#yes i love misunderstanding trope of courting how can you tell

[wilted3sunflowers]

imma be real you cant call scarletella delusional when its his territory mc is leaving bodies/blood in.

Like thats a horrfic ghost creature.

this is a courting gesture leaving gifts like that around. hes right to think mc loves him.

the actions add up.

[dilatorywriting]

To add onto you not liking Idia I would like to add Vil. The whole potato thing? What if someone's already insecure, huh? (Not speaking for myself here no worries) You trying to get them an Ed, I get I guess why someone could like him but he just seems so controlling and demeaning in a way.

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And then to add onto the Leona and Zazu. I think those would be great ideas, especially him sneaking off to nap, MC having to go find him and then running into Zazu (or his brother?).

Some other characters for that could be, of the top of my head.

-Zazu

-his brother (forgot his canon name, does he even have one??)

They all go to the mall and get separated or he just wants to spent some time with his brother and his girlfriend. Yes that's his girlfriend, right?

-Pumbaa and Timon

They could recreate a bit of the original Lion King, with Simba meeting those two but instead it's MC telling them about their worries for finding their way home and in this world.

-Cheka (and Nala)

MC stumbles upon them a bit like their first meeting, Cheka ran from his bodyguards and finds MC and is like: 'I can trust this person they are with Leona.' Maybe he has a bit of a misunderstanding and things Leona and MC are a couple like little kids do.like father like son, Idk? Or Leona has to babysit and dumps Cheka with MC and pays them to babysit in his place.

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Not sure but these ideas came to mind, also I love the staff fic of this, shame part 4 didn't get as popular as the others it really deserves a lot more recognition, your writing is fantastic keep it up, and I get the whole school thing, take your time.

Lots of love.

- court-jester-stuff ♡

The thing for me with Vil at least, is he gives me those vibes of "kind, but not nice." Like I think if someone genuinely burst into tears and was super upset about his nicknames/behavior (in a, 'this is something that is really sensitive to me' sort of way, not the 'stop calling me names!' sort of way, because then he'd just roll his eyes), he'd feel genuinely shitty about it. He is King of insecurities, so as fussy as he can be, I think he would at least amend his behavior if it was causing genuine issues. Again, though. I can also see why people really do not like him. I'm just horribly biased because he's the character in Twst whose arc I find the most relatable (the wonderful slew of self-worth issues and never feeling good enough no matter how hard you work in comparison to people who are just 'naturally' best. I felt personally attacked reading all of it lol). But, yeah. Again. I can DEFINITELY see why he'd rub people the wrong way. Underneath it all I think he's awesome, but he is still a Spicy Asshole on top of all of that lol

But anways! (I have too many thoughts on all these characters and they like to bubble up and out at any moment they can >.< ack)

And oooo all good ideas. I assume for Falena, it's his wife because they have their son Cheka. So I'm also assuming they're at least a teeny bit older (granted, Leona is also older because of how many times dude's gotten held back).

I really really want to do something with Cheka, because he is ADORABLE. And I love the trope of the sunshiney child who just absolutely latches on to the most miserable piece of shit they can find, and is like 'ah yes this is my favorite person ever. He threw me in the garbage once and it was the best day of my life.' So I'll definitely have to find a way to incorporate all of them intogether. I also think Leona's brother would be a lot of fun to try and write, so he's definitely got to make an appearance!

But yeah--for Part 4, I guess it wasn't the issue of popularity so much as it made me take a step back and try and consider WHY I was writing all these again. They're supposed to be for fun! So the fact that I was getting so hung up on the numbers was bleh and also a personal pet peeve of mine that I had really, really, wanted to avoid. But now that I've kinda given myself that boot to the butt, I am excited to hopefully go back to it at some point! There's just so much to write and so little time lol

[thinkingaboutdramas]

Thoughts on Court Lady, Part 1

I liked Fu Rou at the start of the drama. Intelligent, stubborn, idealistic, righteous. But as the drama progressed, at times it felt like she was object (like the men in her life wanting to have her) or she was there to simply recite Tang laws. On one hand I wanted her to do more, be more than her relationship with Sheng Chumu and her duties, but on the other hand when you live in the palace, your life is dedicated to the imperial family. One day you’re favoured, the next you’re executed for some infraction. To survive there, you need to be shrewd, and Fu Rou is that.

When she got promoted, she stopped embroidering (something I liked to see her do because she was happy doing it), then, for me, it was like her morals became her personality, but her morals also became her story because she inserted herself into situations. It was either that, inserting herself, or she was pulled into situations, and that was where things became so utterly predictable and dull: Fu Rou always had a solution to everything, and she always figured things out! (Sheng Chumu was the same.) She always knew what to say and what to do, and she always, always, spoke up to the Emperor and Empress, and I frequently thought, ‘Please, just stop talking!’ As the Empress said, ‘She is smart. But sometimes, she can be so stupid.’ Fu Rou was so lucky the Empress liked her.

I admired Fu Rou’s devotion to Sheng Chumu, but for me their relationship had so many question marks written across it. Just why? Why is it that you love each other so much? They were like, ‘come hell or high water, I will only be with you’. Their love didn’t gradually build. It simply blossomed in the first few episodes of the drama and then that was it. I love you, I only want you. But they were separated so frequently, there so many misunderstandings, and the world kept telling them that they’re not meant to be--I don’t find that entertaining, and it certainly didn’t leave me intrigued, so that’s why I was like ??? Again, I admire their devotion to each other, but because they were barely together, and sometimes they both barely had screen time, I lost interest in their relationship.

I honestly do prefer a slow-burn romance because we get to see the relationship develop and all the little moments that make us squeal (the pining, the touches, the conversations, the nervousness, the angst, the confession of feelings), but because this drama is an ensemble story, the relationships had to be carefully juggled. For me, the story itself isn’t the drama’s strength, but the relationships between the supporting cast were interesting (especially Lu Yingying and her connections, Fu Yin and her connections, Prince Han and his wife, then the princes), but in the end even the relationships that I did like became dull.

The relationship between Fu Rou and Prince Zhou caught my attention early on. Their potential and possibility--the palace power couple, which would, yes, cause issues, since the Crown Princess described Fu Rou as Prince Zhou’s potential right-hand woman--was so fascinating. I liked Prince Zhou’s personality a lot more than Sheng Chumu (more on that later), and while he did have his flaws, like the way he delivered advice (all his warnings made sense for me, though) and how he could be so overbearing, he was probably the most talented prince with the most potential in the imperial family.

But as the story progressed, he barely had screen time, and his relationship with Fu Rou became stagnant. When Fu Rou would see Sheng Chumu, Prince Zhou would pop up, predictably, and say something on purpose to rub salt in Sheng Chumu’s wounds. I completely understood then why fans of Fu Rou and Sheng Chumu’s pairing would dislike Prince Zhou--I disliked his behaviour because it was getting old. Most of all, Prince Zhou’s story unfortunately remained stagnant for so long, and I think that probably happened because the drama had cut to out quite a few episodes.

I read that the drama originally had 70 episodes, but it was cut down to 55, and that explains the issues in the story in the last eight or so episodes. It’s clear that scenes were cut because suddenly characters were somewhere else. Things happened quickly, and it was like [clapping hands] let’s get [clapping hands] this done [clapping hands] as soon as possible. The pacing was so off. For example, Prince Han is mourning a character that died, and he’s drunk, and the scene just drags on and on. That could have been shortened and some other scene that was deleted could have been put back in. It’s like the production team worked hard on the first 46 episodes, but then they were told to shorten the drama, and so they simply chopped scenes from the remaining episodes.

It’s a pity that the drama was shortened. It is a beautiful show with wonderful costumes, but the script wasn’t great and certain things didn’t make sense (like why didn’t anyone say anything about Fushui? How the heck did the princes avoid capture from the prison all the way to the Emperor’s bedchambers?) There were so many convenient things happening just to push the story along.

Lastly, my biggest issue with the drama was Sheng Chumu. I’ve said before that we all have our preferences, our favourite tropes, and what we like influences our opinions on characters. Because of my own preferences, Sheng Chumu rubbed me the wrong way from the first episode, and the entire elopement arc pissed me off. But that arc also made me realise that Fu Rou and Sheng Chumu are extraordinarily intelligent but dumb people who deserve each other.

Continued over here: Thoughts on Court Lady, Part 2.

[gay-jesus-probably]

It’s a stupid pet peeve, but y’know what fanfic trope I can’t fucking stand? Arranged marriage AU’s. Not because of the concept of arranged marriages, but because the people who write those fics have no idea how arranged marriages work. Note that I’m talking specifically about royalty AU’s here, couldn’t care less about other settings. Like, I get the appeal of it, royalty is cool, arranged marriages are a convenient way to get your OTP together while ensuring there’s conflict, but oh my god I’m begging you people to research how arranged marriages actually worked because I have yet to see a fic of it that isn’t an inaccurate clusterfuck. And that’s annoying because it could be so much more interesting, but no you’d rather rehash every creepy romance novel cliche ever.

Like. For a start. For some reason, the most common setup of arranged marriage AU’s is ‘X country is bitter enemies with Y country, and to end the horrible war Prince X must marry Prince Y’. Why does that keep getting used? I mean yeah you want to do the whole enemies to lovers thing and aren’t creative enough to come up with a real reason for your ship to dislike each other at first, but that’s not how arranged marriages work. Securing peace treaties is literally the only situation where arranged marriages would make the political situation worse. Bear with me here. Let’s say you’re the leader of a country, and you’re at war with another country. It’s pretty much a draw; even if you win, your army will be severely weakened. You’re ready to call it a day, and the opposing leader is as well. You sit down to negotiate a peace treaty, both of you knowing damn well that you still hate each other, and once you’ve regrouped, you’ll probably just go to war again. And then the other leader suggests marrying one of their children to your heir. No fucking way would you agree to that; they’re obviously going to be an informant for their parent, or assassinate your heir, or usurp your throne. Or vice versa; they want one of your children to marry their heir. That’s a thinly veiled hostage situation! You’d have to be crazy to agree to that! Arranged marriages never happen when hostilities end in a draw. They’re only used to end extremely decisive wars. And even then, actual straight up marriage is a very unconventional method, and also a stupid choice. Indefinitely hosting a rival monarch’s child isn’t a peace gesture, it’s a hostage situation. Prince X is in Country Y so that King X has to do exactly what King Y says, and marriage is a very unneeded step. You’re not fooling anyone, literally every person with an ounce of sense can tell that Prince X is your hostage, just call him your ward or something. Marrying Prince X to Prince Y is a bad idea, because that gives Prince X political power in your court, which is the last thing you want a hostage to have. So stop using enemy countries as a premise for your arranged marriage AU, everyone involved has to be dumber than a sack of rocks for it to work, and that kills the tension real quick.

Now that we’ve crushed that whole fantasy, there’s the overall concept of arranged marriages between royals, because seriously I feel like all of you are horribly misunderstanding the concept of monarchies. Royalty does not mean filthy rich person living in a castle with really nice clothes. Royalty means un-elected politician. Unless you want to abdicate and take your chances, being born into the royal family of an active monarchy means that you’re going to be in politics your whole life. And obviously everyone’s heard of royals fucking around and doing nothing with their lives, but that leads to countries literally falling apart very quickly. If the country is stable, the royal family’s working their collective asses off.

So let’s say Country A and Country B are forming a serious alliance, and sealing the deal by sending Prince A off to marry Prince B. Prince A has spent his entire life learning about politics, and his duty to his country. He’s probably seen his older siblings married off to other countries, or has in-laws that were royals from another country. The alliance has been in the works for quite some time, and he’s heard a fair amount about it, or even been directly involved in it. None of this is a surprise; there’s been months of negotiations leading up to it. And now that it’s confirmed, he’s not going anywhere for quite some time. After all, there’s still a lot of details to be hashed out, and Prince A needs to know everything about the language, history, politics, and etiquette of Country B before he gets there, or the best case scenario is him being publicly humiliated; worst case scenario is an international incident, and the marriage being called off. He might not be happy about the arranged marriage, and he’s definitely nervous, but he’s not being dragged kicking and screaming. Prince A and Prince B are virtual strangers, but they’re going to be ruling a country together someday. You want to at least be friends with your co-ruler. Love isn’t even necessary; they’ll need an heir to secure the throne, but other than that, who cares? There’s a reason married royals usually lived in different parts of the castle. Purely platonic affection between a king and queen was about as common as actual romance; the marriage was always a political arrangement, and producing an heir is just business.

You gotta be careful when working with bourgeoisie protagonists, because if their highest priority isn’t helping their people, then they’re going to come across as unsympathetic assholes. Sure, you could just write them as having good intentions but being genuinely oblivious to how much their people struggle. But that description is a good summary of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI’s reign, and I think we all remember how well that went.

Listen, I love romantic tension as much as the next guy. ...That’s a blatant lie, I’m actually a salty aromantic bitch, but the point is, I’m not trying to tell anyone what to do. If you wanna use a premise that falls apart if you think about it for a minute, then all power to you. If you want your royal characters to do nothing except look pretty and be generically important, then go for it. Write what you want to write. But if you’re aiming for worldbuilding that makes sense, and don’t want your royalty AU to be generic as hell, then seriously. Think about approaching things from a more realistic angle. If nothing else, the end result will definitely stand out from the other fics.

And yes I am aware that throwing out relationship drama in favour of political drama is a very aro thing to do, and I’m comfortable with being a stereotype. Thank you for coming to my ted talk.

[hannigrammest]

The Story of How Hannigram Became Canon to Those Who Are in Doubt

This post is mostly meant for the casual viewers who I noticed have joined Hannibal Subreddit after the news about the S4 negotiations. It is great that we are growing in numbers, but there seems to be a misunderstanding in regard to Hannigram (the romantic relationship between Will and Hannibal) and people who ship this pairing.

Hannigram is not a fanon pairing. It is not ‘just in the heads’ of silly girls or overly-romantic viewers. It is a canonically acknowledged couple that is supported massively by the cast and Bryan Fuller. Furthermore, this romance is the essence of the show, because Will and Hannibal find everything in each other. No, their relationship is not based merely on romance or sexual attraction. But also no, a more explicit romance in S4, which seems very likely and has been hinted at many times, will not destroy the complexity of the relationship. It will add to it.

The first part is canon evidence of Hannigram season by season. The second part of this huge post is tweets, quotes, and photos with Bryan and cast in regard to Hannigram. (Sorry, I can't seem to break the post in parts for easier reading, the formatting links don't work here for some reason.)

THE SHOW ITSELF

Season 1 is obviously the most ambiguous one in this regard because the relationship only starts to develop. And yes, the majority of scenes can be interpreted as the blossoming friendship, because it is a friendship first and foremost. Even several rather romantic moments can be technically classified as such — but only if you ignore the looks that Will and Hannibal give each other and the later narrative. Still, this is all ambiguous at this stage.

When Hannibal offers Will to take care of Abigail, he repeatedly calls them her “fathers”. Not “uncles” or “caretakers” or any other option — fathers, and while this word by itself might not mean much, it is clearly supposed to hint at what kind of relationship is going to unite Will and Hannibal in the future. In 1.07, Will doesn’t come to the appointment and Hannibal is pining. It is a very powerful and explicit scene, with Hannibal slowly walking to his chair, checking his calendar to make sure Will had to come, touching the phone longingly, then abruptly making a decision and going to look for him. All of this is accompanied by the corresponding music. Is this scene romantic? Some may see it this way, some may disagree. But I think most will agree that such obvious pining is a common romantic trope that's often shown in media. The focus and the way the scene is presented are everything: they didn't just show that Will didn't come and that Hannibal decided to find him. No, we had a slow focus on all his hesitant actions and his longing for contact. In any way, at this stage, it is no longer a mere friendship. It goes deeper, to the point where Hannibal can’t stand not knowing where Will is and craving contact enough to drive for hours in the search for him.

Once again in 1.07, Will brings Hannibal a bottle of wine out of blue and acts awkwardly and shyly when declining the invitation to join the dinner party. We don’t know why Will did it and it is never addressed again, but I think everyone will agree that bringing a bottle of wine to another person for no reason and just for him has a rather romantic shade.

Then, in that same scene, Will claims he can’t stay because he has ‘a date with a Chesapeake Ripper’. It is a joke, of course, but once again, it’s fiction. The word choice is very deliberate, and Bryan loves to foreshadow the upcoming events.

In 1.08, Will drives an hour in the snow to tell Hannibal about the kiss with Alana and Hannibal exhibits a very controlled jealousy, making a snarky comment about the long drive and telling Will that he had been motivated not by attraction, but by the need to find a balance.

In 1.09, Hannibal calls him and Will Abigail’s fathers again and touches his shoulder. Yes, it is ambiguous, but when (especially) you know what’s coming, you can’t help but notice how this touch is too hesitant and fragile for a mere gesture of friendship and unity. I’ll just say, even my father caught up on it right away, which is saying something.

These are the most explicit things I recall from season 1. Now, season 2 is way more direct.

Many scenes of Hannibal pining, sitting with a glass of wine and staring at Will’s chair at his time of appointments is a common romantic trope. Yes, it can be interpreted in different ways — for example, Will has already become a part of Hannibal and Hannibal misses him as the person who has the power to understand him. However, I feel like I have to emphasize the fact that it cannot be the only reason. Hannibal has already met people with extreme empathy before, such as Pazzi. He has also met people who were happy to join him and who had similar mindset, as Tobias Budge. Hannibal wasn’t interested in them, but he’s interested in Will. Will is special because he is himself, and like Hannibal will say later, love either pays you a visit or it does not. It clearly did with Will.

Soon after Will is released from prison, he goes to Hannibal to start the implementation of his and Jack’s plan. What does he choose to do? He dresses up and polishes himself up, presenting himself to Hannibal in the way that we have never seen him before. The first thought that comes to mind is ‘seduction’. Consciously or unconsciously, Will makes himself look as attractive as possible.

In 2.08, Hannibal touches Will’s face and holds it, staring into his eyes. This is romantic. It is one of the most popular romantic tropes that ever existed. ‘Transcendent’ love doesn’t require this kind of very intimate touch to be displayed. More than that, things become very dangerous here because if there had been no explicit follow-up, Bryan would have been accused of queerbaiting. Fortunately, it wasn’t the case.

In 2.09, Will has a dream where Hannibal directly calls him his ‘beloved’ several times. In 2.10, Hannibal treats Will’s hands very gently and we get camera focusing on it thoroughly. It is a deliberate depiction of eroticism that's often used in romances to create and underline romantic and/or sexual tension. In the same episode, we have a beautiful sex scene, seemingly between Hannibal and Alana and Will and Margot. However, it is there to show a very intimate and all-encompassing connection that is developing between Will and Hannibal, and it is structured this way specifically. Will reaches orgasm when he sees the Wendigo, a reflection of Hannibal. The words used before, like Hannibal's words about "never touching", are said to Alana but put on the image of Will.

Alana notices the shift in this relationship and asks Will and Hannibal about it. They talk about “crossing boundaries” and the fact that they “know where we are with each other”, and Alana clearly remains suspicious. In the end of the episode, Will and Hannibal have an intimate dinner full of lingering glances.

In 2.11, the episode starts with the eating of ortolans, which has being pointed out as an allusion to blowjob by the creator) If you have missed it, just re-watch this scene again with this in mind. It is very explicit, to the point of being uncomfortable. Hannibal’s reaction to learning that Margot is pregnant from Will is to hint Mason about it, thus endangering her and her child. Granted, he seems to genuinely regret it, but the deed is done. It is a jealous and possessive reaction, which has been further confirmed by Mads. During the con, he said: "If Margot had Will’s baby, it would be very hard for Hannibal to get over it. He’d be jealous and very grumpy." In this same episode, Alana looks at the burnt ‘Shiva’ that Hannibal has left for Will and calls it a ‘courtship’. So, we get the explicit confirmation that Hannibal is courting Will. And no, he isn’t courting an emerging killer in Will because at this point, he thinks that Will has already embraced his potential by killing Randall and Freddie and eating her. To Hannibal’s mind, Will is almost ready, but he is too lovesick to stop. Can you imagine him digging up the corpse of ‘Freddie’, decorating it, and displaying like that? It’s hilariously romantic — in a dark way.

In 2.12, Will chooses Hannibal by freeing him from the trap and then not giving him up to Jack after he mutilates Mason. Hannibal draws a fanart (!) of himself and Will as Achilles and Patroclus. For those who don’t know, these two are popular examples of lovers. This isn't just friendship. The reference to Achilles and Patroclus is often used to hint at a romance, it's a popular trope as well.

In 2.13, Hannibal talks about ‘imago’, an image of a loved one, and then says that he and Will have an image of each other and offers him to run away. Two men running away together to reunite with their daughter is romantic. Will chooses Hannibal once again by calling him, but it is too late. We get a heartbreakingly tender and intimate touch between them before the stabbing. As Mads said, "Will is the light of Hannibal's life and Hannibal killed Abigail to break Will's heart the way he broke his." Just as he said that "Hannibal was blinded by love."

Season 3 is where all subtext is taken into text. Hannibal has chosen Bedelia as a substitute to Will, and note how many people believe they become lovers. So, why Will and Hannibal running away is platonic, but Hannibal doing the same with Bedelia is not? Even though when the only person he does love is Will. We see that he is dissatisfied with Bedelia and is growing restless.

In 3.01, we get a flashback to Gideon who teases/mocks Hannibal by saying, ‘If only that company could be Will Graham’. So, in the very limited interactions, even he managed to glimpse the attraction, because let’s be honest, he didn’t have time to understand all deep layers of this relationship, but his phrase has been included deliberately.

In this episode, Hannibal meets Anthony, practically a Will mirror. He looks similarly, is smart, sassy, and he is even enthusiastic about Hannibal’s crimes. Ideally, he is everything Hannibal has wanted. But what does he do? He kills Anthony and turns him into a Valentine heart for Will. Before that, he makes an example of the heart from Da Vinci’s ‘perfect man’. In 3.02, Will recognizes it as such and calls it a Valentine and a ‘broken heart’. He asks himself, “Do I still want to go with him?”, and answers, “Yes”.

In 3.03, we get the first ‘in love’ confirmation. Hannibal is shaken after seeing Will and hearing his words of forgiveness. When talking about him with Bedelia, Bedelia says, “Betrayal and forgiveness are best seen as something akin to falling in love”, and Hannibal replies, “You can’t control with respect to whom you fall in love”. The longing for Will has made Hannibal reckless, and Bedelia notices it by mentioning that he is going to get caught with this kind of behavior. In the end of the episode, Hannibal once again says that Will makes him feel love. He adds, “Love. He pays you a visit or he doesn’t.” Which love can either come to a person or not? Technically, these words could be interpreted as platonic love, but in the beginning of this very episode, we got a confirmation that the nature of this love is romantic. Will, in turn, is still reverent about Hannibal and even travels to his home to find out more about him. His attitude changes when he sees Chiyoh, who he sees as another toy abandoned by Hannibal, and it brings back the insecurities. We see it through how often Will compares himself and Chiyoh and how he is filled with anger and bitterness again (which were absent before this meeting). Chiyoh sees right through him and repeatedly states that Will is wrong to compare them, but Will persists.

In 3.04, we see that Will spends a lot of time sitting in Hannibal’s house, which is yet another romantic trope. Even Alana knows where to find him. Will admits to Jack that he “wanted to run away with Hannibal”, which also has a romantic connotation. Before that, Will was making the boat that he later uses to come and find Hannibal. This scene is intercut with his Mizumono memories, namely, with Hannibal's face that emerges every time he moves yet another part of the engine. This is a vivid demonstration of Will trying to repair what is now broken. He also literally sails after Hannibal, which is considered extremely romantic by many tropes at once. Chilton calls Will and Hannibal’s interactions a “flirtation” in this episode.

In 3.05, when discussing what to do with Hannibal, Chiyoh says, “I told you, there are means of influence other than violence” and kisses Will, thus showing him what others means exist. It is yet another direct allusion to the romantic part of Will and Hannibal’s relationship because Chiyoh basically offers him to kiss Hannibal instead of trying to kill him.

In 3.06, Hannibal says the famous, ”If I saw you every day, forever, Will, I would remember this time”. He said the same words to Clarice in the books shortly before having sex with her. It is an utterly romantic phrase that just cannot have any other meaning, especially when you count the narrative and the source material. Will adds some more romantic phrases, like “We are conjoined, I wonder if either of us can survive separation.” Such level of love is incredible, but you don’t say things like that to a person who you feel can just understand you. Nor to a simple friend or a spiritual mentor. It’s everything at once, especially when coming from Will. Things go badly after that and we get a knife and a drill. Scenes in Mason’s house are great and show that Will and Hannibal could be a great team. Hannibal saves Will and carries him home bridal-style. He changes his clothes, puts him into bed, and waits for him to wake up while writing down formulas that could change the time and erase some of the events. When Will wakes up, Hannibal admits that he has discovered Will in his Mind Palace, victorious, thus giving the power into his hands. When Will rejects him (by saying he’s not going to miss him), Hannibal gives himself up, knowing that chances are, he will never get back to freedom and he will never see Will again. Prison is the ultimate act of love because Hannibal is helpless there, completely on Will’s mercy. As Mads said during the con, "Will forgetting him was the last thing Hannibal wanted to hear, so that’s why he surrendered. The only way Will would see him again is if he’s in jail, and he would eventually visit. He was afraid he’d never see Will again otherwise."

3 years pass and we see that Will has a family. But — surprise! He is unhappy. He doesn’t even go fishing with them to have some time for himself. He hides the letter from Hannibal and goes to read it in the middle of the night. He never returns Molly’s ‘I love you’, never attempts to touch her, can’t even keep up a conversation with her, and literally sees himself falling to pieces. At the earliest opportunity, he jumps at the chance to see Hannibal. He didn’t have to do it. We are shown that he has recreated the crime scene perfectly, better than ever before, but Will lies to Jack about it and asks to see Hannibal.

In 3.09, we have a very powerful scene of Hannibal and Will reuniting, exchanging long sorrowful and heartbroken gazes. Hannibal says, “I gave you a child”, which puts him and Will in a category of parents again. He says that Will has chosen a ready-made family and Will doesn’t argue. We get a “Murder Husbands” reference from Freddie.

In 3.10, Will seeks Bedelia out. He acts catty and jealous. Bedelia calls him “Hannibal’s bride”, and calls Will out on visiting Hannibal just because he missed him, which Will doesn’t deny. He is confident and snarky at those scenes, using every opportunity to cut into Bedelia for having a relationship with Hannibal and surviving it in even better shape than he did. Bedelia says, “My relationship with Hannibal is not as passionate as yours”, and then adds: “You are here visiting old flame. Is your wife aware of how intimately you and Hannibal know each other?” They literally place Hannibal on the same level as Will’s wife. Then we have, “Your experience of Hannibal’s attention is so profoundly harmful yet so irresistible, it undermines your ability to think rationally.”

In 3.11, Hannibal sends Francis after Molly and Walter. Will doesn’t really comfort them, we see clearer than ever what a wedge exists between them. Hannibal asks, “How is the wife?”, which is another display of blatant jealousy. Will gets it, and he can’t deny the truth any longer.

In 3.12, we have the exchange that should have settled the debates about romantic part of relationship once and for all. Bedelia compares herself and Will to Hannibal/Bluebeard’s wives, and mentions how she would have preferred to be the last — the one that Will is. Will asks, “Is Hannibal in love with me?”, and Bedelia replies, “Could he daily feel a stab of hunger for you, and find nourishment at the very sight of you? Yes. But do you ache for him?” Will’s look and his silence speak volumes as everything fades to black slowly. This is it, the textually explicit confirmation. Fans didn’t come up with the idea that Will and Hannibal are in love, it was stated directly on screen, several times.

Shortly before the confession, Bedelia says, "It excites him, knowing that you marked in this particular way." Personally, I always felt some sexual subtext in this phrase, and it is confirmed when we regard the similar scene in the book. Clarice gets sperm on her face and these same words sound. Granted, the situations are very different, but it proves that the phrase does indeed have sexual connotations, and it was deliberately planned like this.

Will devises a complicated and deadly plan after this. He sets up Chilton, which can be seen as courting gift to Hannibal, and in 3.13, he lies to everyone to break Hannibal out of prison. Bedelia calls him out on it once again, saying, "Can't live with him. Can't live without him." Will doesn't deny it - he confirms it. When Hannibal says he'll agree to the plan if Will says 'please', Will does it - in an obviously flirting way. Hannibal calls him a 'cunning boy', which is once again obvious flirting, especially considering the way he says it. His plan results in the deaths of numerous officers, but Hannibal is free. We have another romantic trope where Hannibal pretends that Will is a hitchhiker and asks if he’s going his way. In the house, they have another loaded conversation where Will admits that he doesn’t think he can save itself, and that it’s fine.

Predictably, Will can’t handle seeing Hannibal killed, so he reaches for his gun. We know the rest. At the cliff, Will finally accepts the truth, and he gives the fate a chance to stop both of them or to set them free. They fall into the ocean under the Love Crime song, and since the water symbolizes reborn, we can guess what happens after that.

Post-credits scene indicates that Will and Hannibal have paid a visit to Bedelia and are in the process of eating her while she’s hiding the fork to stab one of them as he approaches. The deleted epilogue to the series shows that they are in perfect harmony now.")

Who's too lazy to read all of that, you can just check the quotes below and watch some fan videos where direct lines from canon are presented. My two favorites:

Reciprocity

Crazy in love

QUOTES

Initially, during S1, Bryan said he wanted to explore the idea of “heterosexual male friendship”. However, he later admitted that he was worried about negative homosexual stereotypes surrounding the imbalance in power in the relationship between Will and Hannibal, and in the podcast due to the beginning of American Gods, he confessed that he “wanted to approach “Hannibal” from the angle that no one has explored before — the angle of romance”.

During the airing of S2-S3, and beyond, Bryan was the one who pointed out romantic and even sexual subtext, and promoted Hannigram further. The cliff scene is officially labeled as "Kiss_alts".

Their love is queer

A collection

Canon. Original tweet is deleted, so only Bryan's is left. The person asked him to say whether Hannigram is canon.

Falling

Last wife

They Flip

Always

Will and Hannibal survived the Fall

Mere teasing, but it shows that Bryan does acknowledge sexual tension between Will and Hannibal: They did change clothes as well as Their lips were busy (to the question of what Will and Hannibal were doing in the car in TWOTL).

Bryan's favorite quote from the show: Is Hannibal in love with me?

Finally, the shirt Bryan wore at one of the latest meetings

Hugh on why it took Will so long to realize Hannibal is in love with him

Hugh on Will's reaction to Bedelia's answer about Hannibal being in love with him: ‘Oh crap, maybe this thing I’m feeling is love’

Hugh: Relief from loneliness

Hugh: It's romance

Mads: It was love at the first sight

You know better than to breed

Will Graham is covered in Hannibal’s body fluids

Bryan: I feel one is omnisexual and one is heterosexual and there's a lot of influence going back and forth, who knows with a six pack of beer what would happen: http://uproxx.com/sepinwall/hannibal-creator-i-wanted-to-be-sure-we-had-an-ending-for-the-story/

To the question of whether explicit Hannigram was a part of the initial plan, Bryan Fuller stated: "No, it naturally evolved because I guess I was absorbing so much of Mads and Hugh's performance, which felt like it was growing in intimacy, and it would have been inauthentic not to address it. Because all of these characters, and particularly Bedelia, was able to call out what she had witnessed [between Hannibal and Will], it seemed like a natural conclusion. I remember when I turned in the rewrite pages where Will asks Bedelia if Hannibal is in love with him, I got a note from Don Mancini, one of our writers who was always pushing for more homosexual text – not just context or subtext but text, text, text – and he was like, "I'm so glad you put that in there! They said it! They said it!" http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/hannibal/interviews/a667077/hannibal-bryan-fuller-talks-season-4-sexual-fluidity-and-how-will-became-clarice-starling/

Discussing what motivated him to verbally acknowledge the romance between Will and Hannibal, Fuller mentioned: "It felt like we had to s–t or get off the pot, ultimately, because there had been so much going on between these two men that when Will asks, "Is Hannibal Lecter in love with me?" it is very much about death and the romance between these two men. There is a quality to connections that go above and beyond sexuality. You can have this intimate connection with somebody that then causes you to wonder where the lines of your own sexuality are. And we didn't quite broach the sexuality. It was certainly suggested, but the love is absolutely on the table." http://tvline.com/2015/08/29/hannibal-series-finale-will-lecter-cliff-bryan-fuller-interview-season-4/

Remembering how the song for the finale of the series was created, Fuller said: "It was interesting. She [Siouxsie Sioux] was like, "I want to write this song, and what are the things I should really be thinking about?" And I was like, "this is a love story. A love story between a full-fledged psychopath and someone who has nascent psychopathic abilities." Actually, Hannibal Lecter is not a psychopath; he's something else entirely. But it's a love relationship between two men: one of them is a cannibal, and one of them understands those cannibalistic instincts all too well." http://uproxx.com/sepinwall/hannibal-creator-i-wanted-to-be-sure-we-had-an-ending-for-the-story/

Bryan Fuller: "Clarice never, until the end of Hannibal, submitted to that romance, whereas Will seemed to be on a slippery slope right from the beginning, so there's a contrast to be drawn between them." http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/hannibal/interviews/a667077/hannibal-bryan-fuller-talks-season-4-sexual-fluidity-and-how-will-became-clarice-starling/

Bryan in the commentary: "“After killing Francis Dolarhyde with Hannibal Lecter, he realizes this is exactly what Hannibal Lecter has wanted all along. He has wanted a partner in crime - a murder husband, as it were - and the sad truth of it all is that Hannibal was right. Will did enjoy it. Will thought it was a beautiful, powerful thing." https://omnisexualhanniballecter.tumblr.com/post/134099645797/after-killing-francis-dolarhyde-with-hannibal

Hugh during PaleyFest 2014 (prior to S3): "They are in love or they love each other, that's unquestionable. I think it's a platonic love... but it's rich in... (audience and cast laughs) Ok, we've done two seasons so far... so platonic love and they recognize each other as unique in the world, they reflect each other in a way, it's like profound recognition and relief that comes with it. And they are good looking guys." Mads agrees: "Exactly. Losing him or what Hannibal did with him in the two seasons is probably the closest he has ever been to loving anyone. And what love means in his universe we have to see later on. But it's heartbreaking everything that happens to poor Will is also heartbreaking for Hannibal."

Hugh: You could say that during the second half [of season three]-I mean, obviously we’re jumping ahead here, but Will comes back to Hannibal. He’s now got this family, and Will, independently and pretty quickly, starts coming to the conclusion that it’s not sustainable for him to have that family. Like, he’s not the guy. He’s not the right person to be able to look after them, to live with them. It’s not compatible with who he really is. And you could argue that Hannibal is just driving him more quickly to come to that realization. So in that sense, it is kind of brutal, tough love. His love is saying, “Know thyself.” Mads: As Hugh is saying, it’s unavoidable. It’s going to happen sooner or later. Might as well happen sooner, before he’s stuck. [Interview http://oh-dr-lecter.tumblr.com/post/129331180920/theyll-say-were-in-love-fangoria-august-2015]

Mads Mikkelsen on ‘Which scene has been the defining moment?'

"Probably one of the moments early on, maybe mid first season, where I spend some quality time in therapy session with Hugh and he’s flying away thinking about something and I have the chance, Hannibal has the chance, to watch him. And he becomes very warm watching him. He sees not only this brilliant person but he sees something he loves. I think that is the definition of Hannibal." [https://twitter.com/noforts/status/1071952333221888000]

Bryan and Hugh discussing Will's motivation in TWOTL at the cliff and beyond (in the commentary to S3):

Hugh: The point was that it wasn't the horror that drove Will to do this, the horror was secondary, it was a horror in reaction to how much he loved what happened between him and Hannibal. We have seen so many moments of Will is covered in blood and shaking and horrified and this moment he suddenly realizes it is his true self.

Bryan: I remember the day you shot the closeups, you both came running to me and I remember Mads was particularly giddy, giddy as a schoolgirl, he said we really went for it, we really went for the love story, we almost kissed and it's all there and you can use it.

Hugh: We had to push in that direction so that there is no point pretending otherwise.

About Bedelia's leg:

Bryan: The false interpretation is she cut her leg which is a crazier version of Bedelia than I understand. Of course the intention is they survived and there are three place settings."

Hugh, answering the question what is happening to Will and Hannibal now: "Let's just say they're on a beach somewhere. [Interviewer] Just chilling on a beach? [Dancy] Yeah, just chilling on a beach. Drinking something out of a coconut."

Also, the reports from people who visited one of the cons mentioned the following."Today at Red Dragon Con it was announced by Mads that Hannibal and Will are now married, have dogs which he calls “the ugly carpets” of the relationship, and live in seclusion for 4 years before hunting together." Regardless of whether it is going to come to fruition or not, this is how Mads imagines Will and Hannibal's life Post Fall.

Mads in May 2018:

"“I think that Hannibal and Will… they’re not really alive without each other. They are a piece of the puzzle for the other one’s soul.”

A great video where Mads talks about Hannibal and his feelings in S2 final.

Question: Was Hannibal suspicious of Will before he smelled Freddie Lounds or was he completely clueless about it at that point?

Mads: Hannibal doesn't have a masterplan. He's living from day to day and he's seeing possibilities and opportunities, and one of them is Will Graham, who he is obviously in love with, in a certain way - that way. But I think at that time, Hannibal has been blinded by Will Graham. He believes truly that he will walk down the path with the light, hand in hand, with Will - and Abigail. That's his dream, that's what he wants, and I think it does surprise him and it does break his heart. It is a turning point for Hannibal when he becomes the cleaning man instead of the man who loves. Until then, he'd been a man full of love, and after that, I think he is... slightly angry. It was a surprise for him. He was tricked.He got blinded by love.

Interesting interview bit:

IGN: Reba’s final scene was another where you got to really pull direct quotes from the book. But here, I was reading it as Will can also be projecting about himself, as he talks about what it might be like to have a serial killer in love with you. Was that in your mind too, given you had these great quotes from the book but that it could definitely be maybe be a bit more of an echo here, given the situation.?

Fuller: Oh, absolutely. It was a great synchronicity of events where everything that Will was saying to Reba in the novel actually applies to Will Graham in the television series. So there was the want of seeing that scene because I haven’t seen it in any of the adaptations where we get to see Reba, post all of this, and have a quiet moment between the two people who were in love with serial killers.

Bryan: "My ship is canon" (https://twitter.com/BryanFuller/status/1072599788581998593)

Bryan about Will and Hannibal's relationship: "Will accepts who Hannibal is. It’s also narcissistic, in the way that we fall in love with people who make us feel better about ourselves and who make us feel like we’re a better version of ourselves. That makes us feel more secure in our bodies, in the dysmorphia of who you are on the inside versus who you project on the outside. That disconnect narrows dramatically when somebody sees you, understands you, accepts you and loves you. It’s transcendent." (http://collider.com/bryan-fuller-hannibal-silence-of-the-lambs-interview/)

Bryan about Will's reasons for jumping, surviving, and attacking Bedelia with Hannibal: "I think one of the reasons it seemed so organic for Will to go over the cliff with Hannibal at the end was that, in his mind, as he understood the universe in his world, he had peaked. It’s also stopping a monster and stopping himself from becoming a monster, but I think part of him was thinking, “That was beautiful. I don’t think I can do that again and feel as high as I do now.” Everything overwhelmed him and he went over that cliff because there was an apex to his experience, in a way that was poetic and dramatic. ... The kind of suicide where somebody jumps off a bridge, part of them hopes they survive and part of them wants to be over. I think a lot of people are hoping for some percentage of survival that may change them because they’re looking for change within themselves. So, I think there was some bit of that. For the ending with Gillian [Anderson], there are two place settings for a reason." (http://collider.com/bryan-fuller-hannibal-silence-of-the-lambs-interview/)

Bryan about Will and Hannibal's relationship in S1: The relationship between Will and Hannibal in this first season is the seduction. It is Hannibal Lecter recognizing in Will Graham for the first time in anyone that he has ever encountered in his life the opportunity for a friendship, a real friendship, because he sees something in Will Graham that he also sees in himself. They are both unique in their crazy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzU7O7Q0R5U)

Hugh about the start of Will and Hannibal's relationship: "It’s an instant love between them, it is as if Will met not the best chess player in the world, but the only absolute, the only person he can play with, that enters in the room - or rather, in his life - with a chessboard in hand, and this provokes in him a pleasure and an incredible relief. When we find Will at the beginning of the second season, he was betrayed and thrown in jail, so he is not in a really enviable situation, but the connection he had with Hannibal has remained unchanged, it is something which he can not get rid of. This time, however, he manipulates their connection because Hannibal still needs him and their friendship, but beyond the practical utility must be said that the bond with Hannibal is, even for Will, a source of uncontrolled, involuntary pleasure.”

Mads about the start of relationship: "Hannibal sees an opportunity in this young man. And so he can hopefully, one day, walk hand in hand down the road of life." https://k-s-morgan.tumblr.com/post/187266698258/hannibal-sees-an-opportunity-in-this-young-man

Mads during S1: "When he sees Will, he recognizes himself to a degree. [Hannibal] has empathy, but [he] uses it as a tool; Will has empathy, but he doesn’t know what to do with it. Lecter sees an opportunity to open this man’s eyes and see his full potential realized. And he also sees the opportunity for a friend, which is probably not what he’s had too many of. Even though Hannibal is the puppeteer, he really loves Will." https://screencrush.com/hannibal-lunch-preview/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

Bryan: "The tricky thing with this show is that it is a story about two men and their relationship. But if it were just about male point of views, it wouldn’t be interesting. I feel like we haven’t done as good of a job, in Season 2, of representing the female characters and their point of view of the world. I think there’s a greater opportunity in Season 3 to do that, and do more of that. In Season 2, we knew the story was about these two guys, and everybody else around them were pawns. Jack Crawford was a pawn. Alana Bloom was a pawn. It was all about what was between Hannibal and Will Graham." https://collider.com/hannibal-season-3-details-filming-europe/

Bryan about S4: I'm still hoping for more Murder Husband adventures!

source: https://www.reddit.com/r/HannibalTV/comments/72bk89/the_story_of_how_hannigram_became_canon_to_those/

[ofthedirewolves]

First Guy Wins - A Queliot Meta

I was rewatching The Magicians and was struck by a realization. Eliot and Queliot fit the “First Girl Wins” romantic trope. Yes, in this case, Eliot is a guy, not a girl but the trope still works.

Credit where credit is due, this is based by @scullylikesscience​ ‘s “First Girl Wins” meta.

When I first realized that Queliot definitely seemed to be the road the writers were going I was a bit cynical. I have quite a lot of experience and have been betrayed by many a showrunner.

I thought the writers had just seen that Queliot was more popular and course-corrected. Then I started my rewatch and realized that as much as the showrunners love claiming they’re winging it, this might have been planned after all. 

It could still be a happy coincidence so I’m not going to give them too much credit. For the likes of this meta let’s focus on the facts and the characters.

We’re going to analyze Quentin and Eliot’s relationship through the lens of “First Girl Wins”

In romantic works, the first girl person introduced — either overall or as a potential Love Interest — has a very good chance of ending up with the protagonist (especially if the protagonist is male).

There are all sorts of explanations as to why this is. Things ending up the same place they started is a very old narrative technique.

From a Doylist point of view, the Law of Conservation of Detail suggests introducing the Love Interest early. An early introduction allows you to get the audience interested in her and rooting for her, gives you space for Character Development, and give her relationship with her (eventual) partner the most time to develop organically.

Eliot gets introduced pretty early, has a lot of character development outside of his relationship with Quentin and Queliot definitely has developed organically.

Is it the first girl the protagonist meets according to In-Universe chronology, even if we first see her halfway through the show's run? The first one to show romantic feelings? The first new girl the protagonist meets?

Eliot isn’t the first possible love interest that gets introduced, that’s actually Julia, then it’s Eliot, followed by Alice in the last place. It is in their introductions though that tells us that it’s actually Eliot that gets the title of First Girl™.   

If you're suspecting some girl is supposed to be the First Girl™, a good idea would be to take a look at how the writer has played her up.

Is he a major character?

Eliot Waugh is one of the show’s leading characters  ✔

Is the "first" interaction led up to, emphasized, treated as a big deal?

We first see him in the background as Quentin walks towards Brakebills. The camera shot is an Extreme Long Shot.

The camera focuses on him smoking for a bit (Wide Shot) until we see Quentin actually approach.

The camera closes on him with a medium shot as he talks to Quentin, then it’s a Medium Close Up as he gets down and introduces himself.

We see Quentin lose his cool and then he follows after Eliot. Asking if he’s hallucinating. Eliot and Quentin are in the same frame until they get to the exam which is where Eliot’s introduction ends.

This connects Eliot to Brakebills/Magic.  So yes it’s definitely a big deal ✔

All other things being equal, is he a strong contender for being the protagonist's Love Interest?

Quentin and Eliot spend a lot of the first episodes together. The first person Quentin truly opens up to is Eliot (and Eliot opens up in return.) Eliot tells him one of his darkest secrets, while Quentin tells him about the hospital. The person he talks to about his worries re: getting expelled is Eliot.

1x02

In 1x03 Eliot goes to Quentin for help in finding the missing book. Thanks to this Quentin is introduced to the Hedge Witches, not only that but to the fact that Julia is one of them. Which means Eliot is there for Quentin and Julia’s big argument.  This means Eliot has seen both sides of Q’s life (before Brakebills and after).

In 1x04 when Quentin gets stuck in Marina and Julia’s spell, Eliot is not only in the spell but visibly worried about Q outside of the spell.

Not only that but we actually see Eliot getting defensive with Julia.

When Quentin breaks out of it, the first person we see go to him is Eliot. Throughout the next couple of episodes, it seems there’s always a scene with the two of them together. The only time they don’t share screentime is in 1x07 (bc Q is with Mayakovsky and we’ll get to that later).  

In 1x11 they literally have sex. Yes they’re high on emotions and it’s a threesome with Margo but it happened. If you hadn’t guessed by this point that Eliot is a valid romantic choice this made it more clear.

There’s no Straight Guy™ Freakout. Quentin was never written as a straight character. From his first interaction with Eliot, we see that Quentin is attracted to him. The only negative connotation the scene has it that it’s cheating because Quentin was in a relationship at the time.

Throughout Season 1 a lot of the major moments for Quentin himself happen with Eliot or around Eliot. Quentin might get expelled? Eliot is there. Confrontation with Julia? Eliot is there. His dad has cancer? Eliot and Margo help him out. Quentin gets separated from the group? Eliot sends a paper airplane to tell them where they are. This season establishes that Eliot is an important person in Quentin’s life.

In 2x01 we get the crowning scene between Eliot and Quentin and not only does it have very romantic vibes but the camera shots tell us a lot about these two characters. We get a Full Shot of the whole group before it becomes a lot more intimate.

The speech that Quentin gives Eliot is the longest of all the Coronation speeches. From Eliot’s side, we get Close-Ups. Close Ups show us what the character is feeling at this moment. We see an Eliot with tears in his eyes looking up at Quentin with so much love.

On his side, Quentin has a Medium Close Up all we see in his eyes is pride. Despite the fact that they haven’t had the best relationship recently Quentin still deeply cares.

Both of them look at each other. The camera focuses on both of them until the moment is over and the camera turns to Penny and the scene continues.

So is he a strong contender for being the protagonist's Love Interest? Considering this is only a smidge of their interactions? I would say definitely ✔.

(I could talk about all their interactions, especially “A Life in a Day” but then we’d be here all year and I wanted to focus on their earlier establishing scenes) 

The First Girl will rarely be the first one to confess her feelings, admit them,

Pretty much all the romantic interactions between them have been initiated by Quentin rather than Eliot.

Back in 3x05, we see that Quentin is the one that first kisses Eliot. They live their life together and raise a family.

In 4x05 it’s revealed that after they got their memories back Quentin put himself out there. We see a Quentin who is sure that he loves Eliot “who gets that kind of proof of concept”. It doesn’t go well for him but he did it.

In fact, he's much likelier to be the one who does it last

We don’t get the full realization of Eliot’s feelings until 4x05. I think Eliot has known for a while that he loves Quentin, but it's just been implied (few people can heart eye as Hale can). But the reason I mention it is that this is where Eliot realizes he has to do something about it. The ball is in his court.

With his small window of opportunity, he tries to convey his feelings to Quentin while also giving him a reason to fight “Peaches and plums motherfucker, I’m alive in here”.

Complications will abound, Romantic False Leads will show up,

Most of Season 1’s romantic subplot is Quentin/Alice and later Eliot/Mike. The interesting thing is that both of the Romantic False Leads appear in the same episode (1x07). Alice has been there from the first episode but 1x07 is the episode where she and Quentin hook up. Coincidentally the same when Eliot and Mike hook up.

Quentin falls in love with Alice while Eliot is very deeply into Mike. Of course, both relationships end in tragedy. Eliot has to kill Mike to protect the rest and Alice dies defeating the beast. The pain of his actions makes Eliot turn towards substance abuse which leads to him going to Fillory with the rest. It sets him on a path that deviates from Quentin’s.

Quentin’s plot is about bringing Alice back from being a Niffin. Yet when he does she hates him for it. So their relationship fizzles out and never truly recovers.

In Eliot’s case, we also get Idri as a false romantic lead as they did technically get engaged and were clearly attracted to each other.

misunderstandings will arise between them, pride and denial will keep them apart.

The biggest misunderstanding between the two comes from the same scene in 4x05. Eliot believes that Quentin wouldn’t choose him if they had a choice. He gets scared and so he pushes Quentin away. Eliot mistakenly believes Q is straight so that’s probably the biggest misunderstanding between them. Quentin interprets it as Eliot not choosing him if he had a choice.

The misunderstanding gets worse when we remember 3x06 had Eliot rejecting Quentin’s idea of going on a quest. He has a perfectly valid reason but Quentin probably sees it as another rejection from the man he is in love with.

They’re both in love with each other but neither believes the other would choose him. Miscommunication is a large part of romantic tropes.

A more subtle tactic is to get the First Girl "off the radar" somehow —

Ironically enough Queliot fits this criterion as well. Eliot is married to Fen (and later engaged to Idri) while stuck in Fillory being High King the majority of seasons 2 and 3. While Quentin is dealing with Niffin!Alice and helping Julia in Season 2, and largely involved in the Key Quest in Season 3.

That doesn’t mean they don’t see each other because they do. They just can go periods of time without sharing meaningful screentime (especially in regards to show-time as time in the show passes differently than how we see it episode by episode).

You can expect an in-universe justification for how these two people met so early and took so long to figure out they belong together.

In Queliot’s case, it’s misunderstandings, romantic false leads, magical quests, their own stupidity, false identities and of course the fact that one of them is possessed by a monster.

The fact of the matter is that Eliot fits pretty much all the criteria for being the First Girl (or in this case First Guy). So whether it was on purpose or just a happy accident it still counts.

Eliot Waugh is the First Guy™ which leads me to believe great things are on the way for Queliot. We just have to sit back and enjoy the ride.

(Remember to pack tissues, as I have a feeling the writers aren’t done torturing us yet)

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Hey do you have any really funny fic you could suggest? I just read 'A week is only seven days' and I was crying it was so funny. I want more!

Hi Nonny!! OH GOD this has been in my drafts for MONTHS and I’m sorry for the delay. I’m guessing you found that fic on my “Go-To Johnlock Fic Rec List”, and it’s totally worth a read since it’s like, one of my all-time fave fics!! I don’t have many fics with the same type of humour, but I hope that a few of these will appease you! They’re more fluffy than anything else, but if I had a chuckle in them, then they will be here :)

High and Tight, Soft and Loose by cwb (E, Ao3) (7,429 w.) - John is stupidly obsessed with Sherlock, Sherlock is adorably clueless, and they’re both dumb idiots. Jealous John and silly misunderstandings.

Well Begun Is Half Done by Avice (E, Ao3) (3,897 w.) - Sherlock conveniently finds reasons to try to touch John’s junk. John’s tired of waiting.

The Case of the Vanishing Pants by SwissMiss (E, Ao3) (44,025 w.) - Five times John and Sherlock lost their pants for a case. There are some angsty bits in this, but I did giggle at a few scenes.

Life and Death by patemalah21 (K+, ff) (6K+) - Sherlock and John get mugged and injured. The first chapter is angsty, but the second and third chapters, Sherlock has to deal with his worst nemesis yet – a nurse intent on him getting better. *SLIGHT* Sher1011ie in the third chapter, but it feels more BFF’s.

You’re a Doctor, Fix me by edken (G, Ao3) (8,342 w.) - Sherlock gets sick and stroppy, John grins and bears it to fix him, and a fluffy happy ending.

How to Court Your Blogger by PipMer (K+, ff) (3,124 w.) - Sherlock Tries to court John on significant days in their life. Too bad John is a little bit slow on the draw.

Sibling Rivalry Or Fighting Over John Watson by Jessa7 (K+, ffnet) (8,085w.) - Mycroft is suddenly taking an interest in John and Sherlock is not happy. John just goes with it – he’s getting a lot of nice things out of this deal. (*NOT JOHNCROFT, just Mycroft being a meddler).

The Devil You Know by PipMer (T, ff) (9K+ w.) - Mycroft flirts with John. Sherlock gets jealous. John’s just along for the ride. Yeah, I also REALLY like Mycroft purposely riling up Sherlock to force him to confess his feelings for John. Another “meddling Mycroft” fic… I seriously love this trope.

Cigarettes and Shampoo by laura0506 (K+, ff) (783 w) - John and Sherlock get kicked out of a grocery store. Sherlock has a big mouth.

Cabbies by OldBesinaStuff (K, ff) (572 w) - Sherlock expounds and illuminates upon the subject of their current cabbies.

The Care and Keeping of Your Mad Genius by Janieshi (T, ff) (4K+ w.) - Lestrade and John tease Sherlock after the pool incident.

Just Admit It by LoyalNerdWP (K+, ff) (2K+) - Sherlock goes home for Christmas and is missing John. One of my faves, it’s more sweet than funny.

The Newlywed Game: Johnlock Edition by patternofdefiance (E, Ao3) (9,020 w.) - Sherlock and John pretend they’re a couple “for a case”. They’re shocked to discover how much they know about each other. One of my faves.

Happy Birthday John by Starlight05 (K+, ff) (1K+ w.) - Sherlock goes shopping for a present for John. 

Not Rocket Science by Nitrospira (K+, ff) (2K+ w.) - The boys are handcuffed to a bed while investigating a double homicide on the International Space Station. It’s been awhile since I read this but I remember liking it :D

Out on da pull by I-O-U-a-picture (T, ff) (1K+w.) - John can never pull a date, especially with a flatmate like Sherlock.

I’m Pretty Sure This Changes Shit by cwb (E, Ao3) (7,672 w.) - This one is really ridiculously silly. Sherlock keeps injuring himself so John will fix him up. John catches on, and it changes shit.

Because Blah Blah Blah Happy by cwb  (E, Ao3) (4,578 w.) - Sherlock sets out to make John happy. Happy happy happy.

Carry On by Mazarin221b (M, Ao3) (4,647 w.) - Five times John didn’t want to be carried, and one time he did.

Equine Arse Anonymity by Kayjaykayme (E, Ao3) (3,834 w.) - Sherlock needs to speak with suspects at a fancy dress ball. He chooses a couple’s costume for himself and John. It is logical, practical and well thought out. John doesn’t agree and exacts sweet revenge.

An Acquired Taste by kinklock (E, Ao3) (31,059 w.) - Sherlock is a bat. No other explanation needed.

and yes I said yes I will Yes by Mithen (T, Ao3) (1,662 w.) - Sherlock has deduced that John is going to propose to him, and he’s ready to accept. If only John would actually get around to it…

The Trouble With Being Subtle. by VictoryCandescence  (NR, Ao3) (5,429 w.) - In which Sherlock experiments, John misinterprets, and everyone else stands back and waits for the light to turn on.

The Detective and the Pin-Up by XistentialAngst (T, Ao3) (15,683 w.) - Sally Donovan discovers an old secret John Watson considered long buried - a ten-year old “Men of the Armed Forces” calendar, which has John as a very enticing pin-up for August. The image of John might just change the way everyone sees the unassuming sidekick, even Sherlock Holmes.

John’s Drawers by JezebelGoldstone (T, Ao3) (2,646 w.) - Sherlock snoops through John’s drawers and finds something… unexpected.

In Which John is a BAMFy MoFo, OMG! by Kantayra (T, Ao3) (1,835 w.) - John’s BAMFness and Sherlock’s damsel-in-distress act are caught forever on camera. So Scotland Yard can mock. A lot.

Corpus Hominis by mycapeisplaid (E, Ao3) (47,709 w.) - John knows the human body intimately. He’s had plenty of opportunity for study as a doctor, soldier, and lover. There’s one particular body, however, he knows very little about. When Sherlock launches himself head-first into a new obsession and they get sent on a case in an unlikely location, the pair discovers each other’s bodies with confusing yet delightful (and sometimes hilarious) results. {{NOTE: Because I always forget: ‘The One With the Shampoo, Steph.’}}

Goodness Gives Extras by mydwynter (E, Ao3) (39,629 w.) - Christmas time. ‘Tis the season to settle down with a drink, some food and a present or two, and to enjoy the quiet relaxation of the holiday. Instead, there’s a case that drags them all over, missing presents, disappointed kids, angry parents, and a freak snowfall. On top of that John has to deal with Sherlock, who is being even more of a prat than usual. He really shouldn’t have expected anything different.

You Can Imagine the Christmas Dinners by ardenteurophile (T, Ao3) (23,584 w.) - Sherlock takes John along for Christmas dinner with Mycroft and Mummy (And “Anthea”, too). Over the course of the evening, John realises that everyone in the room - apart from him - seems to think that he and Sherlock are a couple.

You Can Imagine The Christmas Dinners by johnsarmylady (T, ff)(1K+ w.) - Set the morning after a Study in Pink, John sits and contemplates Mycroft’s words. John’s imagination sometimes goes a little wild.

Abhorring the Dull Routine of Existence by ardenteurophile (T, ff) (7K+ w.) - Or, a Week Spent on Artificial Stimulants. Sherlock overdoses on Red Bull, much to John’s dismay. Spin-off fic set before the events of “You Can Imagine the Christmas Dinners”.

The Real Meaning of Idioms by feverishsea (T, Ao3) (21,691 w.) - After two weeks away, John finally texts Sherlock. He doesn’t expect Sherlock to respond. He doesn’t expect Sherlock to keep texting him. And he really doesn’t expect things to spiral out of control so rapidly.

To Sleep, Perchance to Smother Your Flatmate with a Pillow by Linpatootie (G, Ao3) (5,308 w.) - Sherlock wants to conduct a sleep study of sorts. John contemplates smothering him with a pillow. Part 1 of Two Coffees One Black One with Sugar Please (this whole series is amazing, and I love it so much).

The Second Law of Thermodynamics by entanglednow (T, Ao3) (3,614) - In which there’s no heating and there’s a dead owl in Sherlock’s bed. Part 1 of Thermodynamics (this whole series is really great, I love it!)

Vaporized by Catslynw (K, ff) (1K+ w.) - This little number is set soon after A Study in Pink. John has just moved into 221b and is getting to know his flatmate, and his flatmate’s amazing abilities, a little better.

Denial Isn’t Just a River in Egypt by satanatemycat (T, ff) (2K+ w.) - In which John makes a bet with a co-worker. If he wins, she shuts up about him and Sherlock being a couple. If he loses… well, that doesn’t matter, because he won’t lose. Because he and Sherlock ARE NOT a couple. Right?

The Video Footage by bitchinblackframedglasses (K, ff) (1K+ w.) - What exactly DID Lestrade film Sherlock doing in A Scandal in Belgravia? Sherlock wants to know, and John tells him. Fluff.

At Least Make It Interesting by amythedork (K, ff) (2K+ w.) - "You’ve reached Sherlock Holmes. For the love of God, if you’re going to leave a message, at least make it an interesting one. If this is Mycroft, then piss off.“ / A series of voicemails John left Sherlock throughout their time together. 

Manipulation by sixbynine (K, ff) (2+K w.) - John Watson is not as unobservant as Sherlock thinks, nor is he above using what he knows. Even if it is just to make sure Sherlock eats and sleeps.

Bored Games by SparksMayFly (K, ff) (3K+ w.) - Sherlock asks if he can take Reverend Green in for interrogation. John explains that’s not how the game works. 

Bored Games by patster223 (K+, ff) (2k+ w.) - Sherlock is bored and John decides that they should play Cluedo. In retrospect, it was a truly awful decision.

Three Ways Sherlock Conformed to His Stereotype by Jennistar1 (K+, ff) (1K+ w.) - "It’s a hat.” / Urge to roll eyes, quashed. “Yes. I can see that.” / “It’s called a deerstalker.”

Tipsy by katkin (K+, ff) (2K+ w.)  “I love everyone in this room,” he announced proudly.“I know you do, buddy,” John replied “Which is why you’re going to clean this carpet in the morning. Because you’re a good friend.” “I am a good friend!” Sherlock agreed.

Cards by Caighlee (K+, ff) (1K+ w.) - Sherlock has been without a case for a few days and Molly’s suggested experiment - something with a pig head (ew) - is losing it’s appeal. Can John come up with something that’ll distract Sherlock for a bit longer? And how did John pull off that card trick? Sherlock’ll never know because a magician never tells a secret. Except maybe when faced with a smiling Consulting Detective.

Never Have I Ever by Hannelore-Grace (T, ff) (2K+) - In which the Yarders, Sherlock, and John play the time-honored drinking game.

Surety by hudders (G, Ao3) (2,477 w.) - Sherlock is pissed because it seems that four pints of larger, two shots of tequila and a glass of wine has resulted in Lestrade becoming a little bit too friendly with everyone. And by everyone, Sherlock really means John.

Never Have I Ever by hudders-and-hiddles (E, Ao3) (10,655 w.) - John and Sherlock tag along for the Met’s weekly night out, where the evening’s chosen drinking game is Never Have I Ever. Sherlock is reluctant to join in until he realizes he can learn all kinds of new things about John, but he forgets that John might learn a thing or two about him as well.

Cabin Fever by A Wandering Minstrel (K+, ff) (6K+ w.) - A massive storm keeps John trapped in Baker Street with a half-blind (for science!), very bored Sherlock Holmes.

Spilt Milk by Erin Giles (K+, ff) (2K+ w.) - John comes back from a trip to the supermarket only to take a trip up the stairs. Both shopping and blood are spilled leaving Sherlock to play the role of Doctor.

God Save The Queen by Alice Day (K+, ff) (1K+ w.) - Sherlock has a new case. John is petrified. The Queen is amused.

Tidying Up by mattsloved1 (K+, ff) (951w.) – John comes home to a thoroughly cleaned flat. Or so it seems.

Feel free to add your own ficlets and self promos!! I love all the funny fics!