#the outpost tv

[neverscreens]

— JESSICA GREEN IN THE OUTPOST, SEASON ONE.

One is the Loneliest Number, 109 Screencaps.

Two Heads Are Better Than None, 101 Screencaps.

The Mistress and the Worm, 121 Screencaps.

Strange Bedfellows, 123 Screencaps.

Bones to Pick, 90 Screencaps.

The Book of Names, 98 Screencaps.

The Colipsum Conundrum, 57 Screencaps.

Beyond the Wall, 98 Screencaps.

The Rex Rezicon, 101 Screencaps.

The Dragman is Coming, 121 Screencaps.

All in GALLERIES. Like or reblog if it was useful, every interaction shows us that we should keep making screencaps for y'all ♡

[rosalie-starfall]

Picard/Crusher

Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Last Outpost

[pumbkinrabbit]

My wrist hurtsss but i wanna play subnautica so bad....aooouughhhh

Idk where i need to go next tho so i gotta look up shit first anyways

[episodicnostalgia]

Star Trek: The Next Generation, 104 (Oct. 17, 1987) - "The Last Outpost"

Written by: Herbert Wright Directed by: Richard Colla

The Breakdown

The Enterprise crew are in pursuit of the mysterious never-before-seen Ferengi, when their ship suddenly powers down while orbiting an uncharted planet.  Initially Picard is given the impression that a Ferengi weapon is involved, when they receive a call from the Ferengi themselves admitting to having the same problem.  Ultimately it’s determined that the power drain is coming from the planet’s surface, so both ships send a landing party to investigate while everyone else is forced to wait in hope for a solution that doesn’t involve freezing to death.

Once on the Planet, the Ferengi immediately begin attacking with what appear to be whip-phasers (the default weapon of any strong capitalist society), and a fight ensues until it’s interrupted by some sort of all powerful deity-guardian (from a long extinct civilization. Pretty standard ancient space stuff) who decides to test which crew is more honourable-and-just.  Since the Ferengi are buffoonishly evil, Riker is able to make short work of the test, and the Guardian is pretty much like, “Sorry for the trouble with your ship, here’s your power back” before vanishing.  The end.

The Verdict

The first half of this episode mostly works at successfully building suspense over new unknown enemy. And then we finally meet the Ferengi and things get… unintentionally hilarious? Yes, I think that’s about as generous as I can be. By the time we meet this episode’s obligatory all-powerful space deity/guardian, the story has hit peak moral-lesson-of-the-week platitudes.

1.5 stars (out of 5)

Additional Observations

Picard dismissing old earth nationalistic values, and then immediately implying his ancestor’s flag was better than the American’s, seems a little off-brand for a starfleet captain.

Data getting caught in a Chinese finger trap is dumb. I know it’s being played for comedy, but it just falls flat. And Riker’s “let’s beam a box of these over to the Ferengi” gag at the end is equally dumb, and an obvious knock off of the ending from ‘The Trouble With Tribbles’.

Picard’s an asshole: While grappling with the reality of the entire crew freezing to death, Dr. Crusher considers the possibility of sedating Wesley to ease his inevitable suffering, to which Picard gives us us the gem: ��He has the right to meet death awake.” …I mean, sure I guess he should be allowed to make that choice if he wants, but do do you think it might be worth asking him? Going out peacefully in my sleep seems alright to me, and it’s not like you can’t just wake him up if you all survive. Picard must REALLY hate that kid.

After watching episodes like this I can understand why so many people hate the Ferengi. Thankfully DS9 does a much better job with them.

[postcards-and-postcrossing]

Handmade Card

Postcard from Bahamas This image was glued on a piece of cardboard. It features Jessica Green in the Tv series The Outpost (2018-2021)

[miss-musings]

Crosshair's 10 Most Impressive Shots in "Star Wars: The Bad Batch"

We're now officially three weeks removed from the series finale, so I thought it'd be a fun time to look back at our favorite sniper and review some of his most impressive shots.

Note, I'll be ranking items from "The Bad Batch" TV show only, so there won't be any entries from "The Clone Wars" S7.

I did get a lot of input from folks here and on Twitter, and a lot of people ended up saying the same ones. I put them on here along with a few of my own.

As for how I determined the order, I judged based on a combination of: the distance of the shot, the size of the target, the speed of the target (if applicable), other external factors like light conditions and weather, and "internal" factors like Crosshair's physical and mental state.

You're free to disagree with which ones I picked and how I ordered them. It's all subjective.

Also, I don't proclaim to be an expert in marksmanship nor am I a military sniper. But, I do have a general baseline for how difficult Crosshair's shots would be IRL. I used to go shooting with my dad a lot at both indoor and outdoor ranges, and I was pretty decent at both pistol- and rifle-shooting. So, that's what I'm using to judge Crosshair's shots.

With that out of the way, let's dive in with #10:

10. Killing Lt. Nolan in 2.12 "The Outpost"

I probably wouldn't have put this one on the list for myself, but I had multiple people suggest it should make the cut.

While this shot is very important narratively, it's not very impressive from a purely technical perspective.

I mean, hitting a relatively stationary human-sized target from a few meters away... It's definitely not the most impressive shot on Crosshair's resume.

However, I did feel it was worth adding to the list for the simple fact that Crosshair is physically exhausted and mentally broken in this scene. He basically uses the last of his strength to kill Lt. Nolan, because he immediately collapses right afterward.

Also, Crosshair might be right-handed, but he's pretty good at shooting his pistol leftie. We don't really see the shot hit Nolan, but if you zoom in after his body hits the ground, you can see that Crosshair shot him straight through the heart. He wasn't leaving that bastard alive after everything he and Mayday went through.

9. Lunch tray ricochet in 1.01 "Aftermath"

Even though this isn't a shot in the traditional sense -- considering there aren't any firearms involved -- I had to put this on the list for two reasons.

One, I had multiple people suggest it; and two, because I've watched this scene dozens of times and only recently found out that Crosshair actually hits two clones with his lunch tray.

He initially throws it at the clone Tech was fighting, presumably knocking him down. But then it ricochets so hard that it basically clotheslines another clone who's just standing there, minding his own business. Dude was hit so hard, he was like floating in midair for a split second.

Also, this plays into my headcanon that Crosshair would be excellent at any sports that require excellent aim and coordination. If he was on a basketball team, he'd be a three-point specialist for sure!!

8. Plan 55 ricochet in 3.12 "Juggernaut"

This is the closest thing we get to a trickshot in S3, so I had to include it on the list.

Here, we see Crosshair's quick-thinking and perfect aim take out several troopers at once by purposely ricocheting his shot off the magnetically sealed doors.

As we know from “A New Hope,” magnetically sealed doors/surfaces are no joke. You really have to know what you're doing or someone's gonna get hurt. Thankfully, Crosshair is a freakin' pro at this!

It honestly reminds me of all those crazy pool shots where you have to plan out four or five bounces/angles ahead to get the angle you really want.

7. Downing a spaceship on Ryloth in 1.11 "Devil's Deal"

NOTE: This is the only clip I couldn't readily find on YT. So I included the clip of Crosshair killing Orn Free Taa from the same episode to maintain symmetry in this Top 10 list.

Don't let the clip fool you. The shot I'm actually talking about takes place before this, when Crosshair -- from like 300 meters away, mind you -- takes down a fast-moving ship by shooting one of the engines.

Look, I love S3 Crosshair with all my heart, but his shooting abilities were severely diminished after his time on Tantiss. When I was doing my S1 rewatch and got to this scene in 1.11, I was like "Oh yeah, I forgot Crosshair used to be able pull off crazy shit like this."

It's actually sad how many of his made shots in 1.11 are like an inverse of his missed shots in 3.11. Here, Crosshair easily shoots a tracker onto Hera & company's ship, and later shoots the engine with no problem, despite the speed and distance.

In 3.11, though, he misses CX-2's ship and fails to track Omega back to Tantiss. 😭

6. Shooting Wrecker's knife in 1.01 "Aftermath"

Now we're getting into the really impressive shit! Most of these remaining entries have Crosshair shooting small targets and/or fast-moving ones.

In this instance, it's both. Wrecker throws the knife like this is skeet-shooting or something, and Crosshair just very casually shoots it into a droid.

Have you ever seen someone who was so good at their job/hobby that they make it look effortless? Like they're not even trying? This happens to me sometimes when I watch the Olympics. I'm like, "That's not so hard. I could probably do that." And then I try it for like half a second, and I'm like, "Oh no, those people are insane."

That's how good S1-2 Crosshair is. He makes shooting a fast-moving knife look effortless.

5. His four-kill trickshot in 1.15 "Return to Kamino"

These next three are all no-brainer entries. I think the biggest question will be why I went with the order I did.

Here, we have Crosshair displaying two very important elements of marksmanship/sniping: patience and careful aim.

Crosshair evidently set up at least four mirrors (I counted the ricochets in the shot) well in advance in the exact spots he needed to take down his Imperial squad, if need be. That's some serious foresight and preparation -- to know exactly where everyone would be standing, and have all the mirrors ready to go ahead of time.

He must've set them up even before he brought Hunter into the training room, or Hunter would've seen them and probably signaled his teammates.

He's also hitting a target that seems to be somewhere between the size of a golf ball and baseball from like 10-20 meters. And with his sidearm.

I know everyone loves the hallway mirror ricochet to kill the squadron of battle droids in TCW Season 7, but it didn't qualify. But, honestly, I think this one is more impressive anyway. He hit the first 1.15 mirror from farther away than he does in TCW S7, and he's using his pistol in 1.15 rather than his rifle and scope.

Talk about accuracy!

4. Sniping the tank in 2.03 "The Solitary Clone"

Oh man! I think we all love this one, right? It's just one of my favorite sequences in the entire show -- the framing, the colors, the effects of the dirt flying up behind him.

I love how Crosshair baits the droids to get the exact angle he needs, and the dude clearly has nerves of steel for staring down the barrel of a tank without flinching. I wonder how many times he's done it, considering he seemed to know exactly how to beat them. I'm guessing at least a dozen.

This is another example of "expert making their expertise look effortless," when in reality, we'd all shit ourselves if we attempted to do the same.

Honestly, sometimes I wish we could've had this version of Crosshair face off against Hemlock in 3.15 -- the dude who stared down the barrel of a tank and didn't flinch at the most literal version of "kill or be killed."

3. Stairwell trickshot in 2.03 "The Solitary Clone"

While I love the tank sequence more for the aesthetics, I have to rank the 2.03 stairwell trickshot above it.

That's partly because Crosshair's still physically and mentally recovering from nearly getting choked to death. But, it's also partly because -- just like with Wrecker's knife -- Crosshair is shooting a target that someone else is throwing.

That means he has to adjust to whatever trajectory and speed they throw it at and compensate accordingly, which can understandably be very hard to do in a split-second.

And, in this situation, Crosshair can't even see the puck directly. He's looking at it through at least one or two layers of reflective mirrors. Dude's reaction time is insane!

He also manages to take down at least four or five droids with a single shot, including the tactical droid, which is several meters up the stairwell and into the next room.

I'm not sure if the clones learned any advanced mathematics during their training on Kamino. But if they did, I think Crosshair would've loved geometry and maybe trigonometry too! He would also absolutely kill in a game of pool. I wanna see him go to the SW equivalent of a pool hall, and show Omega that he can hustle people too! He just needed to find a game that would better suit his strengths. LOL

Anyway, as insane as this shot is, Crosshair has two others on his resume that are even more impressive:

2. Saving Omega & AZI in 1.16 "Kamino Lost"

This is one of three entries on this list that *no one* mentioned when I asked for suggestions, but I had to include it. That's because it is -- without a doubt -- the most bafflingly impressive shot Crosshair makes in the entire show.

I have watched this scene dozens of times, and I still have no idea how he knows where Omega and AZI are.

Initially, I thought -- as others did -- that he's using an infrared scope to see their body heat in the water. But, that doesn't appear to be the case.

The only times I can recall Crosshair activating an infrared capability is when he has his rangefinder, which is attached to his helmet. As we see in episodes like 1.01 "Aftermath" and in 3.07 "Extraction," he specifically has to put the rangefinder down in front of his eye to use the infrared option.

No, his scope is just that -- a regular scope. The infrared capability is only attached to his helmet's rangefinder, which he doesn't have in this scene.

Thus, I have no idea how Crosshair is using a regular-ass scope to find Omega and AZI in the dark ocean. The point of a scope is to see better, and I don't know what he might see beside more darkness. AZI's eyes aren't active and, even if Crosshair spots Omega's flashlight, Omega dropped it when she went after AZI, so it's not exactly on her.

I'm willing to believe that Crosshair has better eyesight than the average human in the Star Wars universe or IRL, but his eyesight must be insane if he can see them in the water, even with a scope.

But, whether it's eyesight, some other enhanced sense or just plain luck, Crosshair knows where in the vast, dark ocean they are — not just the angle but the depth too!

It's really hard to tell how far down they are, but I'd say at least 20 meters. And if he is able to see them somehow, he might have to adjust the shot for refraction in the water too.

Plus, unlike the other entries on this list, Crosshair isn't shooting a blaster bolt. He's shooting a cable, meaning he'd have to adjust his shot to accommodate its weight and trajectory once it hits the water. Additionally, with how Omega and AZI are situated, he needs to have the cable hit and latch onto AZI, without hitting Omega in the process, and get the exact angle needed to drag both of them to the surface.

Like I said: I have absolutely no idea how he made this shot. It's definitely the most impressive one he makes in the entire show based solely on external technical factors.

But of course, there is a parallel shot later in the series that's his most impressive one of all...

1. Freeing Omega in 3.15 "The Cavalry Has Arrived"

I will never shut up about this scene. It's been living in my head rent-free for three weeks already, and will continue to for several months.

This is undoubtedly the most important shot in Crosshair's life: the shot to save his kid and free his family from Hemlock once and for all.

And everything is working against him: It's dark. It's raining. Omega and Hemlock are like ~40 meters away. The target is the binders between their hands, which is like 3-5 centimeters wide, and won't exactly be stationary. Oh, he's using CX-2's stolen blaster, which doesn't even have a scope on it!!!

We the audience get a POV of what Crosshair sees from over his shoulder, and I can barely see Omega's face, let alone her hands!! I said in the previous entry that Crosshair's eyesight has to be better than the average person's because, holy hell, how can he see that?!?

And, even worse, Crosshair is physically and mentally spent in this scene. He had to return to his own personal hell -- the place where he was tortured and traumatized for months -- then got beaten in a fight and had his dominant hand chopped off.

He and Hunter are running on pure adrenaline at this point. They are absolutely hellbent on getting their kid back, even if they die or collapse in the process. They were practically hobbling out of the CX lab together, and when they crouch down on the bridge, Crosshair has to steady himself against Hunter because he doesn't have his other hand.

And, as the final cherry on top of this proverbially shitty sundae, Crosshair absolutely terrified of missing.

A few episodes ago, the guy couldn't hit stationary fruit from like ~15 meters away with a scope in daylight and in a controlled environment. He even tells Omega: "Close doesn't count. It's either a hit or a miss." Because in a high-stakes situation like this, missing your shot could mean death for you or someone else.

Crosshair already feels like he failed Omega because he missed the shot on Pabu. And now, he has to make an even tougher one with every disadvantage stacked against him and her life literally in his hand.

I don't blame the guy for doubting himself.

Thankfully, Hunter and Omega have complete faith in him, and despite everything he's been through in S3, he has faith in himself.

And so, in the shot to end all shots in "The Bad Batch," Crosshair hits his target and frees Omega.

He and Hunter then subsequently turn Hemlock into Swiss cheese before Omega gives Crosshair a much-needed hug, causing me to cry for the 100th time.

I'll admit: as much as I would've loved seeing another mirror trickshot or some other crazy ricochet in the finale (or just S3 in general), this scene is basically perfect.

It also makes for a nice little parallel to the S1 finale, where Crosshair saved Omega's life after she saved his. Here, as he says himself, he goes back to Tantiss to free her because she freed him first.

As someone said on Twitter when I asked for ideas about this list:

"(Crosshair) put his whole heart and soul in this shot, and he didn't miss. He couldn't afford to."

Like I said: this was the shot that freed the entire Bad Batch family from Hemlock forever. So, I think by default, it had to be No. 1 on this list.

*******

Anyway, thanks for reading! It'd be fun to put together another TBB list like this. I guess I'll have to pick a subject first, though, because I don't have any ideas. If you have any, send them my way!

(EDIT: For anyone who’s also on Twitter, give me a follow. @CatchingClassic )

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Could I request a reader who has an espathra. Espathra is from Reader's grandma who used to be a model and singer. Espathra is walks like a diva but is an absolute sweetheart. Reader joined the academy as a student and told the trio (Arven, Nemona and Penny) the reason why I joined the academy was because I never liked those private schools as I was always bored and hated dealing with the others as the students tend to annoy reader or be mean.

Arven

Tbh when he first saw your Espathra strutting down the streets of Mesagoza, he rolled his eyes.

He's well aware of how sassy and aggressive wild ones can be, but he assumes that even those tamed by trainers aren't any different (and sometimes a Pokémon's personality can rub off on them, too).

Once he gets to really know you both, though, he quickly realizes how friendly your Espathra is around people--even Mabosstiff.

Ofc they're still sassy, although they don't have a single mean bone in their body and don't try to reach across the table to steal his sandwich ingredients.

During lunch, you share how they once belonged to your grandma--who used to be a famous model and singer until she retired, deciding to leave her treasured partner in your care.

Arven never watched much TV growing up, so he never saw her performances. He just shrugs and says "that's kinda cool, little buddy."

But he grows concerned when a random kid intrudes on your picnic, asking about your grandma and wanting to pet the Espathra.

Suddenly the psychic type makes them shut up by immobilizing them on the spot....as he sits there wondering why tf you allowed them to do that.

You explain that's exactly why you transferred schools--specifically from a private one in another region to the Academy here in Paldea.

The students there kept bugging you, asking for your grandma's autograph and getting angry when you refused to take something they wanted her to sign or deliver fan mail as though you're some messenger Noctowl.

In short, they only ever talked to you if they wanted to contact her...and that made you feel quite bored and lonely, never gaining any real friends.

Luckily, Arven was already your friend long before he knew any of this.

He can definitely empathize with people constantly bothering him because of his connection to his "famous" parents.

Nemona

Not only has she obsessively watched the gym leaders' battles on TV, she also followed each of their social media accounts for years.

And on Tulip's page, she discovers that both her and your grandma did a collab for a new makeup brand inspired by their Espathras.

At the time, she didn't know you at all, but after hearing your last name and seeing your main partner Pokémon--she pulls you aside after class, eyes sparkling.

"So [y/n]..you're related to THE-?"

"Yes." You brush her hand off your shoulder, already knowing where this was going. "If you want an autograph, go to her retirement home and ask for her. I'm not your messenger."

You storm off, your Espathra giving Nemona a soft apologetic look, before they follow you, hair swishing gracefully.

However being the stubborn girl that she is....she eventually catches up to you, huffing and puffing and apologizing endlessly.

All she wanted was a simple battle with your Espathra (she almost called it your grandma's Espathra but quickly corrected herself--something you appreciated her doing).

It takes you by surprise, but you listen to her wishes and end up defeating her final Pokémon with a brilliant Lumina Crash that lit up the night sky.

After the battle's won, you explain that her attitude when you first met reminded you of the kids who bothered you back at your old school--which became the reason you transferred to Paldea to begin with.

You found her annoying.

Now? She was slightly less annoying since she genuinely wanted to befriend you, and not because you're related to a retired celebrity.

Penny

Team Star's had their fair share of feisty Flittles invading their outposts, always having to chase them out or risk being attacked just for gathering berries for their Pokémon.

Arceus forbid an outbreak of Flittle ever happened...

Because of that, Penny's always been skeptical around that evolution line, convinced that most Espathras are hostile.

The ones down in Area Zero's caverns especially made her nervous.

However, yours is a special case as they showed no aggression towards her, Arven, or Nemona.

You really owe it all to your grandma, mentioning how your Espathra used to be her partner in concerts and modeling for magazines.

They enjoyed being by her side and were content with retiring to Paldea after she ended her career on a high note.

She always talked about how they've adored singing since they were a little Flittle, and that they inspired her to keep going whenever she felt overwhelmed by the paparazzi and self-doubt.

How you wish you had her confidence at the private school you used to attend...but it became too much to handle after so many kids annoyed you simply because you're related to her.

You begged to be transferred out of there--for your sanity and for Espathra's, too.

After telling Penny all these stories, she definitely sees a different side to the Flittle line now, realizing that maybe not all of them are aggressive sassy berry thieves.

But when a grunt comes over (only overhearing that you're related to somebody they used to watch on TV all the time), Espathra just immobilizes them on the spot.

It frightens Penny, but the ostrich just smiles calmly at her.

You laugh and pet their beak, reassuring her it's nothing to be scared of--that kid simply won't remember ever asking you for your grandma's autograph.

From there on, she sends a message to all of Team Star not to make the same mistake that grunt did.

[melrosing]

MBO Robert's Rebellion: Season 2 Episode 2

what the fuck is this: it's me drafting a fake robert's rebellion tv show through a series of bullet points. there will be two seasons of ten episodes each

i figured actually this one is basically done so im posting it. the rest should come prettyyyy quickly now, it's just a couple story strains where i'm making the last few edits to get everything in across the ten eps. anyway this 'season' is probably a wholeass exercise for me in trying to make sense of Rhaegar Targaryen so welcome, pls come along for the ride.

SEASON ONE: Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8, Episode 9, Episode 10

SEASON TWO: Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3

title for this one: rhaegar breaks everything

Lyanna wakes in her tent to the sound a baby’s desperate screams. Perplexed, she dresses hurriedly and saddles her horse, riding off at pace to where she thinks they seem to come from. She grows more frustrated the further she rides, never seeming to get any closer. Suddenly, she hears a voice scream her name - it’s Ned’s. She sends her horse to a gallop, and reaches a familiar clearing: she met Rhaegar here a year ago, during the tourney of Harrenhal. Distracted, Lyanna regards the place a moment in silence, then reaches inside her cloak to find the flower crown Rhaegar gave her back then. It’s dried out now. A voice whispers ‘Lyanna’ more quietly, and Lyanna, alarmed, turns to see Rhaegar, leading a horse of his own. She asks if he heard a child; Rhaegar says he didn’t. Lyanna says she’d thought she’d heard Ned too, but he’s in the Vale. She supposes she must’ve been dreaming. Rhaegar asks if she dreams often, Lyanna says she dreams sometimes. Rhaegar asks of what, Lyanna says of this place, of blue roses, and of - she looks at him, stops. But Rhaegar knows already. He says, ‘I dream, too.’

Opening creds

Brandon riding for the Stark camp with Edmure, who chatters beside him about how he’s never ridden this far before. They meet Benjen at the outpost, who looks anxious; Brandon asks what the matter is, Benjen tells him it’s Lyanna. Together, they ride hard for camp

Ned and Robert at the Eyrie. Robert is bouncing a toddler in his lap, whilst Ned looks miserable. Robert makes reference to Brandon’s wedding, says Ned might have gone; Ned replies that he doubts Brandon will miss him. Rickard neither for that matter - Ned suspects he had always favoured his brothers. Robert laughs at that, assuring Ned that he’s the best of them - but for a man unbetrothed he could afford to have a little more fun. Ned says sceptically that betrothal has never kept Robert from fun, and Robert laughs, making the toddler (Mya) in his lap laugh too. Robert laughs the harder

Brandon and Edmure meet Rickard in the woods, searching for Lyanna. Rickard tells them that he and Lyanna had fought, and he suspects Lyanna may be sulking somewhere - but these woods are too dangerous for that, and she must be found. The rumours are already abound, too, that she is wild and loose, and he fears for their betrothal if Robert were to find out about this. He rides off, vexed 

Benjen asks Brandon if everything will be alright; Brandon isn’t sure, says he suspects Rickard is more worried than he’s letting on  

Jaime guarding Rhaella in the godswood; he has seen little of her since he took up his post, and notices bruises about her neck - the only part of her uncovered. Rhaella tells Jaime she remembers his mother, talks fondly about her as though talking to herself. She was such a child: giggled a lot, had plenty of daydreams, a sweet girl in her way, before she became lofty Lady Lannister. Jaime isn’t really listening, distracted by her injuries - he asks if she’s alright. Rhaella’s face clouds over; she tells Jaime it’s nothing, and speaks no more

Cut to Aerys in the throne room. Where is his goddamn son??? Rhaegar has not been seen for several nights. Aerys airs the suspicion that Rhaegar rides for Casterly Rock to plot against him with Tywin Lannister. Varys says he shudders to think… but it is said that Rhaegar did not take the Goldroad. Aerys wonders if Jaime Lannister knows something. Gerold Hightower says he’s sure the boy knows nothing. Varys says they can’t know that. Either way - Hightower changing the subject - for all his strength, Rhaegar is vulnerable when riding alone, and should be found. He says he will send two of his own men to find the Prince. Arthur Dayne knows him well, and will doubtless find him in good time 

Elia alone in her rooms, with her children playing at her feet. Rhaenys asks where father is; Elia, feeling too tired to comfort her daughter, simply tells her she doesn’t know. Rhaenys, weepy now, asks if he’s coming back. Elia says she doesn’t know that either. Rhaenys starts to cry, and Elia, looking dead inside, does nothing for several moments before reaching down to pick her up and comfort her. She tells Rhaenys about Dorne, says if father can run away then so can they. They’ll go to the Water Gardens, and Rhaenys can play with her cousin Arianne. Rhaenys asks if father will be sad if they go. Elia says no, she doesn’t think he’d be sad at all

Arthur Dayne in the WST, packing bags. Jaime watches on, asks where he is going. Arthur says to find the Prince. Jaime says he’ll go with him, Arthur says no. Jaime tries to argue, Arthur remains steadfast. Upset, Jaime says that he knows Arthur regrets knighting him, thinks it was a mistake to ever place him in the KG to begin with. Arthur says that isn’t so, it is simply that the King needs him here. For what?? Jaime says the King hates him. Arthur does not deny it, but states simply that there will come a time when the King will have great need of him. Jaime stares at him, perplexed. Ser Gerold Hightower walks in, and says he has an errand for Arthur, yet is startled to see Arthur is packing already. Jaime even more perplexed 

Ned running errands for Jon Arryn in a small town in the Vale. In a tavern, he attracts the notice of a black-haired girl, who flirts with him. Ned is uncomfortable, buts feels some attraction himself. She says she’s noticed him before with his friend, but she’s always liked Ned better. Ned feels himself being drawn in, doesn’t altogether like it - but likes it a little. The girl suggests they go somewhere quieter, and Ned tentatively agrees. As he follows her to the back rooms, she kisses him. Ned is shocked despite himself, and just as they reach the door he declines after all and turns back, embarrassed

Searching the woods for Lyanna. Benjen finds her dried flower crown on the forest floor where she had been the night previous, and runs to deliver it to his father and brother. Rickard and Brandon look at it horrified, till a local arrives with guards to tell them what he saw: Rhaegar rode past their village last night, and he had a girl with him. Rickard in crisis mode: he orders Benjen to return North to hold Winterfell. Benjen tells his father he doesn’t want to leave; he wants to find his sister. Brandon tells him there must always be a Stark in Winterfell (doesn’t explain why there wasn’t one this whole time but I digress), and Rickard tells him that they will return in good time - but not without Lyanna

Cat and Lysa waiting on the parapets for Brandon. Cat wonders why Lysa seems in such a good mood today, and asks her - but Lysa won’t reveal, hums smugly to herself

Suddenly they see Edmure on the horizon, but there’s no sign of Brandon??? The sisters race to the gates and find their father is there already. Edmure, both panicked and confused, tells their father that Brandon has ridden for KL - wtf???

Ned returns to the Eyrie, is told Jon Arryn wants him urgently. Ned bizarrely feels like he’s in trouble, enters Jon Arryn’s solar nervously - finds Robert pacing in rage, and Jon looking sorrowful. There’s been raven etc

Rhaegar and Lyanna riding together. Rhaegar is very quiet, and Lyanna doesn’t quite know where she’s following him to - but follows nonetheless. She asks lots of questions, doesn’t get many clear answers, till Rhaegar reveals he believes they were meant to meet that day at Harrenhal. Had she felt it, too? Lyanna frowns, intrigued, but a little frightened, too. Perhaps she had felt that, too. Rhaegar looks at her, knowingly

[hurricanek8art]

I had to start trying to explain to my mom (strictly a movie/tv fan) why the Jedi are like this at this point in time, and it finally clicked in my head. The perfect way to explain how they're so rigid and strict and have such huge sticks up their butts at this point in time.

The Jedi of this generation are the result of generational trauma.

(Spoilers for episodes 1 and 2 of The Acolyte, Phase One of the High Republic books, and some barebones setting spoilers of Phase Three under the cut. Also a big wall of text because I never know when to shut up 🙃)

So I'm behind on Phase III of the High Republic books (got a few chapters into The Eye of Darkness when it came out, brain farted out on me on reading ability, haven't gotten back to it yet 🙃😖) but I know enough to know that things are really going bad. The Nihil are rampaging, the Nameless are turning people to stone, the Stormwall has cut off like a third of the galaxy from the rest of it. It's a lot! It's really bad! And we see how it's affecting our heroes. Avar and Elzar are reeling without Stellan. Vern's questioning about how the Jedi are responding to this threat throughout Phase I has led her to become a Wayseeker. Padawans like Bell, Burry and Reath have been elevated to Knighthood a lot sooner than any of them expected to be. All of them are incredibly traumatized.

But that's just the Jedi we've seen. The heroes, the big names. Imagine being a nobody at this time. An extra. A child.

Imagine being a youngling in this era. There are literal nightmares hunting you. People are dying right and left, they're being husked and turned to stone or just plain shot/stabbed/whatever. The outposts are being closed down and everyone's being recalled to Coruscant, and that's the ones who've survived so far. They knocked the Starlight Beacon out of the sky, something that was supposed to be impossible. And less than five years ago, this was a golden age of peace, of light and life and great works that were bringing the galaxy together, a united front. That's horrible, that is terrifying.

We as the readers know it's going to work out, because it has to, because this is a prequel. They don't know that. They're just kids, and the world has suddenly turned upside-down, and the galaxy is big and scary and dark.

So everything works out, the day is saved. But these kids, they have to live with this trauma for the rest of their lives.

And when they grow up, and they train Padawans, those Padawans are going to carry the lessons they learned onwards. There is no lesson a Master can teach in this era that isn't going to carry the grief of the Nihil or the Nameless. There is no lesson any Master will ever teach again, from the moment Loden Greatstorm was captured by Marchion Ro all the way to Luke's temple burning to the ground, that won't somehow, in some way, be touched by this. It haunts everyone, everything. Those lessons are passed on, and on, and on.

Yord Fandar is intense about protocal and following the rules and making sure he's the perfect Jedi, because a hundred years ago maverick Elzar Mann played fast and loose with the rules while he was stationed on Valo, and then the Nihil turned the Republic Fair into a bloodbath. Sol is worried about Osha's (so far) inability to put her grief to the side and remain objective in chasing Mae because Imri Cantaros lost control and nearly murdered the Nihil who caused the death of his master during the Great Disaster. Vernestra Rwoh is refusing to charge into this without talking it over with the Council because she remembers what happened when she kept information from them a hundred years ago.

These aren't isolated incidents because they happened to the heroes, every Jedi of that era has some story like this, where the lines blurred in the fog of war and they made or nearly made horrible mistakes out of fear. And now, every Jedi is going to want to rise above that. To not make those mistakes, because that past is past. It's peaceful again. They're better now. But that trauma's lurking under the surface, just like the Sith. The Nihil won't win, but the Order isn't going to, either. Because what the Nihil did changed them, permanently.

The plot of the High Republic books is supposedly unrelated to the show, because it's a hundred years later. But the plot of the High Republic books explains everything about the Jedi in this era of the galaxy. They're carrying the trauma and grief of an entire generation that was brutalized unlike anything the Order had ever seen before.

And the Sith have watched, and waited, as that trauma has become so internalized, so central to what the Jedi are. The Jedi might not even realize that's what's happened to them. But the Sith see it.

And now it's finally time to begin the grand plan.

[sourb0i]

Fuck.

Rewatching S3e9 of ds9, and Kira's character here is so.

This one bit of dialogue is especially getting to me:

Kira: [Why arent you using this ship to destroy random Cardassian outposts?]

Tom/clone Riker: These stakes are far greater than border outposts.

Kira: Not for the Maquis, because the Maquis are terrorists, and the only thing terrorists care about is attacking the enemy. I know-- I was a terrorist.

Just.. something about Kira admitting so freely that she was a terrorist. That a good chunk of her life was dedicating to causing destruction by any means necessary. Not caring about innocent (Cardassians) caught in her wake. Can you even imagine if a major character in a popular TV show today called themselves a terrorist? There'd be fucking riots.

[she-wolf09231982]

Chapter 9-It Ain't Over

Summary: Easy is tasked to dismantle German outposts across the river and were to return with prisoners for interrogation. The mission is successful but not without another loss. When the Colonel tried to send the men back in, Winters unconventionally goes against the grain, allowing the men a night of rest instead of risking more unnecessary deaths.

A/N: Mature audience, Joe LiebgottxFem!Medic, Post Bastogne, She/Her Pronouns, Y/F/N, Y/L/N, Cursing/Swearing, Derogatory Slurs, Womanizing Comments, Aggression, Angst, Confrontation, Military Terminology, 1940’s slang, Inappropriate Nicknames, Band of Brothers References, A League of Their Own Movie References, Mentions of Weaponry, Yiddish/German language with English translation, Smoking, Crying, Banter, Pining, FOREVER FLUFF

German is identified with (g)

Yiddish is identified with (y)

*These stories may not fall entirely in accordance with the TV series timeline. I do not know the real soldiers the actors portray in this series, so please understand I show no disrespect. Some or most of historical events and character interactions in my fanfics are fabricated purely for the sake of the enjoyment of fiction*

~~~~~~~

February 1945/Night of POW Mission

American side of the river

Liebgott sits behind his M1919 Browning machine gun with his assistant gunner on a bombed-out landing at battalion headquarters right off the water, watching the rest of the platoon load into the boats on the riverbank. You sneak past the AG and sit next to Joe.

"Gams?? What the fuck are ya doin'?" he chided at you.

You roll your eyes, "Just checking on you two and seeing where the guys are." you respond quietly.

"Yeah, well, they ain't even crossed yet so get back downstairs, will ya? I don't want you out here if shit starts poppin' off." he scolded.

You sigh, "Fine, Joe, I just wanted to see you before anything happened, that's all."

You turned to leave but then hesitated. You looked over your shoulder at him with his back towards you. You return to him swiftly, grab his chin and plant a hasty peck on his cheek.

"Ich liebe dich, Joe Liebgott (g)(I love you, Joe Liebgott)." you say in a quick hush before you scamper off inside.

Joe grunted at you not knowing whether to be irritated or entertained,

"Du verdammte Füchsin (g)(You goddamn vixen)." he called after you before you could reach the stairs.

Basement of Battalion HQ

You and Doc sit together in the cellar of HQ, waiting and listening intensely for any gunfire exchange outside. Minutes feel like hours sitting there, as you sip on a tin cup of coffee.

Your leg is bouncing from anxiety, waiting for something to happen. Eugene reached across to you and grabbed your knee to stop your leg from jumping. You look up at him startled.

"You're too jittery. Lay off the coffee, Y/F/N." he said in his low soothing Cajun accent with a gentle smile.

You nod then smile back, placing your cup on the table next to you.

~~~~~~~

German side of the river

The patrol crosses the river in the inflatable boats. When they reach land, they strategically approach the building where German soldiers are posted. As Easy makes entry, Jackson rushes into the building too soon after throwing a grenade and is severely wounded.

The rest of the guys then rush the building and captured three Germans. As they retreat with their prisoners, the remaining German forces open fire. One of the prisoners is hit and is left behind on the riverbank.

American side of the river

Joe sees his platoon scattering towards the boats as smoke and gunfire erupt from the German side. He shifts his line of fire, anxiously waiting to pull the trigger.

"Jesus Christ, come on. Blow the goddamn whistle!" he yelled.

The sound of the whistle finally reaches Joe's ears. He lays heavy suppressive fire at the windows where he sees flashes from German MG-42s. He peppers the buildings back and forth, in hopes he's nailing each one dead center of their foreheads.

Basement of HQ

You and Doc hear an eruption of gunfire and shells dropping through the garden windows of the basement. You stand next to the little window listening hard for the yells and screams from your boys. Just then, you suddenly hear the faint call from the riverbank on the American side...

"WHERE'S THE MEDIC!?!?"

Alarmed, you look back at Eugene with wide, panicked eyes.

"No, Y/L/N." Doc said sternly.

He knew damn well what you were thinking, and he wasn't going to allow it. Not again.

You began to protest, "But they-"

"Y/F/N, NO!" he barked, "I'm not lettin' you run to danger again. Remember what happened in Ardennes?" He reminded you angrily.

You look down shamefully at your boots. Suddenly the basement door abruptly swung open as the platoon started scrambling in.

"Wounded! We got wounded, come on!" Ramirez bellowed.

You swept papers and utensils off the nearest table to clear it for Jackson who was being carried in.

"Set him right here!" you call out.

Johnny Martin entered, "Get the Krauts back there, shake them down! Move! Move! McClung! Get on over to CP, let them know what we got!" he ordered.

Jackson lying flat on the table, his face bloody and raw from the neck up, began gagging on his own blood.

"Jesus, what the hell happened to him over there?!" you ask overwhelmed by the soldier’s appearance.

"Grenade went off right in front of him." Ramirez reported.

"Shit, his lungs are probably hemorrhaging. He can't breathe right." you confirm aloud.

Doc gently pushed you aside and lowered his ear to Jackson's mouth.

"Light. I need some light. Give me some light." Doc requested urgently.

Grant took his lighter and flipped it on. Doc held Jackson's mouth open by the chin, observing and listening for a few seconds as the poor soldier gurgled and whimpered.

"All right, look at the flame. Look at the flame. Ok, that's good." Doc instructed Jackson.

The room became eerily quiet as they all watched Doc work.

"All right, let's get him outta here." Doc directed.

"I don't wanna die!" Jackson cried out.

He repeated these words tearfully over and over again as the platoon started to move him towards the door on a litter. Jackson started to grab at Doc, kicking off the surface as his choking worsened. The men set him down.

"He's gonna die!" one of the guys shrilled in horror.

"Hey, shut the hell up! You're upsetting him more!" You hiss over the sea of bellowing soldiers, while Jackson started to flail and kick in terror.

"Please help me, I don't wanna die!" He wallowed.

Doc tried to hold him steady on the stretcher, "Jackson, you're not gonna die! I need you to hang on!"

Jackson continued to bawl and throw an agonizing fit out of fear until the life drifted from his tearing eyes and his body fell limp. Doc sat up, dropping his helmet to his side with a huff of defeat leaving his mouth. He sat there, lost in his thoughts then looked up at you with frustration painted all over his face.

You look around the room at rest of the guys until you see Martin. You shake your head, confirming he didn't make it. You take Babe's wool blanket he wrapped himself with and covered Jackson.

~~~~~~~

The following morning, the platoon hung out in the barracks, resting up after a long night. Webster entered the room with LT Jones.

"Jackson is dead." Webster announced.

"Yeah, we heard." Joe replied from his bunk sitting above you.

"Yeah, well, they want another patrol tonight." Perconte added.

Joe shifted onto the mattress and laid against the pillow. You stood up angrily and walked out the room, down the stairs, and out the door to head to the basement back at HQ to be alone.

With most of Easy at HQ later that day, Winters, Nixon and Speirs address the same patrol from the night before to discuss the next mission for that evening. You're in attendance once again, across the room where you can see Joe as you stood next to Eugene.

Winters opened the brief by stating how proud he was of the good work the platoon did last night then added that Col Sink was proud as well.

"-In fact, he's so proud he wants you to do another patrol across the river tonight."

The men remain resentfully silent. Joe lights a cigarette then shoots you an unamused glance as Winters continued.

"Any moment now, the outpost we hit last night will go up in flames. Means we have to venture farther into town this time. Captain Speirs, you have the map, please."

Speirs passes the map to Grant to display across the table.

"We have enemy movement here and here," Winters began as he pointed on the paper, "Which means this is our new house target here. We recovered all the boats. So, we'll be setting off from the same place we did last night."

"We're not changing the plan any, sir?" Martin spoke up.

"No. The plan is the same. It will be 0200 hours instead of 0100. Is that clear?" Winters asked.

The men shifted in discomfort, "Yes sir." they acknowledged collectively.

"Good, because I want you all to get a full night's sleep tonight. Which means in the morning, you will report to me that you made it across that river into German lines but were unable to secure any live prisoners-" he instructed as he looked around the room to see if the platoon was tracking what he was saying.

Everyone looked at him in disbelief. The man was really ordering you to disobey Col Sink’s orders.

"Understand?" he pushed cautiously as he scanned the room making eye contact with each of his men.

"Yes, sir." The men replied in unison. (Some of their responses sounding like a question, unsure this was actually happening).

"Good. Look sharp for tomorrow. We're moving off the line." Winters finalized as he left the room.

The guys all breathed their first sigh of relief since Holland. A few exchanged handshakes. Joe stood up from the table to rush over to you.

"Did you just fucking hear that, Gams!?" His smile stretching from ear to ear revealing your favorite dimple on his left cheek.

You beam at him, "I did. He's a good man."

You wrap your arms around the back of Joe's neck, pulling him into a tight hug. He pressed you against him, burying his face into your neck. A couple of happy tears stream down your face.

"Can we just hold each other for the rest of our lives?" you utter softly in Joe's ear.

Joe chuckled, "That's my plan."

~~~~~~~

As the sun set that evening, Cobb distributed bottles of liquor he found in the cellar at HQ. Each man happily accepted the offer, taking hearty swigs from the bottles.

Luz hacked, pounding on his chest to soften the sting of what he just swallowed.

"Shit! *cough* What the hell is this Cobb?? Jesus Christ!" Luz choked.

"What's wrong, George? A little too strong for ya?" Cobb teased.

"This stuff will knock ya on your ass." Malarkey confirmed as he took another drink.

You walk into the room, and the entire platoon cheered. You stop in your tracks, almost alarmed by their response to you entering the room.

"What are you miscreants doing now?" you ask looking around the room at them.

"Nothin' we're just happy to see our songbird!" Babe yelled across the room.

"Hey, Y/F/N, sing us a little somethin' yeah??" Luz pleaded.

"No, George, I'm not-" you contested before all the men groaned and boo-ed expressing their disappointment.

"-I'm tired, guys! It's been a rough few days for all of us." you defended.

"Hey, Joe, come on. Get her to sing!" Babe resorted.

Liebgott hopped off the top bunk and approached you with his bottle. You deliver a look of skepticism to him as he closed in on you. He raised his eyebrow as he smiled mischievously at you.

"No, Joe." Is all you say.

"Gams, the boys just want you to sing a little lullaby so they can get a good night's sleep like the captain said." Joe justified.

"Winters never said anything about me singing you to sleep." you pointed out.

"True," Joe started, "but Webster didn't get to hear ya yet, and l’ve been tellin’ him how sweet my girl’s voice is. I wanna show you off."

You shake your head at him, "You're unbelievable."

"I know." Joe replied confidently.

You look around the room at all the expectant drunk faces of your boys.

"One song so you can sleep. Just one." you compromise.

"Don't get on a chair this time!" Luz called out.

You glare at him, then smile.

"Get comfortable you idiots." you say as you dim the lamps to set the mood.

"What are you gonna sing, Gams?" Joe whispered in your ear over your shoulder as he snaked his arms around your waist from behind.

"A piece from Laurel and Hardy's The Bohemian Girl. Thelma Todd was always one of my favorites.”

Joe hummed as he pecked your cheek. You smell the whiskey on his breath.

“Hm, ir hot aoykh a bisl shlogn di flash, tsi nit? (y)(Hm, you’ve been hitting the bottle a little, too, haven’t ya)?” You ask Joe, smiling at him skeptically.

Joe only grinned, his face glowing and his eyes droopy, sauced from drink, exhausted by the mission, and completely entranced by you.

“Ok, settle down, boys." you project through the room.

"Hey, Liebgott ain't in bed." Perconte protested.

You guide Joe to your bed and have him sit. You stand in the middle of the room so everyone can hear. Every pair of eyes and ears focus on you, waiting patiently for you to begin.

🎶 “I dreamt that I dwelt in marble halls,

With vassals and serfs at my side,

And of all who assembled within those walls,

That I was the hope and the pride.” 🎶

You serenade to your platoon, watching their heads lull and their eyes flutter. You make a round around the room to each soldier, touching a shoulder here or patting another on the head over there, making a personal connection to each one to bring a sense of comfort amongst them as you near the end of the song.

🎶 “And I dreamt that one of that noble host

Came forth my hand to claim.

But I also dreamt, which charmed me most,

That you lov'd me still the same...”🎶

You come back to Joe who is laying across your mattress zeroed in on you with adoration behind his eyes. He beamed up at you from your pillow when you start combing your fingers through his hair as you finish your song just for him.

🎶”That you lov'd me, you lov'd me still the same

That you lov'd me, you lov'd me still-“🎶

You seat yourself on the side of your bed next to him.

🎶”-the same.“🎶

The room is quiet, with the gentle snores and breathes of the guys sound asleep in their bunks. Joe took your free hand and started to pull you towards him as he sat up to meet you half way for a kiss-

“That was incredible, Y/L/N.” You hear Webster compliment from the bunk across from Liebgott’s.

You look over at him and smile, “Thanks, Web. Get some sleep, buddy.”

“Yeah, can’t you see we’re busy over here?” Joe sneered.

Webster chuckled and turned towards the wall to make his back face you.

You look back to Joe, whose face was a hair away from yours.

“That wasn’t very nice.” You giggled.

Joe nudged his nose against yours, “Any second I can get with my girl is precious, I don’t want to waste it.” He purred.

You lean forward, kissing his lips softly. Joe’s faultless ability to lock onto your lips as he tilts his head to deepen his kiss always left you craving for more. You try to pull back but he holds you in place so you don’t go too far.

“We should sleep, too, Joe.”

A devilish smirk appeared across his face, “One of these days, Gams-“ he started without finishing.

You smile coyly and laugh, “I don’t mean to get you riled up. But we’re not getting away with anything in a room full of people.”

Joe shook his head and sighed, “Komm her, du Füchsin (g)(Get over here, you vixen)."

You scoot onto the bed laying across his chest as he enveloped you in his arms. He kissed the top of your head as you nuzzle into him.

"Liebe dich sehr (g)(Love you so much)." Joe uttered to you.

"Liebe dich mehr (g)(Love you more)." you whisper back, squeezing him.

~~~~~~~

@wordsaresimple-imnot @mrs-greenside @skiesofrosie 🪖♠️🦅

[prittiswaggy-co]

That last drawing mentioned colony, does Tessa live in Outpost 3, if yes what's it like living there?

Yes, Tessa mostly live in Outpost 3 with the other drones due to the harsh cold outside and also the fact that a spaceship is not comfortable enough to live in 24h/24! (Thanks to N who convinced Uzi to let her in :3) She have her own room next to the doorman's apartments, where the disassembly drones chill when the storm becomes too annoying for them too!

She have her own little shop/infirmary where drones that needs repairs (little or big) goes, they mostly only talk to her in here. Older drones fears her the most due to their history with the humans lol, Younger drones have mixed feelings about her, some absolutely hates her and some loves her and some are neutral tbh.

I think her room would be filled with blankets, plushies and pillows, like a huge nest with a TV xD my girl deserves to have a good nap once in a while! Also Khan put running water for her to shower/drink, he doesn't fully trust her but is always available if something's wrong in the apartment!

So, for Tessa, it's pretty chill, it's very different from her life in the manor but it actually made her a lot less anxious/paranoid to have her own space + routine since I think she would be the school nurse during school time(???)

Bonus: for eating, with the help of J, they've made a sort of protected greengouse to Harvest vegetables or fruits for her to eat, she's still human after all. And J loves gardening with Tessa, it changes from murder.

[cheerfulripley]

I'm watching a show from my teenage years called Ice Road Truckers. They drive over frozen lakes to deliver goods to outposts that can't fly the supplies in. It's a fascinating show!

I have no brain yet I must write

Destiel that is 😅 💚💙

l'll have a one-shot for you guys tomorrow afternoon! (11.22.24)

UPDATED IT'S LIVE

[notalwayslate]

The Shackles of Free Will

Hello @beeeinyourbonnet it is I your Secret Santa!

Prompt: Warm (or cozy drinks)

Title: The Shackles of Free Will

Summary: One is shackled to an arranged marriage, the other to a cursed dagger. Can these star-crossed lovers find a path to their happily ever after.

AO3 link: The Shackles of Free Will - notalwayslate - Once Upon a Time (TV) [Archive of Our Own]

There was something about the first snowfall that made him strangely sentimental. With his duties done for the day, he found himself strolling the unfamiliar snowy grounds of Avonlea. Memories long ago but not forgotten took root within his heart. Closing his eyes, he recalled the sound of Baelfire’s laughter with his tiny cheeks tinted red with winter air.

So lost in the past, the Dark One gasped as a cold and sudden impact hit the back of his head. He spun quick his magic pulsing ready to obliterate the threat but paused when his eyes landed upon the solitary figure of a young woman bent over forming another ball of snow in her gloved hands.

“Lefou, I told you what would happen if you came spying…” the words died on her lips as she stood. Her blue eyes went as big as saucers as they landed upon his cold stare. Her pert pink lips tugged down at the corners in a mortified frown, as the newly formed snowball fell from her hand.

“You’re not Lefou.”

“Indeed, I am not,” his voice was as clear and brisk as the air around them. He waited for her to either flee or grovel, but instead a giggle erupted from her.

“I’m sorry,” she held her hand to her mouth trying and failing to suppress her laughter. “The one thing my father was most insistent upon was to stay clear from the Dark One, and here I am declaring a snow war on him.”

He stared at the beauty in the green cloak before him. He had seen her once before, the day he and the duke arrived at the request of Sir Maurice two days prior.

“Please,” she spoke slowly taking a few steps towards him. “Let me make it up to you.” His feet stayed rooted, even as he had the sudden urge to flee as she moved closer. “How about a warm drink?”

He looked down as an ancient feeling of shyness overtook him. Lifting his gaze, he recognized a warm determination in her eyes, and it somehow excited him. Carefully as though she was afraid to scare him off, she reached up, brushing the remnants of the snow from his hair.

“This way,” she whispered and all too soon she was walking away from him. After a few steps, she turned back towards him, a glitter of hope in her eyes. “Aren’t you coming?”

He nodded dumbly knowing that if she kept looking at him like that, he would follow her to the underworld if she asked.

She leads him to a poorly constructed hovel on the outskirts of the grounds. He assumes it was once an outpost for patrolling guards but is utterly perplexed as to why she is taking him there. His confusion unravels as she opens the wooden door to reveal the warmth of a tiny fireplace, and an overstuffed reading chair. Gesturing for him to take a seat, she silently makes her way to the fire where a small kettle dangles above it.

For two hundred years, he has existed in this world with humans, he the infamous Dark One. He was feared, despised, and although he had been foolish enough to allow his dagger to fall into the hands of the Duke of the Front lands, he was still a deadly force to be reckoned with. And yet here he sat, his stomach full of nerves as she approached him with a cup.

He sniffed the tea his magic deeming it safe for consumption. Taking a small sip, he let the slightly sweet liquid swirl in his mouth before swallowing. He watched as she took a seat on the footstool near him, taking a drink from her own cup. Enthralled by the shape of her lips, he foolishly wondered what the pressure of them would feel like on his skin.

Trying to regain self-control he forced his eyes away from her and to a book lying on the floor next to the chair.

“Have you read it?” she asks, placing her cup down and lifting the book to her chest. “It’s one of my favorites.”

“Oh yes, I knew the author,” he said nonchalantly as her brows furrowed in confusion.

“Her Handsome Hero is over a hundred years old.”

He quirked an eyebrow at her, as she leaned in closer. “How old are you?” she asked before quickly sitting back realizing her blunder of social grace. “I’m sorry,” she spoke softly looking down at her skirt.

“Father says I have too curious of a mind.”

“Better a curious mind, than a closed one,” he countered trying to ease her worried eyes. When she smiled, he felt an undying desire to see that smile for the rest of his days.

Whether it was the warmth of their meager surroundings, or the company of another radiating such light and innocence, he smiled in remembrance of the life he led before the curse.

All too soon the sun gave way to the stars, and he felt a sudden concern for her safety, suggesting it was time for her to return to the castle. He tried to ignore the disappointment in her eyes, as she stood, escorting him out of her secret hideaway.

She spoke her voice etched in hope.

“I’m here almost every day, if you ever get lonely.” X

Lady Belle, daughter of Lord Maurice of Avonlea had grown up without a mother. Being the first and only child of her father, carried a heavy burden. She was well aware growing up if she had been a son, she would have been revered and accepted inexplicably, but since she was just a lowly daughter, she did not give much meaning in the daily life of her father, or the kingdom of Avonlea.

It was her duty as his obedient daughter to keep herself pure and prepare to be a good wife and mother one day. Her father voiced his disapproval of her constant reading, fearing she may scare off suitors with being too smart.

Although she pretended to be servile, on the inside she was bursting with a love for knowledge and ideas of a life where she decided her own fate. She loved the outdoors, as the freshness in the air always made her feel more alive. It was during one spring day, that she had stumbled upon the old guards’ post, and bribed the stable boy with treats from the kitchen to drag her favorite reading chair out to the abandoned hideout.

When she wasn’t occupied with her mundane duties, she found solace outside the palace lost in the adventures of a good book.

Her father had thought she was old enough on her last birthday for marriage. Belle wasn’t naïve enough to think that she may one day be given to a man whose ideals on women rivaled her fathers, but she still felt an immense disappointment with the choice, of Gaston Legume, a great hunter, known by the kingdom for his prowess in battle, as well as a salacious appetite for booze and women.

Belle wanted to feel something for her betrothed, but his arrogance and cruelty eclipsed all hope. It didn’t help that he often sent his lackey, Lefou, to spy and report back to him of any perceived misdoings of his future wife.

None the less her father, thought him worthy of her hand. It was a blessing and a curse when the first ogre attack on an allied kingdom halted all wedding plans, as every abled bodied man went to battle.

As the ogre attacks became more frequent and nearer to Avonlea, Belle could sense the fear growing in her father. She sat silently by his side, listening intently, as the strategists spoke of Avolnea’s impending doom.

A week later as news of sickness and starvation on the battlefields reached her father’s ears, she learned of his decision to call upon the Duke of the Front lands for help. It was not the Duke who would stop this war, but the powerful weapon that he wielded, The Dark One.

Silence echoed the great hall, as the Duke, and the cloaked dark figure arrived a few days later. Although she was excluded from attending the meeting, she heard through the whispers of the castle that a deal had been struck between the Duke and her father, the safety of the kingdoms in exchange for money and political power.

She was forced to keep to her own quarters, her father forbidding her from any contact with the Duke and Dark One. She felt like a prisoner in her own home, and after a full week of eating her meals in her room, she needed fresh air, and the first snowfall was too enticing to resist.

It was not her intent to disobey her father when she accidentally pelted the Dark One with a snowball. And it was not demure, she knew, to lay in bed that night, thinking of him as she sought her own pleasure.

The next morning, she quickly ate her breakfast alone, before sneaking off to her hidden oasis with a glimmer of hope that she would see him again. She tried distracting herself but for once in her life her books failed to capture her thoughts away from him. Her breath hitched when she heard the pacing of footsteps outside the door.

The footsteps stopped for a brief moment soon followed by a muttering, and then resumed once again. She took a deep breath, smoothing down the front of her dress, before starting her own pacing in the tiny room. It was entirely improper she knew for a promised woman to meet with another man alone, and if anyone found out it would incite a scandal above her wildest imagination, but she had never felt such a raw intense connection than she did towards him.

She shifted the cooling teapot, taking down two teacups and placing them on the small table, before sitting down on her cushioned chair that faced the door. Closing her eyes, she tried to calm her hummingbird heart, when the sudden knock on the door startled her.

With a rising flush and knots in her stomach, she opened the door, to find him humbly fidgeting before her.

Out of pure habitual instinct, she bobbed a small curtsy. She waited for him to speak, but it appeared that nerves had silenced his tongue. She suddenly knew that if she wanted this, truly wanted this, she would need to take the lead.

“Would you like a warm drink?” she asked with an assuring smile that his presence was most welcome.

He nodded seriously as if the invitation was of the utmost importance.

“I would like that very much.”

As he stepped over the threshold, Belle felt a sense of calm finality slide over her. A choice had been made at that moment, and she knew that her heart and life would never be the same. X

The Dark One was in love. He had lost his heart and soul to her the moment their eyes met those two months ago on the day of the first snowfall. She had given him hope, where previously he just felt despair, love where there was only emptiness, laughter where there had been sadness, and the promise of a future, where there had only been memories of a sad and lonely past.

They shared the duality of a life with no free will. Hers, by an arranged marriage, and his by a cursed dagger. Although she could speak freely of her own confinement, he had no such luxury. With such an inquisitive mind, it did not take her long to realize that all of her questions regarding the Duke’s power over him, could not be answered.

The Duke, much to his credit, had learned from the mistakes of previous predecessors. Once in possession, he commanded the Dark One to never speak of the dagger to another living soul and forbade the Dark One to hurt him in anyway.

But even with a word muttered, his brilliant, beautiful beauty, figured the Duke held something over him, when one too many times, he would unwillingly vanish in mid conversation with her, only to appear beside the Duke.

Although his time with her was precious, he still had to dedicate much of his magic and energy to ending the ogre wars. Although the Duke promised Lord Maurice to end them, the enemy never cooperates with defeat. The Dark One had supplied magic and weapons, but it was still up to the soldiers to take the fundamentals and win the war. Fortunately, it appeared that the majority of ogres had now been slaughtered, and the stragglers were retreating. As a celebration Lord Maurice announced a banquet in the honor of the Duke, the savior of the lands.

Rumpelstiltskin hated parties, or banquets, or whatever the rich called them these days. He hated them with passion. His antisocial tendencies were all in full display, as he stood alone against the backwall, a scowl upon his face. The attendees gave him a wide berth, with not a one daring to make eye contact with him…well except for one. Outwardly he seemed perfectly calm, bored even, but inwardly his desire was aflame.

As hard as he tried his treacherous eyes stared at his beauty in her green velvet dress that clung to every curve of her body. Gods, he wanted her. So entranced by her figure, he had failed to notice Lord Maurice and the Duke rising to make a toast.

He only half listened as the men fed their own egos about winning a war, that neither had fought, but when he heard Belle’s name mentioned, his back straightened at attention.

“There is no greater honor for me to announce the engagement of Lady Belle and the Duke of the Front lands.”

His eyes darted to Belle, her face white with shock as the cup she held fell from her fingers. He stood motionless, his anger beckoning him to strike the Duke down with the darkest of his magic, but the cursed submission placed on him kept him in place. X It was he who was awaiting her arrival the next morning at their hideout. His stomach lurched when he saw her approach, her eyes dried but rimmed in a swollen red. Without hesitation he lunged forward, twining the fingers of his hand around her waist as she tightly wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her head in his shoulder.

She drew in a shaky breath. “I can’t believe this is happening. He’s annulled the engagement to Gaston and has set my wedding to the Duke for three days’ time” He could feel her head shaking against his collarbone. “I have to leave tonight; I can’t go through with this.”

“You can’t go anywhere.”

The moment the order left his lips, she tore away from him, pinning him with a sharp blue gaze. He should have known, should have suspected that this beautiful brave creature before him would fight for her own fate. In spite of her hope, the Duke was just too strong with the dagger in his possession.

Her best laid plans would go awry the moment the Duke learned of her absence. He would be ordered to hunt her down or worse kill her. She couldn’t leave, and it was all his damn fault. Rumple choked on that thought, as an onset of tears blurred his vision. He had never cried before another.

“If you leave, he will make me hurt you,” Rumple choked out between sobs.

She brushed her thumb against the soft skin under his eyes, wiping away his tears. Biting her lip, she looked away for a moment, but only a moment, before her pleading teary eyes looked into his own.

“If I have to marry him, then let my first time be with someone I love.”

His heart stopped at her words. She loved him, and he loved her, Gods did he love her. Before he could think better of it, his hands traced down her ribs, settling on the curves of her waist. Slowly he moved, their bodies swaying to the music of his beating heart. He brought his lips to hers, plucking kisses from her mouth, as his fingers plucked at the ribbon tied on the back of her dress. Slowly carefully he turned her around as he unlaced the ribbon, peppering every new exposed inch of her bare back until the dress fell to the floor.

She reached her hand behind her and touched his green glittery skin, running her fingers down his side, across his hip to the top of his thigh. He shivered as her fingers brushed perilously close to his erection. She pressed herself backwards into him, and he was rocked hard against her. He buried his face into the side of her neck, kissing her, while caressing her breast gently with his hand. She let out a moan, and he wanted nothing more in life than to be buried inside of her. He started to edge his other hand down her waist, when his body went rigid. He was being summoned.

“I love…” he cried out before vanishing. X

Rumpelstiltskin was a coward. A heartbroken, weak foolish coward. Any other man would fight for the woman they loved, and here he was, standing in the shadows of her engagement party. They had not spoken since he had been summoned away earlier that morning, when he had her half naked in his arms. That moment between them was easily the most precious moment of his life, but to see her now was like a poison to his veins. How was he to live with her so near to him, but yet so far away?

Every look Belle cast his way during the dinner told him that her heart truly belonged to him, but he could never have it as long as the Duke was alive. Fate held them both prisoners to a man whose cruelty was far worse than his own.

Murmurs turned into shouting, and then screams. The Dark One turned his attention to a tall war-torn man in armor barging past the guards.

“It’s Gaston,” the dark one heard a nearby patron exclaim. So, this was the man Belle had been previously betrothed too.

Gaston hastily shoved his way forward, brandishing a sword.

“This is an outrage. Lady Belle belongs to me. How dare you do this to me why I have been fighting your war!”

The dagger summoned and, in a flash, he stood before Gaston, his hand wrapped tightly around his neck as the unfortunate fool dangled three feet above the ground. With one swift motion his head dangled like a snapped bud of rose, as screams of terror echoed through the hall. Rumple could taste the fear in the air as the darkness relished in it. Throwing the limp body to the ground, he willed his eyes to glance at Belle, whose stare was fixed not upon him, but on the Duke who smiled like a Cheshire cat.

“Does anyone else have any objections?” the Duke taunted, as the Dark One spun in a circle his glowing yellow irises scanning the silent crowd.

“Good,” the Duke quipped before lifting the turkey leg and continuing his dinner.

Rumpelstiltskin accompanied the Duke back to his bedchambers, ensuring his safe arrival. The Duke, in a tipsy state, was rattling on about some blonde server that he wanted sent to his bed chambers, when a knock came on the door.

“Answer it,” the Duke commanded, and Rumpelstiltskin breath hitched as a scantily clad Belle stood before him. He shook his head in disbelief, believing that he was dreaming, but as he reached out his trembling hand and placed it on her shoulder, he realized she was very real.

“What are you doing?” he asked merely above a whisper, but her eyes stayed locked on the ground.

“What I must,” she replied pushing past him and into the Duke’s room.

Rumpelstiltskin was enraged and jealous. Clearly her father had sent her here in this state of dress as a peace offering for the dinner’s unexpected visitor. His body shook with rage, as the Duke ordered him away.

The darkness fell as a hush upon him, as he transported himself to the grounds below the Duke’s tower. He took a breath, and then another, but the pain in his heart did not diminish. Flickers of light beckoned from the tower window above, as the thoughts of her being in the arms of the Duke suffocated his soul.

He hated the Duke, almost as much as he hated himself. Every muscle in his small frame burned urging him to burst in the chambers, and end the Duke once and for all, but the damned curse kept him at bay.

He remembered holding her in his arms, her flesh flushed and warm, and the taste of her mouth. He should have been her first…her only.

He had started to weep, when a sudden flash of release shot through his spine. In an instant he found himself back in the Duke’s bedchamber, as a bloodied Belle stood before him, with a familiar jagged dagger in her hand. X

She had seen it. While the crowd fixated on her betrothed in the claws of the Dark One, she had seen the silvery shine of a blade peaking out of the Duke’s cloak, as he laid his right hand over it. For months she had scoured every book, every story trying to decipher what caged Rumple, and now she knew.

The rest of the dinner was held in silence, but after that it was only a short sprint to her room, as she shut the door firmly behind her. Shedding her golden dress, she made a bee line to her closet, picking out the appropriate attire for a seduction, her summer nightgown cut low enough to show an immodest amount of cleavage. As night fell, she requested the mulled wine from the kitchen, the staff giving her looks of pity, no doubt believing she would be drowning her grief with the sweet connection.

She stopped before the ornate gold mirror that hung on the wall across from the Duke’s quarters. As she peered at the mirror, her throat tensed as she took a nervous swallow. This was not a fight she could afford to lose. Mustering all of her bravery, she held the jug in one hand, and knocked with the other.

When the door swung open, she had not expected to see Rumple before her, a surprised confusion laced in his eyes. The familiar voice of the Duke bounced off the walls behind him, as she made her way into the room.

She could feel the intensity of his stare, as the Duke roamed his eyes over her. No matter how sternly her heart wanted Rumple near, she knew he had to be far away from her, from them, for her to have any chance of success. Her worry that the Duke would so willingly fall prey to her feminine wilds was quickly extinguished as he wrapped both of his filthy hands around her waist, as she placed the jug of wine down on the table. She tried to ignore the rage in Rumple’s eyes as the Duke commanded him to leave.

“Now, Now, sire,” she playfully chided as his lips fell heavy onto the back of her neck. Turning, she placed a hand on his chest. “My lord, I’m afraid that I still must remain pure for our wedding night, but..” she cast her eyes down towards his groin. “There are other ways I can bring you pleasure tonight.”

Her skin crawled as his foul breath invaded her air. “Go make yourself comfortable on the bed my lord,” she commanded with a sultry tone. Her eyes stayed locked on the reflection of the balcony doors, as she watched him tuck an object under the mattress before taking his place on the bed.

She poured the wine, and sauntered towards the bed, cup in hand. She was only a few steps away, when his hand snatched out, tightly grasping her wrist, spilling the wine, and forcing her on the floor before him. He glared down with her with dark eyes and Gods did she hate him.

He laid back on the bed, as the room filled with the soft clang of his belt buckle being undone.

Unconsciously her fingers tightened in loose fists, as she took a calming breath. She had read the stories since a child, of the handsome knight swooping in to save the damsel in distress, but this, this was the real world. She had to be her own hero for herself and for Rumple. Darkness and light, good and evil were not as clear in these moments. He needed her, and for him she would fight and face their unknown destiny.

What she had learned over the last few months in falling in love with Rumple was that darkness was not all that bad. Darkness was everywhere, in everybody, and it needed only to be feared when it grew so strong that it obscured the light. She relaxed her hands, slipping one under the mattress until it felt the cool steel blade. The darkness within her would bring about salvation, while the Duke’s only brought destruction.

She prayed there was enough light in her heart, to make this dark action alright, as she quickly pulled the blade out from its hiding place. The Duke thrusted upright, his body lunging forward, as the cold steel of the dagger sliced through the flesh of his throat.

Warm splatches of liquid spurted on her face and in her hair, as his last breaths gurgled bloodily from his mouth. Stumbling to her feet, she had only a second alone with her thought, when she heard her name from afar.

Turning she laid her eyes upon her love, holding his captor in her bloody hands. Closing her eyes, she extended the dagger before him, feeling the dark tendrils uncurl from her heart.

“From this moment forward, you chose your own fate Rumpelstiltskin.”

He rushed towards her, but instead of his hand reaching for the dagger she was willingly offering, he bent his head and kissed her hard on the lips. He tugged at the shoulders of her nightgown, as she wriggled obliquely out of it, before he tossed it across the room, as their blood-stained bodies tumbled to the floor. Everything happened all at once, as his words of love, and kisses, and thrusts that made her cry out in pain and pleasure filled the room, all the while the Duke’s dead body lay in the bed above them. X

One year later

Rumpelstiltskin’s love for Belle was deep, intense, and unshakable. On that fateful night one year ago, after she was unashamedly his, and he unashamedly hers, he had proudly displayed the dead Duke’s body on the dining table of the great hall, letting the town assume that it was he that murdered him.

Belle’s father, clearly seeing that the Dark One was now in control, readily agreed that in exchange for the continued safety of Avonlea, the fearsome Dark One could have his daughter for whatever purposes he saw fit.

The young woman who the village of Avonlea mourned for when she left with him that day, stirred beside him, murmuring softly in her sleep. They had spent the last year traveling and exploring the realms of every land her heart desired. He slipped his arms around her, enjoying the feel of her soft bare skin against his hands. He nuzzled her dark hair, breathing in the scent of his lover, and their recent lovemaking.

She mumbled something he didn’t bother to decipher as she wriggled around to face him. Her blue eyes slit open as she sleepily slid her arms around his neck. He moved his lips to kiss her, but her attention drew to the window.

“It’s the first snowfall, Rumple,” she excitedly exclaimed as she moved her naked body to stand by the window frame. Rumple stayed in bed, simply folding his arms behind his head and letting his eyes slide over the gently curves of her body, reveling in the fact that everything he saw was his. When he saw she made no move to budge, he rose, and slipped his arms around her shoulders, and kissed her temple.

“Thinking of hitting me with another snowball dearest?” he teased.

She turned with a smug smile over her lips. “I was maybe considering it.”

Slowly he kissed a trail up her neck, nibbling at her earlobe. “There are better ways to spend our time,” he murmured backing her to the edge of the bed as they tumbled back. Later he would take her out in the snow, but for now he wanted to relish her in his arms.

There was something about the first snowfall that made him strangely sentimental.

[gretchensinister]

Babylon 5 rewatch, S1 E21: Chrysalis

Okay let's get back into it after over a month!

Well if you're going to fight in public better wear a cape for it...

If I ever get stabbed for having important information, I'm going to make sure to not use any pronouns in my last words. It will be specific proper nouns ONLY. "They're gonna kill him." Man there's 250,000 people on Babylon 5

Oh hey it's that woman who's name I sadly forget because I didn't realize she was going to be a recurring character

Aw, Sinclair's proposal

Oh Lando, you haven't even BEGUN to offend gods yet

"After I while I might even come to enjoy it" and the "nibbled to death by cats" thing have stuck in my head for 30 years

MORDEN >:(

Watcha building Delenn? (And what did you ask Kosh 👀)

I find shady shipping/smuggling interesting on Babylon 5, because it's such a controlled/constructed environment, you can't just go a few miles down the coast. Like, presumably there has to be a lot of corruption in official channels to make it work. It just seems like there's more "chaos" for lack of a better word, on Babylon 5 than you'd think, given that it can't be approached or boarded without being tracked somehow.

"We're simply here to help." MORDEN

I didn't remember that Delenn got a Kosh reveal before her project, I wonder why/what it confirmed for her

More alienfuckery confirmed for G'Kar lol

Oh, that would be a lot of time in makeup. Love to see the extra effort.

The "him" they're going to kill has to be the Earth President, right? What with the unnumbered PPG

Well. That is one way to "take care of" a military outpost

Oh and the security forces ARE corrupted hey

Sinclair: Dealing with Garibaldi missing, then Delenn shows up with the triluminary "it's time to learn about the most mysterious incident in your past RIGHT NOW" That's just how it is on Babylon 5

I like G'Kar immediately recognizing that there's another force at play now

Seeing the president's ship explode on live TV--what had been comparable to that in 1994? I don't know what kind of awful "this changes everything" moments had been televised by then; I'm of the age where it made me think of 9/11.

Oh whatever is going on with Delenn does not sound good

The Centauri government thinks Lando did this somehow in secret??? Many people are sticking their fingers in their ears and covering their eyes.

Kosh feeling talkative today, I see

Ah yes. The chrysalis.

I feel like this is a major turning point in G'Kar's characterization

And THAT was a Season Finale!

[grifff17]

hi I've heard you do podcast recommendations

I've just finished Desert Skies after relistening to Midnight Burger for the third time, but there's still a burger-shaped hole in my heart that Welcome To The Horizon just doesn't seem to fill.

do you maybe know of any podcasts with a similar vibe? for me it's very about "outcasts in a very surreal scenario with a dash of comedy and strong characterisation"

if so, much appreciated ❤️

I decided to break down you request into "outcasts in situations", "surreal", "comedy", and "strong characters", and recommend some shows that have multiple of these traits. I've roughly listed the traits in order of how prevalent they are.

SCP: Find Us Alive (strong characters, surreal, outcasts in situations, comedy): This show might be the closest thing to Midnight Burger out there, but it's still very different. It's set in the SCP universe, where a covert foundation studies and hides things that break the laws of the universe. The show is set in a Foundation research site that gets transported into a pocket dimension, and focuses on the characters adapting to their weird situation and attempting to escape. It's also in some ways a workplace comedy. You will get more out of this show if you are already familiar with the SCP universe, but since the show is entirely contained within a pocket dimension you don't miss too much.

Wolf 359 (strong characters, outcasts in situations, comedy, surreal): Wolf 359 is an absolute classic audiodrama, a good percentage of modern audiodramas are inspired by it. The main characters are the crew of Hephaestus Station, a deep space outpost looking for signals from alien life. For the first 10 episodes or so it's a comedy, but after that the plot really picks up. Fairly similar vibes to Midnight Burger, though the way the characters are written is very different.

Girl in Space (outcasts in situations, strong characters): A girl has spent her entire life alone on a spaceship orbiting a star. The only people she has ever talked to were her parents and a dysfunctional AI. All she wants to do is do science and rewatch Jurassic Park. Of course, other people have to come along and ruin it. This show is a lot like (and probably inspired by) Wolf 359, in the "set on a remote space station with lots of weird hidden secrets in it" sense.

Midst (surreal, strong characters, outcasts in situations): Midst is hard to describe. It's somewhat similar to Midnight Burger, but only in that both of them are so different from everything else out there. Midst is a surreal space western with very unique worldbuilding, and, in favor of a full voice cast, three narrators who narrate together, like people sitting around a fire telling a story. If you aren't sure about this one, listen to the first 2 minutes of the first episode, it stats off with a bang, literally.

The Strange Case of Starship Iris (outcasts in situations, strong characters): Think the tv show Firefly, but its super queer. That's basically TSCOSI. In a sci-fi setting where the human government is evil, the main characters are a group of smugglers being gay and doing crimes on their ramshackle spaceship. It also has a little bit of comedy, but less than Midnight Burger.

Mission Rejected (comedy, outcasts in situations, strong characters): "This is your mission, should you choose to accept it." What happens when the superspy declines a mission? The backups are called in, of course! A pencil pusher, an intern, a failed actor, and a hacker on work release are brought together to take on the spy missions that superspy Chet Philips declines. This show is a parody of spy tropes, with surprisingly strong character writing for such a silly comedy. Hope you like volcano lairs, silly accents, and villains that refuse to stay dead!

Fall of the House of Sunshine (surreal, comedy, strong characters, outcasts in situations(in the later seasons) ): This show is as surreal as it gets! A terrible noir detective investigates the murder of a kids tv show host via a bullet fired through a rift in space time, and gets sucked into a secret war between a cult of dentists and living puppets. Oh yeah, and its a musical! If you like the sound of that, this show is for you. Every season is an escalation of the previous one. Like Mission Rejected, I care about the characters shockingly much for how thoroughly ridiculous this show is.

If you want some more recommendations, I can find you some more, but these ones are the closest I found. I'll admit that the last couple are a stretch, but I just really like those shows and take every opportunity to recommend them.