP ME 😭

“This was Arthur's test, not yours.“ idk but this reminds me of the fisher king saying “For this is not Arthur's quest, it is yours.“

“You've killed him! I was meant to protect him!” This is going to sound harsh but by this point I think Merlin was still putting Arthur’s destiny above Arthur himself. In the books, there’s a distinct difference in how he feels about Arthur’s death in this scene compared to 1x13 (I’m amazed at how fast his feelings changes, actually). Here, I feel like he focuses more on his own failure to protect Arthur as part of his destiny, but in 1x13, he says that the idea of destiny not being fulfilled was nothing compared to the idea of not being by Arthur’s side. I wonder what happens between this and 1x13 for Merlin’s feelings to change so much.

THIS HAS PROBABLY BEEN STATED MULTIPLE TIMES BEFORE BUT “HE HAS PROVEN WHAT IS TRULY IN HIS HEART“ AS THE CAMERA FOCUSES ON MERLIN. PRODUCERS YOU AIN’T SNEAKY.

Merlin’s smile as he looks down at Arthur sleeping 🥺

Arthur looking at Uther’s hand on his shoulder as if he’s trying to identify a foreign object 🙂 I can never say this enough but fuck you Uther.

“When he who kills a unicorn proves himself to be pure of heart, the unicorn will live again.” this is a stretch but it reminds me of “when Albion’s need is greatest, Arthur will rise again.”

And that’s done! I have a small meta that ties the theme of Arthur and magic in this episode to the same themes in 1x10, but I might do it on a separate post since this one is already so long 😂

#bbc merlin #merlin meta #long post #1x11 #merthur? merthur #someone stop me from having 4 spirals every episode #this is why my chronological watches take me so long

48 notes · View notes