#definitely one of my favorite arthur fight scenes

[onceandfutureheartache]

spectators. ya know. spectating.

[sheets-of-your-own]

Merlin

10 Reasons Not to Fight a D̶r̶a̶g̶o̶n̶ Bird (a Guide by Arthur Pendragon)

CaffeinatedFlumadiddle

10,328 words

Short Recommendation

I can probably save a lot of time by just recommending anything in the "Me @ Merlin Writers: What if You Didn't Murder My Favorite Characters?" series, or just anything by CaffeinatedFlumadiddle lol

This fic is a very funny fic about Merlin, and then the entirety of Camelot gaslighting Arthur into thinking that Aithusa the dragon is actually a weird bird and not magical at all, definitely not.

Set up as 10 scenes within the plot, it's really well paced and written in terms of Arthur coming around to the idea of Aithusa existing- I'm also a sucker for Camelot-loving-Merlin, but this fic doesn't fall into the trap that many other similar fics do where Merlin is "just a soft baby", he has his sass and snark in this one, which is always great.

Another thing in this fic that is great and missed by a lot of Merlin fics, Arthur has personal agency- he's not "hate magic cuz dad" -> "love magic cuz Merlin", he actually has opinions of his own and can make decisions separately of his love for others.

It's really funny, there is a greater plot but even with the magic reveal it doesn't get too heavy and stays lighthearted throughout.

[queer-ragnelle]

random question! do you have any recommendations for any Arthurian/knight related horror/vaguely spooky movies?

(i apologize if you have a post like this already, tumblr's lack of functional search engine is really something)

Hello!

The only Arthurian movie with horror elements throughout would be The Green Knight (2021). From the outset the entire film is shot very dark, the score is eerie and haunting, the color scheme of green life/rot and red blood plays into the horror as well. There's the obvious violence of the beheading of the Green Knight, but even before that, Morgan's spell and the possession of Guinevere to read the Green Knight's letter are pretty scary! One of my favorite scenes in the whole film. Later, Gawain is captured by scavenger bandits and left for dead, he meets a dead woman and retrieves her severed head, and immediately following his consumption of some mushrooms, he hallucinates moss growing on his hands, and then everything from that moment onward gets a little freaky for him. ;^)))))

Next best example would be Excalibur (1981), specifically the Grail Quest portion. It's a solid 20 minutes of non-stop psychological (and occasionally physical) torture. Arthur is the Fisher King here and rotting away, along with his land and people. Percival and all the knights venture out for what appears to be close to 20 years, as Mordred grows to manhood during this time. Percival is slowly debilitated from cold and hunger, assaulted by angry townspeople, psychologically tortured by Morgan with visions of his dead comrades, hung from a tree and left for dead, and even cosmically harassed by a glowing entity bombarding him with questions. There's also one scene in which Lancelot has a nightmare in which he fights his own suit of armor ("himself") which ends with a self-inflicted injury that never heals for the duration of the film, an allegory for his shame. Insanely good stuff.

After that I would suggest Starz Camelot (2011), which is a show. This has aspects of it I would definitely consider horror or at the least spooky. Morgan's storyline especially as she tries to gather magical power to herself and incurs the wrath of some demons. Morgan is also able to shape shift into other people and it's shot like a grotesque and painful experience which results in blood seeping from her eyes, nose, and mouth. Likewise Merlin deals with these same setbacks while using magic and is haunted by the people he's killed which drives him to madness at one point. Stepping away from the supernatural, the deaths in this show are especially gruesome, somewhat like Excalibur as well, but more of them with the longer run time. There's a scene with a character drawing themselves along a spear to finish their opponent (like Mordred at Camlann), beheadings, even a torture scene with a guy impaled on a stake and unable to flee while [redacted] continues to wound him in non-lethal ways to draw information out of him. So a lot to work with here!

The only other option I can think of is a bit of a stretch, but that's Merlin and The Sword (1985). The Knight of the Cart is adapted here, except that Guinevere is taken to the other world which can only be entered by magical means. Lancelot and Gawain venture there to try and rescue her and come across many corpses and skeletons along the way, which they joke about (they're so normal) but ultimately split up and deal with trials along the way. It has an element of unreality to it, as no one is said to return from there, and the fay rules challenge their every move. Lancelot also brutally murders people along the way including choking a guy with the bar of a spear, lifting his feet off the ground while holding the man to his chest. It's overall pretty camp, but if hopeless quests into other worlds is your thing, that movie has it in spades.

Tragically, that's all I got for you. We need more Arthurian horror! Thanks for the ask, I hope this helps.

[hood-ex]

“But at the same time I don’t want to hear it. I don’t care for you concern” I’m sorry but I laughed out loud when I saw your tags. Lol so true so true. Speaking of which the release of that artwork today for the valentine special… it’s never gonna end. I’m not reading Nightwing right now but what’s going on with Bea? How is she being treated. Honestly the whole pirate queen is kinda weird. I loved her for just being the civilian who helped her community and had a normal job.

😂 Normally I love it when people express concern over my favorite character, but I cannot stand it when Babsgirl does it. I didn't even mind it when Post-Crisis Babs did it after she found out Dick had been abducted. It's literally just N52 and onward Babsgirl who makes me feel like the Grinch when he's trying to convince Cindy Lou that he's a psycho.

But no yeah so we find out that Bea was adopted by the Quartermaster, and the Quartermaster is the captain of a sea crew called The Crossed Keys. Heartless ends up killing the Quartermaster, so Bea ends up taking over as captain of the crew. We also find out that Bea has an asshole brother named Dirk (yes, Dirk, of all names), and her mission is to capture Dirk and incarcerate him in another country so that he doesn't take over The Crossed Keys and turn it into some villainous secret society. The problem is that some people on the crew don't see Bea as the rightful captain because she's adopted, so there are crew members who view Dirk as the rightful captain.

Oh, also, Bea's crew refer to her as Captain Blüd, and we find out that Bludhaven was named after her adopted family (because Blüd's haven), so her family has got roots to the founding of Bludhaven.

I mean, this backstory is absolutely contrived for this particular storyline, and TT could've made an entirely new character for this captain role instead of using Bea, so I don't think this backstory is necessary for Bea, but her involvement does make some kind of sense with the flashback that TT set during the amnesia arc.

I do think it's silly that Dick attributes her ability to own a bar at such a young age and her involvement with the homeless shelters/counsel meetings to her involvement with The Crossed Keys. He also attributes her bravery during the Court of Owls/Joker/KGBeast situations to her involvement with The Crossed Keys. Like... sure... I guess?

I don't know. I just enjoy the thought of her being brave in general and helping the people and community she loves. I don't know if I like that those characteristics and her success as a bar owner are specifically attributed to her work with The Crossed Keys. Of course, it's true that she could've become a more courageous person through her work with The Crossed Keys before she met Dick but ehhh.

All in all, at least Bea is being portrayed as a strong and courageous captain. Although, she does naturally feel a bit different since she's in a leadership role in this story. There's also no sense of jealousy from either Babs or Bea (except Bea definitely feels bitter toward Dick which is understandable), and I've noticed TT seems very careful about that even when writing scenes with both Babs and Kory. Even though I do find TT's lack of conflict between the protagonists to be a bit annoying, I'm grateful there's not some dumb cat fight situation going on like the one from Aquaman where Mera and Dolphin were fighting over Arthur.

[etaindelaserna]

Hello again....Do you mind if I ask your top 5 (or top 10) favorite moments from any media that you love (can books, anime/manga, tv series, movies, games, etc)? Thanks if you want to answer. Sorry if I ask too much or if I accidentally send this ask twice.....

Hello! Don't worry! I'm always appreciative when I see one of your asks pop up. So. Here. We. Go. As always in no particular order:

Gandalf talks to Frodo in Moria about Gollum (The Fellowship of the Ring)

There is something about that dialogue that always struck me as true, as something that touches our very essence. Not passing judgment too hastly, but also that our life is full of opportunities and each day we are confronted with the question what to do with this day. Nothing is lost. It just hasn't happened yet. We can choose whether we want to succeed or fail, whether we want to be good or bad.

Naruto confronts Zabuza about Haku (Naruto)

That moment never fails to make me tear up. Until that moment I didn't even consider Zabuza to be capable of having emotions but Naruto tore his armor away and revealed the deep connection he shared with Haku. I felt sad watching them die and yet it taught me and Naruto a lot about the shinobi lifestyle.

The truth about Itachi is revealed (Naruto)

Yeah, that one was a shock. I always wanted to believe that there was more to Itachi's story other than that he killed his whole clan because he "wanted to test his strength". Especially because he always tried to avoid a fight with Konoha shinobis and definitely didn't seem keen on killing them. But that Itachi sacrificed everything except Sasuke for the village -- that was a punch.

Luffy fights Arlong for Nami (One Piece)

Everything came together in that moment. I knew from the moment Nami couldn't let Zoro drown that something was up and when Arlong showed her that he will never ever let her or her village go, her desperation and fragility accumulated into pure epicness: asking Luffy to help her, Luffy trusting her with his hat and the boys just ready to beat the shit out of Arlong and his crew.

Theoden's speech at the Pelennor Fields (Return of the King)

Goosebumps. Every single time. The words. The music. Everything that leads up to it was pure desperation and then the riders arrive and god damn it. They came. They showed up to fight against the evils of Mordor. I was 13 when I saw this scene for the first time and I wanted to ride with them into battle.

Mufasa's ghost (The Lion King)

Mufasa's death must be something that has been ingrained into every millenials DNA. Just thinking about this scene, the music, Mufasa's desperation to save his son, his face when Scar betrays him, Simba's fear and sadness when he discovers that his father is dead ... it's a tragedy that speaks to one of our deepest fears: the loss of a parent or a loved one. And then ... he comes back to guide Simba, to remind him of his responsibility. It hits home.

Jon Snow's resurrection (Game of Thrones)

Jon was easily one of my favourite characters of the show. When he was killed I didn't want to accept it. It just wasn't possible that this was the end. This was all it amounted to: dead, because he did the right thing. Just like Ned and Robb. So when he was brought back to life I felt alive, too. It gave me hope that after all this something good would come out of it ... but yeah, then season 7 and 8 happened.

Vader saves Luke from the Emperor (The Return of the Jedi)

Another moment that just touched something within me. Luke's love for his father made him turn back to the light side. I've known Star Wars since I can remember but it still makes me cheer. It restores hope.

Morgain brings Arthur to Avalon (The Mists of Avalon)

I always felt that Arthur and Morgain were meant to be, but destiny made them half siblings. And when after all their hardships and years of separation, even after Morgain tried to dethrone Arthur and after he killed Mordred, she still seeked him out, only to find him mortally wounded from the battle -- and Arthur accepted her, was glad to see her one last time and asked her to bring him to Avalon. I felt the tragedy and sadness of their story. I also always felt that Arthur truly loved Morgain but knew that it could never be. So her kidness at the end, promising him, that she wasn't going to leave again, was at least some closure for me.

Harry learns the real truth about Sirius (The Prisoner of Azkaban)

This twist, that Sirius wasn't the one who betrayed Liliy and James, was such a surprise. But what sold the moment for me was the relief Harry felt when after years of abuse and neglect by the Dursleys, he would be able to live with Sirius. I loved that moment. It was so easy to imagine how happy Harry must have felt in that moment.

[oddygaul]

Inception

Wait, this is just Ocean’s Eleven but backwards! 

I feel like I hadn’t really seen any heist movies when I first saw Inception, but I appreciate now that it’s just a reverse heist movie. Seriously, we got the vignettes where we assemble the crew, we got the whiteboard scenes, the big setpieces (with just a touch more creativity than usual, owing to the dream setting)… it’s all here. Hey, if it works, it works, and they use the space well – it’s tight and well-edited, and the dream within a dream framing device is incredibly clean. The back half of this movie could easily have been messy and confusing with the time dilation, but never is due to the clear visual shorthand for each layer.

My favorite bit is probably the Mr. Charles gambit. The sheer balls to let the target in on the truth that they’re in a dream, while still pulling the wool over their eyes by making them think another layer of the dream is real life is just so slick. And just when the mark’s bullshit meter starts to go off, the bar they’re in starts to shake and tilt due to the car chase going on a layer up affecting the dream? perfect.

I think the hallway fight is the one everyone remembers – with good reason – but outside of that, most of the action consists of incredibly boring action movie shootouts. Guys driving cars and shooting guns, guys running around a hotel and shooting guns, guys on skis shooting guns*... it gets old, especially given that they had such creative freedom from the premise. That being said, the hallway fight is sick as shit and Arthur is the baddest motherfucker in this movie. Who is he, Orbital Spider-Man? Where did he train to do zero-g chokeholds??

*Okay, the ski stuff is goofy as hell by the way. 6 full-suited military goons skitching on the back of a snow-equipped hummer is one of the dumbest things I’ve ever seen. Someone on the writing team had to have been pitching that in different projects for years and finally got their wish, like the Tears of the Kingdom dev who finally got to make Ganon hot. I’m happy for you, guns and skis guy!

Again, for the fact that it’s set in a dream and things could get as surreal as possible, it’s a bummer how monochrome and sensible everything is. There’s a little bit of dream weirdness – entire crowds simultaneously staring at the camera is incredibly unnerving – but by and large Inception feels content to tie any odd happenings to what’s going on around the dreamer in the real world, like the car whipping around or a splash of water, which feels uninspired and a bit too logical. Limbo is about as weird as things get, and that’s, well, not that weird.

I also kind of wish it went a bit more into the societal changes and effects brought about by, y’know, people being able to walk straight into other people’s dreams. I get why they didn’t; it’s a pretty tightly paced action movie, especially in the back half, and any extra time is spent on emotional beats to flesh out Cobb’s arc. And sure, it definitely gives us some incidental worldbuilding: we hear about the technology’s origins (military R&D, of course), and we see a den of dream addicts in Mumbasa. Still, it’s just wild to me that there’s a whole fuckin’ cottage industry of dream thieves – I want to know more!

Anyway, I liked it. Despite feeling a little tame aesthetically, the concept is cool and used pretty well, and Cobb’s emotional story lands; the titular inception being the key to his dark edgy backstory is as satisfying as it is inevitable.

[roundtabletea]

Disney Villains as Arthurian Characters

We compiled a list of our favorite Arthurian villains, and compared them to some of our favorite Disney villains. Surprisingly, there’s a LOT of similarities; whether it’s motives, gender expression, or character traits, there are some great, classic Disney counterparts to traditional Arthurian villains.

Morgan le Fay as Maleficent

This one is a bit self-explanatory; “evil sorceress obsessed with killing a certain member of a royal family” is a category that both Morgan le Fay and Maleficent fall neatly into. In Arthurian legend, Morgan le Fay does whatever it takes to kill King Arthur, her brother. She’s portrayed as vengeful and cunning; definitely not a good character. Likewise, in the 1959 Disney film Sleeping Beauty, Maleficent curses Princess Aurora to die and spends sixteen years trying to make this happen! She devotes her life to revenge against the king by cursing his daughter, and her scary presence makes for one of the most iconic Disney villains ever. This is just the most obvious similarity between the two, though; when you look deeper into it, they’re really very alike!

One of the biggest similarities between the two characters is their ability to shapeshift. If you read “Aftir Thes Questis” in Le Morte D’Arthur, you’ll remember when Morgan le Fay transforms herself into a rock while Arthur is chasing her. Because of this, she’s able to get away—she even boasts about it later, saying that she’s not afraid of Arthur since she can do magic and shapeshift whenever she wants! Her kinda-bravado is a notable aspect of her character and shows how capable she is with magic—she can’t fight with a sword and shield like the male characters, so she turns to magic to keep herself squarely in the game. Honestly, it makes her so much more interesting than Arthur; her motives are confusing and, while we know we should be on Arthur’s side, we want to see what she does next!

In Sleeping Beauty, Maleficent has a similar shape shifting moment of her own. Near the climax of the film, Prince Philip breaks free of the dungeon Maleficent had imprisoned him in. While he’s on his way to save Aurora, Maleficent transforms into a terrifying, purple dragon in order to stop him. This was honestly such a scary scene to watch as a kid and it still holds a lot of authority; it’s the classic hero vs. villain end-scene battle, and is the ultimate expression of Maleficent’s power. Can Prince Philip shapeshift??? I don’t think so. Even though she loses the battle because the story needs a happy Disney ending, it’s still an iconic scene; we remember Maleficent as the terrifyingly interesting sorceress, not just the loser of the battle. She’s such an interesting character because of her wickedness (which is a lot like Morgan le Fay…); I rest my case on the fact that she got her own film series with Angelina Jolie.

What really brings these two characters together, at least for me, is that I still end up liking them even though they’re villains. Their feminine characteristics are so fleshed out, they possess insane magical powers, and they devote their whole lives to revenge—they’re way more memorable than boring Prince Phillip and do-nothing King Arthur! They’re the real stars of the stories they’re in.

Image one credit: Sleeping Beauty, 1959, Walt Disney Productions

Image two credit: Morgan le Fay, 1862, Edward Burne-Jones 

Image three credit: Sleeping Beauty, 1959, Walt Disney Productions

Guenevere's mom as Ursula

Surprisingly, Queen Guenevere’s mom from The Awntyrs Off Arthure is very similar to the one of the most beloved (or feared, depending how you look at it) Disney villain, Ursula from The Little Mermaid. Despite the obvious differences due to both the time periods, existence and the settings, the way they embody their femininity is one and the same.

Both are portrayed/described as hideous and powerful characters. Ursula uses her power to control Ariel and in turn King Triton, similarly Guenevere’s mom uses her ghostly state to scare the men into changing the way they portray their masculinity. Their power caused them to be feared by the characters in the stories. Ursula was shown as a manipulative con-women and Guenevere’s mom was described as a spiteful ghost condemned for being too prideful and as an adulterer.  Guenevere’s mom is also fairly manipulative, for example, she uses christianity’s hell to scare Guenevere into praying for her soul and the future death of Arthur to scare Gawain into changing the way he portrays his masculinity.

I think we can all agree that this powerful portrayal of femininity is what makes them such great villains, as it challenges gender norms and threatens masculinity. Who doesn’t love that? Strong female characters are personally my favorite villains or not.

Image 1; “Ursula the Sea Witch Animation Cel”, Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, 1998

Image 2: “Ghosts in Medieval Literature” Medievalist.net, Lady Guenevere, Howard Pyle, 1903

Mordred as Jafar

One thing that both Mordred and Jafar have in common is betrayal. Mordred betrayed King Arthur by usurping him (also playing a key role in the downfall of Camelot (and himself)), while Jafar betrayed Amara by turning her into a serpent. Both characters sought to gain more power and authority at the expense of others; both wanted to gain control of a kingdom. And, in the end, both characters’ lust for power and control ended in their downfall—Mordred ended up dying while battling Arthur, while Jafar ended up dying after his lamp was destroyed by Iago. Traditionally, Mordred embodies a more toxic masculinity, driven by things like ambition and, once again, a desire for power, just like Jafar.

While both characters embody these particular power-hungry toxic traits, it’s important to note that these portrayals are dated and don’t align with today’s values of masculinity.

Image 1: Mordred, 1907, Howard PyleImage 2: Aladdin, 1992, Walt Disney Productions

Lancelot as Hans

Now, don’t get me wrong. There are a lot of differences between Lancelot and Hans. One is the greatest hero of Arthurian Legend and one is the twist villain of one of the highest grossing animated movies of all time in 2013’s Frozen. But at the end of the day, there are quite a few similarities as well. Both are love interests to a female member of a royal family, with Lancelot pining for Guinevere and Hans and Anna establishing a rapid connection with one another (I mean, they sing a song about their love for one another, so you know it’s important to Anna at least; after learning Hans’ plan, the song kind of loses its umph, though). They both also are seen loyally serving the one they are romantically attached to without question, as Lancelot is constantly saving Guinevere from danger and obeys all of her commands and Hans takes over the kingdom in Anna’s absence while she tries to save Elsa because she tells him to.

The main crux of their connection is the trust they gather before their betrayal. Hans knows exactly what he is doing and has been trying to gain Anna’s trust from the very beginning and yet plans to betray her when the time is right. He is thirteenth in line for a crown he will likely never get, so he goes to Arendelle to take that crown instead. Meanwhile, Lancelot betrays Arthur not because he wants to, but because his love for Guinevere was too strong to ignore. One feels no love for their supposed romantic partner and one feels such strong love that it causes problems. When it comes to Hans and Lancelot, it is more of the idea of the betrayal that connects them over any other aspect, as they are mostly polar opposites otherwise. However, behind the scenes, they have another connection. Lancelot is a later addition to the Arthurian Canon and, similarly, Hans is one of Disney’s more recent animated villains in their own “canon”. And yet, everyone agrees that Lancelot is essential to the Arthurian Canon and many people, including myself, see Hans as one of the more recognizable and important villains in Disney’s vast library of such villains. But really, Lancelot. You could have avoided the whole betrayal problem if you could keep your hands to yourself for five minutes…

Image 1: Frozen, 2013, Walt Disney Productions Image 2: Sir Lancelot du Lake, 1907, Howard Pyle

[zaharya]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love ❤

Thank you so much for the tag @spiritofcamelot! 🥰 let's get into it then!

Horizons Over Battlegrounds — BBC Merlin, 14.5k Honestly, if someone only ever reads one thing of mine, I hope it's this one. It's a canon era fic, specifically based on that scene in s4 where the knights prank Merlin by pretending they didn't leave any food for him. I always hated this scene, it felt so utterly wrong that they would treat Merlin so terribly — this fic is my fix-it for that atrocity. It's also just some of the best writing I ever produced, and I never felt like I reached that standard again since. So yeah, this one is my pride and joy.

I wish I'd known then — BBC Merlin, 7.5k (WIP) Merthur watches Heartstopper, my beloved. Yes, this is a WIP, but it’s one of my favourite things I ever started. It was supposed to be a quick, fluffy Drabble for Dopamine, but has grown far far beyond that; it’s probably the most detailed character study I’ve ever done of Arthur — and also Nick and Charlie from Heartstopper 😅 Writing it is definitely a challenge, especially the pacing, but it’s very rewarding too when I figure out how to do a certain part. (Spoiler warnings for HS season 1!)

Get Him Back — BBC Merlin; Loaded March (by Footloose) spin-off, 14.6k If you know me at all, you know I love fight scenes, but because most my fics are short, I rarely get to write them properly. This one finally gave me the opportunity, and these scenes are among my favourite fights I’ve written, ever, and it makes me sad that only so few people will ever see them. I mean i get it, it's a spin-off but I’m sad anyway (maybe a bit less now that I have another fic with fight scenes; A Faire Fight).

Blackout Beaming Gold — BBC Merlin, 18.7k Steampunk AU my beloved! Originally written for Whumptober 2021, this one got a bit out of hand as well. I keep thinking that I wanna write a sequel, but I never find the energy to work it out in my head. My dear friend Sunfall also made amazing art for this, and it was such a joy to do this together. Featuring MurderFeline!Aithusa, low-key soulmates Merthur, pretty magic, and some quick fight scenes even.

My Breath In Your Lungs — BBC Merlin, 6.5k Another Whumptober fic, my Merman!Merlin AU; featuring a trapped Merlin, Arthur coming to rescue him, and one of my favourite not-quite-kiss scenes. I even commissioned art for it, and the lovely Miralya did an absolutely stellar job of it!

I know it says five favourite fics, but I have to give Mine To Protect an honourable mention, otherwise this just feels wrong. This is the first fic I ever published, and the older parts are honestly not up to my improved writing standards — hence why it didn't make the top 5 — but i’m still proud of having written something as big as this (213k WIP).

Tagging (without pressure of course) @tyalangand, @merlinlikethebird, @ask-geralt, @fabledfrog, @multishipperpirateking, @excited-insomniac and anyone else who feels like participating!

[safetycar-restart]

Thought One:

I've heard from other blogs that George that prefers his s/o to be completely waxed which got me thinking which of the subs would go completely hairless/want you to be as well and which wouldn't care? Which subs do you think would get waxed when they're big so they are hairless for playtime (with max, Pierre, Charles, Mick, lando, George, alex, seb, Arthur and whoever else you want to do) Please ignore If you don't feel comfortable with this one

Thought two: Do you think there's any specific ritual that the subs (whoever you would like to do) have to go into subspace like a certain song/playlist or taking a bath, etc

Thought Three: which of the littles do you think would get really into Christmas; like making a gingerbread house, decorating the house, wearing a ugly sweaters on Christmas day, snowball fights, making snowman and what their favorite gift from you was (sorry I know it's a little late for Christmas asks but couldn't get this idea out of my head after I saw Charles family picture with the ugly sweaters)

(sorry I just kind of started rambling)

And if I could claim the emoji 🌺 please

Firstly, of course you can claim that emoji!! I'll add to the claimed list, and welcome to the emoji anons!!! Welcome welcome!!! These thoughts are all fucking incredible. This is an amazing way to start your emoji anon career holy fuck!!! We're gonna talk a little bit about each one :))

THOUGHT ONE:

I definitely think George would be waxed all over. He prides himself in it as well. You dont particularly care if he's a few days late on his waxing schedule, but he does. He must be perfectly waxed.

Charles waxes his legs and chest, because he loves them being hairless. He also waxes his ass. He used to painstakingly shave his pubic hair and he HATED it. He always cut himself and got ingrown hair and he often ended up in tears trying to do it. (Maybe he had an old dom who insisted he was clean shaven down there) You see his struggles and voice to him one day that if he's only shaving for you, he can stop. Now he just trims his pubic hair and he's SO much happier.

Pierre is not waxed or shaved. He trims his pubic hair, but that's it. He loves how he feels when he's not trying to relentlessly control all his body hair, and he looks damn good too.

I think that Carlos, Arthur and Marcus would all want you to choose what they do with this body hair? What will make them happier is doing whatever you want them to, knowing that you're happy with them. Sometimes you'll make them change it up just so that they have to put more effort in and feel like very good boys.

As for Max and Mick, I think they've both always wanted to wax or shave everything? Except, they've felt like they shouldn't? Like they'd be less manly if they did. So they didn't. Until you came along and made them feel so safe and comfortable, safe enough to voice their desires and have you help them.

THOUGHT TWO:

Some subs (ahem, Charles), can slip into subspace at the drop of a hat once they're comfortable with you. One moment they're cuddling with you and the next their head is all fuzzy and they can't speak anymore. Sometimes, Arthur and Lando can do the same, but they're not as quick with it as Charles.

However, I think max really struggles to get into subspace sometimes. And you have to be very careful about how you handle it because max can get VERY upset and frustrated about it. All he wants is to enter subspace and relax, but he just can't. So you start having a routine with him. He always takes a bath in the same bubble bath and then gets a massage. Having a routine like that, something that brings him into a calmer, steadier headspace, is exactly what he needs.

I think that Mick and Esteban also enjoy a routine, despite not actually needing one? Kneeling with some praise and cuddles or simply just beginning the scene could get them to subspace. But they both LOVE having a routine, love having a set of things they must do.

THOUGHT THREE:

Little!Charles definitely loves Christmas! He doesnt really enjoy all the activities, because a lot of them are loud or messy, neither of which he likes. However, he loves decorating and watching Christmas movies and wearing Christmas jumpers!! And of course he loves giving all his friends and family gifts.

Little!Mick, on the other hand, loves ALL the activities! He wants to play in the snow and build gingerbread houses and go gift shopping! He has the best time.

I was thinking about little!George, and honestly I think he might not like Christmas? Cause he doesnt like change, or crowds, or having lots of people over. Sure the Christmas tree is pretty, but when he's very little, it's scary! It's something he didnt expect to be in his safe space. And having so many people over all the time is overwhelming!!! He wants to curl up with you.

[scarlethoodi]

Finally read Bloodmarked so it’s time to fully enter my Legendborn Cycle obsession era

Bree Matthew , daughter of sons, the girl that you. Let’s put a pause on the love triangle business and discuss the plot cause whew shit just be happening but if there’s one thing about her, no matter the cost she’s getting shit done (though she’s a bit unserious). Idk which moments were my favorite in how action packed and/or shocking they were: her putting a hole through Volition as she screamed after Vera, her and Sel witnessing Nick behead that one guy, Arthur taking over her body, her in Arthur’s dreamscape and entering that dragon form, etc. Honestly she’s going through too much

I enjoyed the group that we followed. Let it be known that Alice Chen is thee best friend of all times. I just loved her and Bree’s friendship-she learned how to do Bree’s hair 🥺 that’s a real one right there. And I really loved William, he’s such a sensible and empathetic guy. Especially his relationship with Bree, the way he called her out for thinking they only cared about saving her because of the order- he’s a healer and knight which will always be a great combo and you can just feel how much he loves Bree- so big brother coded. And if Alice doesn’t wake up I’ll march into that book and start fighting people myself- 3rd book she’ll be Legendborn huh? Anyone???

The love triangle was good, like idk maybe the trope isn’t that bad. And I like that Bree was able to have these emotions and romantic interactions. Her and Sel’s interactions would have me either screaming in frustration or giggling, so yeah the kiss scene was great. But never mind that cause Nick Davis you will always be famous. The first time she did her memory walk through Arthur’s memories and pulled him in as Lancelot- two kisses and god they’re so in love. And I know Sel says he doesn’t still have feelings for Nick but idk there’s something there. The way they both love Bree how she loves them both.

I loved the new characters, especially Valec the most. The way his character circled back to Bree’s first memory walk where she saw the enslaved woman who was impregnated by the Crossroads man. I think Larc was a pretty good addition too. And more importantly I loved the community of black women Bree is gaining around her. Like I think her Root powers were more interesting in general because there was always so much to be learned about it. The Regents made me uncomfortable. Those racist old white people just trying to trap Bree. And I don’t know or care how it happens but I need someone to beat Tor’s ass. The lead up to them getting Briana out of that place, those 5 minutes had me holding my breath but when she jumped into Alice’s arms in the car I pumped my fist up in celebration.

There’s a lot I want to say and gush about this series and I definitely want to start making fanart for it. Like this series and world is just so interesting to me, so I can’t wait to see how the author follows up in the future.

[galacticwildfire]

Damn Olivia Cooke does look so much like Natalie Portman, it's unreal. Just popping in to say I hope your day is good and also I was struck with some curiosity and was wondering what songs you associate with Hope (or/and Hope & Poe)? ← endlessly curious bc putting music to my ocs and pairings is maybe my favorite part of the process

Hi, thank you for the ask and I hope you're day's good as well! And yesss, I absolutely love putting music to my oc's. It's literally the first thing I do when I start writing a story. I have a whole second spotify account with my playlists for them here. I'm the type who puts like 80 songs in a playlist and I need to cut them down but I've got a couple I listen to on repeat. I have three separate playlists for the story, one for hope, one for her and Poe, and then one for the solo family.

With Hope I've got a lot of Halsey/Marina on there. A couple songs for Hope that I'd play the most would be;

Nightmare - Halsey

Devil in me - Halsey

Seventeen - Marina & the Diamonds

You asked for this - Halsey (heavy on this one)

Who am I living for - Katy Perry

This is me trying - Taylor Swift

The Family Jewels - Marina & the Diamonds

Crossfire - Stephen

Which Witch - Florence and the Machine

Burned - Grace Vanderwaal

Animal - MISSIO

The Tradition - Halsey

Then I've got quite a few for her and Poe as well. With their relationship I'm going to put it through a bit of hell. With the Oddy arc there'll be some mistrust and major fights there when Poe worries that she might be being blackmailed into spying, and then there'll be a tough period between them realising their feelings and actually getting together before she'll be taken captive and brainwashed by the First Order. So there's a mix of really upbeat songs and then downright tragic ones.

The entirety of Taylor Swifts Reputation album but in particular

Call it what you want (heavy on this one)

Getaway Car

Gorgeous

Fransesca - Hozier (this one is definitely their relationship after she's imprisoned and the lengths Poe goes to to get her back)

Drive - Halsey

Maroon - Taylor Swift

Look after you - The Fray

The Reflection - The Neighbourhood

Renegades - X Ambassadors

Starman - David Bowie (I'm making David Bowie exist within SW specifically so they can drunkenly sing this)

Dangerous - David Guetta

Cruel Summer - Taylor Swift

Powerful - Major Lazer

Mirrors - Justin Timberlake

My Tears Ricochet - Taylor Swift

Friends - Chase Atlantic

Fire Meet Gasoline - Sia

The Chain - Fleetwood Mac

Young Gods - Halsey

Out of the woods - Taylor Swift

Flawless - The Neighbourhood

False God - Taylor Swift

Lovers on the sun - David Guetta

Leaving tonight - The Neighbourhod

Train Wreck - James Arthur

Hold on - Chord Overstreet

Just give me a reason - Pink

I'm finishing up the final chapter of the prequel atm before I really get back into the main story, I have a lot written for it but it's editing and getting from point a to b. They're relationship for the next few chapters will be going pretty strong, then there'll be the oddy arc and it's going to be pretty messy for a while but with the two of them the constant thing is that no matter how mad they are with each other they just can't hate each other because they really do accidentally become best friends (who keep accidentally flirting with each other in front of everyone.) It's essentially going to end up a very dramatic slowburn situationship until they blurt out that they're in love mid fight.

I have one scene coming up where her and Poe have a major major blow up after she disobeys orders to save his life in a dogfight since she still feels pretty safe in the assumption that the first order won't kill her whilst everyone else just thinks she's genuinely delusional. Poe's convinced she's actually insane which she kind of is but she wasn't wrong. It's going to be during that spy arc and they both genuinely go a little insane during that fight, so she takes off and goes to lay low with Lando for a while and he gets the whole earful, only for Poe to show up at his door the next day to bring her back and Lando is just in stitches over it. "Hope, there's a handsome resistance commander here to see you" and she's just dumbfounded that he had the guts to come after her (and falls a little in love).

But in the next chapter I'm writing atm they're going to be pretty cute. Poe being her willing assistant as she compiles their intel into a motion for the senate, bringing her caf and gossiping when she catches Snap leaving Karé's room at like six in the morning and Poe being offended he wasn't the first to know, running to wish her luck as she goes to leave and then bailing her out of jail the next day. When they're a mess they're a mess but when they're cute they're insufferable to everyone around them.

I'd love to see what playlists you have as well <3 because honestly making playlists for oc's is one of my favourite parts of writing!

[thunderberryart]

Maybe I'm alone on this, but I do feel like Arthur's plot importance tends to be very...underplayed? He's definitely acknowledged as being important to RF4's plot, but his role tends to get watered down to "The guy who officially makes you the acting prince(ss) of Selphia and occasionally offers helpful advice" when he does much more than that. Like, A LOT more. Among major things he does:

Is the one to track down and identify Barrett when everyone is looking for a way to get Frey/Lest from the Forest of Beginnings (with a little help from Illuminata and Xiao Pai.)

Uses his connections as a prince to gather the resources Selphia needs to defend itself from Ethelberd; also takes over running the town while Frey/Lest is going into Sechs territory (not that it affects gameplay.)

Escorts Frey/Lest to the Floating Empire aboard the airship; later provides support during the final battle against Ethelberd, although he and Doug are nearly killed when Ethelberd attacks the airship after fusing with Ventuswill.

Does research with Kiel on how to open the door to the Forest of Beginnings at Leon Karnak and provides the Rune Sphere that will serve as Ventuswill's new vessel.

Plus he has a number of touching interactions with the protagonist throughout the story so, you know, regardless of whether you view them through a platonic or romantic pair of lenses, he's clearly an important relationship for Frey/Lest and provides a lot of support both as their advisor/confidant and friend. One of my favorite story scenes with him is right after the Terraclone fight in Idra Cave, which is noteworthy in that if he's in Frey/Lest's party during the fight, the scene is altered to reflect that he was there versus having to come and find them himself.

Seriously, considering this man's issues revolve around him refusing to open up to others, him openly admitting during this scene that he was panicking when Selphia got attacked is HUGE.

tl;dr Arthur's actions during the main plot deserve a lot more recognition.

[roosterbox]

Fic Rec Friday 4/28/23

Title: Next Big Thing

Rating: Mature

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Category: M/M

Fandom: Inception (2010)

Relationship: Arthur/Eames (Inception)

Characters: Arthur (Inception), Eames (Inception)

Additional Tags: HGTV

Summary: Eames is certain that they will excel at being celebrity judges.

Arthur is not so sure.

But then, that's usually how their relationship goes.

———

This rec. Hooboy, this rec. I had to re-read this fic to insure that, yes, it really is still just as good as it was in 2015. I was absolutely correct.

First, don’t be intimidated by the length. It’s 231 chapters, but every single one of them moves so quick, you’ll have it halfway done before you realize. Easy breezy beautiful Covergirl.

Second, the best single thing about NBT might be the Original Characters. There are a lot of them - befitting a fic about a reality competition show! - and every single one is interesting. Even the ones who are jerks (*coughcoughAlec*). I dare you to read this and not fall at least a tiny bit in love with Sunny or Gon or Julia or Misty Rainbow. Speaking of Ms. Rainbow, there is a scene in this story that, when I first read it eight years ago, affected me so much, I had to put my phone down and pace around my room for like five minutes. So good that I remembered it word for word. You’ll be happy to know that The Scene is still incredible, even now. The unquestionable high point of the story for me, though everything around it is also amazing.

Another aspect I appreciate (and did back then too!) is how the Drama(tm) is never about risking Arthur and Eames’ relationship. Never once did I fear that there would be a big fight or a breakup or something. Which is very soothing to know - that while all this nonsense swirls around them, our boys are always together and in love. That constant is like the calm eye of the reality TV storm.

Overall, this one comes very very highly recommended. I know I say that a lot, but seriously, if you call yourself a fan of inception fics and haven’t read this one? Please do!

———

Next Week: Time for some Hannigram again! This one is one of my favorite one-shot AUs. Built around a simple premise: what if Will’s dad (and, naturally, Will too) lived/worked at the Lecter household in Lithuania? What if Will and Hannibal grew up together? Definitely intriguing.

See you next time!

[ordinaryschmuck]

I posted 1,869 times in 2022

That's 132 more posts than 2021!

817 posts created (44%)

1,052 posts reblogged (56%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@moringmark

@ordinaryschmuck

@l-egionaire

@tigerlily1615

@whitebeltwriter

I tagged 1,070 of my posts in 2022

Only 43% of my posts had no tags

#the owl house - 373 posts

#reblogged - 273 posts

#not mine - 266 posts

#luz noceda - 177 posts

#asks - 137 posts

#send asks if you want - 137 posts

#ask me anything - 137 posts

#eda clawthorne - 113 posts

#toh hunter - 100 posts

#the golden guard - 98 posts

Longest Tag: 112 characters

#i will always remember him as the guy who yelled at the aliens to piss off when invading his planet on christmas

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Quick Thoughts on “The Tomb” from Moon Knight

“The Tomb” might just be my favorite episode. Why? Let me count the ways.

The many great interactions between Marc and Steven. They’re fun and even heartwarming at one point. Plus, Marc punching Steven in the face is pretty funny, I won’t lie.

Steven trying to prove himself as someone useful. Maybe not in a fight, but definitely in a chance to solve a mystery or figure out what everyone needs to do.

Layla. Layla is the stand-out star in this, having moments that proves how badass she can be, as well as this realistic reaction to something heartbreaking.

Arthur Harrow is selling himself as one of my favorite MCU villains. The way he twists characters minds is top notch. He doesn’t lie and doesn’t entirely manipulate. In actuality, all he does is tell them truths. Truths that hurt the characters and make them do...occasionally stupid things. And that’s great. I love a villain who wins his fights through his words rather than actions.

This episode is one third archeological adventure, one third horror story, and one third psychological thriller. And I was invested through all of it, especially that final scene. I won’t give away how, but it really makes you question EVERYTHING you’ve seen in the show so far. And, yeah, that last zing got a chuckle out of me. Well done.

So, yeah. “The Tomb” is a great episode. It was a ton of fun and, with how things left off, it makes me excited for more. Much like every episode before it, but...this one did it better.

628 notes - Posted April 20, 2022

#4

Reminder:

This happened.

And all of our souls felt a little lighter because of it--DOES AMITY KICK UP HER LEFT LEG?!

Aw, that’s cute...

915 notes - Posted July 4, 2022

#3

Why do I love this expression?

Because I can easily see this in a 2D cartoon. Somewhere in the vein of Steven Universe or maybe even The Owl House. Like, if Turning Red was hand drawn, this expression would have been made in no time flat. But the animators worked extra hard in making this movie look like a 2D film with a 3D makeover. And that type of dedication earns so much of my respect.

926 notes - Posted March 10, 2022

#2

Please watch Wendell & Wild.

Not just because it's a Halloween classic in the making.

Not just because it has a unique art style.

Not just because it has decent trans rep (which is cool to see it get more attention in recent years).

And not just because it has Key and Peele playing the best characters in the movie.

Watch Wendell & Wild to prove that animation can cater to more than just kids. This movie is PG-13 (but a 90s PG), meaning it's more for older audiences without relying on constant cursing, grotesque violence, and ludicrous amounts of sex and drugs. Instead, it uses creativity and genuinely good writing to tell a story that, while not really too intense for kids, it's at least a lot more advanced for them. And that's great. I want more animation that appeals to a vast majority of audiences of many ages and proves that type of animated content can be successful so people can stop saying animation is just for kids. But it's not. Anybody of any age should be able to enjoy animation and all its strengths, and the best way to do that is to give movies like Wendell & Wild a shot.

So, please, watch it.

2,602 notes - Posted October 29, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

“Animation is just for kids!”

...Ok...Ok...Let’s take a look at some of that animation that’s “Just for kids,” shall we?

Adventure Time is a series that touches a lot on philosophical questions and theories, with one episode having one character ask “If just being born is the greatest act of creation then what are you supposed to do after that?”

Avatar: The Last Airbender dives deep into having characters question what is right and wrong when dealing with a horrible evil. Like, is it better to harm anybody, even the most innocent old man, just because their society is run by fascists? Should we torture those who tortured us? And should we really kill someone just because they are irredeemable? All hard questions, each with uneasy answers.

The Owl House has a powerful antagonist whose goal is to commit genocide on an entire race of innocent people due to being raced to believe that said people are evil, thus stating that the most dangerous people are the ones who are prejudiced and ignorant.

Centaurworld  has a scene where a man tries to drown an elk. No, I’m not kidding. That happened. It was on screen and everything.

Encanto teaches a lesson on generational trauma, the pressures of living up to expectations, and stating that the best gift is being alive and having those around you.

And do I even have to say ANYTHING about Pixar?! The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Up, Inside Out, Soul, and even Toy Story all have themes and morals that can speak to adults while also being simple enough for kids to understand.

But that’s just animation for kids. Let’s talk about animation for ADULTS, shall we?

South Park takes a comedic view of our society, poking fun in the many ways it’s broken.

The Breadwinner is a tense movie of a young, Afghan girl disguising herself as a boy so she can go out and make money so her family can survive.

Invincible has some of the most brutal scenes I’ve seen from a superhero series, including this moment with a train (you’ll know it when you see it) that was so horrific that, when it cut to black for a second, I saw the look of pure shock and terror of my face reflected onto my laptop.

And Bojack Horseman is the best adult-animated series I’ve ever seen because it tackles issues made for adults. Things like opium addiction, depression, the struggles of being asexual in a sex-driven world, and telling one truth that most adults need to hear. The truth that, in this life, you can’t live happily ever after. You’re alive, always have another problem to deal with, and then you’re dead. There’s no point, in this plane of existence, when you’re happy forever and ever. Because life’s a show, and when everybody’s happy, then there can’t be a show anymore.

Animation. Is not. For kids.

Animation is a medium that is often geared towards kids. And the reason why people keep saying it’s for kids is because they focus on the kids stuff and refuse to look at how mature some animated movies and shows can be.

5,942 notes - Posted April 24, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[luxflora]

Malevolent audio edits I want to put together:

Compilations of the various instances of the 3(?) primary score tracks I've noted that aren't on bandcamp. I'm currently making myself dizzy going between e18, e20, e24, and e28 trying to match tracks without actually writing anything down lmao

Compilation of John talking Arthur down from panicking

Compilation of... I'm thinking all of Kayne's scenes? At the very least I'm going to end up with a reference folder that has all of his dialogue, so we'll see how the numbers come up.

Compilation of the "good boy"s and "you did it"s et cetera

I may do something with the "Oh, Arthur"s? I know someone else has done something along those lines already, so we'll see.

Kinda want to track instances of call and response communication. The "John?" "Arthur!" type things, and the "Well." "Well."s.

If somebody hasn't done it yet I WILL feel obligated to do an expressions of shock and disgust compilation. "Jesus christ!" "Oh my god!" You get the picture. Not sure how much of the accompanying descriptions I'll include - maybe a version with and a version without?

Compilation of my personal favorite Kayne highlights, of course

I'm going to smack some Kayne dialogue over like, jazz music maybe. Haven't put a lot of thought into what exactly I'm going to go for on this. I have some different ideas so I'll probably just focus on clipping first and THEN experiment with layering. I may make a playlist specifically for him that's intended for me to draw from for this.

Might overlay Kayne's listing off the contents of Arthur's bag with the music of the witch's shopping list in Into the Woods? Probably not gonna do this one but meh

John and Arthur bickering (NOT any of the serious fights. I'm too sensitive) overlaid with various songs from my Gay Divorce playlist

Mostly unrelated but I was trying to figure out why I'd put Kesha's "Cannibal" on my Malevolent playlist And Then I Remembered

Chase scenes over K.Flay's Run For Your Life or woodkid's Run Boy Run? Ngl the chase music kind is kind of unpleasant to my ears (it's good chase music, definitely gives that anxiety/fear feeling! Just kind of painful) so I may not do this

I think that's everything I had in mind, at least that I can think of right off-hand or articulate properly, and then some. If I think of anything else I'll probably try to use this post for organization. Might also create a tag for my notes on the music of Malevolent? We'll see. I got all of what's currently out downloaded & organized this morning so I'm pleased with that ^^

[call-sign-shark]

First of all thank you so much for creating this incredible and delightful masterpiece for me. Your writing style is surely one of my favorites from all this website and I genuinely feel blessed by your kindness. The moodboard is gorgeous and I am surprised how Heaven’s aesthetic fits with the Fens. I mean, the white fur coats and boots, this is perfect. You’ve got such a sense of aesthetic I’m kicking my feet.

From the beginning I got the biggest smile at the mention of Arthur’s anxiety which, surprisingly enough, was due to him knowing the twins and his young wife would get along far too well … And cause even more trouble together. The Shelby household was already shaken by the twins’ strong and hot-headed temper, so I’m pretty sure they all start praying when Heaven encountered Sonya and Sylvie. 🙃 The description of the house as well as the winter settings is, as always, magnificent. What I appreciated the most in your description was the eerie atmosphere you’ve managed to created, as I almost felt the cold sensation of the snow and the crunching sound of it under the girls’ boots. I’m not able to explain it but there’s something so comforting and adorably bratty in the detail of the three coats and pairs of boots missing. Related to this, the idea of ice skating is wonderful and so fitting for our favorite three dancers. What a wonderful activity for them, and envisioning them gracefully dancing on the ice without minding the men’s warning is an innocent and heartwarming sight. 🖤

One of my favorite part was the Fend circling Heaven and turning around her in a way that would dizzying if she hadn’t been used to spinning (pole dance and hoop helps a lot. I stopped counting the time I had to lay down after nailing a longer combo because I almost got sick lmao). Also how the twins finish each other sentence got me shivering — I love them so much. And Heaven finishing their sentence with stating “to be careful?” Gosh I can’t even described how I love this scene, especially since it’s followed by the most beautiful idea of them interlocking their fingers and dancing together. The little show they do is also so sweet! They are so supportive with each others, cheering and being fascinated. Heaven would have stars in her eyes when watching Sonya and Sylvie. 🖤 Her calling the Fens “petites sœurs” is also 100% canon but I’m not gonna spoil since it’s something I address in the story I’m writing with Sonya and Sylvie. As I told you, they are prolly the OCs with which she’d be the closest — and now wonder why the twins love their new sister in laws. I was laughing cause I imagined them giving hell to Arthur the few times he fights with Heaven like “oh you’re the stupid one! Go apologize now!”

And what about the PERFECT and satisfying vengeance against Tommy? Considering everything he did to his sisters and Heaven it’s daring of him to ask what he did to deserve this fate 🤭 at one point I was wheezing in front of my phone screen when imagining Tommy getting angry and yelling at John, thinking he’s the one who’s messing with him??? Tommy getting pummeled with snowballs is definitely one of the best things I’ve read. After all, we say that vengeance is dish best served cold 😈 the last deadly shot of Heaven aiming at the crotch was a pure delight!!! Nevertheless I must say that his reaction was sweet — ah little sisters, we can’t really hold grudge against them for a long time right? Teehee. That last scene with Heaven and Sonya appearing arm in arm got me swooning. I am growing obsessed with this wonderful trio 😭😭

Snow On The Beach (Ft Heaven Lavey)

So I wrote this little something to celebrate @call-sign-shark 's wonderful milestone. I am late to the party but I still wanted to have Sonya, Sylvie and Heaven finally meet so... I hope you enjoy my dear <3

🐇🌸🦢🌸🐇

To say Arthur had been nervous for his angelic new wife to meet his youngest sisters would be an understatement, however it wasn't so much whether he was nervous that mattered. It was Why he was nervous. 

Whereas with the rest of his siblings he'd been concerned that they might not take to Heaven immediately, he knew that the Fens as they were affectionately referred to by their big brothers and sister, would. Take to her that is. Immediately. Of this he was certain, and the reason he could be so certain was that if there was one word you could use to describe all three of those girls, it was trouble. 

Which is exactly what they got. 

 Perhaps the twins had a different reason to seek revenge on their big brother than Heaven, but revenge is revenge at the end of the day, best served cold and more importantly, unsuspecting. 

Which is exactly what Tommy Shelby was that morning when the night had left another layer of heavy snowfall that quilted the grounds of arrow house in a thick blanket of muted white powder. The whole world softened by winters icy lull. 

The ice glistened on every window pane of the frozen farm house, the morning sunrise glistening all pinkish yellow sparkles of light. It was the most beautiful sight to behold and as Tommy pulled his thick woolen coat tightly around his body, preparing to head out into the garden he failed to notice that three pairs of boots were missing from the shoe rack. That three white fur coats were missing from where they'd been hung up on the wall the night before. 

Perhaps if he had he'd have guessed what awaited him outside. But he didn't notice so he didn't guess and when he stepped out into the frozen morning he was naive to the trouble which awaited him hidden away behind the trees. 

Perhaps if he'd taken a moment to listen to tinkling laughter which drifted from somewhere in the trees, instead of letting himself get wrapped up in his own cyclical paranoia, he'd have sensed the mischief which danced between every icicle, every frosted bump of moss clinging to cold tree trunks and rocks in the garden. 

Because Tommy was an early riser but his sisters had risen earlier, bubbling over with the kind of innocent delight only snow can inspire. They'd left their beds unmade in a rush to slip into their thick white tights and leg warmers knowing that snow as thick as lay on the grounds that morning could only mean one thing. 

A frozen lake, perfect for ice skating. 

Now, they'd known there was no way Ada would join them on the ice that morning. She'd always said there wasn't a nimble bone in her body. And if they invited their brothers down onto the lake they'd only be met with warnings, paranoia...

"Ain't that a bit fuckin dangerous girls, ice might not be as thick as it..."

"Yeah yeah alright John, if we drown we promise not to haunt you..."

Heaven on the other hand, would be certain to join them - if she hadn't already gone down there herself to the lakes edge where the little beach of silt, dirt and reeds would be coated in a glimmering downy snow.

And in the end thats where they found her, already out on the ice skating loops and rings, her long white hair catching snowflakes as she spun in a daydreamy whirl.

"Scuse me miss," coughed Sonya with an impish smile when she came to a gliding halt beside Heaven in the centre of the lake. "you're on my lake..." she finished with a giggle, watching Heaven take her fluffy white ear muffs from her head.

"Oh I'm sorry miss," she smirked, her own wry smile tugging at the corners of her lips, "please do forgive me..." she said dryly, giving into a giggle when Sylvie joined them skating backwards in a pretty little circle, tugging on her sisters sleeve until she was forced to skate along too.

"Arthur told us," she started with a smile that let Heaven know what they were about to tell her before they'd said anything else.

"to tell you," said Sonya as the two skated in a small circle which would have dizzied Heaven had she not been just as nimble as them.

"to be careful?" she finished for them with a knowing smirk, unsurprised when the twins giggled and confirmed her suspicions.

"Naturally," they said in unison, their impish smiles only almost identical as they reached for Heavens hands, their delicate fingers locking with hers as the three of them began to skate in perfect harmony, dancing together over the ice.

The three of them made for a very pretty picture, glittering under the morning sun which struggled through the clouds and the falling snow. For awhile they remained skating, feeling the exhilarating chill of the breeze on their cheeks, the bite of frost in the air nipping at their ears and fingertips despite their hats and gloves.

They took it in turns showing off to one another, teaching each other tricks, watching one another in awe as with every elaborate little dance they did across the glimmering ice, they outdid one another. Their competitions each ended in a fit of gasps and giggles because whilst Sonya might have been able to do a perfect high extension turn she couldn't outspin Sylvia in a pirouetting competition and neither of them could quite pull off the magnificent gymnastic prowess which was Heaven performing the most graceful Firebird Leap across the ice.

"Where have you been all my life!" beamed Sonya both her hands held to her cheeks, jaw dropped when Heaven landed with a magical little spin and dropped to a bow.

"Where the fuck did you learn to do that?" smirked Sylvie, quietly impressed by the stunt, knowing that if Arthur had seen his little angel doing something like that his heart would have been in his throat, utterly terrified and yet unable to hide his awe.

"Where the fuck did you learn to do all that..." replied Heaven with a fae like smile almost identical to that of the twins.

"Sunny let show her pas de deux..." gasped Sylvie stirring a beaming smile from her twin who would have agreed to had they not all three of them heard the sound of a horse being ridden somewhere not so far away. Had they not all shared a devilish look between each other when they realised who it was who would be riding through the grounds at that hour in the morning on a day as perilous as today...

"I think I have a better idea ma petites soeurs..." said Heaven licking her cold lips as her eyes focussed on the trees at the edge of the lake. The twins didn't need to be mind readers to guess what she was thinking.

And thats how Tommy Shelby wound up soaked to the bone, frozen cold and absolutely battered with snowballs not ten minutes later... his cheeks flushed a furious shade of red, his usually neat hair dripping wet and hanging across his eyes.

The onslaught had occurred when he'd passed by the Hawthorne tree at the edge of Sonya's lake. He'd not heard their giggling over the sound of the wind in his ears, but he had felt the first lump of snow and ice hit him square in the back of the head.

That had been Sylvie and when Tommy had cried out in surprise she hadn't been able to hold in her own cry of delight, Heaven having to clamp her cold hand over Sylvie's mouth to keep her from giving away their hiding place. Sonya giggled into the sleeve of her white fur jacket and handed another huge snowball to Sylvie who tried to take aim again. However the sight of Tommy jumping down from his horse, landing knee deep in the snow, a scowl mired with confusion on his stark expression was too much for Sylvie to handle and so she had to offer the next throw to Heaven who was managing to hold a steadier hand in that moment.

Heaven's first shot landed a warning hit to his back, one which thudded and crumbled down the back of his coat, one which drew a growl of frustration from the older man they all believed deserved everything he got.

"For fuck sake John if thats you I'll..." he called out but he never got to finish his sentence as no sooner had he turned around to face the hawthorn tree the girls were hidden behind, did another tirade of snowballs come flying at him, three hitting him all at once. One to the shoulder, one to the stomach and one to the face, snow freezing his tongue as the snowball shattered on his cheek mid threat.

He swing back around then, hand reaching into his waistband for the pistol he kept on him at all times... He was furious, not taking his "brothers" joke well at all as he choked and tried to catch his breath, standing up straight and dusting himself down in an attempt to hold onto his dignity.

"Alright John you've had your fun with the fuckin snow... time to grow up now eh..."

And that was when he heard it... a giggle. A light, tinkling musical giggle. His ears pricked at the sound, his hand slipping his pistol back into the waistband of his trousers.

"Shhh!" whispered Sylvie to Sonya who was biting down hard on her sleeve to keep her amusement hushed.

"Shhh!" whispered Heaven to Sylvia, the three of them descending into giggles, silenced seconds later by Tommy's stern command.

"Fen!" he said with that dark warning tone, the kind which made Sylvie and Sonya turn to one another biting back their smirks. "enough of your games now eh girls... no more..."

But the girls were nowhere near satisfied yet and so much to Tommy's disappointment and frustration he was met with another shower of snowballs, these ones smaller but coming at him faster and from seemingly multiple directions.

Sylvie had managed to climb up into the higher branches of the hawthorn tree and had edged her way along a branch, using her weight to shift an avalanche of snow down onto her older brothers head so that for a moment he was blinded by the sudden rush of frozen crystals. His sudden gasp when some snow crept beneath the collar of his coat and down his shirt, icy water melting down his spine was enough to send Sonya into another fit of giggles, her glee so much it was impossible to swallow down as she threw an endless stream of snowballs at her brother, pelting him over and over again.

It was Heaven however who landed the winning shot. Just as Tommy thought the pelting was over, just as he'd managed to stagger back towards his horse, straightening out his coat and shaking the water and snow from his hair, Heaven lined up a killer of a shot. One firm snowball, hard and cold came flying towards him, thrown surprisingly low... surprising enough that Tommy didn't have a chance to protect himself and the snowball hit with a thump right between the legs.

"Fuck!" he wheezed, hands clutching his crotch seconds too late to do him any good, his knees weak as the pain turned his stomach and reduced him to his knees in the snow.

All three girls cried out then, not caring whether they revealed their hiding place or not. Too thrilled and amused at the sight of the tyrant Tommy Shelby clutching his balls, keeled over in the snow.

And when Sylvie decided to jump down from her hiding place in the trees, a gasp of concern accompanied with wide Bambi eyes and an "Oh my god Tommy what happened are you okay?" Tommy took one look at her and knew.

"Where are they?" he asked looking from Sylvie to the tree, "Sonya and Heaven... only you three could have pulled that off... fuckin hell girls what did I do to deserve that?" he groaned with a disbelieving smile. He could hardly stay mad at the Fens... and he certainly wasn't going to meet Heaven with anything but a tragic forgiving smile.

"Are you really asking us that Thomas?" asked Heaven as she emerged from behind the tree, elegant and shimmering with Sonya on her arm.

"Yeah Tommy?" giggled Sonya, "are you really asking us that?"