#and drawing ned sometimes

[kickedin17]

Woe, random collection of art and doodles I don't think I've ever posted on here be upon ye~ (clancy and torchy chibi heads are actually buttons but I don't have a good picture of them in button form atm)

[very-tired-child]

4koma

[greywoe]

child ward in search of belonging indulges in juvenile fantasies as a coping mechanism. sad!

[nonbinaryned]

HANG ON

this exact scene made it into the final episode except. EXCEPT

UR TELLING ME THIS WAS WHAT DOLL!NED WAS ORIGINALLY GONNA LOOK LIKE???

idk if they thought it’d be too weird or too hard to animate but i kinda wish it didnt get scrapped. crazy-ass design /pos

its so cool that some of the storyboards from this show have been preserved, i assumed that it’d all be lost media

Disney Nightmare Ned’s (1997) Storyboard drawing by Eddie Fitzgerald

[aurumacadicus]

A concept:

Tony has mostly learned not to ask too many questions when he's around teenagers. He doesn't understand most things, and quite frankly, it's just easier to claim ignorance than confusion at this point. (Peter has explained "skibidi" to him three times now and he still doesn't get it.) He just tries to provide a safe place for him and his friends. Sometimes that means he's bewildered, but it's better that way. He figures it's just a rite of passage. He still remembers how flabbergasted Jarvis looked when he described something as 'tubular.'

He's just grateful that there weren't so many cameras when he was a kid. It seems like they're everywhere, and there are so many video trends it makes him tired. Luckily, Peter and his friends seem to at least be aware that the internet is forever, so they're not doing stupid shit like doing drugs or throwing slurs around. Mostly they just post pranks. Most recently, he's pretty sure MJ and Ned duct-taped Peter to a door so he'd startle anyone who opened it. Which seems. Harmless? Whatever.

But his practiced chill all seems to backfire when he walks in on them in his kitchen "because the lighting's better here than in a conference room" with pictures taped to sticks being stuck in cake. "What is this?" he asks tiredly, because he knows it's too late to pretend he didn't see them.

"It's a hear-me-out cake, Mr. Stark," MJ answers in that way of hers that is somehow both flat and mischievous.

Tony blinks at her slowly, trying to figure out what reaction would please her least, then gives up. "Why are you doing it in my house."

"Because I don't want Aunt May to see I've put Doc Hudson from Cars on a hear-me-out cake," Peter answers.

Tony squints at the pictures already on the cake. "You've got a lot of nerve to put a picture of Timothee Chalamet on a cake and say 'hear me out' about it," he finally says.

"It's specifically Timothee Chalamet in Wonka," Ned defends immediately.

"And Doc Hudson is just a good-looking classic car, it's not weird," Tony continues, ignoring him. "I have a Hudson Hornet. I'll take you kids out for a ride when the weather gets better."

MJ holds up one of her pictures while Ned and Peter gape at him wordlessly. "I have Lady Tremaine from Cinderella."

Tony leans closer, putting his hands on his hips and huffing in offense. "You chose a picture of Cate Blanchett instead of the original cartoon. You guys. You can't say 'hear me out' about conventionally attractive people, no matter how mean they are in their roles."

"Oh yeah?" Peter asks defensively. "Then who's your hear-me-out, Mr. Stark?"

"Hexxus from Ferngully," Tony retorts, and then, "At least bring me a piece of cake when you're done." Then he grabs his coffee and heads back for the workshop.

He only realizes what a mistake that might have been when JARVIS tells him that his Twitter is blowing up but he only really understands when he sees that Tim Curry himself has responded to the video Peter posted of him with "The highest of compliments, surely."

"Pepper is going to be so mad at me," Tony breathes when he sees people are already drawing fan art of it.

[amaltheas-garden]

Jon and Sansa will bring the story of Rhaegar and Lyanna full circle:

We have very few details on the relationship between Rhaegar and Lyanna, but what we do know is Lyanna was in an unwanted betrothal to Robert at the time she disappeared with Rhaegar. Whether she went willingly or not is up to speculation. Aside from Robert, most accounts agree that Rhaegar embodied the fairy tale prince-like character (prior to the war). Lyanna wept at the beauty of his music, and was crowned his queen of love and beauty before leaving her family forever. Her story ends alone in Dorne, dying in her bed of blood, abandoned by the man she thought would save her, begging to go home.

It's easy to see then, the parallels between Lyanna's ill-fated romance and the romantic dreams of her niece, Sansa Stark. Although the two share few similarities in personality and hobbies, both became enamored by princes who hide their darker nature, and lured them away from the safety of their homeland, before going to war with their families. However, Lyanna's story ended far from the North, dying in childbirth, whereas Sansa has escaped that fate (even more interesting considering Lyanna's book storyline is a near one to one of Sansa's in the original outline). And, if we recall the very beginning of A Game of Thrones, Robert proposes to Ned that they wed Joffrey to Sansa, joining their houses as he and Lyanna might have. There is a conscious effort on Robert's part to set the past right through the relationships of their children. So right from the jump Sansa is cast as the Lyanna stand in, though she too escapes her "Baratheon" betrothal, and is on course to run straight into Rhaegar's son (as per the girl in grey theory).

So where does Jon lie in all this? If we take the girl in grey prophecy to be about Sansa, we know the two will meet sometime in the near future. Sansa has already become disillusioned of her chivalric ideals of love and knighthood (that's not to say she doesn't believe in heroes and honorable knights, just that she's far more skeptical of surface appearance), and yet, it will be her bastard brother who will embody the traits of the hero Sansa has been searching for. Rhaegar appeared as the perfect prince, yet was the one to kill Jon's mother, and Sansa, in a similar situation, is seduced by the charm and beauty of Prince Joffrey, only to be exposed to his vicious cruelty, narrowly escaping his family (even more interesting to consider Lyanna, had she survived, would not have been Queen, as Elia was still his lawful wife, and would be considered a mistress to the King as there was no chance of her escaping Rhaegar now that she carried his child, similar to Joffrey marrying Margaery, while threatening to make Sansa his mistress). Jon on the other hand is the brooding, solemn, plain-featured bastard, sharing no traditional qualities with that of the typical hero. That is to say, he's about as far from Rhaegar as you could get. And yet, it is Jon who commits himself to defending and protecting those who cannot (Sam, the wildlings, Alys Karstark) because that's who he is. No songs are sung for the men of the Nights Watch, he doesn't gain anything by protecting those others might deem weak, unworthy, or exploitable, but he does it anyway. Jon does not look nor act the part, but the strength of his moral character is what distinguishes him as the unconventional hero of the story.

I would also draw a comparison between the legend of Azor Ahai sacrificing his wife Nissa Nissa and Rhaegar's "sacrifice" of Lyanna, to bring about the third head of the dragon he thought necessary to save the world. After reading @/stormcloudrising's phenomenal metas on Sansa's connection to Nissa Nissa/the Amethyst Empress, I believe the idea of sacrifice will appear again in relation to Jon's character arc. Many in the fandom have speculated that AA/NN and the Bloodstone Emperor/Amethyst Empress are one and the same, the former featuring the sacrifice of a wife, the latter a usurpation of a sister. Sansa already occupies the (false) position as Jon's sister, while Jon has refused to usurp her rights as heir to Winterfell. However, with Jon's parentage reveal, the opportunity of a Jon/Sansa romance becomes possible, potentially elevating her to the status of love interest. And, if we're going with the NN/AE are the same theory, it would mean she occupied the role of both sister and wife. As for Rhaegar, his prophecy obsession is what led to him endangering Lyanna, placing his need for the third dragon above her own safety, ultimately killing her. Jon spends a good chunk of ADwD with Stannis, a claimant to the title of AA/the Prince that was Promised, who similarly struggles with the question of sacrificing one life to save the world, "What is the life of one bastard boy against a kingdom?” (ASoS) To which we already know the answer, Everything. Stannis, like Rhaegar, will fail the moment he sacrifices Shireen to fulfill his "greater purpose". Daenerys is also a claimant to the title, and we will likely see a contrast between how she and Jon approach being Rhaegar's heirs and inheritors of the prophecy. Stannis will lose everything after Shireen's death, the same as Rhaegar when he left Lyanna to die, condemning House Targaryen to death in the ensuing war. Jon will likely face a similar decision of sacrifice upon discovering he could be the subject of prophecy that consumed his father and once honorable king. And just as he refused to usurp Sansa's claim, he will reject the sacrifice of a loved one (lover perhaps?) as prerequisite to fulfilling his role as AA/TPtwP.

Jon's character always comes back to his identity as a Stark. Discovering his true parentage will undoubtedly be a source of inner conflict, culminating in his decision between Stark and Targaryen (spoiler: its Stark). It's a classic case of sins of the father, and how Jon asserts himself as an individual outside of his father's tainted legacy. Jon being the hero to Sansa and helping her return home would effectively resolve the generational conflict caused by Rhaegar's "kidnapping" of Lyanna away from the North. Rhaegar caused immense amounts of pain to the Stark family through his one act of selfish cruelty, which Jon will rectify through one of loyalty and selflessness. And narratively, Lyanna's son being the one to save her niece and return her to Winterfell would just be so chef's kiss.

[inkandarsenic]

these hollow empty spaces (1)

“do what is right, not what is easy.”

My first Game of Thrones fic! Notably, this is not the idea I sent in an ask to @dipperscavern, but rather one sort of inspired by a separate ask. I tried to link both asks, but tumblr won’t let me. Anyhoops.

Synopsis: The youngest daughter of Tywin Lannister refuses to stand idly by, and the currents of fate shift.

Pairing: Robb Stark x Lannister!OC

Tags: slow burn, enemies to lovers but like enemies more in the political sense

Pt. 1

masterlist | next

The North passed outside the window in an endless expanse of rolling moors and sprawling forests – nature at its finest. The air up here was clean and cold, almost sweet after the stink of King’s Landing. Maybe that’s why Eleyna couldn’t stop drawing back the heavy curtains that kept the cold out.

Cersei huffed. “Must you stare out the window? It’s not as if there is anything interesting out there.” She glared at Eleyna. “You’ll make the children sick, they aren’t used to this dreadful chill.”

The children in question were playing a game quietly in their corner of the wheelhouse, and looked rather warm, if Eleyna was being honest. The only one who could complain of being cold was Joffrey, riding outside with Jaime. Eleyna rolled her eyes at her sister and let the curtain drop. “You are the only one complaining, dear sister. Forgive me for wanting to enjoy the beauty of the North.”

“The beauty of a frozen, barren wasteland?” Cersei scoffed.

“You’ve been in the city too long, Cersei,” Eleyna sighed. “The North is not a wasteland.”

“No?” Cersei waved a hand at the window. “How many cities have we passed? How many keeps?” She shook her head disdainfully. “It has been days since we saw civilization, if that swamp can be called such. Barren wasteland.”

Eleyna sighed and leaned back in her seat. “That swamp is Moat Cailin. It is the first defense of the North against Southron invasions and it has never been taken precisely because of the swamp it sits on. You should know this, Cersei, don’t you ever listen to Father and Jaime?” She smirked faintly. “Or do you and Jaime not… talk about such things?”

Cersei scowled. Her voice was sharp when she spoke. “I have better things to worry about than Northern defenses.”

Eleyna shrugged and looked back out the window. “Let us all hope you never lead a war then.”

“Spending all those years with only Father and Tyrion for company has made you paranoid,” Cersei scoffed. “Do you expect us to be going to war with the North sometime soon, sister? Ned Stark is Robert’s loyal dog, you know that as well as I. I don’t worry about Northern defenses because there is no reason to. Lord Stark is loyal to Robert, and Robert plans to betroth the Stark girl to my Joffrey. We will have Northern loyalty for decades to come.”

“You sound so certain,” Eleyna mused. She certainly wouldn’t want to be Sansa Stark — Joffrey had become quite the mean-spirited boy in her years away from the Red Keep, and she often wondered what happened to the sweet little toddler he’d been when she left. Maybe he’d be kinder to his future wife.

****

There is a surprising amount of people in the courtyard of Winterfell when Eleyna follows Tyrion out of the wheelhouse ahead of Cersei and the children. The entire Stark household came out to meet the King, it seems. From the corner of her eye, Eleyna can see Joffrey preening, and she rolls her eyes at him, turning away before he can see.

The Stark family makes up the first line of welcoming party. A tall, serious-faced man near Robert’s age (wearing his years better, in Eleyna’s opinion) stands next to a pretty red-headed woman – Ned Stark and his Tully wife. She can hear her father in her head — “Honorable to a fault – where does honor get you in war?” — as she watches Lord Stark and his household kneel before Robert. The King waves them to their feet and regards Lord Stark solemnly.

“You got fat,” Robert says. Eleyna scoffs internally — Robert enjoyed his wine and feasting, and it showed — and she watches Ned Stark raise an eyebrow pointedly before both men start to laugh. She resists the urge to shake her head and moves her attention to the rest of the Starks.

Eleyna means to scan down the line of children — five of them, and all close in age, gods above Lord and Lady Stark had been busy — but her eyes land on the Heir of Winterfell and stop. Robb Stark’s coloring is all Tully, like his mother, all dark auburn curls and bright blue eyes. The expression he wears is all Lord Stark. She wonders idly what he’d look like wearing a smile — something tells her it would light his face up.

Tywin had brought Robb Stark up exactly once, when Eleyna had come of an age to betroth. Robert had wanted Tywin to arrange a marriage between the Stark heir and the Lannister heir. Tywin had read the letter to her and then promptly thrown it on the fire. He was adamant that his heir would not ever marry into the North. “You are a lioness, my daughter, and no child of mine will be a wolf if I can help it.”

“— and my goodsister, the Lady Eleyna Lannister.” Robert’s voice filtered in, and Eleyna blinked. She’d been staring at the Stark boy too long.

****

Robb stood solemnly by his father as they filled the courtyard. He could guess at some of them by reputation alone — the tall golden haired knight must be the Kingslayer, Ser Jaime Lannister, and the boy next to him was likely the Crown Prince, Joffrey. The king — a larger man than Robb had expected, a man who looked as though he enjoyed wine — stopped in front of Father, and the two men stared at each for a long tense moment.

Robb looked past them as the king spoke jovially to his father and greeted his mother. The queen’s wheelhouse had made it — barely — into the courtyard. First out was a short, little man who shared the Kingslayer’s blonde hair. “That’s the Imp!” Robb heard Arya whisper.

Robb’s eyes caught on the next person to exit, a golden-haired girl who looked close to his own age. He mentally ran through the members of the queen’s family — with that blonde hair, how could she be anything but Lannister? — and decided this had to be Eleyna Lannister, Tywin Lannister’s youngest daughter. He studied her delicate features, softer somehow than her elder sister’s. Robb would never say it — hadn’t Theon just said that morning that the queen was proud and vain? — but Eleyna Lannister was, in a word, beautiful, moreso than her sister in his opinion.

The instant the introductions and ceremony were finished, Father and the king disappeared down into the crypts, and the Lannisters were escorted off to the guest wing. Robb found his eyes following the Lady Eleyna as she passed by him, her arm around the shoulders of Prince Tommen.

Theon thumped him on the shoulders. “Aye, she’s a beauty, isn’t she?” He inhaled through his teeth as he watched the Lannister heiress walk away. “You know I heard they call her the Golden Rose of the Westerlands? Gods above, imagine being the man to get to marry that?”

Robb didn’t want to imagine it, not when he could feel Jaime Lannister’s glare boring into the side of his head. Rather, he felt like any perceived slight against the Kingslayer’s little sister would earn him a sword through the back. He swallowed, and dragged Theon off out of Lannister’s earshot before he could get himself in trouble.

****

“You’re walking with the Stark boy tonight,” Cersei said as she swept into the library. Eleyna looked up from her book with an eyebrow raised.

“Good afternoon to you, too, Cersei,” she snarked. “What are you on about now?”

“Myrcella is far too young to be considered for a betrothal,” Cersei snapped. She sat dramatically in a chair across the table — Eleyna oft thought Cersei would have done well in a theater troupe. “And I will be dead in the grave before I see my only daughter shipped off North.”

“I wasn’t aware Lord Stark was seeking a marriage for his heir,” Eleyna hummed. She closed the book and eyed her elder sister. “Are you not concerned with offending our hosts? Custom dictates that eldest available son and the eldest available daughter enter together.”

Cersei waved it away. “He isn’t, as far as I know. But you know Robert. He’ll take any opportunity to join our family with his precious Starks. Bad enough that he’s already promised Joff to the eldest Stark girl. No.” She shook her head. “To hell with custom. The Stark boy will have to content himself with you instead of my sweet Myrcella. I will not have my only daughter placed in the hands of a Northern brute.”

“Cersei.” Eleyna had long since mastered the exact tone of voice Tywin Lannister used to keep his children in line — perks of growing up at her father’s knee — and Cersei rolled her eyes, but stopped insulting the Starks, thank the gods.

It was a long moment before Eleyna spoke again. “I will walk with Robb Stark.” Cersei started to smirk and Eleyna resisted the urge to hit her sister — as usual, Cersei had gotten what she wanted. She gritted her teeth as she spoke. “You… are not entirely wrong. Myrcella is rather young. She’d be better suited with the younger Stark boy. Bran, I believe his name is.”

“I knew you’d see it my way.” Cersei patted Eleyna’s hand and swept out of the room as Tyrion entered.

“That’s not—” But Cersei was already gone. Eleyna rolled her eyes.

“Cersei in the library?” Tyrion said with an air of incredulity as he took Cersei’s seat. “Whatever is that about?”

“It seems I’m to be escorted by Robb Stark this evening. Cersei is convinced that if he takes Myrcella, Robert will betroth her to the man.” Eleyna eyed her brother over the table. “I don’t know how and I don’t know why. But somehow, this is your fault.”

Tyrion shrugged, tapping idly. “You wound me, sister. You truly believe me so scheming?”

“Yes,” Eleyna said flatly. She shook her head and reopened her book. “You know as well as I how protective Cersei is of her children.”

“Her one redeeming quality.”

Eleyna’s lips quirked. “You said something to her. Admit it.”

“It is hardly my fault if our dear elder sister takes a jest seriously,” Tyrion said casually. “No real harm done, though. In fact, I do believe you will make a fine couple with the young Stark, should a betrothal actually form from this single escort.”

Eleyna snorted in a rather unladylike manner. “Father would sooner see dragons return.”

Tyrion couldn’t really disagree with that, but he shrugged anyway. “Stranger things have happened.”

Eleyna didn’t dignify that with a response.

[transrevolutions]

asoiaf modern au where agot takes place in the most dysfunctional secondary school ever. arya has an accommodation plan for her adhd that gives her permission to draw in class but cersei (who is the kind of teacher that hates having to follow inclusion policies) gets mad and throws away one of arya's wolf oc drawings except that particular drawing was actually sansa's and when sansa finds out she gets so pissed off that she dumps joffrey over it. joffrey gets cersei to try and get ned removed from his position of assistant principal even though he's basically running the school at that point because robert baratheon (the real principal) keeps getting drunk when he's supposed to be working.

jon joins an after-school self-defense/outdoor survival skills club and somehow ends up in a weird leadership role because he's one of the only ones who knows what he's doing. tyrion shows up sometimes to try and sell him shitty weed. arya is always begging him to let her come even though she's still under the age limit. daenerys is a transfer student who spends every single one of her classes doing wings of fire rp on scratch.mit.edu but still manages to get good grades so a bunch of the teachers hate her because they're convinced she's cheating.

robert baratheon gets fired after the school board gets an anonymous tip about his drinking on the clock. the anonymous tipper is actually cersei because she's mad that he won't let joffrey run for student council because he's gotten in trouble for bullying too much. when ned finds out about this cersei gets him fired too which makes arya mad so she makes jon teach her mma so she can beat up joffrey. catelyn gets so upset about ned getting fired that she convinces herself that tyrion was in on it bc he's cersei's sister despite the fact that cersei fully and actually hates his guts and tyrion wasn't even remotely involved because he was too busy trying to hide from jon's uncle benjen after he caught him trying to sell jon weed.

robb stark (low level admin position but everyone thinks he's just there bc nepotism which is actually sorta true) tries to get the rest of admin to band together to expose cersei but most of them don't give a fuck so he has to try and network with their longtime rival school to try and find allies. he also may or may not have introduced bran to the online furry community and he really really doesn't want ned or catelyn to find out. daenerys somehow manages to get a whole squad of jocks to basically be her personal bodyguards after she introduces them to wings of fire and they get hooked.

catelyn almost kicks jon out because she thinks he taught rickon to curse when actually rickon overheard sansa ranting about joffrey while on the phone with jeyne poole.

[cherryberg]

ok heres a real quastion why do you find your current blorbos so compelling. can u tell me abt their themes. would u get along with them in real lifes

my bones crunching teeth. my gripping hand on your shoulder, drawing blood.

ned flanders .. where to fucking start .. in the shortest way possible, that is

well, quickly. me? getting along with ned flanders? In Real Life? hell no! simply by virtue of me being the person i am. perhaps the band Dr. Colossus put it one way when they said “Stupid Sexy Flanders / Republican at best / Politically to the right / Dexterity to the left” (haloes .. my Dr. Colossus mention) but who’s to say how accurate that is now. i too am lefthanded you know. and we all saw him kiss fat tony. and he missed him too

anyway, simple put. i think ned flanders is like. a deep character - thanks in part to his religiousness. now you can throw your hands up about like his, well, flanderisation - from the homer simpson perfect neighbour foil to unbearably devout christian - but it does effect multiple aspects of his life in really interesting ways

so you’re telling me this man hates his beatnik parents? (Hurricane Neddy) what, did he cling to religion as a way to other himself from them? carelessly raised by them without discipline? repressing his anger for years? and how does that reflect upon his own kids, brought up in a strict christian household. his own kids he’ll be overprotective of because he can’t afford to lose them like he lost their mother (Bart Has Two Mommies), but who are still harshly scorned and punished when their faith in christ waivers? (Todd, Todd, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?)

and what if when he doubts? when god takes both of his wives? (Alone Again, Natura-Diddly, O C’mon All Ye Faithful) his wives who he loved and will continue to grieve for? (I’m Goin’ to Praiseland, Diary Queen) and what of his second wife, huh? fourth grade teacher krabappel? how he learns to lower his religious guards for her? (Ned ‘n Edna’s Blend Agenda) how happy they were, however brief, with these compromises they made for each other? (The Man Who Grew Too Much) and krabappel’s relationship with rod and todd, did she have an effect on them? is it her influence whenever they speak out? (Bull-E) then again, we all know how impressionable those two are on a whim .. (Bart the Lover) and, goodness fucking gracious, so on and so forth. and they replaced his wives with a dog

sighs .. i can admit he can get Dead Wife Guy with it sometimes but i do think flanders is like .. a bit of a tragic man? i dunno, that “And I did something I hadn’t done in, I don’t know how long. God help me, I smiled.” in The Many Saints of Springfield lives sorrowfully in my brain. dude, after losing so much - his wives, his business he went bankrupt for (When Flanders Failed), his teaching job (Left Behind). like .. man. i dunno

i think it’s a little hard to watch a flanders-centric episode without wondering what it means for ned and his family on a deeper level, even for an episode as innocuous as Fland Canyon (what do you mean todd has night terrors that maude held him through? and that it’s todd’s nightmare of forgetting maude’s face that made him stop believing in christ?)

and, hey. if you’re really crazy enough, you could squint and make out some sort of aquatic sea creature motif with the Jellyfish Festival and song in A Star Is Born Again and his profound emotional processing in faith down in the hadal zone in O C’mon All Ye Faithful

regardless, all this to say. yeah .. i may be a bit of a nedhead :]

.

& btw .. he pulls, like, constantly. did you know this? like, constantly

[dragonnan]

Fanfic writer interview

tagged by: @sinvulkt

Thank you so much!!

What fandoms do you write in? Primarily Sherlock, MCU, and Sandman. IF inspiration hits hard enough I may drift into other fandoms but for the last few years those have been my primary genres.

How many words have you published in 2024? 49,696 - though that isn't all fanfic as some applies to fanart as well as sometimes quoting other authors in gift art.

What is your greatest achievement this year? Honestly? Managing to get a job lol! But in fandom - nothing really in writing. However I've produced more fanart in 2024 than I created in the last 5 yearly counts.

What are your top three fics you've written this year? Given how little I wrote these are literally the ONLY fics I published/updated in 2024 lol:

🪽 Sed Diabolus (MCU Avengers): My long running WIP, this is a fix-it that simultaneously repairs the events of Endgame as well as makes things so much worse. The incredibly talented @kitcat992 gave me so many ideas and helped so much with the outline that I have given her author credit.

🪽 Sharing is Caring (Sherlock): A short story including all of my favorite elements - hurt/comfort, humor, caregiving, friendship and banter, etc.

🪽 Choice (Sherlock): I had written this story several years ago. However I hadn't liked the theme so it remained unpublished until I finally dug it out and changed up a bunch of things. The result is a cute backstory of how Sherlock and Mrs. Hudson first met.

What was your biggest pit of despair moment? They kinda all run together tbh. Writing has been next to impossible - despite having lots of ideas. Partly why I made so much fanart. Drawing is always easier than writing.

What have you learned? I learned that it's okay and even desired to return to the same story themes over and over - that if it's something I love there are also going to be readers who love the same thing.

Did you beta any fics? I did several years ago but I haven't had the time nor energy for a very long time.

What three fics have you read this year that you love? THIS IS AN EVIL QUESTION!!

Identity Within by KitCat992 (@kitcat992) 160,514 words

It’s been one year and some change since Tony planned to introduce Spider-Man to the world, and instead put a ring on the finger of the capable, qualified, trustworthy Pepper Potts. One year and some change later, and the invitations have finally gone out. Meanwhile, Peter’s never been more excited for something in his entire young life — and he and Ned once got to spend the day at NASA. Nope, Mr. Stark’s wedding easily topped that. Heck, he may be more excited for the wedding than anyone else, including the bride herself. After the crazy year they all had, it felt good to finally have something good happen. Nothing was going to mess this up, Peter would make sure of it. He just had to handle the rings. Wait, the rings. Crap, the rings! Where’d he put the rings? All he had to do was find the rings, and then everything would go off without a hitch. Absolutely nothing could go wrong with him trying to find the rings, right? This wedding was going to be perfect. (Or: Tony swears the universe is trying to keep him and Pepper from tying the knot while Peter’s having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Seriously, who let Norman Osborn into the church?) Act 1 of 5 completed. Part 3 of Identity Saga

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? by sgam76 (@sgam76) 23,052 words

John's friend is coming to dinner, and bringing a problem along. That's fine. That's what he and Sherlock do. But he didn't expect that "problem" to be an eldritch being. Or for said eldritch being to be sad, and pissy, and a little too much like Sherlock for John's comfort. Or for him to bring news of the potential end of the world. Part 9 of A Sharp, Dressed Man 'verse

at least two miracles by apocryphal (@the-apocrypha) 15,948 words

Hob is a hedgewitch. Dream is fae. And Orpheus is the best of them both. Part 11 of Cottagecore

Shout out to two ASTOUNDING comic creators who've both had me by the throat since early last year!

Wolf & Raven by Dominion_of_Dust1886 (@wolf-and-raven-dreaming)

Fan Comic originally posted on Tumblr and is still ongoing. What if Hob Gadling had saved his Stranger? Well, this is a common trope. Yet a trope so easy to contribute to. However, this fan fiction is presented in comic format and dives right into the story. Mind the tags as you dive in.

Centaur Dreamling/ Horse Girl Hob Gadling by @amielot

In which horse girl hob attempts to earn the trust of a wild and unfriendly Dream (who does not like humans one bit)

What ideas are percolating for 2025? I desperately want to get some solid progress (complete???) Sed Diabolus. I also have a story I've been developing for The Sandman and would love to start publishing fics for that fandom.

Who do you want to thank? @kitcat992 @mamahanu @mrs-n-uzumaki @estelkenobi - my beautiful chat group who I'd NEEEVER survive without!!!! Saying I Love You on repeat is a paltry expression for the absolute adoration and devotion I have for you guys. You are my people!! My feral humans!! My clan I daydream of sharing a home with whatever reality may claim (fuck reality with salad fingers!)

@sgam76 @helloliriels @sevdrag @7-percent @vanillacokefireants @teejaystumbles @totallysilvergirl @tj-dragonblade @amielot @the-apocrypha @theleftpill @ceruleanmindpalace @cuubism @englandsgray @ariaadagio @aelaer @disappearinginq @gabessquishytum @kitten-kin @barachiki @bovivinator @blogstandbygo @medhes @mid0khan @wolf-and-raven-dreaming @softest-punk @im-not-corrupted @embroiderling Some of you I've known for years - others I've recently met. ALL of you have shaped me in some way (not even necessarily for evil!). I am so honored to count many of you as good friends and others as friend-in-progress haha! I really can't wait to see what 2025 brings to the fandoms we love!

There are so so many I know I've neglected to tag. If I follow you/you follow me just know you all matter to me so incredibly much and I'm endlessly grateful to you!

tagging: @sgam76 @helloliriels @sevdrag @kitcat992 @gabessquishytum t @the-apocrypha @theleftpill @ceruleanmindpalace @cuubism @englandsgray @ariaadagio @aelaer @disappearinginq @totallysilvergirl @tj-dragonblade @amielot and all others who want to participate!

[perseephoneee]

starlight [ficmas day 11] [peter parker x afab!reader]

↳ masterlist ↳ ship exchange ↳ taglist ↳ ficmas 2024

author's note: we're in the home stretch of ficmas which means these will likely be shorter drabbles but HEY you'll get more of them.

playlist:

peter parker -- the sleepy haunts

thank you -- led zeppelin

cold december night -- michael buble

I. Gemini

"Do you think he realizes he's had Cheez-it crumbs stuck in his mustache this entire time?" you ask, twirling your pencil between your fingers. 

Peter narrowed his eyes at what you were looking at, which happened to be your Professor. To be completely honest, he had stopped listening to the lecture a while ago. 

"I don't think he notices."

"Ridiculous," you groaned, sinking back into your seat. "This class is ridiculous."

Peter stifled laughter. It was fall quarter at the local community college, and he had met the first day in Astronomy 101. He had to take an elective, and this one was the least likely to ruin his Spider-Man duties. You sat down right next to him on the first day and introduced yourself before offering him goldfish. It was a fast friendship. 

"You only have a few more weeks until winter break," Peter reminded you, trying to engage back with the lesson. You were doodling stars. 

"Ah, a few more weeks until hibernation." You grinned at Peter, one full of teeth and mischief. He felt his heart rate pick up, but he stamped it down. He couldn't get close to you, not like that. You resumed sitting normally in your seat. "Do you have plans for the holidays?"

"Uh…no," he tapped his notebook. He had been trying his best to ignore the holidays. They'd be the first ones without Aunt May. "My family isn't really in the picture."

"That's okay," you responded. "Mine aren't either."

Peter respected how understanding you could be. You never pushed him to open up, even if you did push him to engage with the world outside. You never asked why he'd sometimes be covered in cuts and bruises. You just handed him a bandaid and told him about some puppy you saw walking over the class. He wonders if you knew how amazing you could be. 

"What do you want for Christmas, Pete?" you inquired. You pulled a bag of goldfish out of your backpack and offered some to him. He took a few. 

My Aunt. Ned. MJ. Mr. Stark. My life, Peter wanted to say. He bit his tongue, thinking of an answer. 

"Maybe a soldering station."

"Nerd," you teased, but there was no venom behind it. "I want Drew Starkey at my doorstep."

"How's that going for you?"

"Awful," you sighed, and Peter couldn't help but laugh. A few rows looked over to glare at you two. You flipped them all off. Students started getting up at that moment, and class ended. You stretched, your bones cracking in the process. "Let's go get pho; it's freezing outside."

Peter didn't even really like pho, but you liked it, so he'd go. He'd go wherever you asked. 

II. Canis Major

Knock knock. Knock knock. 

Peter groaned, shuffling out of bed. There was someone knocking on his window. He had a good feeling about who that someone was. 

You were sitting on his fire escape, breathing on the glass of his window and drawing obscene images with your finger. He opened the window to your grin. 

"It's four in the morning," Peter groaned, rubbing his eyes. 

"Put on your business clothes; there are shooting stars that can be seen at Battery Park."

"Astronomy class is over; we're on break now."

"And stars are beautiful. Beauty should be appreciated," you said, shoving your hands in your pockets. You were wearing a scarf and mittens, your hair pushed back with your beanie. Peter didn't know how long you'd been out there. "I appreciate you, don't I?"

Sometimes, Peter hated you because you said things like that, which made his ears red and his words stop working. He thinks you continued to say them because of that reaction. 

"I'll get dressed."

"Atta boy."

He put on his warmest clothes and followed you down the fire escape. You had brewed coffee at home and handed him a thermos. You were always prepared; that much was sure. On the subway, it would only take half an hour on the E to get to Battery Park. It was basically empty when you guys got on. You sat in companionable silence as you rode the distance. 

Peter was slightly more awake by the time you got off the subway, the cold air helping with his drowsiness. You were annoyingly perky for the early morning. He followed you up one of the hills to an alcove of trees. You had brought a backpack with you, which you pulled a blanket out of, and some hand warmers. Peter sat down next to you as you stared at the sky with the energy of a kid on Christmas. 

"Aren't you excited?" you whispered.

"I'll be excited when I'm dead."

"I forget how snarky you are when you're tired," you frown. Peter chuckles because he doesn't think you're used to someone being as witty as you are. You grab his arm when the first shooting star appears. He has to admit that it's beautiful and insane. It was a meteor shower in the flesh, and you both sat peacefully and watched the stars crash by. You leaned against Peter, your warmth finding solace in his own. You smelled like fresh coffee and winter mornings. You turned to him, face so close to his own. "Make a wish, Parker."

Peter could've wished for a whole lotta things, but for some reason, he settled on more moments like these. He wondered what you wished for. 

You both stayed until the sun started to rise. 

"Will you come and spend Christmas with me? It's just my Dad, and he has to work the night shift."

Peter said yes because he could never say no to you. 

III. Orion

You and your Dad prepared roast ham with scalloped potatoes and steamed vegetables for Christmas dinner. Peter didn't remember the last time he had a home-cooked meal. 

He liked your Dad, even if he was intimidating. He was the police chief, so he was intimidating, but he also had a fatherly warmth that didn't make him seem scary. Peter thought he probably wouldn't be upset to be arrested by him. 

Your Dad had to run to the station for Christmas shenanigans and left you and Pete with some dessert that he bought at the bakery down the street. Currently, Peter is on dishwashing duty. You were sipping some wine that you found in a cabinet and leaning against the lip of the sink. Peter was soaping up one of the pans. 

"I got you a gift," you say, grinning like a Cheshire Cat. Peter groans.

"I told you not to."

"I'm not a good listener."

"I knew that much," Peter mumbles. You laugh, squeezing his arm as you walk to the living room behind him. You come back a second later with a ribbon-tied package. Peter dries his hands. "You really shouldn't have."

"I like giving gifts," you shrug. "Now open it."

He does. It's a series of pocketbooks about different mathematical theories. He's embarrassed about how excited he is about them. Peter hugs you as a thank you. 

"I got you something as well."

"Now, who's not a good listener?" you said matter of factedly. Peter goes to his bag, grabs a haphazardly wrapped package, and hands it to you with a blush on his cheeks. You take apart the wrapping delicately, even though it's badly done. You let out a squeal of delight as you see what it is. "A cat!"

"A robotic cat. It'll purr if you pet it," Peter explains, showing the inner workings of the cat. He used the college's engineering lab for their 3D printer, soldering station, and electronics supplies. He knew you wanted a pet, but your apartment wouldn't allow it. You cuddled the boxy creature to your chest. 

"It's perfect," you hummed. You put the cat down and kissed Peter on the cheek. His cheek still burned after the fact, and suddenly, he wanted to tell you everything. You had been his only friend since everything happened. You were the most understanding person he knew. And he was so tired of hiding everything. 

“Y/N?”

"Hmm?"

"Can I tell you something?" Peter coughed. He looked down at your hands, which you were holding. He didn't even recognize you grabbed his hands after you kissed his cheek; he was so focused on the latter. You nodded, brows furrowed, telling him to continue on. The words were mush in his throat, but he pushed through anyway. 

"I'm Spider-Man," he stuttered. He expected you to freak out, to demand answers. You just blinked at him. 

"I know."

"You know?"

"I'm perceptive," you shrugged. He was dumbfounded. "You're cute when you're confused." He was even more dumbfounded. You stepped backward, pulling him towards your room. "I have a secret too."

Peter was now in a state of shock since it seemed that you already knew his biggest secret. He had no idea what to expect in your room. A secret drug stash? A collection of Beanie Babies? He had no idea. You opened your closet and rifled through the bottom before pulling out something white and pink. Then you proceeded to thoroughly wreck his mind. 

You thwipped a web, closing the door. 

Peter's jaw dropped.

"I may or may not be Spider-Woman."

You stood in silence. 

"You're WHAT?"

[withasideofshakespeare]

Woah no way?? People (completely unprompted /s) want to hear my trans Shakespeare headcanons?? You bet I can do that.

I’ve done this once before:

But I have even more thoughts now!!

In no particular order:

Puck (A Midsummer Night’s Dream): Every single pronoun possible. He/she/they/it + all of the neopronouns and xenopronouns that exist currently or will ever exist. Fairy gender is always weird but Puck’s is extra weird.

Oberon (A Midsummer Night’s Dream): Fairy gender. Probably he/they/it?

Titania (A Midsummer Night’s Dream): More fairy gender. She/they/it?

Titania’s fairy attendants (Midsummer): Get a hat and fill it with various pronouns and draw them out at random for the fairies.

Benedick (Much Ado About Nothing): Could go either way, but I really like the idea of transfemme Benedick. Or he/him lesbian Benedick.

Beatrice (Much Ado About Nothing): The she/they to end all she/theys

Viola/Cesario (Twelfth Night): Could be trans in literally any direction. I made a post about this too at some point. My suggestion is all of the directions: they/she/he

Sebastian (Twelfth Night): He/him, transmasc. I also made a post about this at some point.

Feste (Twelfth Night): I saw a great she/her Feste last summer.

Orsino (Twelfth Night): Specifically the himbo variety of he/they

Margaret of Anjou (Henry VI trilogy and Richard III): If I ever play Margaret, I will use she/they pronouns.

Catesby (Richard III): Just played Catesby with she/her pronouns and it worked!

Richard II (Richard II): Tell me Richard isn’t the most they/he or he/they guy alive (or… dead).

Hal (1 Henry IV-Henry V): Saw Hal played with she/they pronouns last summer and it was great. Could also see he/they Hal. Very nonbinary vibe overall. I personally believe that going by Hal rather than Henry for two whole plays is their way of pulling the “going by the first letter of what my name used to be instead of picking a name from scratch” nonbinary trick. He probably pretends to be cis after his dad dies and he becomes king—one more element of Hal’s lifelong identity crisis.

Hotspur/Harry Percy Jr. (Richard II & 1 Henry IV): He/they in denial.

Kate Percy (1 & 2 Henry IV): She/they, not in denial. (Also Katespur should be bi4bi)

Ned Poins (1 & 2 Henry IV): Transmasc Ned Poins?? Maybe he doesn’t actually have a sister and Nell is just his deadname. Ned Poins’ failed scheme to flirt with Hal.

Romeo (Romeo & Juliet): he/they (t4t R&J!!!)

Juliet (Romeo & Juliet): she/they (t4t R&J!!!)

Mercutio (Romeo & Juliet): they/he(/it?). Vibes alone. Look at them. Just look.

Nurse (Romeo & Juliet): she/her, transfemme!

Cassius (Julius Caesar): Would love to see a they/them Cassius

Hamlet (Hamlet): he/they. I’ve made multiple posts about this theory and I still love it.

Ophelia (Hamlet): she/they. As she should.

Laertes (Hamlet): she/him and NOT just because Laertes used she/her pronouns the first time I saw this play.

Rosencrantz (Hamlet): he/they/she. Vibes. Sometimes goes by Ros/Rose. Probably genderfluid.

Malcolm (Macbeth): they/he or they/them. Also vibes.

Lady Macbeth (Macbeth): stolen straight from my last post because this is still my HC: she/they; would insult you for “having pronouns in your bio” and then turn around and punch you in the face for using their pronouns incorrectly.

Angus (Macbeth): she/her, transfemme. (t4t Ross/Angus. I will die on this hill… Dunsinane Hill.)

Ross (Macbeth): he/him, transmasc

Caithness (Macbeth): she/they lesbian

Mark Antony (Julius Caesar and Antony & Cleopatra): I would not bat an eye at he/they Mark Antony

Edmund (King Lear): they/he, nonbinary, sexiest man (/gn) alive.

Edgar (King Lear): he/him. Transmasc Edgar is slowly becoming canon To Me.

Cordelia (King Lear): she/her, transfemme.

Goneril (King Lear): she/they. I would let them kill me.

Coriolanus (Coriolanus): transmasc OR transfemme Coriolanus is!!!! The butterfly/metamorphosis motif! Name changes during canon! Discomfort with scars/body! Lack of autonomy granted by society! This is THE transgender play. (Other than Twelfth Night)

Imogen (Cymbeline): Tell me she doesn’t want to be a she/they so bad.

Florizel (The Winter’s Tale): he/they(/she?). Literally just a vibe. I have a pet rock named Florizel.

Perdita (The Winter’s Tale): she/they. I also have a pet rock named Perdita.

Ariel (The Tempest): Similar to Puck, probably they/she/he? Even my conservative English prof consistently rotates between she/her and he/him for Ariel (possibly not intentionally? I’m not convinced he knows what her canon pronouns are.)

Ferdinand (The Tempest): she/they. PLEASE give me transfemme Ferdinand. PLEASE let Miranda realize she’s a lesbian during canon.

Miranda (The Tempest): she/they. Ariel taught them about the existence of she/they pronouns and she immediately started using them.

So in other words… every Shakespeare character should be trans, actually.

[alexanderwales]

how much interest, if any, do you have in writing tragedies?

i've been getting caught up on Thresholder lately after taking a long break, so this question is prompted by reaching the book three epilogue. a pattern i've noticed is a certain optimism to how Thresholder's ends books. they're hopeful, if tempered by reality and nuance. thinking about it gave me this amusing mental image just picturing this... improbable streak of Things Getting Better across the multiverse

honestly, that sense of positivity is part of why i'm having as much fun as i am getting caught up on this story; i like that it doesn't bum me out or hurt me

still, Worth the Candle ended quite well, and Dark Wizard of Donkerk too, though i guess Metropolitan Man is admittedly a bit of an exception. i'm a fake fan, so i can't speak to much beyond that

most stories end well, so this isn't unusual, but i'm still curious: have you written any tragedies in your published & unpublished corpus? will you? i know there's some creators who think long form stories owe it to the audience and their investment not to shit on that with complete tragedy. do you put any stock in that?

I think first there's an important distinction between camps of tragedies that I want to draw first.

Note: unmarked ending spoilers follow

First, there's a tragedy that comes from within, where the protagonist sows the seeds of their own destruction. The Greeks called this hamartia, the character flaw or the mistake, the thing that the suffering springs from. There are a couple other "classic" elements of this, the fall from grace, the recognition of this foible or folly, etc. This is my jam. I wish that modern culture had more of it. The last two big examples I can think of are Walter White and Ned Stark, and I think neither of them really fit. Part of that is just that longform tragedy is harder to do, and less focused with a larger cast of characters. Still, I think there's a lot to love about the classic structure: the fatal flaw, the fall, the recognition, the catastrophe. (I'm trying to fit some other characters in this mold, especially from recent movies, and I guess Tár is another example of a tragic character from a movie I really enjoyed. Wolf of Wall Street might be another, but I agree with the common line of criticism here, which is that it was a lot more interested in reveling in the opulence and chaos than in the downfall. Very possible there are some obvious ones that I'm forgetting here. Oh, also The Substance, which I saw recently and didn't care for, but a more classic tragedy wouldn't have the inciting incident.)

I have never consciously attempted a classic tragedy, but I might some day, probably for a shorter, more focused piece. I think "start high, move low" make a lot more sense for it, and one of the things that a lot of modern takes on the classic tragedy do is "start low, move high, move low", which gives a lot less time for the tragic arc to appear in full, and robs the piece of some of its clarity.

The second camp of what people mean when they say "tragedy" is just "a story with a bad ending". I tend to not like these very much. I think it's culturally important for there to be a few examples of them floating around in the canon, and as a metaphor for climate change (or climate change feelings) I think it's ... eh, fine. I recently watched The Dead Don't Die and it's clear they were going for something like that, and I hated the movie but respected certain elements of its narrative decisions. I think it generally makes for a dreadful story, and is interesting only in a postmodern sense, and to keep people on their toes, and to combat anti-narrative thinking. A story that ends with everyone dying from circumstances that were outside their control is definitely not for me, because it just feels really pointless. Sometimes pointlessness is the point ... but I can't take too much of that.

I would be extremely hesitant to write a story with a bad ending where shit just doesn't end up working out for our protagonist, like he was just not strong enough, not fast enough, not skilled enough, not lucky enough, etc. It is true that in life sometimes you run up against those things, it's just not what I tend to be into fiction for. I don't tend to like deliberately sour endings.

Maybe this is just because I've seen them done badly and with no sterling purpose to them. "Forget it, Jake, it's Chinatown" is iconic for a reason, it's the punchline for all the setup, it's what the entire movie has been about. Same for "He loved Big Brother.", it's just ... so good? Such an encapsulation of everything that's come before? So I think it's fine to do that if that's what you've been driving at with a clear purpose, or a purpose that becomes clear only at the end. Difficult line to walk though.

Personally, I like my endings nuanced and optimistic and with costs and change and stuff. Let's say 70% sweet, 20% bitter, 10% sour. I'd also like to piss off some subset of people because there are many different valid readings and different viewpoints can have different ideas about them.

No proper tragedies of either kind in my published body of work, at least that I can immediately think of. Actually, on reflection, maybe Contratto, a vampire novella I wrote a while back fits, though I think intelligent people could disagree on how "down" that ending is. I have a 95% finished novel that has an ambiguously bad ending, but it'll never see the light of day (mostly due to being early, unpolished work that I currently think is unsalvageable). Among upcoming stuff, where "upcoming" is very ambiguous ... one or two with more "downbeat" endings, I would say. But again, I think "total catastrophe and ruin" is both not to my tastes, and hard to pull off in a way that makes it work.

[greywoe]

"The she-wolf laid into the squires with a tourney sword, scattering them all. The crannogman was bruised and bloodied, so she took him back to her lair to clean his cuts and bind them up with linen."

[isaythings5]

MCU Characters as quotes I’ve heard

Tony Stark: “See, I’m fond of starving the children, but my wife disagrees”

Peter Parker: “Roses are red, feel my wrath, I failed my test, god I hate math.”

Thanos: “Just don’t birth anymore”

Loki: “I like knives. I can’t stab people with them though.”

MJ: “Sometimes the pedophile teachers just hit different”

Hulk: “I wanna scream and I wanna throw everything”

Cap: “And then you slap my gyatt, like what”

Ned: “I’m bored, can we do something stupid and record it?”

Tony Stark: “I didn’t say you were dumb, I called you an idiot.”

Thor: “Yeah, siblings do draw blood a lot.”

[lamentus1]

Where Ed starts to learn that his actions were forgivable and that he is lovable.

Ed believes that he is unlovable and yet the crew shows him love despite everything he put them through. He feels guilt about what he did to them, and yet the crew forgive him easily.

This contradicts some of the takes I’ve seen over the past few months that suggest the crew didn’t forgive Ed, or that it wasn’t explicitly shown that they forgave him. I sometimes wonder if those people missed episode 5. In this episode everyone gets closure (or at least starts to).

Ed’s initial speech might sound like a politician’s speech, but even at that stage some of the crew are won over, some even impressed by his apology.

Ed and Izzy share a drink out of a bottle. Ed apologies to Izzy, saying sorry about his leg. It’s awkward, but it’s right for both of them.

Lucius might not get closure after throwing Ed off the ship, but he does start on a sort of path to healing. His therapy is drawing pictures of Ed in an attempt to reconcile the real Ed with the evil Ed in his head. He is putting Ed’s face on nice things that he likes, like flowers and dogs, and kind of creating positive associations with Ed’s face to wipe out the negative one that he had. It’s great therapy. And then Izzy tells him that moving on is better and Lucius takes Pete’s advice and focuses on the fact that he lived and he finally takes hold of what he wants - a life with Pete.

When Ed speaks to Fang he admits his guilt. He says: “Maybe I did too much. I took a man’s leg. Terrorised you. I wasn’t a good guy. I’d like to make amends, but honestly I wouldn’t even know where to start, what to say to make things better. How to say it. There are certain things I should be saying…”

At which point Fang interrupts and basically stops him saying any more. In fact he accuses him of talking too much “because you don’t know how to sit with yourself.” Why does Fang cut Ed off at that point? Maybe he is just saying it’s ok, we forgive you, or maybe he just wants Ed to stop scaring the fish. Whatever reason Fang thinks Ed has said enough. He is forgiven.

Ed takes on Fang’s advice to stop talking and just “sit with yourself”. The whole experience with Fang probably leads to Ed’s philosophical approach to being a fisherman.

What’s all this say? That Ed feels like he has to do more to make amends, but the crew is like: ”We’re ok. We still love you.” I also think there is an element of we don’t need to forgive you for what happened because it wasn’t your fault, it was your depression and despair. Nobody should be blamed for a mental breakdown.

But even in the next episode Ed still feels the guilt. In the Calipso’s Birthday episode we have the Guilt Room. “Excellent, A reminder of my guilt. A guilt room,” as Ed says. Even though the crew has forgiven him, he won’t forgive himself.

Ed uses the symbol of his guilt for something good, he turns the poison into positivity with the party paid for by the plunder. But then of course even that goes wrong with the arrival of Ned Lowe, which Ed blames himself for (Ned being one of his passive suicide options that he has now brought down on the crew and Stede).

I feel that the choice of words Ed uses when he tries to stop Stede killing Ned are significant. He says: “Killing in cold blood, you can’t come back from that.” I always wondered what he meant by that, it seems a strange thing to suggest that the circumstances would be “in cold blood” (e.g. no emotion, ruthless and unfeeling) when they are anything but. That’s not what Stede is doing at all, Stede is defending his crew and ridding the world of someone who sort to hurt and kill them all. He is defending his crew from an evil person, just like Ed defended his mother and himself from his father. It’s another thing Ed has to learn: that sometimes killing is justified and it doesn’t make you a bad person.

Then Ed goes to Stede afterwards to offer support and Stede’s reaction to Ed standing at the door talking about how his first kill was his father is to pull him towards him. Perhaps this isn’t just Stede saying he wants Ed, it could also be Stede saying that it was the right thing to do for both of them, to protect their family. And that they have that thing in common. They are comforting each other - and it’s definitely what Ed wanted to happen, I firmly believe he didn’t only go to Stede to comfort him.

I’m going to leave it there, because obviously Ed still has a lot to work through before he can truly forgive himself and learn that he is loved, but he is part way there.