#and i know the end of the show neither means the end of fandom nor the closing of the gates on new fic

[theminecraftbee]

Just out of curiosity, do you know any alternative ways of showing types of relationships that could be used on ao3? I find the & and / method to be very constraining, especially with ambiguous or multi-dimensional relationships. & for platonic and / for romantic does not allow for a proper representation of nonstandard relationships, for example an enemy/loathing or polyamorous relationship. (Homestuck quadrants are their own thing and are not what I am asking for/about.)

answer that answers your question:

yes and no. if you just want another category of markers to exist, i know you said no homestuck quadrants, but those are probably most commonly used, although they're all synned to the / tag. i've seen some exchanges that want to differentiate use /& together, i've seen ? be used, and i've seen some invent their own tag (largely exchanges use these for matching purposes and it's rare but i HAVE seen it). however, there's no unifying convention, and ao3 will eventually syn all of these to either the / or & tag (usually the / unless the wranglers have a very good reason to think it's the & tbh). so know that even if you use your own symbol, it will show up in the relationship tag it ends up synned to.

one of the most common solutions to this is to use the symbol closest to what you want--personally i tend to just use the & unless there's fic content i think gen fans would really hate, since & is the tag that covers the much wider spectrum of relationships in my head, although some people will differ--and use freeform tags to disambiguate. for example, last days has the & tag for joe and cleo, along with a "queerplatonic relationships" tag! i believe "ambiguous relationships" is also a canonical tag, and you don't have to use canonicals if you can't find the one you like! the world is your oyster.

(here i'll also note: the & doesn't require them be like... friends. it just requires the fic be about their relationship in some way, and for this relationship to not be romantic or sexual. enemies is absolutely covered here, as is like, weird coworkers, or even tags like "hero & the public".)

(similarly, the / tag doesn't require they like each other, it just requires it to be a "ship"; enemies who have a ton of sexual tension goes under this, as do things like abusive romantic or sexual relationships; just make sure you're using your warnings and additional tags appropriately!)

the other most common solution is to tag both the / and & tag and use a tag like the "ambiguous relationships" or "this can be read as either" or "queerplatonic relationships" or whatever other disambiguating tag you think it needs. this is less common in the mcyt fandom because of the mcyt fandom's history of being SUPER WEIRD about shipping, but it's often the most common solution in fandoms that aren't this one.

"i want ao3 to have a ship tag that is neither & nor /, and is not considered synonymous with either" unfortunately this doesn't exist and isn't going to. like i'd love to say there's a way to make it exist but it Won't because of how ao3 was designed to work on a backend level and also ao3 does NOT change quickly, for better or for worse. you're going to have to pick between "make up a symbol and it will probably be synned to /", "use the tag you think you like best", or "use both". i wish there was another option too, if it helps, but the additional tags are really useful here!

"use no relationship tag" is also always an option; the relationship tag is not a required tag!

answer that answers your two examples, neither of which really fit the question as i understand it, hence me separating them out:

a fic about the relationship between two enemies is either the & tag if you just want the one that is actually meant to be used or the / tag if you mean for it to be like, the kind of enemies that have sexual tension. use additional tags to additionally disambiguate (example: just put in the tags the canonical tag "enemies" and you're good to go). the & tag is for ANY kind of platonic relationship, it does not require the two characters like each other, only that the fic is about their relationship! you can use the homestuck <3< if you REALLY wanna make it clear but that's synned to /, so like, up to you. if you're super worried someone will misunderstand the & tag you can also just not tag a relationship, relationships aren't mandatory tags.

i have no idea why you're asking about polyamory because that has a solution that's entirely unrelated to the problem you propose: you just tag the ship. ship tags with more than two names in them are legal tags, as long as it doesn't go over ao3's tag character limit you're good. if you do hit the limit, just use more than one tag! this is totally fine and follows ao3 conventions, don't worry. if it's the kind of polyamorous relationship with metamours, where not everyone is dating everyone, this is where more than one overlapping relationship tag REALLY helps. plus: you can mix / and & tags! not all of them will be canonical yet, but that's true of ANY ship tag you're originating! i have seen the form of "character/character & character" in many fandoms before, it's totally valid and will disambiguate! (also, the ensemble tags may help you here if you're doing like, a polyhermits thing; "hermitcraft ensemble/hermitcraft ensemble" is a legal tag and i think what polyhermits is probably synned to.)

so yeah, hopefully this helps some! good luck out there!

#answered #hopefully this is a useful guide to anyone who has this question! #also i know my take on the / and & tags is SLIGHTLY controversial; that will depend on the fandom a bit i know #but it IS the intended syntax there #and as i said if you're really concerned you can just Not Use A Tag

[lordoftherazzles]

My takeaway from the past 24+ hours...

There are so many of us that rely on ao3, whether you're a reader or writer. It brings us joy, it gives us an escape from the real world, and it lets us come together as a community to share stories and scenarios about our favorite fandoms and characters. The amount of posts I have seen on multiple platforms lamenting over the DDoS attacks is overwhelming - but with most of them comes a delightful cheer to the volunteers working to resolve this issue.

I've seen so many statements of praise for those volunteers, which is exactly what they deserve, and more. Can you imagine working for over 24 hours straight, on a volunteer basis, against something like this? They're the real MVPs, and I think our appreciation for them gets lost until moments like this rise.

With that said, here is my first real takeaway...

Don't bitch when ao3 does a donation drive. They work hard to keep the archive up and running, and with that costs money. Every server, every new addition or feature you want to see added to help make the site better, it costs money. The legal team that is defending fanfic authors??? MONEY. SO! DON'T! COMPLAIN!

I'm not saying you have to go out and donate your paycheck to ao3 - but I will say that, especially with this situation, if you can donate even a little bit to show your support, it means more than you probably realize, and even if you can't donate (which is totally okay), be kind to those who work on the archive. Send them kind words of encouragement, rather than flaming the archive because it's under attack - because yeah, I've seen people bitching AT ao3 for not working fast enough, or for it still being down. STOP IT.

My second takeaway...

Don't believe everything you see on the internet. Ao3 themselves have advised that the group claiming to take credit for this attack is to be treated with skepticism. And not only that, let's NOT automatically make assumptions about who is responsible just because of an organization's name. It's just a NAME, it doesn't identify a person's origin, background, etc. But I'm not here to dive into that much further. Point: I better not see any Sudanese hatred on my dash, or I will bite you.

My third takeaway...

Treat your fanfic writers with respect. We all now see first hand how much we depend on these stories. As I said above, for some it's an escape, a creative release, and a way to communicate with other people through similar interests. It's a beautiful creation, neither above nor below any other kind of literature.

Consider commenting, reblogging, kudos, anything you can to let the authors know you enjoyed and appreciate their works. Everyone is free to communicate in the way that suits them best, but every little bit is appreciated - as a fanfic writer myself, I can tell you that even a little heart emoji has made my day. It's like receiving a second kudos, and tells me that someone appreciated my efforts enough to give me a double thumbs up.

Any form of communication with the authors is appreciated. It lets them know that people are genuinely interested. We live in a world where INSTANT GRATIFICATION is taking over, but creations such as this take time. Talk with the authors, ask them about their wips, tell them they're doing a great job. Do NOT pester about "when are you updating next?" or the dreaded AI option - again, I will BITE PEOPLE if I see you doing this. Just...have some respect, show your appreciation, it's more than JUST FANFIC.

At the end of the day I guess this post is about being kind. Not pointing fingers or slandering people due to a name. It's about appreciating the things we do have, and not taking them for granted. Whether it's the brave cyber warriors currently fighting these DDoS attacks on the frontline, or the authors writing for not only their enjoyment, but for others too. Let's all respect one another, and show our support when and where we can.

HUGE THANK YOU TO THE VOLUNTEERS AT AO3, YOU ARE THE REAL MVPS!!!

#ao3 #archive of our own #fanfiction #razzy's rambles

[booksandabeer]

Ramblings on Fandom: Peggy Carter, Steve Rogers, Delusional Shippers, and Alleged Misogyny

So with the release of Season 2 of What If…? emotions are once again running high, the outrage is outraging, and people are up in arms about the whole Captain Carter situation. While I do think that some reactions are a little overblown, even needlessly aggressive in tone to the unfortunate detriment of their otherwise convincing arguments, I share the confusion and frustration about the sudden centering of a long-dead & never excessively popular character, the sidelining of the Steve-Bucky friendship, and the as-inexplicable-as-it-is-total exclusion of Sam Wilson as Captain America. However, I’m not here to talk about the show because (1) I haven’t watched this season and have no plans to (why waste time torturing myself with something I know I’ll hate?) and (2) other people have already written dozens of metas about it, so what could I possibly add at this point.

What I do want need to talk about (lest I explode) is something that has irritated me for a long time and that is now happening again: Every time someone even mildly criticizes Peggy Carter, expresses doubts about her suitability as a heroine, or even just questions her disproportionate importance to the franchise post-EG, inevitably a certain section of fans will come out of the woodwork to immediately throw around accusations of misogyny and yell about how we’re all just a bunch of delusional Stuckies who are mad that she got "in the way" of our ship. Sigh.

This is gonna be a long one, so I’ll put it under a cut. Rant incoming. You've been warned. If you don't want to read, simply scroll on by.

First of all, let me state very clearly that I’m not debating the existence of misogyny and sexism in fandom spaces—or in the media from which these fandoms originate. At all. It exists, it’s a thing, I’m not denying that. Which is exactly why it frustrates me endlessly to see these accusations thrown around as a gotcha! argument to shut down any and all critical debate around a female character. All it does in the end is escalate rhetoric and radicalize attitudes.  

In the case of Peggy Carter, specifically her treatment by Stucky shippers, I’ve always found 'misogyny as a motive' to be a largely unsubstantiated accusation.¹ Now, I neither presume nor do I want to speak for the entirety of Stuckynation, so I will not claim that there aren't corners of the fandom where people discuss her in ways that I find off-putting and deeply unserious, but I will say this: If you genuinely believe that disliking one (1) fictional female character equals “hating all women” and wanting to suppress and marginalize their presence in fiction and real life alike—then I think we need to take that word away from you until you’ve learned its true meaning.

You might also want to ask yourself how exactly reducing a female character to a mute trophy wife or a heroine who has to act out her love interest’s recycled storylines helps your feminist fight.

As to the “standing in the way of your ship” part of the argument. Very simply put: No character can stand in the way of something if there never ever was “a way” to that something to begin with. “Being mad” implies that there was a reasonable expectation that wasn’t met, a substantive hope that was crushed. Now, I’ve said this before and I’ll gladly say it again a million more times: No Stucky shipper in their right mind ever truly thought that there was even the slightest chance that Marvel Studios owned by the Walt Disney Company would allow Steve “Captain America” Rogers and Bucky “Winter Soldier” Barnes to be canonized as an explicitly romantic pairing in their billion dollar franchise. Be serious. That was never in the cards. I wish we all lived in a world where it was, but we don’t, and it wasn’t. The best we could ever hope for was for Steve and Bucky to get a good, satisfying, in-character ending. And if, in Steve’s case, that would’ve included hints (or more) about a possible rekindling of his, uh, aborted romance with Sharon—then so be it. But we never got any of that. The characters never got any of that. Instead they sent Steve into 1950s suburban hell, literally trapped him behind a white picket fence, and condemned him to a life of passivity and lies, all so he could be married to a woman he barely knew a long time ago in a completely different world; who built and ran a top-to-bottom Hydra-infested organization, but apparently never noticed that there was anything wrong with her life's work. For decades. Great. As for Bucky—well, we’ve all seen the devastatingly grim-faced, utterly lonely, and deeply sad version of him that was presented to us in TFATWS. Happy endings all around, I guess.

So. Am I mad that Steve didn’t get to ride into the rainbow-colored sunset with Bucky at the end of EG? No. Because that was never going to happen anyway. Would I have been mad had he ended up with Sharon or another female character in the 21st century? Also no. Granted, I wouldn’t have been ecstatic about it, but mad? No. But am I mad that Steve ended up with this specific female character under these specific circumstances as presented in canon? Fuck yeah, I am.

The thing is: I personally believe Steve and Peggy to be fundamentally incompatible when it comes to the way they view the world and their respective places in it; their morals and values; their capacity for compassion and empathy; their ability and willingness to compartmentalize, compromise, and collaborate with people and institutions whose ethics and/or politics do not align with their own. I have a real hard time believing that a relationship between these two (or worse, a hasty marriage) could be either happy or long-lasting.

I don’t believe Peggy to be inherently evil, I don’t hate her, I simply think she operates within a different moral framework than Steve (and even genuinely believes it to be a righteous one).² Your mileage may vary, but I personally happen to find that framework reprehensible, even indecent, and ultimately dangerous. After all, over the course of the 20th century, we have seen exactly where that kind of “the ends justify the means” brand of pragmatism leads—over and over again. Not to mention that the people who use this line of argument to defend characters like Peggy (or real-life politicians for that matter) never seem to want to look too closely at who gets to define what "the ends" are in the first place and who decides when they've finally been met.

(Never. The answer is never.)

And to be clear, there is absolutely nothing wrong with depicting, and even centering a narrative around a morally (dark)gray character—oftentimes it’s actually the more interesting option—but you cannot at the same time claim that they are purely good and should be only admired as such when their actions literally tell an entirely different story.

So, no. I will not accept Peggy Carter as the shining aspirational heroine that the MCU so badly wants to sell her to me as—while simultaneously continuing to reveal things that paint an increasingly darker picture of her character. And I will certainly not celebrate seeing one of my favorite characters of all time—whose defining trait was that he couldn't ignore "a situation pointed south"; who used to fight for the little guy and against the establishment; who once said about the very organization that Peggy Carter helped build that it was so corrupt, it all needed to go—rendered morally inert for some hollow happy ending that may as well be a conservative’s wet dream full of false nostalgia for an America that never really existed. I cannot find it in me to be anything less but mad about that.

But that does not make me a misogynist. It does not make me a delusional shipper. It makes me someone who looks at what the MCU has been telling me about Peggy Carter for years now—over and over again—and takes it at its own word.

--------

¹ If you’ve actually read a a fair number of Stucky(!) fanfics you will have noticed that the reverence afforded to and "page time" devoted to her character and her relationship with Steve is somewhat disproportionate to anything that's backed up by canon—well, up until EG, where she was suddenly reanimated as The Great Love of Steve’s Life—and in my experience, it's highly unusual for any fandom to put so much (mostly) positive attention on another character, let alone a potential love interest that is not part of the endgame ship.

² I also want to emphasize that if you love Peggy and she's your fave: good for you! I genuinely have no beef with you. People can agree to disagree. All I ask for is that we maybe stop willfully ignoring the less savory aspects of her character. You don't need to pretend she's perfect to justify your affection for her. I LOVE Steve, and yet I have no problem conceding that he is FAR from perfect.

#*drops post & runs away* i may regret this but it's my blog and i rant if i want to #i know some people will roll their eyes & i debated posting this at all but i simply had to get it off my chest once and for all. #so there. now i can be free. or something. #also i have no idea what to tag this & i personally find 'anti' tags silly bc why is critical discussion automatically labeled as 'anti'? #but whatever i'll play nice. so i guess: #anti peggy carter #anti steggy #anti endgame #hope that covers it #wading into the dIsCoUrsE

[rustys-lodge]

His ward.

Summary : Sherlock notices a few changes in you. It's sleep, nutrition and....Other things. You're just simply not okay. What's he going to do about that ?

warnings : Talk about lack of nutrition, a bit of angst, as well as poor behavior caused by lack of sleep. And one mention of physical assault.

A/N : First sherlock fic ! yaaay ! I'm so excited to add a new fandom to the Masterlist . So, as some of you might notice, the scene's the same. Just a few changes of my own to fit the story better. And a much better ending that I'm sure a lot of us wanted !! 😂 For those that don't know the scene. Here it is.

-----

"Did i ask you for advice ? I found you on the street. Drunk."

The man froze, turning to face you in a defeating manner.

"Now what may I observe about you ?"

You shook your head. "We're not playing this game."

Let's rewind a few hours back...Where Sherlock was...standing like a crab, balancing himself to not fall drunken face down on the ground. If you hadn't found him and brought him home....You'd say he would've ended up dead, somewhere in a garbage can.

Now Sherlock, thinks otherwise. Mister great detective says it is he, who helped you. How ? God knows how....

He is also saying you should leave....Which...You don't agree with. He needs the help. His place is a mess. he needs cleaning. He needs someone to help him organize the chaos that he's living in...He needs-

"Your eyes are redder than redder than wine." Sherlock started and you take a step back. "You're much slower than you usually are."

"Like you know what i usually am like, Sherlock." Accusations spilled out of your lips, but Sherlock ignores them, simultaneously talking ober you and analyzing you.

"Your face has lost it's color and your wounds are healing very slow."

"You're one to talk, look at you, your hair's more messed up than a-

"And then there's the irritability, you are less-"

"Stop !" Your index found itself inches away from Sherlock's face. And he stops.

"And then there's your nails." Sherlock's voice decreased into a soft tone, yet the sternness was still there. And before you could move your finger away, his hand reached for it. "Your nails are brittle."

You yanked your hand away at his response. "They are n-"

"I wasn't in such a state as to not see that, Y/N." Sherlock leaned closer to your face, the glare in his eyes freezing you in place. And then he kept on blabbering as he walked away from you. And you couldn't help but insult him back concurrently . "You're neither sleeping nor eating. Why is that ?"

Your throat dried up as his words emerged louder and louder. "Sherlock, you- You-How did you-"

"And." Your brother lifted up his arm. God damn it.... "Your neck is red. Someone has gripped it or held a knife against.." a shaky breath replaced that last little word as realization hit Sherlock, his features emulsifying into a state of shock...

Or was it anger ?

Your hand instantly flew up to cover your neck as your gaze darted to the ground. You couldn't help but think about the product of the aftermath. And as the silence grew louder, the images started-

"Are you involved in something dangerous ?" Sherlock broke the silence. Finally. And you glanced away. "Because you are still my ward." Steps grew closer and a second after that, you found yourself towered over by him.

Your foot staggered back. You...You don't n-need him.

"If you need my help, my offer remains on the table." A soft command is what it was...And you couldn't help but thi- "Don't be so desperate to prove yourself, Y/n."

You faltered, scoffing. Is that was he thought it was ? It was that....But did he have to say it ?

"I am not desperate." A fake spark of triumph electrified you. And you found yourself turning on your heels. "And i don't need your- or anyone's hel-"

"Not so fast."

You turned around, somewhat thrilled. "What ?" You spa out.

You might've gotten thrilled. But that doesn't mean you were going to show that to him ?

Your brother threw a glance at you before his gaze fell down. His giant slumped shoulders gave away the desperation and the deceit he was feeling.

Your heart stung at the sight of it.

"What ?" You repeated yourself, a bit louder. Impatience was growing thicker in you. You....Yo-

"If you insist my help is not needed, than i will serve you a plate and i shall observe you e-"

What ? "No!" He can't do that to you !! you're not a pet !

Sherlock raised his hand, motioning for you to stop. "To make sure you are well nurt-"

"No. No." But his attempt to defend himself failed, as you cut him off again, shaking your head violently. How could you not ?? What kind of suggestion is that-

"And you'll sleep here tonight. And then tomorrow you're free to...Not ever come back."

His words pierced through your heart.

"No."

"Okay." Sherlock condensed. And you squinted your eyes at his mischievous s- "Then you're not going anywhere."

There is it ! You...You knew it. Rolling your eyes at him, you tilted your head back as frustration swept over you. "No."

"I'm sorry. But"

"No" You shrugged, turning on your heels. You were not having any of it. Not the accusations, not the suggestion...Nothing. And Sherlock was quite different from Mycroft...He was gentler, sweeter. More loving. That meant : His opinion doesn't matter. After all, who's h-

"Hey !"

You flinched at the sudden yell that echoed through the room. Sherlock's voice was consumed by anger. Hoarse and low, the yell only made whimper unconsciously...And you thanked god your brother was far enough not to hear it. He better not have heard it...

"But Sherlock i-You can't withhold me h-"

"I am not withholding you, sister, I am only seeking your safety and your well-being." The detective's voice simmered down again, almost mirroring yours. The only difference is that you sounded almost weak. He sounded...collected.

"I-"

"If." Sherlock's voice filled the room again. "you do step out of that door, the consequences of that will be solely your responsibility to bear." The softness in his voice sent chills down your spine, as behind it hid a dark pitch that...You weren't sure you wanted to hear again.

With two fingers slightly curved around the door handle, your eyes dart from handle to Sherlock....You reconsidered....Stay and risk him finding out ?(Choice 1) Or Leave and risk...Whatever he has in mind for you ?(Choice 2)

-----

Tell me which choice would you choose ? if anobody wants to be tagged for part 2 tell me. ❤❤❤🌹🌹🌹

#henry cavil x y/n #henry cavil x reader #sherlock imagine #sherlock holmes fic #sherlock holmes x reader #sherlock holmes x sister reader #enola holmes #enola and sherlock #enola holmes brothers #sister x brothers #sister!reader #sibling!reader #sherlock holmes x sister!reader #the witcher

[sgiandubh]

Out of the OL bubble

Sidenote: this post owes everything to the incredible sleuthing skills of an already longtime trusted friend, who wishes to remain discreet. All credit goes entirely to her - this is such an idiotic topic, yet the Ur Troll insists.

I answered one of you in the comment threads yesterday, that once you get the hell out of the OL bubble, things begin to make sense. Why? Well, because of distance and context, I suppose. And also because this always was the dirty little secret of our Dedicated Manipulative Trolls: to make you believe in a terribly poor narrative, fit for a linear world. A world without compromise, drama, secrets and lies. Collective lack of time, perspective and/or Internet research skills did the rest and gave birth to this monster: the OL Fandom.

We are now told and are supposed to believe that because Scottish Xena apparently chose on purpose (with this and only this, I could agree, but for opposite reasons) to show us she trains in a Cumbernauld gym, that means... well, you know the rest and it involves The Magic Golden Dirk. That troll was never exactly subtle, was she, bless her heart?

That mother and entrepreneur has a life of her own and an entourage of her own and business collaborations of her own and her own agenda. Some of it is shown on her Instagram account, most of it can be speculated. Connecting dots just for the sake of it is neither productive, nor remotely interesting.

Let's see, for example, how she reacts to a very insistent fellow German athlete, whom she is going to meet at the Hyrox Cologne event (13-14th of April, during the Landcon week-end):

😬😱

What is Flamingos Club? Nope, not an ikebana society, no:

Tee-hee.

They were there before, in good company, last year, when they actually first met (rings a bell?):

(April 2023, ok? I am still waiting for my own DeLorean)

Who is this guy?

Fellow athlete, HYROX Ambassador (something I bet the farm she wants to achieve) and a contestant in this year's German reality show First Dates Hotel, on VOX (https://www.vox.de/cms/sendungen/first-dates-hotel.html):

The concept is simple: a renowned German chef, Roland Trettl (no idea!) now takes his blind date cooking show to the next level, with singles from all over the country parked into a Spanish dream holiday resort (Mallorca), shake, stir and see whatever happens. The classical Endemol recipe, now produced by Twenty Twenty. It also has an UK version, running on Channel 4 (coincidence? I doubt that very much, thank you!).

On set, Max's 'love interest' is a certain Linda. He recently wrote her ' a sweet love letter', taking the good advice of his namesake cast friend Max-the-Bartender:

(I swear to God, I feel like I am prostituting my 🧠, right now).

There is obviously nothing to see, here (or is it, such as two wannabes desperately wanting limelight?). She leads the typical no strings attached life of a single mom and he is still looking for a real job:

Since VOX does not give his full name, neither will I. It took five minutes to find him, with a bit of luck.

Why on Earth would one connect that woman to S, rather than to this nice, ambitious Bavarian?

I know why. It's almost too damn easy.

Two words: Channel 4. Truman Show. Ginger and Fred (oops, these are Our Couple).

Is it anything we haven't seen before?

Nope. We've seen way worse. But gone are the Days of Flukenzie Floozy.

[Edited] - there is no need to further expose our people.

#fandom #shitshow

[celestesinsight]

Salaar Analysis: Mahara Women!

We were introduced to the Mahara women and their plight when Deva entered Khanshar as Varadha's one man army. We watched a young girl being taken away in a vehicle, while another young girl was running after them. We got to know more about these women from Baba, when he described Mahara as poultry farms, except there were no hens. The meaning of this statement would later become clear, when Vishnu's disgusting actions were shown in detail. Even though, the scene explained about their conditions, we were still left clueless about their affinity to the three tribes of Khanshar.

This issue has been discussed too many times in the fandom and mostly ended with the conclusion that Mahara used to be one of Varadha's territory. Varadha used to have three territories, one Dora territory, Bhargat (that he gave up for Deva) and two Kapus, one of which was Pathran. But Varadha during the ceasefire voting, only held one vote as Kapus of Pathran. Hence, a common HC in fandom that Varadha lost Mahara before 2010. This theory could explain why Vishnu thought of humiliating Varadha by making him watch him assaulting those women. Another common HC in fandom is that Varadha's mother belonged to the Mahara.

There is a second theory about their origin that I have seen in a few YouTube videos. They speculate that Mahara women have some connections with Shiva Mannar and Shouryangas tribe. In the above photo, we could see that the bell-like ornament worn by Shiva Mannar, was also a part of Mahara women's attire. But neither Varadha nor Raja Mannar ever wore this ornament as Kartha, so it was definitely not a Mannarsi ornament. There was one thing that changed when the regime passed from Shiva Mannar to Raja Mannar, the decimation of the Shouryangas tribe. I have even watched a YouTube video stating that Shiva Mannar also had two wives like his son, one of them being Raja Mannar's mother and the other was a woman from Shouryangas tribe. And he wore that ornament to honour her.

I am not completely sold on this idea of Shiva Mannar's wife being a Shouryangas . But I do believe that there is a connection between them and Mahara women. And before I state my reasons, I want to point out something.

When the presence of Shouryangas was revealed during the climax of Khanshar, the cyan colour palette was used to portray them. Deva's Shouryangas heritage was also shown by colouring his upper body cyan. This colour is also used as a hidden clue in many scenes of the movie, pointing towards Deva being a Shouryangas.

During the promise scene.

During 2017 Deva's entry.

Again for a split second when he took the sword from the soldier before decapitating Naarang.

When Radha Rama asked the Mannar army to be alert in the entire Khanshar, depicting the rising Shouryangas threat.

So, when I was rewatching Salaar again last Friday, I noticed this colour again in the background during the 'Aaru Sethulunnaa' song, behind the Mahara women.

This shows that Mahara women have some connections to the Shouryangas tribe. Either they were the women from the Shouryangas tribe captured during the massacre and kept captives in Mahara all these years or they were a kind of sub-tribe, that forms a small part of the larger Shouryangas tribe. Or they could be people living in Shouryangas territory under their protection.

This could also explain Shiva Mannar wearing those bell-like ornaments. As the leader of the three tribes, he could wear other tribes ornaments to honour them or show his neutral stance.

Varadha's connection to Mahara is still a mystery. And I hope we get some clear answers about it in part 2.

#salaar #salaar part 1 ceasefire #sslaar analysis #mahara women

[multicolour-ink]

Pre Canon prompt:

Mama Mario goes in for her ultrasound and finds out she's having twins.

But when she's shown the sonogram, she sees something that even baffles the technician: how the two fetuses seem to be hugging each other.

She takes the video and shows it to the family, with whatever reactions you want them to have.

And when she comes back for the other ultrasounds, it keeps happening. They may change positions or one may switch to hugging other, but there's always something like that going on.

And then, for the ending, when they're born, I'd LOVE for this to connect to Don’t Let Go, where you mentioned a memory of them seeing each other for the first time.

Request - Non Prompt

Whist I have mentioned I do not do requests, I did want to do this idea very badly, and only if someone sent it as a request. So here we are! Hope you like this @jellyfishinc!

Mentions of babies in the womb and various other pregancy related stuff.

Please note I am not an obstetrician, nor do I know that much about pregnancy or what is normally expected to be seen during an ultrasound, besides what I have read and been told.

Takes place pre-Mario Movie verse.

Mama Mario is called 'Mia' (as is headcanoned by the fandom)

- - -

I've Never Left Your Side

It was quite a joyous occasion, to say the least!

The moment the now soon to be parents had announced that they were expecting, the whole house was filled with the cheers and cries of elation! Marie had hugged Mia, Arthur had burst into tears, while Tony had joked about "getting a hole in one", until his eldest brother had threatened to throw him out the door!

"We must get ready for the new bambino!", said the now soon to be Nonno, who had neither cheered nor cried, but had sat there grinning ear to ear at the news.

Everyone had of course wanted to pitch in. Marie even taking the soon to be parents (and Arthur much to his reluctance) out to the baby stores.

* * *

It wasn't until they had to go to their first scan, at 12 weeks, did things really take a surprise!

"Well", said the obstetrician. "It seems to me everything is looking healthy. And by such wonderful luck, you're having twins!"

He pointed out the two moving shapes on the screen to the still stunned parents. Mia was clutching her husband's hand, her smile instantly wide and tears wetting her cheeks. The man who sat beside her was dumbfounded.

Two babies. Two babies. Who were there as dark shapes on the monitor (later Papa would admit that they looked like jelly beans to him). It was so much to take in.

The obstetrician carefully moved the scanner around on the woman's bump, so the he could get a slightly better look at the twins.

And what he saw made the obstetrician raise an eyebrow. One of the foetuses seemed to be "reaching" for the other, an arm outstretched to the full. The other was also reaching out, but seemingly more timidly. It was as if they were both expecting to hold hands.

""Well, they seem to know the other is there", chuckled the obstetrician. Congratulations you two."

The parents were beaming.

The two hugged each other before they drove back home, and Mia clutched the print of the ultrasound close to her heart the whole way.

* * *

They knew they weren't going to hear the end of it when they told everyone. And as expected, when they made the announcement at dinner, the uproar was tremendous.

Arthur burst out laughing so loud that Marie had to hit him on the back so he wouldn't choke on his wine. Tony spluttered and nudged his older brother.

"Hey he got two holes in one!"

His brother turned very red, and after a quick glance at his wife's expression that told him 'no it wasn't a good idea to consider throwing Tony out onto incoming traffic', he settled down, and informed the family that they would need to get two of everything, and that they would find out the gender on the next scan.

* * *

The next weeks passed by in a blur. Everyone was busy chipping in to provide any necessary means for the babies. As for the expectant mother, she had been surprisingly taking it all in her stride. Despite the occasional nausea and uncomfortableness, she was still beaming through it all. And she would always be rubbing her stomach and talking to the babies quietly when she had down time.

He husband on the other hand, had proven to be quite the mother hen during all this! He would call from work every 2 hours, asking if she was alright, and would promise to bring her whatever she needed. Of course things went a bit too far when he stole the sheets from all of the family beds, and was not able to replace them on account of the fact he had stolen every other piece of bedding from the cupboard.

It also didn't help that his work colleagues had frightened him with tales of their own children's births, and stuff about blood, and other terrifying things that could happen. Naturally they were just playing around, but it had frightened the soon to be father so much, that it took a call to the obstetrician to debunk these ridiculous claims. He had calmed down after that. A little.

He came back from work one day to find his wife sitting on the couch, her hands pressed gently on her tummy, smiling fondly.

She smiled up at him as he came in.

"Come feel", she whispered.

He eagerly came over. Sitting beside her, he gently pressed his larger palm onto her stomach. Instantly, he felt the tiny patter of movement, and his eyes shone.

His wife took a look at the first ultrasound photo.

"Do you think they will get along?", she asked.

He hesitated, unsure how to reply. But before he could think of anything, she turned to him and grinned.

"I think they will", she said. "I think they love each other already.

He husband smiled back and took her in his arms.

* * *

The second, and last, scan was to be more nerve-racking.

"Looks like everything is going smoothly", said the obstetrician as he moved the scanner around.

"This is the baby that will be born first", he said, pointing to the screen. "A bit bigger than the other, but not too much difference."

Then he suddenly frowned.

"That's...a little unusual", he said.

The parents leaned forward. What they saw was an extraordinary sight. The two babies, now at 24 weeks and not yet fully developed, seemed to be pressed against each other. The larger twin, for as tight as the room in there was, had its head angled in a way that its forehead was very close to the other twin's. The smaller twin in turn, was snuggled close to their sibling.

As the three of them watched, the smaller twin began to squirm, almost like they were having a bad dream. But the larger twin (to their astonishment) raised a hand and moved it slowly and carefully against the space near its twin's head. And all at once, the smaller twin became still and calm.

The three adults in the room were silent. Then Mia turned to her husband, and he knew immediately what she was thinking.

"They won't be able to feel each other", explained the obstetrician. "I doubt they are even aware of each other's touch yet. It's more likely the shared space and weight of each other they are aware of."

"Please can we take a copy with us?", the woman pleaded.

"Of course, smiled the obstetrician.

"Would you be able to tell us the gender?", Papa blurted out, almost forgetting in the rush of excitement.

"Certainly!", replied the obstetrician.

He ran some more scans, took some readings, then he turned to the expectant parents.

"Well", he said, his smile gentle. "You two are having twin boys."

* * *

The lead up to the birth was yet another blur. As soon as the whole household was aware that twin boys were arriving, the excitement was even more abuzz.

Mia had taken to spending the last months of her pregnancy making matching hats for her sons. One red, one green. Both with initials for the chosen names the parents (and by extension the rest of the family) had agreed on.

Her husband had come back from work one evening to find her once again working on this project.

"You need to rest", he fretted. "The doctor said you need your strength when...", he trailed off.

"I'm fine", Mia laughed. "I am tired, but I will go to bed as soon as I finish this stitching."

Her husband sat across from her. He continued to watch as she sewed the initial (an M) on the red hat.

"I wonder what they will be like", he said. A smile crept under his moustache.

Mia stopped her work, and put her hand onto her stomach. She closed her eyes, then opened them again with a content sigh.

"I think...they'll have each other."

Her husband frowned. Then he spotted the printout of the last scan lying beside her.

He hesitated.

"The doctor did say that they can't really feel each other. I mean...it is unusual. But one of the guys at work...well he was saying that his friend had twins and...well they didn't get along. They still don't. I mean, they are siblings, they get along like that, but they were different...and..."

"Whatever they are like", said Mia, dragging her husband out of his thoughts, "Whatever they choose to be as people, we will love them. And I know they will love each other."

She held out her hand. She couldn't lean forward now due to her vast stomach, so her husband leaned forward instead, and gently clasped her hand in his own.

She rubbed her stomach again

"I just...have this feeling. I feel like...they know each other already..."

Her husband didn't have anything else to add, and just sat with her in content silence.

* * *

The new papa was crying.

His sons. Their sons, were perfect.

After many hours of labour and frantic panic, they were here. Lying side by side in their mother's arms, sleeping peacefully.

"They're beautiful", Mia cried, as her husband gently stroked his large finger down each of the twin's cheeks.

"And they have each other", her husband smiled.

Both the twins seemed to stir. Then very slowly, they opened their eyes for the first time, and peered at each other.

Neither parent could ever say what kind of exchange was happening between them, but as the babies smiled and took each other in, they seemed to say

"Hi. I know you."

#phew managed to get this done! #figured I would finish this #I apologise it's not my best work #and some of it is flawed #but I hope you all like it #super mario #mario #luigi #the super mario bros movie #super mario movie #mario movie #papa mario #mama mario #uncle arthur #uncle tony #aunt marie #mario family #babies #birth #pregnancy #the bros see each other for the first time and it is wholesome ;_; #request #writing request #writers on tumblr #multicolour ink writes #my writing

[chirpsythismorning]

It would appear I am indeed one of the very few optimistic (delusional?) Bylers left.

Not saying that if you feel hopeless and need to move on, that you can't. A lot of you have been through this before with other shows. Again and again. You’re tired and fed-up and you have every right to be.

Technically, Season 5 won't be out for another 2+ years anyways, which means the best thing for everyone regardless is to get whatever we need off our chests now and then to just go on a hiatus for the foreseeable future. 

When it comes to how I feel about Vol. 2, there were definitely at least a few good moments. If this season has anything going for it, it’s the emotional value. This is without a doubt the most I’ve cried ever while watching the show. One scene in particular that had me on the floor was the scene with Will and El reuniting and hugging. And of course the scene with Will and Mike in the van (DAMN YOU NOAH SCHNAPP FOR MAKING ME SOB SO HARD ALL DAY THAT I GOT A MIGRAINE!)

But yes, I am a Byler. So you could say I was a bit disappointed in that department.

And yet still, I think my take on the later part of season 4 is much different from the majority.

Because personally, I don’t think that what played out in Vol. 2 means that Byler is dead. If anything, I believe it to be more endgame than I did before (well, at least in comparison to pre-s4. There’s no denying pre-Vol. 2 confidence levels remain unmatched. Truly the best era for the Byler fandom to date).

I think my main issue is, like so many of us on here, I thought it was guaranteed we would get to see Mike become aware of Will’s feelings. 

Alas, we did not.

And to be totally clear, without this revelation, Byler can’t go anywhere. 

Neither forwards, nor technically backwards.

This means the baiting game is not over. Which as bad as it sounds, is why I’m still so optimistic…

Now, if they had made Will’s feelings obvious to Mike, or even the fact that Will is gay as being obvious to Mike, but STILL had Mike behave the way he did in Vol. 2, now THAT would have sucked. It would have been canon rejection on Mike’s end.

But we didn’t even get rejection from Mike. 

Instead, we got Will coming off as a hardcore M*leven shipper in Mike's eyes, all while the audience was getting the exact opposite interpretation of this situation; that Will is helplessly in love with Mike. 

Will is able to voice the extent of his love, albeit through advice to Mike about his own situation with El, in a way that no one else on the show has been able to. Most of the other characters need a bunch of bystanders to make them realize their feelings and push them in that direction. But Will, he doesn’t need someone holding his hand along the way, telling him what the right thing to do or say is. His love isn’t something he needs to really think about in order to understand it. It just is.

(Which is SO fucking ironic when you think about how Mike always needs help with figuring out his feelings for El and even sounds like he’s reading off a script when he’s trying to explain himself to her. Whereas with Will, s2 monologue teas, it’s the most natural thing Mike’s ever done. Unscripted, straight from the heart… And both Vol. 1-2 continued to drive home this concept, so maybe jot that down..)

It’s just that, unfortunately, in Will’s eyes, Mike will never return this love, which means his only option is to let Mike go. If supporting Mike and El’s relationship means putting himself dead last in every respect, so that his best friend and his sister can be happy, Will is going to do just that. 

But as far as Mike knows, Will holds no romantic feelings for him. I mean after all, Will is guiding Mike literally every step of the way to confessing his love to El, and that doesn't sound like the behavior of someone who’s in love with you, now does it? 

So why would Mike, throw everything on the line, including the survival of their family and friends in Hawkins by not simply just telling his gf he loves her? All while El is right there loving him and needing his love to fight (presumably), with Will beside him literally rooting for him to do just that? This is very obviously the only option in Mike’s eyes.

Which is ironic, because in a way, I think that Mike has truly never seen him and Will as an option, just like Will, but for an entirely different reason. 

Mike views his feelings for Will as childish, something he will grow out of, or at least should have by now.

“We’re not kids anymore. What did you think, really? That we were never going to get girlfriends? That we were just going to sit in my basement and play games for the rest of our lives?”

If Mike can’t love El, then how can he possibly love any women? She’s special. She’s a superhero. He HAS to love her, right? It’s the best option he could ever possibly have. Well, at least considering…

But what happens when suddenly, he comes to the realization that him and Will ARE an option? And that the only thing ever stopping them was himself and his inability to just be honest with everyone and himself?

I think the truth is, there’s a reason that they’re holding off on this revelation for Mike. 

It will be a catalyst. It will change everything.

Now, how exactly do you think Mike is going to react to this? The fact that Will was in love with him this whole time and he had no idea?

Honestly, I think he’s going to react horribly, but not for the reason everyone assumes.

Because I would argue that, if Mike was going to react badly with disgust or even just let Will down nicely to confirm it’s indeed unrequited, then the Duffer’s would have just given this revelation up by now. But they haven’t.

Once Mike finds out that Will is (probably always will be) in love with him, and that instead of telling him, Will used his love to help Mike get closer to El, even when Mike himself was having doubts over and over? That Will went as far as to lie about the painting he worked so hard on for Mike in order to rekindle their dying friendship, to instead insinuate it was commission from El, to give Mike that final push he needed to even have the courage to tell El he loved her? That all the moments like this that they shared as of late, was really just Will talking about himself? That the only reason he was able to tell El he loved her in the first place, was because he was so moved by Will’s love for him??

This is going to break Mike.

And let’s be real here, two episodes would not have done this revelation justice. 

So now, just knowing the direction they went for Vol. 2, as well as coming to terms with it, I have reached the conclusion that, despite how bleak things seem now, ‘maybe all of this is happening for a reason’ (s2 Mike Wheeler, we miss u).

Which brings me to the other most important piece of the puzzle, which is that, arguably, El needs to be the one who ends things once and for all.

The general audience has been given the impression El is head over heels in love with Mike, and so of course they were rooting for Mike to get on with it and just tell her he loved her. 

But that’s the interesting part. He finally did tell her, but her reaction in the aftermath was not something a lot of fans expected. 

It seems that she’s distancing herself from Mike, a fact that Will acknowledges to Mike later at Hopper’s cabin, with Mike genuinely confused because he thought he did the one thing he had to do. 

He told her he loved her. Which makes everything alright now, right?

But maybe it doesn’t.

Maybe the reminder we got, of that speech from Max to El, about how she didn’t need Mike or Hopper or ANY man to know her worth, was foreshadowing for what honestly needs to happen in order for El to really process and realize her own true feelings about Mike.

Because, although I do believe El genuinely thought she loved Mike, is it possible that Mike was not only having doubts about saying it because of the reasons he argued, or even because of some repressed feelings for Will, but also because El hadn’t given him what he needed to truly believe she loved him.

Mike, like a lot of people, doesn’t need to hear “I love you” to believe that someone loves him.

“I didn’t say it.”

“You didn’t have to.”

He wants something more meaningful, or more specifically, something along the lines of the speech Will gave to him in the van.

Will’s confession disguised as El’s, was what Mike needed to finally say I love you to El... 

Something I think we also got caught up in, is this idea that the Duffer’s were just going to drop M*leven and throw in Byler, with everything else going on, while they still have a whole ass season to promote for another 3+ years, and to their mostly 80’s loving homophobic audience. If Byler is going to happen, it’s going to be the definition of slow-burn and endgame. That’s literally the only way. 

This puzzle is complex, which sucks if you want all the answers now, because we’re just not going to get them. If they give up all their moves, then what is the point of telling the story at all? 

Other pieces of the puzzle include things that arguably still need to happen before Byler can, even regardless of the constraints they have as show-runners who run the biggest show on Netflix’s dying platform. 

Things like Will and El’s love for each other as brother and sister. Considering all the fans that said Will hates El because he didn’t stand up to her bullies or that he’s a home-wrecker who just wants to get with her boyfriend, is why I do think they needed to debunk these insinuations within the narrative. And boy oh boy did they deliver on that front. Will is the most selfless son of a bitch on the planet, who loves his best friend and his sister so much. They made that very clear. And you can see that despite a few homophobes here and there, the general audience's reaction to Will in Vol 2 is sympathy and to Mike it's confusion and betrayal...

Hmm, making El realize she doesn't even love Mike, after making Will's unrequited feelings for Mike more clear, after making Mike behave like an IDIOT this entire time juggling these two relationships, only for him to become aware of whats going on, and to clearly be in love with Will?

Sounds like a good way to set up Byler to an audience that might not have humored it before...

And like I said, with how important I do think it was for this to happen in order for them to go the Byler route, is why I don’t necessarily see this approach as a bad thing. We even got the Will and El hug in 4x08, which maybe it’s just because Noah and Millie are so close, but I would easily rank that on my top most well-earned moments in the whole show.

We NEEDED that. Especially in terms of what is likely to come in season 5 with Byler endgame...

Also, yes the Will angst sucked and it's just trauma porn at this point. I’m not going to deny that fully. I agree with pretty much all of the criticism in regards to how they chose to do certain things when they didn't necessarily have to, but I also simultaneously am able to understand that it again, maybe this is all happening for a reason. If they are indeed going to have Will play a big role in the final season, than them forgetting his birthday, Mike being oblivious and all this other shit he's been through combined, sets up a really arc for him next season, not even necessarily a villain one, but all of this pain has the potential to lead to a happy ending. And I'm being full serious.

Like we have Finn Wolfhard saying the ending of Stranger Things will be like the ending of Schitt’s Creek??? That it will end at it's highest point. The last episode of Schitt’s Creek is literally a happily ever after gay wedding, there's no other way to interpret that…

We also know that a lot of ideas for the last seasons were planned from the beginning, with David Harbour saying that he knew the ending way back in s2 and that it's beautiful and has been the intended plan all along. That there's easter eggs that will have us going 'WOW this is what we've been watching the whole time'? That it's wonderful?

If you’re the level of Byler truther that believes they were somewhat planned all along from the beginning, then you would also know that if they plan a happy ending for Mike and Will, then they would have no problem killing us this painfully in the beginning of the end, because they know we’ll be the ones cheering on by the actual end, and it'll be the homophobes who are pissed and stuck with this result forever as endgame. 

I’m just saying, don’t be surprised when s5 gets closer and we actually see them promoting Byler… like a lot. And we actually start getting in canon hints at scenes with El herself even trying to get them together.

Groveling Mike Wheeler era?

Will finding a potential new love interest and Mike pining/jealous?

Come ONNN! You guys are way more delusional than you’re giving yourselves credit for and I urge you to join me!!!

#byler #stranger things #stranger things 4 #stranger things 5? #stranger things spoilers #stranger things theory #stranger things meta #byler evidence #byler season 4 #byler proof #byler nation #byler better be canon #be gay make byler canon #mike x will #byler tumblr #byler st4 #mike wheeler #will byers #noah schnapp #finn wolfhard #duffer brothers

[mynameisaury]

PLEASE SAMFRO LOVERS READ THIS!

I continue reading posts on tumblr where people gets angry because practically the majority of the LOTR fandom sees Samfro as a ship romantically.

I just wanted to say that of course everybody has the right to look at their relationship how they want, like in all things everybody can express their opinion. But I believe Tolkien didn’t mean to show them neither as a romantic couple nor as just friends.

Samfro really represents a kind of relationship that, unfortunately, in our world doesn’t exist between two people who aren’t related: who starts off their relationship as strangers.

It’s a type of love which is more powerful than any love between two lovers or two friends. It is really a love which doesn’t end, which comes from a feeling of belonging to somebody. It is a love that can overcome even the most powerful force of the world (the Ring). What really destroys the power of the Ring in the end? The love between Frodo and Sam.

And that’s because I don’t like to say they are JUST friends/ JUST lovers, because they represent something more powerful. Something that I don’t know how to call because it doesn’t exist in our world.

Let me know if you agree🥰

#frodo baggins #frodo my beloved #lotr frodo #lord of the rings #lotr #lotr x reader #sam gamgee #samfro #samwise the brave #sam and frodo

[middleearthpixie]

Something in the Night ~ Chapter Seventeen

Something in the Night

Summary: Following the Battle of the Five Armies, a seriously wounded Thorin Oakenshield returns to Erebor to recuperate and eventually ascend the throne as king. With the deaths of Azog the Defiler and his son, Bolg, Thorin no longer has to worry about the bounty the Defiler placed on his head and can instead concentrate on restoring Erebor to its former glory. 

Nina Carren of Esgaroth has one goal—to make Thorin Oakenshield pay for unleashing Smaug the dragon unto her home—where he destroyed the town and killed her family. The Defiler might be gone, but his bounty remains very much in place, and she fully intends to collect on it. 

Finally, the opportunity shows itself for her to do just that, only to have it go horribly awry. Wounded and now at his mercy, neither Nina nor Thorin stopped to think what might happen, should things not go quite according to plan…

Pairings: Thorin Oakenshield x ofc Nina Carren

Warnings: None

Rating: T

Word Count: 3.4k

Tag List: @mrsdurin @i-did-not-mean-to @lathalea @legolasbadass @fizzyxcustard @xxbyimm @kibleedibleedoo @arrthurpendragon @exhausted-humxn-being @knittastically @notlostgnome @myselfandfantasy @medusas-hairband @guardianofrivendell @jotink78 @ruthoakenshield @frosticenow @quiall321 @dianakc @msjava1972 @glassgulls @evenstaredits @heilith @asgardianhobbit98 @way-too-addicted-to-fandoms @sazzlep @night-ace

If you’d like to be added (or removed) to the tag list, please just let me know!

Previous chapters can be found here. 

Spring in Erebor was only discernible if one was out in the courtyard just off the infirmary, where wild roses of all shades grew along the walled off courtyard. Thorin smiled down at the pretty dwarf maid on his arm. He’d forgotten just how pretty Elisin was, with her wide dark eyes and lustrous nearly-black hair. Like Dís, she’d woven beads into her equally dark beard, tiger’s eye mostly, interspersed with silver runes. No braids adorned her hair, however. That would be left to him, when he proposed to her, which he thought he might do at Midsummer. 

He didn't love her, but she would make a fine queen and a good mother and maybe—just maybe—she would help him forget Nina Carren ever existed. 

He tried to ignore the thoughts of the red-headed temptress that continually crept into his mind, tried to dredge up that same anger he’d felt upon learning of her betrayal. 

He tried.

And failed each blasted time. 

Nina haunted him far more than any other ghost could. So perhaps marriage, and its permanence, would put an end to the torture. Perhaps knowing he belonged to another would finally make him forget Nina ever existed.

Or so he hoped.

“You seem far away today,” Elisin said, peering up at him, her head pressed now against his arm.

Fortunately, he did not jump despite the jolt from his thoughts. “I am a bit tired. We were up far too late last eve.”

She smiled. “A party is always worth being a bit tired the next day.”

“This is true, but I’m not so young a dwarf any longer.”

“You are young enough, Your Majesty.”

He bit back the sigh bubbling to his lips. No matter how many times he told her it was quite all right for her to address him by his given name, Elisin insisted it would not be proper, and so would not do so.

“Thank you for that.” He smiled down at her. “So, where would you like to go on this glorious day?”

“What is that up there?”

He turned in the direction she pointed, his stomach knotting as he found himself peering up at the gray and black stone tower of Ravenhill. His mouth went dry, his tongue feeling fused to the roof of his mouth. The sight of the tower unnerved him, although the orcs who had befouled it were long since dead or dispersed. 

“Ravenhill,” he said. 

“Where the last battle of the five armies was fought, wasn't it?” Her dark eyes went wide, sympathy flooding them. “You fought up there, didn't you?”

“Aye. And nearly died there.”

“Oh, how awful.” She release his arm to move to stand before him, then to his surprise, slid her arms about his waist to embrace him. “I am so sorry you went through that.”

“Thank you. I think. I’m afraid I rarely know how to reply to that,” he told her, glancing down as her head came to rest against his chest. A hint of lavender rose from her hair to tease his nose.

“You need not reply at all.” She lifted her head to gaze up at him. “I only wish I had been here when you were brought in. I would have taken wonderful care of you, you know.”

“I know.”

“Still…” She turned her head toward Ravenhill once more, “I would be lying if I said I was not curious about seeing it. Would it trouble you to take me up there?”

He hesitated, looking at the gray stone once more that blended so perfectly with the mountains around them. He had not been up there since the day of the battle. The thought had crossed his mind, but he could never quite get his legs to obey his mind’s order to bring him there.

But even at this distance, his gut burned, the memory of being run through by not one, but two blades, as fresh now as it was the day it happened. Freezing cold at first, but then scorchingly hot as his blood spilled from the jagged wounds. 

He swallowed hard as his free hand went of its own to his lower belly, his fingers damp as that blood soaked into his henley, then bubbled over his fingertips, the spattered against the ice. Drip. Drip. Drip.

At Ravenhill, the spatters were spaced apart when he’d pushed up and away from Azog after dispatching him on the ice floe. He’d staggered back, his knees threatening to go to sponge, and the spatters became actual puddles as the blood poured from his wounds, spilled over his hand. None of it mattered. He’d redeemed himself for his people, he had avenged his nephews’ murders. His life was a price he’d been willing to pay.

He would never forget the feel of his life slipping away, droplet by droplet, until the droplets became a stream and the stream a puddle. The cold of winter at Ravenhill was nothing compared to the cold of death as it crept slowly along his legs, up along his belly, his chest, until his eyelids grew too heavy to remain open and a tiredness unlike any he’d ever felt sank into him.

“Thorin?”

He glanced down, almost surprised to see no blood spattered at his feet, and the frozen creep of death receded as the sun warmed him again.

“Would—would you be terribly disappointed,” he swallowed hard against the nausea, “if I would rather not go back there?”

“No, of—of course not,” she assured him, her hand coming flat against his chest, heat from her palm sinking into him. “I would never wish you to relive something if you’d rather forget it.”

“I would much rather forget that.”

“Then why don’t we go into Dale and have a nice, romantic supper away from everyone?” 

“That sounds far preferable.”

“Good.” Her eyes sparkled like onyxes as she smiled up at him. A hint of a blush crept across her cheeks. “Would I be terribly wanton if I admitted how much I wish to kiss you right now?”

“No,” he shook his head, “you would not.”

With that, he bent to her and when his lips met hers, another face slid into his mind. Green eyes sparkling up at him in a semi-dark room, a hint of jasmine clinging to her glorious, fiery red hair, her body engulfing his to introduce him to a pleasure he’d never known existed before, but beyond that, Nina introduced him to an intimacy he’d never known before and with her, he’d discovered a closeness he didn't know could exist, one he wasn't at all certain he would ever find with another woman.

One he was certain he didn't want to find with any other woman.

He pulled back then, more sharply than he’d intended. “I beg your pardon.”

“There is no need,” she assured him. “I find no fault with your kiss, Your Majesty.”

There was simply no way for him to explain why he’d broken away from her with as much force as he had. At least, no way that wouldn’t end with him being slapped for his effort. It would be a slap he’d deserve, but if he could avoid it, even better.

“I’ll meet you by half-five at the main gate,” she told him softly. 

“Half-five it is.” 

They parted then, with Elisin making her way back into Erebor, while he sank on top the edge of the low stone wall ringing the courtyard. 

More than anything, he wanted Nina to stop haunting him. He wanted to transfer that yearning he felt for her to Elisin, wanted to desire Elisin the way he had Nina. He wanted to love her the way he loved—

Don’t.

How could he possibly love Nina, after what she’d done, after she’d betrayed him the way she had? No, it couldn't be love. Lust, yes. Love? Not possible.

Or so he tried to tell himself. 

He turned back to Ravenhill. That filth Azog was dead and yet he still had the power to make Thorin’s life miserable. And for what? He never did learn just why the Defiler was so determined to end the line of Durin.

“Uncle? What are you doing out here?”

He blinked back into the present and turned to see Kíli, Dís’ younger son, limping toward him. “Why are you limping? What happened?”

“I’m fine.” Kíli waved off his concern. “I took a spill from my pony this morning. Although,” he gimped over to sit beside Thorin, “don’t tell ’Amad. She doesn’t think I should be doing things like riding just yet.”

Thorin nodded slowly. “I won’t say a word, although I agree with her to certain extent.”

“Uncle, it was a year ago. I’m well beyond needing to be coddled. Even Narnerra tried to tell ’Amad it was perfectly safe for me to ride.”

“And what did your ’Amad say to that?”

“She told Narnerra to mind her own matters. Which,” Kíli shrugged, “is how I know she agrees with Narnerra in spirit if not in practice.”

Thorin sighed. Kíli had been run through, just as he and Fíli had, and had come a long way since that terrible day. But unlike him or Fíli, Kíli was ready to settle down and planned to do so with Tauriel. They’d not set a wedding date yet, but when Thorin was in Mirkwood, he’d overheard her talking to Legolas about Kíli and she mentioned wanting an autumn wedding, but when he’d broached the subject with Kíli, his nephew said they were still discussing it. 

“She worries for you.”

“She doesn’t wish me to marry Tauriel,” Kíli replied, his voice flat. “And I’m not giving in to her wishes, so you can imagine how that conversation goes each time.”

“I can, indeed. But, your mother’s heart is in the right place and she has not quite forgotten how close she’d come to losing you.”

Kíli shook his long dark hair away from his face. “She is smothering me. She smothers Fíli as well. Doesn’t like to let us from her sight. And before you say it, I understand why, but that doesn’t make it any less suffocating.”

“No, I don't imagine it does. But, the only advice I can offer is to be patient.”

“Which is not my strong suit.”

“It is not the strong suit of any of us.” 

“Ah, there you are!”

Both he and Kíli groaned softly as Dís strode toward them. Rising from the wall, Thorin said, “Which of us did you seek?”

“My son.” She smiled. “I understand you and Elisin are going into Dale this evening?”

He nodded. “A night away from here would do us both some good.”

“Should we expect you back?” A cheeky smile accompanied her words.

“Mind yourself, little sister.” He patted Kíli’s shoulder, adding, “Patience.”

“Easier said than done, Uncle.”

“I know.” He patted his shoulder once more, then stepped about Dís. “If anyone needs me, I’ll be in my chambers for the next hour or so, then it will have to wait.”

“We will be fine. Go and enjoy your evening out, Thorin. Anything that might come up, unless it is of utmost urgency, will certainly keep until tomorrow.”

For Nina, the worst part about working at The Black Swan were the hands. It seemed that no matter how many warnings a body received, their hands still found their way to her backside. Fortunately, Harald, the owner, wasn't at all shy about tossing the bodies from his tavern if they became too handsy. 

Other than that, she didn't mind the job at all. Harald, for all of his show some skin nonsense was a fairly decent man, she got on well with Margrete, and she was very happy working alongside Sigrid, who showed her the perfect way to deal with the owners of wandering hands. A good, solid cuff to the ear usually did the trick.

A month had passed since she’d left Mirkwood and at first, Nina was certain she’d have forgotten all about Thorin Oakenshield by then. But, it seemed to her that the more time that passed, the more she found herself missing him. It made no sense. Why should she miss someone she hated? Someone who hated her in return?

Because you don't hate him, you fool. That’s why.

“Nina, can you take the table in the corner?” Margaret asked as she bustled by with a tray laden with empty tankards and goblets. “Harald’s put me in the back room and they are driving me mad with their requests.”

“I can, of course.”

“You’re a lifesaver!”

Nina smiled as she made her way to the table in question, but then stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Thorin Oakenshield at said table.

And he was not alone.

Her mouth went dry, her heart plummeting into her stomach at the sight of him and the dark-haired dwarf woman smiling at one another across a table softly lit with flickering candles. She didn't know what they were saying to one another, but judging by the slow smile Thorin offered up his companion, he wasn't miserable.

Her eyes stung, which was stupid, really. He’d moved on. Of course he had. She’d betrayed him. And it wasn't as if they’d had a relationship, even. It was one night.

One amazing night.

Stop it.

With that, she cleared her throat and approached them. “Good evening. What can I get for you this evening?”

Thorin visible stiffened with her first word and she wondered if his companion noticed. Nina didn't think so, as the woman smiled up at her and said, “What is the special this evening?”

“Venison with whipped potatoes and glazed carrots.”

“Oh, that sounds wonderful. I’d like that.”

“Very well.” Nina wrote the note into her pad and then, heart hammering her ribs, turned to Thorin. “And you, sir?”

He looked up and as their eyes met, Nina almost stepped back from the crackle of electricity that snapped the air between them. “I think that sounds good, actually. I’ll have the same. And a bottle of wine as well.”

“Red or white?”

“Red.”

“Of course.” 

She couldn't get away from the table quickly enough, taking their order into the kitchen, and then promptly avoided that section of the restaurant until their order was ready. And when their food was up, she grabbed the tray, steeled herself to approach them, and then did so as if she had no idea who either of them was.

“There you go,” she said, setting each plate on the table. “Might I get you anything else?”

Thorin looked up and her heart skipped a beat. She’d somehow forgotten how beautifully blue his eyes were. She pasted her smile on, waiting for him to speak, and when he did, it was to say, “Thank you, but no. We are fine.”

“Very well. Enjoy.”

She managed to keep her smile in place and her step light as she moved away from them and to her next table, but from the corner of her eye, she saw him look back to the woman sitting across from him. He smiled at whatever she said, and that sank Nina’s spirits like a stone. 

“Are you all right?”

She looked over at Sigrid, who’d come into the galley where the prepared meals awaiting pickup were kept, and nodded. “I think so. Why?”

“I saw who you had to serve. I’d heard he’d died in the Battle of the Five Armies last year.” Sigrid’s gray eyes narrowed as she looked in Thorin’s direction. “I’d spit in his food if I had to serve him.”

Nina bit back a sigh. “At one time, I’d have agreed with you, but… well… much has changed. Unleashing Smaug was not his intention.”

“Intention or not, he did so. And look where we are as a result.”

“Again, a year ago, I’d have agreed wholeheartedly with you. But now…” She peered around the corner into the dining room. “I don't have it in me to hate him any longer.”

How could she, when she knew the side of him he did not present to the world? When she knew the man he was under that rough, somewhat fierce façade. She’d known him to be fierce and violent, but also to be kind and gentle, even when he thought her no more than a wayward boy. “He’s actually quite spec… decent.”

Sigrid offered up a queer look. “I didn't think you knew him.”

Nina smiled. “I traveled with him for a bit… met up with him outside Rivendell and we parted ways at Mirkwood.”

“You did this of your own free will?” 

She nodded. “I did, yes. He really is not so terrible. And he is making good on his promise to share Erebor’s wealth. I hope I’ll be able to move back to Esgaroth in the coming year.”

Sigrid shook her head. “Don’t be so certain. I’ve heard the houses are going to cost three times what they had. Only the wealthy Men will be able to afford them. At least, that’s what Da told me.”

“Isn’t he one of the wealthy ones, though?”

“He is, but I’m not and I won’t ask him to pay my rents for me. Not when I’m trying to prove I need no husband to support me, since I’m capable of supporting myself.” She smiled and draped an arm about Nina’s shoulders. “But, I’ll wager that with a roommate… we could afford something nice and not too shabby.”

Nina smiled. “You’ve a deal, Miss Sigrid. Now, if you’ll excuse me, Table Three looks as if they could use more drinks.”

“Thorin?”

He jumped as Elisin waved a hand before his eyes. “Yes? Sorry, I… my mind wandered off for a moment, I’m afraid.”

“I was asking if you were ready to go? I’m afraid I’m growing terribly tired.”

“Oh, of course.” He wiped his mouth and then rose from his chair, coming around to off her his arm as she also stood. Another server had brought them their bill, but he hadn’t missed how Nina cornered the woman across the dining room to whisper something to her.

In fact, he knew where Nina had been all through supper and once he’d gotten over the shock at seeing her, he couldn't help but keep an eye out for her. 

He thought he’d been surreptitious about it, that Elisin hadn’t noticed, but now he wondered if he was wrong, as she offered up a look that wasn't quite a glare, but was damn close to it. 

“Do you know her?” She asked this as he let his hand come to rest at the small of her back to guide her toward the front doors.

“Know who?”’

“Our serving girl. Do you know her? I caught you watching her more than once.”

They stepped out into the cool evening air and he nodded slowly. “I know her, yes. But it was a while ago. I had no idea she was here in Dale.”

Elisin looked up at him. “How do you know her?”

“She lived in Esgaroth. I met her the last time I was there,” he offered up a pointed look, “before I set an angry dragon upon the town.”

“Oh. I see.” Elisin tucked her arm through his. “I thought perhaps you had a relationship with her at one point. I didn't know she was of Esgaroth.”

He didn't miss the sneer in her voice and his gut kinked. “You say that as if it was something unacceptable.”

“Well, of course I don't mean it that way,” she told him as they made their way along the wide, rock-strewn road leading out of Dale and across the plains between it and Erebor. “But they are mostly fishermen.”

“They lived on a lake,” he pointed out, “and people need to eat.”

“I’m not judging them, mind you. I’m simply surprised, is all.”

“Well, I know a few of them. Bard is now the Master of Dale. And Nina is apparently working at The Black Swan and that is all we need discuss about it.” He glanced up at the Lonely Mountain, which was a bit too far away for his liking, as the rumors of orcs moving closer to Ravenhill had begun to swirl about Erebor. 

“Very well.” She tucked her arm through his, leaned her head against his shoulder, and made nothing but small talk as they made their way back toward Erebor. 

#Richard Armitage #AU #The Hobbit #Thorin Fic #Thorin Oakenshield #Is it hot in here? #Hobbit Fic #Romance #Hobbit Fanfic #Thorin x OC #Fan fiction #The Hobbit fan fiction

[joycrispy]

leah i trust your judgement, good omens fic recs? 👀👀

Aww, thank you!! I appreciate the vote of confidence. xD

H'OKAY so bear in mind that I am basically brand-new to the fanfic side of this fandom, so, I don't think any of my recommendations are going to be news to anyone who's been here since 2019 or earlier.

That said, these are my favorites so far:

Factory Settings by Anonymous. 107k words, 60 chapters (and written in just two weeks last month, insanely enough).

I've recced this one before and I'll do it again, because it's an absolute blast. Premise is that Crowley DOES end up coming with Aziraphale to Heaven, but turning back into an angel has the unexpected side-effect of...well, restoring his factory settings. Meaning he is exactly the angel he was, with no memory of the last 6000 years. And things begin to unravel from there.

This fic is what finally sold me on Ineffable Bureaucracy, by the way.

Be advised that this IS a Crowley-was-Raphael fic. Since I know people tend to feel strongly about that. And it does apply some of the tropes that Raphael-deniers (and me, despite being a mild Raphael-truther myself) usually dislike. But the whole thing is just so damn impressive that, in this case, I'll allow it. xD

Demonology and the Tri-Phasic Model of Trauma: An Integrative Approach by Nnm. 99k words, 16 chapters.

I'm sure everyone already knows this one, but hey, a lot of my followers seem to be brand-new fans, so maybe I can pass the good word along. The POV character is Aubrey Thyme, Crowley's psychotherapist, as she helps him try to unpack all the trauma of...being Crowley. It's basically one long hyper-intensive character study, and it rules.

Bark Dust by rfsmiley. 8k words, oneshot.

This one is just gorgeous.

It's Aziraphale's POV, set during the Saxon Wars. In battle, Crowley gets run-through with a blessed sword, and the effect is the same as being exposed to Holy Water, but much, much slower. So, you know. Agonizing. And neither he nor Aziraphale can heal it.

...I don't want to spoil anything, but. The way this is resolved actually made me stop and put my face in my hands. It's terrible and beautiful and poignant as fuck.

Highly recommend, with a content warning for gore/descriptions of makeshift surgery.

This Soul Outstreaming by Rend_Herring. 22k, oneshot (essentially a novella).

Okay I won't even front with you. This one is my favorite.

It's Aziraphale's POV, following their relationship across human history, in the style of the show. It's also absurd and wry and heartfelt in the style of the show. And, though it was written in 2019, elements of it predict Season 2 with an eerie degree of accuracy.

The through-line here is specifically the development of their physical intimacy, so, heads-up that this is absolutely Porn-With-Plot. But, in like a

kind of way. Quite literally. You can imagine.

I would also like some recs, if anyone wants to offer them! This is my bedtime reading, lately. xD

#good omens

[jaskierx]

Something that's been infuriating me is seeing people demand boycotts of OFMD and Good Omens etc. because people involved with them have been deemed 'Zionist' (even though I disagree strongly on that, particularly on Taika, and you've talked about that enough), when the point of boycotts, specifically the BDS movement, is to have a tangible impact that forces change. Certain companies/products have been identified by the BDS movement to boycott BECAUSE IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE. Because boycotting those companies has a financial impact on Israel and Israel's economy, because they either are Israeli companies OR because they are companies with a heavy presence in Israel who send a lot of money into Israel's economy. It's not a moral 'boycott them because bad', it's 'boycott them because boycotting is a tool of activism that can yield a tangible result'. Boycotting OFMD, or GO, or whatever, has absolutely no impact on anything, because as far as I know neither Taika nor Neil Gaiman nor whoever is siphoning money from their shows into Israel's economy (and if you are accusing Jewish celebrities of doing that on absolutely zero evidence, yikes). It's gotten to the stage where I've seen people calling for an endless lists of boycotts on Twitter, against people and companies that they have deemed 'Zionist' on the thinnest definition, only for the people who've been working on BDS for literal decades to have to plead with them to please stop, here's the list of strategic boycotts, boycotting these other things doesn't help and distracts from the actual end goal of the entire BDS movement. By all means, if you think Taika's a raging Zionist, you don't have to watch OFMD, boycott the thing yourself, you do you, but what you're not going to do is demand that other people boycott it, or act like people who don't boycott it are Zionists who support genocide, or act like boycotting it is some sort of 'activism' that helps Palestine in any tangible way - the only thing boycotting the silly gay pirate show achieves is making you feel better for not consuming media that you've deemed 'problematic'. Anyway, thanks for letting me get that off my chest, and thank you for talking about this (I imagine your messages are a minefield right now).

it all comes back to people are just using palestine as an excuse to bully people for posting about fandom stuff on the fandom website

if we only ever consumed media made by 100% perfect and morally unproblematic people we'd never enjoy anything again. people are flawed. it's not as black and white as either 'they're perfect' or 'they're fucking evil and deserve to die' with nothing in between

#asks #anon

[nalyra-dreaming]

"What do you think will happen when IWTV inevitably shifts the narrative and we are finally given a more accurate perspective on the situation? And when Armand's true nature is revealed? Etc"

(Sorry for pulling this part of the ask out, I thank you for the support!)

Well, we already know that parts of The Vampire Lestat will be in s2. Still from Armand's perspective, but the next season won't "just" be the rest of IWTV. We know they filmed with Luke as well, so that means we will get past Devil's Minion. We know they filmed with Joseph, so we will also get Nicolas. For Armand to remember Nicolas in s2... that carries meaning as well.

These things alone open up a lot of possible parallels. Falls, towers, dungeons. Torture. Since we know they love the parallels...

I think when the shift will come it will bring another fissure in people's perception. The show obviously puts some of the weight of what happened onto Armand's shoulders, a move that might indicate a more... rigid division of the main couples than they may be in book canon.

I have talked about it, but while I do not think that the show will shy away from the messiness of it all, it probably won't go down the poly route. And the recent promotion seems to underline that, we'll see.

As per the more "accurate"... while Anne later stated that Lestat's version was the truth I feel like the show will stay more with Memory is a Monster. It won't do them good to keep ambiguity so, that said, they will resolve it in a certain way, but they have already stated that Louis will never not be a believable victim. The question is just.... to whom. And as more and more interviews emerge, and more and more statements, that... will likely be Armand. Who probably tried to help, in his own, inimitable way.

Obviously not everyone will like that, and I have spoken about this in my rant, but I do expect some to leave the fandom, rather disappointedly (and loudly), after season 2. Eventually.

This... won't be happy Loumand season. Neither the posters, nor the elevator posters, nor the teasers, nor the press, nor the panels, nor the bts pix, nor the casting calls, nor the things we know already about s2 indicate that.

I have said it before, Loumand is totally valid. Go and ship. But while it starts in s2... in s2 it will end in disaster. And then, numbness, and pain. And tinkering.

If the last 18 months have been any indication, this will be a messy breakup, fandom-wise.

But you know the thing about breakups - afterwards you can move on.

And then, after that, we will get Lestat's POV - and his story.

Interesting times ahead^^

#asks #ask nalyra #amc iwtv #iwtv #amc interview with the vampire #interview with the vampire amc #iwtv amc #iwtv 2022 #interview with the vampire #future season speculation

[crowleyholmes]

Flaming Sword Foreshadowing

Last night I was peacefully editing my video just vibing having a good time when I skipped over a scene that had confused me for a while and it struck me like lightning that it HAS to be foreshadowing because WHY ELSE would they have shot it that way????

And I have to add I'm relatively new to the fandom so I'm sure this has come up many many MANY times but to be fair I've spent the last few weeks basically living in the tags and the meta and I while I've seen the theory once in a piece of fanart, I haven't seen connections to this scene so I figured I might as well share my thoughts in case there are any other new fans like me out there who will appreciate (aka absolutely hate) it!

So one of my absolutely favorite theories is that Crowley used to be Lucifer, yes? I have many reasons why I believe this, maybe I'll make another post all about that, but for now let's just roll with it.

Okay so Aziraphale has a flaming sword. Which (I think, don't quote me on this, I'm not religious and don't know much about it at all, most of what I know comes from art and/or just general knowledge) in the Bible, is used by Michael (who is the supreme Archangel), who stabs Lucifer with it as they throw him from Heaven down to Hell, right?

And at first I wasn't too worried about that because like. Aziraphale isn't Michael. Michael, in Good Omens, neither has a flaming sword nor is the supreme archangel.

BUT NOW. At the end of season 2, who is about to become supreme archangel, taking the position that Michael has in the Bible, and owns the weapon that Michael has in the Bible?? Yeah.

So even upon this realization I was like nahhh idk it's. A fun theory but there's SO many other ways things could happen I'm overthinking this for sure.

But then I noticed this scene again with this theory in mind and WHY DID THEY SHOOT IT LIKE THIS here look I made some gifs to illustrate:

Aziraphale is standing over Crowley, sword raised as if he's going to attack him, and Crowley looks up at him TERRIFIED.

Now, I realize there are explanations for all of this, but let me elaborate on my thoughts one by one.

WHY did they make Aziraphale pick up the sword in the first place? There is NO reason for him to hold it, I mean I GUESS he's afraid of Satan, who is about to pop up for a visit, but - what's Aziraphale going to do about it, right? He's just one small low/ish-ranking angel, and the way Satan is portrayed in this show, I doubt the sword would make much of a dent in him. So, okay, perhaps Aziraphale picked it up simply to have Something, Some kind of weapon ready to feel a Little bit safer, but STILL - why pick it up one second before he turns to Crowley, why not sooner, then? And why raise it AT CROWLEY in the way that he does, when what he says to him has nothing to do with the sword at all? He would NEVER want to actually hurt Crowley. And the way this shot is framed, the way the sword is so prominent and threatening, I just don't think they did this only for comedic value (in juxtaposing the threat of the sword with "I'll never speak to you again"). He also briefly looks at the sword right after "I'll -", almost as if he's actually considering it. (OR as if he's thinking "why the hell am I holding this and why am I holding it like this, Crowley's going to think I'm going to stab him?!" which was what I WAS THINKING.) But, again, Aziraphale would NEVER point a weapon at Crowley or threaten him in any serious way - centuries ago/millenia ago, maybe, but not for a long time now, under no circumstances, not the way they are now.

Another question I have is WHY did they make Crowley fall to his knees? Sure, the earth is shaking, everybody is quite wobbly, but Crowley is so sure-footed usually, I find it hard to believe that he would fall when even Newt manages to stay on his feet (no offense Newt, I love you). But okay, I guess, maybe they wanted to show how desperate Crowley was? Visualize him giving up? I can't really argue with that one, but in combination with Everything Else, it just seems like they put them in these exact positions WAY too intentionally.

I just know that this scene is going to come back to haunt us, it will happen again but with a very different, very serious threat from (a possibly/probably memory-wiped) Aziraphale, an actually FLAMING flaming sword, and an even more desperate and terrified Crowley.

Bonus:

#good omens #good omens 2 #good omens spoilers #good omens meta #good omens theory #crowley #aziraphale #aziracrow #ineffable partners #mine #gomens #gomens2

[sgiandubh]

I want to ship SC, trust me I do and I love them together, but I just can’t fathom how far they stretch a fake relationship (her and T). Like for example the recent picture of them holding hands- now it’s not an insane gesture but definitely one we haven’t seen before. So maybe they truly are just a private couple. But in my heart of hearts I just love her and S together so much, and don’t know what to think because on one hand they are simply everything together and on the other it seems like she really is with T. I’m confused 🥲 what’s your take?

Dear Confused Anon,

I will be brutally honest: no, I do not trust you and I do not care about your crocodile tears. Not a single bit. In fact, once I will be done with my answer to you, you are most probably going to press CTRL+C, then CTRL +V. And run to the nearest Mordor sweatshop, in the hope one of the Three Sopranos will insult me again.

You see, to trust you, I would have to speak with at least a handle, not a coward in disguise. And then, even DMs are neither always safe, nor always honest - I have recently learned it the rough way, despite my best efforts, tried (and up until now failed) to forgive and will never forget.

By now, I suppose everyone got a good look at this splendiferous picture:

Take a long, quiet, hard look at it, Shire.

So organic it could kill a moth colony on the spot.

So heartfelt - she doesn't even look at him.

So sentimental - that icy smile of hers. A happy couple, indeed.

A general round of applause, all across the Nation.

You are very wrong: it is not the first time they are holding hands, I mean, sort of. The much touted London marathon pic immediately comes to mind - although you'd have to admit, I looked and looked and he seemed to be checking her pulse, rather than being lovey-dovey.

A real private couple would never stoop as low as a cheap, laborious retcon, in retaliation for a couple of thousand people speculating on a niche blogging platform.

It took four years, a month and four days after that Remarkable Week-end to see McSideburns clumsily try and claw her hand. Remarkable, indeed.

And are you trying to tell me the MC didn't shake your beliefs and this does?

This perfunctory, formulaic, scripted AF, blip?

Wow. I have no words, Anon.

That unkempt, bland person - for God's sake, mister, tuck that damn shirt in your pants! - looking like the elephant in the china shop at a carefully curated event celebrating the supreme form of French refinement?

This is insulting, to say the least. To her (and her prized image), to Chanel, to this fandom, to S and believe it or not, to himself, too. Granted, the Berluti shoes are showing some improvement and are now clean. Hmph.

So here is what I think, Anon (and I know people are going to shriek and guess what, I do not care, for once):

It's been at least one year this fandom has been asking for this specific pic and for this specific whiplash. A childish tantrum, as she is regularly throwing. Mind you, that doesn't even come close to the painfully slow, monumentally boring Flukenzie Floozy Saga and looks as staged as the Ochoa & S London sighting (ah, patterns!).

This is the reaction to our scriptwriting ineptitude.

This is also the reaction to some underground shenanigans, directly related to a birth certificate apparently being peddled around. I will not discuss this, yet know just that: this is a legal claptrap, right there. I can, and if needed I will prove it. With the cold, surgical precision Mordor is so afraid of.

But she is a mother, for Christ's sake!

A mother!

As I said, I am not a mother and never will be. I do not wish this trial on anyone. But if I know something about life, I can guarantee you a mother would do whatever it takes to protect her child(ren).

Including taking precisely this kind of sad and forgettable pic.

So, there's that. We choose and we choose now: we fall for it once more and let the playbook fiddle with our insecurities once more and post endless trails of old pics once more to soothe the searing indignation.... Or GROW THE FUCK UP and show to whom it may concern we're not buying this shit anymore.

I know what I'll do. You're on your own, Anon: my tough love took you only this far, down the road. Sorry for the length. It was needed.

For the moment, I just booked an appointment with Miss Fotoula (roughly Claire, hehe), my genius hairdresser. I will ask her to refresh my dirty blonde mane.

#anon

[sometimesrosy]

Hi it’s been a while since I read your blog but I just had to share that I saw a bellarke gif for the first time in a while and I am in PHYSICAL PAIN thinking about how COMPLETELY RUINED their story was in the end. Especially with that ONCE IN A LIFETIME CHEMISTRY *bangs fists on table* sorry I just had to let that out I hope you’re doing well anyways bye

Hi! Nice to see you. I'm not here very much anymore although I'm still checking in more or less on a daily basis. I'm not getting a lot of asks anymore so I don't post very much. I have never just been able to be like 'aha i have a thought let me disseminate it to my followers.'

I do better answering asks or I suppose commenting on other people's posts but I've been wary of that since the great fuckening of the 100 fandom.

I'm not watching a whole lot of tv anymore. But I do binge watch some shows. What's my latest? Oh. Only Murderers in the Building. Out of genre for me. But fun.

Recently I've been thinking about The 100 and missing how much I loved it. How much we all loved it. And the great characters. And the great ship that was Bellarke. Yeah, he sacrificed them to his ego but that doesn't mean the story wasn't told for the entire time. I suppose it ended up being a tragedy rather than a romance but that isn't out of genre.

We knew that there was always going to be the possibility that he would fuck us over. Fuck the story over. I tried to believe because I loved the story so much. I tried to believe JR wasn't a a dick, or at least not a dick in that way. But I was wrong.

I wasn't wrong about the story though. Bellarke was a love story and Clarke and Bellamy were in love. A tragic, unconsummated love alas because JR refused to pull the trigger although the story was there all the way through the end of season 6.

We should schedule a rewatch as a fandom. Like everyone should be able to remember what they loved about the show, now, long after it's over and without any of the fandom drama.

How does one schedule a rewatch of a 100 episode show that the most people could take part in, with neither a too rigorous watch schedule nor a too lax one that wouldn't get the job done?? I don't know. That sounds like organization.

Anyone want to pull together the fandom for a rewatch?

#the 100 #bellarke