#but ​the main and BIG difference between them is that lexa was raised to be a leader and octavia was forced to become one

[blodreina-noumou]

what would the show have had to have done to be considered good for you? I thoroughly enjoyed my time watching the show, so I look back at it fondly.

Oh god, where do I even begin?

For starters - if you’re one of the people who enjoyed The 100 in its entirety, good for you! That’s awesome! I don’t want to diminish that. These are just my feelings and my opinions, and I don’t intend for them to make anyone else feel bad for what they like. The ending could’ve been much worse, I’ll give it that. And there were obviously moments I enjoyed throughout the final season, and the series as a whole will still stand (unfortunately) as one of my favorites.

HOWEVER.

I found the ending thoroughly disappointing. It robbed our characters of any of the development they made in the final season, for the sake of propping up Clarke (canonically, that is why they stayed.)

The final season provided us with some really fascinating journeys for our characters. Without recapping the whole season, I can say that I really liked where Octavia, Emori, Murphy, and Echo ended up in their respective arcs. They all had to overcome their past tragedies to fulfill new roles. It was interesting and engaging.

The show itself provided us with so many interesting conflicts, with so many different groups who had competing goals and ideals. On some level, it promised us that peace was not possible until these folks all learned to work together and stop killing each other. That was the goal, all along. 

Survival of the human race was the first goal of the show, and survival of the human race is only possible if they (a) stay human and (b) survive.

Neither of those things happened by the end. The goal of our protagonists - the thing they allegedly existed for, in their stories - to save the human race and survive and thrive and all of that, did not happen for the vast majority of people.

Transcendence and the final scene on the beach erases all of the hard work they did in showing us those character journeys, and in making us invest time and energy into different groups that would only continue to suffer assimilation and homogenization by the end.

What was interesting to me about our main characters - Clarke, Bellamy, Monty, Raven, Murphy, Octavia, Emori, and Echo - was that they appeared to be the ones best suited (according to the storytellers) to save the human race.

The moment the show introduced the Grounders, I wanted a political thriller that I was probably never going to get. I accept that. 

What I cannot accept is that they erased all of their conflicts with a convenient deus ex machina, and everything that our characters learned is more or less pointless because of it. I’ll focus on their s7 arcs, but I think it applies to their entire storylines.

Octavia learns about her brother’s way of raising her and comes to forgive him for it. She becomes a parent herself. She manages to bridge the gap between two cultures yet again (Bardo and...everyone else, I guess) by falling in love with Levitt. 

She will never utilize any of those skills again. Hope no longer needs a parent. There will never be another culture different from them again. She and Levitt will never have children.

Murphy learns to put value in the group, and to recognize his own abilities as a leader and as a man. He saves multiple people in Sanctum, becoming their protector and their shield. 

Emori learns to put value in herself, and to recognize her abilities to empathize with outcasts and those deemed “less worthy” by society. She becomes a queen in her own right, a protector and a diplomat.

No one will ever need them to fulfill these roles, ever again. There was no point in them leading those people.

Echo had to go back to a deeply painful role, one which has cost her dearly in life - a spy among her enemy. When she’s brought to her lowest, to the brink of committing genocide, it’s her love for her family that keeps her from going over the edge. She reemerges as herself, recognizing that her painful past does not define her, and she can find love despite it.

Too bad the love of her life was murdered by Clarke!

I wanted our heroes to save the human race, not be the only humans that ended up saved. Does that make sense?

Clarke gets the closest thing to a happy ending of anyone, since she was the one who insisted for seven seasons that “[her] people” were the most important thing in the world, and that she would stop at nothing to protect them. Welp, now there’s nothing to protect them from. Her genocidal rages get a little slap on the wrist and then she gets to spend an endless beach day bossing everyone around and pouting.

It just sucked.

I hate the magic hand-wave of all of the conflicts. You can try to tell me that transcendence was a choice all you want. Plenty of people chose the City of Light, too. That didn’t make the way it erased their individuality and personal goals okay. Frankly, the ending to me feels like everyone just decided to go into the City of Light anyway. And sure, they keep their bad memories and some semblance of individuality, but what do those things even mean when you just one blip of a species that works, moves, lives, and decides things as one?

They didn’t overcome their tribalism. All of the other tribes just got assimilated into the borg. And sure, they maintain some semblance of personality once they transcend - we know that because of Madi’s message to Clarke. But what kind of lives are they going to have as part of that big glowy shit? Madi never gets to grow up, or fall in love, or pet dogs again. (Picasso is always going to wonder where her new best friend went.)

And who were those alien assholes anyway? Who are they to say that their way is better, that they have the right to judge entire species based on one representative? That they can just exterminate anyone whose way of life doesn’t match up with theirs?

Our heroes didn’t save the human race. The human race turned into something else entirely, and its last survivors get to watch each other die knowing that that’s it, that’s the end of them all.

No societies. No cultures. No new art, or music, or fashion.

No children, no future. No hope. 

It’s very disappointing and scary to me. I don’t like the messaging and I don’t like the implications for the surviving characters.

There was a brief, brief moment when I saw a glimpse of an ending that I could’ve liked. When Raven says, “just give us another chance,” I was really expecting the aliens to swoop off and leave humanity to their own devices. No crystallization. No transcendence. All of the remaining groups have to come together and figure out how to thrive together. Discuss and establish a system of government that doesn’t rely on state-sanctioned child battle royales, or body snatching, or extreme restrictions on how many children people can have. Obviously, in this ending, nobody gets shot and nobody almost dies. Madi retains control of her body, somehow. Fill in the details yourself, but my ending would include just about everybody surviving.

Build a society that will grow. Let our characters take the lessons they’ve learned and apply them in a meaningful way, a lasting way. Show us that humanity will survive and will rebuild, on the planet of our birth. Let them rest, but let that rest and that peace mean something more than, “Good job! You made it to episode 100!”

Not to mention, the fact that Earth did eventually heal made everything that Monty and Harper did at the end of s5 completely pointless. Monty thought he was delivering the human race to a new hope. He was just steering them towards assimilation to the borg. I don’t think that’s the “do better” that he wanted, you know?

I could go on, but this is long enough. I’ll just end by saying this - if someone had told me, back in 2015 when I started watching, that this is how the show would end, I never would’ve started it. Not for Lexa, not for Octavia, not for anything. 

The ending made everything they went through so painfully pointless.

[anonfanfic]

If you want a prompt for small town AU, what about clexa getting out of town for a day and either taking a road trip or heading to a city close by? That way they can have some time to themselves

Clarke woke up to a beam of warm golden sun hitting her face. She closed her eyes tightly and stretched her stiff muscles. She breathed a deep sigh of relief out of her nose as her fuzzy mind remembered it was Saturday and she didn’t have to rush off to school. 

She rolled over and grabbed her phone from her nightstand, unplugging the charging cord and trying to get her bleary eyes to focus on the much too bright screen. 

Lexa’s name appeared in a text notification and Clarke sat up in bed, a rush of adrenaline coursing to each of her limbs as she unlocked her phone and read the waiting message.

‘I need to drive into the city to pick up a part for my truck. Can you come???’

Clarke felt an extra surge of energy pulse in the pit of her stomach as she thought about a full day away from everyone, but Lexa. She pulled back her blankets and nearly toppled out of her bed as she started getting ready for the day. She threw her pajamas somewhere near her hamper as she thought of what lies to tell her mom to let her go into the city for the day.

She finished dressing and looked at herself in the mirror. Clarke wanted to look cute, but not like she was trying too hard just for a trip into the city.

Clarke ran down the stairs two at a time and had to slow herself before she walked into the kitchen. She worked hard to keep her face neutral as she did a quick scan of the room, but only saw her dad sitting at the table sipping a cup of coffee and looking over some sort of playbook. No doubt trying to plan some sort of offense for the big football game the coming Sunday.

“Where’s-uh-where’s mom?” Clarke tried to sound as casual as possible while she walked over and grabbed a glass from the cupboard next to the fridge. 

“She’s in appointments all day today. She mentioned us ordering pizza, so you know it’ll be a long day.” Jake Griffin didn’t really look up from the page he was taking in. So he missed the grin that pulled at Clarke’s lips hearing that her mother would be gone for the entire day. 

“Do you think you’d be okay on your own?” Clarke opened the fridge and grabbed the orange juice, turning around to see Jake was no longer looking at the papers in front of him. He only had eyes for his daughter.

“Why? What do you have planned?” Jake reached down without looking and grabbed his coffee cup to take a sip without breaking eye contact. 

“A couple friends were talking about going into the city. I was going to see if I could go with them.” Clarke poured the orange juice and gave a shrug of indifference as she finished speaking. She didn’t want her dad to know she was dying to go. She hoped he would think she didn’t mind either way. 

Clarke put the jug of juice back in the fridge and turned to see that her dad was once again looking down at his papers.

“Will you be back before curfew?” He asked, reaching over and taking a long sip of coffee.

Clarke almost choked on the mouthful of orange juice she had just taken in with her excitement to respond.

“Yeah-yes. I’ll be back way before curfew. I swear.” Clarke tried to cover her sputtering cough with her sleeve. 

“Fine, leave me by my lonesome.” Jake joked, waving his daughter off to go have fun.

Clarke downed the rest of her juice and laughed. “Yeah, like you won’t be locked in your study going over game tape for tomorrow.” Clarke felt like she was floating as she walked back toward the stairs to go tell Lexa she could go out.

“Hey!” Jake called, right as she got to the doorway. Clarke’s heart stopped and she turned to look at her dad who was looking at her with disappointment. “Who raised you?” He asked, pointing to the glass Clarke had left on the counter.

“Oh, sorry dad.” Clarke felt a rush of relief wash over her as she walked over to grab her glass and rinse it in the sink.

“Have fun, see you later tonight,” Jake smiled, as Clarke walked by and out of the kitchen.

Less than 20 minutes later and Clarke was driving down the main freeway out of their town and to the city. It was like Clarke could finally breathe once they left the town’s limits. 

Clarke felt pressure on her thigh and looked down to see Lexa’s hand resting there. She smiled, looking out the window at the long stretch of nothing that was between them and the city. It was the most peaceful she had felt in months. The town had become so suffocating and home was no different. There was no escape from the walls as they kept closing in on her.

“Whatcha thinking about?” Lexa asked, giving Clarke’s leg a squeeze.

“How damn good it feels to be out of that fucking town.” Clarke moved her hand on top of Lexa’s and laced their fingers together.

Lexa smiled and picked up their intertwined hands and brought them to her lips, placing a kiss on Clarke’s hand. 

“I’m glad you came.” 

Clarke moved over as far as her seatbelt would allow and rested her head on Lexa’s shoulder. She closed her eyes and listened to the soft sounds coming from the radio and Lexa’s rhythmic breathing just above her. If she could bottle this moment and live it whenever she wanted to, she’d do it in a second.

“You gonna fall asleep on me?” Lexa chuckled, moving her shoulder to make Clarke’s head bop a bit.

“No, no.” Clarke opened her eyes and smiled moving back to her seat and squeezing Lexa’s hand. “We just don’t get many moments like this. When we can feel…”

“Normal?” Lexa finished Clarke’s sentence. 

Clarke hadn’t really let it hit her until she heard Lexa say it. They weren’t allowed to be themselves in their town. They were always hiding and forced to be ashamed of loving each other. Clarke didn’t want to feel that way, it wasn’t fair to not feel comfortable in your home. 

“Yeah...it sucks.” Clarke’s mood shifted and she felt like she was being dragged down a mountain hitting trees and rocks all the way down.

“Hey, don’t let those fuckers get in your head today.” Lexa reached over and grabbed Clarke’s thigh again. “They don’t get to have today, it’s ours.” 

Clarke gave her head a shake and tried to push those thoughts out of her head. Lexa was right, they didn’t get to ruin their day. 

“I’m back. Let’s have a good day.” Clarke looked over and smiled at her girlfriend.

They drove for a little while in peaceful silence. Clarke played with the fingers on Lexa’s free hand as the city came into view on the horizon.

Lexa parked the car on a side street just off the main drag of the city.

“I need coffee before we do anything else.” Lexa hopped out of the car and reached for Clarke’s hand. She instinctively pulled back, looking around to see that no one around them was even paying attention. 

“Sorry,” Clarke looked back to Lexa who still had her hand outstretched. “Force of habit.” 

Clarke reached out and took Lexa’s hand, feeling her heart flutter as they started toward the coffee shop. It was a freeing feeling to walk down the street, their hands intertwined swinging between them and no one giving them a second look. They could be invisible here, just blend in with the crowd. 

They grabbed coffee and sipped it as they walked around on the beautiful, sunny Saturday.

Lexa found a park a few blocks away from the coffee shop and they decided to spend some time together out in the warm sun. It was just on the verge of fall so the air had just a little bite to it. Clarke loved this type of weather.

Clarke leaned over and pressed a kiss to Lexa’s cheek. “Can we just stay here?” 

Lexa reached over and put her arm around Clarke’s waist, moving her closer as they sat on the grass. 

“You mean live here...in this park?” Lexa laughed. “I mean it may not be great once winter hits, but if you’re here then I’m here.” Lexa kissed Clarke’s lips, lingering for a long moment before pulling away.

“Listen, I’ve wanted to ask you something for a while now. I’m just not sure how you’ll feel about it.” Lexa adjusted her position so she was looking directly at Clarke.

For some reason, Clarke felt her heartbeat start to pick up. She had no idea what Lexa was about to ask her, but her brain was thinking of all the worst case scenarios.

“O-Okay.” Clarke’s voice caught in her throat. Her mouth was suddenly painfully dry.

“I know it’s a long way off,” Lexa started, reaching down and starting to pull out blades of grass. “But with it being so close to the end of the school year....and we were already both accepted to college...I was thinking maybe we could go to prom together.” 

Clarke’s jaw went slack as Lexa finished speaking. She hadn’t even thought about prom. There was still nearly a full school year to get through before prom. 

Clarke let herself imagine getting to go to prom with Lexa. Picking out their outfits, taking pictures out by the lake, dancing together in the gym with stupid decorations hanging around them. It would be amazing, but not possible. It would be too easy for people to talk and if word got back to her parents, they’d find a way to keep her out of college. They’d find a way to lock her in her room and away from Lexa forever. 

“I don’t know…” Clarke pursed her lips together, trying to push the happy images from her mind. Her only goal was getting out of their town so she could finally be with Lexa and her parents wouldn’t be able to stop her. 

“Nevermind..” Lexa cleared her throat and tossed the clump of grass she had pulled out next to her. “It was a stupid idea, forget I mentioned it.”

Clarke saw a few red splotches appear on Lexa’s cheeks. It had been hard for Lexa to ask her about prom. She knew the risks just like Clarke did. Maybe it wouldn’t matter once it was time for prom. 

“No, no. Don’t say that. It’s not stupid.” Clarke took both of Lexa’s hands and waited until her girlfriend looked up and locked eyes with her. “I want to go to prom with you. I just don’t want to risk our future for one night. You know what my mom is capable of and I don’t want her fucking this up for us.” 

Lexa relaxed a little as Clarke spoke. She wasn’t shooting down Lexa’s idea, she just wanted to be safe about what they did while they were still in town.

“Let’s say if we think it seems like a good idea at the time we do it. If not, we have our own afterparty on prom night.” Clarke wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. 

Lexa laughed and Clarke watched the rest of her hesitation melt away. 

“Deal.” Lexa reached over and kissed Clarke. “But I’m getting you flowers either way.” 

Clarke smiled against Lexa’s lips. “Deal.”

[someplace-that-is-else]

“Shaking It Off...?’: Is the Magicians Surviving Post-Quentin in Season Five?

 Editor’s Note: Spoilers for the current season of The Magicians lie ahead. Read at your own risk.

 I still can’t listen to it.

 Every time I was at work, the radio loved to drop in Taylor Swift. I admit it. I love Taylor Swift. It was earned respect so I won’t knocked it. However, when I heard ‘Shake It Off,’ I changed the station. Why? Because I was reminded every time.

 The Magicians Episode 4, Season 1…Quentin Coldwater in the mind asylum. Him singing it. It was a turn left moment in a somewhat serious scene that was hilarious.

 But I was always reminded when I heard the song. Now…

 Quentin Coldwater was dead.

 In case you missed it, the fourth season of The Magicians went out with a bang. In order to save the world and his friends, Quentin Coldwater sacrificed himself. It was a heartbreaking moment and yes, there were tears at the gang’s tribute to him with a cover of ‘Take on Me.’ It was also shocking because who would have thought a show would kill off their main character, the character that viewers are brought into the show by. Even ballsier? Leaving the main character dead, confirmed immediately after the episode aired that night by way of internet interviews from the producers.

 That was the world viewers were coming into walking into Season Five.  Unlike Supergirl which I dropped in Season Four due to the on-the-nose political writing, I was curious to see how the writers would play the death of their main character.

 So how was it?

 Did Someone Order an Apocalypse?: Raising the Stakes in Season Five

 After a season where magic was rationed out, this season was different. Now there was too much magic. How much? So much that people were exploding for crying out loud.

 As a result, there were plot threads being introduced. You had Penny being made a professor at Brakebills and dealing with the presence of a signal that one of his Traveler students was hearing. You had Kady struggling with being the leader of the hedgewitches while being in the middle of a mystery involving the disappearance of a book depository. Most importantly, there was a Pig running around, encountering Julia and saying an apocalypse was coming.

 Hm…the end of everything. While the Magicians has had moments that were life and death, I do not think it has actually dealt with an apocalypse. It sounded so Buffy the Vampire Slayer. And it was during one of these moments of too much magic that the apocalypse was supposed to happen.

 And this was all in light of the fact that Quentin was only dead a month. Alice, Julia, and Elliot were the ones who were hit the hardest by his passing. Julia was Quentin’s best friend. Alice was Quentin’s girlfriend. Elliot was his woulda, coulda, shoulda. But as usual, the world as they knew it needed saving.

 And there were casualties on the way to the apocalypse. Penny lost his ability to control his Traveler abilities so much so that he could accidentally kill himself now. Dean Fogg was lost to a whole dimension in Kady’s pursuit of the book depository. In the gang’s attempt to stop the apocalypse, they succeeded. But there was a BUT.

 WRONG apocalypse.

 All that struggle. Encountering goddesses with agendas. The return of evil hedge witch Marina who was behind the depository mystery. Kady almost was killed by an assassin. Elliot and Margo got stuck in a time loop.

 It was all for the wrong apocalypse. You see the Pig was talking about a whole other apocalypse that was coming. One that appeared to be tied into another plot thread from last season involving Elliot and Margo being trapped at one point in the Narniasque land of Fillory 300 years in the future and its future ruler the Dark King.

 Oops.

 The Power of Three: Character Development in Season Five

 Magic comes from pain.

 Eliot said that to Quentin in the first season. Over the course of the seasons, that has truly held up quite well. Going into Season Five, there was still plenty of it. And that brought me to the character development for Julia, Alice, and Eliot specifically. Their pain. Their grief over Quentin’s death.

 I loved Julia’s Season Four arc. The ‘is she or isn’t she still a goddess?’ arc. She had been practically redeemed in Season Three. She had sacrificed her being on a higher plane for her friends. And where did she go from here? From here led to a new relationship with Penny, getting to get close with her best friend Quentin again, and have a chance to be a full goddess again. However, that was snatched away from her by the Monster and so was Quentin. She was human again with no magic…until her pain over Quentin’s death, bringing her magic back to the surface.

 And that miracle was what was driving Julia this season. She was determined to not have Quentin’s death be in vain. She was going to stop those apocalypses. She was so determined that it was revealing cracks in her relationship with Penny. In fact, they broke up…just in time to find out that Julia was pregnant. So would Julia keep focusing on stopping apocalypses to honor Quentin’s memory, or would she focus on herself and her future which may or may not include Penny?  Oh, the dilemma…

 And then we had Alice…

 Honestly, I haven’t liked Alice since Season 2. She was cute. She was brainy. She wore glasses. And Niffin experience, while a great plot twist for those of us who hadn’t read the books, really tainted her. And any sympathy she got for her pain was destroyed by betraying the gang by helping the Library at the end of Season Three. I enjoyed everyone giving her the business in Season Four. 

So I was saddened to see Quentin take her back. Especially with someone better hanging in the wings.  

That said…the pain that Alice felt for Quentin dying. The staying in her room. Her wearing his clothes. Her trying to resurrect him. That felt real. And for the first time, Alice felt like a person again. She felt like Alice. And as the current season has progressed, a new persona has taken over: old Alice. The last few episodes had brought back the brainy, the problem solving, and dare I say it the cute Alice from the early seasons. From the darkness, she had come back into the light.

 And finally, there was Eliot. Eliot spent the majority of Season Four possessed by an ancient Monster. A Monster who was on a mission to resurrect his even more dangerous sister. In the process of Eliot trying to find a way to contact Quentin, Margo, and the gang, it was revealed that there was a scene not revealed to the audience. Back during the Season 3, Episode 5 episode “A Day in the Life,” Quentin and Eliot were trapped in a time loop of sorts and lived a whole life together. Fell in love. Had a child together. Died. In the end, quick thinking brought them back. And it was over…right?

 Wrong.

 It turned out that Quentin and Eliot had had a talk. Proof of concept. Most people took a chance when they got into a relationship. Here they had a whole lifetime and saw they worked together. So…Quentin wanted to make it real. The debatably straight character wanted to give it a go…but Eliot pulled away. Being trapped in a Monster gave Eliot that push. The push he needed to get free and tell Quentin that he was ready to give it a go.

  So of course…Quentin died.

 And just like that…they became Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Tara and Willow. They became like The 100’s Clarke and Lexa. What did I mean? I meant that the ‘Bury Your Gays’ trope struck again. You know, the trope in literature and tv where two people of the same sex cannot be happy and if they found happiness it usually ended in tragedy. And the fact that Quentin got some form of closure with Alice in terms of their relationship while he did not with Eliot was quite the tragedy for fans.

 While I personally would have liked to see some closure for those two (called Queliot by their fans) due to the relatability of their situation (which happened more in real life than people thought), I was pleased to see that in the latest season that Eliot was definitely dealing with his unsolved feelings about Quentin. Not only did he find some closure to it, he even got to some closure with Alice as well since they had quite a bit to deal with between each other. Bonus, Eliot had been bantering with the Dark King, this season’s potential Big Bad who happened to be flirting with Eliot.

 A happy ending for our resident gay man? This is The Magicians. So…iffy. LOL!!! Especially after that reveal in Episode 9.  So time would tell how the relationship between Eliot and Sebastian the Dark King would resolve itself.

 Speaking of…

 Pieces of a Puzzle: Using Plot Threads that Work Well in Season Five

 While a lot of the seasonal plot arc had to do with the gang dealing with apocalypses, there was also the arc having to do with the Dark King who usurped Margo’s rule of Fillory. Fans got to meet him in a clever introduction during Alice’s and Eliot’s quest to give closure to Quentin. Thus, the tension between Sebastian the Dark King and Eliot began.

 In another blog I did ( https://someplace-that-is-else.tumblr.com/post/183733192088/well-fuck-how-i-fell-into-syfys-the ), I mentioned that protagonists were only as good as their antagonists. The more complex the antagonist, the better. And if the Dark King was to be the main villain this season, the writers did him right. On one hand, there was the burgeoning relationship between him and Eliot and the fact that Fillory worshipped him for his ability to push back the invading Takers. On the other hand, it was revealed HE was behind the Takers being in Fillory in the first place and was immortal to being killed. Add on to that the reveal in Episode 9:  Sebastian was one of the Chatwin siblings, brother to the Beast…

...still the best villain in this series. His goal:  to resurrect his lost love. Given the gang was dealing with the aftermath of Quentin’s death, how could they not relate? How could we? Things were more murky.

 Meanwhile, there was the mystery of the signal. As mentioned earlier, the increase in magic meant there were a lot of new traveler magicians coming into their abilities with no one to guide/teach them. Enter Penny the only Traveler alive to tell the tale. At first Penny was reluctant, but he attempted to. That was how he met Plum, one of his students who was hearing the mysterious signal. In the process of hearing the signal, Penny lost his abilities. And to add on to the mystery…Plum...

... was ALSO a Chatwin. Whom daughter…Jane, the Beast aka Martin or Sebastian…remained to be seem.

 And then there were two.

 Finally, there was the world seed. I had greatly enjoyed seeing Alice morph back into her brainy persona that I remembered from the first two seasons. At the same time, she had started a bantering friendship with another magician who was some expert in possibilities. And from some notes left around by Quentin, Alice and this student had been creating a world seed. The belief…that it could create a whole new world. Leave it to Quentin to be gone, but NOT forgotten.

 How that would come into play with Plum, the Dark King’s plans, and the Fillory apocalypse was too early to know. It was recently announced by the SyFy Channel that they had cancelled The Magicians. Insert eyeroll here given my colorful history with SyFy. However, the producers of The Magicians have always mentioned that they wanted to adapted the last book in the series The Magicians’s Land for one of their seasons. And all signs of what I knew to happen in the book revealed this current season was loosely based on that book (in the book Quentin was still alive for example). So it would be interesting to see how it all ended for everyone.

 With a bang…or a whimper?

  #themagicians #syfychannel #syfy #whoorderedanapocalypse #buffythevampireslayer #buffyreference #glory #seasonfive #taylorswift #quentincoldwater #shakeitoff #aha #takeonme #apocalypse #supergirl #raisingthestakes #plotthreads #characterdevelopment #grief #queliot #writing #narnia #darkking #magic #buryyourgays #powerofthree #puzzlepieces #signal #seed #withabang #withawhimper

[inkandcamcorder]

Okidoki! This is my little theory post after watching the S7 trailer for The 100, I’ll probably add as I go and cancel or confirm as we watch.

As a little disclaimer, of course I know nothing for sure. If you see something that doesn’t make sense with the facts please let me know. Some of these may be completely wrong and probably most are. I’ve started this list from the fact that I believe the wormhole will let the mains go back in time, stopping te nuclear war or earth from going ka-boom or whatever it did at the time or during Praimfaya, and therefore they will erase themselves from existence. I don’t expect a happy ending but I’d still be happy if it were the case. Some of these are also repetitive or completely contradictory. Anyways, we’ll see! I’m also quite lazy so I often use initials to shorten the character’s names, I hope it’s clear enough! Obviously you’ll have seen many of these around, and some were inspired by what I’ve read on Twitter and over here of course!

I refer to the guys in the weird suits with the electric batons as the Big Human Menace, a.k.a BHM.

PS: I often mention “teams”. I don’t mean allegiance, I mean which plot line they’ll be allocated too as that many characters get split over different plot lines. Also sorry this is so long! I’m using it as a self tracker.

Here’s what I think we know from the trailer:

Jordan is going slightly creepy or cult-ish (not from the trailer but that weird look from S6),

Dyoza is in the Anomaly but alive.

Bellamy will cry & B & O will try to save one another through sacrifice.

Echo will cut her hair.

Madi will be threatened (by Russell I think).

Clarke will grieve her mom.

There’s a wormhole.

Raven and Clarke will team up and be close (and go on a mission to Nakara, the ice planet, with Jordan, Nate, Nylah, Gaia and Jackson I think? Hard to tell from the shots).

There will be skeletons.

Murphy and Emori will kick ass.

Murphy and Raven will team up.

Hope’s hair changes and she too is part of the team against the BHM.

Some guy bleeds.

Some girl screams. (I’ve seen people think it’s Raven, but that seemed unlikely to me).

Murphy get a gun put to his head.

Sheidheda (sorry about the spelling of it’s wrong!) is free. (S6)

Clarke points a fun to someone’s head (Russell I believe).

Hope screams behind a window, held by O next to C.

Echo screams.

There will be a sort of lab or torture chamber.

There seems to be a scene of Finn tied to the pole.

There’s some sort of flashback with Hope and Octavia.

There’s an icy planet, Nakara.

Bellamy should show up clean shaven at some point.

Gabriel is on the Echo plot team.

“I say live and let die.” - Murphy

There’s a change of plans for Echo and Gabriel.

O is on a white room, strapped down to a chair.

“If you fail, all our people are dead too.” (Bellamy to Clarke)

Echo is running after someone unconscious being taken (from the butt/cardigan it’s Bellamy).

Dyoza is seen holding O back.

A man is playing chess.

Russell says “we want peace”.

Here are the theories :

Jordan is going to lead a sort of rebellion for peace, similar to a cult, perhaps with him as a sort of priest.

Dyoza will be back in “The Garden” and try to get back to H and O, and will help with the Anomaly. She will eventually die - probably to save O (and/or H). They’ll be a recurring theme of “found family” between D, O and H. Probably in the hope to keep O & Bellamy from sacrificing themselves for each other or something similar.

Bellamy and Clarke will be separated for a third to half of the season.

Bellamy and Echo will be mainly on different plot lines (once she’s rescued him) - they will be apart. They will separate amicably and “always be family” or Echo will let him go (possibly before dying).

Echo will infiltrate the BHM.

Bellamy will be kidnapped and he and Madi will be used as bait for Clarke in different ways by different ennemies.

If any concrete Bellarke happens, it will be in the last two episodes, most likely only the finale. There might be some intense gazing or brushed aside lean-ins beforehand.

If they change the past, they’ll all die. If not, Clarke, Bellamy and possibly Murphy (and/or Raven) will die. Most of the mains really.

The wormhole will connect to Earth in the last allowing for revisits if plot points (perhaps Ton DC with the skeletons).

Raven and Co. will forgive Clarke (and who knows, maybe apologise? Crazy stuff).

Clarke will deal with Russel trying to rebel. She’ll threaten to burn him but as Jordan “cult” or whatnot rises, that will take a backseat. They’ll ally and Gaia will serve as an advisor. Jordan will say that he wants peace. Clarke will answer that “this is not the way” and “sacrifices must be made”. It will get out of hand (and perhaps made worse by Sheidheda interfering) and Jordan will realise the errors of his way. This will serve as a side plot while the Anomaly stretches out along the season and becomes the main plot towards the last third of the season as they search for a way to ensure humanity survives.

Sheidheda will finally be destroyed (by Clarke, with help from Gaia, Murphy and Raven).

Octavia’s death would supposedly unlock some sort of solution for the Anomaly, B will try to swap places. O sees it as her chance for redemption once more. D takes her place or something similar.

Clarke threatens Russel with a gun but doesn’t follow through.

Octavia and Gabriel will sleep together and develop *feelings* but D and H will always come first for O. Gabriel will die and say something along the lines of “as he should have a long time ago”.

Echo will go rogue to save the the day.

Jordan will rebel when Clarke decides to burn Russell.

Possibly, the BHM will come through the wormhole (hence the need for C & Co to go through it too - they’ll take a ship, which is where the scene with Hope flinging herself against the door screaming next to O and C will take place, though that could also be in the torture chamber area).

Echo will get caught and be tortured.

Murphy will get to convince Clarke not to choose violence.

Murphy and Emori will be quickly forgiven, but also reminded of their mistakes in a heated argument. They’ll use their newfound positions to lead in Sanctum.

If it’s not a time fix-up, Maddie will survive, along with Gaia.

Indra will die for Gaia and tell her she’s proud of her.

There will be some sort of human experiment.

One of the revisited part of time will be Finn’s death (perhaps leading to some Lexa archive footage being used).

During her time in the Anomaly, O will have basically raised and protected Hope, along with Dyoza, while never giving up hope to get back to Bellamy in any way possible. They’ll have been hunted by the BHM there too.

The wormhole will also lead to several other planets (which I believe is actually confirmed) - one of them might be a lot of water.

The bloodied guy will be an enemy of sort, possibly coming through the Anomaly, maybe tortured by Clarke and Co or Jordan’s follower though that’s unlikely. Probably by radiation/

While the others are on Nakara, Emori and Murphy deal with Sanctum and Jordan.

Murphy will take Jordan under his way in honour of Monty and Harper.

Echo will cut her hair for her mission as a way to be more incognito, the mission being likely the rescue mission to get Bellamy back, who was kidnapped by BHM.

They’ll explore the other planets, maybe in hopes of finding more human survivors or a safe heaven.

There’ll be parallel between Clarke in S7 and Bellamy in S6.

People will try to go in the Anomaly (Echo/Raven) but not all will be allowed in, or they’ll get split up.

Bellamy will probably be mentally tortured (possibly with a lonely/erased virtual reality).

Murphy will not want to go on the suicide mission (there might be a vote about it) but will go anyway for everybody’s sake in they want him to/need him.

The change of plans for Echo will be due to something linked to Bellamy - realising he’s about to get hurt, tortured, moved, is somewhere close, etc.

O will probably be part of the human experiment thing, probably during in the Anomaly, which is linked to the wormhole (possibly through its code that was on her back).

There will be, of course, some sort of apocalypse.

And a war.

There’ll be tons of S1 callback (maybe that underwater with the jellyfish is used as a callback for O in S1 in the lake?)

I think Jordan’s the person in the water with the jellyfish, and I don’t think he’s chilling because he probably can’t swim. So he fell by accident by using the wormhole or slipped or whatnot.

Octavia will act older as she has lived an extra 17-19 years in the Anomaly (which is part of her argument why she should die instead of Bellamy) and act rather weary as a result.

Possibly some sort of radiation issue? On Sanctum and/or back in past earth or a new planet.

They’re being hunted by the BHM who are coming through the Anomaly.

Russel has followers taking part in the Sanctum war.

The war will have to stop to unify against BHM and/or apocalypse.

There’s six symbols on the screen for the wormhole: 5 for Eligius as someone else very rightly pointed out (let me know if you recognise yourself, I remember reading it somewhere) the sixth one might be the BHM or something to unlock the wormhole?

Is the Anomaly absorbing or killing people and being used as a weapon, most likely by BHM? (Someone else remarked a skull in the green smoke).

Raven will get her red jacket back from a time travel. They’ll probably go back to Allie’s lab from S4 and get it back then.

Clarke is going to go a bit “dark” but will be brought back by her love for the Délinquents.

!Darke Clarke will be triggered by Bellamy’s disappearance.

If Sanctum survives, Russell will not die. He will not be murdered by Clarke.

There you go!

[travllingbunny]

The 100 rewatch: 2x07 Long into an Abyss

A strong episode that moves the plot along in major ways and has some very tense scenes.

Rating: 8.5/10

It helps a lot that Finn’s storyline doesn’t get featured much, and that Finn is much more likable this time, showing actual guilt for what he’s done. The moment between him and Clarke, where she tries to comfort him: “Lincoln is saveable, and so are you” is actually touching.

This episode has one of the most effective creepy openings: starting out with an incredibly idyllic moment that feels like it’s from some other show, with a young woman enjoying the sunny, beautiful day on the outside, before turning into the horror scene of her dying of radiation burns while desperately begging people on the inside to let her back into Mount Weather. It’s a part of Dr Tsing’s and Cage’s experiment to find out if the blood treatments work – obviously, just for a short while – and they decide to let her die, so she wouldn’t tell about it to Dante, since they’re doing it behind his back. Tsing is firmly established as a completely cold evil scientist, and Cage is also OK with sacrificing their own people if need be, though he was initially uncomfortable with it. 

Cage and Dante later have a not-so-idyllic father/son moment when Cage convinces Dante to go outside courtesy of the treatment and feel for a moment what it’s like, as a part of the plan to convince him to go along with his and Tsing’s plans. Cage says "This is out world, we deserve it". He’s quite a Mountain Man supremacist. It’s that conviction that they’re entitled to the good life more than any other group of people, who aren’t even entitled to not be tortured and/or killed, that’s the main problem of the Mount Weather society. But Dante is angrily refusing to go along, because he’s apparently more moderate or more concerned with morality, or just more hypocritical: "What we've done to Outsiders has corrupted our legacy, I can't go that road any further". So, he is bothered by what they have been doing to Grounders? But he is still doing it anyway? How is that not going that same road? Because he likes the kids and doesn’t look down on them as “savages”? (The Mountain Men never considered assimilating the Grounders into the “gene pool” as they planned with the kids, did they?) Whatever, Dante.

The stakes are definitely raised as what we always could have guessed is confirmed: Cage and Tsing are planning to kill all the kids. We get the exact number of Mountain Men at the moment: 382. Tsing tells Cage they need the bone marrow and they need 8 treatment by a kid, which means that all the 47 kids will have to die. Now, if they had instead decided to not be terrible people for once and not treat other people as cattle, if they had met up with the other Arkers, offered them support and asked them to donate bone marrow, they wouldn't need to kill anyone, because there’s thousands of Arkers out there.

Other developments in Mount Weather include the 47 learning that the Arkers are alive and on the ground, and making plans how to work inside Mount Weather to free themselves – using Monty’s hacking skills and Miller’s thieving skills. Although Jasper has faith in Clarke (it’s so sad that their relationship will deteriorate so much after S2), they are not sure if she’s even alive, so they have to rely on themselves. (This is most info we’ve gotten on Miller so far: he was a thief, and he’s from the Alpha station.)

Meanwhile, poor Harper gets experimented on. Knowing now that she was first meant to die in season 1 of the hemorrhagic fever, it’s so lucky that she got a chance to survive till the end of season 5 and get such a great arc.

But most of the episode is about the tensions in Camp Jaha, where Arkers are debating what to do about the imminent Grounder attack that was threatened at the end of 2x06. Jaha and Abby find themselves on the opposite sides of the argument, which is awkward, since they both think they’re the Chancellor. Jaha advocates that they should leave and go look for the City of Light (oh, no, not a good solution), and justifies this by saying: "This is not our home, it's theirs". Urrrgh. See me roll my eyes. Not that crap, please. Everywhere they go is going to be someone’s “home”, if it’s inhabitable, nowhere is going to be “your home” since you’re refugees/exiles who have spent a century in space, but it’s not like there isn’t enough room for everyone. And hey, Jaha, you’re gonna change your mind completely come season 4! He’s just saying this because he got into his head that it’s his messianic mission to find the COL. Yes, I felt the same the first time when I had no idea what COL would turn out to be.  Abby, on the other hand, is like "I'm not ready to march our people into the desert". Again with the Biblical references.

Jaha’s better argument is that they’re going to die if they don’t leave, what with the Grounders being much more numerous, and if they live, they can fight another day and see what the best solution is then. This is basically the same argument Clarke made in her speech in 1x12, when she convinced the Delinquents to leave and try to search for Luna. But with one big difference: the Delinquents weren’t leaving anyone to die, and this time, leaving would mean giving up on the 47 in Mount Weather – so it’s a definite “no” for Clarke. Unsurprisingly, it’s also a big “no” for David Miller and the other parents of the kids trapped in MW. In one of the most tense moments of the episode, Jaha tries to stage a coup, unsuccessfully, but Miller and Byrne listen to Abby as the Chancellor instead of Jaha, and obey her order to arrest him. (I guess they’ll have to change the name of the camp soon.) Abby declares “I have faith, too, in my daughter". (But the mother/daughter relationship won’t remain that harmonious, with Clarke staging her own successful coup and showing her mom who’s really in charge in 2x11.)

The other big plot thread is Bellamy and Octavia asking Clarke to try to help save Lincoln, which Clarke can’t, but asks Abby to do. Lincoln’s friend, healer Nyko, tries to “save” him by killing him – clearly thinking that mercy kill is the only way to save a Reaper, but there’s a nice payoff to the scene a few episodes ago, when Clarke heard Anya say “Your fight is over” – it allows her to realize what Nyko is doing. But stopping the heart temporarily turns out to be part of the process of healing. And the two plot threads then become one, thanks to Clarke’s quick thinking and willingness to hope and take a huge risk: the possibility of healing Reapers is a big bargaining chip for peace and an alliance against the Mountain Men, which Clarke already tried to make happen by convincing Anya, and now she has to convince Lexa herself.

The first meeting of Clarke and Lexa starts with this exchange: “You’re the one who burned 300 of my warriors” – “You’re the one who sent them to attack our camp”. Thankfully, this is the last time Lexa mentions this, so I guess she must have realized that it’s stupid to complain about people defending themselves when you attack them, and was probably impressed by Clarke’s attitude. Grounder warrior culture respects strength, and Lexa is probably not used to people talking back to her. And this is probably why and how Clarke came to be regarded as the leader of the Arkers for the rest of season 2 – she acted like one, in her determination to save her people, so Lexa perceived her the leader and started treating her that way. Clarke then uses all her skills of persuasion and references Anya to convince Lexa to agree to an alliance against Mount Weather, with the promise of showing her the success of the Reaper treatment through Lincoln – even if she’s not sure that Abby will succeed in bringing him back. The most tense moment of the episode is the standoff that happens when Lexa and Indra come with Clarke to see Lincoln, but he appears dead, and for a moment, everyone is about to kill each other, until Clarke thinks of electro-shocking Lincoln to bring him back.

This is the beginning of the complicated relationship between Clarke and Lexa, and it pretty much sets up the parameters of it from the start: through everything that will happen between them, as allies, enemies or lovers, their dynamic will always be colored by the facts that Lexa has, at all times, the power to give orders to start killing Clarke’s people, while Clarke is determined to do her best to convince Lexa to not kill her people/not let them die.

And it gets additionally awkward when, in the big cliffhanger, Lexa tells Clarke the price of the truce: Finn’s death. I know from BTS comments that the writing staff wasn’t planning at this point to have those two romantically involved (they even didn’t give any thought to Lexa’s sexuality until the writer of 2x09 wrote the part about Costia), but once they did make that decision, this becomes kind of an awkward part of the setup for their romance. In a way, it’s nothing unusual for this show, which really loves developing romantic relationships from messed up situations (I think the only exceptions so far are Marper and Mackson), but “future love interest makes you kill your former love interest” is still high on the unpleasantness scale. What’s even odder is that it’s not even high on the list of the issues I’ll eventually have with their romance – because, in this case, Lexa is not doing anything bad, just following the law, and Finn is guilty.

Regardless of that, at this point my impressions of Lexa were predominantly positive (and remained so for 4 more episodes). She seemed reasonable, calm and controlled, which was very refreshing, since most Grounder warriors were constantly angry and talking about revenge. And Indra was one of the worst at this point. My god, I had forgotten how annoying she used to be – not only was she the Angry Black Woman stereotype, but she was the biggest warmonger at Lexa’s side and was constantly “Kill, kill, kill them all!” The only thing I liked about her was Adina Porter’s performance – she was way better than Dichen Lachman or any of the other actors playing Angry Grounder Warriors. This character has had such a huge character development.

One thing that did always bother me and still does is the fact that Lexa, Tristan, Nyko, Quint (annoying general who goes on to appear in 2x10)… all the white Grounders had such a strong fake tan. Wow, they must have great solariums in Polis! Who would think! And what about their cultural-appropriation-mishmash fashion sense? How did that happen? Did Becca tell her subjects: “I think it would be cool if you started wearing this, and this, and this…”? It makes even less sense as the distorted-English that the Grounders speak, even though it’s been less than a century since the end of the world, and that’s nowhere near enough time for a whole new language or even dialect to develop. But it’s not like anything about their culture and society is remotely realistic – however, overall it’s just a cliché of all post-apocalyptic dramas. The crap with bronzed tans and bindi and dreads etc.? That’s just idiotic and offensive. It doesn’t even make sense in the context of “Proud Warrior Race” stereotypes – I get the war paint, but why bindi and dreads, those aren’t even associated with warriors? If they wanted popular warriors/savages stereotypes, hey, how about Vikings? But nope – they were white, and the logic is “non-white cultures – savages” or something? Uuuum….

But that’s the kind of BS you get used to on this show after a while. What do you do? World-building has never been its strong suit. If I gave lower scores for episodes for that, I’ll have to give low scores to almost everyone episode from now on, so… never mind.

Body count: 1 - Keenan, the Mountain Man girl (and minor character that appeared in a couple of episodes before this) that Cage and Tsing used as an experiment.

[gazingupatthemoon]

Live Like Legends (1/1)

Found here at ff.net / A03

Summary:  In which Octavia inadvertently makes her brother a Grounder legend. (Written because I'm still bitter over the fact Clarke has a lot of fame/infamy for the things she has done and Bellamy does not though he was at her side every single time)

Rating: T

Characters: Octavia Blake, Bellamy Blake, Clarke Griffin, Miller, Kane

Relationships: Implied Bellarke

Snippet: 

It starts off as an accident really.

Octavia could care less about popularity, fame, and all that entails. All she wants to do is survive, to lead as best she can, and make sure there isn't a mass killing spree before their five years are up in the bunker. (Seriously, how does Kane do it? Abbey? Clarke? Bellamy? It's exhausting)

But somehow, beyond her comprehension, she gets involved with gossip and accidentally makes her brother a legend.

Go figure.

It's not like Octavia sets out to make sure the name "Bellamy Blake" is known by every person in the bunker. She's sure Bellamy could care less as well. And yet, it happens.

"Wanheda," A grounder whispers dramatically, drawing the rapt attention of the circle of younglings in front of him. "The Commander of Death. By her hand, and her hand alone, she took the lives of every man, woman, and child of the Mountain. No longer do they breathe or plague our world with their evil. All because of Wanheda."

She should have kept her mouth shut. Because, really, who cared who was given the kills of the Mountain Men? Octavia knew Clarke sure didn't like to be credited with it. But, who knows. Maybe she had woken up on the wrong side of the bed. Maybe the endless list of problems to fix finally were taking their toll. But Octavia found herself marching up to the group, her breath short and her cheeks faintly red.

"It wasn't just Wanheda," She snaps, and everyone seems to straighten at her mere presence.

"Oh?" The older grounder responds, not impolitely.

"My brother," Octavia states firmly. "Bellamy Blake. He was there right next to Cl-Wanheda. He killed the Mountain Men too. He infiltrated their ranks, lived among them, and saved Skaikru."

"Bellamy Blake?" A young girl echoes.

"Yes, so get the story straight. Wanheda and Bellamy Blake ended the Mountain Men."

That's how it starts at least.

Stuck in the bunker, for five years, well, there isn't much to do. So story telling becomes a big thing. And the demise of the Mountain Men is a favorite. It spreads like wildfire, that Heda Octavia claims her brother, Bellamy Blake, killed them along with Wanheda. There isn't much to refute it either. No Grounders had been there and it had been Lexa originally who advertised that Clarke had been the lone victor.

And Lexa wasn't around anymore.

So now, when the story was told, the only addition was that Wanheda and Bellamy Blake killed the Mountain Men. Anyone who said differently would have been opposing Heda Octavia herself.

It wasn't as if Octavia truly cared. It wasn't like she'd challenge anyone to a duel if they said otherwise. But no one ever did say otherwise, so it stuck.

Miller raised his eyebrows at her one day. "Trying to make your brother a celebrity?"

Miller was one of the few people of Skaikru who would actually approach and talk to her like a normal person. It didn't bother her much, seeing as her people hadn't exactly always been her people. They had locked her in prison, forced her mother to keep her under the floor, and then she had only allowed 100 of them to survive in the bunker. They trusted her more than any other Grounder but where still wary of her. And of all of the clans, Skaikru seemed to have the most difficulty integrating with the other Grounders. The people Octavia felt most comfortable with. Well, them and Trikru and Azgeda but that was another story all together.

Miller, though, part of the 100-the group of people Octavia actually felt akin too-had no problem speaking to her like she was just any other girl. Not Heda. Not the girl under the floor. Just Octavia. And, truth be told, the two basked in each other's company. There wasn't much people left who understood the things they had gone through. There wasn't much of the original 100 left for that matter. And those they were closest to where in space, far away with no form of communication.

More often than not, they were the only people they could talk about.

"As if," Octavia scoffed. "And Bellamy could give less than two shits about being famous."

Miller smirked. "And yet, they call him Hoshripa."

Octavia's eyebrows rose at that. "Quiet Killer?"

"Seeing as no one knew about his part with the Mountain Men till you enlightened them, they see him as a killer who seeks no glory. Quiet."

"That's stupid."

"Hey, you started it, not me."

She wish she hadn't. She just want to correct them, is all. Perhaps her misgivings with Clarke hadn't been as resolved as she thought. Maybe that was why she felt the need to interject, to make people believe Clarke wasn't as untouchable, all powerful, as they made her out to be.

And then it happens again.

"If Wanheda was here, I'd more gladly speak to her."

They're having one of their weekly meetings between clan leaders, and per usual, they're going terrible. No one ever agrees to anything, everyone is always pointing fingers at other clans for using too much supplies or taking up too much space, and it's a miracle if a sword or blade of some sort isn't brandished in someone's face.

As of the moment, they're talking about certain locations in the bunker and who they belong to-again-and the leader of Delfikru isn't giving a crap about what Kane has to say.

"Wanheda is not here," Kane grits between clenched teeth. "As you're well aware. I am Chancellor of Skaikru and these matters are to be discussed with me."

"Wanheda lived in our world long before you," The clan leader continues, "She knows our ways and customs. You are an unfit leader, you know nothing of how to negotiate and speak with us."

Of course it's untrue, and everyone in the room knows it. The Grounders have a plethora of misgivings about Skairku but Kane's leadership is not one of them. He has proved himself, time and time again, and Octavia can practically hear everyone's eyes roll. Indra was fingering the sword at her hip as they did.

"Enough," Octavia growled. And when she spoke, everyone listened. She didn't think herself the best of leaders. Sure, she was doing well enough, no one was dead yet, but she still felt well suited to the role of soldier rather than leader. So, in these weekly meetings, she always tried to let the clan leaders figure things out without her interjection. Until times like this.

"Wanheda," Octavia began, "Was not the only leader of Skairkru when they first came to this world. Bel-Hoshripa, was also the leader."

The new name for her brother feels bitter on her tongue but she forces it out. Grounders appreciate titles more than proper names, and while she is Heda she also hears Skairipa still whispered among some.

"Hoshripa trusted Chancellor Kane to lead, so you will as well."

Of course, Octavia could have pointed out that Clarke had trusted Kane as well. That Abbey, Clarke's mother, was currently betrothed to Kane as well. That would have ended the conversation just as easily. And yet, again, Octavia heard Clarke being bolstered up once again and her brother shafted to the side. Bellamy lead the 100 just as much as Clarke and it wasn't fair that no one knew that.

And so Bellamy becomes more famous.

No one speaks a word of Wanheda anymore without the name Hoshripa following close after it.

Kane is amused by it, as well as Abbey, and Miller is just smug. Octavia ignores them all.

They had all forgot, though, with fame often comes infamy.

No one can forget the killing of over 300 Grounders sent to protect Skaikru and killed by those exact same people. It ones of the main reason Grounders are so wary of them. And Niylah certainly can be expected to keep her mouth shut on Bellamy's part in it when everyone begins treating him like some legend.

Niylah isn't exactly unkind when she spreads word that Bellamy was part of the massacre. She wasn't even trying to spread word at all. All she wanted was for people to know was that he wasn't a god, not Heda's magically lethal brother come from the shadows. That he had hurt her people-their people-and such a sin needs to be acknowledged.

Octavia doesn't correct or threaten anyone who speaks about it. It's the truth, after all.

(And it lead to Lincoln's death. Bellamy lead to Lincoln's death)

Octavia tries not to let her mind wander that way though it often tries. She had forgiven her brother for his mistakes, she loved him often more than life itself and that was that. She couldn't wait to see him again. Yet Octavia was never good at banishing the demons in her head.

But people are fickle things, Grounders included. They accept Bellamy's horror stories and still fantasize over his heroic ones.

Octavia doesn't know how to feel about it so she just doesn't.

Then there are the stories of the City of Light. Surprisingly, it's not Octavia this time to enlighten people on Bellamy's part in Ali's downfall.

"We all took a stance," Miller proclaims, raising his glass of moonshine. Skaikru loves him, he's a guard, he's the son of a respected guard, and just an overall good guy. Grounders like him as well for his honesty, though blunt, and his noble ways. "Wanheda was going to take down Ali but Hoshripa lead us in protecting her."

Stories of the City of Light and Ali aren't always the safest of ones. People still feel guilty over the wrongs they committed under her influence and even fewer still feel as if being under her influence had been the better choice. People grow silent, uncomfortable, and the topic is widely ignored. But tonight, everyone's belly is full with moonshine (not like Monty and Jasper could make it, never like they could make it) and in amicable moods. Tonight, they want to hear about the death of the evil piece of female tech that had fogged their minds.

Miller was more than happy to oblige.

"Wanheda conquered the City of Light!" Miller grinned, earning a round of applause. "But Hosripa had protected Wanheda. Hoshripa always protects Wanheda but we don't have to get into that now. He saved her life, and yours! He ordered no one be killed while Ali was controlling them, since we all know it wasn't anyone's fault."

And so another notch goes in Bellamy's belt.

________________________________________________________________

"What the hell is a Hoshripa?"

Octavia is used to name after six years, but coming out of her brother's mouth, it gives her a start.

"What?"

"Hoshripa," Bellamy growls, aggravation clear on his face. "People keep calling me it and I don't know what the hell it means."

Next to him, Clarke unsuccessfully hides a giggle behind her hand.

Octavia learned in less than a minute that Clarke hadn't gone to space with the others and had been living with another nightblood for six years. And yet, within that minute, she saw quite clearly how Bellamy and Clarke would not move no more than three steps away from each other since being reunited.

Separation apparently does make the heart grow fonder.

"Quiet Killer," Clarke supplies.

Bellamy doesn't look any less aggravated by the translation.

"I may have talked about you in the bunker," Octavia finally says. "Miller too."

"Talked about me how?"

At that moment, a group of kids rush up to them, their eyes bright and their mouths agape. They point and whisper at both Clarke and Bellamy, laughing too. It only seems to infuriate her brother further though Octavia and Clarke can't stop grinning.

"Wanheda and Hoshripa!" A boy with dirty blonde hair exclaims.

"Are you bonded?" A girl with braided black hair inquires.

"Bonded?" Bellamy echoes.

Octavia smirks. "Married, she means."

A vibrant red stains both Bellamy and Clarke's cheeks and they look anywhere but at each other.

"The stories make it sound like you love her," The little girl continues, looking pointedly at Bellamy. "I mean, you save her all the time! You have to love her! And Heda says you have both been in the sky this whole time, all alone! You must be bonded!"

"O I'm going to kill you," Bellamy growls so only she can hear.

She hadn't felt less threatened in her whole life.

Clarke reaches for Bellamy's hand, entwining their fingers. Octavia notices, with a bit of satisfaction, he doesn't resist. "No, we're not," Clarke smiles politely. "But we'd love to tell you some stories too."

The kids all cheer at that and run away, apparently to gather some of their other friends to spread the news.

"You know, if you want them to believe you're not bonded, you're going to actually have to act like it." Octavia looks pointedly at their hands.

Though they blush, they don't pull away.

"O, you have some explaining to do."

"More than happy to, brother."

[diana-prince-s]

Imagine this

picture it, National City, 2017

four women own a large house where they give refuge to young queer girls who need a place to stay

-Therese Belivet and Carol Aird own the house. they moved there after Carol’s nasty divorce from her husband to get away from him. Carol owns her furniture store and Therese has just gotten a job working to CatCo Worldwide Media as a photographer

-on their way to NC, they meet two women, Regina Mills and Emma Swan, and their son, Henry. they just left a small town in Maine to escape both their troubled pasts and to start a new life. unfortunately, neither of them have jobs lined up, and the apartment they were supposed to rent was taken off the market at the last second. they can only live off of Regina’s inheritance for so long

-Carol immediately invites the family to live with them, Therese is intimidated at first but finds Emma amusing and Carol and Regina get along well. Henry is bright-eyed and he loves Therese’s photographs, likes to tell stories to go along with them.

-Emma is able to get a job with the National City Police Department as a low-ranking cop, but she’s hoping to move up. Regina hasn’t had any luck, but it just gives her more time to spend with Henry

-the house is large, too large, Therese realizes. one day, as she’s running errands between assignments, she sees a girl on the street. she looks lonely, and like she hasn’t eaten in days, and Therese stops and asks her if she’s okay. the girl tries to keep it together, puts on a brave face, but the tears welling in her eyes betray her. Therese takes the girl home and feeds her and gives her new clothes and a warm place to stay

-Maggie Sawyer doesn’t know why she went to a stranger’s house, but it was better than living on the street. her father had thrown her out only weeks prior, and she’d tried to get in touch with an aunt, only to find that her cell phone had been cut off. so, when the nice stranger had invited her in, she followed

-at dinner that night, the four women, the boy, and the teenage girl sit at the table. Maggie is able to open up about what happened -- that she had been outed as gay, that her father had thrown her out, that her mother had tried to stop her father, that it hadn’t been enough -- and the hearts of everyone at the table melt. they insist that she stay with them for as long as she needs

-as four out, proud, queer women themselves who’d had their share of hardships because of their sexualities, Regina, Carol, Emma, and Therese know they have to do something -- something that goes beyond just helping one queer girl in need

-Regina puts all her efforts into starting the home -- she settles the necessary paperwork expeditiously, prints and posts flyers at youth centers and coffee shops, starts fundraising. the other women are busy with work but contribute as best they can. Maggie is able to help, able to reach out to some other queer kids to spread the word

-Emma and Maggie become close -- they talk about law enforcement and police work, and helping the world become a better place. Maggie is inspired, Maggie wants to do what Emma does. Emma loves taking Henry Maggie to the station, or just taking them for a ride in the squad car

-Clarke Griffin and Lexa Woods are the next girls to arrive. they ran away when Lexa’s foster father found out that Lexa was gay and attacked Clarke. Clarke’s father had died recently, and her mother was working with refugees on the other side of the world. the Aird-Belivet-Swan-Mills house seems like the only safe place they can go

-the women welcome them with open arms and give them a room (Emma, designated rule-setter, gives them a talk about sharing a room as a couple and safe sex, and deems that it’s okay). they’re strong girls, and they actually help Maggie a lot with overcoming her issues after her traumatic experience

-Sara Lance is a headstrong, tormented young girl who ran away from her family. her relationship with her sister was rocky, and her family neglected her; she had done things in her past that she deeply regretted, that she felt made her inhuman. she makes it to NC and finds a flyer for the house, shows up and asks for a place to stay, nothing more. she is elusive and guarded, and she barely talks to anyone. it’s Regina that helps her to open up, and they share their pasts (which are very similar)

-Carol’s furniture expertise gets noticed by some wealthy, high-profile people in NC, and she finds herself invited to a gala event for multiple companies, one of which is LuthorCorp. she and Therese attend; while there, Carol notices a young girl with striking black hair and pale skin, wearing a tailored tuxedo suit. beside her is a young blonde girl with a radiant smile. they dance together and laugh together, and oh does it remind Carol of herself and Therese

-after a while of observing, Carol notices a tall, sharp woman making her way towards the couple. the woman takes Lena roughly by the arm and yanks her away, speaking sharply in her ear. they pass by Carol, and Carol sucks in a breath when she hears that horrible d-word dripping with disgust from the woman’s mouth

-a week later, that dark-haired girl shows up at the house with a dark bruise covering her left eye and cheek. Carol tugs the girl inside, rushes her upstairs and lets her cry, cleans her up and kisses her hair, because the girl is young, because the girl has grown up in a world where the expectations are high and wrong, because Carol knows

-Lena Luthor settles in as best she can. she feels different from the other girls -- she’s never had friends other than Kara and Alex before, and they weren’t here. but it’s easy to fall into giggles when Maggie is so funny and Sara is so witty, and Clarke and Lexa are so bright and insightful and wise beyond their years. Henry looks at them all like big sisters, writes stories and fairytales about them falling in love and living happily ever after, and Lena can believe, if only for a moment, that that’s true

-not even thirty-six hours later, and the blonde girl from the party arrives, followed by a stoic brunette. Alex and Kara Danvers have been Lena’s friends for years, and Kara and Lena are in love (even though Alex is the only one who will admit it). Kara was adopted by the Danvers, and Alex’s father is dead, her mother mostly absent since the accident that killed him. Alex had been raising Kara -- and by extension, Lena -- for a few years by then, and it had been taking a toll on the young girl

-Kara doesn’t want to leave Lena alone, but Alex can’t take care of another teenager just two years her junior full time. Therese offers to take in Kara, telling Alex that she can visit whenever, but Alex doesn’t go anywhere without her sister

-Alex sees Maggie, and it’s -- wow. neither of them really know how to act around one another, it’s all smiling glances and awkward words and half-sentences that barely make it out. Clarke and Lexa observe with amusement and Sara makes quips and jokes about the interactions. 

-Alex didn’t even fully know that she was gay -- sure, she had thought about it, especially after Kara had come out as bisexual, but she hadn’t really felt attraction to anyone. seeing Maggie, though, is like the gay lightning bolt of knowledge and wisdom, and everything falls into place

-Kara and Lena are too entranced with each other to notice

-the Danvers girls stay the night -- so, maybe Alex stays in Maggie’s room, but they both sleep on the floor, under a makeshift tent, where they share secrets and pasts and everything in between

-the next day, Eliza Danvers gives the girls permission to live at the Aird-Belivet-Swan-Mills house

-finally comes the Purgatory girls. Wynonna Earp is a -- well, she’s something. She’s pan and she’s sexy and she’s confident, and one look at Sara has the headstrong girl swooning. her younger sister, Waverly, is cute and a little shy but has a personality that rivals Wynonna’s. her girlfriend, Nicole Haught, has a body to match the name and is secure on the outside, but a little bit insecure on the inside. the girls come from a small town where the citizens can barely wrap their heads around lesbian and bisexual and pansexual, not to mention Waverly being ace. they don’t really have family or a place to go, and Wynonna’s wanderlust has taken them to NC, where they find themselves at the house

-the house is full, and it’s loud, and there are so many underlying issues that bubble to the surface sometimes. the girls squabble -- never fight, they care too much to fight -- and they have breakdowns. but, they’re always there to support each other, and the mothers are always there to support them. even Henry takes it upon himself to try and cheer the girls up on a regular basis

-their dinner table has become larger and larger -- it’s Sara, Wynonna, Clarke, Lexa, Nicole, Waverly, Kara, Lena, Alex, Maggie, Henry, Carol, Therese, Regina, and Emma now -- and nights when they all eat together are treats. Emma has gotten Maggie, Alex, Nicole, Sara and Wynonna internships at the NCPD; Clarke and Lena help Carol with the furniture store; Waverly and Kara have intern jobs at CatCo with Therese; and Lexa works with Regina on running the house, keeping things up to date, and they are even working on getting Regina a seat in the city government.

-of course, the couples live together: Kara and Lena, Alex and Maggie, Wynonna and Sara, Waverly and Nicole, and Clarke and Lexa. it becomes difficult sometimes, but Emma, Regina, Carol, and Therese can handle it

-they’re a family. a large family, a sometimes dysfunctional family, a chosen family, and a happy family.

[gillytweed]

Together and Always

Together and Always Pairing: Clextia Rating: A-okay for kiddies

Note: It’s been a while since I managed to post something, but I really wanted to post today. So, here’s a really fluffy Clextia oneshot for you all. It’s in the same universe as the Puppies and Pets prompts, as well as with Kuddles & Koala’s. I hope you enjoy it!

Also, big thank you to @bae-in-maine for editing. Also, @bananat-panda @jayenator565 and @piccilover33 have some Clextia. I know you’re deprived :p

She groaned as she entered their apartment,  bag falling to the ground with a thump. The day had been long, filled with morning classes and a long shift of work right after. She felt tired, body sore, but she didn’t want to sleep yet. She hadn’t seen her girlfriends all day. Lexa was already gone when she’d awoken, having had a class even earlier than her own, and Clarke had still been blissfully asleep, having gotten home late from a seminar. Even though it had only been just over half a day since seeing them both, she still felt a longing in her chest, tugging her towards the living room in hopes of finding them.

Clarke was seated on the couch, Aden curled up and purring in her lap. The lights were off, the room illuminated only by the flashes from the TV. Subtitles flashed across the screen as the volume was turned down to only a murmur. It seemed her girlfriends had deemed tonight was to be a quiet night.

“Hey, Cos.” Her favourite blonde called, voice lower than a whisper. She didn’t move, not wanting to disturb the furry bundle in her lap, but she did crane her neck to make it easier for her taller girlfriend to lean down and peck her on the lips. Costia smiled as she pulled back, turning to take in the show Clarke was watching.

“Where’s Lex at?” She murmured as her eyes took in the sight of some generic drama, a regular choice of Clarke’s when she wanted something mind numbing.

“She’s taking a nap. Her philosophy professor had the class think about different levels of reality, and she said it made her brain hurt.” Costia chuckled at the explaination. Lexa was an incredibly intelligent person, probably a genius on some levels, so for her to say that thinking about something made her brain hurt, then it was most likely a very complicated topic.

“Do you think she’d be opposed to cuddles?” The older girl settled herself on the arm of the couch, reaching down to pet Aden between the ears. The silkiness of his fur reminded her of why they’d gotten him in the first place, making a small smile creep onto her face.

“Hm, I don’t know if she’ll be opposed, but she did seem really tired.” Costia nodded, standing and stretching. If Lexa didn’t want to move, if she had to, she’d simply carry her. Tonight she wouldn’t be denied being close to her girlfriends.

“I’ll go retrieve our brain dead girlfriend then.” Clarke shook her head, sighing in exasperation, but didn’t move to object as Costia padded down the hallway to their bedroom. She retrieved her bag as she went, knowing that Lexa would give her a disapproving look if she simply left it by the door.

She pushed open the door to their room quietly, thankful that they’d oiled the hinges not too long ago. She spotted Lexa sprawled out on the bed, still in her jeans and hoodie, face planted firmly into a pillow. Gently setting her bag next to the door, she crept over to the bed, her feet shuffling across the plush carpet.

“Hey, Lex. Wake up, Lex.” She kept her voice soft as she sat on the edge of the bed, her hand rubbing gently over her girlfriend's back. She got a long groan and a slight tilt of the head in return, one green eye appearing to gaze at her sleepily. She smiled softly, brushing some tangles of hair from Lexa’s forehead. “Want to come and cuddle with me and Clarke on the couch?”

The younger brunette rolled onto her side, a sleepy mumble on her lips, before her arms were outstretched, fingers flexing in the child like motion meaning ‘carry me.’ She chuckled, not expecting the need to actually carry her girlfriend to the living room, but she wasn’t going to complain. For the longest time, Lexa had always been determined to take care of herself, never letting anyone do anything for her, so to have her actually ask to be carried showed the immense amount of trust the younger girl had in her.

She felt her chest fill with a happy warmth as she rolled her girlfriend to the edge of the bed, laughing quietly as the younger girl remained limp. Lexa tried her best to hid her smirk in Costia’s shoulder, but the older girl could feel the barely contained smile through the fabric of her shirt. Sighing in fond exasperation, she adjusted so Lexa’s legs were around her waist and lifted.

She gave an exaggerated groan that ended in a laugh as Lexa yelped when she slipped slightly. They tried to suppress their laughter as they made their way back down the hall, Lexa clinging awkwardly to Costia’s tall frame.

The older brunette couldn’t help the grin that spread on her face when Clarke came into view, the blonde’s eyebrow raised in amusement. The youngest of the three stood from the couch, scooping up Aden into her arms to keep the furry feline safe from her partners’ antics. She watched as the two girls tumbled onto the couch in a tangle of limbs, Costia turning so Lexa would land on top.

Clarke shared a look with Aden, the cat managing to look just as amused as she. She waited patiently for the two older girls to sort themselves out, occupying herself by playing with Aden’s ears.

“Claaarke, come join us!” Lexa called from her position lounging in Costia’s lap, raising her legs to make room for the blonde to sit. She sighed, a fond smile quirking her lips, and slipped underneath the brunette’s legs, holding Aden to her chest until Lexa’s legs were settled on her lap. Releasing the feline, she chuckled as he crawled over to Lexa, meowing softly as he nuzzled her face.

Lexa hummed as the cat settled on her chest, a deep purr rumbling from his body. She settled into her girlfriends’ laps, closing her eyes and relaxing as their warmth seeped into her skin. The feeling of their bodies chased away the endless fatigue of her day. Petting Aden, she sighed happily as she felt his purrs reverberate through her chest. She loved her cat, and she loved her girlfriends for getting him for her. He was a calming and grounding presence when her girlfriends weren’t home, and he was a delightful cuddle partner.

He’d become her companion, a friend that had no expectations other than food and pets, and he stayed by her side without judgement, even on her worst days. Of course, her girlfriends’ did that too, always loving and caring for her, but Aden was always neutral where her girlfriends were not. He didn’t pity her, or desire to make her better. He was just there, and that calmed her.

“So, what do we want to do for dinner?” Clarke, always the responsible one, broke through her thoughts. Sighing, she stretched out, firmly trapping Clarke under her legs, and shushing the blonde before she could say anything else.

“No talking. Just cuddles.” She felt the movement of Clarke’s stomach as she suppressed her chuckles and the heave of Costia’s as she sighed. Eventually both of them settled, leaning back into the couch as they enjoyed each other's presence.

Before they’d all started dating, this had always been the sort of thing she looked forward to; when they would all get together, giggling and laughing until they settled, grouped close together, maybe on top of each other, and just basking in each others company. They’d been her light in the darkness oh so long ago, and they’d grown to be even more as time went on. They’d become her home, and she was certain they would be together forever and always.

[robinhoodrevisited]

From Bad To Worse (pt.4)

Nottingham Town. Outside the main gate. (Robin leaves the castle through the gate and meets the gang waiting just outside it.) Much: “So?” (Robin continues into the marketplace and the gang walk with him.) Robin: “We have to find him. You and I will track him.” (Little John stops to hand out an apple to an old man from three in his hand.) Little John: “Take one. Take one.” Robin: “Will, I want you to wait in the town. Search every street, ask around. Djaq, John… (Robin turns his head to notice Little John handing out the other two apples to a pair of old ladies. Another beggar kneels at his feet. Robin stops.) John!” Little John: “Every day, more beggars.” Robin: “John, you need to focus!” Little John: (Steps to Robin.) “Are we making any difference to them?” (Robin rolls his head impatiently and takes a purse from his belt, walks over to the beggars and empties it onto the ground. Dozens of coins spill out and he drops the purse on top.) Robin: “There.” (Turns to leave.) Little John: (Angrily:) “Robin, you can’t just throw money at them!” Robin: (Faces Little John:) “Today we’re trying to save everybody’s life! Now, the Sheriff may be in the forest. I want you and Djaq to go there. And check all the regular drop points. Somebody might have seen something.” (Djaq and Much lead them through the town, but Robin drops back with Will and grabs his arm, stopping him.) Robin: “Will… I don’t know how today’s going to end. But whatever happens, you need to look after Marian.” Will: (Nods.) “Of course, yeah.” (Glances after Djaq.) Robin: “Will, I’m relying on you. She has to live… even if no-one else does.” (Robin picks up Will’s hand, puts Marian’s ring into it, closes Will’s fingers over it, pats his back and leaves. Will looks at the ring, hides it in his fist again, and walks into town.)

Sherwood Forest. Another part of the forest. (The Sheriff has stopped in a clearing and is wrapping his cut foot with the sash to his pyjamas.) Sheriff: (Muttering:) “Shoes. My kingdom for some shoes. (The Sheriff sees a Vagabond walking towards him.) Ha-ha-ha-ha. Oh, a change of clothes. (Stands.) My man! (Chuckles and walks forward to meet the Vagabond.) My— (steps on his sore foot.) ah! My dear fellow. (The Vagabond walks right past him, ignoring him. The Sheriff turns to follow.) You, er, you do realise that those clothes are worth at least £30?” Vagabond: (Scoffs.) “Yeah, sure. And I’m the Sheriff of Nottingham.” (The Sheriff stops and chuckles sarcastically, then follows him again.) Sherwood Forest. A Short While Later. The small clearing. (The Sheriff is standing behind a tree in the Vagabond’s clothes, watching Ceris, who is sitting on a rock in a clearing, pretending to cry with her head down and looking very pitiful while waiting for her handout. The Sheriff walks into the clearing.) Sheriff: “You do know... (Ceris looks up, as do her boys, huddled under a nearby tree between her and the Sheriff. She stands up, brandishing her knife.) ... Hood robs from the rich—” Ceris: (Interrupting:) “We told you to clear off!” Sheriff: (Continuing walking, unfazed:) “...to give to the poor, hm?” Ceris: “What do you think we’re doing here?” (Ceris walks to stand in front her boys, holding the knife in front of her. The boys hold their sticks and slingshot ready.) Sheriff: “Living off scraps, my dear, hm? (Chuckles.) Think about it. He robs from the rich, hm? He must have a huge stash somewhere, huh? (Stops in front of her.) And what does he give you? A handful of scraps?” (Looks at the boys at his feet and tuts.) Ceris: “Don’t talk rubbish.” Sheriff: “If you upped your game, then you could get inside Hood’s secret camp and— (Ceris puts her knife in his face.) Whoa-whoa-whoooa, whoooa... who knows what you might find there. (A bird flutters nearby and Ceris glances away. Glancing at the boys:) Now, with a little tuition from me—” Ceris: (Interrupting:) “Hey, hey... we rob fools for a living.” Sheriff: (Smiles evilly.) “Oh, so do I. So do I. How does, erm, Robin Hood’s (whispers at the boys:) secret treasure interest you?” (The oldest boy looks up at his mother with wide eyes.) Ceris: (Sceptically:) “Yeah? And your cut’s the lion’s share?” Sheriff: “No-no-no-no-no-no-no-no. I don’t want any of it. You can have it all, have it all. I’m only interested in a teeny weeny bit of paper... that belongs to me.” Ceris: (Holds the knife in his face again.) “Who are you?” Sheriff: “I am the “man with the plan.” (Chuckles.) So... (takes a step forward) ... shall we begin the lesson?” (The Sheriff smiles at her, then walks past her. Ceris looks at her boys and raises her eyebrows, then turns around to look at the Sheriff, tapping the knife against her chin and thinking.)

Nottingham Town. Marketplace. (Allan leads a squad of soldiers through the market towards the castle.) Allan: “Search the houses, one each. (The soldiers separate into the town. Allan hurries towards the gate. Gisborne sees him from the courtyard and rushes to meet him. As he approaches the gate, Allan glances up at Jasper, who is still pacing the battlements above, but then stops to listen in.) They are looking everywhere. They’re even dredging the ponds. He’s just nowhere.” Gisborne: (Glances up at Jasper.) “Keep searching.” Allan: “Right.” (Gisborne turns and is about to head back inside the castle when he notices a commotion in the town. It does not take long to find out the cause as the crowds part to reveal Clarke and Commander leading several warriors towards the castle.) Gisborne: (Scrambling towards the entrance:) "Close the portcullis!" (Neither Clarke nor Lexa attempt to quicken their pace as they see the portcullis lowering. As the entrance is sealed the group merely come to a halt, standing silent and imposing outside the castle walls. Unnerved by this latest development, Gisborne heads quickly back inside the castle.)

Between Nottingham and Sherwood Forest. (Robin and Much are tracking the Sheriff ’s horse.) Much: "Ah, it’s good, this. You and me back on a mission. I mean, no offence against the others, but… well, it’s like the good old days, back in the Holy Land.” (Robin kneels down.) Robin: “Look… these shoes…(Much kneels down to look, too.) They were definitely made by the Sheriff ’s smithy, weren’t they?” Much: (Nods.) “Yeah, that’s him.” (Robin looks around, stands, and follows the horse tracks.) Robin: “Come on.” (Much remains, thinking.) Much: “Master, you know that ring? The one Marian gave you? (Robin stops, wincing, annoyed at the interruption.) Is it a new code?” Robin: (Not turning around:) “No. I gave it to her this morning.” Much: (Walking over to Robin, laughing:) “Ha-ha! What, you giving jewellery? That must have surprised her. (Facetiously:) She probably thought you were going to propose.” Robin: (Nods slightly.) “Yeah, I did. (Much is stunned.) And she said yes. (Much stares at Robin, who glances down smiling, waiting.) Well, this is when you’re supposed to say congratula—” Much: (Interrupting quietly, giving Robin a hug:) “Congratulations. (Much smiles, giving Robin a long embrace.) She said yes?” (Points at Robin, wanting the truth.) Robin: “She did.” Much: “That’s incredible.” Robin: (Pauses with a solemn look.) “Only if we live to enjoy it. (Pats Much’s shoulder.) Come on. (Much remains standing, pondering what this news means for him.) He went this way. Come on.” (Robin runs off. Much sighs, turns to watch him go, then hurries to follow.)

Sherwood Forest. Ceris’s camp. Sheriff: “It’s not enough, just to be... (spits on his hands and rubs them)... poor... (picks up some dirt and pats it on his face) ... and dirty.” Ceris: (Has an idea and points to him.) “I could do old. (Ceris clicks her fingers to a boy, who hands her a wig of grey hair. She puts it on.) Works every time with the nuns.“ Sheriff: “Yes, yes, not bad, but you see— (to the youngest:) Come here —you really need something that makes you stand out... (The Sheriff takes the scarf off over the boy’s head as Ceris removes her wig.) ... really stand out from the poor crowd.“ (The Sheriff turns away and Ceris points to him again with an idea.) Ceris: “We could be sick as well.” Sheriff: (Points back.) “Better, (to the boy:) better.” (Looks for something on the ground. Ceris goes to their shelter, picks up a small bunch of greens and turns to the boys who fake looking sick, huddled together with their hands out, begging.) Ceris: “We can do foaming at the mouth. Oh, and deathly pallor.” (Turns to the Sheriff with a pitiful look and her arm outstretched.) Sheriff: “Oh, oh, yes! Yes, the poor distraught mother... (Ceris scrunches up her face.) ... desperately trying to protect her (puts his hand over his heart and hunches over) dying brood. Oh! Excellent. Excellent. (Waves the back of his hand to Ceris.) Eat the lot. (Ceris tears off bits for the boys. Turns his back again.) But you see, not just old, hm? (Puts the knotted scarf over his eyes.) And weak... (Picks up a stick from the ground and quickly turns around.) Mummy look. Aah! (Leans on a stick.) Blind! He’s blind and all! Ah! (Ceris laughs, stands and claps her approval with the boys.) Thank you very much. You’re too kind, hm? (Pulls the scarf off his eyes.) But what we need is a clincher, hm? Now what would make Robin Hood’s bleeding heart really gush?” Ceris: “Thinks for a second. For a big enough haul, I could always chop off one of the kids’ arms off.“ (The boys look fearfully up at her as the Sheriff ponders it.) Sheriff: “Ah. (Chuckles.) I like your thinking, very good. But, erm, no. I’ve a better idea.” (Shoots an evil grin at Ceris.) Sherwood Forest. Another clearing. (Little John and Djaq squat by a large basket and several sacks.) Little John: “It’s not enough.” Djaq: “That’s all there is.” Little John: “There’s not enough to feed all the villagers.” (Little John stands, as does Djaq.) Djaq: “Then we’ll give it to the families with young children first.” Little John: “No. We need more food.” (Steps away.) Djaq: “No, we need to find the Sheriff.” Little John: (Turns to face Djaq.) “I don’t care about the Sheriff.” Djaq: “All right. Then you don’t care about Nottingham.” Little John: “That’s not what I meant.” Djaq: “John, if the Sheriff isn’t found, Nottingham will be destroyed.” Little John: (Steps to Djaq.) “Everyone… everyone else is out looking for the Sheriff.” Djaq: “Yes, and that’s what we should be doing, too.” Little John: (Picking up a sack:) “I can’t let people starve.” Djaq: “And I won’t go against Robin’s orders.” Little John: “Why?” Djaq: “Because he’s right. And he’s our leader.” (Little John scoffs, picks up another sack and tosses it at Djaq.) Little John: “Leaders can be wrong.” (Little John walks off into the forest. Djaq sighs, slings the sack over her shoulder and follows.)

Nottingham Castle. Courtyard. (Marian and Isabella run down the steps and quickly over to the portcullis.) Marian: "Clarke, what have you done?" Lexa: "What we said we would do. We're about to take the castle." Marian: "Yes, but with the Sheriff still missing, Prince John's army is on it's way here." Clarke: "Missing? (Glances at Lexa then back to Marian:) Vaisey isn't inside?" Isabella: "No, he's been missing since you rode off with him this morning." Marian: "On what just happens to be the day Prince John's messenger visits the Sheriff." Clarke: (To Isabella:) "Isn't that your job as our spy to keep track of these things?" Isabella: "Shhh. (Looks to see if any guards are listening:) Don't you blame me. It was your idea to kidnap him." Clarke: "To give him the opportunity to surrender without bloodshed. (To Marian:) To avoid all this." Isabella: (Scoffs:) "You obviously don't know Vaisey very well." Lexa: "No, but believe me I do. Prince John's army or not, our objective remains the same. Tell your brother he has two choices. Surrender the castle to us now or resist and die." Marian: "You'd attack the castle only to have to defend it once Prince John's army arrives?" Lexa: (Coldly:) "My army would enjoy the chance to warm up before the real battle begins." (Marian looks pleadingly at Clarke who cannot meet her gaze. Realising they will surely be crushed by the Commander's army should they try and resist, Marian nods her assent.) Marian: (Backing away, grabbing Isabella's arm, to Lexa:) "I will speak with Guy." (The ladies both turn and run back up the steps to find Gisborne.) Clarke: "If my Uncle's army really is coming then we don't have time for this. We need to defend Nottingham." Lexa: (Turns to Clarke:) "Not until the castle is under our control." Clarke: "That'll take too long." Lexa: (Calmly:) "It takes as long as it takes. (Clarke shakes her head.) This is the battle we've been waiting for. What will you do when it's over?" Clarke: "You mean if we survive? (Lexa nods.) I have no idea." Lexa: "Well, what do you want?" Clarke: (Thinks, honestly:) "Nothing. My life back. (Shakes her head:) I can't think past today." Lexa: (After a moment:) "You should come with me to the capitol. Powis will change the way you think about us." Clarke: (Looks to Lexa:) "You already have." (A robed, bald headed man approaches Lexa from behind.) Titus: "Commander, I must speak with you urgently." Lexa: (Turns to her advisor:) "More urgent than this?" Titus: "Please, Commander." (Notices his demeanor and turns to Clarke.) Lexa: "Hold the line. If they refuse to surrender, give the command to take the castle." (Clarke nods as Lexa turns and follows Titus as he leads her away from the castle.)

Nottingham Castle. Interior corridor (on an upper storey). (Gisborne catches up to Jasper who is observing the gathered warriors at the castle gates.) Jasper: “Friends of yours?” Gisborne: “Sir Jasper, I think that we can come to some sort of understanding. You see, I know that you’re only acting in the Sheriff’s best interests (Jasper leans on the side of the window, looking out.) and so are we.” Jasper: “Well, you’re not doing a very good job of it. Isn’t that the Prince’s neice leading those warriors?” Gisborne: (Ignoring this, desperately trying to negotiate:) “The truth is that we just don’t know where he is and we need more time.“ Jasper: “Look, rules are rules. If I make an exception for you, the next thing every other ambitious young captain’s murdering his sheriff thinking he can get away with it.” Gisborne: (Scoffs.) “I have not murdered the Sheriff, I can assure you.” Jasper: “Well...” Gisborne: (Sighs.) “I could make you a very rich man.” Jasper: (Unimpressed:) “Look, if Nottingham or Derby or any other town under Prince John’s protection gets razed to the ground, it has to be rebuilt and it so happens that the royal charter for reconstruction has been licensed to my cousin. (Jasper turns his head to Gisborne, who looks away from him.) Did you think I was going to be a glorified messenger all my life?” Gisborne: “You really are going to do this, aren’t you?” Jasper: “Oh, yes. Come sunset, no Sheriff, no Nottingham. (Looks out.) It always amazes me how much dust an army kicks up. (Watches for a moment.) But then, it’s a very big army.” (Jasper turns, looking pointedly at Gisborne and walks back inside. Gisborne looks beyond the town walls and sees a large dust cloud rising in the distance.) The Great North Road. (Prince John’s troops ride along the road towards Nottingham.)