#ARE WE ALLIES OR ENEMIES THIS WILL BE THE DEATH OF ME ALL IS FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR BUT I CAN'T FIGHT WITH YOU ANYMOREEEE /lyr

[toastling]

Y'know, I've seen a fair bit of critique of this and posts like this mostly boiling down to some variation of "And where is this mythical imperfect ally?", and honestly, I think it just goes to show what part of the problem is. They're everywhere, dude. Offline. And every time I see that sort of critique I'm like, what a tone deaf way to callout just how terminally online you are dude, because this is almost everybody I've ever interacted with irl at work, in stores, on the street, on vacation.

I know it's hard to believe, but most people aren't terminally online like us. They have no clue about any of the stupid-ass debates the left and queer community is having - not even with anybody important or on the fence about them - but having with themselves. The lesbians debating and tearing down trans women, the leftists throwing not-as-left-as-them-ists under the bus, the dumbasses constantly screening for the purest pure and most correct language/image.

When you talk to actual real people, you begin to realize these things are not even remotely as black and white as said internal debates would have you believe. These "imperfect allies" aren't just some hypothetical, they're the norm. They're your neighbor. They're your grocer. They're your coworker.

Like, genuinely, do you know how many coworkers, young and old, I've had in the last 2 years alone who would say the wrong/questionable things, make some edgy jokes, use the wrong terms, but then also went to bat for all our trans coworkers anytime anything happened? How many people I've encountered who don't even begin to pretend to understand queer culture, but have blended in with and celebrated alongside us regardless? The stereotypical cis white college boy might dress and talk and joke different from us, but that doesn't make them a bigot or an asshole. When push comes to shove, they've always been more liberal than half the leftists I've encountered online.

I think more of us need to learn to separate our community's internal debates from the external reality instead of projecting them onto everybody to ever live. In our relative safety amongst each other, we have the luxury to argue about these sorts of things, because the life-and-death stuff isn't such an immediate concern here. We can talk about obscure shit like theory and terminology. But 99% of the population doesn't and has no reason to care, but that doesn't make them automatically bad or an enemy.

Somebody can still be a friend to and stand up for somebody they don't fully understand, because most people aren't fucking assholes, which is more than I can say for a lot of terminally online power bloggers and twitter users I see every day. It's like we've convinced ourselves that the only way to be kind to someone is to either be just like them, or to have some 100% perfect understanding of them, but that couldn't be further from the truth. That sort of thinking will hurt EVERYBODY in the end.

It's not about perfect language or performance, it's about respect. That's it. It's about apologizing if a line is ever crossed and learning, and about stepping up when something actually bad happens. Most people I've encountered in public life have that respect. The ones that don't are just assholes, and they all remind me of the sort of people I have the grave misfortune of seeing crawl down my activity feeds every day. They're the outliers.

Because most people are good, actually. And most people are tremendously flawed. Don't go thinking you're not because you know every microidentity by heart. Everybody's flawed in ways invisible to them but glaring to anybody outside of them. That's just being human. But it doesn't make you or me or anybody inherently "bad". Stop thinking like a Christian, god damn it.

Stop trying to separate yourself from the masses as if you're somehow superior and them lesser. You are the masses, dude! We all are. The only people who try to separate themselves from the masses are the jackasses at the top who want to oppress everybody below them. Hard not to think you might be one of them if you're trying so hard to demonize the majority of the population because you're just so saintly and correct.

"The trannies should be able to piss in whatever toilet they want and change their bodies however they want. Why is it my business if some chick has a dick or a guy has a pie? I'm not a trannie or a fag so I don't care, just give 'em the medicine they need."

"This is an LGBT safe space. Of COURSE I fully support individuals who identify as transgender and their right to self-determination! I just think that transitioning is a very serious choice and should be heavily regulated. And there could be a lot of harm in exposing cis children to such topics, so we should be really careful about when it is appropriate to mention trans issues or have too much trans visibility."

One of the above statements is Problematic and the other is slightly annoying. If we disagree on which is which then working together for a better future is going to get really fucking difficult.

[spinnysocks]

allies or enemies by the crane wives but it's the outlanders coming to terms with caring about one another, specifically after ushari's death

[blanska]

I've seen that some people were thinking along the lines of "why does Veilguard make the Antivan Crows seem like the good guys, when this is a fucked up organization who've done and are probably still doing fucked up things?"

I think it's fair to think that BioWare should have shown more of the different sides of the Crows. But I personally don't mind this because to me it makes sense contextually.

Example: in DA:O all we knew about Tevinter that they are the evil blood mages from the evil blood mage country. In DA2 we met Fenris and this point of view was strengthened and it wasn't just a random stereotype anymore, because we've heard from Fenris what they were like. We've seen the effects of their action on Fenris. And we got to meet some of the evil tevinter mages personally. So now Tevinter was the evil tevinter blood mage country that we know more horrible details about.

Then in Inquisition we meet Krem, who is an average tevinter person. And of course it's logical that a country cannot be populated solely by evil blood mages, but we've never seen an average tevinter person before who's just like anybody else. And more importantly we met Dorian. Who is nobility. Yet he is not an evil narcissistic blood mage. He is against that. He criticizes his country and his countrymen harshly. But he also loves his country and tells us about its values and beauties. Suddenly Tevinter is not the evil blood mage country. It's more than that. Now we can see a more positive side of it.

In Veilguard we get to see the struggles of average tevinter people and not a lot of narcissistic nobles surrounded by their slaves. But it does makes sense, because all we do is run around Dock Town and these types of nobles will not be waltzing around in those streets. But now we experience what it must be like to live in the country where the narcissistic nobles, the evill blood mages and good hearted revolutionaries fight for power.

So back to the Antivan Crows. In Veilguard their city is occupied by the Antaam. Of course they're gonna fight the invaders. The people of Treviso have different opinions about them in this situation. Some see the Crows as the heroes who fight on their side against their current oppressors, and some actually think that ruled by the qunari might turn out to be a good life. And some of the Crows might care about the people of Treviso, but even if none of them did, they would still fight the Antaam, just like the Thread fights the Venatori in Dock Town. The Antaam took their territory and power. For Rook and the Crows the Antaam is a common enemy, so we automatically see them in a better light. They are allies.

And if we ignore the things that have to do with taking back Treviso, we still don't see the ugly side of the Crows. But who are we meeting? Who are we talking to? We're talking to three Talons, the leaders who want your help in their revolution. They have no reason to tell you fun facts about how they abuse the children they recruit or the adults for that matter. For once they are busy fighting a common enemy instead of each other; that's what they're focused on.

And who joins our team? Antivan Crow royalty. Not just any royalty: the First Talon's personal favorite. I think everyone growing up in the Crows had a fucked up childhood and Lucanis is no exception. But his childhood was way less fucked up - compared to Zevran "son of Nobody" Arainai - because he was privileged af. The possible death of the First Talon's grandsons was propably not a part of their training. Lucanis never had to kill anyone who he didn't think deserved it. Once again probably because he's Caterina's favorite and she knows he likes to take down evil people so she gives him those targets.

So instead of evil tevinter blood mages, the Crows might come across as ruthless heroes of the people. Because we meet them when they are united against Treviso's opressors. We meet the ones who are in charge.and comfortable, the ones who are privileged. And it's fine because we've met Zevran too, who showed us the ugly side of the Crows. And hopefully we'll get to see more sides in the future.

[madthetruemad]

There is No Law that Emperors Must be Fair

Emperor ! Jing Yuan x Princess ! Reader

Chapter 17 | Sunday's Confession

You are set to marry the Emperor, Jing Yuan. In order to break the engagement, you stage an accident and fake having amnesia. But now, your own cruel, cold, and distant fiancé, who seemed to not want anything to do with you, is now acting all lovey dovey!

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It was long into the night after you had spoken with Gepard. Your list of allies seemed to grow at such a lightning quick speed. Though, so far, there was one ally you hadn’t gotten.

“Sunday… why do you want me to befriend Blade? And why are you interested in the keys? I mean, you didn’t even show any interest in them until Gepard came here with the one my father had.”

Sunday hummed to himself as he materialized next to you. His head sharing the same pillow that you were lying on, you both just staring up at the ceiling together.

“Blade will be a big help to you…”

You frowned as you sat up, “will he be a help to me or to you?”

Sunday sat up as well, eyes flickering in the lamp light, “what are you trying to say?”

“What you did back there, what was it?”

He cocked his head to the side furthering your frustration towards him ever so slightly, “when you said not to forget who your enemy was you tried to do something. It was like when we first met… like I was in some heavy fog with no way out. Like you were trying to cloud my mind.”

Sunday smiled at your words as he fully turned towards you, “like this?”

There it was again, a dull throb in your mind and what felt like a heavy blanket trying to cover something. His words sounded weird to you too, it was like-

You shook your head, your eyes narrowed, “you can control people.”

Sunday leaned back against your headboard, “controlling people is such a nasty way to put it, y/n.”

“But that’s what you’re doing!”

You got out of the bed then and tried to put some distance between yourself and him, but when you looked back at the bed he was gone. It wasn’t until you felt a hand on your shoulder that you jumped and spun around looking at Sunday who had that damned amused grin on his face.

“Why Sunday? Before I help you anymore, you need to tell me everything.”

Without missing a beat, Sunday went to go sit on the chair that by your table in the room, his legs crossed and one of his elbows rested on the tabletop.

“Blade, more or less, did something he shouldn’t have by tampering with the flesh of an abundance emanator. I’m sure you know what emanator’s are, right?”

You nodded and he continued, “his body will be used to revive me because his little abundance curse is the only thing that will withstand the ritual.”

“And the keys.”

“Needed to unlock the gate that I’m currently locked behind.”

“And why was it that my father had one of the keys and Jing Yuan the other?”

“Before the emperor went ahead with his little conquering spree, there was a time that the each land respected each other as allies. Your grandfather was good friends with the Emperor.”

“I thought you were helping me simply because you wanted to, at least, that’s what you made it sound like before…”

Sunday rested his chin in the palm of his hand, “and you believed it, didn’t you?”

You crossed your arms over your chest, “why were you locked away?”

“The Emperor and I… had a disagreement.”

You quirked an eyebrow which was when Sunday finally looked away from you, “I want to bring my sister back is all. In my old country, she was killed by … an unexplainable monstrosity. I want to bring her back, but only aeons had control of death and feats such as reviving a human. So I tried to cut corners. I kidnapped an emperor’s bride to be and used her as a sacrifice only for it to fail and the princess dying in my arms. The Emperor in his rage killed me but not before I managed to gain a few abilities of an aeon. Before sealing me away he had me reset her body for things to begin anew again, but with my new powers I didn’t know how to control them and ended up sending her into the future instead.”

Sunday finally looked back at you, “and oh how that emperor tore the world apart to find her again, but in doing so I guess he also became mad like his teacher and friends before him.”

“Became mad?”

“You know what mara is? The disease that strikes the long living species? Well, he did start showing signs of it, but it’s not too bad right now… though, he does kill a few people here and there.”

“Does the Emperor even remember the princess he’s looking for?”

“No, he’s forgotten her face a long time ago. No thanks to the mara, of course. If he did remember, then I’m sure he … wouldn’t have killed you.”

You furrowed your brow, “what do you mean by that?”

He didn’t answer though as someone hastily knocked on your door distracting you, and when you went to look at where Sunday was… he was gone making you roll your eyes.

Well whatever, I got some new info on Jing Yuan and Sunday. Apparently they hate each other, Sunday killed Jing Yuan’s fiancé, Jing Yuan killed and sealed Sunday away but he managed to make Sunday with his new aeon ascension abilities to bring back his dead girlfriend, but said girlfriend was sent to the future due to Sunday not having full control which then lead Jing Yuan to look for her, but over time he was struck with mara…

And now I’m his fiancé… wait, if I find the princess he’s looking for, then I may be able to get out this marriage!

You smiled at your revelation as there was another knock on your door.

“I’m coming! Just a moment please!”

Grabbing your blanket from your bed, you wrapped it around yourself. It was still pretty late into the night so you wondered who it could be.

“Hopefully not Jing Yuan,” you muttered to yourself.

Grabbing the handle, you twisted it and opened the door.

“Princess! I’m sorry for disturbing you at this time, but I just had to see you!”

You blinked and took a step back. Before you was a woman slightly taller than you, she had long white ears, beautiful silver hair with blue highlights, and a charming smile on her face. And her eyes, unlike most you have seen around here, were filled with an unparalleled kindness.

“I’m General Feixiao, I hope Gepard has already filled you in on everything?”

@danae-misfortune @frogsasfrogs @openthenyoor01 @zuhaine @ughlostmyotherac @joyfulnightprincess @thechibifoxcub @ceaether @satanisasofties @thetwinkims @yanrandom @honeybunbunn @superdonkeypatroleggs @ohmyfinggod @baboon-milk333 @zareri @kclremin @rains-mae @yccoffeesimp @bloomiesty @moon-taffy @superdark-soul @pinkismyfavcolor @isa-l0v3r @its-astrotea-love @reapersan @junephantom21 @erisfayred @greyrain23 @justadekusimp @uzxotic @alisstaa @avalordream @unlivingdisaster @pix-stuff @sleepyxion14 @pillows-blankets @anicega @junni-berry @niaainthere @sorachitsuki @dyingsweetmackerel @rosariymchapter @immahuman @fluffy-koalala @momoniq @orphiclueur @insightedly

[heartfullofleeches]

Titus [Space Emperor Yan] and Executioner Deity Reader-

Whereas the og Executioner Reader is an axe for hire, this Executioner wants nothing more than the emperor's head on a spike. They've dealt with many of his kind before- Lawless tyrant, unruly beast. His crimes have gone unpunished long enough - They are the judge, jury, and executioner fated to give him his sentence and punishment. They have heard the pleas of those in his captivity who are aware of their legend and the only power capable of stopping them from taking the emperor's head is their forgiveness.

Titus has heard of the executioner in passing. He's lost a fair amount of... acquaintances to that old fairytale. He doesn't believe a word of it - deciding that it was some servant gone berserk who terminated his allies in such a brutal fashion. Sure, it is bizarre that they seemed to have been killed with the exact same blade, but Titus is certain fabled savior is nothing his guards can't handle themselves.

"Your Majesty, we have reports of a cloaked individual breaking into the easy wing of the castle. Several guards have already been dispatched, more have been sent to collect their bodies. Thankfully, they are only unconscious, but it is no longer safe for you here-"

"Tyrant....."

A hushed slithers down the walls - hoarse and raw like the throat of a parched soul without a lick of water to satiate their thirst. The Executioner staggers into view - weight elevated by their tool of trade.

"Tyrant.... For the crimes you have committed there is no salvation beyond your immediate execution. Pay for the blood you have spilled with your own. Lay down your own head as atonement for yours sins."

The remainder of Titus guard form a wall of defense around their king. The Executioner's teeth clench in rage. All while the emperor stares on at his adversary. Those muscles, toned from the heavy swing of their blade. That unwavering, cold stare. Had he been a lesser man that glare alone would have shot his still beating heart. Instead, it only increased the steady hammering of that feeble organ against the cage of his chest.

"I....must have them."

Titus tries shoveling past his guards. The less experience members assume their king to be taking first action. Those who know the tyrant for what he truly is can see the pure enlightened in his eyes.

"Executioner.... Is that what I may call you? Your title matters not to me so long as you are mine. Allow me to take you in my arms.... Surely a life such as yours has had scarce room for the touch of another. Allow me to free you of that burden.

The Executioner spits.

"Mock me as you will. I will grant you three nights for you to give yourself to me willing. For each night I shall return to you with the same question. Should you agree, you will face a swift death, unlike those you have associated yourself with in the past. Do not disappoint me."

Three nights. That's more than enough time for Titus to get them to come around. Then again, he'd love to see what torments they have in store for him. If they see to wrap that chain latched at their around his throat all they had to do was ask. He's just received a shipment of his favorite wine as well - what impeccable timing for love to bloom in the air.

Tangerine [Executioner Maid] is hiding in the vents speedrunning a 150k enemies to lover fanfic of her boss and his new obsession-

[kissingarthurclaus]

'Are we allies or enemies?

This will be the death of me

All is fair in love and war but I can't fight with you anymore

This will be the death of me'

I've been wanting to talk more about Crosshair and Brea's relationship for a WHILE now, but I never really found the 'right' time (in my silly brain) I guess you can say they...know each other very well! As you can imagine it's filled with drama, romantic tension, and lots and lots of angst! 0u0 a little more info + textless illustrations under the cut ♡♡♡

Sooooo, I tend to think of this as sort of an AU! If I'm being SUPER duper canon-compliant with my self ship lore it's not really the focus, but if I play around with timeline a little bit I can come up with this. Brea is a newly knighted Jedi, having just passed the trials, and despite holding rank in the Clone Wars she's not a general because she has no battalion. HOWEVER, there is a band of misfits that have been sort of running around doing their own thing, going where needed, sort of the way she does. The idea is what if for a short time she was the BAD BATCH'S Jedi?

In this scenario, the boys are a bit reluctant to take orders from her because they don't believe they NEED a Jedi. They're not really about rules and protocol and mandates...but they soon find out that neither is Brea! She's perfect for them, she matches their energy and allows them to make decisions the way they want. They all become very close...except for Crosshair, who still doesn't trust her. He only trusts his brothers, everyone else is an outsider.

I'll probably talk about it more later, but she does something or other that proves her care for them as individuals and one thing leads to another, Crosshair and Brea are something of an item. Not a couple per se, but FAMILIAR if you know what I mean. However, it's because of Crosshair's emotional constipation that it doesn't really go further than that, and it's ALSO because of his emotional constipation that things start to change between them! And when you bring Brea's new Padawan Kepler into the mix, things go very sour very quickly.

To make a long story short, Crosshair burns his bridge with Brea long before he joins the empire and he didn't even know it. By the time he does, she's moved on and is in love with a certain other clone! All of that is more stuff to talk about another time though ^ 0 ^ if you've read all this thank you so much and ilysm! 🫶🫶🫶

Taglist♡: @me-myself-and-my-fos @tiny-cloud-of-flowers @sunstar-of-the-north @dearly-beeloved @adoredbyalatus @changeling-selfship @crushes-georg @miutonium @cherry-bomb-ships @rosieaurora @rejaytionships @sunflawyer @in-true-blue-love @tropicalgothships @little-miss-selfships @hotrodharts @cupiidzbow @frozenhi-chews @limey-self-inserts @candyheartedchy

[diejager]

I MISSED YOU ASK BOX. [BURIES YOU IN PLUSHIES AND MUAH MUAH MUAH-] THANK YOU FOR YOUR DEDICATION!!!!

i read your match made in hell! makarov x reader scenario and !!!! it's so good!!! honestly im having a hard time finding evil 'couples' and whatnot!!

can i request more? i dont have a specific prompt really- please and thank you!!!! [MUAH MUAH MUAH]

Can I keep the plushies????

Schemes Cw: canon-typical violence, mention of violence, canon divergence?, tell me if I missed any.

“Мой милый котёнок,” he whispered lowly, a seductive smile playing on his lips as he kissed down your arm. His lips trailed down your inner forearm, peppering your scarred skin with featherlight kisses and lingering on the pulse of your wrist, a display of loyalty —or as loyal as he could be. “You are vicious; lethal.”

He often complimented you, telling you how you were made for one another, your lethal planning and his vile games. He showered you in this - needed - devotion to show you how much you played your part in his plan, in the betterment of his country where he could easily give you whatever you wanted at the drop of the finger. If he played his card well enough, you’d stick to his side a while longer, dedicating your time to him as much as he spent on you, running after you and bartending with you.

“My precious котёнок.”

His lips lingered on your palm, hesitant to part with your rough fingers, scarred from all the hard work you put in your syndicate, the time and deaths it took for you to build your power and reputation. He had both power and time, having all he could wish for with Konni and his little piggy bank, the financer that grew attached to his cause and devoted her time and money to him. He had all, but he hungered for more, starving for the excitement you could provide that others couldn’t. That trickiness and effort he had to put to stay in your good light, keeping you by his side as the leader of another strong faction.

“What exactly is your plan, Makarov?” You had this cold gleam in your eyes, conniving and scheming, always ready to fight him tooth and nail in case he wanted to overthrow you or play you. He admired that about you, prepared to be ten feet ahead of both allies and enemies. “I need to know what you want to help you.”

He hummed, rising to take your hands within his, cradling them as if he was praying to you, posturing before a higher figure in his life —perhaps you were at this point of his life, something he needed to have and something he wanted to cling onto for a future he saw, one that he imagined. He, after all, had obsessions that he planned on keeping close and those he would chain down to him, and you were the latter.

“Price will want revenge,” he started slowly, his dark eyes gazing into your own, watching you construct and build a scenario and add every little aspect to it, strategising a way to victory, “He will come with more force. I hear that Shadow Company is helping them.”

You contemplated his words, your pretty face splitting in a cruel grin. You leaned into him, arms easing out of his hold to grip his waist and pulled him against you, his broad chest flushed against yours. He could feel the warmth of your hands through his clothes, a grating feeling if you weren’t such an important figure in his kingdom.

“Then we prepare and strike when they’re in their weakest,” your smile portrayed one of innocence, bright eyes and small grin, as if you hadn’t seen your fair share of dogfights. “Is that not what we usually do, Makarov?”

Taglist:@sae1kie @yeoldedumbslut @bvxygriimes @distracteddragoness @konigsblog @havoc973 @im-making-an-effort @daisychainsinknots @0alk0msan @danielle143 @dont-mind-me-just-existing-sadly @tuttifuckinfruttifriday @kaelysia @notspiders @velvetsoulweaver @petwifed @aldis-nuts @randominstake

[crazy-ache]

Pirate Elucien Playlist

Tread carefully...

You’ve been warned.

Elain and Lucien are falling into deep waters. A playlist to accompany the fic Treacherous Waters, a story featuring Elain Archeron as a disgraced daughter of society, forced to marry our favorite Lord of Foxes, the mysterious pirate captain intent on keeping her.

This is a little stocking stuffer gift for @jsmelodies for the @acotargiftexchange. Hope you enjoy listening! Key lyrics found below the cut.

Listen to the Playlist

Love Letter From the Sea to The Shore - Delaney Bailey

'Cause you hold in my tide I would die a thousand times Just to see you in another life I think I loved you In a thousand ways 'Cause you remain stagnant On my troubled days No matter how far I drift away You'll be there when I come back one day

Black Water - Of Monsters and Men

But there's something, eating at me Black water, take over Swallowed by a vicious, vengeful sea, oh-oh Darker days are raining over me, oh-oh In the deepest depths, I lost myself, oh-oh I see myself through someone else The strange silence surrounding me Grows closer, feels colder

Allies or Enemies - The Crane Wives

Are we allies or enemies? This will be the death of me This will be the death of me All is fair in love, and war But I can't fight with you anymore This will be the death of me

hostage - Billie Eilish

I wanna be alone Alone with you, does that make sense? I wanna steal your soul And hide you in my treasure chest I don't know what to do To do with your kiss on my neck I don't know what feels true But this feels right so stay a sec Yeah, you feel right so stay a sec And let me crawl inside your veins I'll build a wall, give you a ball and chain It's not like me to be so mean You're all I wanted Just let me hold you like a hostage

Troubled Waters - Alex Warren 

The waves keep crashin' What would happen If I asked you to stay? Woah say you won't Let me drown in troubled waters alone Ooh throw me a rope Won't you tell me that you're still holdin' on Feel the world on my shoulders Slowly pullin' me under And I don't wanna push you away Woah say you won't Let me drown in troubled waters Drown in troubled waters alone

Treacherous - Taylor Swift 

Put your lips close to mine As long as they don't touch Out of focus, eye to eye 'Til the gravity's too much And I'll do anything you say If you say it with your hands And I'd be smart to walk away But you're quicksand This slope is treacherous This path is reckless This slope is treacherous And I, I, I like it

What The Water Gave Me - Florence + The Machine

Time it took us To where the water was That's what the water gave me And time goes quicker Between the two of us But oh my love, don't forsake me Take what the water gave me

We Sink - Of Monsters and Men

I know that it's a waste of time, chasing in the dark But keep me in your clouded minds, until time ignites a spark

gold rush - Taylor Swift

Gleaming Twinkling Eyes like sinking ships On waters so inviting I almost jump in

Power Over Me - Dermot Kennedy

I wanna be king in your story I wanna know who you are I want your heart to beat for me Oh, I Want you to sing to me softly 'Cause then I'm outrunning the dark That's all that love ever taught me Oh, I Call and I'll rush out All out of breath now You got that power over me, my my Everything I hold dear resides in those eyes

Sailor Song - Gigi Perez

Oh, won't you kiss me on the mouth and love me like a sailor? And when you get a taste, can you tell me what's my flavor? I don't believe in God, but I believe that you're my savior

She Lit a Fire - Lord Huron

I've been through the desert and I've been 'cross the sea I've been walking through the mountains, I've wandered through the trees for her I have been trying to find her, want to give what I got She lit a fire, and now she's in my every thought

Salt And The Sea - The Lumineers

I'll let the darkness swallow me whole I need to find you, need you to know I'll be your friend in the daylight again There we will be, like an old enemy Like the salt and the sea

Runaway - AURORA

No, take me home, take me home where I belong I can't take it anymore But I kept running for a soft place to fall

Francesca - Hozier 

Do you think I'd give up That this might've shook the love from me Or that I was on the brink? How could you think, darling, I'd scare so easily? Now that it's done There's not one thing that I would change My life was a storm, since I was born How could I fear any hurricane? If someone asked me at the end I'll tell them put me back in it Darling, I would do it again, ah, ah If I could hold you for a minute

[unlovedanchor]

I AM ALL THE THINGS THEY MIGHT HAVE SAID TO YOU.

a prompt based off of the crane wives 2015 album, " coyote stories, " dark themes present. adjust if needed!

KEEP YOU SAFE.

" when i was a child, my nerves went wild. "

" i watched my friends climb to the tops of the trees. "

" i never climbed at all. "

" i told myself, 'i'm not ready.' "

" my daddy always said nothing worth doing comes easy. "

" nothing worth doing comes easy. "

" time is not your friend, time is not your remedy. "

" time is not your friend. "

" no amount of waiting will make you brave. "

" no amount of waiting will keep you safe. "

" the more fears i collect, i gather them from all the people i meet. "

" their stories reveal regrets their smiles can't conceal. "

" i carry them with me. "

" what if the steps i take turn out to be mistakes ? "

" how can somebody like me learn to stay ? "

THE MOON WILL SING.

" tell me once again. "

" tell me once again i could have been anyone. "

" i could have been anyone, anyone else. "

" i could have been anyone before you made the choice for me. "

" my feet knew the path. "

" we walked in the dark, i never gave a single thought to where it might lead. "

" i never gave a single thought to where it might lead. "

" all those empty rooms, we could have been anywhere else. "

" instead, i made a bed with apathy. "

" my heart knew the weight. "

" my heart knew the weight of ten years worth of dust and neglect. "

" ten years of worth of dust and neglect. "

" we made our peace with weariness and let it be. "

" the moon will sing a song for me, i loved you like the sun. "

" the moon will sing a song for me. "

" i loved you like the sun. "

" bore the shadows that you made with no light of my own. "

" i shine only with the light you gave me. "

" we could have had anything else. "

" instead, you hoarded all that's left of me. "

" i want to feel the fire that you kept from me . "

" i could have been anyone. "

ALLIES OR ENEMIES.

" the words i speak are wildfires and weeds. "

" they spread like some awful damn disease. "

" i swear, i didn't mean what i said. "

" i swear, i didn't mean it. "

" you owe me ears for dripping eaves. "

" forget it all, you caught me in a moment weak. "

" forget it all. "

" you caught me in a moment weak. "

" sometimes i just can't help myself. "

" i can't help myself at all. "

" are we allies or enemies ? "

" this will be the death of me . "

" remember when i could tell you not to smile ? "

" remember when i could tell you not to smile when you were mad ? "

" you would always crack, and we'd both be laughing in the end. "

" we'd both be laughing in the end. "

" now you're not so quick to forget. "

" all is fair in love and war, but i can't fight with you anymore. "

" what happens now ? "

" do we have another go ? "

" do we bow out and take our separate roads ? "

" i'll admit i've had my doubts. "

" i want to be let in, not out. "

UNRAVELING.

" i once loved a tailor who took eager care of me. "

" sewed together my loose ends with stitches. "

" stitches neat and clean. "

" but now my love is gone. "

" and i am left unraveling. "

" i once loved a gardener with his dirt-smudged face and hands. "

" trimmed my weeds and gave me room to grow. "

" i am left here withering. "

" i once loved a carpenter who carved a smile for me. "

" sanded my rough edges, crafted new and lovely things. "

" i can't help fracturing. "

" i never knew that i needed you. "

" i once loved a man who kissed me once before he left. "

" tied me up in knots and said he'd soon return again. "

HARD SELL.

" i'm trying to make something of myself. "

" my better days, i go buy the hard sell. "

" but i feel like i'm working with barbed wire. "

" i really can't get a hold of many things. "

" i'm one deep breath away from a breakdown. "

" my nerves are wrecked and coming unwound. "

" the world is hostile. "

" i'm fragile and i need someone to kiss the cuts. "

" tell me to keep trying. "

" is it me ? is it really just me ? "

" does everybody have it together or are we all pretending ? "

" holding it together with one loose string. "

" i can't stop pulling. "

"i rip myself apart at the seams. "

" i find one weak spot and start unraveling. "

" hoping i can find a better me. "

" a fresh new start. "

" can we stop pretending now ? "

ROCKSLIDE.

" i can hear the rumblin', honey. "

" it's why the weather's got the mountain shakin' weak. "

" i know you want to plant your feet. "

" we best get a move on. "

" or the devil we will meet. "

" i feel the quakin' honey, i feel it deep."

" oh, i pray today my soul to keep. "

" drop dead sprint, my darling. "

" don't look back now. "

" honey, just try to breath. "

" that monster's coming. "

" that monster's coming and it don't care for you or me. "

" it don't care for you or me. "

" the angels we may someday see. "

METAPHOR.

" i've gotten good at leaning on metaphors."

" i've gotten good at living on someone else's page. "

" i cut my teeth on secondhand sentiments. "

" you can't trust a single thing i say. "

" i keep my closet free of skeletons. "

" i'm much better at digging graves. "

" i always dig up bones in your sympathy. "

" i can't trust a single thing you say. "

" don't look too hard, you won't like the scars he left. "

" i've gotten good at stretching the truth out of shape. "

" all these words are sweet and meaningless. "

THE HAND THAT FEEDS.

" i've seen good men spoiled. "

" chained to their jobs like hounds. "

" they work and sleep and work again. "

" in the darkest nights they howl. "

" their cries are a warning to everyone following. "

" no man should stand to work all of his days. "

" and have nothing at the end of them. "

" i got no money but the change that jingles in my pockets. "

" reminding me of how little i have. "

" as for time, i am powerless to stop it. "

" it keeps rambling on like a mad, wandering man. "

" my papa was a howlin' man. "

" my dear papa gave me lessons and regrets. "

" all that he'd gone would be for nothing if [i] followed in his steps. "

" my papa taught me how to howl. "

" how to bear my teeth and growl. "

" he taught me that the hand that feeds, deserves to be bitten when it beats. "

" he taught he how to break my chains. "

" money ain't worth a thing. "

" no man should get more of my time than me. "

" i may never be a rich man. "

" i may never be a rich man but i can make sure that i am free. "

" i can make sure that i am free. "

" as for time, it's mine. "

LITTLE SOLDIERS.

" on the broken backs of all the words we spared. "

" like little soldiers in the trenches. "

" it was a march we made towards ruin and despair. "

" but we held hands all the while. "

" i swear that i loved you. "

" i dragged you through every room inside our home. "

" but you still held me at night. "

"i swear that you loved me. "

" we didn't give up. "

" we didn't dare surrender. "

" it was an honest loss. "

" now the aftermath will ring with songs you've sung. "

" all of our words sent home in boxes. "

" i fought with tooth and nail. "

" i fought with tooth and nail before the flag had flown. "

" but you were already gone. "

" i'll swear that i loved you. "

SLEEPING GIANTS.

" i feel the mountains shifting under me. "

" sleeping giants are finally waking. "

" my pulse is clear, rushing in my ears. "

" i hear something calling me. "

" the moon is humming lovely melodies. "

" the forest echoes, the trees are crowing. "

OF EVERLONG.

" out of the ocean, over the harbor. "

" lay no sons and lay no daughters. "

" among the mountains of everlong, 'twas there i wrote me a sad song. "

" 'twas there i wrote me a sad song. "

" and if my lover will not heed it ? "

" take my voice and take my spirit. "

" leave me weakened and dig my hole. "

" only my lover, not i, can keep my soul. "

NEVER LONG AN ANCHOR.

" on some level i think i always understood. "

" these hands of mine were clumsy, not clever. "

" i tried to do the best that i could. "

" but try as i might, i couldn't bring myself to hold you. "

" it's a secret i keep tucked inside my chest. "

" with this heart of mine that's guilty, not remorseful."

" there is love that doesn't have a place to rest. "

" it would have buried you if it had settled on your shoulders. "

" a ship could never really love an anchor. "

" so i did the only thing that i could. "

" i severe the rope and set you sailing from my harbor. "

" there are times i still wonder about you. "

" you are someone i have loved. "

" but never known. "

" you are someone i have loved but never known. "

" you'll never see the reasons i had for keeping my claws away when they were close enough to hurt you. "

" they were close enough to hurt you. "

" i am selfish, i am broken, i am cruel. "

" i am all the things that they might have said to you. "

" do you ever think of me ? "

" do you ever think fo me and my two hands ?"

" and wonder they never soothed your fevers? "

" and wonder why they never held you gently? "

" and wonder why they never had the chance to lose you ? "

NEW DISCOVERY.

" i want to stand on the edge of the water. "

" see horizons stretch on forever. "

" i want to know that there are lands not yet touched by human hands."

" not yet touched by human hands. "

" i want to be the one to find them. "

" sometimes i feel like i'm lost in a desert. "

" every dune is the same as the other. "

" i see my footprints in the sand. "

" i know where i've been and these steps i take won't go to waste. "

" i'm moving towards something. "

" i want to believe there's something left for me. "

" a new discovery waiting for me. "

" i want to kindle a love that doesn't age. "

" even when all the years carve lines into your face. "

" tell me will i be surprised? "

" tell me will i be surprised when i think i've memorized every touch and every thought ? "

" i want you to prove me wrong. "

[mewsmagic]

I DID NOT EXPECT TO DO ANOTHER ANALYSIS THOUGHTS WHATEVER POST BUT ARLECCHINO IS JUST TOO MUCH FOR MY NEURODIVERGENT BRAIN AND I NEED TO TALK ABT IT SO HERE WE GO AGAIN

Spoiler warning for Arlecchino’s character teaser!!!

If you haven’t yet, watch it here!!

Look look. I really did not expect Arlecchino to be comprehensive, understanding or merciful (of her children) since in the Fontaine trailer she was critical of Lyney and Lynette and we did have other harbingers calling her a wolf in sheep’s clothing and things like that

Oh fuck I screenshotted this at the wrong time LOLL anyway

BUT THEN SHE WAS SO KIND WITH THIS GIRL 😭😭

Despite telling her that she told her recklessness would lead to failure, she was not mad at her AT ALL – and I mean, completely fair, girl was literally on her deathbed – and instead decided to deal with the problem herself 😭😭😭😭😩😩😩🤯🤯🤯🤡🤡🤡 I WAS NOT EXPECTING THIS FROM A SUPPOSEDLY “STRICT AND UNFEELING FATHER”

Also, this isn’t my main point but the way she showed up like fricking bogeyman and crushed the nasty man’s skull with her HEEL was insane (positively) for me

Anyway LOL then she went, killed him, exposed his crimes and robbed all his money SO SHE COULD ADOPT MORE HOMELESS CHILDREN LIKE PLEASE THIS IS EXTREMELY CHAD AND BASED OF HER

Not only that, but she went back to her child and saw her off herself 😭😭😭😭 this shot of her closing her eyes, gosh this made me really emotional, especially considering what comes next

She did mourn her death!!!! Not only that but she called her “her child”!!!!! Although she appears inexpressive, it must’ve been so hard to see the children you raised part like that.

And considering we’re talking about a whole orphanage, this is definitely not her first time, and won’t be her last either, it must be so hard to be the director of the House :(

Now, I gotta say I like her character even more after all this 😭😭😭😭

I am all for villains who are actually evil and nasty flawed people and I do like characters like that as well, but I feel like in Alrecchino’s case, it was kinda necessary for her to have a softer side?

I mean, again, we’re talking about an orphanage here. Her underlings are literally her own children, children like her who were abandoned at a young age, had nowhere to go and no one to take care of them. Not only that, but she has to train them to become underground agents and deal with dangerous situations at a young age. To become criminals even.

And this is all without even mentioning that she had to deal with generational trauma too. It’s a tendency for this type of children to become the opposite of their parents, and try to do better than them even if they do still have their own flaws. And I think this is shown wonderfully in Arlecchino.

She tries to put a front of a cold and strict father, but on the inside, she’s not as ruthless as she makes herself out to be. Even to the Traveler, who has been an “enemy” of the Fatui in various situations, she did not care about it and instead judged them to be a valuable ally (AND SHE WAS NOT WRONG!!!!)

It's really no wonder Lyney admires her and wants to be like her. Tbh I would feel the same way if I were in his shoes LOL Lynette and Freminet seem to respect her a lot as well, from what I've seen in the Archon quests and the story quests I mean.

I did not read all of the Hearth siblings lore however, so I may be missing some information about how she raised them, and there’s still the story quest and the Boss fight that still wasn’t released and I don’t look at this type of leaks LOL but still, you got my point!

Another point I wanna mention is that this front of cold, unfeeling and harsh could be considered her flaw, even if it’s just a mask.

I mean, it is considered a toxic trait to pretend to be something you’re not. It could be people pleasing (no shame btw I am one myself), could be narcissistic traits like the previous Knave showed, and it could be pretending to be tougher than you really are, like in Arlecchino’s case.

In this case, she’s not only neglecting her own feelings and not letting them out (i.e.: not crying for her child’s death for example), but it can give the wrong impression to her children as well.

It gives the impression that she doesn’t care about them, especially at a young age, and especially considering they’re homeless children who have already been abandoned by their biological parents, and by the world itself.

According to studies on psychology, this situation makes children even more vulnerable to insecurity, low self-esteem, and gives them even more need for emotional connection and reassurance, which Arlecchino doesn't give them bc she's cold.

So yeah, Arlecchino IS still flawed and questionable in her own way, the children do feel the effect of this and her “good side” was necessary for her position and done wonderfully in my opinion.

Personally, I LOVE it when villains/anti-heroes are unhinged at the right people/moments but at the same time still have their kind side and their own issues. I mean, questionable people in real life do also have their good side, and this is exactly what makes them fucking nasty when they're nasty.

But I'll definitely talk more about this whenever I do make a post about Firefly from Star Rail! Gosh I have so much to say about her, just wait for me guys!!!

[therulerofallpotatos]

Hannigram Fic Rec List

In no particular order, some hannigram fics I recommend

This is in response to @cassyglenn 's post from a few hours ago I just saw.

So Delicate the Bones by unrealshrike

Summary:

After her father's unsolved disappearance, sixteen-year-old Adeline finds herself at the mercy of a new school, serial killers, FBI agents, and an unorthodox psychiatrist. Meanwhile, Hannibal wants to provide Will with a child after the fatal incident at the Hobbs’ home, and who better than his opportune new patient?

Chp 26/26 Word Count: 177,096 Words

So Delicate the Bones is one of those special fics in this fandom that introduces an original character into the main cast that is both genuinely interesting on their own and fits in with the established ensemble seamlessly. The story is riveting and I was sucked into it almost immediately. I highly recommend this. My bookmark notes (which I design specifically for me) were: An absolute epic of a novel. Adeline/Addie/Del

The Voices and the Shadows by darlinghogwarts, MaddyHughes, and slashyrogue

Summary:

“The Chesapeake Ripper? The serial killer? That's a grisly thing to find at the bottom of a drink. Most people say oblivion ...or possibly sex.” Hannibal sips his wine again. “Why are you thinking about a murderer on your birthday, Will? Is it part of your degree?”   “He is a part of my degree by my own choice. My supervisor didn’t approve, but…” He sighs. “I insisted.” AU where Will—a Masters student studying the Chesapeake Ripper—gets drunk on his birthday and meets an intriguing man at the bar.

Chp 36/36 Word Count: 114,625

My personal bookmark note that I wrote in 2017 when I made this bookmark: The sweetest slowest most infuriating and beautiful burn you will ever experience.

In all honesty I read this in high school when I first started reading Hannibal fanfiction. I might've even read this before watching the show. That said, I don't make a note like that lightly. I only ever write notes like these when I want to remind a me years in the future why I bookmarked something in the first place. Some of the best novels I've read were a handful of fics that I'd make that note for. I know that this enthralled me, sucked me in. I was invested. I was glued to it for days. If this were another fandom, I might expect for it to hit softer if I were to reread it now, but Hannigram in particular has a habit of hitting just as hard at 25 years old as it did at 17 years old.

Light Up the Torches by HigherMagic

Summary:

"We need to find out who this rogue agent is," Sutcliffe says. "Right now, I think it would be fair to assume they're one of ours or our allies', since only our enemies are being killed." Hannibal nods. "Hold briefings with all your captains," he tells them. "I want no stone unturned. Tell them that whoever is doing this will not come to harm; I would very much like to meet them."

Chp 1/1 Word Count: 7,197

My bookmark note was: Oh fuck yes

It must have been delightful. I know myself well enough to know this is just a good time to be had.

The Living Doll by Anna_Jay

Summary:

Will is aware of what he's getting himself into when he buys the dreaded Doll House. Because of the cursed doll, no one has been able to stay longer than a month. He doesn't mind. Perhaps death would be kind after everything he's been through. Over the next few days Will finds himself attached to the strange doll he's named Hannibal. After all, it is just a doll. Right?

Part 2/3 Chp 9/9 Word Count: 35,675

The Living Doll is a 3 part series in which part 2 is the bulk of the story. The link above is for the series so you can easily start at the beginning. This is hands down one of my favorite fics. Ever. Like across all fandoms. actually no. it's one of my favorite novellas I've ever read period. I actually wrote my own haunted ball joint doll fic for a completely different fandom because of this fic's inspiration (it is nowhere near as good but I can share it if you're interested I suppose. It's still a very different story). It's creepy. It's romantic. It's intense and classic. It could easily get picked up by Blumhouse Productions and make a very good movie out of it. If you read anything on this list, read this.

Darling, Don't Be So Shy by murdergatsby

Summary: Will is a paranormal investigator with a special gift. Hannibal is a demon swelling with boredom. Their meeting was supposed to lead to a simple exorcism, but Will has a nasty habit of getting attached.

Chp 13/13 Word Count: 34,571

This was also one of my first Hannigram fics I read back in high school. I adored this fic. I'm a big fan of haunting each other/possession/melding each other into one type dynamics and their distinct dynamic in this story drew me in like a moth to a flame. i read it more than once and saved it here for safekeeping. I will likely reread it after finishing this list.

How to Save a Life (The Cannibal-Friendly Handbook) by KittenDiamore

Summary:

There’s a man looking up at Will, who has clearly been distracted from - Oh. Throwing limbs into the river. Human limbs. Lovely, he thinks sarcastically. Then he thinks it again because it actually is kind of lovely. The man looks confident. At ease with what he is. He’s kinda hot, too. Or: Will tries to jump off a bridge but ends up offering himself up to a cannibalistic serial killer...as you do.

Chp 1/1 Word Count: 3,463

For a shorter rec, this is a delightful little one-shot with a different first meeting (I love different first meeting fics). Delightful premise. Delightful follow through. Had this in my bookmarks for years as well.

There is also one more fic I was expecting to find in my bookmarks and now am going to ask anyone to help me find because it isn't there. There was a series that I read early on (probably 2017) that was about Hannibal who had a 10yo son at the time of the show. The story evolved into a series that was about that son and it deserved to be. It was one of those special projects where an original character naturally stole the show and we were reading to see where his story would take him more than anything else. These were novels and they were epic and I would love to get my hands on it again. This child was cunning and devoted to his father and his own personal ambitions. Any help finding this fic and any fics similar to it would be extremely welcome.

Oh! and a link to my bookmarks as well because there are more fics there. I just listed the ones that stood out the most/that I remembered enough to write my own spiel about them. I have not actually read every single fic I've marked, but even those are interesting enough that I saved them for later.

[aziraphales-library]

I’ve been in the fandom for a couple months now and most of the fics I’ve read are from you. They’re all great and you do great work!!

I was wondering if you have any fics surrounding Egypt, Wessex, or fics where crowley gets hurt for helping or saving Aziraphale (like “Let the scars tell the story” by shatteredwriters)

Preferably no smut since I’m not really into that (Acesexual) although non-explicit sex is fine. I’m fine with any type of gore/whump so that’s fine

Thank you! We have #through the ages, #protective crowley, and #hurt crowley tags you may be interested in. Here are a couple of Egypt fics and a couple of Wessex fics...

Perfectly Angelic by EdosianOrchids901 (T)

Despite their recent argument in Wessex, Crowley rescues Aziraphale from an ambush. Aziraphale finds himself totally smitten, but his positive feelings evaporate when Crowley collapses. What’s wrong with him?

Thus Saith The Lord by kittygirl2210 (T)

Aziraphale is sent to Egypt to help prepare for the final plague. While assisting in this duty, he comes across a familiar face. Warning: This fic contains child death, as depicted during the 10th plague of Egypt. Crowley/Crawley uses they/he pronouns during this time period!

Nine Crimes by xzombiexkittenx (G)

Aziraphale and Crowley during the plagues of Egypt. “Anyways,” Crawly says. “If you ask me, starting with the blood water seems a bit like…" She makes a rude gesture with her hand. "Shot the proverbial load early." Aziraphale grimaces. "Please," he says. "It is though." "I suspect," Aziraphale says in the tones of someone who has no idea what he's talking about but is gamely making something up, "the first one ought to have done the trick. Once water is turned to blood, everyone sees the Almighty's power, and the Pharaoh lets the chosen people go. What kind of lunatic sees the Nile turned to blood and says, 'bring it on'?"

A Warrior in a Garden by Snarky_Synesthete (T)

Aziraphale knows that King Arthur is frustrated with him: bringing home his enemies as allies should be a good thing, but somehow Aziraphale isn't performing knighthood in the expected manner. When Crowley shows up at Camelot to sow discord as Morgana la Fey, Aziraphale thinks he's seen the worst...until Arthur goes on a crusade against a Pagan community and Aziraphale is expected to actually wield his sword.

The Pharaoh's Son by Writer_of_Words88 (T)

Crowley and Aziraphale have known each other for a little while, just a few millennia. But, something is coming, something that has Aziraphale very, very worried. Crowley can't just up and leave no matter if the angel begs and pleads, probably. This is the demon and the angel's first big falling out that will change their lives forever. --- "And, why exactly would I do that?" "Because I," the angel paused. He seemed unsure himself, but it didn't seem to stop his resolve. "Please, it really is frightfully important that you leave. I really do wish I could say what is going on, but if word got out that I'd warned you, well, let's just say it would mean a lot of trouble, possibly for us both." "This wouldn't have anything to do with the pharaoh's second son, would it?"

Le Morte D’Aziraphale by Ultramarine316 (T)

During his time with King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, Aziraphale winds up in an awkward situation and asks for Crowley’s help extricating himself, but the other Knights don’t respond well to The Black Knight suddenly appearing and carrying off their (Fair Damsel) Sir Aziraphale. Hijinks ensue.

- Mod D

[celestial-hieroglyph]

Are we allies or enemies?

This will be the death of me

This will be the death of me

All is fair in love and war, but I can't fight with you anymore

This will be the death of me

[moistvonlipwig]

🔥Supergirl. The show or the character within the show, it's up to you

re: the show --

s1 wasn't that good.

yes, there were aspects of s1 that were better than later seasons; i liked that kara had much more complicated feelings about her parents, for instance (and that alex, in turn, had much more complicated feelings about hers), and that james got more focus and things to do. but a lot of the flaws with the later seasons started in s1 -- the transplanting of superman's allies, enemies, personality traits, & storylines onto supergirl; kara being a reporter/reporter-adjacent and her general complete lack of professional direction; the show's refusal to hold kara to account and force her to grow (her non-reaction to the death of poor catco kelly and 30-second remorse over her actions on redk, neither of which were portrayed as the flaws they should've been, were ill omens for her future sun-eating), the show's shallow and incoherent politics especially re: feminism and immigration, etc.

and look, for all that supergirl never got particularly good at its handling of diversity, at least in later seasons some attempts were made. in s1 there is one (1) character of import played by a woman of color and it's lucy lane and we're pretty clearly meant to read her as white. there are no lgbt+ characters, and in fact the pilot episode goes out of its way to stress that don't worry, guys, just because kara is a strong woman doesn't mean she's a lesbian, haha! we have to sit through a million bajillion cringy speeches by the world's worst girlboss about how hard she has it as a rich white straight women with not even a word of lip service paid to the struggles of racialized, queer, or trans women.

it's also terminally, insufferably rom-commy -- which, hey, if you like that stuff, good for you, i shan't tell you not to, but i do not like rom-coms and i have no desire to watch superheroes be stuck in one. (to be fair supergirl is terminally rom-commy for the first several seasons and only really fully loses the rom-com vibes in s4. which also is the first seasons whose vibes i like. so.) cat grant is just miranda priestly if she wasn't cool or funny; kara's otherwise sweet relationship with james is bogged down by the show's insistence on sticking them in the world's most tedious and cliche love triangle ever; winn is the hideous misogynist sidekick we're supposed to feel sad for because kara doesn't like him back :( aww what a little birthday boy, won't someone feel bad for the birthday boy; kara in general is written to be Quirky and Relatable and Awkward and Clumsy in what feels like a blend of every rom-com white girl ever with just a sprinkle of clark kent mixed in. except those traits read as charming in a man with kal's backstory and infantilizing in a woman with kara's.

i didn't watch sg and so wasn't in the fandom in the early years -- largely because s1 was so off-putting to me and then they immediately made things worse with the introduction of mon-el in s2 -- but if i'm permitted to speculate, i imagine that a lot of fondness and nostalgia for s1 is rooted in legitimate frustrations with s2 onwards that make people think the show would've been better off staying on cbs. ignoring for a moment that cbs canceled the show because its ratings sucked so bad only the cw (king of not making money) would take it, i invite you to consider that nia nal's introduction was maybe the most purely good thing the show ever did, and i would bet you hundreds of dollars that would never have happened on cbs. and again, s1, while it lacked mon-el, had plenty of racism, misogyny, and bad politics to go around. i personally see mon-el's storyline as an outgrowth of the worldview the show had established in s1, not a contradiction of it; yes, going from james to mon-el as main love interest was jarring narratively, but was it really so shocking that a Feminist Show™ that portrayed winn's Nice Guy shtick sympathetically and had zero women of color in its main cast would do such a thing?

also, just on a personal taste level, lena luthor is my favorite character on the show for reasons i outlined in my earlier post, and she's not in it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ it's not the biggest reason i struggle with the season, but it doesn't help that the show lacks a character to really bring the intrigue and subtext like she does. (and when i say subtext i am not even specifically referring to the homoerotic kind, i mean more broadly having layered interactions with other characters.) the character most similar to her in terms of narrative purpose in s1 is, um, maxwell lord? who fucking sucks. so. yeah.

do i think s1 is the show's worst season? no. but overall, while s2 and s5 make me angrier, i find s1 and s6 to have the least rewatch value for me personally. and i think people's frustrations with the later seasons have fogged up their glasses with rose-colored nostalgia for the first season that it frankly, imo, doesn't deserve.

[alyrictoasongbythecranewives]

Are we allies or enemies?

This will be the death of me

This will be the death of me

All is fair in love, and war

But I can't fight with you anymore

This will be the death of me

[oathkeeper-of-tarth]

Haruka and Michiru as Aylin and Isobel. Y/N? I've never actually played BG3 but I'd love to know your thoughts.

I loved getting this ask right after seeing fanart of that very concept (but the other way around). And I love pondering stuff like this!

Certainly I've rolled this around in my brain as soon as people started calling Aylin and Isobel "the moon lesbians". I absolutely see the vision if it's a kind of more surface-level "cast the BG3 characters as senshi/the senshi as BG3 characters" or writing an AU/crossover in which case that's absolutely and without question the roles they'd get. But I think that going much deeper it starts to break down.

There's neat parallels, absolutely. That iconic romance! That all-consuming devotion! Beyond even death! And the whole dying-and-resurrecting thing, too! And a literal magical girl transformation that will forever be the best scene in the game. We sadly never get to see Aylin and Isobel in combat together the way we do Haruka and Michiru, but they'd make a really neat battle couple, I'm sure. Though their "I fight better when I know my beloved is safe" stuff might get in the way - a fun thing to explore.

And yes, one of them is loud and boisterous and tall and strong and sword-y and loves putting up a front and brushing her own feelings off as irrelevant even when she is suffering horribly. Also has the whole extreme dedication to duty thing going on, good ol' Being A Sword, while being brash and reckless and having a concerning disregard for personal safety. (You can't tell me Haruka wouldn't jump into 500 godawful fights a day, just plain facetanking everything, if she knew she couldn't die.) The other, meanwhile, is a way more subtle fancy princess lady type who seems to be calling a lot of the shots in the relationship.

My darling Isobel says we will stay allied at your side. I am pleased to hear it.

(Never fails to get me - Aylin, you already swore your sword and fealty to me 5 minutes ago, were you just going to dip if Isobel said so?)

She is also very insightful, is "the mage" and is capable of some excellent and on-point snark and verbal cuts, though I can't really see Isobel as being very ~ara (she's also a laughably horrible liar). Selûne actually has a lot of divination-related stuff in her portfolio and Isobel (who already uses mirrors in her iconic ritual we see in the game, and I love love love the setup she has there) doing some augury, scrying, and future-sensing via mirror-gazing would be super on brand.

(The moon, the tides, the sea... I could go places with this. But of course, now I've thought of Umberlee Cleric Michiru and The Seas Are Stormy, and that is a true delight.)

But the one place where it really breaks down for me is probably my very favourite thing to chew on with regards to Michiru, and that is that one iconic line, no matter how seriously you decide to take her words:

A world without Haruka isn't worth saving.

I cannot see Isobel saying anything like this, even as a joke, even as a taunt aimed at a defeated enemy.

Because we see Isobel go through exactly this: she wakes up in a world without Aylin. Against all odds, she is in the exact opposite of the situation they two with their mortal/immortal disparity have discussed and prepared for. She is told her unkillable demigod beloved is somehow dead and she believes this lie fully - we have no indication she ever doubted this. And what does Isobel do?

She makes a stand against the shadows, makes herself a beacon and protector, adamantly refuses to abandon any bit of her faith and her lifelong service to her goddess (even while expressing her dissatisfaction with Selûne's apparent laissez-faire approach there, if pressed), gives her all to set up a shelter and support the people mounting a resistance against her own father. "At any cost," she says, and it all clearly does cost her quite a bit - she is so very visibly exhausted and at the end of her tether when we meet her, but also chooses to be patient and to stay back and support and heal and all that. I feel like Michiru, in this situation, would rather march up to Moonrise and take on the entire army herself in a doomed last stand. Unless, I don't know, maybe a Jaheira-Setsuna situation could help?

All this actually makes me think Isobel has a lot of Hotaru vibes! The goth girl whose antagonist dad is part of leading an entire elaborate evil operation (she's the only thing he has left, she is an obsession, he will keep resurrecting her no matter the cost), being brought back from the dead by him in a weird way and suffering the various consequences of this. She even has an Ominous Cough going on, and her most prominent magical power is shielding and healing. Then, a tadpoled Isobel as a parallel to Mistress 9? You could go places with that.

Looking at the other halves of the couples, Haruka, when she thinks Michiru is dead:

You’re so unfair, Michiru, to leave for a world of your own. Don’t leave me here.

Aylin, in turn, seems to have dealt with Isobel's first death fairly... healthily. I mean, it's hard to say, when the one point of coping comparison we have is Ketheric. Certainly her grief is immense and when she says "I have mourned her these hundred years" it is the most believable thing. If Isobel dies again before they get reunited, we see a more subdued version of Aylin who is extremely duty-focused and determined to soldier on (her epilogue letter guts me) and who gives me that very I Will Never Love Again impression of kind of cutting herself off from the more mortal/human parts of her that Isobel seems very much a tether to (and you could go neat places with this being a parallel to the senshi dealing with having human identities, i.e. Haruka vs Uranus). But we do get some truly chilling stuff from Aylin if Isobel dies after their reunion (as well as a serving of some absolutely heartbreaking "I don't care what happens to me as long as Isobel is safe" right before that).

When I am free, I will destroy you! I will murder you, and your children, and their children beside! I will rip this world apart, plank and beam, until every iota of your being is scalded by my light.

So she is going to make very sure that a world without Isobel is also a world without you, traitor. And after that most thorough vengeance is done? I can't think of anything that bodes well, I'm afraid. But the senshi I could most easily see going down this particular dark route is, well, Michiru, and not Haruka.

Continuing this extremely self-indulgent thought exercise, it reminds me a bit of "every yuri couple is Utena and Anthy if you try hard and believe in yourself" and I'd say let's go for a twist: while they are absolutely nothing alike, Aylin sure makes an interesting Anthy because she's magically imprisoned for an unimaginably long time, has a thousand swords stuck in her over and over again, and she suffers because men objectify her and covet her for her power and what she represents and want to use her, and it seems to be a cycle she is doomed to repeat forever purely because of who she is. Meanwhile, Isobel is, uh, a car? I don't know how far I can stretch this, hahah.

In any case, thank you for this excuse to blather on! Always appreciated. Again, this is peak self-indulgence, and I love it.