#me: sees something that pertains to maggie

[reginarubie]

Gentle Mother ~ Font of mercy

[As always the art is not mine the pieces of art belong to their owner and if anyone is and doesn't want them used, let me know and I will take 'em down]

As sparked by this convo.

The theme of the Mother is a very profound one in the asoiaf world. And Martin shows us what the mother is supposed to be (mercy) and also the other side of the coin (vengeance). This theme is weaved intricately with the women of asoiaf.

"Mothers." The man made the word sound like a curse. "I think birthing does something to your minds. You are all mad."  — Bran II, AGOT

There are at least four big characters who embody — in different ways — the theme of the mother (Lysa and Lyanna as well as Elia will be honorable mentions at the end) and those are Catelyn, Cersei, Daenerys and Sansa. — and we'll see how the lyrics of the hymn are retold by these characters.

The point is, only one of these “mothers” actually embodies the Hymn of the Mother and the merciful mother. And that character is Sansa Stark.

Cersei Lannister ~ Mother of Lions, mother of madness — soothe the wrath

So, Cersei, of course, embodies the mother. Even the prophecy Maggy the Frogs gives her is focused not only on her role as queen, but as her role — and her failure — as mother. It is not a chance that Maggy comments on how “her children's crowns would be golden and golden their shrouds”.

This is supposed as much as to be warning as to be a statement and Cersei instead of taking it as a warning, actually becomes the propellent force which causes most of the prophecy coming true.

Her love for her children spurns her to kill Robert, when Ned warns her he will tell the king the truth about her children, and yet it's her ambition for them (and for herself — she does dream of herself sitting atop the IT above all other lords) that puts them in jeopardy in the first place.

Cersei is a destructive mother, she's framed as a mother who will do all to keep her children safe — going to the point she's ready to kill Tommen and herself to avoid they're taken by Stannis — her greatest accomplishment is being a mother and yet to her it's both a chain keeping her on a lesser step, and her greatest weakness.

Cersei has styled herself as a protector, and as her scene with Tywin tells us, there are no lengths Cersei would not go to keep her children safe. She thinks she alone can keep her children safe, and yet she's the reason her children are doomed.

And her children are her doom, too.

To begin with it's Cersei own actions which put Joffrey, Marcella and Tommen in jeopardy; the circumstances of their birth are Cersei's own doing; her ambition pertaining them the reason for their doom.

The fact that Cersei' ambition for her children is the IT means her children are in peril, especially since Cersei is not that much beloved. She takes their birthright for granted — even though they do not have one — and she feels she's far too superior to debase herself with making alliances. Even when her marriage to Loras could ensure the Tyrell's support beyond any doubt she's against it, and we know she's ready to anything to avoid it.

Cersei — as I've discussed in another meta — takes the metaphorical stones thrown at her (for her behavior) and builds a fortress behind which she's sure the fear of her shall keep her and her children safe.

But it is not so. Yes, in the books Myrcella and Tommen are still alive, but we know that will change soon. Myrcella has lost an ear and is very probably traumatized over the whole ordeal — she being pitted against her mother and brother — whilst Tommen is being torn and ripped apart between his “advisors” (Kevan against Cersei, Cersei against Margaery) when he is yet a child.

If Cersei had worked and played good with Kevan perhaps they could've found a way to protect Tommen better, instead Cersei is waging her own personal war against whoever tries to keep her pinned to the ground, to the point she becomes blind to the effects her choices might have on her son.

It is an undisputed theory — and a very believable one — that Cersei' behavior as Queen Mother (and now only regent) to Tommen will easily provoke the ire of the people of KL, possibly causing new riots and rebellions to spark in between the streets.

As Queen, Cersei should've been not only mother to her children, but mother to the people and most importantly to the nobles. She doesn't care. [And this will come bite her in the bum when the time comes]. During the siege on KL by Stannis, Cersei does her duty, by collecting all the ladies of the court, and keep them with her, but that's as far as she goes (beyond terrorizing Sansa, who she is supposed — and does see in her own twisted way — to be mother of, as at this point Sansa is still betrothed to Joffrey), and when the things get really difficult she abandons the ladies in her charge to their fate to “choose hers”.

Children learn by example, and the example they have received is that of an absent father who couldn't care less about them, and a self-entitled mother so ambitious (but lacking real political wit) to want to put her bastards on the Iron throne. And whilst Tommen and Myrcella are too little to show it, Joffrey is the product of this kind of education and his own brand of cruelty and madness.

Cersei fancies herself as the matriarch of House Lannister, much like her father was Head of House Lannister — and for all of Tywin's cunning, his legacy is nothing but a mirror for larks, a lie he tells himself and the realm, a lie that died with him — but as Jaime considers she's neither as cunning neither as capable of Tywin, and she's not as calm. She's like wildfire, and wildfire can kill also its wielder.

In the books Cersei is becoming more and more paranoid and she's taking matters in her own hand — like disposing of Kevan and burning the Tower of the Hand in wildfire — and she feels a twisted, cruel pleasure at being in control. Which makes her dangerous not only for herself but for her children too.

And, that, makes of her a destructive mother. Her wrath makes of her the doom of her children.

“I promise you, no matter where you flee, Robert's wrath will follow you, to the back of beyond if need be." The queen stood. "And what of my wrath, Lord Stark?" she asked softly.  — Eddard XIII, AGOT

Catelyn Stark/Lady Stoneheart ~ Mother of wolves, mother of death — font of mercy

Catelyn is an extremely particular example of mother. She's as fierce as Cersei when it comes to her children — mama wolf caught a valyrian steel knife bare-handed to defend her comatose son — and she's much more calm when she offers advice.

Whereas Cersei looses all power when Joffrey becomes king, a son who up to a point despise her for her weakness too, Catelyn is another thing for Robb. Both mothers have differences with their king-sons but Cersei' steems of her attempt to control Joffrey, whilst Catelyn's steems of her being first a mother and secondly the mother of a king.

She releases Jaime, but she doesn't do it to try and control her son, she does it to try and save her daughters. She gets relegated for it by her son, and her advice is often ignored by Robb after she realizes Jaime; and yet when the moment comes Catelyn dies convinced all her children are either dead (presumed so, Rickon, Brandon and Arya or surely so, Robb) or prisoners (Sansa).

Same as Cersei though, I must point out, Catelyn too is still young and there is talk of her new marriage to strengthen Robb; Theon is considered (which is foil to the Loras/Cersei's betrothal) though in the end another man, more of an age to Catelyn and whom she finds handsome, is chosen for her. Though she never reaches him, as she dies before she can. So, when Beric Dondarrion gives her “the kiss of life” — which, if you think of it, is not by chance that is called such, as mothers give life to their children — Catelyn rises against from death and she rises the vengeful, destructive mother who is hunting down and killing all those she thinks are guilty, one way or another, of the death of her children.

The kiss of life for Catelyn Stark was a curse, just as Maggy's prophecy was a curse for Cersei. Lady Stoneheart is the Mother without mercy, the mother who shows no mercy because she has none in her heart, but for vengeance. The mother whose only purpose is that of avenging her children.

"M'lady." The wine was making her head spin. It was hard to think. "Stoneheart. Is that who you mean?" Lord Randyll had spoken of her, back at Maidenpool. "Lady Stoneheart." "Some call her that. Some call her other things. The Silent Sister. Mother Merciless. The Hangwoman." — Brienne VIII, AFFC

Daenerys Targaryen ~ Mhysa, Mother of Dragons, Mother of monsters — tame the fury

Daenerys is such a tragic character and as @esther-dot has said in her own reply to the ask about Daenerys as a foil to the Virgin Mary, she is the Mother of several, the mother of dragons and Mhysa and yet she does not embody the traits of the mother (and the Virgin Mary, in the details, as those are compassion and mercy and grief).

Daenerys is thirteen when she gets pregnant, so she's extremely young when she miscarries her son and becomes barren. I have explained in several posts and metas how I think things went pertaining Rhaego's sacrifice and the birth of the dragons as Daenerys embracing her inner valyrian and her inner dragon (this serie).

The flames of Drogo's pyre burn away Daenerys' character as mother, and I truly believe that Martin giving her so many titles hinging on the figure of the Mother is meant to showcase how much, with each title she gains, she looses a part of the mother's thematic traits.

Daenerys herself, in her grief and fury, asks herself if she truly had not known the price for the blood magic the maegi did to save Drogo.

As highlighted by the original convo, Daenerys steels herself to not cry, to not show compassion, and to not give into mercy. She becomes the dragon each choice more.

Even though the show framed Daenerys as a merciful ruler who decided her crusade was to free the slaves, that is not the same in the books, as there lacks a scene in which Daenerys formally frees the Unsullied (as her speech during the taking of Astapor shows her telling them they are bought and paid for, that they are hers, to then make the alliteration of freedom/dracarys and you're the dragon's now all the while holding the whip). What she gathers during her campaign east is:

A reputation (Slavers Bay) — as she herself says to Jorah and Barrister, she knows what Aegon proved during his conquest, and that she has a few things she means to prove herself. It's a show of power. (Remember Aegon's formative years were spent with Balerion in the east). Troops (Astapor) — the Unsullied in Astapor, the second sons in Meereen and later the Dothraki (though how that will happen in the book remains to be seen, and how ‘inclusive of all dothraki’ that will actually be as opposed to the show) plus the other companies that compose her new army. A following/labour force (Yunkai) — as she herself thinks as she goes parlay with the masters in Astapor, she feels her following is insignificant and so is she by extention. Taking in her procession around the east the freed slaves of Yunkai gives her that, labour force (this happens in Meereen too) as well as a following which is not insignificant anymore, which makes her no longer insignificant as she felt when she was, for example, in Qart and she wasn't offered poison. Riches to fund her campaign west (Meereen)— despite staying in Meereen to rule, what Daenerys does is not making the best choice for the city, but the best choice to fill her coffers to fund her campaign west of the Narrow Sea. It was explained by better meta-writers than me, how Daenerys completely ignores the commercial importance of some goods, to chose instead coin and precious metals and gems and goods that will serve the purpose of funding her campaign west. Not only that, she reinstates slavery by taking the very same percentage from the selling that the slavers did, all because wars have costs and they're won as much with gold as they are by swords (her words, not mine — Daenerys VI, ASOS).

Why saying all of this? Because the propaganda they used to frame her as Mhysa in the show is the same the slaves of Volantis fall prey to. Her reputation makes the slaves of Volantis pray for her coming and for her to free them all, but it is pretty clear Daenerys will not go to Volantis. She will turn west and begin her campaign to take back the IT.

Daenerys had the moment of choice, to be actually mother to her people. Take her dragons and go to the dead city with her khalaasar and make it bloom again — which would be the definition of mother of her people — instead she choses the path west, the path of war, because the dragons made all the difference.

This is important and it is the second aware choice she makes after the pyre, after becoming the Mother of Dragons (her first choice is the possibly half-unaware choice to sacrifice Rhaego for Drogo, and then Drogo, the stallion, Mirri and herself to raise again with three dragons to her breast) — in fact it is told in the book that the frightened child Illyrio gave as bride to Khal Drogo, the mother of his unborn child, died and was born again as a real Targaryen in fire and blood — and in fact her own fury takes charge of charcter exactly in that moment, when Daenerys realizes what she has done, and accuses Mirri of it). From thereon is a downhill path.

She must not have tears in her eyes, but the flames of the drago's fury when she faces her allies and enemies. Slowly but surely, her fury burns all vestiges of her character as mother. The fact that Martin makes her title pile up with the common theme of motherhood is to highlight how little of a mother her character is.

Mother of dragons, Daenerys thought. Mother of monsters. What have I unleashed upon the world? A queen I am, but my throne is made of burned bones, and it rests on quicksand. Without dragons, how could she hope to hold Meereen, much less win back Westeros? I am the blood of the dragon, she thought. If they are monsters, so am I. — Daenerys II, ADWD

"None, this one grieves to confess. We beg your pardon."

Mercy, thought Dany. They will have the dragon's mercy. "Skahaz, I have changed my mind. Question the man sharply." "I could. Or I could question the daughters sharply whilst the father looks on. That will wring some names from him." "Do as you think best, but bring me names." Her fury was a fire in her belly.  — Daenerys II, ADWD

Up until now, and for every other character associated with the mother, the defense of the children is foremost. And yet Daenerys' children are the dragons, and not even her being Mhysa, saves the girls (girls who are innocent of their father's eventual misdeeds) from torture.

The woman who crucified free men, without any kind of inquiry or investigation, for the crucified children, tortures children to defend men and soldier who should be able to defend themselves. Which is the difference between the soldiers killed and the girls tortured? The girls have no purpose for her, her unsullied being killed put a stain to her reputation and weakens her resources for the campaign west. You can't get much more different from the Virgin Mary than this. Or the thematic Mother. Her song is the songs of the dragons.

Sansa Stark ~ Mother of the North — teach us all a kinder way

Of all the big characters, Sansa is the only one who yet has not known pregnancy or the loss of a child. And yet, she is the character that best embodies the Mother and her mercy and compassion.

Cersei, Daenerys, even Catelyn have turned their mercy off due the trauma they endured. Not Sansa.

The trauma she endured taught Sansa a kinder way. Sansa shows compassion, mercy and gentleness from day one.

She begs Joffrey the stop his squabble with Arya and the butcher boy, hoping she might soothe his wrath; later she pleads for Jeyne to be reunited with her lord father, and she asks mercy for her lord father in open court — kneeling before Joffrey as the Virgin Mary knelt before the cross — she thinks, naively, that the love Joffrey bears her will ensure that her closeness will sooth his fury against her lord father and ensure Ned is pardoned and alive.

She's wrong, and Joffrey shows her so by executing Ned, showing her his head (and her septa's), by beating her for every victory Robb won and mistreating her for her sin of ‘having the blood of a wolf’.

And yet, despite all she endures at the hands of the Lannisters, Sansa still acts. She stills comforts the women during the siege (duty which should have befallen on Cersei), she still helps saving Lancel's life (even though he has taken part of her humiliation and beatings), she speaks out (when no one else did) to save Dontos, she still prays for Tyrion and the Hound, who have shown her a speck of decency (if confronted to the others, which is very below the line of decency but that doesn't figure for Sansa, what little they have done, sparks her compassion for them). Sansa's thoughts go to all, the old and the young, the mothers and the children as well as the soldiers when she prays during the siege of KL.

It's Sansa's doing that the woman with the dead babe is not killed, as she is the one who manipulates Joffrey to give her coin instead of death.

Her singing the hymn of the Mother not only reassures the women, but it also soothes the wrath and fury of the Hound, who had come to rape her. Her singing the hymn of the Mother softens him to her, and he doesn't harm her physically — though he has traumatized her to the point she resorts to romancing the entire encounter to suppress the trauma she suffered at his hands — saving her life and possibly being a pivotal momento for the Hound's future story.

Sansa has become, despite lady Lysa' betrayal, the primary caretaker of her cousin Robert, and she's being a mother to him. It is hinted at, that Sansa will possibly uncover LF' plot to have Robert poisoned and put a stop to it.

Sansa dreams of children, whereas Cersei dreams of the Iron throne, Lady Stoneheart doesn't dream but of vengeance and Daenerys dreams of the Last Dragon.

Sansa's children are foretold to become lords/ladies of Winterfell and restore the North, just as their mother. LF, Lysa and Lady Waynwood all want to use her and her claim, and her son (Ned Stark's grandson)'s claim to take Winterfell and exercise power over the North; the same thing Tywin wanted to do by marrying her to Tyrion.

For now Sansa is still a virgin too.

Even Jon, defending Sansa's claim reminds us that Winterfell is supposed to fall in Sansa's hands and later in her children's.

Another important piece for this analysis comes from this thought:

 In the sept they sing for the Mother's mercy but on the walls it's the Warrior they pray to, and all in silence. She remembered how Septa Mordane used to tell them that the Warrior and the Mother were only two faces of the same great god. But if there is only one, whose prayers will be heard? — Sansa V, ACOK

It's Sansa the one who chooses which prayer to be heard.

She silently steels herself as the Warrior, and her weapons are the compassion and mercy of the Mother.

"Unhand me. You forget yourself." "Mercy. I have been singing love songs for hours. My blood is stirred. And yours, I know . . . there's no wench half so lusty as one bastard born. Are you wet for me?" "I'm a maiden," she protested. — Sansa VI, ASOS

Sansa in her compassion is capable to feel sorry even for Marillion, who tried to rape her and stood by as Lysa attempted to kill her. She feels dirty and sorry and guilty because she has let LF convince her to frame him for Lysa' murder, even though he would not have raised a finger to save her and in the last chapters of her as Alayne we see how this is the pivotal moment which marks her completely breaking from LF' hold. She is against framing Marillion, she'd give him mercy if she could, and this moment marks her return to Sansa Stark, because it's the moment in which more starkly she feels the difference between Ned Stark, her real father, and LF, her false father.

Honorable mentions — Lyanna, Lysa and Elia ~ save our sons from war, we pray

Lyanna Stark —› Lyanna is little more than a child when she meets Rhaegar and bears his son. While we are still in the unknown about how things have gone in the books for Lyanna dn Rhaegar and the show frames it as a romantic escape, I feel confident in saying that as such (or not only as such) it will be in the books. Lyanna only three phrases known are: “Promise me, Ned”, “That's my father's man you are kicking!” and “Love is sweet, but it cannot change a man's nature”. Given this, I would think there is much more underneath the eloping lady to Lyanna, and it will be tragic. And yet, her most important quote is Promise me, Ned. It's the phrase that saved her son, the phrase that saved Jon. Whatever else, Lyanna is a girl, and a mother. A mother who lost her life, and as she did her only thought was the protection of her son. Elia Martell —› Elia is the mother of the butchered children. Being a mother is the core fundation of her character, she risked her life to bear her children, she nursed them at her breast and potentially plotted in a capital against her to save at least her son. Elia showed same as Lyanna that often the strength of women is not in the sword that they may wield, but in their love for their children. Lysa Arryn —› Lysa undoubtedly loves her son, and yet she, if left alone to care for him, would've been his ruin. She is convinced Jon Arryn was speaking about Robert when he spoke about the seed being strong. In her paranoia and fear for her son, she stays neutral during the WO5K, and, later out of madness she attempts to kill her own niece for her jealousy over a man who never was hers to begin with.

Now, that would be enough, but it is not, since part of the whole matter was Daenerys as a foil to the Virgin Mary.

The Virgin Mary ~ Hail Mary, full of grace

Now, we've seen the hymn of the Mother in asoiaf, but what about the prayer of the Virgin Mary? (before we delve into her figure and her traits).

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and in the hour of our death. Amen.

As you can see the hymn of the Mother shares some points with the Hail Mary. And that common trait is the compassion the Mother and the Virgin Mary are the embodiment of.

Mary prays for the sinners, even the same sinners who have crucified her son, always. And that is the cifra of her blessing, she's so pure and “holy” that the Almighty chose her to bear his son, who was born with the purpose of cleanse man of the original sin, and later didn't make her die, but rose her to the heavens, where, as per Dante's and the Church's vision she sits at the place of honor of the Heaven.

In the Divina Commedia, the structure of the heaven itself (once Dante has went through the several skies) is an embodiment of Mary's blessing, as it's a sort of rows of seat ordained in a way that forms a flower...

... wanna guess which one? You guessed it... A ROSE. The celestial rose.

As you can see, Mary has the place of honor, (a woman, has the seat of honor above the men, let that sink in — that was the kind of veneration which surrounds the Virgin Mary). The Virgin is even put in a better seat than Peter and Adam.

Of all the women of asoiaf there is one who is given a rose — in the current timeline, obv — and two more whose' fate was decided by a rose in the past, plus one who is given flowers, but they do not bode well for her.

Yeah, it's Sansa Stark. Sansa is not only given a rose during the tourney to celebrate her father, but she's given the ONLY red rose. Also she's framed as the blue rose (so the rare flower as the blue rose is framed behind her in several instances in the show). The rose of Winterfell, whose son became king in the north.

And if you think about it, Daenerys is given flowers too, but which flowers?, she's given Dusk Rose, Lady's Lace, and Harpy's Gold.

The dusk rose which represents healing — and it connects to the plague in Meereen and the drastic measures that Daenerys is foreshadowed to take once she returns and decides that the compassion she has shown has been spat in her face — it has a purple color, that not only symbolizes royalty, but also of poison (as the poison Daenerys is given in Meereen and that possibly makes her miscarry after she flees, which is a pivotal moment which marks her turning all dragon — as I've analyzed in this post).

The Lady's Lace is possibly inspired by Queen Anne's Lace which is connected with attracting love — and we know one of Daenerys' betrayal will come from love or for of love — and whilst its bloom was believed to cure epilepsy, do you know how people in the ancient times used the seeds of this flower?, to avoid pregnancies or to terminate an unwanted pregnancy, and modern studies tell us there is merit in this ancient medicine for the flower can be dangerous for a pregnant woman. Need I say more? With Daenerys at least one miscarriage, plus probably others she has not recognized as such.

And yes, the Harpy's Gold is a poisonous plant albeit very beautiful. And can a flower symbolize Daenerys as much?, I said once, I'll say again that her names imo comes from the alliteration of Deianira and Iris (which mean in turns “destroyer of men” and “very beautiful woman”). The Harpy's Gold is purple, as Daenerys' eyes.

And obviously the two women in the past whose fate was sealed by roses are Lyanna and Elia, for Rhaegar' naming Lyanna queen of love and beauty. And it ended in tragedy, both women dead, their children either survived by chance and in hiding or killed cruelly.

Also, both sons of these women “resurrect” : Aegon metaphorically by claiming his birthright and his identity after hiding behind his false death and Jon by actually being raised from death.

And what about the Virgin's traits, you might ask?

First of all, the New Testament describes Mary as a woman of such humility and obedience to the message of God that she is chosen to carry his son.

(And I have already discussed on the matter of humility and arrogance of Sansa vs Daenerys, here and here).

On the top of that, Daenerys knows that there are Gods, but she annoverates herself between them:

“Up here in her garden Dany sometimes felt like a god, living atop the highest mountain in the world. Do all Gods feel so lonely?” (— Daenerys VI, ASOS);

whilst, Sansa, despite all the trauma and tragedy she has endured thinks:

“There are gods, she told herself, and there are true knights too. All the stories can't be lies.” (— Sansa IV, ACOK).

Mary has royal blood, and through her blood Jesus descends from royalty too. And, since infancy she has been known for her piety, beauty, gentleness and her devotion.

She's determined in her faith, and she never once turns her fury against the Lord for the tragedy that strikes her life (her son's death), she instead closes herself in prayer and guide others who follow her example.

“Was he mocking her? It wasn't the gods who'd been cruel, it was Joffrey.” — Sansa I, ACOK

“What had she ever done to make the gods so cruel?” — Daenerys VII, AGOT

And whilst the Magi (the three kings who bear gifts for Jesus under a comet) reminds me of Maegi (Mirri who calls herself godswife. With the consequent death of Rhaego, Daenerys' blood sacrifice and the red comet in the sky) here it defines even more the foils:

Daenerys receives “gifts” from her misadventure with Mirri, three dragons as three were the gifts borne by the Magi to Jesus. The point is this:

No. You are the blood of the dragon. The whispering was growing fainter, as if Ser Jorah were falling farther behind. Dragons plant no trees. Remember that. Remember who you are, what you were made to be. Remember your words. "Fire and Blood," Daenerys told the swaying grass.— Daenerys X, ADWD

There is in Egypt, near Cairo, the Virgin Mary's Tree, where the Holy Family took at first respite whilst they escaped Herod's fury. Which speaks of Mary's nurture.

Instead the gifts the Magi gives Jesus are supposed to show for his status, whilst Daenerys receives three dragons she uses to subjugate three cities in Slavers Bay.

On the other hand, Sansa is given three gifts as well, in a way, when the comet pass. Her “betrothed — the dragon's heir” (yes this is Jonsa, because Aegon is meant for Arianne, fight me on this and Jon is already defending her birthright which is attacked on all sides); the support of the Knights of the Vale (which will help her from her exile back in her homeland) and I think it's foreshadowed also the help of the Mountain Clans&the Riverlands. As Ned and Catelyn's daughter.

(paraphrasing, she receives three gifts: her compassion, her political cleverness and her honor as well; which will grant her the three above).

Another important aspect I am reminded of, in the books and show, is that, before showing for the first time his miracles, Jesus looks at Mary and awaits for her approval.

Before changing the water in wine, Jesus — who had mostly hidden his miracles for his own safety — looks at Mary and asks her approval, approval she gives by nodding and giving him way for it is time.

Which reminds me of the way Jon (resurrected one) works in tandem with Sansa, he doesn't do everything with her approval, but damn if her approval and her way of thinking doesn't shape him as a king and as a man. Look at the times Sansa nods to him, and approves of him when he is named king.

Haven't seen that in Daenerys, as she is the woman who takes her son's place (she wanted to put Rhaego on the throne even before Viserys died, and then with his death she assumes that role; as well as that of the Stallion who mounts the world, or so she thinks) instead of the woman who is foreshadowed to bring back her son to his homeland or giving her homeland the heir needed, her and later her child.

"Balon Greyjoy thinks in terms of plunder, not rule. Let him enjoy an autumn crown and suffer a northern winter. He will give his subjects no cause to love him. Come spring, the northmen will have had a bellyful of krakens. When you bring Eddard Stark's grandson home to claim his birthright, lords and little folk alike will rise as one to place him on the high seat of his ancestors. — Tyrion III, ASOS

On the top of that Daenerys is barren, so she has no virtual, nor real, heir to her throne; instead Sansa is foreshadowed not only to become queen, but to birth kings/queens. It's the core of her character, restoring the North and rebuilding House Stark.

Mary is the first believer, and she is considered embodiment of the Woman (the perfect example of woman all women should strive to replicate) and the Church itself.

In the same way as Sansa is the epitome of the princess of a song, but she's also the North, she's House Stark — she's the one building Winterfell back from snow — and did you know there is in Italy the Holy Mary Lady of the Snows?, and do you know where is her primary sanctuary? In the city of Sanza. I'm not even joking, look it up!: city of Sanza, 5th of august, Madonna delle Nevi.

Mindblowing, isn't it?

Instead, as the flames are epitome of the Hells, there is not, to my knowledge a Holy Mary associated with the flames, though there is another Holy Mary who is associated with stopping the flames. You know which one is her name?, Holy Mary of the riverbank (yeah I am not joking, again — in the city of Cuneo, there is the Madonna della Riva) who apparently appeared and stopped the flames that were burning the city and had sparked from the sanctuary, saving the people from the fires.

I mean... it doesn't get clearer than that, doesn't it?

And that's it (for now, I've long since learned that no serie of metas is ever done with)

I mean, I knew this one would turn monstrously long (totally blame @esther-dot and @minitafan for this one, which is half classical theme of the Mother and half biblical), but I hope you enjoyed!

As always, if there is someone who is an expert and wants to adds their two cents, be my guests!

Sending all my love~G.

[twdmusicboxmystery]

Dead City Ep 2 - Analysis

 Morning Everyone! I have so much to post! I'm really behind on posting about Dead City as well as our speculation about the sneak peek of the Daryl spinoff. I'm going to try and get caught up over the next few days. I've just been very busy at work and haven't had tons of time to finish the posts. Bear with me. This is mostly stuff about Dead City, episode 2. I'll get to more stuff from ep 3 tomorrow!

@galadrieljones:

Hey guys so I’m really loving catching up on all your thoughts. After watching the first two episodes of DC, beyond being just super stoked by the writing/acting/everything about it (it really feels like a very gritty, adult show, i love it), I have some stuff to add to your thoughts and tbh I still have some digging I want to do pertaining to certain of my observations, pertaining to DC and to the DD spin-off

@galadrieljones:

First, I want to directly just address my thoughts on a couple of the notes above. First, the question about where New Hill Top is. I have zero proof, but there are aesthetic and architectural qualities of New Hill Top that remind me of Meridian. I wonder if they migrated there? It would make a lot of sense, and also, Meridian, which is near Bethesda, MD and north of DC, is not as from from NYC as the original Hill Top, which is in like, Western Virginia.

@galadrieljones:

This is New Hill Top

Here are some screen shots of Meridian:

Like I said I have no proof, this is just my current speculation

I also observed Maggie's new fear of heights as something that I think they'll explore further. Surprisingly, Maggie has turned out to be a most mysterious character. The writers have done a great job of capitalizing on her mysterious hiatus and disappearance from TF

It's a rich opportunity to fill in the blanks with really interesting information that, I think, will tie together some of the seemingly disparate lore between the flagship, Fear, and World Beyond, as well as the current spin-offs.

I am also very interested in Hershel's coldness toward Maggie. I see it as a continuation of his brief but telling characterization in season 11, like when he tells the other kids about how he's eating weird animals before, like horse, to stay alive.

I think that Maggie left with Hershel thinking it's what was best for him, but really, it's what was best for her. She instilled in her a kind of PADRE-esque numbness and disposition toward family, friends, and living. He is aloof toward his training and seems to be rebelling against the idea that "living" is possible in this world. This is probably because of the really bad things he was exposed to while on the road with Maggie.

He is artistic, which seems to reflect some sensibility related to Beth, who writes songs and writes in her journal and likes aesthetic beauty.

Only he hides it because even as it is an instinct that lives deep inside of his DNA, he is ashamed, because it communicates that he is human with any sort of emotional vulnerability, which is something he has learned, via Maggie, to suppress at all costs.

I will say I am saddened by Maggie's disposition and how she still seems not to have settled up with Glenn's death. She still has trauma dreams about what happened the night he died. It's been what, like 11-12 years? I really can't tell how old Hershel is supposed to be or how long the time jump is. He seems to be about 12 years old.

This communicates to me though that the writers are acknowledging how one single moment can change a person's entire personality, their entire life and outlook and even their DNA. It's what happened to Daryl after Beth, without a question.

In terms of the scene with Marshal Armstrong in the apartment, I also felt WHAWGO throwbacks. The picture of the two men especially triggered that for me, and how he finds the body. I figured they were brothers, and that the Marshal had been meaning to check on him for a long time but had not had the courage nor the opportunity to do it before.

When he went looking for the gun, I thought it wasn't so much about the gun, but about what the absence of the gun would signal. This was before he found his brother's body. A missing gun would entail that his brother either escaped alive, or that he turned it on himself.

Mostly this scene communicated to me that Marshal is not a villain. They want us to sympathize with him in some way. I think he is doing things he doesn't want to do but thinks he has to in order to maintain order and survive. I think he will come around and help Maggie and Negan at some point, because he will learn what true cruelty is in the Croat.

(or else he'll fall pray to hubris and die in an unfortunate way, a la Wes in Fear, when he aligns with Strand)

I did see the spoon(s), @wdway, and they reminded me of Negan's pointed reference to "Lady Liberty" in the first episode. He talks about how his dad brought him back a souvenir, and that made me think of the D.C. spoon that Beth finds in Still, which is also a souvenir. Also I'm sure we've discussed how "Lady Liberty" is herself a symbol of France.

I also see coffee and pancake mix.

Pancakes are a return ultimately to Lori and the idea of living vs. survival, re: Rick's story about her in Indifference. They're also a callback to Grady. There also seems to be a crack vial on the stove here.

Something i want to point out that I am not sure whether or not it means something is the weird inverse references to fire. Remember in "No Other Way," during Maggie's fight with Carver, Negan rings that fire bell and throws sand in his face?

In the first episode, I noticed, in the hotel room where Negan is staying, the smoke detector is ripped off the wall. Then, in the second episode, when they're in the city, they pass by a cabinet with a missing fire extinguisher.

This is interesting to me, though I really don't know why. It seems to be some sort of reference to Consumed. This whole premise feels like a riff on Consumed, in which two people with a complicated history track and go searching for a missing loved one in a big, apocalyptic metropolis.

Only in Dead City, it's not fire. It's insects, it's guts, it's wetness. It seems like everything is dank and soaked with blood and like it's just moldy and rotten. The lighting is dark and it's perpetually night. In Atlanta, meanwhile, the episode mainly takes place during the day in the hot Georgia sun, beating down on them, and they're all sweaty, on the concrete, everything dry and dusty and there is fire.

The cockroaches felt like the fire in this episode. It's weird, too, because there are so many references to being "unclean." There's a protracted scene in a laundromat right after they're swarmed by roaches. Felt Biblical, then like this modern day reference to cleanliness, but ofc it's all corrupted.

The cockroaches also reminded me o 6.8 "Start to Finish," in which we see the ants marching in the window and swarming the cookie. It's a metaphor for walkers, but also just this idea of hidden dangers, and back to Morgan's instruction about how the dead aren't too dangerous one at a time, but when they all get together, they become very hard to escape.

The pigeon woman was interesting as pigeons are like corrupted doves. She is speaking Hebrew, which is very odd. Was she a Hasidic Jew? Her name is Esther, which is a common Hebrew name. She could also simply be Israeli. Either way, she was Jewish. I don't know that we have any other Jewish characters aside from the Rabbi in Fear named Jacob, who has mysteriously just disappeared.

(I mean, i don't think there's anything to the rabbi disappearing, like he just wasn't very interesting and they just left him in the dust which is fine lol)

But the rabbi shows up with his name, Jacob, and shows Charlie the Ner Tamid, then in the following season, Rachel shows up and has Mo. Within the context of TWDU of shows, Rachel dies right around the same time that Leah is introduced. I think that Rachel's appearance especially is formative of Leah's and meant to highlight the Jacob/Leah reference in TWD as being actually Biblical.

References to Hebrew and Judaism should be looked at closely because Gimple is a practicing Jew and he uses the Old Testament in meaningful ways. Basically I'm saying like, the Jewish references are important, especially when we think about Daryl's story, because clearly the Jacob/Leah/Rachel thing is in play for him. I really can't see any doubt to that at this point.

So I don't really know the point of Esther. She is a little bit like a good luck charm. She leads them to allies, and then she dies. Sort of like the man in the red poncho at the end of season 5.

I do not know what kind of animal is shown around the traps in NYC. It looks like some sort of wolf or fox, but its head reminds me of a Beaver or Otter

Ginny is a lot like Enid, right? Enid also didn't talk for a long time after arriving at ASZ.

We learn Enid's story in JSS, the episode in which the Wolves attack Alexandria. She eats a turtle. She uses the egg timer. There are a million ways in which Enid's story pans out to influence the world of TWD.

I wondered if maybe the story about Oceanside was a lie, though. Like, they just needed something to tell the Hilltop people that didn't sound so mysterious and suspicious.

I am super intrigued by who she might be.

I am also obviously wondering wtf happened to Annie and the baby. I wonder if they're dead or were taken by PADRE people.

I get the feeling we'll learn what happened to them at the end of this first season. It will open into season 2, in which Maggie "owes" Negan and the two go in search of Annie together.

They wouldn't astroturf his relationship with Annie and her pregnancy in season 11 if they didn't have a long term plan.

If it's been a couple of years, and Annie was taken when the baby was small or even when she was still pregnant, that would line up with the PADRE timeline; however, we know now that PADRE has been dismantled, so Annie and her kid might be separated or lost. We may meet them as a function of Madison's storyline or whatever comes after Fear.

Something I also plan to ruminate on a bit is the "Peter Lombardi" poster in the Marshal's brother's apartment. Peter Lombardi isn't a real basketball player. That's an invention. So like, wtf does that reference, i have no idea.

the tagline at the bottom of the poster seems to say "Once a player, always a player." He's #24.

The last name Lombardi is very recognizable as the same last name of the famous football coach Vince Lombardi. Like I said, I'm looking into it lol.

This was another "dead fire" reference, ie: the discarded mini blow torch on the table. I would assume it was used for smoking crack.

(re: the crack pipe on the stove)

@wdway:

I'm really enjoying reading your reviews of DC. There are a couple of comments that I want to make. On the stove in the apartment I noticed the spoon and the coffee can, but totally missed the pancake mix. Great catch. I want to add another pancake reference to the other two that you mentioned.

In Knotts Untie,, when everyone was in the RV headed back to Alexandra after their first visit to Hilltop Abraham made a comment to Glenn about, I can't remember if it was about Bisquick mixing or making the pancakes, same thing though. It was a typical strange comment from Abraham about Glenn impregnating Maggie. It was also where the sonogram picture of baby Herschel was passed around the group for everyone to see.

Daryl's reaction to the sonogram was so bittersweet. Happiness for Glenn and Maggie and heartbreak at how Beth had wanted Maggie and Glenn to have a child.

The other thing I want to say is that I also totally missed the missing fire extinguisher. Wow! I can't believe I didn't notice that. Fire extinguishersand and fire hydrants has always been a Beth symbol. We see them around her especially and also Daryl in Still. Beth is the one who lit the match and started the fire at the Still shack. She also used a mirror at the beginning of that episode to create fire, she is fire and water. The way I interpret the missing fire extinguisher is an obvious nod to Beth being missing.

@galadrieljones:

Good call on the Bisquick! I think he says something like, “When you poured the batter, were you hoping to make pancakes?” or something like that.

Yeah, and the fact they are searching for the source of the smoke. It’s like, the whole thing is this absence of light, absence of fire.

Negan lights the match at one point and the pigeon lady blows it out.

In “Consumed,” I also remember that it begins with Carol seeing the pillar of smoke, which leads her to the girls and Tyreese.

I have a couple other screenshots I want to share as well.

Here's the missing fire extinguisher

A "Dawn" reference. It says "Dawn Lincoln C Come Kill With Us."

Also a Lincoln reference in the same exact sentence

You can see "Macon, GA" clearly in this directory. A reference back to season 4 and Terminus.

It's on p. 270. Does that number ring a bell to anyone?

This shot is extremely dark, so sorry about that. It's the first shot we see of a mannequin at the laundromat. We will see several more after this. Maggie seems to run into mannequins a lot.

Maggie and Negan scale an elevator shaft. Always a fun callback.

One More reference

These are all from the credits.

In the first one, I find it ironic that the city looks like it's on fire, despite what it feels like in the show.

The second one features red gas canisters, and some sort of shopping cart reference.

There's then a rooftop garden, and a small plane.

I found a couple hidden things in the last two, I Spy style

If you look closely you can see that in the circled section it says, "Say Yes." ?

Here in the barb wire at first I just noticed the "A"; however, it could also be a clearly "USA"

These deer interested me

The credits sequence was awesome. I think there's probably more hidden stuff.

@twdmusicboxmystery:

I’m really loving this discussion! Just got all caught up. The idea that DC is just one big replay of Consumed (sort of) is really striking a cord for me. I loved everything you’ve said, and it’s got me thinking in a bunch of directions. It makes me wonder how this will turn out where Hershel is concerned.

As you said, it’s the opposite of Consumed in details—dark, wet vs dry, etc—so does that mean they WON’T find Hershel, because they actually did find Beth? Or will they find him, and he’ll remain alive and make it out in the audience’s minds, where Beth didn’t? I don’t know. But that smoking building is really intriguing when seen through the lens of Carol following various columns of smoke.

And I’ll have to think about this more because this is something they made a point about clear back in S4. Not only did Carol follow it to Tyreese and the girls (which suggests following the smoke leads to finding the people you’re looking for) but they did that whole thing where Mica taught Carol that black smoke meant it was still burning and white/gray smoke meant the fire was out.

And of course Daryl and Beth set that fire in S4, so Bethyl is ground zero for the pillar of smoke. Does that mean Maggie will literally find Beth in the smoking building? Or is Hershel just a stand-in/proxy for her? I also loved the insight that the cockroaches were like the ants on the cookie, representing walkers that will swarm them in the city. I hadn’t thought of that, though I should have.

I had to laugh at how Negan was just like, “Nope.” And they both noped right outta there. (Not that I wouldn’t have done the same. ;D) Anyway, great details about the Daryl clip as well. Great catch on the windows. I totally agree that this might not even be a chronological set of scenes. These may be taken from different parts and patched together. Nothing says a sneak peek has to be chronological. The other option is that they used different buildings for the interior and exterior shots, and they just don’t line up super well. Guess we’ll have to wait and see. Really great finds and insights, though. Loving it!

@wdway:

In reading your comments about the smoke, it reminded me of something I wanted to say earlier today and forgot. Talking of smoke, in Home Sweet Home, when Maggie, Daryl and company were initially going out to look for Maggie's group that had Herschel with them they saw smoke from the burning building going up into the sky through the trees. It immediately reminded me of Carol and the girls in, The Grove, seeing the smoke from the Still shack still burning. By the way Gimple verify that the smoke that Carol and the girls saw was from the Still shack. It was to show how very close all the survivors really were to each other and didn't know it.

Just read this and thought it was a bit of a coincidence since you were just talking about this earlier today. The location of hilltop.

@galadrieljones:

This is pretty interesting. They speculate it’s somewhere in NY or New Jersey. The thing is we know that territories can be huge, and just because they touch a territory adjacent to NYC (New Babylon), that doesn’t mean it has to be right next to it. That said, Bethesda/DC (Meridian) is quite far from Manhattan, over 200 miles.

It’s not a lot considering how far the CW was from like, Alexandria, but idk, again that’s just speculation. Philadelphia IS squarely in the middle between DC and NYC. Maggie is really not far from Rick. But, the time jump is a bit confusing. Idk where Rick might be at this point. And idk what Philadelphia has to do with this. Lots of ppl have speculated the CR is in Philly but I’m not so sure I believe that yet.

Maggie is pretty distracted but you’d think if Rick were back, she’d mention it, or Negan would have maybe heard. They still seem really in the dark about the CRM. Maggie is also separate from the CW and ASZ. And yet, I also have to wonder why Maggie is alone. Why isn’t she with Daryl? Or Carol? Or both? I know Daryl doesn’t like Negan but he’d do anything to help Maggie find Hershel, and so would Carol. She knows this too.

I could see her in seasons past calling on them to help her with something like this. If she has the time to track down Negan then she has the time to call them on the radio and they’d be there in two seconds. That said, are Carol and Daryl in France in this moment? Are they missing? Will we get some mention of them and wtf is going on?

[dickgreyson]

this post is maggiecore

[spices-and-cherries]

SFW alphabet for Merle Dixon

It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these, so I thought it would be fun to do Merle Dixon. I have no idea if this has already been done with him (I’m inclined to think that it hasn’t), but I hope you all enjoy regardless!

I did not reference race, gender, sexuality, or physical appearance. If I missed something, please let me know so I can change it!

Warnings: mentions of drugs, alcohol and sex (all pertaining to him)

Masterlist:

A= Affectionate (How affectionate are they?)

Merle is not a particularly affectionate person - or at least not conventionally. The idea of affection is so foreign to him that even if you’re the one initiating, he’s uncomfortable. That’s not to say he doesn’t make an effort in his own way (that goes beyond sexual comments and gestures). He does make sure you’ve eaten and that you’re not taking on too much. 

B= Beginning (How would the relationship start?)

Probably through a friends with benefits kind of situation or you hated each other at work. The two of you fuck around then then suddenly feelings are being caught, leading to an awkward period where either one or both of you have no clue how to communicate with the other. 

C= Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

Sort of. He’s open to the idea. He likes it when you have your head resting on his shoulder.

D= Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

Merle had to be the caretaker in a family that was incredibly dysfunctional, so he’s used to cleaning and cooking. He’s also been on his own a lot and was in the military for a while, so cleaning after himself is ingrained in him (helps that he doesn’t own a whole lot, too). 

All of that aside, it really will be when pigs fly that he’ll clean up after you as well.

E= Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

It would be after a long while of constant conflict that will have reached to the point that he doesn’t want to even smell you, much less look at your face. It would be during one of your fights that he would break things off. Typically, he’d be the one to leave, grabbing some of his stuff and slamming the door behind him, but this time? This time he stands his ground and sees to it that you don’t walk back through that door again. 

F = Fiancé(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

Commitment is not his forte whatsoever, but he tries for you (of course, there are bumps along the way). If the two of you do decide to get hitched, it’s the most unromantic affair - apocalypse or not - ever. Despite the situation, Maggie and Glenn’s kind-of marriage was romantic. Merle would just ask at the most inopportune time and his comments would drain out the last dredges of potential romance out of it.

G= Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

He’s as gentle as a dump-truck. 

H= Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

Hugs are on his terms. He’ll usually hug you from behind so he can rest his chin on your head/shoulder or one of his arms will be slung across your shoulders. The only time he’s 100% comfortable with you initiating a non-sexual hug is if you haven’t seen each other in a long time.

I= I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

It takes him a very long time to say the L-word. He’s never said it before because he never meant it before, but now that he does? It’s something he’d rather show in his own clumsy way. If you ever doubt it, just look at Daryl - he’s gagging in the corner. 

J= Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

Merle can get jealous and lets it show by giving the cause a death-stare they won’t forget any time soon. Until the person you’re interacting with takes it too far or makes a joke, Merle won’t do anything. When the line is crossed, he will puff out his chest and dare the person to pull another move, egging them into a fight. 

K= Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

Few and far between, but he does like getting kisses on the jaw.

L= Little ones (How are they around children?)

He can handle babies - he’s had more than enough experience from when he took care of Daryl - but there’s a certain point where he no longer has any idea what to do. Kids are weird and too all over the place for him to be able to even think about trying to connect in some way or another. 

If they stare at him, he’ll stare back until they look away. The record is seven minutes and thirty-nine seconds. 

M= Mornings (How are mornings spent with them?)

Lazy.

N= Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Heated.

O= Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

It’ll take a while. You’ll have to share your demons first and, depending on how much what you’ve said resonates with him, he’ll share little bits and pieces. You learn more about him during arguments (usually the ones you overhear between him and Daryl).

P= Patience (How easily angered are they?)

Pretty easily. He’s easy for you to calm down, though. He’d never admit it, but he relaxes almost immediately when you run your hand up and down his back.  

Q= Quizzes (Who much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

He forgets everything and the things he doesn’t forget get mixed up until up is down and left is right. 

R= Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

Probably when you reunited after everything went to shit. You had gone on a trip with some friends or something (he doesn’t remember), but the two of you lost contact with each other almost immediately. The moment that he saw your face after months of trying not to resign himself to your death is indescribable to him. 

S= Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

While he knows you can handle yourself, a big part of him still wants to keep you out of harms way. His concern makes itself more evident in your arguments as he tries to get you stay home in the worst ways possible.

T= Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

Not a lot of effort. Like at all. He doesn’t see the importance of them - you’re still together, so what does it matter?

U= Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

The drinking and smoking and the constant hankerin’ for drugs. 

V= Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks? Do your looks bother them?)

It doesn’t matter whether it’s before or after the apocalypse, he doesn’t understand people who are overly concerned about their appearance. Vanity is not something he needs in his life.

W= Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

As much as he hates to admit it, yeah, he does.

X= Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

The two of you have bonded so much over books. If Merle thinks he’s found a novel you’d like, he’ll get it for you and vice versa. 

You’ve woken up in the middle of the night to find him reading and you’ve found that he’s much more open to cuddles during this time (if you don’t give away the fact that you’re awake). 

Y= Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

Merle is not a fan of folks who try to delude themselves into thinking that walkers are still people or who try and hide away from the realities of the world. He’s also not a big fan of his partner ‘taking charge’ of the relationship. Doesn’t matter why, he just isn’t. 

Z= Zzz (What is a sleep habit of theirs? Does it change around a partner?)

He doesn’t tend to move around a lot and he does snore, but it’s usually because he smokes. 

-----

I hope you all enjoyed!

- Simpy

[simsroyallegacy]

Persephone’s Garden, Windenburg, Lunaria – 11:17 AM

Minerva: And then he accidentally spits his wine out all over the tablecloth! The poor man was so embarrassed I couldn’t get a word out of him for the rest of the evening!

Regina and Annaliese: *laughing*

Minerva: I felt horribly bad for him but negotiations with his father were so much easier afterwards –– all I have to do is mention Cabernet Sauvignon and he agrees to almost anything I say!

Annaliese: Who knew a date with the son of one of the members of the HoL would be so entertaining! Perhaps I should try to score one –– it might make my father’s life a little easier.

Minerva: I wouldn’t recommend it at all! He was a terribly boring man and he couldn’t stop talking about his father’s “noble work”. I’ve been on plenty of dates where a man wouldn’t shut up about himself, but never one where he wouldn’t shut up about his father!

Annaliese: *laughing* Ew, how creepy! You know, Nicky recently had this run in with a girl at a charity event––

Minerva: Oh? He’s...dating...again? I thought he wasn’t looking for a relationship right now?

Annaliese: Oh Minnie, just because he isn’t looking doesn’t mean every woman in the country isn’t trying to sweep him off his feet. All anybody talks about during our Ladies for Change fundraisers is where my brother is and whether or not he would like to meet their friend/daughter/sister etc. 

Minerva:...

Annaliese: *smirking* I’m surprised you even want to know about anything pertaining to his dating life considering you just told me you couldn’t care less what he does as long as he “is taking care of your precious Maggie”...

Minerva: I’m simply asking after my friend, Ana, you read too much into these things. If Nicky’s ready to get out there again I’m very much happy for him. 

Minerva: Now, if you’ll excuse me ladies, I’ll just be off to the washroom.

Annaliese: Don’t take too long Minnie dear, I still have to tell you about my latest event for Ladies for Change!

Minerva: *laughing* I’ll move quickly then! Can’t keep you waiting, can I?

Annaliese: As you can see, that’s about as far as I can get with her, Mum.

Regina: *sighs* Honestly, darling, you lack subtlety in your approach. Women like the lovely Minerva don’t like to be cornered.

Annaliese: The mere mention of my brother shuts her down unless it involves Maggie, how exactly am I supposed to even subtly coerce her?

Regina: Perhaps not mentioning him or her goddaughter at all will do the trick? Let her come to you my dear, she’ll be much more amenable to speaking about things other than Magdalena if she is the one to broach the subject.

Annaliese: Wouldn’t she find it odd if I just suddenly stopped talking about my brother and niece?

Regina: You’re pushing her too hard and eventually she’ll feel as if she was never given a choice in her relationship with Nicholas. I advise you to back off for now, dear,  and let things fall into place a bit more.

Regina: If you don’t mind, I could do to freshen up as well. Why don’t you order something for dessert? I’m quite in the mood for some of our divine chocolate cake today...

Annaliese: Good luck then, Mum. Don’t keep me waiting.

@officalroyalsofpierreland​

[thecarnivorousmuffinmeta]

Do you have any thoughts about the HP movies? (Sorry if you've already done this)

Specifically? It’s been far too long. I’d have to rewatch them and that’s something I just don’t have the will power to do.

As a whole, I think they’re really bad movies, not quite as unwatchable as Twilight, but not enjoyable either. It’s very telling that I haven’t watched them in years.

Generally the films are carried on the backs of cameos by brilliant adult actors with star studded careers. And this is nearly every single adult character. Even bit parts like Ollivander are played by brilliant actors. Hilariously, because many fans don’t watch any other movies. I see many people claim, with no shame whatsoever, that Maggie Smith’s greatest role was Minerva McGonagall. Clearly, no one would know her name were it not for these wonderful movies. 

Unfortunately, these actors don’t appear much, so we’re left to the mercies of the child actor cast. On the whole, they’re not bad, I’ve definitely seen much much much worse. Daniel Radcliffe turned into a very talented actor, Emma Watson is... watchable, and I don’t remember Rupert Grint being unbearable. However, to me they were never that interesting, and it says a lot that Snape, a much more tertiary character, has much more presence in the films thanks to Alan Rickman.

Then you just have the plots in general.

Harry Potter really isn’t suited for movies, it’d be much better off as a series. Most of the actual books isn’t Solving The Mystery, it’s filler. Very enjoyable filler of Ron and Hermione and Harry having a spat about Crookshanks today or going to Divination with Trelawney, but filler. So you got these weird movies that try to focus on the collection of scenes they think are important, when most don’t actually pertain to the Mysterious Mystery, while also giving the Hogwarts Atmosphere. This is also what’s partly to blame for all those Quidditch scenes in the films, entertaining and short in the books, did not translate well to screen.

Combine with this the directors changing nearly every film, no one quite sure what the tone of any given film should be, and everything else and they’re just generally bad movies. Not the worst I’ve ever seen, but certainly not great.

And the fact that people will still insist to me that these are far better than Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings” blows my mind every single time.

[galadrieljones]

When I watched Daryl's Origins episode and he said he had feelings for Beth, I couldn't help but remember your theory about Leah and Rachel

Because he has romantic feelings for Beth since s5 and then eventually gets Leah she's wearing a mask and she's not what she looks like 👏🏻👏🏻

Thanks, anon!! I definitely still feel strongly about Daryl as a Jacob figure. Especially after watching Fear, I really feel this way. The Jacob/Leah/Rachel template is mixed and matched and occasionally inverted in TWD and Fear, but a lot of the themes and elements are really strong.

In Fear, there is a character named Rachel. She showed up just a few months before the character Leah showed up in TWD. In "Find Me," Leah tells the story of her "sister" who died in childbirth, and she raised the baby as her own. In Fear, Rachel dies with her baby strapped to her back. After her leg is crushed by a car, she attaches herself to her dog's leash, and when she turns into a walker, the dog leads her to Morgan and Grace, who, it is heavily implied, will raise Rachel's baby as their own.

In the Bible, Rachel dies in childbirth while bearing Jacob's second son, Benjamin. Jacob was so devastated, he built her her own tomb, outside Bethlehem. Rachel is the only matriarch or patriarch of the Israelites who gets her own special tomb. Rachel is regarded as a paradigm matriarch, a strong defender of her children and of her people, all of this despite the fact that she struggled for a long time to have her own children. Unlike Leah, who had many of Jacob's children, Rachel was only able to conceive two: Joseph and Benjamin, of course dying after the second.

I believe this is another parallel between Rachel and Beth. Beth was a mother, and a defender of children, even as she did not have any of her own children. She wanted a child, something she verifies in season 3, but she never got one of her own. She helped raise Judith, but like Rachel in Fear, she died before she could see Judith grow up. Judith is an interesting character here, too, because conceivably, at the time that Beth was raising her, it's possible, and even likely, that both of her biological parents were already dead, meaning Beth was just as much a mother to her as Rick was a father.

Further, Judith has an interesting presence in the Bible. Judith is the name of the first wife of Esau, who is Jacob's older brother; however, Judith is also the name of the protagonist of the Book of Judith, which is canon in Roman Catholicism but considered to be a kind of historical fiction in Judaism. In the Book of Judith, Judith is a descendent of Simeon, who is the second son of Leah and Jacob. She is well-known as a heroic, cunning widow who beheads her enemy and saves her town of Bethulia. In either case, she's tied up with Jacob's story and his lineage.

Basically, there are TONS of parallels between the Jacob/Leah/Rachel story and the Daryl/Leah/Beth story, the most interesting being, as you said, the fact that Daryl loved Beth first, just as Jacob loved Rachel first, and then later, both Daryl and Jacob get Leah instead, who comes in disguise. I'm looking forward to seeing how some more of these parallels play out, pertaining to Judith in particular. It's my prediction that Judith will, at some point, become curious about her biological mother this season, and she'll ask Maggie and/or Daryl about Lori. Michonne didn't know Lori, and now that Judith is basically parentless, and she's getting older, she will only naturally become curious about her origins.

Its worth noting that one of Maggie's "Best-of" episodes on AMC+ is "Killer Within," which is the episode in which Maggie delivers Judith and Lori dies. Any conversation with Judith about her biological mother is an inevitable avenue to Beth, the "mother" who took care of her after Lori died. And ofc, any discussion of Beth could lead to the question of how SHE died, bringing us right back to "Coda" and all the missing information that surrounds it.

❤️

[littleredlie]

Hearts (S1P5)

Series Masterlist | Master Masterlist

Chicago Med x doctor!OC Morgan Fitzgerald is a doctor at Chicago Medical and family secret’s spill as her younger brother goes through major life changes. Her relationship with her colleagues also alter as she weighs everyone’s decisions during the day. Based off S1E14 of Chicago Med

4.0k+ Words 

Featuring: Morgan Fitzgerald, Marcus Fitzgerald, Will Halstead, Maggie Lockwood, Connor Rhodes, Stephanie Fitzgerald (mentioned), Don Fitzgerald, April Sexton Warning:  mentions of rape and murder, idk what else ???, cursing ??? , patient death, mentions of pregnancy loss A/N: I don’t know how I feel about this one. We learn more about Morgan and her family. And Connor and Morgan’s relationship is altered. She also reconciles with Will. Let me know.

Part Four

“Dad? Is everything okay?” 

Morgan’s father rarely called her. It wasn’t that they were distant, they just didn’t like talking on the phone. And Morgan always made the effort to fly out to Colorado Springs at least once a year.

“No, everything’s not okay. It’s Marcus.”

“Marcus? What happened?” Morgan stops in a vast hallway, her body looking out to the street that runs alongside the hospital.

“He dropped out of college.”

“Um,” Morgan thinks about what to say. “Dad, I don’t know what I’m supposed to do about that.”

“He’s not answering our calls and his roommate hasn’t seen him in a few days.”

Morgan and Marcus were close. But after Olivia’s death they grew distant, even though they lived in the same city. Occasionally, they would get together for lunch or dinner and they would try to spend birthdays together, but Morgan was busy (more like consumed) with work and Marcus was focusing on school. 

“Dad, I just got back from a trip two weeks and I’ve been nonstop busy with work. I haven’t necessarily been keeping watch.”

“Well, when you get the chance can you please tell him to call us. Or even talk to him yourself.”

Morgan lets a sigh out unsure on how to handle the situation. “I’ll do what I can dad, but no promises. Marcus is his own person and after Olivia, things have been different.”

“They have been for us all Morgie. It doesn’t mean he should throw away his life.”

“Dad.” She sternly cuts him off before he could continue. “When I get a hold of him I’ll talk to him. You’ll only get him mad.”

“Now Morgan, I just want what’s best for him. I let him fly out there for college and he proves me wrong by being irresponsible. Stephanie is friends with the dean, she can reverse his decision.”

Her father continues, but a nurse walks up to Morgan gaining her attention.  “Dr. Fitzgerald, your brother is waiting for you in the cafeteria.”

“Thank you.” Morgan nods and turns her attention back to her dad. “Dad, listen. I have an important case that I need to get back to. When I see or hear from Marcus, I’ll call you.” The older man tries to continue talking, but Morgan hangs up the phone and makes her way to the cafeteria.

When she makes it to the vast space, she easily spots her brother Marcus. He’s using his fork to push around a tomato on his plate and his leg is bobbing up and down, shaking the chair next to him. 

“Hey Marcus. You haven’t been waiting long have you?” Morgan pulls the chair away from her brother’s shaking leg and sits down in it.

“No, I just got here.”

“Good.” Morgan pulls out her lunch, noticing how hungry she’d gotten. “So, what’d you want to talk about?” She asks then shoves a forkful of pasta in her mouth.

“I came to give you this.” Marcus pulls out a key and slides it over to his sister. Morgan hurriedly swallows her food to question him.

“Why’re you giving it back?”

“I appreciate you letting me stay in your apartment these past couple of weeks while Hayden’s gone.” Morgan urges him to continue. She pushes away her fettuccine alfredo dish and picks up the key. 

“I told you, you could stay as long as you want. Hayden’s gonna be out for another two weeks or so.”

“No, I know that. And again thank you. But I’m actually leaving Chicago.” Marcus tries telling the news slowly, but it still brings shock to his older sister. Her eyes have widened and her eyebrows were almost aligned with her hairline.

“Don’t you think that’s a little too rushed. It’s not too late to go back to school or –”

“No Morgan. It’s like I said last night. It’s been a little rough on me and I just don’t think school’s for me.”

“What’re you gonna do?”

“A friend of mine has some work in Louisiana for me.”

“And what exactly is your plan Marcus? You dropped out of school two weeks ago. Your name is still on the lease of your apartment. Are you planning on  going down to Louisiana to couch surf? You haven’t thought this through.”

“Wow Morgan. Out of everyone, I thought you’d be more supportive.” He scoffs, a little offended. Morgan can see her brother pull himself away from her, leaning back in his chair.

“It’s not that Marcus. I’m your sister, I’m allowed to be like this. Criticize your actions. Worry about you.”

“Well you need to understand that this is something that I want to do?”

“Why? What happened two weeks ago that has prompted you to uproot your life?” Marcus glances away, looking anywhere but at his sister. This irritates Morgan a bit and she taps the table to get him to look at her. “You can talk to me Marcus.”

“Two weeks ago, I got arrested and was almost charged with drug possession.” The news shocks Morgan even more and now she’s the one to lean back into her chair.

“Why didn’t you tell me? What happened?”

“I didn’t tell you because my mom didn’t want me to tell you. She used her connections to get the charges dropped.”

“She got the charges dropped? More than she ever did for me.” Morgan mumbles the last part, but Marcus hears her.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

The older sister makes a sucking noise with her teeth and shakes her head. “It’s nothing. Got into a fight at a frat party and got arrested, and instead of bailing me out, your mom let me spend the night in jail. And I had to do all the hard work to get it expunged.”

“Maybe that’s why she didn’t want me to tell you.”

“Yeah. Probably.” Morgan and Stephanie didn’t have the best relationship. It might have started from the fact that Morgan refused to call her ‘mom’ and had always called her by her name. Maybe even the fact that Morgan looked just like her mother. It could have also been the fact that Stephanie’s only son with her father, Marcus, looked up to Morgan as her replacement. Stephanie was always away on lawyer business; their dad had expectations for all his children to fulfill and it got a little overbearing; Olivia was an older teen that was out of the house by the time Marcus was four; and his older brother Omar was a kid himself, so most responsibilities that pertained to Marcus growing up, fell onto Morgan. She didn’t mind, but Stephanie did and it only created a bigger rift between stepmom and stepdaughter. 

Take into account a bunch of other events that occurred since Stephanie married her dad and it’s no surprise that the two didn’t get along and had to restrain themselves during family holidays. When Marcus moved out to Chicago, he did it as a way to get closer to his big sister again and he also understood that the death of their older sister was hard on Morgan. But despite his efforts they never did get close as they used to be.

Morgan is pulled out of her thoughts when she realizes that she’s staring off into the distance. “Anyways, that all doesn’t matter. Your mom got you out, it doesn’t seem like that is a reason to leave.”

“Well our dad’s apparently had enough of my shenanigans this semester, so he cut me off.”

“He cut you off?” Morgan leaves forward again, her forearms accidentally slamming into the table too hard.

“Yeah. My grades have been slipping. I’ve been to more parties than lectures. And I guess the arrest was the last straw.”

“And instead of helping you out, he cuts you off?”

“I don’t really care. I’ve finally realized college isn’t for me and that I just want to find my own path.”

“Okay, Mr. Fortune Cookie. Are you sure? Maybe you shouldn’t abruptly leave and detach yourself from your family after something like that happened? Maybe you should stay with me a little longer.”

“Morgan, I love you. But you’re never home. Since I got here last year, you’re never available and I know that’s not gonna change soon. Dad and I aren’t talking. And I’m not gonna move back home just to be stuck listening to my mom trying to push me back to school.”

“You can at least find a job in a city you know. I’ll help pay for your rent.”

“You still have student loans to pay off and your own rent to worry about.” “What about Omar? He and Rachel have an extra room in their apartment in California. It’ll be a new town, but you’d have family.”

“I’m not moving into an apartment with my older brother and his wife, not while they’re trying for a baby.”

“Is there any way that I can get you to change your mind?”

“No.”

“Dad called, he might uncut you off.” She shrugs, trying anything to get him to not make such a rash decision.

“Morgan,” he takes his sister’s hands trying to calm her down. “This will be good for me, I promise.” There’s a smile on his face, a dimple poking out of his left cheek. Morgan tries to say something again, but her phone beeps, indicating that she is needed in the emergency room. She hesitates, not wanting to end this conversation. “Take it, I have to head back to my apartment to pack.”

“Marcus–” He gives his sister a look and she pulls out her phone. Yep, she was needed. She stands up and he does the same. “You better not leave without giving me a proper goodbye.”

“I won’t,” the 19 year old pulls his sister in for a hug and she hugs him firmly, kind of scared to let him go. “Why don’t we go out for dinner and bring Connor?”

“Connor?”  Morgan pulls her body away from her brother, a confused look decorating her features. “How’d you know he was back?”

“I actually talked to him about this a few days ago.”

“I didn’t know you two were that close.”

“He’s a family friend. Friend of the family. I am also in this family.

“Yeah, I guess. I’ll ask him.” Morgan shoves her brother slightly and then begins making her way to the emergency department. “Keep the alfredo. Connor made it.” She yells back to him, the abandoned food resurfacing in her mind.

          ❦

The second Morgan walks into the ER she spots Connor at the desk. She walks up behind him and places a gentle touch on his bicep.

“Hey,” he says when he sees her.

“Hey.” He turns back to the Mac computer, but she keeps looking at him. “Why didn’t you tell me about Marcus? You and I see each other everyday.”

“It’s not that I was keeping it from you, Marcus wanted to tell you himself. And he asked me for advice on how to tell you.”

“Oh,” she tilts her head to the side as if to get a better perspective. “ I didn’t know I was that difficult to speak to.”

“You have your moments Fitz, but telling you was really important to him. So I was willing to help.” 

“Well thank you. He seems to be at ease with his choices.” 

“Well I’m glad.” Connor nods, giving a little smirk to his friend.

“He’s invited us to dinner. Wanna come?”

“Yeah, sure.”

A ding resonates in the department and Morgan sees Maggie in the corner of her eye.

“Dr. Fitzgerald, trauma one incoming.” Maggie says, a light tap on the doctor’s arm before moving towards the ambulance bay doors. 

Instantly Morgan grabs two pairs of blue gloves from a box on the countertop, throwing the extra towards the surgeon. “Come on heart doctor.” He chuckles, but pulls the gloves on and follows Morgan.

“18-year-old female hit a guard rail, flipped her car. Open left tib/fib, BP 90/75.” Everyone begins reeling the gurney into a trauma room. “Heart rate 130, GCS 10.”

“Alright, she’s gonna need ortho.” Dr. Rhodes starts. “Call X-ray. Alert the OR.” Maggie signals her understanding before putting the orders in her cube.

Morgan grips the sheets the patient is on to start the transfer. “One, two three. Transfer.” On her orders everyone moves the patient onto the treatment bed.

“It’s okay, sweetie.” Maggie soothes. “Let go of the purse; it’s okay. Let go.”

“It’s okay.” Connor tries to comfort as well, seeing the hesitance in the patient’s eyes. “You can give her the purse, okay? You can give her the purse.” 

Morgan moves away from the top of the patient and focuses on her other injuries. Morgan looks up to the screen; worry beginning to climb in her chest. Maggie leaves the room on a quest to find the girl’s family. Maggie takes her place next to Doris. “BP is crashing,” she says to the team.

“Pulse ox is 78.”

“She’s lost consciousness.” Morgan notices, taking a torch and flashing it into the girl’s eyes to gauge her reaction.

“Give me 100 of Sux, 20 of Etomidate.”

“Need a hand?” Morgan’s head raises to the sound of Dr. Halstead.

“Yeah, throw in a tube.” Morgan recommends and Will enters the situation. Morgan grabs the breathing mask and places it on Skyler’s face as the red headed doctor begins prepping the tube.

“She’s bleeding from somewhere.” Dr. Rhodes says. “Get the level one transfuser, trigger the MTP. I need the FAST scan and a chest X-ray.” The FAST scan is put in Connor’s hand as Will continues to intubate the girl. Morgan holds the breathing mask, waiting to move onto the next task to help the patient. Nurses surround the doctors giving off statuses and performing duties. 

“I’m in.” Will says and Morgan hands him the breathing tube so that he can push air into Skyler’s lungs. He nods at her and Morgan gives off a smile before moving away.

“All right, there’s no free fluid in her belly.”

“Let’s get the X-ray in here. And increase O2 to the max.” Morgan immediately announces when Connor removes the ultrasound wand. Will puts on a lead apron, Connor places a board under the girl and Morgan heads out of the way.

“X-ray, clear.”

“Clear.”

The room continues moving as soon as the X-ray is done. Will looks at the results, analyzing the problem. “Her left side is whited out and her mediastinum has shifted to the right.”

“It’s a tension haemothorax.” Morgan mumbles, her hands moving to the drawer with a chest tube. 

“Chest tube tray now. 36 French.” Connor says, and Morgan places it in his hand.

“Hand me the trauma shears.” Morgan asks April, who hands it to her. The doctor then cuts the girl’s shirt and disinfects the area. She moves out of his Dr. Rhodes’ way as he begins to cut into Skyler’s side.  Blood begins squirting out of the cut while Connor tries to plug it closed. “We need more sponges.” 

“Yes, doctor.”

“More four by fours.” Someone says.

“She tore something major in there.” Will exclaims as he tries to help his colleague. 

“Transfuser’s here!” April vocalizes, pulling the machine.

As Connor continues with the chest tube, Morgan leads the way. “Alright, let’s hook it up. Start with the blood and the plasma.” The nurse starts to do what was directed and Morgan moves back to Skyler’s head. A few more things are addressed before Connor makes the move to go up to the OR. Together the team, excluding Morgan, wheel the girl in the direction of the OR.

The doctor throws the gloves in a trash can, making her way over to Maggie’s desk.

“You’re not going up with them?”

“No, Connor’s got it. Besides I was paged down here for something.”

“Yes, a patient of yours in treatment 4. Should be your last before you head up to OBGYN.”

Morgan takes the tablet with a smile and turns, heading to the new patient. It’s been two weeks since she got back from her vacation and the break has allowed her to enjoy her job. You could see it in the way she easily smiled and they way interacted with her surroundings. Kevin and Adam taking the case out of her hands, helped as well. Maybe life could be a little easier now.

          ❦

When it came to obstetrics and gynecology, it was not as hectic as the emergency room. And during her hours there, Morgan was able to slow her pace down a little. Sure at times it could get a little boring, but Morgan loved seeing pregnant women and delivering babies, the beauty of life.

She’s standing in front of the glass window of the nursery room. Babies sprawled in their little incubators. Some fussing, some sleeping, some peacefully looking at the dim lights about them. She’s so entranced, she doesn’t even notice the person walking up beside her.

“They’re adorable, aren’t they?” She turns her head to see a woman who’s also looking at the newborns. “Is one of them yours?”

“Oh no! I just like looking at them.”

“Understandable. The one right here,” she points to a baby with a light green hat,” is mine. Harley is her name.”

“Beautiful.” Morgan sighs out, a small grin on her face.

“Do you have kids?”

“Um, no.” The doctor chokes out.

“Do you want kids?”

The personal question shocks Morgan. It almost makes her faint. Lately she hasn’t thought about it; but usually whenever she was on the phone with her dad or Stephanie, they’d remind her that her biological clock was running out. “I think I do.” Morgan answers, unsure what kind of answer that was. “I was pregnant twice before, but after that I never thought of it.” The doctor had no idea why she just told the woman that. No one knew about her pregnancies, not Hayden or Connor, not her brothers or her dad. This was something she wanted to keep to herself, not like it was anyone else’s business.

“Well I hope that you figure it out.”

“Thank you,” Morgan stalks away trying not to let the revelation of her child situation get the best of her. She continues walking until she gets back to the ED. She resumes working for the last few hours of her shift. Her mind forgetting everything else going on in her life and continuing with work.

          ❦

“Hey Will, have you seen Connor?” Morgan asks after venturing through the ED looking for her dinner date. “We’re supposed to have dinner.”

“So now you’re talking to me? Cause it’s almost been a month.” He says, packing away some things in his bag.

“Yeah, I am.” She looks at him. He isn’t looking at her and Morgan understands why. “Will, I’m sorry, I am. Everything that was happening a few weeks ago was a nuclear bomb. You were going through your own things and I didn’t necessarily help.”

“You were a little hostile,” they both chuckle at that. Morgan steps a little closer, testing the waters a little bit.

“I know I was. When it comes to my family, I get a little defensive. Especially with what happened to my sister. Then you went a did something incredibly stupid and I just got mad at you. And everytime I thought about approaching you, you went and did another stupid thing. You’re a great doctor. Amazing. I don’t want you to ruin that.” The two of them are closer now and Morgan tries to show her sincerity. “You have been one of my closest friends these past few years and I didn’t want to lose you. I’m sorry.”

“I forgave you a while ago.” He answers back and Morgan releases a breath she didn’t know she’d captured.

“And I promise I will try to tell you about my family and other things. Just give me a little time.”

“Yeah, of course. No big deal.” He nods, his eyes grazing the features of her face.

“Thank you Will. I don’t deserve you.” Morgan throws her arms around him and he almost doesn’t have time to react as she quickly pulls herself back. “I’m sorry to rush this nice moment, but have you seen Connor? We’re supposed to meet my brother for dinner.”

“Oh! Yeah, sorry. He was here just a few minutes ago. He was packing up to leave.”

“Damn, he must’ve forgot about dinner.”

“Morgan, you should know that our peds v auto patient didn’t make it. She died in surgery and I think it got to him.”

Taking a few steps back, Morgan nods, understanding the situation. “Thanks for letting me know. I’ll go make sure he’s okay.” Grabbing the bag that was prepped before she went on her search for Connor, she heads out of the room and throws a quick wave to Will.

It’s a little cold when Morgan steps out and she tightens her coat around her. Connor’s car is still in the parking lot and the sight pulls her body towards him. As she gets closer she sees him crying. The scene demolishes Morgan’s heart and it almost makes her cry, her eyes wetting as teardrops sit unshed. Her hand raises to tap on the driver window and she sees her friend jump a little. His head hesitantly turns to look at Morgan and she offers a small smile. He just looks at her, unaware of what to say or do, but gladly Morgan does. 

She walks around the front of the car and opens the passenger door, throwing her backpack in first and placing herself inside. The door slams shut and silence envelopes the two doctors. With no hesitation, Morgan reaches across the center counsel and takes Connor’s hand. Her thumb grazes his knuckles as his sobs calm down a little.

“I’m sorry about your patient Connor.” He turns his head and looks at her with a grateful look. “I already canceled dinner with Marcus. We can have it another night.”

“Thank you.”

“For the time being though, let’s go back to my place. We can watch movies and order pizza from that old pizzeria that we used to go to as kids. And you can’t say no.” Her other hand cups his face and softly wipes the tears away. “We’ll even drink wine or something. Whatever’s in the cupboards.” Connor’s hand clutches the wrist of the hand on his cheek, his thumb now soothing the exposed skin. There’s a small smile adorning his face and they almost reach his eyes. 

“I’m sorry about dinner.” His voice is raspy, bothered by the crying he was just doing. But Morgan finds it cute and it only brings her closer to him.

“No need to apologize. Like we promised, we’d always be there for each other.” It’s intimate, the most they’ve ever been and it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was as if they had always been this intimate. And no one knew who moved first, but in a short moment their lips clashed against each other in a kiss that was long overdue.  

Connor’s hand leaves Morgan’s and moves to cup the back of her neck as a way to bring her closer to him. The action, along with the temperature, sends a chill down her spine but the warmth of his lips soothes her. The tenderness of the kiss remains and they both decide to keep it gentle because these were new waters. His lips are a little chapped, but they compliment her soft ones and it parallels her callous fingers that are caressing his soft skin.

If Morgan could kiss Connor forever, she would. But they were still sitting in his car in the hospital parking lot. Their movements stop for a moment and they both sit there with their eyes closed, lips barely touching. When Morgan opens her eyes, he’s looking at her. There’s still a sad look present, but a small grin is pointed at her. She notices the dark scruff sculpting the bottom of his face and the tears sitting on his eyelashes. His eyes are on her lips as he feels an overpowering urge to kiss her again.

“We can also do more of that if you aren’t up for movies.” Morgan jokes before giving him a chaste kiss.

“Yeah, why not.” He whispered, willing to continue the private moment but also take a break from the day.

Part Six

[makerkenzie]

Golden Crowns and Golden Shrouds

As you know, I’ve been working on a critique of the Martells’ plan to punish the Lannisters and restore the Targaryens, so as I was reading the Dorne chapters in AFFC, I came back to Myrcella. 

Book version, she has a misadventure with Arianne which gets her maimed and nearly killed. She loses an ear and gets a fat chunk sliced off her face. She’s still alive! But someone who was supposed on be on their side tried to kill her. It was a split-second’s unexpected movement by her horse that made the difference between her ear and her life. 

Because she’s survived a near-miss and lost a body part, I started thinking: if not for Maggy’s prophecy, I might think book-version Myrcella won’t die young after all.

It’s 2020 and life is short, so I’m gonna show you my new crackpot theory! 

Let’s take another look at Maggy’s prophecy:

“Three questions may you ask,” the crone said, once she’d had her drink. “You will not like my answers. Ask, or begone with you.”

Go, the dreaming queen thought, hold your tongue, and flee. But the girl did not have sense enough to be afraid. “When will I wed the prince?” she asked.

“Never. You will wed the king.”

Beneath her golden curls, the girl’s face wrinkled up in puzzlement. For years after, she took those words to mean that she would not marry Rhaegar until after his father Aerys had died. “I will be queen, though?” asked the younger her.

“Aye.” Malice gleamed in Maggy’s yellow eyes. “Queen you shall be … until there comes another, younger and more beautiful, to cast you down and take all that you hold dear.”

Anger flashed across the child’s face. “If she tries I will have my brother kill her.” Even then she would not stop, willful child as she was. She still had one more question due her, one more glimpse into her life to come. “Will the king and I have children?” she asked.

“Oh, aye. Six-and-ten for him, and three for you.”

That made no sense to Cersei. Her thumb was throbbing where she’d cut it, and her blood was dripping on the carpet. How could that be? she wanted to ask, but she was done with her questions.

The old woman was not done with her, however. “Gold shall be their crowns and gold their shrouds,” she said. “And when your tears have drowned you, the valonqar shall wrap his hands about your pale white throat and choke the life from you.”

“What is a valonqar? Some monster?” The golden girl did not like that foretelling. “You’re a liar and a warty frog and a smelly old savage, and I don’t believe a word of what you say. Come away, Melara. She is not worth hearing.”

“I get three questions too,” her friend insisted. And when Cersei tugged upon her arm, she wriggled free and turned back to the crone. “Will I marry Jaime?” she blurted out.

You stupid girl, the queen thought, angry even now. Jaime does not even know you are alive. Back then her brother lived only for swords and dogs and horses … and for her, his twin.

“Not Jaime, nor any other man,” said Maggy. “Worms will have your maidenhead. Your death is here tonight, little one. Can you smell her breath? She is very close.”

“The only breath we smell is yours,” said Cersei. There was a jar of some thick potion by her elbow, sitting on a table. She snatched it up and threw it into the old woman’s eyes. In life the crone had screamed at them in some queer foreign tongue, and cursed them as they fled her tent. But in the dream her face dissolved, melting away into ribbons of grey mist until all that remained were two squinting yellow eyes, the eyes of death.

Maggy tells Cersei too little and too much. She doesn’t exactly lie but her answers are deliberately deceptive. She knows Cersei will think she means something else and doesn’t bother to elaborate. 

There’s some debate about some parts of the prophecy. Which is fine! If you’ve been following my blog for more than a few months, you probably know I seem to be in the minority in those debates. So I feel like: well, in for a star, in for a dragon! Hold my shade-of-the-evening and have a seat, babe. 

Let’s go through the prophecy line by line.

“When will I wed the prince?” she asked.

“Never. You will wed the king.”

Cersei assumes that means she’ll wed Rhaegar after he becomes king. Turns out she weds King Robert after he’s killed Rhaegar.

“I will be queen, though?” asked the younger her.

“Aye.” Malice gleamed in Maggy’s yellow eyes. “Queen you shall be … until there comes another, younger and more beautiful, to cast you down and take all that you hold dear.”

Cersei thinks this means another queen, and at this stage in the story she thinks that younger queen in Margaery. But see: Maggy never actually says queen. She just says there comes another. Just...another person. For all we know the YMB could be Jon. Seriously, though! The YMB doesn’t need to be a literal queen. For a long time I liked the idea of the YMB being multiple women. Right now I’m leaning towards Brienne as the sole YMB. Because that means Cersei is also deceiving herself about the meaning of “more beautiful,” and Brienne is ironically called the Beauty. But also because of this:

Anger flashed across the child’s face. “If she tries I will have my brother kill her.”

Wouldn’t it be the most delicious irony if that doesn’t work out because the YMB has already taken Jaime away from her? We don’t really know what form “cast you down and take all you hold dear” will take, and there’s plenty of room there for interpretation. Taking Jaime’s attention from her is definitely something in that area.

“Will the king and I have children?” she asked.

“Oh, aye. Six-and-ten for him, and three for you.”

If Maggy were answering honestly, she would say you’ll have children, sure, but they won’t be conceived with the king. Instead she just lets the little girl sit there with her confusion.

“Gold shall be their crowns and gold their shrouds,” she said. “And when your tears have drowned you, the valonqar shall wrap his hands about your pale white throat and choke the life from you.”

Every word in the sentences above is controversial. I’m gonna make it worse.

We’ve long assumed “gold shall be their crowns and gold their shrouds” means Cersei’s children will all be crowned monarchs, and they’ll all die young. Cersei seems to think it means that.

But what if...she actually doesn’t mean that? What if this is Maggy’s way of telling Cersei her children will not be the king’s children? What if “crowns” does not refer to literal crowns, but to her children’s blond hair? 

And gold, their shrouds: okay, so, when each child dies, they’ll be wrapped in a golden shroud. 

Does the prophecy say anything about when the children die?

“When your tears have drowned you” ----> This could mean a lot of things. Does it mean Cersei’s lost all three of her children? She thinks so. 

However: Myrcella has her cousin Rosamund Lannister of Lannisport with her as a handmaid and occasional stunt double. They go into a lot of detail about how much Rosamund looks like her and how they’ve used her to conceal Myrcella’s whereabouts.

Up close, Cersei would never mistake Rosamund for Myrcella. At a distance...someone might mistake her corpse for Myrcella’s and report it to the queen. 

I don’t want Rosamund to die. And maybe she’ll be fine! But I also suspect we haven’t yet seen how much Rosamund does for Myrcella. Just saying: a little girl of similar age and size and similar coloring is available. If Cersei thinks her children have all died, she may be mistaken.

As I was quoting: “When your tears have drowned you, the valonqar will wrap his hands around your pale white throat and choke the life from you.”

This is one of those debates I mentioned earlier. Cersei asked Maggy what valonqar means and Maggy ignored the question. Septa Saranella told her it’s High Valyrian for “little brother” so Cersei thinks it’s Tyrion. 

Most people think it’s Jaime because he’s technically younger than Cersei. I’ve looked up the High Valyrian vocab, and it does mean younger brother, or a younger male cousin via the father’s father, but I don’t think Maggy’s using it to mean Cersei’s literal brother. 

If Maggy were actually saying that Cersei’s brother would wrap his hands around her throat (and there’s another snag: Jaime doesn’t have plural hands to wrap around anything), then she would induce the same confusion in Cersei by saying to her, “your little brother will wrap his hands around your pale white throat and choke the life from you.” She’d be thinking Jaime, who’s only younger by minutes, and of course Cersei would think she meant Tyrion. 

But Maggy doesn’t say that, does she? Maggy, who speaks the Common Tongue well enough to turn phrases like “cast you down and take all you hold dear,” suddenly needs to use Valyrian to mention a younger brother? Really? Some of my restaurant co-workers called me mami and that doesn’t mean I’m their mother. 

What’s more likely: that Maggy suddenly forgot how to say “younger brother” in the Common Tongue, or that she’s using the Valyrian because she means something that doesn’t translate? And Cersei hasn’t stopped to consider that because Cersei doesn’t speak other languages?

I think it it means something else. Maggy lets her think it means little brother, and like everything else Maggy tells her, it’s not that simple. 

ANYWAY I WAS TALKING ABOUT MYRCELLA.

Golden crowns and golden shrouds, she says. Joffrey’s worn a golden crown and Tommen’s now wearing a golden crown. Someone’s already tried to put a crown on Myrcella and it didn’t work out. Golden crown can also be a flowery way to describe a head of pretty blond curls. Given Cersei’s marriage to a king from a consistently black-haired family, her children having blond hair is more newsworthy than their wearing literal crowns made of literal gold.

Gold their crowns and gold, their shrouds. When Maggy brings up shrouds, that probably pertains to their deaths. “Shroud” can refer to whatever the corpse is wearing at the funeral. Lord Tywin’s gold armor, for example. It could be a gown made of cloth-of-gold? Anyway! The image of Cersei’s children shrouded in gold suggests that when they die, they will be entombed as Lannisters, not as Baratheons. Doesn’t say anything about the circumstances or timing of their deaths. 

Book-version, Myrcella has survived a near-death experience with a disfigured face. Someone tried to crown her; didn’t work. Someone tried to kill her; she lost an ear. For Myrcella to come that close to dying, and lose an ear in the process, only to die in some other mishap while she’s still a kid? Feels sloppy. 

Uncle Tyrion survived a near-death experience and lost his nose. Uncle-Dad Jaime lost his sword hand and found a way to keep going. Lady Brienne nearly died in the fight with Biter and got a big hole chewed in her face. Now Myrcella’s survived a murder attempt while losing an ear and part of her cheek. Seems like she’ll be in good company with House Lannister. The golden shroud can come later; much later. Decades later. 

[immaculate-benediction-batch]

Sorry this is so long......How TV Creators Are Handling Subtext And Shipping

TV series creators have a hard time not tailoring content towards a strictly heteronormative audience, refusing to lean in to queer context, no matter howlarge an LGBTQ following a show may have.

Once a fictional character is put out for public consumption, it ceases to be the one thing it’s described as on paper. This is especially the case with TV and film, where said character goes through so many hands before hitting the screen and becoming public property.

There are three kinds of creators when it comes to queer content on TV. The first (and sadly, most typical) is the creator who will deny any intention of creating queer content, and who will also refuse to acknowledge a queer audience’s interpretation., This often results in an instant backlash, as the Supergirlcast and creators experienced after an embarrassing interview with MTV last summer. When prompted to recap the latest season, the cast broke into a cringeworthy song that mocked fans’ interest in the Supergirl/Lena Luthor pairing, with Jeremy Jordan repeatedly exclaiming that the two will never get together. It continued despite Katie McGrath’s attempt to save the interview saying, “The great thing about what we do is, like any art, anyone can read into it what they want.” Chris Wood then chimed in with “Sexuality is all about others’ perception of yours, right?”

Supergirl is a show with a large female following that from the beginning has gravitated toward the female relationships it portrays, with emphasis on those relationships with strong queer energy. At first, there was a group of internet fans that were drawn to the chemistry between Melissa Benoist and Calista Flockhart, which was maximized due to the characters’ intense mentor/mentee relationship, and that was fine, and for the most part went unacknowledged by the show.

However, upon Flockhart’s exit, Lena Luthor was introduced, played by Katie McGrath. Kara Danvers and Lena Luthor became fast friends, and fans’ fascination with Supergirl’s queer vibes grew strong enough for the the cast to take notice. One would think that by having Alex Danvers and Maggie Sawyer, two queer characters already in their orbit, fan speculation about others wouldn’t be such an inconvenience that it would have to be addressed by aggressively singing “They’re only friends!” over and over, as if the pairing were unfathomable.

But Supergirl hasn’t been the only show to outright reject queer interpretations. In fact, a few years back, the long-running series Supernatural was called out by its fans for purposefully inserting homoerotic subtext within storylines pertaining to male characters Dean and Castiel, and for rather indirectly addressing said subtext in interviews. In one of them, Misha Collins (Castiel) stated that in certain scenes with Jensen Ackles (Dean) he was directed to portray his character as a “jilted lover.”

During a Toronto Con panel in 2013, it was revealed that a line was changed by Ackles — who last year specifically requested no questions about the popular pairing be allowed during the Q portion of a panel for the show at New Jersey Con–from “I love you” to “We’re family. I need you” because the Actor didn’t think it suited his character. Despite fandom’s interest in the pairing, it hasn’t been enough for Supernaturalto follow through with an actual queer storyline, aside from the one recurring lesbian character, Charlie, who was ultimately killed off. It turns out our tolerance for queerbaiting does have its limits.

Another show that failed to address the sapphic energy between its leads, in effect rejecting a great opportunity to add a bonus layer to an already complex relationship between two women, was Damages. The thriller starred Glenn Close as powerhouse prosecutor Patty Hewes, and Rose Byrne as her protégée, Ellen Parsons. The series went on for five seasons and throughout, though it benefitted from incredible writing, its highlight was clearly the tension and undecipherable relationship between Patty and Ellen.

While there was never any doubt that their connection was what kept the the show’s palpable tension dial at a 10, anytime the subject was brought up to either cast or creators it was denied or waved off as “wishful thinking,” as Glenn Close put it. When pressed further, she added, “I think there’s something seductive about Patty and she just seduces people and she’ll lead people on. I think that can come across as pure seduction.”

With Person of Interest, Sameen Shaw (Sarah Shahi) and Root (Amy Acker) first connected under very unique, very dark circumstances in which one was holding the other against their will in a life threatening situation. But there was a sizzle there that the audience immediately responded to, and while both cast and writers admitted that was not their intention, something amazing happenedthey took that audience reaction and ran with it. In the end, Shaw and Root’s romance became one of the show’s more compelling storylines.

Jane the Virgin did the same. When a character, Petra, who wasn’t intentionally written as queer read queer to LGBTQ viewers, the writers saw no problem taking the interpretation and adopting it as canon. After years of keeping Petra as a sort of peripheral player within Jane/Rafael storylines, the character of Jane Ramos was introduced as Petra’s defense attorney and eventual love interest.

The third type of creator is everyone’s favorite. This is the one that takes whatever gay subtext or context there is, embraces it, and expands upon it, recognizing that it’s there from the beginning. In the Flesh and Killing Eve are true representatives of queer entertainment that isn’t trying to steer its characters toward a path they weren’t organically wanting to go.

In the Flesh, a BAFTA-award winning series from BBC 3, was easily one of the best shows that no one watched; a zombie show with depth, which isn’t easy to accomplish. The story takes place years after a virus epidemic that turned the infected into flesh-eating monsters is cured, and the rehabilitated are returning home. Its main character is Luke, one of the former infected, suffering from memories of the terrible things he did while sick, and tortured by his own suicide, which was prompted by the loss of love interest, Rick.

The series ran for only two seasons, with a total of nine episodes. It was inventive and creative and stands as one of the greats right next to shows like Hannibal and The Exorcist, which was unfortunately canceled by Fox this year after only two seasons of sacrilege, beautiful cinematography, Alfonso Herrera (Sense8) and a bisexual Father Marcus, played by Ben Daniels.

Killing Eve is a female-led thriller that proves that the secret to making great TV is treating characters like human beings with the capacity to change. Eve, who, when we meet her, is living a life that doesn’t seem particularly terrible, whose marriage appears to be solid, her job secure, is lured into potentially life threatening situations for the sake of following her inexplicable attraction to a female assassin. As if beneath the surface there is a dormant unrest that is awakened with the arrival of Villanelle in her life, and though she does not stop to examine exactly what she expects to get from it, she craves and wants more of these moments that have stirred her awake. She’s both excited and frightened by Villanelle’s audaciousness, by the intrusion into her life,

both figuratively and literally.

The season’s got a few episodes left, yet the most compelling, and most attentively queer moment is part of the fifth episode, in which the two women finally come face to face in Eve’s home. Eve is sopping wet in a gorgeous dress Villanelle’s purchased for her, she’s cold and visibly uncomfortable, therefore Villanelle suggests Eve should change, before proceeding to peel the dress off her herself. It is a scene that doesn’t downplay the very real danger Eve is in by having Villanelle in her home. However there is also an erotic aspect to it that is very purposeful, and as series creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge points out, the attraction is definitely mutual, “I knew that the first moment they see each other. I labeled that moment as ‘love at first sight.’ But I didn’t want it to be constrained to romance, or to lust, or anything like that. There’s something waking in Eve every day that she spends imagining what this woman is doing.”

This type of storytelling allows characters to evolve the way that they want to evolve as opposed to forcing them into a first page description. There is loyalty to the authenticity of the story, which comes from meticulous attention paid to the writing, which Waller-Green explains is all about going against cliché: “The moment something feels predictable, there’s a roar in me to just go to the most surprising place. I don’t want to bore myself.”

Often times, when female queer characters are introduced, it is done in order to titillate, and their storylines are the product of a male gaze fantasy. Killing Eve manages to avoid all of that with Villanelle, a character who seems to have no specific preference when it comes to sexual partners, and yet doesn’t feel the need to use her sexuality to get what she wants. In addition to that and the meaty tension between the two leads (Villanelle and the titular Eve, played by Sandra Oh), the attention paid to the very queer theme of the show is evident in backstories of characters that would normally go without one, like that of Eve’s former boss and best friend Bill, an older man in a heterosexual relationship who casually reveals he’s loved “hundreds” of men, much to Eve’s surprise, and further reveals he is in an open relationship, and happily so.

The series proves not only that queer characters are marketablethe BBC series was renewed for a second season before the first even airedbut that straight creators are capable of writing queer content that isn’t offensive or over-sexualized. Phoebe Waller-Bridge credits the authenticity of the series to a collaborative effort, stating, “Because it’s all about the characters, the little details that link the two worlds, everyone’s really made it a psychological piece rather than just an artistic painting of two different people’s worlds,” but it really just goes to show that that negative aspects of queer representation that include the dreaded male gaze perspective can be avoided as long as the bar is set high enough by the showrunner.

It only takes a little bit of creativity and imagination, and a willingness to challenge the idea that heterosexual-based television makes for the best and most successful stories.

Alex Velazquez is a writer, photographer, and queer Mexican living in Los Angeles, CA.

[hong-kong-art-man]

“Stars, Too, Were Time Travellers. The 4 Great Stars That I Have Worked With And Salute.” ——The Respected Film Art Director Of Hong Kong Bill Lui 

In film, an ‘Art Director’(美術指導)works directly below the ‘Production Designer’(美術總監) and a large part of his duties are the administrative aspects of the art department. The Production Designer is the superior individual responsible for the overall look and tone of the film project. He works with the art director, set dresser, prop master and cinematographer to accomplish the director’s artistic vision of the film.

The former Chairman of Hong Kong Film Arts Association Bill Lui(雷楚雄) is a kind and helpful friend who always tries to lighten the burdens of other people. He was a great Art Director and is now an adored Production Designer working in the Mainland and Hong Kong.

Inside each of us is a natural-born story listener. I asked Bill, “Any good story to share from your interesting career?” Bill replied, “Maurice, you like to encourage people. Let me cite 4 charming actors whose heart-piercing supports to me are always unforgettable. They are, in the order of their seniority, Josephine Siao(蕭芳芳), Simon Yam(任達華), Maggie Cheung(張曼玉) and Nicolas Tse(謝霆鋒). As an ‘art controller’ in the film-making process, my judgements are based on my personal opinions and tastes but they can be very subjective. I am glad that the above good actors did tell me the other side of the coin, namely facts and angles that I might not have fully considered.”

“Josephine Siao was special because she was like a walking dictionary or caring mentor, probably due to the fact that she became an actress in 1953 when she was only 6 years old. She is also a film director. She is the jack of all trades and ‘master of all’ as well. In one movie, she had to play the role of a Cantonese opera actress. She went backstage to observe the opera actors for more than 10 evenings and took a note of all the suggestions that she intended to propose to me. I still remember her putting on a super-powdery and overpowering perfume on a film set. I was shocked and asked her why. She smiled, ‘Bill, it is the preferred scent of the Cantonese opera actresses and I do think the strong smell can help the other actors accepting me as the character in the film!’” said Bill.

Josephine Siao has been my lifelong idol——I never thought of anyone as a super movie star until I watched her film I love a Go-Go (我愛阿高高) in 1967!

I asked Bill, “I guess Simon Yam is the male version of Josephine Siao?” Bill laughed, “Not exactly. In the 70s, Simon was a fashion model, later a TV star and progressed to become a successful film actor in Hong Kong. Josephine was eager to serve others and Simon is helpful to the art direction of a film in a different way. He is more an independent perfectionist in everything he did. Whenever I knew Simon was in the cast, I had nothing to worry about him. He himself was a designer cum artist. I recall that in a film about a high society gigolo, Simon proposed to me, ‘Bill, I know your limited budget but such a gigolo will surely wear Giorgio Armani or Jean Paul Gaultier. Could I contribute half of the money needed and we go together to buy such brands to make the character more graphic.’ After this proposal, I saw him also dashing up to a gym to make sure that his body will look sexy to match the role.”

I probed, “Is Maggie Cheung like Simon?” Bill moved his head, “Maggie showed her support to an art director by listening to him. She gave me a lot of freedom to combine all the ingredients for her role. She said only one thing, ‘Bill, I trust you will take good care of all the stuff and see to it that all will pertain appropriately to the role. Do not care about if I look better or worse. It is not my concern. I will be very accommodating if the film can become better!’”

Raised in Britain, Maggie Cheung started her acting career after placing second in 1983’s Miss Hong Kong Pageant. She won the ‘Best Actress’ award at Cannes Film Festival in 2004. 90% of the Chinese population can say out her name loud. It is a pity that she is now semi-retired.

I asked, “Bill, the youngest is Nicolas Tse who is now about 40. What is he like?” Bill shared his thought, “Perhaps both his parents were good actors and he had learnt what professionalism should mean since his childhood. He joined the movie world at 16. He is too proficient in the dos and don’ts. Courage is doing what you are afraid to do. Youth is being not afraid to do. These two explain why whenever I asked Nic to do something exciting, he always answered, ‘Why not? Let me have a go!’ The world is fast changing and trends on art are forever moving too. I explore new ideas and I need unique stars like Nic telling me that he is willing to experiment with me. For me, Nic is more a ‘co-working partner’. He is now very popular in the Mainland and deserves such an outcome. Nic shows the difference between a star and an actor. A star will say, ‘How can I change the fix to suit me?’ An actor will say, ‘How can I change myself to suit the fix?’ Nic is incredibly clever.”

The possibility of a dream, the dream of making unreal into real, is the force inspiring art directors to do better and finer. If an art director is the painter, his stars cannot just be the canvas. They are interactive. A professional art director who works hard not because of his or her status or remuneration, but the ethical obligation under which the best in a film has to come together!

MLee

Interview with Josephine Siao Acknowledgement: RTHK https://youtu.be/I1znTY-06nk

Simon Yam Movie Acknowledgement: Filmko Pictures https://youtu.be/_TRyoxt7Rvk

Maggie Cheung Movie “Clean” Acknowledgement: youtube 　https://youtu.be/jj_o-onUIWA

Nicholas Tse Movie “Invisible Target” Acknowledgement: Universe Entertainment Ltd https://youtu.be/t-c8mxI2oTU

[twdmusicboxmystery]

8x11: Dead or Alive Or - Re-Watch

This is the episode where Father Gabriel and Dr. Carson spend a lot of time in that little cabin and Carson is killed by the Saviors at the end. 

I’m really not going to go into a lot of detail about this. I mean, there are TONS of symbols here that scream Beth. Radio, pigs, the cabin, deer, keys, discussions about faith and the lack thereof, bear traps in the yard. So it’s obvious that there are ties here, and this is also a big part of Gabriel losing his sight and becoming the Sirius character. If you want more detail about that, read these theories: X, X. I just don’t really have anything new to add.  

But as I said with earlier episodes, it keeps jumping out at me that Gabriel specifically keeps saying that he wants to get Carson back to Maggie so he can deliver her baby. They must state that explicitly at least a dozen times over two or three episodes. So, whatever this foreshadows, Maggie is part of it.

I even entertained the idea that Maggie might actually get pregnant again and have another baby. And maybe this foreshadows Beth (Gabriel) trying to get her a doctor. Yes, I know that would be complicated. It would mean she hooked up with someone who obviously isn’t Glenn, and some fans would go batshit over that. I get that. But let me throw out one more piece of evidence.

During these episodes, Maggie is also taking care of Gracie. For a while, it seemed that she might mother Gracie, but after these episodes, she never has her again. Aaron takes her. And in this episode, every time it showed Father Gabriel, and he said something about Maggie’s baby, it would immediately cut to Maggie holding Gracie. It’s just weird.

All that said, it may not point to Maggie having another pregnancy/baby at all. It could be that they just used the fact that she was pregnant in this season as an easy way to do the foreshadow. Maybe it will be more a matter of Maggie being sick (bitten, poisoned water?) and Beth trying to get a doctor to help her.

Another possibility is that talk of the baby and her pregnancy and even baby Gracie just foreshadow Hershel Jr. Like Maggie and Hershel will be in danger, and Beth will be trying to get them help. Something along those lines. Once again, it’s really hard to know what this points to, and this is all just conjecture. 

But I’m side-eyeing it because everything else in S8/AOW points to pretty much what is happening now in S10 and S11, and we know Maggie will be returning in the finale. So, whatever this foreshadows, I think we’ll see it relatively soon. (Uh, you know, allowing for the fact that we’ll probably get S11 much later than usual this year due to CoVid.)

Not tons more to say about this episode. This is where Daryl leads everyone through the swamps, but I didn’t glean as much from that sequence as I thought I would. Don’t get me wrong, it’s obviously important. I mean, they’re literally pushing through walker-infested WATER here in order to reach safety. So, the symbols are significant. But beyond that, it’s hard to know specifics.

One thing that did occur to me, only because I’m not sure if I ever considered it before (and this is a little off topic; it pertains to Carl’s death and how that might lead to Beth):

Siddiq talks to Maggie at Hilltop, introduces himself, and says he’s a doctor. I was thinking that, in terms of how Carl’s arc might lead to Beth, I think we have to assume that Siddiq—being the only doctor around at the time—is the one who delivered Maggie’s baby. And I think that might be important. 

I’m not sure how, or rather, how it will lead to Beth, but without Carl bringing Siddiq in, there wouldn’t have been a doctor present for Maggie’s pregnancy and things might have gone wrong. And given how much emphasis they put on Maggie’s pregnancy through the Gabriel/Carson story line…I think it has to be leading somewhere.

Also, remember I mentioned HERE that in 8x01, they kept making a big deal about Maggie’s pregnancy. Like Hershel Jr. was absolutely the future of humanity. And of course he is. Any baby is. But they emphasized it so much that I think it will end up being important in some future story line. But—all together now—we just don’t know what that will be, yet.

One last, minor note. This is also where Negan introduces the idea of putting walker blood on their weapons to poison TF. I’d kind of forgotten about that, and it doesn’t have much to do with water, but still, it’s a poisoning theme, so I thought it was interesting.

That’s about it for today. Tomorrow I’ll talk about The Key. You won’t want to miss my discussion of that. It’s where I saw the most Beth-related stuff out of all three of these episodes. Stay tuned!

[thoughtfulpaperback]

SPOILERS!!! Charmed 02x06 review

8/10. I am actually not sure how I feel about this episode. On one hand I did love it. I love Macy's look! I love Harry and Mel working together and I love Maggie and Jordan awkward bonding. I just am starting to get fustrated with the lack of information pertaining to the big war plot.

I actually am going a different route from my normal reviews and just want to gather the info we gained and info still missing from this episode.

1) Jimmy has a master (we got that from last episode). The master may or may not be a woman. I mean I would think he is making a big hint but that could be misdirection.

2) Jimmy and Harry's connection is mostly emotional/ psychic (feelings and memories shared) but seperate brains. They are indeed two seperate and different people. Although they came from the same source.

3) harry seems like he'd be pro merging (but he is also under the assumption he is half a person or not really a person at all) in the future

4) they both immortal (we been knew)

5) this ship is gonna be the slowest burn and I am both here for it and ready to scream. I loved macy telling jimmy not to talk about Harry.

6) Jordan's ring is magical or at least helps maggie tap into magic. It is a family heirloom so either Jordan's family is magical somewhere there or they were some how tied to magic.

Now onto what we still dont know

As a side note, I had been worried about Parker in that when he left, he did it because he felt he couldnt control his demonside. For the most part, this season Macy hasnt shown any difficulties with it like last season so I just assumed the spreading stopped and it was all good, so probably parker would be okay, but at the same time he had it way worse in some ways. So if he is back it might not be nice. I had hoped they would just leave him alone and we can at least head cannon he is happy and healthy somewhere, but who knows what they will do next episode.

1) who the heck the big bad is.

I honestly dont know what is taking so long. If it is Abby just let her be the villian and not this well maybe or not evil character. If she isnt then just tell me who is. I imagine they will reveal it next episode or before break to give us something to jump into. I am ready for this war and need to know who is on which side!

7) Jordan is gonna get hurt probably next episode (I assume because I dont think we will have much more episodes until the break) and from the promo probably Parker related.

2) what jordan is or is not. Like we know the ring seems magical (although amber is common so I think it is the thing as a whole not just the amber alone) and is a family heirloom, but is jordan completely oblivious or just not revealing anything? Is it just the ring or does his family have magic in it? Is he magical in some way . . . Insert thirst comment

3) Are jimmy and harry really not human or that is are they truly incomplete? And will they merge? Jimmy's thoughts are different than Harry's it would appear. We know jimmy was trapped and tortured and that (although he is also part of james) he isnt any more James than harry is. But he seems to see himself as more james, or at least as more of a person. At the very least he seems to like himself and is more upset with the fact he was ripped from his body and tossed aside and imprisoned than just the split into two people part. He seems angry about it but like okay as long as he has his own body. That is when he talks about being ripped from james body and Harry being left over. He says "my body" and then says he was given his body back he say my body not a body so he sees his current corporeal form as his and conplete. He talks about Harry as the lesser half. So he sees himself either as more of james and/or less lacking. When he is insulting Harry, He says he doesnt like to share and doesnt care about killing him. Harry was sad at the thought of losing half of himself (james), but jimmy doesnt seem to have the same concern. So jimmy probably doesnt see himself as half or at least does not see himself as having a part missing. When teasing Harry (when harry says he might be half a man but jimmy isnt one at all) he says half of nothing is nothing. Basically saying well if I am not a man (and Harry does not feel like a person) then you are half of me and there for not a person either. I mean multiple layers in that quick exchange, but it does seem to me that jimmy is just postulating Harry's fears, but doesnt hold the same feelings and views.

4) does macy have a thing for Jimmy? Well my personally belief is that when a women says she is disgusted by a man we should believe her....but.... i hate this, but when she is describing jimmy to Harry she holds sympathy (sympathy does not equal attraction) but I maybe tempted to believe that she appreciated certain qualities of Jimmy the bold and charming part and had sympathy for what he went through and what he is going through (under the thumb of a master). She defends him in that he cant be all bad because he is part of Harry. Which I disagree. Not that he is all bad. But that he is half of Harry. He is half of James like harry is but not part of Harry. They were one once and therefore they share a connection but Harry is seperate, but yes they form a whole other person:One complex and messy person. But yall know i feel that Harry is a complex character and I love him as is. But again no closer to solving whether they definitely are or arent thier own persons or just the halfs left over when split since it seems our two halfs have different ideas over it.

That's all I got for right now. It is late and I have to work at 7 am and it is currently 2:30 am. I probably missed stuff since my brain is tired. Let me know.

[avatarofseshat]

Helpless (Part 1)

Pairing: Baldwin Montclair/OC

Summary: Inspired by the Creatures among us AU edits (they will tie directly into the story in the near future). After the release of the discoveries pertaining to Chromosome 24 and the CC Factor, the creatures can no longer hide. Baldwin Montclair has chosen to embrace it much to his family’s surprise and dismay. The title is a name of a Hamilton song because I adore it!

This is mostly pure smutty fan girl service, so don’t expect much actual plot. You know you want it!!! Also, I don’t usual write in the first or second person, so that’s new!

—

His passion was relentless, as it often was when we were together, between the insistence of his lips on mine or the force of his thrusts. At first it was purely overwhelming and if I’m to be honest, a bit frightening, despite the assurances that he would never harm me. You may be wondering how I found myself in this situation, how I became the mate of a two-thousand year old vampire. It all started with the discovery of the CC Factor of Chromosome 24.

Than

“I’m here to see Elise Buchanan....” I could hear is smooth accented voice through the thin door of my office “I’m her twelve o’clock interview” he insisted to the nervous intern.

“Mr. Montclair!” I called from my door “I’m Elise Buchanan, I’m glad you decided to join us!” I said jestering for him to enter and my eyes may have lingered a bit too long.

“Should I have security come up here?” The intern asked as he looked both insulted and slightly amused.

“That won’t be necessary.” I responded and shut the door behind us, “I apologize, she’s always been kinda nervous, and now she’s just paranoid,” we took our chairs on either side of my desk.

“The world has changed.” he retorted as his dark eyes burned into my hazle ones.

“Indeed, it has, Mr. Montclair”

“Baldwin” he quickly retorted, “Please, call me Baldwin”

“Baldwin…”

“You’re afraid,” it was stated as a fact not a question “I can hear your heartbeat and it has quickened substantially.”

“I wouldn’t say fear...More like intrigued!” I was determined not to be afraid, my father always told me that fear was a weakness.

“Intrigued, Miss Buchanan?” he probed

“Elise. I insist.” he courtly nodded in reply “Why would someone of your stature, come to me?” when he didn’t respond I continued “There are many more well known, journalists? They actually write for major publications.”

He seemed to hesitate for a moment “You tell the truth.”

That was something that I prided myself in. I didn’t fabricate things if I could help it and my listeners and readers appreciated it. Okay, I consider myself more of a modern journalist, since I worked for one of the largest podcasting companies in the country.

“You’re going to ask how old I am?” he spoke again “That’s what everyone always asks first.”

“I wasn’t going…” It’s odd how someone can just stop you with a single look, I pursed my lips together and decided to amuse him “How old are you, Baldwin?”

“A hair over two-thousand.” he smirked leaning back in the chair rather smugly.

I wasn’t going to lie to myself. Two-thousand is rather impressive. All the history he must have seen.

“What’s your place of birth...originally?” I asked perhaps a bit too confidently.

“Rome.”

A Two-thousand year old Roman, even more impressive. Stop fangirling! It’s not like he’s...stop lying to yourself, he’s gorgeous!

“Is something wrong?” he inquired as if sensing my inner conflict

“Just considering my next question”

I wonder what he looks like in one of those gladiator outfits? Stop! Stop! Stop! Be professional!

“What do you think of the current situation? You have far more time on this planet then I do.” That was cringeworthy and mildly insulting!

“To be honest...I didn’t even want the research to be published,” he responded “Dr. Mathew Clairmont is my brother” he responded to her inquisical look.

“I see”

“Do you?” he said leaning over my desk as he covered the microphone with his hand. I just shake my head, his intensity was alarmingly arousing “That’s what I thought, You don’t”, his lips were a meer inches from mine when the door slammed open and in a split second he was back in his seat.

“What is it Maggie?” I inquired to my intern

“I-I-Is everything okay?” She pensively inquired nervously eyeing Baldwin.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t it be?” I looked at him curiously and he just shrugged, little to my knowledge his hand was inching closer to mine, and I didn’t notice until his finger-tips were touching mine.

She nodded quickly and left just as fast.

“What are you doing?” I whispered accusingly and quickly moving my hand away but I wasn’t nearly quick enough as he grabbed my wrist, “You need to leave.”

“As you wish.” He nodded and releasing me as he paused for a moment a fetched something from his jacket pocket, when I had realized what it was, “I already have your contact information.”

“Not all of it,” he retorted quietly as he fetched a pen from my desk and wrote something on the back side of the card “This is the number to my mobile...I hope to hear from you.” with that her turned on his heels and exited the room.

The rest of the day seemed to pass in a haze with more of the usual. Recording, editing, and publishing.

Part Two

[callunavulgari]

Scrapbook 2020 | Pt. I

Reminder:

Normal font - Indifferent/Neutral Italicized font - Enjoyed bold font - Loved with an asterisk* - All time favorite (bracketed titles) - Re-watches/Re-reads strikethough - Disliked

Goals are: read seventy-five books, finish five video games, write something novel-length and write something original. These last two goals CAN be combined. So you know, nearly the exact same goals from last year.

MOVIES

January

My Neighbor Totoro

(Matilda)

(The Mummy)

The Pacifier

(Moana)

Lion King (2019)

February

Hereditary

(The Lion King 2)

Kiki’s Delivery Service

March

(Tangled)

(Zootopia)

(Lilo and Stitch)

(The Swan Princess)

(The Swan Princess: Secret of the Castle)

(The Swan Princess: The Mystery of the Enchanted Kingdom)

April

Onward

(Your Name)

(Frozen 2)

Happy Death Day

Promare

May

(Free Willy)

(Star Wars: The Last Skywalker)

(Free Willy 2)

(The Road to El Dorado)

(Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron)

(Prince of Egypt)

BOOKS

January

The Secret Commonwealth | Philip Pullman [Fin]

The Great Hunt | Robert Jordan [Fin]

Wanderers | Chuck Wendig

The Dragon Republic | R.F. Kuang

February

Wanderers | Chuck Wendig [Fin]

The Dragon Republic | R.F. Kuang [Fin]

Runebinder | Alex Kahler [Fin]

The Book of M | Peng Shepherd [Fin]

Call Down the Hawk | Maggie Stiefvater [Fin]

(The Diviners | Libba Bray) [Fin]

(Lair of Dreams | Libba Bray) [Fin]

(Before the Devil Breaks You | Libba Bray) [Fin]

King of Crows | Libba Bray [Fin]

Gods of Jade and Shadow | Silvia Moreno-Garcia [Fin]

The City of Brass | S.A. Chakraborty

March

The City of Brass | S.A. Chakraborty [Fin]

Legion | Brandon Sanderson [Fin]

Taproot | Keezy Young [Fin]

Mooncakes | Suzanna Walker, Wendy Xu [Fin]

Loki: the God Who Fell to Earth | Daniel Kibblesmith [Fin]

The Lost Future of Pepperharrow | Natasha Pulley [Fin]

The Hazel Wood | Melissa Albert [Fin]

The Black Tides of Heaven | J.Y. Yang [Fin]

Gideon the Ninth | Tamsyn Muir** [Fin]

Loki: Where Mischief Lies | Mackenzie Lee [Fin]

American Royals | Katharine McGee [Fin]

River of Teeth | Sarah Gailey [Fin]

We Are Okay | Nina LaCour [Fin]

Where the Crawdads Sing | Delia Owens [Fin]

A Memory Called Empire | Arkady Martine [Fin]

April

The Dream Peddler | Martine Fournier Watson [Fin]

The Dragon Reborn | Robert Jordan [Fin]

The Glass Hotel | Emily St John Mandel [Fin]

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous | Ocean Vuong [Fin]

The Unhoneymooners | Christina Lauren [Fin]

(Captive Prince 1 | C.S.Pacat)  [Fin]

(Captive Prince 2 | CS Pacat)  [Fin]

(Captive Prince 3 | CS Pacat)  [Fin]

The Flatshare | Bath O’Leary [Fin]

A Study in Brimstone | G.S. Denning [Fin]

May

Sky In the Deep | Adrienne Young [Fin]

House of Salt and Sorrows | Erin Craig [Fin]

The Sparrow | Mary Russell [Fin]

Here and Now and Then | Mike Chen [Fin]

Burn for Me | Ilona Andrews [Fin]

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms | N.K. Jemisin [Fin]

Mister Monday | Garth Nix

PODCASTS

January

King Falls AM, Eps 35-75

February

King Falls AM, Eps Live Special-84

The Penumbra Podcast | Juno Steel and the Tools of Rust

(Zero Hours - Ep 7)

March

King Falls AM, Eps 84-100

April

(The Magnus Archive, s1)

The Magnus Archive, s5

Welcome to Night Vale

The Bridge

The Adventure Zone

May

The Magnus Archive, s5

TV SHOWS BY SEASON

January

The Great British Baking Show, s7, s6

Lost In Space, s2

The Magicians, s3, s4

The Untamed

February

The Untamed**

The Terror, s2

March

Guardian

Haikyuu

Westworld, s3

April

The Great British Baking Show, s6

Westworld, s3

Jeopardy 

The Guardian

May

Motherland: Fort Salem

(Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Buzzfeed Unsolved: Supernatural

Buzzfeed Unsolved: True Crime

Watcher Entertainment

She-Ra, s5**

The Guardian

(Avatar: The Last Airbender)

VIDEO GAMES

January

Pokemon: Shield (30 hrs) [Fin]

Monster Hunter World: Iceborne (10 hrs)

February

Monster Hunter World: Iceborne (30 hrs)

Transistor [Fin]

Plague Tales: Innocence (15 hrs)

Civ VI (France- FIN, Victory)

Assassin’s Creed: Origins (20 hrs)

March

Kingdom Hearts 3

Luigi’s Mansion [Fin]

(LoZ: Breath of the Wild)

April

(LoZ: Breath of the Wild)

The Outer Worlds

Oxenfree

May

Final Fantasy 7 Remake

Shadow of the Colossus

DELIGHTFUL FIC

January

A Miracle in Thunder by LazyBaker | Stranger Things | Harringrove | 4.5k | Christmas morning, Steve’s pulling into a nearly empty parking lot to open Family Video on his own.

The White Wolf by norgbelulah | Castlevania | Alucard/Trevor/Sypha | 6k | Trevor and Sypha travel back to the Belmont Estate and Castle Dracula, unsure of what they will find there.

Stainless by Fahye | The Untamed | Lan Zhan/Wei Wuxian | 6.5k | "I'm starting to feel," says Lan Xichen, "that this was a counterproductive suggestion."

sleep in your bed by copperwings | The Untamed | Lan Zhan/Wei Wuxian | 12k | or; Wei WuXian has a tendency to fall asleep in places where he shouldn't. Lan WangJi disapproves.

by the grace of a ride along by brawlite | The Witcher | Geralt/Jaskier | 5k | They shouldn't so often find themselves in situations like this. And yet.

this line bisects by adspexi | The Queen’s Thief | Attolia/Eugenides/Costis | 1k | The rumors around Costis' status as a royal favorite haven't quieted down. The king doesn't seem to mind.

Be kind by longnationalnightmare | The Magicians | Quentin/Eliot | 10k | It was absurd how much Eliot meant it— you’re cute—so cute Eliot wanted to swallow him whole.

Reclaimed by betts | Star Wars | Reylo | 14k | Or: After the passing of new legislation, Rey and thousands of other omegas are rescued from the abusive grasps of their alphas. She gets adopted by a new alpha and braces herself for the cruelty she’s grown used to. But Ben isn’t like other alphas, and Rey slowly warms to his kindness.

Make a list of things you need by longnationalnightmare | The Magicians | Quentin/Eliot | 10k | “Whose wedding?” he asked, and only stopped assessing the room when Eliot failed to answer. “El, who’s getting married?”

seldom all they seem by Fahye | The Untamed | Lan Zhan/Wei Wuxian | 24k | or, one hundred and thirty-three principles of the Gusu Lan, pertaining to the state of marriage

love is touching souls (surely you touched mine) by ToAStranger | Harry Potter | Harry Potter/Tom Riddle | 34k | Voldemort is dead. It's Christmas, and Harry's just opened a gift from Fred and George Weasley.

back to back by serenfire | The Witcher | Geralt/Jaskier | 13k | (Or: If Yennefer gets to be improbably naked in canon, then I am making Jaskier equally, if not more, naked. It's equality.)

You're a Story (I Can Follow) by Page161of180 | The Magicians | Queliot | 20k | The Monster's been defeated, Quentin is dead, and Eliot has a quest of his own--if he can trust himself to complete it. An Orpheus and Eurydice remix.

Lover's Touch by Rizandace | The Magicians | Queliot | 25k | Q gets cursed, and Alice can't help. Magic forces Q and Eliot to cuddle and talk about their feelings.

Possession by yaskween | The Magicians | Queliot | 9k |  “Honestly? I don’t mean to be rude,” Eliot started, having trouble meeting Quentin’s eyes again. “But I don’t think I can handle being this close to you right now.”

You In My Head by stele3 | The Magicians | Queliot | 5k | Apparently, the Monster hadn’t cared much about hydration. Eliot hasn’t been this parched since Ibiza 2012.

fall through by sarcasticfishes | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Shane/Ryan/Sara | 8k |  “Sorry man, our flights are grounded because of some freak storm. Waiting to see if we can get one out tomorrow,” Shane reads aloud, and Sara pouts down at the screen.

with them indiana boys (on them indiana nights) by ToAStranger | Stranger Things | Harringrove | 5k | The thing is, when Billy first saw Steve Harrington, he knew.  

The Genius of the Western River by Siria | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Shane/Ryan | 14k |  Shane’s totally working on being flippant about all those times he joked about Ryan’s godlike physique, never suspecting how true those jokes might be—the two of them just have to defeat a supernatural serial killer first.

I was born to blanket you in flowers by MyFandomCausesHanaji | The Untamed | Wei Wuxan/Lan Zhan | 5k | “I have folded a thousand paper flowers for you.”

A Temporary Favor by oxymoronic | Stranger Things | Harringrove | 30k | It’s barely three days since El closed the gate when Hopper tells him he wants to rip a hole in space and time to rescue Billy Hargrove. Steve thinks it’s the dumbest thing he’s ever heard.

February

it’s a long way forward (so trust in me) by suzukiblu | The Witcher | Geralt/Jaskier | 25k | “Does that stop heat?” Jaskier asks curiously, absentmindedly tuning his lute as he speaks. He hadn’t thought anything could, but, well . . . witchers and their potions.

Love as You Are by thisgirlsays22 | The Witcher | Geralt/Jaskier | 16k | Jaskier didn’t want to marry just any noblewoman--no matter how comely she may be--he wanted adventure and many loves, but most importantly his biggest, greatest love of all.

GERALT'S A SOFT BOI send tweet by relenafanel | The Witcher | Geralt/Jaskier | 2k | WIP |  “Hey, so this is where you ended up,” Jaskier said, sliding into the chair across from Geralt in the sad truck-stop diner 50 kilometres outside of the backwater swamp-dump reporting an infestation of drowners.

The Rule Of Opposites by entanglednow | Good Omens | Aziraphale/Crowley | 6k | In which they are opposing forces, not designed to touch, anathema to each other. Crowley refuses to accept it.

have you noticed I’ve been gone? by suzukiblu | The Witcher | Geralt/Jaskier | 12k | Jaskier is a very good kisser, and almost kisses Geralt often enough, which is a damn sight closer than most people get. Even when he’s paying for it, he doesn’t get kissed enough. Jaskier gets close, though.

Chattoter Trending by DragonBandit | Pokemon | Leon/Raihan | 2.5k | Neither Raihan or Leon have told the greater public about their relationship. Then Raihan posts the wrong picture to Chattoter.

from me to you by Ceta | The Untamed | Wei Wuxian/Lan Zhan | 14k |  Wei Too Cool ✓ @wei-wuxian correct me if i’m wrong but i’m pretty sure that’s a love song @LanWangJi #AtFirstSight

Do it Again by thisgirlsays22 | The Witcher | Geralt/Jaskier | 7k | By the twentieth time Geralt has gone through the loop, he decides to just throw himself off the cliff’s edge after Borch.

March

The Absolutely True Story of the Yiling Patriarch: A Manifesto in Many Parts by aubreyli | The Untamed | Wei Wuxian/Lan Zhan | 20k |  “Love?” he croaks, then clears his throat and tries again. “Lan Zh— uh, Hanguang-jun, in love?”

bend all the rules by brawlite | Stranger Things | Harringrove | 14k | Billy knows that it’s a bad idea to hook up with his old high school rival and certified Straight Guy™, Steve Harrington -- but Hawkins is real bleak during the holidays, and Billy’s just trying to make it through winter break without dying of boredom.

April

Probability Engine by @kaikamahine | The Watchmaker of Filigree Street | Keita/Thaniel | 22k | The worst part about knowing you will have to shove Merrick Tremayne into the path of an oncoming cannonball is that you genuinely enjoy the man's company. Unfortunately, this becomes something of a recurring theme.

rare the man who'll hold to faith by Fahye | The Untamed | Wei Wuxian/Lan Zhan | 13k |  "There is the mark of our bargain, and here is the challenge," said the Yiling Patriarch.

a stone to break your soul, a song to save it by rikke | The Untamed | Wei Wuxian/Lan Zhan | 180k | When the entire cultivation world turns against Wei WuXian, Jiang Cheng comes up with a plan to save him and arranges a marriage between his brother and the Second Jade of Lan, Lan WangJi.

a prize for rotten judgement by sarcasticfishes | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane | 10k | “You’d drive each other crazy. You sit together at your office all day, and then you’d be commuting home together, eating dinner together, watching TV together, going to bed — well, not together, but you get it, right?”

Linger in the Sun by etymologyplayground | The Untamed | Wei Wuxian/Lan Zhan | 39k | "Tell Lan Zhan that I'm weeping uncontrollably," Wei Wuxian says to the juniors. "Tell him I'm truly pitiful and he needs to do everything I say until I'm well again."

Every ridge hand-picked by the late sun’s slant light by wildestranger | The Guardian | Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan | 7k | “Long time, no see,” he says.The Black Cloaked Envoy blanches.

If Life Was A Movie We’d Have A Better Soundtrack Than This by galaxysoup | The Guardian | Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan | 46k | The first time Shen Wei meets Zhao Yunlan is when he innocently steps out of his Monday morning office hours and is immediately slammed into by 180 pounds of cop pursuing a suspect on foot.

Sex, Science, and True Love: A Rigid Analysis of the Practical Applications of Dual Cultivation by aubreyli | The Untamed | Wei Wuxian/Lan Zhan | 24k | WIP | “The Lans are far too boring and repressed for something like this,” Wei Wuxian said, with the authority of one who had been resoundingly ignored by a Lan for the past month. “Can you imagine Lan Wangji dual cultivating?”

and so my heart beats wildly by lily_winterwood | The Untamed | Wei Wuxian/Lan Zhan | 106k | “You know, you’re the one to beat this year,” Jiang Cheng offers helpfully, having seen the glare from right next to him. “Hanguang-jun’s been through juniors with the rest of us, he knows all of our tics. You’re an unknown variable, since he’s never competed against you before.”

Weird and/or Wonderful by beethechange | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Shane/Ryan | 12k | Or: During the filming of an episode of Weird and/or Wonderful World, Ryan tosses a shoelace and a wish in an ancient magical wishing well. Mistakes are made.

one good thing by Yuu_chi | The Untamed | Wei Wuxian/Lan Zhan | 26k | Wei Wuxian has been haunting his childhood home for three years. He's perfected the fine art of scaring away all the tenants, and has grown used to living with the dying flowers in the garden as his only company.

  stay with me, go places by beethechange | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Shane/Ryan | 16k | “Never have I ever,” Shane says, feeling his way delicately around the syllables, making nice with all the consonants and vowels, “hooked up with a friend at a wedding.”

once more with feeling by sarsaparillia | Oxenfree | Alex/Jonas | 26k | Alex, stumbling through the time-stream.

hey boy, take a look at me by weakspots | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane | 17k |  Ryan is 27, for Christ’s sake, and he’s not exactly hideous, so there’s really no reason to spend his money on a dude — a dude — whose face he’ll never see but whose livestreams he’s been jerking off to for roughly 4 months now.

Warm Blanket by surveycorpsjean | Promare | Lio/Galo | 19k | He wonders if Lio remembers.

spend some time with me (i really like your company) by fencer_x | Promare | Galo/Lio | 73k | Galo Thymos is the worst hostage ever, and Lio regrets kidnapping him with every waking breath.

times that are broken can often be one again by sarcasticfishes | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane/Sara | The moment the lights come on, Shane senses that something is wrong.

my age has never made me wise by idrilka | The Untamed | Wei Wuxian/Lan Zhan | 63k | “We hear that His Excellency might be married by summer’s end,” the merchant’s wife says and Wei Wuxian freezes, his heart in his throat. “The Gusu Lan sect has been buying enough red silk and brocade that the merchants in Caiyi can’t satisfy the demand.”

May

The Shops on Morning Street by mikkimouse | Castlevania | Alucard/Trevor | 7k | Trevor Belmont, former monster hunter and current florist, is tasked with looking into the proprietor of the new tattoo parlor across the street, much to his annoyance.

Sarva by rageprufrock | Guardian | Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan | 5k | Or, 一切. At work, in public, Shen Wei is meticulously, seamlessly polite. In bed, he's something else.

Heartbeat by quackers | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane | 66k | So the guy Ryan sits next to at work is a vampire. That's no big deal, right?

Soup-pocalypse and The Great Curry Cataclysm by SquadOfCats | Harry Potter | Draco/Harry | 104k | Eleven years after the war, Draco Malfoy leads a quiet, boring, and perfectly respectable life, thanks very much. Or, at least he does, until a sudden and very unexpected veela awakening causes him to throw soup all over Harry Potter in the middle of the Ministry cafeteria.

until you fit beneath me (and you’re breaking like a wave) by beethechange | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane |  In which Shane Madej succumbs to the mortifying ordeal of being known—but not before being a real butthead about it for many thousands of words first.

there is no such thing by gh0stly | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane | 10k | A simple investigation turns serious as Ryan suspects the black dog of Hawthorn road isn't the only demonic entity to have followed him home.

oracle bones by orphan_account | Avatar: TLA | Zuko/Katara | 3k | The foreign, pictorial characters that bracelet Zuko's left wrist have never been covered in any of his lessons. He cannot read them.

Third Time's A Charm by quackers | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane | 31k | Shane can't help but fall for the hot young lifeguard that stars in his Baywatch inspired daydreams, but he has a secret that no one can know. Not even Ryan.

Milk and Honey by quackers | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane | 18k | Sure, the fae were real. Everyone knew that.Ryan being fae? As likely as ghosts existing.

Technically-Terrestrial by quackers | Buzzfeed Unsolved | 60k | Nearly forty years ago, the disgraced group of an alien race found refuge amongst the population of Earth.And now Shane Madej, who is more-or-less human, kind-of-actually-an-alien, has to convince his terrified best friend Ryan that he's not about to abduct him.

play me like a love song by sky_somedays | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane | 10k |  Shane is Ryan's beleaguered history TA. Ryan won't stop suggesting insane theories.

one word from you by mme_anxious  | The Untamed | Lan Zhan/Wei Wuxian | 5k |  Wei Wuxian manages to get himself cursed and Lan Wangji just wants to be helpful. 

DELIGHTFUL FANVIDS

January

A Tribute to 2019 Cinema

Geralt & Yennefer | Wicked Game

chaos | Yennefer of Vengerberg

Yennefer of Vengerberg || SURVIVOR

The Multifandom Mashup 2019

Multifandom Mashup 2019

Natural ][ Multifandom

Yennefer Of Vengerberg | Here I Am

destiny [The Witcher]

star wars || war pigs

THE WITCHER || IN THE END [Happy New Year!]

Sucker [Jaskier & Geralt / Humor]

The Witcher || War Pigs

Lee Scoresby ][ Rebel Just For Kicks || HDM

Jaskier & Geralt || Hold on

February

The Art of Cinema

Jaskier & Geralt || Hold on

Jaskier || Oh No!

The Witcher || River

Geralt Of Rivia || Old Town Road

Multifandom | Glitter & Gold

Everybody knows | Multifandom

Merlin | Survivor

March

xue yang & xiao xingchen (the untamed MV) | hold on

Wei Wuxian | The Yiling Patriarch

The Untamed | Devil from Heaven

陈情令-The Untamed (2019) | but I'm only human | Yiling Patriarch

wei wu xian & lan wang ji (the untamed MV) | they don't know about us

Wangxian || Us Against the World (The Untamed)

Wei Wu Xian & Lan Wang Ji | A Thousand Years (The Untamed FMV)

hannibal || the way you are

Wei Wuxian & Lan Wangji | Bury our Love《陈情令 The Untamed》

The Untamed FMV | Wei Wuxian & Lan Wangji | 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁𝓎

The Untamed MV - Rule the World

𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘺 || wei wu xian 陈情令

陈情令 | The Untamed - I Will Carry You

wei wu xian & lan wang ji (the untamed MV) | beautiful mess

The Witcher | Geralt Of Rivia

Kylo Ren & Rey | I Know You

Miles Morales | Whatever It Takes

EGO - Wei Wuxian

Wei Wuxian | Rebel Just For Kicks

Geralt of Rivia // Glitter and Gold

Glitter & Gold ][ TUA

Eliot Waugh - Let It Happen

Jaskier ❤️️ Everybody Loves Me

April

DJ Earworm - YouTube Sings Dance Monkey (100 COVERS)

Khan ][ Believer

Roman Sionis | Black Mask ][ Bad Guy

(Star Wars) Kylo Ren | Redemption

(The Witcher) Geralt of Rivia | The White Wolf

Sirius & Regulus | Black Flies

The Marauders | HOME

(Marvel) Thor | The New Path

(Marvel) Tony Stark | My Legacy

A Song of Ice & Fire

(GoT) Daenerys Targaryen | My Reign is Over

Harley Quinn ][ Feeling Good

Multifandom II You'll Always Be A Monster

Haru & Rin || Deep Blue

Star Wars - Anime Opening 1 (A New Hope Arc)

It's hard

Severus Snape

Marvel || BLUE MONDAY

never surrender

May

[AMV] In The Name of Love [Yuri!!! on ICE]

Catra & Adora | I love you, I always have (+S5)

Sherlock ][ Bohemian Rhapsody

(Marvel) Avengers | Catastrophe

DELIGHTFUL MUSIC

January

There She Goes - Sixpence None the Richer

Don’t You Forget About Me - Simple Minds

Devil Side - Foxes 

Medhel an Gwyns - Anna Dudley

A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square - Tori Amos

Toss A Coin to Your Witcher - Witcher OST

Smile For the Camera - UPSAHL

Fail We Must Sail We Must - Unloved

It’s Not You, It’s Me -Unloved

Bill - Unloved 

Cry Baby Cry - Unloved

Sigh - Unloved

Teeth - 5 Seconds of Summer

My Dear - The Castros

Us - Regina Spektor

Houses - Great Northern 

Beautiful Dreamer - The Magicians Cast

Graveyard - Halsey

Imperfections - Celine Dion

Premonitions - Vaults 

Jagwar - Shells

Nice To Meet You - Niall Horan

Handsome and Wealthy - Migos

Thunder - Shaed

6 Underground - The Sneaker Pimps

February

Land of Yesterday - Anastasia Original Broadway Cast

You’re Somebody Else - Flora Cash

Masterpiece - Vargas & Lagola

Everybody Knows - Sigrid

Fly Me to the Moon - Frank Sinatra

Cringe - Stripped - Matt Maeson

Black Out Days - Phantogram

You Don’t Get Me High Anymore - Wakey!Wakey!

Pep Talk - Judah & the Lion

Ag Bruach Dhun Reimhe - Eithne Ni Uallachan

Grave Digger - Matt Maeson

Hidden Lakes - Shearwater

Maker - Anjimile

The Untamed sountracks - vocal and instrumental

Cut My Lip - 21 Pilots

Cancer - 21 Pilots

Strawberry Fields - The Beatles

March

Infinity - Jaymes Young

Chadelier - Sia

No Time to Die - Billie Eilish

South of the Border - Camila Cabello & Cardi B

Moondust - Jaymes Young

April

2020 playlist

May

2020 playlist

POSTED FIC

January

a different kind of danger in the daylight | Shades of Magic | Kell/Lila/Holland | 6,930 words | Sleeping with Holland was never part of the plan. 

February

love will have it's sacrifices | Teen Wolf | Sterek | 7,719 words | “So,” Allison starts, biting her lip. “You’re telling me that you think your roommate is a werewolf.”

March

Teeth | The Witcher | Jaskier/Geralt | 2,368 words |  “You wrote a song about my teeth,” Geralt says.

April

Lithium | Kingdom Hearts | Axel/Roxas | 378 words |  The grass is cool and faintly damp, still springy under your palms.

the thrill of knowing how alone we are | Stargate Atlantis | Rodney/John | 1,077 words | “Right now, I really don’t know if I want to kiss you or shove you off the damn bridge.”Rodney, who is, in fact, on a bridge right now, has never had the best sense of self preservation, because he snaps right back, “Oh good, can I pick?”

i hope you lose your way | Kingdom Hearts | Sora/Riku | 1,725 words |  The last summer that he and Sora were together, truly together, before the inexplicable pull of adulthood drew them further and further apart until that thread finally snapped, they went on a road trip.

ephemeral | The Untamed | Lan Zhan/Wei Wuxian | 2,353 words | “Composing is what suits me now,” Lan Wangji says, his voice like a shrug. “In a year, it may be dancing.”

May

fifteen flares inside those ocean eyes | Stranger Things | Billy/Steve | 4,108 words | As Steve watches, the man arches one of those eyebrows and asks, “Are you trying to get eaten by a shark?”

WIPS | UNPUBLISHED | ORIGINAL

January

N/A

February

N/A

March

N/A

April

The Untamed, ephemeral, 2148 words

May

Untitled Mermay Fic | Stranger Things | Harringrove | 3.367 words

FANMIXES/GRAPHICS

January

All the 8tracks imports

February

N/A

March

N/A

April 

N/A

May

Writing Playlist

[thetravelerwrites]

Commitments: Part 1 (Gargoyles Fanfic)

Rating: Teen Fandom: Disney’s Gargoyles Relationships: Goliath x Elisa Maza Additional Tags: Marriage, Proposal, Engagement Trigger Warnings: Light Language, Sex Mention Words: 3996

Takes place in the years 1998-2000, and pertains to the Commitment Ceremony that had been planned for future comics between Elisa and Goliath. There will also be Brooklyn/Katana and Broadway/Angela moments thrown in. Please leave feedback!

It wasn’t going to be a wedding, not exactly. Gargoyles had no need to marry; once they gave their heart to someone, they were bound to that person until death or until they decided they were no longer compatible, which frankly was an uncommon occurrence among Goliath’s people. The severance of his union with Demona was, although perfectly understandable under the circumstances, exceedingly rare.

Gargoyles trusted their feelings far more than humans did theirs. On the whole, they didn’t often succumb to insecurity about their own love for their mates or the love of their mates for them. Perhaps that was why humans needed the security of marriage, the notion that they controlled their own emotions and not the other way around, to give them a sense of certainty about their feelings. Tokens, legal documents, and ceremonies were all trappings of humanity’s desire to make something as simple as loving another person complicated and tedious, and to Gargoyles, unnecessary.

The ceremony had been Goliath’s idea, though. After the Masquerade two years ago at the Xanatos Building in which Thailog had nearly killed Goliath, Elisa had sat down with him sometime later, nearly a month, and they discussed their relationship at length over coffee, laying out what being together meant for the both of them and if they felt it was still worth pursuing. They both agreed that it was.

Elisa told him that she had come to terms with the things about their lives together that would always be out of their reach and seemed content to lay them aside, having made the personal discovery that being with Goliath was worth far more to her than a normal human life. Goliath wasn’t sure he completely believed her but decided not to push the matter. He was simply happy to have her back.

After they had talked, Goliath had flown back to the tower with his thoughts in a roil. Being with him shouldn’t rob her of everything she had wanted in a mate. Surely some middle ground was to be reached in this situation. He had taken seriously the things Elisa had said during the brief period when they had separated. There were things he knew he’d never be able to give her: the house in the suburbs with the white picket fence she had spoken of. Gargoyles didn’t believe in money, and they had little to no interest in physical property, so buying a house was out of the question. Goliath suspected, however, that this specific desire was an optional one.

It was children that would be the biggest issue for Elisa and Goliath was keenly aware of it, even if she said it didn’t matter to her anymore. It wasn’t the same for him; Gargoyles did not have daughters or sons, nor fathers and mothers. The children of the clan belonged to the whole clan. That was simply the Gargoyle way.

Though he had to admit, this was no longer true, at least for the Manhattan Clan. Brooklyn was deeply devoted to his and Katana’s hatchlings. Goliath knew Angela and Broadway had been privately discussing laying their own egg. Goliath himself had come to love his only biological daughter as any father should, and while Elisa loved Angela very much and treasured their friendship, he doubted Elisa would ever consider her a daughter. They were too close in equivalent age for that. A child was one thing Elisa would never have with Goliath, and though it was a matter they both regretted deeply, nothing could be done to change it.

It wasn’t until he was back at the tower and overheard Owen talking about plans for Xanato’s anniversary that it clicked. There was one thing he could do for her. He could, officially and in public, surrounded by friends, family, and clan, declare his love for her. Become not only her mate, but her husband, and she his wife. Human terms though they were, Goliath didn’t mind them so much if it would make her happy, and he dearly wanted her to be happy.

Goliath was unfamiliar with the specifics of the ritual and resorted to asking Elisa’s brother, Talon, for help in planning it. One aspect was talking to the parents and, in some cases, asking the father for permission. Talon laughed at this, amused at the thought of the progressive, independent Elisa furious at both Goliath and her father for discussing her like she was a commodity for which they could barter.

Goliath did think that talking to Elisa’s parents about his intentions was appropriate. He wanted them to be there for the ceremony, as they would become part of his clan. Diane accepted it immediately, though Peter had needed a bit of convincing. Diane had given Goliath a ring that had belonged to her grandmother; a silver band with five inlaid sapphires. In return, Goliath asked Diane to officiate the ceremony. Diane cried, accepted, and hugged Goliath around the middle, an embrace Goliath awkwardly returned.

Another aspect of the ritual was, as Talon had put it, to “pop the question.” And one couldn’t just come out and ask, either, it had to be done in a special way with forethought and meaning. Talon had told Goliath about New Hope in Pennsylvania, which was an hour and forty-five minutes by bus, but much faster by air, which he knew from taking Maggie there a fair few times. There was a wildflower reserve there that Elisa had visited often as a child, but she hadn’t been back since she had entered the academy. Goliath thought it sounded perfect.

He kept his intentions quiet from everyone else, waiting for the right moment to ask Elisa and get her answer before mentioning it to anyone besides her family. It had taken time, more than a year, for him to work up the nerve. One thing or another always seemed to get in the way; her work, their missions, villains, new threats, all seemed to pop up just as Goliath was attempting to pull her away and ask.

One night in July of 1999, he finally had the chance he was waiting for. Elisa had three nights off in a row, the city was relatively quiet, there were no pressing matters to attend to at the castle, and despite the summer heat, the nights were pleasantly cool. Thinking this could be his only chance to do things properly, he made his plan to take her out to the reserve swiftly, before something could stop him. Goliath had only told her they were going somewhere special and left it at that.

That night, he reached her apartment and let himself in through the open window. He found her in the kitchen packing a picnic basket with various things, looking up at him with a beaming smile as he came closer. She was draped in a lovely pale blue dress, knee-length and flared at the hip, as practical as it was pretty.

She abandoned her task long enough to jump into his embrace, her feet dangling from the floor, and plant a kiss on his lips, which he returned with a gentle smile.

“It’s good to see you, too,” He said.

She laughed. “So where are we going?” She asked, still clutching his neck and running a finger up and down the place where his back curved into his neck, feeling the strange, minuscules scales that made up his skin, so fine and small that you had to be looking very close to see them at all. Rough when caressed one way, smooth if rubbed the other.

“It’s a surprise,” Goliath said as he released her. Her hands slid down his chest as she was set back on her feet and moved away to finish packing. “But we must go soon. It is quite far.”

She smiled and nodded, picking up the basket and a blanket that had been thrown over a nearby chair, and allowing herself to be lifted up and cradled in Goliath’s arms. Then they were off.

The trip took the better part of forty minutes, and they whiled away the time by talking about one thing or another. It was so much better now that it was all out in the open and they didn’t have to dance around each other as they had done in the first two years of their acquaintance when they couldn’t admit their feelings. Now things between them were easier, effortless, like talking with your best friend. Because Goliath was her best friend; the best she had ever had.

Elisa had been talking about plans for her sister’s graduation next year when she looked down and stopped mid-sentence.

“Wait!” She said, shifting a little to get a better look. “I know where we are! The wildflower reserve! Goliath, how did you find out about this place?”

“Your brother mentioned it to me,” Goliath said smugly. “He said this place was special to you.”

“Aw,” Elisa tutted. “I should visit him and Maggie soon.”

“I have no doubt you two will have much to discuss,” He said.

“What do you mean?” She asked.

“Nothing. There’s a deck there where we can land. Hold on.” He dove downward quickly, flattening his wings against his back as the ground rose swiftly to meet them. He unfurled his wings with enough time to slow them without scrambling their insides before landing gently on the wooden patio sitting in the middle of the field, surrounded by the colorful, fragrant plants as far as the eye could see. Talon had been right. This was the perfect place.

Elisa handed him the quilt, which he shook out and laid down over the wood. Elisa knelt and went about setting the things she had packed out onto the fabric. Goliath sat down cross-legged and assisted.

The basket had contained sandwiches, cheeses, and fruit, as well as water, wine, and if Elisa was feeling particularly festive, a bottle of whiskey.

“You didn’t have to go to all this trouble, Elisa,” Goliath said, looking over the spread she had packed.

“It wasn’t any trouble. I just threw some stuff in a basket. You’re the one who lugged us here in forty minutes with no break.” She handed him a glass of wine and a small plate with food, which he accepted with a smile. “I’m glad you suggested we do this. I love New York, but it’s nice to get away from the city for a while and spend some time with you alone.”

“I agree,” He replied. “This has been long overdue.”

She poured herself a glass of wine and settled next to him, leaning into him and sighing contently. He enjoyed the weight and warmth of her body against his. They ate and drank in relative silence, but not an uncomfortable one. They were not the type of couple that felt the need to fill the void with inane chatter. Simply being alone with each other with no sense urgency or distress was reward enough.

After a while, when they had eaten their fill and drank enough wine to make them feel very at ease, Goliath sat up straight and reached behind him.

“I have something for you,” He said, pulling out a thin, long blue box in roughly she shape of a book, complete with a bow. “A gift.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Where were you hiding that?”

He smiled a wide, toothy smile that was most unlike him, and presented the box to her. She took it with a furtive glance at him.

“You’ve never given me a gift before,” She said, intrigued.

“No,” Goliath admitted. “Gift-giving is not a typical Gargoyle practice. Tonight is special, however.”

“Special, how?”

“You shall see.”

Quirking an eyebrow at him, she untied the bow and lifted the lid. It was, in fact, a book: a photo album. The covers, back and front, were plain and bound in a midnight blue canvas. She opened the cover and gasped. The very first picture was of every person she loved standing together; her parents, Derek and Maggie, all of the Manhattan Clan, including Brooklyn and Katana’s hatchlings, tall Nashville and tiny Matsuko, and the newest edition, Broadway and Angela’s egg, which they proudly held between them. Lexington had little Alexander on his shoulders, now three years old but looking much older. Even Beth was there, smiling and standing with her arm around Derek’s waist. Goliath was also there, standing head and shoulders above the rest, square in the middle with his hand on Angela’s shoulder, a crooked smile on his normally grim features.

“Oh, my God,” Elisa breathed, flipping through the pages only to find more photos of her family and the clan interacting. There was a picture of Alexander playing with Matsuko, with Bronx laying belly up next to them. There was one of Derek, Maggie, Beth, Diane, Peter, and Matt Bluestone all playing cards together. There were tastefully shot photographs of the Gargoyles as stone in the sunlight, both in greyscale and in full color. There was even a sneakily obtained shot of Elisa sitting with all of them last year when she had managed to get them together for Christmas dinner, taken without her knowledge. She marveled at each page, a wondering smile lighting her face.

“How?” She asked. “How did you do this?”

“Your sister, Beth, helped me put it together. I wanted to do something special for you. She gave us all disposable cameras and asked us to take pictures, and she developed the film herself.” He was delighted by the pure joy in her expression. “You like it?”

“Goliath, I love this. I love it so much. It’s beautiful.” She kept turning the pages, stopping at each one to admire and smile at the candid shots of her family, of Angela sitting quietly and cradling her egg with Broadway hovering protectively nearby, of Katana and Beth laughing over tea with Matsuko in Beth’s lap, laughing along with them. Of her father and Hudson reclining in easy-chairs, talking somberly over a glass of bourbon. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever been given.

“Thank you, Goliath,” She said, holding the book to her chest. “I love it so much.”

“Keep going,” He said with a smile. “I saved the best for last.”

She grinned at him and kept turning pages until she reached the back cover, where rested a small, plain, white envelope.

“What’s this?” She asked, holding it up.

“Open it,” He replied. His smile was gone and he seemed to tense suddenly, though she was unsure why. Puzzled, she slit open the top of the envelope with her fingernail and peered inside.

“What is that?” She asked quietly, as if to herself. She tipped the envelope over and the silver ring tumbled into her hand. At first, she didn’t react, trying to comprehend what she was seeing. She looked up at him, a stunned expression on her face. He was looking at her very seriously, all trace of playfulness gone.

“Goliath,” Elisa said slowly, turning the band slowly in her fingers, examining it as if it were a riddle to be solved. “This is a ring.”

Yes,” Goliath answered simply, watching her face with rising apprehension.

She looked up at him, her chest tight. “For humans, when a man gives a woman a ring, it means something.”

“Yes, I am aware of this,” Goliath replied, his eyes still locked on hers. “I’ve spoken to your family. Your mother gave me this ring. To give to you.”

Elisa was finding it hard to breathe. Surely he didn’t mean… he wasn’t… “Are… are you…. Goliath, what does this mean?”

Goliath reached out his hand, and Elisa laid the ring into his open palm.

“Elisa,” he began. “When a Gargoyle chooses a mate, they pledge themselves to each other, much the same as humans do. But for our kind, it is a private matter that takes place between the two souls in love, away from prying eyes. After the pledge is made, it is acknowledged within the clan that the lovers are no longer two separate souls, but one soul that resides in two bodies, living for and within each other.

“Ceremonies and celebrations are not the Gargoyle way,” He continued. “We find gladness in the union of our friends and rejoice in their happiness, but there are no festivities to mark the occasion. That is a human custom.” Goliath looked long at the ring sitting cold and smooth in his hand. “But if I am to take a human woman as my mate, as I intend to do, I must come to accept her people’s customs and adapt to them. For her people will become my people, as mine have already become hers.”

Elisa sat staring wide-eyed at Goliath, her mouth open in shock.

“Therefore,” Goliath continued, taking a breath and reaching for Elisa’s left hand, which she offered. “I, Goliath, willingly offer to pledge my life and love to you, and ask you, Elisa Maza, if you would willingly pledge your life and love to me. Do you accept this offer?”

She seemed too stunned for speech. Her breathing was shallow and uneven. A tear spilled over her eye and down her cheek.

“Elisa?” Goliath asked in concern, brushing the tear away. “Are you alright?”

She nodded, another tear falling. She held his hand to her face and managed to find her voice, though it came out rather strangled. “I accept.”

A smile started to spread across his face. “Yes?”

“Yes,” She said, wiping her cheeks and laughing. “I accept. Nothing else on earth would make me happier.”

She took the ring from his palm and put it on her left ring finger, then pushed herself up to her knees to wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him. His arms encircled her waist and squeezed gently.

The kiss deepened became more urgent. Elisa fell back, pulling him with her so that he lay next to her on the blanket. Their arms wrapped tightly around each other as they explored each other’s kiss. She boldly flicked her tongue into his mouth and over his teeth, sharp enough to bite through steel, with no fear or apprehension. He responded in kind.

He gently caressed her face with one hand and the fingers of his other hand traced the skin up and down her spine. She had always marveled at the level of control it took for a person who could literally tear a car apart with his bare hands to touch her so tenderly. His claws were made for penetrating stone and metal, to climb and carry the immense weight of his body, yet in all the times he had touched her, he had never once left a mark.

Taking his hand from her face, she moved it downward to touch her breast. Goliath stiffened and pulled away.

“Elisa,” He started with a sigh. “We have discussed this.”

“Goliath,” She replied in a slightly exasperated voice. She sat up. “Every time I try to initiate intimacy with you, you push me away. Ever since that night we decided to stay together, you’ve brushed me off. I always figured it’s because you’re just old-fashioned, but I really think we are past the point of propriety here, don’t you?”

“It is not about that,” He said, pushing himself up into a sitting position as well. “When you first attempted to engage with me, we had just repaired our relationship. It was new and fragile, and I felt it was far too soon to be intimate with you.”

“I can understand that, Goliath, but we’ve been together for over two years now. Our relationship is more solid than it’s ever been. Besides, we are both adults, and we’ve done this before. Not with each other, obviously, but we have both had sexual partners in the past. Neither of us are exactly virgins.”

“That is not the point,” Goliath said. “Humans treat this subject with far too much indifference. There is no such thing as a casual encounter among Gargoyles.”

“Do you really think that’s what I’m trying to do?” Elisa said, mildly annoyed. “We literally just got… I don’t know… engaged? Betrothed? This isn’t exactly ‘casual’ for me.”

She folded her arms, looking away into the distance and growing quiet, as though she had suddenly realized something deeply unpleasant.

“What is it?” He asked, watching her expression shift.

“Nothing, it’s not worth mentioning,” She said dismissively, though she wouldn’t look at him.

“Tell me.”

She sighed, tilting her head in a begrudging way and refused to meet his eye, looking out over the field of flowers.

“Well,” She started slowly. “I had thought… I mean, I know Gargoyles don’t exactly find humans physically attractive. I thought, maybe… you didn’t think of me… in that…” She trailed off, visibly embarrassed.

It took a moment for Goliath to comprehend what she was saying. “Oh! No, Elisa, it isn’t like that at all. I have wanted to…” He struggled for wording that wouldn’t be vulgar. “To be with you in that way many times while we have been together.”

“Then why haven’t you?” She asked, looking at him. She was definitely upset.

“You must understand, to my kind, the act of making love is a promise in and of itself. To do so before now would not have been… appropriate.”

“So why not now?” Elisa asked him, her arms still folded. The ring he had given her noticeably glinting against the dark skin of her hand, drawing his eye.

He took her hand and held it in his, bending down to kiss her fingers. “Elisa, I love you,” He said gently. “To me, this is as miraculous a thing as seeing the sunrise with my own two eyes. After what Demona had done, after all the betrayals my clan had suffered by not only humans, but from my own kind, I had sworn that I would never trust or love again. You were the one to change that. The fact that you are human makes no difference; I desire to…” If a Gargoyle could blush, Elisa believed he might be. “To touch your body and lie with you and show you the depths of my longing.

“I wish to give you all that you desire and more, but I wish to do so the proper way. Though our methods may be different, both humans and Gargoyles set aside a time in which they make their pledge, after which they consummate the union. For my people, it is a private matter, but humans have a ceremony in which all the people they love gather to be a part of the celebration. As I understand it, the consummation takes place after the festivities have ended. ‘The wedding night,’ I believe it’s called. I want for you as normal a life as I am capable of providing. It is important to me that we observe the human ritual of marriage as well as we can, including the consummation ritual.”

Elisa had to laugh at that. “Honestly, Goliath, I hadn’t pegged you for the ‘saving myself for marriage’ type. But that part of the marriage is usually for people who are religious, and you and I both know neither of us are what you might call devout. In this day and age, it’s at most an optional aspect of the wedding.”

“Even so,” Goliath said, smiling. “I believe it is the right thing to do.”

Elisa sighed. She stood briefly and then settled in his lap, her arms around his neck. “You’re really going make me wait, aren’t you?”

Goliath returned her embrace. “I’m afraid so. But I promise you, it will be worth the wait.”

“It had better be,” She said dangerously, tracing his lips with her finger. He caught her hand and then kissed her again. She grumbled around the kiss but relented. He definitely wasn’t making it easy on her.

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