#s2 cannot come soon enough

[purrvaire]

another day at the insanity filled days factory

[detectivedeckerstar]

you have no idea how ready for this i am

[northen-light]

season 2 first look from this Vanity Fair article

[asneakyfox]

thinking about how ofmd s2 ended up being different from the enormous piles of reunion fic written over the hiatus. when people talk about this with respect to the ed/stede reunion itself they frame it usually as ed being less angry at stede than we expected him to be. i don't think that's really true though! he is very very angry for a good while. but even at his angriest he is expressing his anger differently than we all expected.

this is the difference imo: in nearly all reunion fic the reunion starts out with ed being blackbeard at stede. the narrative tension is around stede getting through to him enough that he's willing to put the blackbeard persona aside and just talk to him as ed, because it's only after that happens that it's possible for them to begin patching things up. and that never happens in s2! ed is never in any version of the blackbeard persona when he's interacting with stede, not even when he's angriest, not for a moment.

we all talk about how ed hides under a blanket whenever he's upset. but - he doesn't. ed was obviously very upset during the entire kraken era; do you think he ever let anyone on that ship see him hiding under a blanket during all that time? hiding under a blanket to cope with being upset is something he does when stede's around. there is one obvious counterexample - the depression robe era - but i've always read that as ed experimenting with trying to be emotionally open with other people the way he'd been with stede, specifically as a reaction to his time with stede, and he drops it as soon as the experiment goes badly. blackbeard doesn't hide under blankets; ed does. the fact that ed gets upset and goes and hides under a blanket, clearly expecting that stede will come and find him there, is an expression of how upset he is but it's also at the same time an expression of trust. even now stede still gets to see the part of him that hides under blankets when he's upset.

the impression i got from s2 honestly is that ed cannot perform blackbeard at stede, because stede has already seen too much of him. stede knows blackbeard is pretend, in a way nobody else really does, and ed knows he knows, and if ed tried to put on the pretense for him i honestly think he'd just feel ridiculous. neither of them would be fooled for an instant. stede would be like "ed. c'mon," and he'd crumble.

a thing that makes this really wild btw - i don't want this to turn into izcourse but. ed has known izzy way longer than he's known stede, for multiple years at least. and yet ed is perfectly capable of performing blackbeard at izzy, because despite the fact that izzy considers himself an indispensable part of blackbeard, izzy wants blackbeard to be real and won't admit to himself the degree to which it's a pretense. there's an eddie persona, who izzy and jack and anne and mary get to see, fellow pirates he considers roughly his peers: eddie's a really cool guy, and kind of a douchebag, and he doesn't ever hide under blankets. eddie's not the same as the full-on distant scary blackbeard persona. but eddie's also not ed. stede knows ed, and nobody else really does, and that's what ed meant when he talked about not having any friends.

ed is just kind of incapable of not feeling safe around stede, i think, and that's crazy because stede did in fact literally just ghost him traumatically and hurt him very badly the last time ed made himself emotionally vulnerable! and ed is perfectly conscious of that of course, that's what he means by "i was just a plaything to you" and that's why he wants to take it slow and that's what the fisherman breakup is about, he's terrified because he has no reason to trust that stede won't leave him again. but on a certain level despite that he does trust stede with his heart, right away, because he honestly can't help it.

[the-voldsoy]

Alrighty it is almost the end of the year so, in no particular order, here are podcasts I recommend of the ones I've listened to this year! (let me tell you picking favourites for this was So hard) (Unfortunately I can't just do all of them because there are almost 50)

Hello From The Hallowoods: The world ended, but we're still here, and shit's weird. (Has made me cry; even the trees are queer; my comfort show<3)

Camp Here And There: Good morning campers! The time is 7:63AM and Cabin Magpie Moth has spontaneously combusted! Whichever one of you little woodworms can put it out first can come get a puffy sticker from me in the Nurses Cabin! (Is it a horror? Is it a comedy? I don't know, you'd have to check to be sure)

Wooden Overcoats: Funn Funerals used to be the only funeral parlor on the island. It isn't anymore. (Sitcom, the main characters are the most miserable wet cats you ever did see)

Re: Dracula: Maybe this year, they'll be okay. Maybe this year they'll all live. Maybe this year he won't go, and she'll be alright.

Magnus Protocol: TMA's louder, bolder, less serious younger sibling.

The Silt Verses: Oh boy. Let me tell you, you will look at crabs differently after this. (WET horror, genuinely the best pod I've ever heard)

Archive 81: Dan, a newly hired archivist, has to listen to and catalogue a set of old audio tapes. The tapes contain interviews conducted by someone Dan has never heard of. Dan is in an isolated bunker in the middle of the woods. Surely nothing will happen to our dear friend Dan. (What is it with archivists and getting snatched by The Horrors? Ignore the tv show it doesn't exist)

Red Valley: Just a couple of guys with an interest in research station Red Valley, whose focus was cryonics. It's completely defunct now. I wonder what happened. (Ethics? What's that?)

Woe.Begone: Some say it's about time-travel, some say it's about keeping yourself and those close to you alive, some say it's about online safety. All can agree on one point: What the fuck why are there cowboys now

Midnight Burger: Midnight Burger is a time-travelling, dimension-spanning diner. Dunno how it works or where it's going next. We open at six! (The episodes are an hour long minimum but it's worth it. Comedy sci-fi, lighthearted fun :)

Old Gods of Appalachia: The Appalachians are spooky y'all. (The narrator's voice is so comforting in this, it feels like campfire stories)

Dreamboy: Went into this pod being told it was made by the people who made WTNV and absolutely no other information. Let me tell you I did not expect the main character to tell us that he got a hard-on in the first episode. (The most sexually explicit pod I've listened to)

The White Vault: Nice little trip to Svalbard to check on the remote research station, surely nothing will go wrong :) (Holy Fucking Shit What Is That) (Recommend 1st season especially to The Thing (1982) enjoyers)

Camlann: Ever wished that you were apart of Welsh folklore or Arthurian legends? Or perhaps some of the last people left on Earth? No? Ah well, you'll pick it up soon enough. (Three idiots and a dog in Wales, fighting for their lives)

Breaker Whiskey: Imagine. Being the only person on earth. Just you. Just you, and someone on the radio. Just you, the radio, and a woman you absolutely do NOT have sexual tension with. (This one looks really long because it has 260+ episodes, but they're like 4 minutes long each so it's not really)

Ethics Town: Don't worry about it. (Cannot recommend enough, it is a mindfuck)

Tell No Tales: What if ghosts were a thing that could infest a place, like rats or roaches or mold? What if it was your job to exterminate them? And the million-pound question, do ghosts deserve rights? (I am waiting so so patiently for the rest of s2)

Remnants: You wake up in a place you recognise. You have always been there. You have no idea where you are. You see a stranger's life. You recognise them. You knew them once, you think. Discard or reshelve? You don't know what that means. It does not matter. Discard or reshelve, that is the question. (I am going insane over this pod)

Not Quite Dead: Vampires! Alfie is an overworked A&E nurse who does not have time for this shit. Unfortunately, he does not have a choice in this matter. (A really interesting take on vampirism, going into the biology. It is fascinating, and an exciting story)

Travelling Light: Space Quaker! Listen to the Traveller tell you about every new planet and civilisation they visit. Whattttt noooo they don't have a crush on one of their crew members what are you taaaalking abouttttt (Very comforting pod, beauty in the mundane in a way? But not mundane because yk. Aliens)

Someone Just Like You: Brilliant horror, just really well written. I don't even have words for it. So far there are only 6 episodes and the concepts/plots of each seem cheesy, but my GOD the execution.

The Bright Sessions: People with powers get therapy! Thank God, they need it so bad. (I love one particular antagonist so much, I need to put him in a microwave)

Poe: Evermore: It wasn't until I started this that I realised that Edgar Allen Poe would have had a Boston-ish accent. Reallyyy interesting story of his life, and I keep getting jumpscared by VAs I recognise. Faulkner Silt Verses what are you doing here.

Witherburn After School News: Your school radio host getting WAY more involved in the news than they should. Really hope they're still breathing. Love the folklore section though!

Before The Tone: Voicemails from someone who just got a job they probably shouldn't have. (Brilliant idea for the format, and great execution)

I Am In Eskew: What if you were trapped? What if you had a home, a wife and a child? What if they aren't real? Are you sure? Go and check. What if your city tried to kill you? What if it loved you very much, more than anyone else? (Horror but the narrator is the saddest wettest man you've ever heard)

Sherlock & Co: Modern day Sherlock Holmes, and John Watson is a true crime podcaster. Dear God I did not think it would be as compelling as it is.

[morganas-pendragons]

Where Are You? Pt III | Celebrimbor

trust me, this will not have the same ending as the show.

MAJOR spoilers for Episode 8 of S2, diverges from canon. I hope you enjoy it! This is the last major Celebrimbor piece I will be posting on here for a while as I am now focusing on my Celebrimbor/Maiar!OC fic on Ao3 that derives from this.

The link for it is in my pinned! The end of this pulls from Grey, which is a drabble written into Celebrimbor's masterlist under my Rings of Power masterlist.

spoilers, graphic for depictions of violence, sauron's usual antics

***

The thoughts begin long before the rescue from Eregion. Thoughts of being his wife, thoughts of being the real Lady of Eregion, and living out the rest of your days with Celebrimbor in peace seek its space in your mind. It is a wonderful place to go and daydream when reality becomes too difficult to bear.

Those daydreams are shattered by darkness. By the smell of smoke, the amber aura of fire, the sound of histories of the crown of Elvendom falling into ruin. You recall little of those daydreams as Sauron switches between you and Celebrimbor while you both remained chained in the forge.

You recall little aside from the sound of your lovers pleas to stop, to leave you alone, to spare you and take him.

You recall little other than the blood.

You lay writhing on the floor in front of Celebrimbor, mere feet away, looking Death directly in its face above you. Sauron is wielding a dagger identical to the one Galadriel carried in memory of her brother.

This one, however, is specifically able to wound Maiar.

Your staff was cast aside in the altercation after Malendol had fled. You had held your own well enough, but you were never meant to defeat him on your own.

"What a privilege it is to be able to help you both realize it," Sauron cooed, kneeling down to press a knee into the dip of your chest and drag the blade tip against your cheek. "To realize that the heart is a weakness. The guilt it brings me to inflict such pain on such a beautiful face.."

“I find your supposed guilt to be nothing more than empty words." You reply.

The remark earns a sharp slap against the cheek, and Celebrimbor cries out as your head is slammed into the broken remains of the stone floor.

Scarlet drips from your nose, down your forehead, and around your eyes. You pay it no mind. The smell of smoke amidst all the destruction fills your lungs in a way that makes your chest ache. You wonder if blood will soon follow.

You aren't strong enough to beat him.

You only begin to come out of the haze when you hear Celebrimbor's whimpers from where he lies against the pillar. Your lover is covered in his own blood, five individual arrows protruding from his body where Sauron has fired them.

Licking the blood off of your teeth, you spit on the floor and slowly begin to crawl forward.

"Look at what you've done to yourself," Sauron remarks as he drags his fingers across Celebrimbor's cheeks. The Elven Smith's eyes meet yours, and you have to swallow the sick that threatens to crawl up your throat at the sight. "They will be here at any moment. Have you ever seen orcs in the heat of combat? A frenzy comes over them. A blood hunger."

Despite the pain in your head and the blood in your eyes, you draw the pin from your clothing and lunge to drive it as hard into his neck as possible. It will not kill him. It will, however, take the attention away from Celebrimbor.

Sauron roars as his fingers come to draw the blade out, fingertips stained red as he whips around to drive his own blade into your leg. You swear you can feel it hit the bone.

Celebrimbor swears his heart stops.

"I am growing tired of your insolence. I do not care if I cannot kill you," Defiant eyes met his own as he forced you to kneel in front of Celebrimbor. You were nearly close enough to touch. "Tell me where he has hidden the rings, and I will end his suffering. You may enjoy one last moment with one another before he goes."

I refuse to spend eternity alone.

"Over my dead body," You sneer. "And as I've said, that'll take you a while."

He shoves you backward, and Celebrimbor barely has the strength to steady you. You cannot lay on his chest and seek refuge within his embrace. You cannot find sanctuary within the crook of his neck.

Here, you are both vulnerable.

"It must be nearly noontide. One used to hear the kingfishers, flying to the river. It is a pity how you have silenced them."

Sauron has the nerve to look affronted. You grimace and shift your weight to slowly ease your head onto Celebrimbor's thigh. Bloodied fingers tangle in your hair. His own comfort during so much pain.

There is too much blood for you to tell which is yours and which is his.

"Everything I've done has been for you," He said. "Yours is the fire that crafted the marvels of the age. I wish only to share them with the world. Please. Let me."

You would give him credit. He was a master of emotional manipulation.

"But the Rings are beyond your reach, just as I soon will be." No. No, no you won't. You do not get to go. Not yet. "For soon I will go to the shores of the morning, born by a wind you can never follow!"

Think.

You need to find a distraction suitable enough to buy the two of you time.

"There are ways of keeping you alive, mellon. Would you like me to show you my mastery of that craft as well?"

His laughter, though painful, is a welcome sound to your ears.

"Craft?" Celebrimbor asks. "Your only craft is treachery. So pure it shall betray the very hand that forges it!"

"Your words are empty."

You slowly bring yourself to stand to your feet. The wound Sauron has inflicted upon your thigh is deep, dripping enough blood to make you sway as you slowly help Celebrimbor to his feet. You are the stronger of the two. The head injury alone should have rendered you immovable.

You take what weight you can as he says, "Hear me, hear me! Shadow of Morgoth. Hear the dying words of Celebrimbor."

I would like to marry you underneath a sunlit sky, bathed by warmth and the golden rays that carry across the flowers. A flower crown would suit you. It would only do well to accentuate what beauty already exists.

"The Rings of Power shall destroy you, and in the end I foresee that one alone shall be your utter ruin!"

And I too would marry you beneath a sunlit sky, where no one can tell us who to love or what we are to do with that love. I will marry Celebrimbor, son of Curufin, grandson of the great Fëanor, and this will be my vow unto you.

Until death do we part.

Your eyes snap open.

Your hands, though slick with blood, wrap around the hilt of the spear that would have most certainly killed Celebrimbor had you not been quick enough to grab it. The thought of Celebrimbor having to suffer any more fuels fierce protection in you that has only grown as you have grown to love him.

The metal of the weapon bites into your hand, cold and unforgiving as you shove it to the side and place yourself steadily between Celebrimbor and Sauron. “As I’ve said before,” You flash bloodied teeth at Sauron and reach for your staff. The distraction of Celebrimbor's conversation had given you enough time to grab it from where it lay near you both, “You have something that belongs to me, and you don’t get to play with us anymore, Mairon.”

You snap your fingers, and the whole world suddenly shifts.

Sauron's grasp on the spear loosens and drops as his eyes widen, fingers desperately coming to clutch at his temples as he stumbles backwards and away from you both. Celebrimbor remains delirious and confused at the sudden power shift. He is not sure what just happened, and the pain is too difficult to bear.

He collapses against you.

"What-" Words are difficult. He forces past the knot in his throat, past the smell of blood permeating all senses and causing his eyes to water. "What has happened?"

Silver eyes glow in the darkness of the Forge's remains. Your staff glows ever brighter, pointed at his chest as he fights against whatever is occurring in his head.

"Mairon was a student of Aulë, once upon a time. When he was corrupted by Morgoth, he was tortured. He was drawn to Melkor's power and was soon corrupted by that evil. I am only giving him a reminder of it." You reply. At that moment, the balcony doors fly open, and the blast from your staff sends Sauron - who has been fighting the machinations occurring inside his mind - further towards falling over the balcony. "I am only giving him a taste of the anguish he has caused."

The wide eyes that gaze back at you from the Maiar that caused you so much grief do nothing to deter you from your mission: Your whole purpose in coming to Middle Earth was to prevent exactly this. It was to prevent Celebrimbor from a brutal death.

"Go back to the shadow."

You are aware the fall won't kill him, but you don't care. The moment Sauron is out of sight you turn back around to take Celebrimbor's body back into your arms and ease him against the pillar.

You are both bloodied messes, a tangle of limbs and broken bones and so much blood that you cannot differentiate which belongs to who. You are the Maiar here. The Hand of Nienna. You force yourself to forsake your own needs for the sake of his. It is the only way you can keep him alive.

A single chain falls from your neck as you kneel to examine Celebrimbor’s injuries.

Celebrimbor is barely conscious, hanging on to the waking world with one of your hands on his face while the other ventures across his chest and thigh. He’s been much more oriented to the comfort of touch since meeting you. Craving it, seeking it out from you as a selfish man who takes from a giver.

You are more than happy to provide. It distracts him, which is exactly what you were intending to do.

“You aren’t supposed to have that yet,” Celebrimbor croaks. His throat feels as if he has swallowed sand. What one would not give for the mercy of water. “I had it planned…”

Planned?

"Mirdania gave me this for safekeeping, my love." You say softly. It is only the pin in his cloak and the distraction that keeps him from recognizing as you break each of the shafts of the arrows that have impacted his skin. You may be able to heal the wounds, but the scars will yet remain.

"I wished to ask you to marry me beneath the waterfall of Eregion's haven where we had our first date," He whispers, gasping as the pressure upon his body from the arrows is suddenly alleviated. It is a start. The ache in his chest and the difficulty breathing is most certainly due to the chest injuries. Broken ribs, no doubt. "Upon a setting sun with strawberry tarts and your favorite wine. It is the very least of what you deserve."

"What I deserve is all of our eternity," You cup his face in your hands and reverently stroke his cheeks with your thumbs. He is still the most beautiful thing you have ever seen amidst all the dirt and blood. Celebrimbor, your Celebrimbor, is wholly yours. "With you by me for it. Now come. We must flee from this ruin."

You ease him to his feet. He can hardly walk, which is unsurprising, but neither can you.

You pull upon all your strength for you both. Sauron's scream echoes outside of the Forge, but you do not care. You do not care even when the tears are burning your eyes and you cannot see. You weep in silence the whole way through to the Dwarven tunnels as you draw yourself and Celebrimbor to the horse that Galadriel undoubtedly left for you there.

There is only one mission.

Keep Celebrimbor alive. Find the Elves. Find Elrond, and Gil-Galad, and Galadriel.

Fight the Shadow.

[imogenkol]

— WIP WEDNESDAY

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I physically cannot stop myself from writing about them even though I planned to take a break until s2 so here’s a lil bit of angst (warning for panic attack/ptsd)

For as cold as her hands always were, Bix found it refreshing when Imogen reached up and cupped her face. It felt like a splash of cool water that awakened her senses, which would have been jarring if not for the gentle fade into a comforting warmth that immediately followed and settled in her chest.

Imogen tenderly ran a thumb along the line of her jaw, curving around the shape of her chin and coming to rest on the other side so that she delicately held the mechanic’s jaw in one hand while the other pulled her in closer by her waist. Bix felt a flutter and leaned into the touch, shutting her eyes.

That was a mistake.

As soon as she did, she felt Imogen tighten her grip ever so slightly. Not enough pressure to be assertive—certainly not enough to hurt at all, but without any warning Bix saw a flash of Dedra Meero’s face. For the first time in months, she felt the ISB supervisor’s unyielding grip on her jaw, forcing her head up when Bix lacked the strength to meet her gaze as she interrogated her.

In an instant, the temperature in Bix’s body dropped. Her hands went numb. Her ears rang. The world lurched. Overwhelming panic caused her to flinch away from her lover and she instinctively shoved Imogen back because she could not bear any contact for a second longer.

“No!” Bix said in a voice so shrill that it hardly sounded like her own.

Imogen took a step towards her as she retreated, but Bix held a hand up and stammered before the bounty hunter got a word out.

“Don’t—don’t touch me, I—“ Bix struggled to form her thoughts as her heart thundered against her ribcage like it was trying to break free. Even through the abrupt hysteria, she saw the deeply concerned look on Imogen’s face and felt a flush of remorse on top of it all. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. It’s not you, I just…”

“You should take a seat,” Imogen calmly suggested. “Breathe.”

Bix shook her hands in an effort to regain some feeling in them and took measured breaths that trembled in and out of her lungs. She did not want to sit. Or perhaps she did, but her body wouldn’t let her. Honestly, she didn’t know what she wanted or what she needed other than this feeling to stop.

Bix shut her eyes again and saw Doctor Gorst’s sickening smile.

The unrelenting wave crashed into her once more, threatening to knock Bix off her feet no matter what she thought she did or didn’t want. The mechanic groaned and began to pace in a small circle, mumbling a quiet mantra to herself as she fought against the tears constricting her throat and welling in her eyes. “I’m okay. I’m okay, I’m okay…”

Imogen stood still and patiently waited in silence for the moment to pass. Bix was grateful. As much as she wanted to be enveloped by her embrace or hear her voice, everything felt too paralyzing.

When the edges of her vision went black, Bix somehow found her way to the edge of a chair and fell into it. The metal legs scraped and squeaked against the floor, but she barely registered any other sound besides her own heartbeat. Bix focused on it, on the acute sensation of blood racing through her veins. She marked the path from her heart to the tips of her fingers until there was a tingle in her now clammy palms.

Gradually, her breaths grew steady and she felt cool. Not the uncomfortable coldness that felt like she plunged into a frozen lake, but the same kind of relaxed chill that came from her lover’s touch and grounded her. After another minute of breathing — or two or three, she couldn’t quite tell how much time passed — Bix felt her emotions level out into a much more stable state, allowing her muscles to finally release their relentless tension.

“Okay.” Bix nodded and released a sigh until every last bit of air had been pushed out of her lungs. Then she sat back in the chair and inhaled deeply, nodding again. “Okay.”

“Would you like me to leave?” Imogen asked.

Her lover’s voice snapped Bix back into focus. She glanced over and noted that Imogen remained a dutiful statue, not approaching nor making any sudden movements. The woman still wore a worried frown, gray eyes bright with anticipation as she waited for an order.

“No.”

“Do you need me to leave?”

The distinction was an important one, Bix realized, so she took a moment to think about it. Ultimately, as the storm passed, Bix felt empty – deprived, and found herself craving contact as if she were dying of thirst and being presented with a crystal clear river that flowed only for her.

Bix extended her hand and Imogen accepted the wordless invitation back into her space. However, even standing before her, the bounty hunter made no effort to reinitiate touch. Bix smiled warmly as she realized Imogen was following her lead.

With a hand that still had a slight tremble, Bix reached out and wrapped her fingers around Imogen’s wrist. Their eyes remained locked as Bix placed her lover’s palm on her flushed cheek and tilted her head into it until Imogen caressed her. To test herself, the mechanic closed her eyes. Her jaw tightened almost immediately as she felt the threat of panic trickle back in, but she focused on the soft brush of a familiar thumb against her skin. Reminded herself who it belonged to.

“You are safe,” Imogen murmured in a soothing tone as she continued to stroke her cheek.

Bix wanted to believe her more than anything. Maybe one day she would.

[anadrym]

Extended Author's Notes for Left Behind Ch11.

Spoilers!

Chapter title is from "Unbecoming" by Starset, one of my all-time favorite bands. If you're into hard rock, I cannot recommend them enough.

The bite of croissant is gone. Cait's running on a few bites of buttered roll. She's fine.

The Baroness's assignment for Caitlyn was just "go to this address and kill the man who lives there." Nothing more specific. Almost like it's just a random address and a random victim.

I went back in just last week to add in the thoughts about how they're going to get out because I want it to be very clear that they have no plan. Yes, Caitlyn is very practical and tries to plan ahead, but she is overwhelmed and exhausted and running on a single buttered roll. There are so many things standing between them and their freedom.

Crassus is totally asking for what he gets. I hate him. :)

I really like the bit about monsters and circumstances vs. choice. It's been seven to eight years since the events of S2, so Cait's had a lot of time to think about and come to terms with that difference.

We are establishing right here that Caitlyn has learned to pick locks. This might be something to remember during chapter 13.

As I'm reading through this, I'm realizing that I don't have a whole lot to say about this chapter. Fun fact: this is the shortest chapter so far at just over 3200 words. My general goal is 3000-5000, but I really try for upwards of 3500.

Hmm. Something about the man potentially reaching for a weapon and Caitlyn pointing her rifle at his wife. Something about threatening someone's loved one to make them comply.

Had to throw in a baby. Not just to tug at y'all's heartstrings, but also to get to Caitlyn. All of this started because she lost her father. And now she's aiming for another innocent, about to rob another child of their dad.

I never did decide whether it was the Baroness or Crassus who wants this guy's death to be as painful as possible.

I absolutely LOVE delving into Caitlyn being selfish. Because she both is and isn't (as most people are). She is fiercely loyal to both her ideals and her loved ones, and she's constantly struggling to find the balance between the two. Because she is willing to do absolutely terrible things to avenge/protect her loved ones, but she's also got a strong sense of justice. She took power, but still tried to not be cruel with it. She had the chance to kill Jinx and didn't. As Ghost, she's tried to only take bounties on actual criminals and only killed people who she really felt deserved it. She executed two people at the commemoration, but it was partly out of mercy. I think she's a lot more aware of the bad things, so she sees herself as more selfish than she is.

Crassus reporting early that Cait had completed the assignment... that seals his fate. Now whoever's monitoring the radio expects Crassus and Caitlyn to both return, with Crassus keeping Caitlyn "under control." No one is expecting her to come back without him, or to attack them as soon as she returns.

The whole "what did he do?" exchange is inspired in part by a scene in the Bourne movies.

The parallels of our girls both thinking about all the blood on their hands. :(

I debated having Crassus threaten to "shut that thing [baby] up" but it didn't really fit.

OKAY. So. There's two things about Caitlyn thinking about how Vi would hate this: First, one of you pointed out that Vi stopped Cait from killing the Baroness's men in the last chapter and, now that Vi's not here, Cait kills Crassus. Excellent point that I honestly hadn't even thought of! Second, Cait muses that Vi wouldn't want her to kill innocent people. So she doesn't. But this is one of those things that she'll feel selfish about, because she did just permanently maim an innocent person.

I actually don't have a whole lot to say about killing Crassus except that he totally deserved it and I hope it caught you at least a little by surprise. ;)

Also, I find it so funny that Cait starts this chapter with "I want to hit him in the face" and ends it by just straight up killing him.

Caitlyn refuses the title of Sheriff. Earlier, she told Petra that she was supposed to protect the people of Piltover and Zaun, but fled during the Purge instead of staying to fight for them. But here she is, taking out a direct threat (Crassus) to protect her people (her target and his family).

"He may never walk again" - Baby girl, you blew his knee apart with a rifle. He definitely will never walk again, at least not without a mobility aid or prosthesis.

Yeah, just to clarify, this family has absolutely nothing to do with the Baroness or any of her enemies or allies. They were chosen completely at random. Originally, I had the idea of having Caitlyn sent after a traitor, but I think this would be a better test. She could justify killing someone with ties to organized crime. But not innocents.

Will this man get medical attention? Will the Baroness send someone else after this family out of sheer spite? We'll never know.

Caitlyn about Crassus' body: (John Mulaney voice) "Hm. Gross. Clean it up!"

It's not really important, but the husband is from Piltover and the wife is from Zaun (which is why she says what she does).

Originally, the voice on the radio was one of Crassus' buddies, another guy who was in on the bet. But I changed it. Without giving too much away, it's a woman's voice and she's calling for people to come to the mansion specifically because it's vulnerable without the Baroness and a number of her men there.

"Who would dare attack Renata Glasc?" Well...

Teaser for next week (major spoiler?) (I'm so fucking excited for this one, guys):

"Number 6."

That is not my name.

"Kill."

There is fire welling up in her chest, burning in her veins. She looks, one more time, at her reflection and the tattoo below her left eye. Then she meets the cruel purple gaze in the mirror.

"No," Vi says.

[dedenneblogs]

HEARTBREAK HIGH S2 ANALYSIS PART 1 (buckle up this is going to be a doozy)

so... it's out (the trailer).

my excitement cannot be expressed...

BUTT! today, i will be doing my iconic mouse analysis of this trailer (this is actually the first time im doing something like this so it's not rlly iconic BUTT it will be soon) with the most comprehensive inspection i can using under 2 minutes of video as a basis....

with that said lets

BEGIN!

the heartbreak highers are back for another "cursed" term....

so glad to see the trio back in action. like. actually so happy. MIGHT explode from excitement... as always, their outfits slaylay.

the boyfriends... friends? boys? BUGS??? found out on hh s2!

these goons are back... gayer then ever,,, seriously. when will these two have an episode long make out 'sesh? unlikely, to much dismay....spoiler alert...you'll see....

MISSY!!!!! and sasha, i guess

SPOILER ALERT AGAINNNN missy looks like she'll be more prominent in this season so...WIN!!!!

also why is she mewing who is rizzing up

and new on the the chopping block-- Rowan Callaghan!

we'll get to rowan when we get to rowan

in other (more important) news-- SHE'S HEALING! HARPER IS HEALING!!!

i... *sobs* i she's growing her hair out oh my GAW...... she's getting better...she... there's a lower chance she'll cock-block amerie (oh but she'll get cock [spoiler-- again!])

butt let's not celebrate just yet-- it's still "everyone hates amerie" up in this joint, smellas

may as well... shot them. huh. well. pop off, i suppose... (amerie asserts her right to bear arms-- truly patriotic coming from an aussie!)

...touché coming from the (still) most hated student in heartly who only adds salt to the wound by... using the pink 'ildo from s1 as a mic... chat... she's lost it.

(unrelated but in the background-- MISSY AND MALAKAI!!! they were building up a relationship between them in s1 and how she and her brother (i think? 'memory's fuzzy) helped him heal from the shit he had to go through in s1 and even better connect him with his aboriginal roots. i hope to see more of these two interact come april 11th and i binge the whole season)

ALSO also ANOTHER new character-- Zoe Clarke!

we will ALSo get to zoe when we get to zoe

anywho-- cue: AMERIE'S ONLINE HARASSMENT ARC! becuz every show needs one...unfortunately. Give a cold welcome to Bird Psycho, heartbreak highers (we will get to bird psycho when we get to bird psycho)

(who ever is doing this shit is a bitch but either way: "you dont get to be the hero" shut your goofy ass up)

oh that's gore. that's core of my comfort character.

ok so maybe this bird psycho cuck isnt fucking around because clearly he's gotten to our girl ams :(

(dw they uh...take her out for ice cream. after this. proabably.)

moving foward-- STAND BACK I SAID STAND BACK WEIRD GIRL QUINNI

oughh im gonna be sick. of course. OF COURSE SHE WOULD GO FULL SHERLOCK HOLMES TO HELP HER BESTIE.

yeah anyways with this in mind she'd totally try and crack the fnaf lore wouldn't she. wouldn't she.

she's slay she's girlboss but at the end of the day she's a weirdo

anywho nuff of my rambling there--

ominous of you to say zoe

BUT ENOUGH OF HER CA$$HHHHHHHHHHHH

ca$h omg eshay eshay eshay pspspspsp,,,

i am so happy to see him (spoiler alert for 2 secs throughout the whole trailer) but anywho remeber? remeber right he's in prison. but seems to be doing okay... (maybe for the best heartly drama is really coming to a boiling point)

<3

and-- oh. uh... chicken dumbell... okay... pop off, missy...

when i said i wanted more missy i didnt expect this

spider seems to be into tho maybe what ??1/1/111.1/?!??!/1/1/1

missy x spider was NOT on my bingo card

WHEN MISSY SAID SHE WAS STARTING TO LIKE WHITE BOYS I DIDNT THINK SHE MEANT THIS.

BUUTTTttttt-- i. am. down. for. it... somehow. frankly, spider needs someone to put him in his place and low and behold, missy seems to be the student to do so..........

hey. if they're both happy with their...chicken dumbells, i am too.

amerie dont be alarmed but there's a white boy to your right

in other news this love triangle scares the diarrhea out of me

look at them. they're the perfect couple (malakai x amerie 4life) and rowan is--

well he's a nice boy but cmon

LOOK AGAIN IM DOWN FOR THEM TO BE HAPPY BUTT when it comes in between THE BEST SHIP IN THE SHOW (looks at amerie x spider shippers with affectionate disdain) i draw the line.

but who knows? rowan seems nice enough, and if he's able to make amerie happy, let them have each other! <3

also knowing malakai's track record i wouldn't put it past him to get freaky with rowan too (threesome attempt 2??? actually no wait thats a horrible idea NEVERMIND [gets s1 ep4 flashbacks])

also also "classic love triangle" scene gives major "erm...well this is akward!" vibes from ams (we stan cringey amerie in this household tho)

and well. shart. max limit of 30 photos. oh well-- ill make a second part! tune in for the update heartbreak highers :3

[multifandom-26]

Maybe an angry sprit isn’t so bad S.W

Sam Winchester x female reader s1/s2 era Sam. No warnings I don’t think besides normal supernatural stuff and kissing. Let me know if it’s bad lol. Archeology reader AU.

Sam, Dean, y/n

7:48 A.M 📍the impala

Are we almost there at least? Sure are Sammy welcome to college, he says looking ahead at the campus. So dad sent us to this location because?. Because jerk it’s some sort of artifact that apparently caused a spirit to be stuck and pissed off. So what were just walk around campus asking hey who’s got any ancient artifacts lying around? Sam laughs. Dean sighs no, and I thought you were the smart one, but they have one of the best archeological programs in the U.S so maybe we find an archeology major who’s been on a trip recently. Sam nods, yeah I guess but how do we know who’s even apart of the program. don’t worry I’ll handle that just wait here. As Dean goes inside Sam sits in the car looking around, he gets a sad feeling and reminisces on his college time. He won’t admit it but he does wish he could’ve just done both or not hunted at all. Soon enough Dean comes back out with a list of names and addresses. They go from one dorm to another to an apartment complex and then to another one when they see from the street in front of it that the lights are going on and off. Sam looks up this must be our one. Dean laughs yeah or the electrician did a terrible wiring job. They head inside and get to the room number on the paper they knock then hear a few things slam around inside before a girl opens it. The boys look down at the girl and go are you Y/N Y/L/N she nods and responds with and you are? Dean clears his throat um we’re museum curators, and we heard you’ve got a very interesting piece of pottery. The girl nods still confused they can tell. Sam takes the lead now, as Dean is thinking. “May we come in” Y/N looks up at them, tell me why your really here first and maybe, you know stranger danger and all that but lying to? They laugh Dean smiles, you wouldn’t believe us if we told you even. Y/N smirks try me, I’m an archeology major I’ve heard of every urban legend, detailed myths, and cruses you could think of. They exchange looks, Dean just shakes his head and goes fine but we can’t just exactly say this shit in a hallway. She sighs and invites them in. Whatever was in here calmed down a bit at least.

8:23 am 📍y/n apartment

So you’re an archeology major what’s that like Dean asks. Sam rolls his eyes at his brother , y/n laughs um it’s pretty cool I get to go on digs in the summer last place I went was Serbia then Guam. Really Sam asks now more interested, yeah she smiles it’s amazing, you get to travel, research, and learn about the past which is all I’ve ever wanted to do. Dean smiles we uh kind of do that too, well not to your level but same idea. Sam clear his throat, you said you know about urban legends, myths etc.. what do you think this is? Y/N laughs slow down first who are you guys really, and why are you so interested in whatever is going on with the cursed pottery. Sam looks over to Dean and they just nod, well I’m sam and this my older brother Dean we uh.. we hunt the supernatural. Y/N laughs covering her mouth, uh sorry I didn’t mean to laugh but I knew you weren’t museum curators. Dean looks at her, you’re not freaked out? Not really she smiles it’s interesting besides it’s not my first run in with an angry spirit and awakening something. The boys both now are staring at her, in sync they go this happened before. Y/N shrugs I mean yeah kind of apart of the job. Now I have some books about the pottery piece where and whose it’s associated with so maybe that will help. But we cannot destroy it.

10:36 AM 📍 on the way to diner.

I’m so exhausted, and hungry, I feel like I haven’t eaten in days. . You literally ate this morning and We’re on our way to a literal diner right now if you didn’t remember Sam reminds him. Y/N sits in the back seat quietly and looks out the window and says to turn here and there when they need. They arrive and sit in a booth, what made you want to bring that thing back with you anyways and how did you get it through airport security? Y/N laughs, well it was cool and I was doing a report on it and I am supposed to bring it back to New York for the head researches to do whatever with it but I hit a writing and research block, and for the airport security I have an archeological pass for certain items to be brought through. You do need to get a shit ton of stuff signed through saying all of the info and they’re allowing you to take it out of the country. Dean smiles makes sense, Sam clears his throat so uh, a writing block he says. The girl sighs, yeah I mean it’s been days and I just can’t seem to say what I wanna say and my researching has not been the best. Do you think it’s because of the object Sam asks. She sighs I mean maybe but, I’m also just under a lot of stress right now too with finals and everything and I have one more semester before I graduate so it’s a bit nerve wracking. The boys both shoot her a look of sympathy at her words. Throughout the rest of their meal and chat Dean notices Sam staring at the girl, smiling, and being more bubbly than usual. They leave and head back to y/n’s apartment.

1:07PM 📍y/n’s place

The three sit and stare at the vase, y/n explains the history on it and then tells them she thinks it’s associated with the spirit, As there sitting and reading and writing on post it’s, the piece falls to the floor out of nowhere but dosent break. They sit still almost waiting for another thing to happen just make it sure it wasn’t a weird mishap. Then the lights flicker, and piece goes flying across the room and she appears. A woman, and at that an angry looking one. The boys start grabbing their stuff they make a salt ring around the woman as she just stands there staring at y/n. It then speaks the word return. Y/n is directly behind Sam and at hearing the woman’s words she grabs onto his arm out of fear. Sam feels it and his face heats up, but he smiles, don’t worry we’re not gonna let her get you. Or us. Dean yells do not forget we’re also here and apart of this now Sammy.. obviously sam rolls his eyes. The woman tries to move closer to them but is stopped by the salt ring. Return she says again. Y/N steps out, you return the woman yells again. Y/n picks up the pottery holding it, was this yours? The woman nods. Y/n smiles it’s beautiful, really amazing work. What’s your name? Sofia the woman replies, well Sofia you must have worked hard on this. The woman nods, as y/n is distracting her Sam and Dean start chanting and the woman groans than shrieks a black cloud coming out of her mouth and then she is gone. They all stand staring at where she was, nice work guys y/n smiles. Kinda our thing Dean laughs.

5PM 📍 the apartment

So I wanted to thank you guys for everything today, so… I made steak. Steak! Dean asks excitedly. Yes Y/n smiles. Thank you really, for all of this for helping, the food, and talking to her. Sam smiles. Y/N looks down blushing a bit oh it was nothing. They sit down and eat mindlessly chatting away. Telling Y/N about where they’ll be going next probably and she tells them she can’t wait till next week when finals are done and the summers hers. She is sad though she’s gonna miss them especially Sam, the one she couldn’t keep her eyes off, ever since he appeared in her doorway, the one who thought about her safety, laughed at her jokes, thanked her for the help. Sam… she was going to miss him for sure. Dean noticed her eyeing him as well at points, like now she seemed lost in thought and staring at him. You guys done with your plates, Dean asks getting up. Yeah you and Sam reply hanging them to him. Y/N speaks first, so you guys leave tomorrow morning? Sam sighs yeah, you know always moving. She nods. Y/n laughs I wish I could come, it sounds kinda fun what you guys do, heroic. Sam smiles, yeah me to it would be a refreshing break from having just Dean around. Speaking of him you laugh, where did he go? I thought to put the plates in the kitchen he would’ve been back by now my apartment isn’t big. He could’ve snuck out and went to the bar. Oh okay well it’s just me and you I guess than, do you want anything to dri- y/n gets cut off when Sam kisses her, shocked at first she then kisses back, deepening the kiss she puts her hands around his neck and scoots even closer to him. He wraps his arms around her waist, they break apart after a bit. Sorry he smiles I just I’ve been wanting to do that the whole day but I was nervous that you didn’t like me and I actually still don’t know but- hey she smiles I like you I’ve liked you since you walked through that door this morning. He smiles well in that case, he leans in and kisses her again.

9pm📍the couch

Sitting on Sam’s lap leaning against him, you’re both watching tv you are slowly drifting to sleep. The door opens with the key Dean swiped, Dean steps in and smiles silently pumping his fist, he pulls out his phone and snaps a photo.

7am the next morning:

Come with us when you’re finished we’ll drive back and pick you up even Sam states. The girl smiles, I mean you know it’s my summer, and I’m gonna do this she smiles. Sam hugs her, I can’t wait to see you again. Me to she sighs, I’ll miss you. The pair kiss before he gets in the car and the boys head off. Maybe having an angry spirit in your house isn’t so bad after all.

[secretlytherealsonicthehedgehog]

so this is me basically yapping about my queen’s complexity😊 regina mills they could never make me hate you

ANYWAYS. one thing i absolutely ADORE about her complexity is her voice. lana parrilla’s voice consistently changes depending on her scenes and i think it is done absolutely BEAUTIFULLY.

when she’s with cora, her voice is sensitive and quiet, as if she’s afraid to get yelled at but still looking for approval and validation.

with henry, her voice is firm but still caring. it’s her SON, after all.

with daniel, it’s free and joyful and you can just tell the difference when she speaks to him vs to anyone who’s not her family.

her voice is so powerful in so many other ways. it shows weakness, strength, fear, love, and it’s all portrayed and executed in a way that’s purely majestic.

next thing is the parallels.

regina’s greed is eventually fully explained, she loses everything, but something i’ve noticed is that everything she loses is everything she’s never actually had.

her mother’s approval, daniel, henry, hell even graham. something archie says in s2 is that everything she loses is because of magic. i think that’s true and they should’ve extended that theory further throughout the show.

her mother never truly loved her — only taking advantage of her daughter’s weakness, her need for love.

i’m not sure if this is stated, but i’ve always interpreted this way. i don’t believe she and daniel were together very long. yes, long enough to fall in love, but in ouat, that normally seemed to happen rather quickly. anyways, regina was this close to marrying daniel until cora killed him. she never truly had him in the way she wanted — and we all know nothing happened in the way she wanted.

with henry, she, again, never really had him. he was never her son, not in the way she needed him to be. he was always emma’s son, even if it felt like he was hers. yes, henry loves her, he cares about her, but at the end of the day, his determination to stick with emma in the earlier seasons always seems to overcome that.

the last one is obvious but graham could not feel anything. meaning, whatever regina felt for him, whether it was love, lust, or nostalgia, was not real. which, equals in false hope, false love, all that. (i say nostalgia because in my mind, regina sees daniel in all her past/current lovers.)

so, in conclusion to this little yapping session, regina goes several seasons with absolutely nothing. it hurts to say it, but that’s just the way her life was portrayed. now, i’m leading up to how her greed is involved in this, along with her almost drug-like addiction to magic.

she consistently goes after things she cannot have. an example of this is her attachment to children. in season two (?), regina takes away her fertility with magic to piss her mother off. this soon comes to bite her in the ass and leads to her adoption journey with henry.

maybe three times she tried to take someone’s children as her own. yes it sounds bad but there’s an explanation for that. since she can’t have children, regina’s greed for one only grows stronger. the first time she did this was with owen, a little boy who managed to get inside storybrook with his father — whom she framed for drunk driving and i believe child neglect (correct me if i’m wrong) when owen refused to live with her and abandon his father.

another time was with ava and nicolas, at the time known as hansel and gretel. after retrieving the iconic apple from the blind witch, hansel and gretel come back to regina’s castle and as a “reward,” she tries to invite them to live with her. she basically tried to bribe them, but their love for their father was so strong, so out of spite she uses magic to separate the twins from their father.

and lastly, throughout season one, she attempts to kill or frame emma several times. this is because of her attachment to henry — which this time is somewhat explainable. for once, she finally has the child she deprived herself of and all of a sudden, after years of trying to fully connect with her son, she loses him. as she did several times before. hence why i said henry was never truly her child.

ANYWAYS.😊 regina mills you are a being of majestic and conflicting things that make you the woman you are and i absolutely LOVE IT.

[guileheroine]

arcane s2 act 1 thoughts

getting my impressions down before act 2 so i can remember how things felt at this point in time before everything gets blasted open :)

aughghhhhjjjjjjjjhhhhj

above all: it’s exciting to watch a show that’s technically incredible also be so tight in terms of writing, where you trust it enough to really immerse yourself w/o reservation. and moreso it’s so nice to be trusted to do some work as a viewer, interpret the ambiguities instead of being force-fed all the beats. and to have something so detail rich, dense and deftly constructed that you can mine it endlessly (as someone who’s seen s1 10-ish times lol)

they are packing so much story into these episodes compared to s1 act 1 and i won't be able to imagine all this tied up in 6 more eps until i see it - i wonder how it would feel as a slower paced show

the loungewear and rose petals really give the new opening a boudoir vibe. grateful!

no scene scratched my id like viktor leaving jayce — his open acknowledgement of their divergence (in those words no less) and the fact of their partnership being dead from the beginning

^for me the core of the story has long been what i call the two JV divergence arcs

relatedly, viktor in the black hood has there ever been a lük more instantly iconic. he has a STAGGERING face card. i look forward to further jayvik divorce proceedings but want him to meet the other undercity protags so bad, he seems poised to take on a similar role in the Cause as jinx

i really loved the opening scene between mel and jayce. it seems mel shielded him. i got tingly at her drawing the line at weaponising hextech and reaffirming her commitment to jayce and viktor's vision. their hextech dream, #ot3, # heres how meljayvik can still win!!!

the fight choreo, music, stylistic choices and just the marriage of form and content still feel thrilling. fortiche i am once again kissing your feet, vive la france

i dig this caitlyn arc. in s1 she didn’t quite pass muster against the rest of the cast bc it felt like the degree of naïveté needed to keep her as pure as it seemed they wanted her, was a hard sell in an ostensibly smart and capable character, in an ensemble where everyone else felt like much more textured products of their circumstances. i always thought that instead of the noble oblivious thing it would’ve been more seamless and meaningful if she’d been conscious but ambivalent about all the gross injustice, only digging deeper once it became personal via vi

and now!! feeling gratified bc i think they’re doing that arc, just in reverse: as soon as it becomes personal in the other direction, you see that her grip on the bigger picture is conditional and easily blinkered. it emphasises her previous passion about justice for zaun as deriving partly from the self-righteousness that's also an underacknowledged effect of privilege, instead of simple empathy. (plus the fairweather allyship is… a very resonant theme lmao and quite cool to see it depicted how the correct nudge, a taste of what the system deals out to others, will make the most earnest of listeners-and-learners retreat to their worst biases about the 'other'. the protofascist seed in every member of a cozy ruling class. honestly one of their most excellent writing choices)

i think cait hit vi on that stab wound from sevika which surely cannot have fully healed yet. ouch

absolutely loving jinx and sevika in the post-silco world, they are getting to come into their own in terms of motivations. absolutely obsessed with the smeech fight heheee

i can’t tell if jinx is doing better or worse. something soothing about the suicidal clarity though i don’t think her passivity is new—in s1 she was incredibly perceptive about what she was to silco but sort of resigned to it, so it's kinda exciting where she could go without his tether even though i miss silco sooooo much. i wonder if being in her Older Sibling Era (and vi being in her Abandoned Era) will help jinx and vi connect (🚨wishful thinking🚨, but somebody should write it)

“im glad it’s you / had to be you” has made me ILL since hearing it in that one teaser and now that it’s in context i might just throw up i cannot believeee we get a sister dynamic like this

vi rock bottom🤗 i couldn’t decide if she legit felt jinx was beyond the pale or did a hard swerve putting all her eggs in cait's basket, trying to bifurcate powder and jinx for the sake of, i guess, emotional self-preservation, with the notion of powder that had sustained her fully extinguished. love a protag so earthy and intense while being an unmitigated flop before the fateful tide of the story, and in that way she’s still very dean winchester-coded. also in that i want to see her bloody and crying, though at this point one win might be a relief

ambessa fox mode let’s goooo! i am curious if/when she’ll slip which i think could come down to something explosive with mel (🤞) or caitlyn realising she manipulated her in her griefblind state

idk if it just needs time or if it’s the unfillable silco-shaped hole, but so far the dialogue this season isn’t as sticky ?? (compared with s1 where they didn’t waste a word). but at least everyone’s hotter

i like heimerdinger more now that he’s ekko’s pet. i like jayce and ekko meeting lifetimes after “he didn’t even haggle”: they are just drinking tea and investigating the arcane not even realising their semi-interaction precipitated the instigating tragedy of Arcane. the world would never be the same. i hope they survive what may or may not be the time warp intact D:

the “it’s not supposed to be like that” with sevika and jinx and the bombs what is going on??? 👀👀

i'm glad theyre releasing this right in time to carry me through the winter. seasonal depression out, seasonal hyperfixation in

[illocopon]

Tw: suicide mention, mental health, toxic relationships

Ok I get it, the first season was all fun and games and silly little gay pirates, so it's obvious and easy to point Izzy out as the antagonist -ahem, the English and Spanish navy, ahem-. So yeah, we have this little and agry fella, trying to bring our lovers appart, trying to boss around The Revenge as if he's the Captain and being mean to everyone around. Of course we thought he's the bad guy. But have we stopped and cared about what are Izzy's drives? HAVE WE??

Izzy Hands is Blackbeard's first mate. Not Ed's, as he says later on. The good functioning of the ship and the relationships between his Captain and the crew is his duty. And all of a sudden, his Captain turns mad and in love with someone who is weak and has nothing to do with piracy. Izzy is absolutely stressed, like a stray cat taking a bath for the first time. The time Ed and Stede spend together is lost time: not pillaging well enough, not hiding properly from the Army... So he blames it all on Stede, ignoring completely his boss' state of mind. Izzy's job is to make everything work and it's just not happening anytime soon. He's so desperate that he even takes a deal with the English army. He even forgives Ed when he punches him in the face, because he's convinced he deserved it. What else could he do?

*S2 spoilers ahead*

And in the second season, Izzy has regained power as first mate. But he's utterly destroyed, both physically and emotionally. He has sacrificed his integrity for this ship, and it's not paying back. Ed treats him like a dog and the crew is so profoundly mentally devastated that he cannot make it work anymore. And again, in desperation, Izzy keeps searching for solutions. It's his job, at the end of the day. He's too emotionally attached that he needs to stay, to make it work again like it used to. He's once again against the wall, he even asks to talk it through. Anything is working, so even Stede's ways were given a try. And this gets him shot in the leg, leading to losing it in a 50-50% chance to die.

So dying is the last frontier. He's not sacrificing his life to a suicidal boss that doesn't care who goes down with him. He almost gives up, but luckily he fails his shot. When the storm comes, he gets his revenge on all the damage that he has taken over the months, over the years; and yet again he's doing his job: he's protecting the crew from what's now the enemy, their current Captain.

When Izzy sees Stede again, he asks him to insult him, to unburden all his hate on him -but that's Izzy's coping mechanism, not Stede's-, he needs punishment, for he hasn't been able to complete his duty and to save Blackbeard from insanity to it's last consecuences. All he gets back is just nothing, and it hurts more than anything because he's left alone with guilt. No bad words, not even a side eye. He's broken and ignored.

Later on, when Stede's crew escape, they take Izzy with them -he would probably be killed or used to track them back- and he tries, for the first time, to thank Stede. Ignored again. He's not worth a thought. So he first falls in booze and then progressively into absolute madness, guiltyness and grieve.

He's not been loved once. Not even when he gave all his life to the one he loved. It was never returned back and now he's disabled for life, alone and aboard a ship where everyone hates him -or so he thinks.

I was so happy to see that the crew ended up understanding his pain and situation, taking care of him and making him a new leg all together. So fuck yeah. FOR THE NEW UNICORN. For the new and crafty Izzy, for the new and sensitive man how's yet to come to terms with some things. To Izzy Hands.

So what I really want to say is: stop hating Izzy. He's been through a lot of shit, has done questionable things to maintain his crew safe and he's a baby girl and I'm too emotional to end this with something that makes sense.

[irkimatsu]

I read an article from Screen Rant which speculated Husk possibly having a larger role in season two due to him being an ex-Overlord—something that may very well come into play as Overlords seem to be the focal point, though particularly the Vees, in these upcoming episodes. I am uncertain if Husk's past will in fact be touched on, but I imagine we will get a glimpse of the history between Alastor and Vox at least. What are your thoughts on this? 👀 Personally, I'm really excited to learn about how the acquisition of power works in Hell and all its politics lmaooo I'm a sucker for world building shit!!

- ⭐ blue-dream-boye

Oh, I absolutely want that sweet, sweet worldbuilding! I'm not entirely clear on how the whole Overlord business works - clearly they're united enough on some level to have organized meetings, though no one particularly cares if you stop attending those meetings for seven years... I'd love to see all the alliances and rivalries in the whole business, from feelings based on serious moral grounds to utter petty bullshit.

And of course I want to know where Husk falls in with all that. I'm sure he had some Overlords he was fond of, and some he couldn't fucking stand. (And I'm sure he had some opinion on Alastor, one way or another - and it can't have been entirely negative if Husk trusted him enough to bet his soul against him, unless his desperation/addiction was truly that bad by then...) Do any of the current Overlords remember him? Do they know he's now Alastor's pet? Do they even care? How many other ex-Overlords are running around in Hell, not murdered by Alastor but still stripped of their power somehow?

How is someone officially designated an Overlord? Is there a hard number of souls you have to own first? Do you have to be skilled at a certain industry? Who makes those decisions?

What was Husk like as an Overlord? Does he have any regrets? This is what I'm particularly interested in from Husk's time as an Overlord - I feel like his redemption arc, in a show where redemption arcs are the whole point, won't be nearly as satisfying if he was a kind Overlord who never hurt anyone. Hell, from what we already know, "used souls as gambling chips" already sounds pretty bad. I want to see his mistakes and regrets so I can see how he moves on from them... I think addiction and lust for power would have turned him into a particularly nasty person. He even says "it was nice having that power", so power was definitely a consideration, something that could drive him to be selfish... It's not right, but it's understandable how it happened...

I'd also like to see some comparisons with Valentino - given his current stance on consent, I'm sure he currently fucking hates Val, even if Angel wasn't in the equation. But given his gambling of souls back then, how much could he truly have against Val back then without coming off as a hypocrite…?

And yes, what in the absolute fuck happened between Alastor and Vox? I keep seeing the quote "complicated and sad" going around about their history. What happened. I'm especially looking forward to seeing what happened so I can understand better what makes Alastor tick... he hides everything so well, I need to see his history to truly understand...

Godddd S2 cannot come soon enough

[twotangledsisters]

You’re awesome for posting fic updates not only consistently, but daily! Any tips for keeping up with writing?

Thank you so much! I love updates and writing being a part of my routine and I'm glad other people enjoy it too!

And sure, I can think of some tips:

First, there's a mixture of inspiration and forcefulness. I remember when I was really little I read a post somewhere about how if you want to take something seriously, you have to take it seriously on the days when you're inspired and on the days you're not. That changed how I treat art forever!

But years and years later I learnt a more important lesson, to never overlook the power of inspiration.

It's through a mixture of both that I can really keep up with writing. If I only wrote when inspired, sooner or later I'd get a loooong writing block that would leave me simply paralysed. But I'll often do the 'just one chapter' method, and often writing just a few paragraphs will get me back into the flow. But if I'm still very blocked after a chapter, that's fine.

But if I am inspired, I will follow that. Even if it takes my story in weird directions that weren't planned! A good example is that Caine rescuing Cass in the final S1 fic wasn't planned, she wasn't planned to come along in S2 and certainly did not expect her to fall in love... A lot of their scenes came from me writing while inspired.

Now, stuff such as Eugene's near death in S1 finale, the way Koto framed him, the way Cass had to deal with accusations of witchcraft, those stuff were planned way ahead of time!

It's really important to keep that balance, to have plans and also leave room for inspiration to run wild!

An added bonus, if you feel an intense desire to go write a fic that's completely different to the one you're trying to work on, just let inspiration win. I was struggling a bit with the 'Day of Animals' arc in tangled sisters the other day, then I got the urge to do a little Cass oneshot, so I wrote the oneshot in one sitting and have had zero issues writing since.

Sometimes you can unblock writing block with MORE writing! As long as you're letting inspiration guide you.

Second is to take breaks! I update every day but I do not write every day. I write a few times a week and usually have at least one really long session!

One of my currently updating fics 'Always By Your Side' I wrote half of it in like a week, took a few months break, then wrote the rest and started publishing!

Sometimes long breaks can really help. I've taken several long breaks with Tangled Sisters.

Third is stay ahead. With 'Always By Your Side' I have it completely written so I just proof read on the day of upload. Tangled Sisters I keep track of in Notion:

Look how cute my fanfic section is!

I'm usually at least 30 chapters ahead but I did take a writing break recently. Soon as I get the next arc done I expect to be well ahead again.

Fourth, motivation! This one isn't entirely your control, but a huge factor for keeping up is just that I'm super motivated! I can thank the amazing people who comment every day, those who comment occasionally, those who leave kudos or send nice asks like this one!

It does sooo much to make me smile and excited for the stories I'm telling.

And if you look at my fanfic section of notion, I have that little box titled kind words, the content actually changed every time I reload the page, it's linked to a little table where I keep track of all the kind words regarding my fics that I've gotten on Ao3 and tumblr! (I also have several bits of fanart by the amazing @rebecagpfs in that page who I cannot thank enough!!!)

So, although you don't have full control over motivation, having a notebook to collect those kind words can help!

Fifth would be talk to people. Have at least one person who's cool with spoilers cause brainstorming is just easier with somebody else! For me @the-writer1988 has got me through sooo many writer's blocks! Often times I just ramble at her until the problem resolves itself, other times it'd be a more active back and forth. But writing friends supporting each other, always great!

And hey, to anybody who wants to ramble about their fics to me I'm always open! I love hearing about people's fics and am huge on the writer supporting writers sorta mentality!

Sixth is just have fun! If you enjoy what you're writing it's going to be sooo much easier than if you don't.

I do want to point out though, every writer's different! I can sit down and write 10k words in one sitting, but a lot of people can't, just like I need five hour to do a drawing many artists can do in an hour.

Writing is an art and you get faster with experience.

Also, I do daily updates because I adore consistency! Having that routine is amazing for me and I think it's lovely for some readers. But I also accomplish that via very short chapters! Sometimes as short as just 600-700 words. Many authors opt for longer chapters that upload weekly but there still writing the same amount!

So yeah, I do hope this helped!

Thank you so much for the ask :D And if anything didn't make sense, please tell me, it's almost 1am here I just noticed but I really wanted to answer this before bed!

[morganas-pendragons]

till we were too far gone | master chief

@empresskadia inspired me to continue writing this, on top of my recent rewatch of s2 -> so here's the next part of my series, which drops into parts of episode 2. the next part will combine 3 and parts of The Fall of Reach!

I was listening to Cassandra by Taylor Swift (this series is based off of You're Losing Me by Taylor Swift) when I wrote this lol SO if there's references to that in here, oops

***

You cannot help the urge. A natural human urge, a desire, to meet him in his spot on that bench where his soul calls to yours. You can't help it.

If only John would take it.

"What are you doing here? How did you find me?"

"Like I said," You removed your hood and slipped inside the room. "I know you. We need to talk."

There were so many things you could've said in those few minutes that passed after the door shut. You knew he had questions about Ackerson, about what Ackerson had asked you and what he'd said to you in that initial meeting following your return from Sanctuary.

Do you think that, at his core, The Master Chief is broken?

The longer you'd looked between John and the AI that bore a remarkable resemblance to Cortana, the more you were beginning to question if he was.

"I don't know what Ackerson said to you," You said quietly, gaze averted to the floor as you fidgeted with your fingers in your lap. "Or why you've been so on edge recently. You haven't breathed a word. I don't expect you to. I just... I need to know."

"Know what?"

"When did you stop trusting me?"

His form is imposing as he stands, green eyes shifting to the side to stare at the dormant AI. Your breath catches at the sight. There hasn't ever been a time where you've found yourself intimidated by John, much less afraid of John. That was then.

This was now.

"When you became one of Ackerson's lackeys and refused to tell me what he was saying to you!" John hissed. "Why wouldn't you say anything after you left his office when we debriefed from Sanctuary? What did he ask you? Why were you in there so much longer then the rest of us?"

You almost want to hit him for the clear implication behind his questions. John, the man you have loved for so long now, either thinks you are a liar or a spy for ONI. It's enough of an implication for you to retaliate. To lash out. To use your own anger and do something about it.

You don't. Instead, you reach outward to cradle his hand in your own and press his fingers against your cheek. You don't speak for a long minute.

"You've been angry since they took Cortana out," You said. "I used to be someone you trusted. Someone you confided in." Your lips are poised to say someone you love, but you're a little too hesitant in that thought because he's never outwardly confirmed it for you. Better to deny than assume. "I am capable of many things, but containing that fire that's been building in you.... I don't want to be burned."

All of the rage and defiance that's made him imposing in these precious moments of privacy deflates as soon as John recognizes the fear behind your words. He willing to be perceived as many things by the people around him, by the public eye.

He is not willing for you to see him as someone to fear, as a threat. Not when The Master Chief still struggles with comprehending the way he feels about you.

"Soles," John started, swallowing the knot in his throat as he moved his fingers to tangle in your hair at your temple. "There are alot of people I would burn without fear of repercussion. Most of them deserve it. But you-"

"What about me?" You interject.

I would burn down entire galaxies if it meant that you were kept safe.

John doesn't give voice to those thoughts though. He can't. Not with Ackerson sniffing around, not with the two of you in ONI's crosshairs. He will not risk you.

Before he can give some kind of sufficient answer, the door is opening with another client wanting to come through. Your hood rises on instinct before you are disappearing out the door as fast as you came, leaving nothing but the phantom feeling of your warmth under his fingers.

***

"And you're sure?"

"Of course I'm sure, Kai. Have we met Mr. Emotionally Repressed and Has a Death Wish?"

Kai snorted as you narrowly blocked her attack and pivoted your feet to navigate across the gym floor. You'd spent the last few days actively avoiding The Master Chief unless you had a reason for direct contact. Kai had been a welcome reprieve from the constant torment of your thoughts. She provided plenty a distraction from them veering back toward John.

That was where they always went.

"You know him as well as I do, Soles," She murmured lowly, grunting as she blocked your own strike with both of her gloves. "And you know he cares. Ackerson coming in to take over for Halsey is a problem. He's just trying to keep you safe."

"He doesn't need to keep me safe. He needs to stop treating me like I'm the enemy! Or even worse, a liar. I may be many things. A weapon, sure. A soldier? Yeah. A liar? Not to him. Never to John."

Little known to you, Kai is incredibly aware of the actual reason John is trying to keep you off of Ackerson's radar. He and Parangosky could collaborate and have you sent back to the Headhunters without a beat of hesitation if they believe you could be an asset to the war elsewhere. With his reawakened affection and desire to protect you, he won't be risking it.

"Sierra-343," You turned your head toward the door of the gym where a crew hand donning UNSC blues stood with a cradled datapad in her arm. "Colonel Ackerson is asking for you at the ONI building."

Dread flooded your veins as you relaxed your body and began removing your gloves. That was twice now. What on Earth was Ackerson so insistent in getting out of you?

"Duty calls, 025."

"Give him hell, 343."

You dressed back into your flight suit and took the quickest route to Ackerson's office in the ONI building. What you found waiting for you was John, who seemed to be in heated conversation within Ackerson's office. The person in question who was looking for you was lounging comfortably in his chair behind his desk.

You jumped out of sight before either man could see you.

"She has no recollection of what you say you encountered on Sanctuary."

"That's impossible. Did you ask Silver's newest member? Our Headhunter can tell you. They were there with me on the ridge."

"I haven't. They're far more loyal to you than I anticipated. Regardless of whether or not they were to agree or disagree, that's not the point." Ackerson waved a dismissive hand. "Put yourself in my position, John. Given your recent behavior... would you trust you?"

"You can't win this war without us, sir."

"And you're right!" Ackerson exclaimed. "We need The Master Chief. I need that Headhunter. We all do. But John, at the end of the day, you're both just people in suits."

You slipped out of your corner by the wall and folded your hands behind your back as you approached the office. The impassive expression on Colonel Ackerson's face shifted into something warmer as you approached, beckoning you deeper into the office.

Things were beginning to make more sense. Ackerson was the problem. He was far too interested in you. In what you knew about John.

If distancing yourself saved him, you'd risk it.

You'd rather him be alive and hate you than love you and be dead.

"Sierra-343, thank you for coming to see me. Please." The Colonel extended a hand before his gaze fell back to John. John had not moved since you'd entered the room. "Master Chief, you are dismissed."

Unease licked at the corners of John's mind as the two of you met eyes, if only for a moment, before you were turning back to the chair offered to you and sitting in it to speak to the Colonel directly.

Whispers of disbelief echo in the back of your mind.

It's Ackerson. He's the problem. He and Parangosky are going to be the end of you.

"I'm assuming you heard the duration of that conversation." Ackerson idly remarked. "And I come to ask you this question again now that I am aware you have. The Master Chief has made it clear that you were present with him and Perez during this supposed attack on Sanctuary."

You leaned forward and pressed your elbows into your knees, expression impassive. "No matter what I tell you," You replied gravely. "You would not believe me. Why would you? You have no concrete proof, so there's no reason for the UNSC or ONI to take up arms against a threat. You'll just do it when it's too late and Reach is a graveyard." You nod. "Yes, I was there on Sanctuary. The Master Chief and I directly encountered Covenant Sangheili and were overwhelmed by the mass of them. We do not know why we made it out, but we did. Are you inclined to believe me? Unlikely."

"It sounds like you blame ONI for the losses The Covenant caused. I would expect you of all people to comprehend the magnitude of what they can do, as you suffered and survived it first hand during your time on The Exalted. Your team did not."

Ackerson wants you out.

You slammed your hand against his desk and shot upward. "The losses I endured were because the UNSC did not do anything. You had your best weapon in your own grasps with Cortana and John being a singular unit. You botched that." Shrugging, you sat back in your chair and crossed your arms over your chest. "I'm going to be frank with you. I do not care what happens to ONI. Not you, not Halsey, not Parangosky. The only thing I care about is that your continued pursuit of my past is causing my team leader to treat me differently, and your continued denial of The Master Chief's recounting of Sanctuary is sowing doubt among Silver Team. We are supposed to be unified, not disjointed!"

He smiled. That Colonel, damn him, looked up at you and smiled.

"You've given me quite a bit of information that will prove vital to my investigation, Sierra-343. Thank you. I can certainly ascertain the extent of what he sees in you." Ackerson extended a hand towards the doorway of his office, and you felt your heart sink as your eyes followed his clearly offered exit. He had gotten exactly what he wanted. "Dismissed."

You did not allow your head to hang until you were alone in the elevator. You would not give Ackerson the satisfaction of knowing how defeated you felt.

***

"We're being called out for a mission? Seriously? To where? I thought Keyes had grounded us until further notice."

Kai tossed you your helmet as the two of you stood at your lockers. "Visegrad Relay. Chief says that's Cobalt's last known location. He wants us to find them as a way of preparing for when The Covenant land on Reach."

"He's getting more reckless," Your eyes slowly shifted to the other side of the room in search of John. Part of you, a deeper part you would never allow to see the light of day, was wondering if he'd finally had enough and went AWOL. "I miss Cortana. She kept him far more in line than any of us ever could."

"You severely underestimate your own role in his life, Soles." Kai called over her shoulder.

"This is the same man who implied I was a liar and a spy in one breath!" You whipped around to face your sister in arms, eyes brightened by the ever-constant anger you've felt begin to settle itself into your bloodstream. Spartans are made of quite alot of things. Part of you wonders if your child counterpart was as fueled by their anger as you are. "I don't know what they did to him, but that is not the same man I treated on that medical table. Ackerson is trying to warp the story and turn us against one another. Don't let him ensnare you too, Kai."

There's not much left to say after that. Kai wants to encourage you in remembering who John is as a man - someone who would always put the betterment of his men ahead of himself, a soldier who saw very little importance in his own life and would always go to great lengths to ensure everyone else made it home.

You had been the one to ensure he came with them. The one to remind John that there was someone to come home to. To drag his bloodied body back in your own arms, determined to keep him alive and to teach him the importance of his own life alongside his men.

You needed him alive. Not because the UNSC did to fight their war, but to continue to walk this path as a Spartan and allow yourself to love in the way you believed he loved you.

Maybe that too was just another dream. Everything he'd done prior to Cortana being removed felt as if it were a dream, slipping out of your fingertips before you could grasp onto such precious memory.

"Do you know what happened to Cortana?"

The question in itself causes you to pause. Now that it's been asked, you realize that you don't. You don't know what happened to Cortana.

Why? Why was her location so secret, especially given the fact she was such a crucial asset to the UNSC's intelligence network?

Where are you, little love?

***

"Copy that, Bravo. 3-2 out."

You peered at the cockpit from where you sat in the bay with Vannak, Riz and Kai on the Pelican that John had commandeered. "No training?" Vannak called out. "I thought we were going to Longhorn valley."

"Sad." You pouted playfully, laughing when Vannak turned to glare at you. "I was looking forward at pounding all of you into the dirt."

"Change of plans," John interjected. "We're going to Visegrad Relay. Riz?" With a motion of his head toward the cockpit, Riz nodded and stood to her feet to take the pilot's seat in the front of the Pelican. "The comms array on Sanctuary went down just before The Covenant attacked. Visegrad went down a few days ago. They sent Cobalt. We're going to get them back."

"Chief, with all due respect, I really hope you are not sending us in blind." You replied uneasily. "Are we cleared for combat?"

"Affirmative."

Something tugged at your stomach as you watched his eyes deliberately avert yours. Liar. You are a liar, and a hypocrite, and I will never forgive you if this goes south.

For someone who had shown and claimed he cared so much about you, it felt like the two of you were standing on opposite ends of the chasm waiting to fall. Too far gone to attempt to reach the other on the other side.

It was just a matter of time before the darkness took you both.

You and Kai were ruminating on too many questions that both of you knew were going to be left unanswered.

"What exactly is the mission?" Kai asked.

"The Covenant is on Reach."

part three?