#the ethos of what i am trying to do and be and live and exist as

[soldier-poet-king]

in the saga of fran taking five billion years to finish cr2 because she’s afraid of endings. i watched another portion of the finale today. trent fight over. break reached. im just. too weak for this. i TRULY cannot bear saying goodbye to the m9. im disproportionately inconsolable

#i have been dragging out the finale for LITERALLY TWO YEARS #i have spread out the aeor arc literally that long #IT'S INSANE PERSON BEHAVIOUR #BUT ALSO IF I HAVE TO SAY GOODBYE TO THE M9 IM GOING TO FKIN. #i have grown so much in that time and it's like. saying goodbye to the piece of myself that grew there too #the not...not really hope. but the grim determination #the maybe we are both damned but maybe we can try #of caleb (and essek's) arc. even a traitor may mend. i have known one who did #of molly's leave it better than you found it #of cad. darling dearest cad. and the. one day someone will pray to the gods and you showing up will be the answer #how startling that a silly dnd campaign full of dick jokes somehow reflects this core little part of me #the ethos of what i am trying to do and be and live and exist as #walk gentle and do good and maybe we never forget the weight of my sins and the weight of my doubt and desperation #but in the meantime. roll up the sleeves. there are books to read and things to learn and good to do #franposting

[legally-allowed-to-slime]

The last few people had logged off the server, leaving it in its burnt, damaged state.

She knew where Gem would be.

Cleo scaled up the ladder and clambered up to the rickety roof of Joel’s tower — where you could look out on the entire server.

Sure enough, Gem was perched on the railing, sitting on the edge with nothing to support her but the wind, staring in the direction of the Secret Keeper.

Cleo looked around at the short cobble walls. Grian had told her that he’d hid away here. Not a bad strategy, overall. You could shut yourself here and forget everywhere else existed.

“Hey, Cleo.”

“Am I that loud?” Cleo joked weakly.

“Who else?”

Cleo watched as the last remains of the green flesh flaked off Gem’s skin, leaving her regular human tones. “No more zombies now, then? Good job, anyway. Killing people left and right.”

“Not you, though.”

“Not me. Only way I’m going out is my way. I’d rather die on my own stupidity than someone else’s callousness.” Cleo allowed a hint of pride to enter her voice. “You were great zombies, though.”

“We weren’t zombies.” Gem turned and hopped down from the railing.

Cleo noticed that unlike the other zombies, or even Scott or Grian, Gem didn’t have a single scratch or injury, save one neat bandage that no doubt was due to Scar’s reckless arrows.

Which meant the blood splattering her face wasn’t her own. “What do you mean?”

“That’s not how zombies work. No offence, Cleo, but most zombies aren’t sentient.”

Cleo blinked. “No worries, I know they aren’t. I kill plenty of them at night.”

“So you should know how they work. They’re mindless. They lurch along, they kill without thinking, they probably bump into trees.”

Gem tilted her head. “They don’t set TNT traps, or betray their teammates, or ask for permission to kill their wife’s perceived murderer.”

Cleo’s mouth was dry. “So you’re saying…”

“I’m saying the apocalypse wasn’t zombies, Cleo. It was human.”

Horribly, incredibly human.

Cleo remembered when they were up on the tower, staring at the others down below, condemning them as monsters.

Somehow, it was better to think of them as a mindless horde and not people she’d been laughing and arguing with a session ago.

Gem was watching her. “You know I’m right. Look at Pearl. Was running from us, convinced we were infected or something but once she realised she had permission to kill, she went in. Even unleashed a warden, or two. That’s how quickly we switch.”

Ironically, Cleo realised, the roles had been swapped this session. The humans were chasing the zombie, but it hadn’t been any different.

“That’s not true,” Cleo said, “It’s not all bad. Did you know, Grian snuck down from this tower to check on his magma pet, and I was there too. And so was Etho. He didn’t kill us.”

Irritation flashed across Gem’s face. “He didn’t kill you? If he had, or, like, told us your location or something, we could’ve all just gone after Scott, and, and, the task would’ve succeeded…”

She trailed off, and looked at Cleo. “Is that the point you’re trying to make here?”

Cleo shrugged.

“Alright, I get it,” Gem grumbled, “No need to rub your holier-than-thou alliance and great morals in my face.”

“Well, no one asked you to put your task over your bandmates.”

Gem didn’t say anything to that.

“It’s not as if I’m exactly a paragon of morality either.” Cleo continued.

“I guess not.” Gem gave a short laugh. “Neither am I. You know, all the murder and stuff? I don’t feel bad! In fact, I feel great. I feel proud of myself for it.”

“…I feel you should be a little less bloodthirsty.”

Gem smiled at Cleo, an innocent, cheerful smile that would have been such if not for the circumstances. “Oh, no.”

Cleo was suddenly feeling very unsafe on the highest platform on the server. She wished Etho was here, or even Grian.

She knew Gem couldn’t take any lives, not now, not when the session was already over. But still…

Cleo raised her sword to stop the axe swing that came, but it was a feint, and her sword hit nothing.

Gem dramatically swung her axe back into her inventory.

“You really thought I would attack you?” Gem said.

“I don’t see why you wouldn’t,” Cleo retorted curtly.

“That’s true,” Gem conceded. “But the curse is just so- it’s so freeing, Cleo? Can’t you see? You could do anything.”

“Uh- no thanks. Session’s over, anyway,” Cleo pointed out.

“That’s true. But I’m still kinda cursed, you know.”

In response, Cleo warily raised her sword. But all that Gem did was deliver a mock salute before logging off with a chirpy “See you next week!”

Cleo stood silently. There had been one zombie on the platform just now. Her.

And thinking about it, she wasn’t sure if there hadn’t been two.

#concept: gem is simply evil #god forbid women do anything #oh no this story turned into that are humans good/evil thing again #that’s great i don’t care #geminitay #zombiecleo #gem centric but i did put in some cleo stuff because etho sparing his allies was so woahwhaha #secret life fanfic #secret life #secret life smp #life series #trafficblr

[scribbling-dragon]

and what if i was thinking about my werewolf jimmy + vampire tango au more?? what if i was thinking about OTHER characters? this is spinning around in my head so i'm gonna dump it here,, dshjshjk

it's mentioned one-off in the fic, but tango knows the only werewolves in the city live ACROSS THE CITY from him meaning that jimmy was literally trekking across the entire damn city to go see tango and walk him home from work ;-; they're both so dumb hsjhsjkdk

Joe is one of Tango's co-workers at the cafe where he works. no-one knows what's up with him, but when he starts telling a story you have to sit and listen to him finish it. you can't leave until he's stopped talking. those that are aware of the supernatural know that he's not some kind of siren, but they still don't know what he is. they've got a discussion going on in the "supernatural circles" they've got going on. Joe finds this endlessly hilarious.

There's several other vampires in the city, all of which try to keep out of each other's way. Tango and Mumbo are two of these vampires (the others are undecided/background characters). HOWEVER! they do meet up once a month at Tango's place of work (mainly because he's always working a shift when they want to meet) to discuss what areas to avoid because someone's gone and bitten a few too many people there recently and the locals are setting up Facebook pages to try and figure out what's happening

Scott and Lizzie are both sirens. Scott is a swim teacher, and parents bring children that have difficulty with fear of water/swimming to where he works because he just seems "magical" with how he's teaching their kids to swim (he's enchanting them. he's enchanting them into enjoying swimming)

Grian, Joel and Jimmy are the only pack of wolves in their city, and they all call each other "brothers" despite not actually being related because they all got turned around the same time and were friends in school together. (they all got bitten together because they were all being IDIOTS together)

Pearl lives in the next city over and is also a werewolf, but is more of a lone wolf than the others. She lives with her dog Tilly, and that's her "pack"

There's an actual werewolf pack in this other city, which is home to Ren, Martyn and Bdubs. Etho is also technically part of this group, but he's also a "were-fox" (idk even know if those exist it just seems fun to me) and goes between the two cities because he has friends in both

just ouagghh, cannot write for this at the moment because i've got exams but i am THINKING about this, spinning it in my brain like it's a microwave, come talk to me about it please hdsjhdsjksjk ;-;

#the series name idea i have for this is so silly too #it'll just be the werewolf jimmy au for now #but the actual name is: #i bet you howl at the moon don't you? #idk why. i just find it funny #jimmy solidarity #tangotek #solidaritek #trafficshipping #is this gonna have other ships too? probably but they wont be the forefront #current thouts are treebark and ethubs. bc those have been tickling my brain recently

[theminecraftbee]

for the record I AM at the timeskip now and. the fun thing about one piece is the world is so BIG that I can absolutely get away with my one piece AU taking place during canon and having just never crossed paths with it (pending the devil fruit I accidentally predicted I may have to change whichever one that is to keep to the rule of ‘only one devil fruit of any given power exists at a time’). so now I’m like… trying to imagine what my AU cast would think of the summit war, man. the entire world hears of it, after all.

do you think bigb or pearl lost anyone in the battle at marineford? they wouldn’t have time to mourn, not much; with the chaos that erupts thanks to whitebeard’s death, they have their hands full almost immediately trying to keep order on a seas filled with pirates trying to fill that vacuum. they’re both promoted; somehow, Pearl tells bigb quietly, it doesn’t feel earned at all. bigb wants to say that’s for the best, but it’s not, not with the list of names they aren’t allowed to tell anyone so the world government can claim the victory was more of a rout than it was. it’s a sudden, grim reminder of why they do this in the first place; it’s a sudden, grim reminder of the corruption and power that works against their ideals as well.

do you think the ties and clocker pirates find each other again? safety in numbers; if the marines can end the age of such mighty pirates, they’re in danger from them just as much as other pirates, and besides, etho and cleo may not be the world’s most notorious pirates, but they’ve been at this for a long time and made some enemies they’ve outlasted and outsmarted. the breakout at impel down is unlikely to have any of those enemies, right, but—well, just for a bit they’ll be one crew again, just in case. (now, if only their crews could stop fighting about the name. no, the letters don’t make a good acronym, stop trying!)

the unlucky pirates—sorry, sorry, the bad boy pirates—miss the news for multiple islands, because they think they’re too cool to keep up with the newspaper. it’s only after some unusually impassioned attempts to kidnap and/or kill jimmy that they realize something’s… changed. and it’s only stopped on an island where they have a chance to breathe that joel spots the news in the headlines and realizes why.

martyn looks at jinbe in the news and raises an eyebrow. well. he’s still helping humans, but at least he’s no longer a government dog. next to him, scott wonders what will happen at home now that whitebeard can no longer claim fishman island is under his protection from pirates. but—well, neither of them have been home in a long time. they’ll figure it out.

and for a moment, everything seems to hold strangely still for the whole world.

then they just—

move on.

they have their own lives to lead after all. and they may be changed, but they still have their own things to do.

#ll op au #ANYWAY SO HOW ABOUT THAT MARINEFORD HUH. #one piece spoilers #I GUESS? THEYRE LIKE A DECADE OLD BUT WHY NOT. #this is very self-indulgent now allow me to go be sad about ace.

[callmearcturus]

Regarding the reception of Ilsa's death, what personally upsets me about it is that by refusing to interact with it on a story level (ie blaming McQ's misogyny, saying that it's just fridging), people completely miss out on the thematic richness of the movie, and how much that death influences that.

It's a pity that people aren't giving them any credit for the story because they focus on that part of it, so thank you for talking about it!

(Sorry, not really a question!)

(heads up this is gonna be a bitchy post!)

Yeah I am to a point that I'm becoming actively annoyed at the discussion around DR1 because I walked out of that movie both times like "I cannot BELIEVE what they're doing here with the IMF, with the ethos of the movies, I can't wait for ppl to get over their shock over Ilsa's death and actually think about the point"

and that has just not happened and it's so boring. To watch DR1 and go "i hate this movie bc Ilsa's death was pointless" and to keep thinking that even after you've cooled off is imo a media literacy failure. like, DID WE FUCKING WATCH THE SAME MOVIE?

did anyone else see Ethan's introduction to the movie, where he gets to play an elder member of this organization basically inducting and welcoming someone into the fold with a distant kindness?

did anyone else see how the Entity affects the entire western intelligence community and cements them as the villain while the IMF are fighting to maintain basic free will?

did anyone notice the purposeful contrasts, how everyone swayed by the Entity's potential power exist in flashy ultra modern sets while Ethan's team live in the warm shadows of old abandoned buildings?

how about the return of Kittridge, the spectre of history and obligation cast over everyone?

HOW ABOUT REFASHIONING THE MYTHOS OF THE IMF INTO A "CHOICE" EXPLICITLY MAKING ALL OF THESE PEOPLE SELF-SELECTING AGENTS OF OUTRAGEOUS ALTRUISM. I'm sorry but how the fuck are people not losing their fucking minds over the fact Christopher fucking McQuarrie has been building on this IDEA since Ghost Protocol, that Ethan Hunt doesn't believe in the trolley problem, that if you present him with a trolley problem he will try to kill himself pushing the trolley off the tracks, there are no acceptable losses even in the face of nuclear armageddon, and they made it fucking CANON

and then they made Luther and Benji go "well yeah that's the IMF, we all chose to be this kind of batshit fanatical to the preservation of life"

Ilsa died OPTING INTO THAT. she was never IMF, she was a loner who occasionally fell into the orbit of Ethan and co, and rather than leaving it up to Ethan to make a choice, she walks open-eyed to save a woman she doesn't even know because why would that matter do you get it yet, we're talking about themes here

I'm just. I get it. Or I got it. For the first few weeks after DR1 came out, ppl were sad that Ilsa died

but now that we are this far out from it and people are still saying "her death was pointless", my patience is done. you failed to read the movie. which pisses me off because i am super into what this movie, this franchise, is trying to say!

anyway yeah my name is arcturus, i love ilsa faust, and i love that she died because her death fucking meant something /jazzhands

#threeoaksy #mission impossible #dead reckoning spoilers

[karahalloway]

The Highwayman: Part I - Look For Me By The Moonlight

Fandom: TRR (Historical AU)

Pairing: Drake Walker x F!OC (Harper Gale)

Series Summary: On a dark, moonlit night, a highwayman's luck runs out...

Masterlist: The Highwayman

Chapter Summary: Harper and Drake make a plan...

Word Count: 3,600

Rating/Warnings: M (swearing, references to smut, references to illegal activities)

Chapter theme song:

A/N1: So... This installment took a bit of a turn. Harper and Drake sprung a massive change on me because apparently, the original story was not heartbreaking enough... You have been warned.

A/N2: Astute readers will probably notice that Drake and Harper 'sound' different in this fic. This is deliberate, because this fic is historical fiction (set in the 18th century), rather than contemporary fiction, so I adjusted their vernacular accordingly (that said, I didn't go full Shakespeare because I'm not that extra 😆).

A/N3: As promised, this is my first submission for @choicesprompts January 2024 Song Rewrite Challenge. The song I chose to rewrite is below. I hope to do Parts 2 and 3 shortly as well, but I can't promise both of them for January. But I might surprise myself!

Part I - Look For Me By The Moonlight

The wind lashes the black expanse of the moor, flattening the browned-out clumps of grass against the frozen ground.

I reach a gloved hand up to wedge my cocked hat more securely onto my head, in a bid to stop it from blowing away.

The surefooted Merèns I am sat on picks his way through the brush of gorse and heather, seemingly oblivious to my plight.

"Bloody weather..." I grumble under my breath as a particularly vicious gust cuts through the buttonholes of my knee-length justacorps, instantly snatching away any vestige of warmth I may have managed to salvage.

The horse flicks his ears at the sound of my voice, as if questioning my assessment.

"Your opinion doesn't count," I tell him through gritted teeth, trying to work some warmth back into toes that have become chilled to the bone.

Drogon throws me a flippant raspberry as we skirt ‘round a flat-topped cairn.

Just then, the wind blasts through the cracks in the rocks, causing a ghostly tune to whistles out into the cold of the night.

The coal-coated stallion flattens his ears against his head, tossing his head in displeasure at the unearthly sound.

"Not so cocky now, eh, mon gross?" I grin, reaching out to give him a reassuring pat on his neck.

The horse responds with a sour-faced snort, stepping quickly past the moss-covered waypost — a brazen reminder of this land's heathen roots.

Because despite the House of Rys' conversion to Christianity almost a millennia ago, in the far-flung reaches of the kingdom — where the roads ran out, and the name of the King is just that... a name — the tenet of the old ways is more than just a memory.

It is a living, breathing ethos. Suffused into the very heart of this harsh, rugged, yet beautiful land. Where portents, spells, and otherworldly creatures exist in the same breath as Christ, the Eucharist, and Judgement Day, and the very air crackles with mysticism and superstition.

Which is partly what drew me here — to the edge of the proverbial map, where the laws of Cordonia fray into irrelevance in the face of the jagged peaks of the snow-capped mountains, and your fortune is what you craft it to be.

Not that I can afford to be flippant with my conduct...

As even this far from the capital, the King's Greencoats still man outposts and send forth patrols in a bid to maintain order. But their presence is cursory at best. Because if you know the moor — like I do — it becomes simple to lose yourself in the mist.

Plus, the superstitious inclinations of the border folk have aided in cloaking my less than savoury operations in the guise of fireside tales — spreading news of my exploits while keeping my identity masked behind successive, and ever more fantastical embellishments.

The Black Cavalier. The Raven Rider. The Headless Huntsman. Midnight Jack.

These are all names I've carried over the years.

But — more often than not — I am referred to simply as The Highwayman.

For that is what I am. A bandit. An outlaw. A common rogue living on the wrong side of propriety with no hope of redemption. For I've committed far too many sins in this life.

I've lied, cheated, stolen, and fleeced. Not to mention evaded the Greencoats one too many times for their liking. So, I wouldn't be surprised if the promotion-hungry Captain Belvedere Beaumont — who has been after my head for years — keeps a noose specifically for me in his saddlebag.

Because, worst of all, I've killed.

I've taken men's lives at both gunpoint and sword-point. Sometimes they've even begged. But I've cut them down regardless.

The ultimate sin.

But, there has never been honour amongst thieves. And if an unfortunate bastard chooses to pull a weapon on me, then I'm going to make damn sure that that becomes his last mistake, not mine.

I like living too much.

Especially as — after nigh on one-and-half score years on this Earth— I have finally found something to live for.

From out of the darkness, a lone spec of golden light hoves into view, nestled between the lee of a pair of windswept hills.

And, in spite of the hellish nature of the night, I feel the corner of my mouth lift.

As gold and jewels — while pretty and useful — pass through your hands just as fast as you acquire them, and sure as hell don't keep you warm at night. That is... unless you have someone to share your treasure with.

"Hue!" I urge, nudging Drogon into a trot.

But the opinionated stallion clearly has other ideas. As after a mere two steps, he launches into a full-fledged canter.

Not that I can necessarily blame him. We've been on the road... or lack thereof, for hours, and the sight of the twinkling promise of reprieve from the cold is enough to warrant anyone — man, or beast — to pick up their feet.

But, instead of riding up to the front of the gable-arched establishment, I direct my steed 'round to the back.

Slipping out of the saddle in the shadow of the stable block, I pull my sabre carefully from its scabbard as I reach for the metal of the door handle.

Creaking the heavy wooden door open, I sneak a glance inside. A man of my profession — and reputation — cannot afford to be lenient. So, an over-abundance of caution is a must. As is a well-sharpened blade.

Four horses occupy the darkened space, their heads coming to poke out into the gangway to assess my arrival. And, apart from the barn cat dozing on a bale of hay in the corner, there is nary a soul in sight.

Pushing the door wider, I lead Drogon into the relative warmth of the structure. Espying an empty stall to my left, I direct the horse towards the manger affixed to the wall, when I suddenly hear the scrape of boots on the hard-packed earth behind me.

Whipping around, the cold metal of my sword flashes through the air, like the talons of a kite, seeking its target.

A loud gasp of surprise rises into the air as the point of the blade meets the soft flesh of the intruder's gullet.

"Please, sir!" cries Emile, the stable hand, in fright. "I only came to—"

"Drop that lantern, and there'll be almighty hell t' pay..." I warn, seeing the lantern that the youth is holding shake dangerously in his hand.

The last thing I need tonight is the barn catching fire.

The lad swallows nervously, but nods, tightening his grip on the brass handle.

"Anyone else about?" I ask, scanning the dark.

Emile jerks his head. "Jus' me an' Lupin..."

Glancing past him, I spot the bedraggled hound ambling towards its master on bowed legs.

Sheathing the weapon, I move back towards Drogon to unclasp the saddlebags. "Feed and water the horse, but leave him saddled. My business will be brief."

"Of course, sir," bobs the lad, having recovered control of his faculties somewhat.

Hefting the bags onto my shoulder, I reach into the hidden pocket of my coat. Pulling out a ha' piece of silver, I flip it to the boy.

He catches it with wide eyes.

"For the trouble," I tell him as I stride past. Glancing back from the doorway, I add, "And if anyone asks, you never saw me."

"Thank ye, sir!" he affirms, quickly pocketing the coin. "An’ welcome back t’ The Crown & The Flame!"

Slipping back out into the night, I make my way quickly along the side of the barn. Locating the weather-worn ladder that leads up to the hayloft, I quickly scale the somewhat slick rungs. Grabbing onto the extruding stone lintel above the hayloft door, I use the imperfections in the crumbling mortar to pull myself up onto the peat-lined roof.

Scrambling across the ridge of the gambrel, I draw upon my destination — a lone, casement window suspended on the side of the inn, the light of a single candle flickering within.

Crouching down, I cup my hands to my face. Taking a breath, I imitate the call of a cuckoo, hoping that it will carry over the sound of the wind rattling the shutters.

I wait a second... then two...

The window creaks open.

"I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about me..."

She is leaning against the side jamb, head cocked to the side as she regards me with a wry look, her long, flaxen hair lying half-pleated over one breast.

I scoff back at her as I pull the saddlebags from my shoulder. "Not a chance in hell, lass."

She rolls her eyes at me, but pushes the stile wider, nevertheless.

Securing my stance, I assess the distance. Raising my hand, I test the weight, and with a determined movement, send the pack sailing through the air.

Reaching her arms out, she catches it with practiced ease.

"It's heavy," she remarks, slotting the bags down.

"That a complaint I hear?" I ask dryly, straightening back up.

"'Tis merely an observation," she replies with a shrug, the soft cotton of her shift sliding seductively off her shoulder in the process.

I shake my head as I retreat back across the stable roof somewhat. This lass is going to be the death of me...

Turning back 'round, I take a couple of long-legged strides across the hardened peat, before throwing myself across the divide.

My gut drops like a leaden ball at the momentary sense of weightlessness — my actions at diametric odds with my God-given sense of self-preservation — as the passage of time seems to slow...

...but then my boot hits the metal sill of the window and the heavy hand of Chronos comes crashing back down on me like a hard wave against the shore.

Grasping the coolness of the central mullion, I pull myself into the haven of her room.

"God," she says with a shudder, throwing her arms 'round my neck. "You send a piece of my soul to the grave each time you do that..."

"You'd rather I take the stairs?" I drawl, the honey and wood-fire scent of her hair washing over me, warming me like the heat of the summer sun.

"And risk being caught?" she tuts. "In truth, I am not certain what would be the worse fate."

"Getting whipped by your father, for sure," I reply solemnly. "I don't think my pride could survive it."

She pulls back from me with an aghast look. "So, you would risk a broken leg... or worse, over my Da's ire?"

"Until the day I can make an honest woman of you, aye," I confirm, lifting her face to mine with a gloved finger. "I will not risk your reputation."

She laughs up at me. "You shredded my reputation when you tumbled me in the hay, good sir!"

"Aye," I concede with a smirk. "But no one knows that."

"Well, they might soon..." she admits, dropping a hand to the front of her shift.

The breath tangles in my throat. "You... You are not..."

Her hazel eyes sparkle with feeling. "With child... Yes."

Her words hit me like grapeshot out of the blue. "Nom de Dieu..."

Her smile falters in the face of my no-doubt ashen expression. "You... You are not pleased?"

I bark out a laugh. "Pleased? Mon coeur, I am over the damn moon!" Lifting her into the air, I spin her 'round in a joyous arc. "I believed myself to be blessed already for the fact that a golden-haired siren such as yourself even deigned to look at a wretch like me, much less offer me her heart."

"I offered nothing," she counters breathlessly as I set her back down. "You stole my heart the very moment you looked upon me."

"Lucky for me that I have some skill in that area," I smirk, bending towards her.

She lays into me with a playful smack. "Incorrigible rogue! Your silver tongue could disarm the devil!"

"I should hope so..." I murmur, tangling a hand in her silken hair. "It managed to disarm you..."

Our lips meet, and she melts against me with a sigh.

"Christ, I love you, Harper..." I groan, tightening the heartfelt hold I have on her, albeit mindful of the new life budding inside her.

"I love you too, Drake," she whispers, gazing up at me with complete adoration as she runs her fingers down my face. "With all that I am."

My heart constricts in my chest.

A child... Our child...

In truth, I never dared dream of it. It is not something that I believed to be in the cards for me, living as I do, in the shadow of the night... and the law. Where one simple miscalculation could end with a bullet to the gut... or a noose around the neck.

But I never thought to trade it. The thrill... The freedom... It was too addictive.

That is... until I chanced upon the bright-eyed lass currently cradled in my arms.

I hadn't meant to succumb to her. I hadn't meant to do anything quite as foolish as fall in love. But she managed to slay me with a single smile. And I've been a fool for her ever since.

Fool enough to get her child, it seems, before I even secured her father's blessing, much less married her!

I really am an incorrigible rogue...

"Drake?" The softness of her voice cuts through my senses. "My love? Are you—?"

"I am fine," I assure her, turning my head to drop a kiss into her palm. "I was just thinking..."

"Always dangerous..." she quips with a smirk.

"Hey," I counter, clasping her hands in mine. "It was a lack of thought that landed the two of us in this quandary, so—"

Her mouth parts in shock. "You dare call your own child a quandary?"

I meet her eye with a level look. "He will be called a damn sight worse if he arrives into this world out of wedlock. Not to mention the fate that awaits his mother..."

Her shoulders slump in dejection. "My father would disown me for sure..."

"And cast you out onto the moor, newborn babe in tow," I add grimly.

She heaves a morose breath. "I do despise it when you talk sense..."

"It is the thankless burden I was born to bear..."

She smacks me again.

"But in all seriousness," I continue, catching her hand in mine once more. "We must be prudent, mon coeur. The child will be here before we know it, and it is our precious duty to do best by him."

"How do you know it will be a he?" she asks softly as I lift her hands to my lips.

"Have I ever given you cause to doubt me, lass?" I ask her, feathering a kiss over her knuckles.

"Cocksure rake..." she admonishes. But her fingers tighten 'round mine nevertheless.

"So," I conclude, straightening back up, "I am thinking that it's high time we eloped."

Her eyes widen. "Elope!"

"There is a small church, about a half-day's ride from here—"

"But my father...!"

"The contents of that saddle bag should more than compensate him for the loss of his serving wench," I tell her. "As well as cover your dowry."

Her mouth opens — no doubt in planned protest — but she suddenly thinks better of it. "Alright," she agrees, raising her face to mine with a beaming smile. "Let's find that priest!"

"Whoa, whoa!" I chuckle, pulling her back into my arms as she tries to spin away. "Hold your horses, woman!"

"I thought you wanted to be quick about this," she counters.

"I do," I affirm. "But it's the middle of the night and I don't have a horse for you, much less a ring..."

She glances towards the window. "I am sure there's something in those bags we can misappropriate for our purposes. And I can saddle up Devlin. He is a cart-horse, but I am sure—"

I shake my head. "Nay. I want to start our new life together as a reformed man. No more thieving... No more profiting off ill-gotten gains."

"But how will we—?"

"Don't you worry your pretty head about that, my sweet," I assure her. "I have enough booty stashed away to buy you a palfrey, as well as a ring that is worthy of your otherworldly beauty—"

She blushes at my compliment. "Don't exaggerate, sir..."

"'Tis no exaggeration," I assure her with a wink. "And perchance even enough to let us acquire a flat in town, or a small holding in the interior... Or if none of that takes your fancy, I'll build us a cottage in the woods, or a cot by the sea, and—"

"I've never set eyes upon the sea..." she breathes in wonder.

"The point is," I conclude. "We have sufficient coin to afford ourselves the freedom of choice, mon coeur."

She arches a skeptical brow. "And when we run out?"

I let out a low exhale. "And when we run out, I suppose I'll have to pick up an honest trade."

She scoffs. "You? Honest? Those two words don't abide each other, Drake. You've been a scoundrel your whole life!"

"And yet... somehow,"I roll my eyes at her ruefully. "You are about to make an honest man out of me, Harper. So, I am loath to admit that the concept may not be as outlandish as it may appear at first blush."

"I suppose," she concedes with an equally wry quirk to her mouth. "Just don't lose your zest for life. It is the very thing I fell in love with."

"I thought it was my roguish charm," I counter.

"The two go hand in hand," she assures me, lifting her face to mine again.

Our lips fuse — with greater ardency this time — and I am loath to part from her.

But, I know that I must. The night is wearing on, and if I am to abide by my promise to her, I must get back on the road.

"Unpack the bags and hide the gold where your father is sure to find it," I tell her, pulling myself away with great difficulty.

She nods silently, cheeks flushed from our heated exchange.

Slipping out of my arms, she retrieves the saddlebags from their place by the wall and carries it to the other side of the room. Locating the loose floorboard at the foot of the bed, she dumps the contents in and replaces the covering.

"When will you return?" she asks, handing the bags back to me.

"As hastily as I can," I assure her. "But if the Greencoats are out in force, I may need to trek via the marshes, which will take longer and be more arduous."

"Please take care," she pleads, grasping my hand in hers. "The marshes are treacherous, especially in the winter."

"I always do," I soothe, reaching up to cup her face with my free hand. "But should I do not return by noon, then look for me by the moonlight."

"I will," she affirms, eyes shining with fervour. "I love you."

"I love you, too, mon coeur," I rasp, drawing her in for one final kiss.

She presses herself to me, as aggrieved by our forced parting as I, and I kiss her hungrily back. But I know in my heart that the brief absence will be worth the bitterness of the sorrow.

Because this time tomorrow, I hope to call her my wife.

Breaking off the kiss, I swing the empty bags back onto my shoulder and turn towards to the still-open window.

"Wait!"

Turning around, I spot her pulling the dark red ribbon from the unfinished pleat in her hair.

"What's this?" I ask as she holds it out for me.

"A good-luck charm," she replies. "To speed you back to me."

I lift the silken strip from her fingers, and press it to my lips. "I'll always return to you, mon coeur. Even if hell should bar the way."

"I know," she says simply. "But a small trinket cannot hurt your efforts. Now, fly! Fly like a witch on the wind! And give Drogon a kiss from me."

"I'd rather steal another kiss from you," I admit, tucking the ribbon against my heart.

"I'd rather save some for the wedding night..." she counters with a sly look.

I throw her a sidelong glance as I climb back onto the window sill. "Lass, you can rest assured that we'll be doing a damn sight more than kissing on our wedding night..."

The waves of her now loosened hair brush my shoulder as she leans in to whisper, "I didn't say which part of you I'm saving the kisses for."

A deep-throated groan tumbles from my lips as she drops a teasing kiss on my neck. "You're going to be the death of me, woman..."

"A little suspense never killed anyone," she counters cheekily.

"Somehow I doubt that," I scoff as I drop back into the night.

The story continues in Part II - On The Stroke Of Midnight

A/N: Translations for the French below:

Mon gross - lit. 'my fat' but as a slang term, it is the equivalent of 'my buddy' or 'my bro'.

Hue - apparently this is a somewhat archaic equestrian command that was used to tell the horse to go (equiv. to giddy-up). Not 100% sure if the e is supposed to have an accent, so if anyone knows, tell me!

Mon coeur - lit. 'my heart' but connotatively the same as 'my love'

Nom de Dieu - lit. ‘name of God’, but connotatively the same as ‘Oh, my God’ or ‘Good God’

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#harper gale #drake walker #the highwayman #trr au fanfic #choicespromts #song rewrite #historical au #Spotify

[variousqueerthings]

Regency England. Bit more black than they show in the movies.

it's "thin ice," which is personally the episode to me that cements some of this season's (perhaps some of this era's?) ethos. it's also the one that people often bring up about twelve-as-the-doctor, and I do appreciate it. I've had critique of twelve's writing throughout most of s8 and a faaair bit of s9, and I think the twelve that people fondly remember is mainly s10 (with a dash of s9 and a few choice scenes in s8 -- it's not all bad) but I am happy that capaldi was able to give the doctor real nuance bit by bit until we got to this point and can sort of feed that back down the line, even though I'm not convinced that the beginning of writing him knew what it was doing entirely

also this episode has a really big fish in it. and the fish... is people! (sort of, it's an animal, but animals are people!)

sexism rank objectification (female character is ogled/harassed/turned into a sex joke by the doctor and/or a lead we’re supposed to root for and/or the camera): 10/10

sexism rank plot-point (lead female character is only there to serve plot, not to have her emotional interiority explored, or given agency to her emotional interiority): 7/10

interesting complex or pointlessly complex (does the complexity serve the narrative or does it just serve to be confusing as a stand-in for smart, this includes visually): 7/10

furthers character and/or lore and/or plot development (broader question that ties into the previous ones, at least two of these, ideally three should be fulfilled): 6/10

companion matters (the companion doesn’t always have to be there, but if the companion is there, can they function without the doctor– and overall per season how often is the companion the focus or POV of the story): 7/10

the doctor is more than just “godlike” (examines the doctor’s flaws and limitations, doesn’t solve a plot by having it revolve entirely around the doctor’s existence): 8/10

doesn’t look down on previous doctor who (by erasing or mocking its importance, by redoing and “bettering” previous beloved plotpoints or characters, etc.): 8/10

isn’t trying to insert hamfisted sexiness (m*ffat famously talked a lot about how dw should be sexier multiple times, he sucks at writing it): 10/10

internal world has consistency (characters have backgrounds, feel rooted in a place with other people, generally feel like they have Lives): 7/10

Politics (how conservative is the story): 7/10

FULL RATING: 77/100 (if I can count….)

imagine if we'd had this the whole time...

OBJECTIFICATION: Bill wears this really cute regency fit, the Doctor's swaggering about in a top hat he then gives to a homeless kid, looks upon looks

PLOT-POINT: Bill and the Doctor unexpectedly land in the past (no doubt because the Tardis doesn't want to end things just yet), and she navigates everything from being Black to the Doctor's morality. it's a very clear trajectory from episode one (the wonder, but with some personal sadness), episode two (the danger, but with the feeling of doing good) -- in episode three, Bill realises that things aren't so clearcut, and that the Doctor is, despite being her professor, a bit of an enigma to her

it's not as big of a Thing as back with Rose in s1 or Clara in s8, where they were both really wondering whether the Doctor wasn't a bit fucking unhinged (I'd say Martha as well, but her unhinged Doctor flavour was... unique RIP), but it's a bit of that

of course the Doctor has had their own character growth by now so is sort of more able to not fall to pieces on the whole + isn't the kind to seemingly ignore suffering for the sake of the bigger picture, which I don't think would have been on with Bill at all. yes the Doctor speaks about the bigger picture, but it's about protecting the kids

also I think Bill witnessing the Doctor standing up for her was good for her belief in him, as well as her own worth

COMPLEXITY: it's quite a simple plot. a child just fully dies relatively early on, and I don't know why that's shocking but it just is. I think because the plot is on the whole a tad on the sillier side, but then the villain is truly vile, and the the heart is very much in the right place (what if orphan kids were people! what if big fish trapped in the Thames was people!) so it becomes very Doctor Who

CHARACTERS/LORE/PLOT: there's not technically much Big plot advancement, but Bill and the Doctor feel like they advance a lot in their understandings and trust of one another

at the end of it there's a bit of spooky banging on the door, and it's the Master we know this. knowing it's the Master makes me wonder a bit about how the various hints work out. I need to rewatch the bits where the Master is properly revealed, because yes they're bored and frustrated, but how do they really feel about the Doctor seemingly ignoring them/moving on at this point. banging on the door and all that, but that feels more for effect. idk what I'm saying here, it's not actually critique, I think I'm just wondering about a fic from the Master's perspective while locked up

COMPANIONS MATTER: yeah Bill is both emotionally and practically important in this! it's been more than a week so some of the details are hazy, but she definitely Participates. I think a little less on her own steam than in some others, but definitely doing some Stuff

“GODLIKE” DOCTOR: as far as I remember there's nothing egregious in this episode beyond the fact that the Doctor takes charge most of the time and there aren't any really distinguishable single-episode characters who carry some of that side of things. there's the bad guy and the kids, and youknow... hypocritical perhaps, considering how often I've felt like this era has had kids who were kind of superfluous to plot and often unfortunately not good actors, but I'd have liked to have seen more of these kids beyond the Idea of them, if that makes any sense

they're introduced very strongly with the pick-pocketing and the death and finding out where they live, but for the main gist they fall a bit on the wayside

maybe this is the wrong point to be talking about that -- my point is, if the episode had been able to make the kids make more choices in the plot, then the Doctor could have been leading it slightly less

it's not a big thing, it's just a thing

PREVIOUS DOCTOR WHO: the Doctor's been to the frost fair a few times, which is very funny to me and gets a mention. otherwise this isn't much of a referencing episode, and that's fine

“SEXINESS”: can we cross this one off the list for good? (almost, but there's ooone episode I just wanna talk about... well, and then I don't remember if it gets really bad near the end, it's a bit of a risk, as much as I'm so into Gomez!Master, sometimes she does still get the bad dialogue + with the sexism Type that they write the first doctor as at the end of the season... we'll see...)

INTERNAL WORLD: it's the frost fair of 1814. there's circus. there's orphans. there's an evil rich man. there's the Thames. there's the big fish under the Thames. I mean, what more do you need tbh

POLITICS: this is the episode that's famous for the Doctor punching a racist in the face. I cannot say if anyone would have preferred it to be Bill or for it to not have happened at all or... personally I think it's pretty great and of course feels a bit like a direct answer to critique no doubt gotten for some of Martha-in-the-past episodes, where the Doctor never stood up for her and she never really had her worries/fears taken seriously

in this episode you've got a very similar beginning (stepping out of the Tardis and getting nervous because it is 1814), the Doctor allaying those fears in a way that I think was pretty acknowledging of them, while also giving us Black people 1814, as youknow... there were Black people in 1814. including one of the single-episode main characters, so it's not just background characters and Bill

and then the Doctor loses his cool because of racism, which is both admirable and unhelpful to their situation, as it does get them captured. but youknow. you wanted the Doctor to stand up for Martha and this feels like a long time coming -- I don't think it needed to be subtle, I think a bit in-your-face was very needed. now the question ofc is whether we think Ryan and Yaz in chibnall!era are able to continue that... I don't remember

and the next question of course is whether the fifteenth Doctor adds even more layers to the story as a Black character (Ncuti Gatwa at least has said that he thinks so, which is exciting). as a whole though, it's interesting watching this from the perspective of where we are now. Freema Agyeman as Martha shouldered a lot of weight and while I think her character was fantastic and her arc was interesting and nuanced, we know they didn't (and the fandom certainly didn't) give proper space for her to be a Black woman and also just... didn't give her space, in various ways -- however one might have seen it, gracious read is that they "wanted her to be like any other (white) companion, without being singled out," or "they were afraid of writing race," or or or... we know it can be done better (and that if Martha were to come back, say, right now.............) Bill was a very different character to Martha, and after her Ryan joined the team, and since then Rose (Noble), and the fifteenth Doctor are now a part of a much bigger, more exciting (or maybe I should say less depressing) analysis of writing Black characters on Doctor Who, which will only grow as the character roster grows

and the thing is, this season isn't just "important because we need to support Black characters in scifi" in the sense that it's badly written and we're kiiind of gritting our teeth through it, it's... it's quite good. it's not perfect, and I think others could give a much more in-depth analysis of that than I can (specifically in terms of race), but as a trajectory both for writing Black women, for writing marginalised main characters generally, for writing queerness -- which is more my wheelhouse to critique and I do -- for writing the twelfth Doctor's character arc, for the end of this particular era of the show... I think it deserves that kudos. sometimes. someone's gotta punch a racist in the face. and a Black woman can know that her white buddy has got her back. and the two of you can save a big fish and a bunch of homeless orphans and get said racist eaten (or drowned, I forget if the fish got him)

that's good political theory

I want to also note the orphan kids. I mentioned I wish they'd been more fleshed out after the first act/been more heavily involved in the plot, so that the ending really pinpointed how it wasn't just good because homeless kids is... bad... but specifically also from a character standpoint. this especially because one of them died at the beginning, and I feel like it didn't quite sit through the rest of the story -- that being said ofc, the ending is neat. good on you Bill for getting this through and confirming it happened

FULL RATING: 77/100 (if I can count….)

I feel like I did a good summary in the above point. solid stuff. big fish

Just realised "thin ice" obviously also refers to someone who is metaphorically on thin ice- we talking the Doctor taking Bill out even though he's not supposed to? the Doctor and Bill's relationship having a tense moment? the Doctor generally getting "bored" and needing to do something? perhaps and yes, and also ooh big fish

#im watching nu!who #im watching capaldi who #episode thin ice #the measurement

[ambiguousthoughtsinsilence]

my year of boygenius

Why do we listen to music? Is it just melodic noise that provides background to our daily existence or is it a space where we look for meaning, purpose and beauty? This is a false question, as music can be all of these things, but it is so much more. For many people, the beauty of music gives their life meaning, whether listening or creating it. Most of us will have fond memories of listening to the radio in the car or discovering an album that transported us to a seemingly magical place, expanding our understanding of what music could be and do (e.g. Jeff Buckley’s Grace for me).

Growing up in a relatively small town by the Baltic Sea, one of my favourite activities was to go to the seaside in winter, when it was stripped of human presence, sit down on the staircase of a lifeguard’s lookout and listen to the songs on my iPod. Years before that I had a silver cassette player and a CD player that I always carried with me, along with a CD wallet. Music has always been a comforting presence in my life. But even in this rich history, there are certain albums and artists that have had such a transformative impact on my life that they have become part of who I am. There are not many albums that fall into this category, but this year one of them did appear.

In March, 2023 the record had come out, the first full LP from boygenius. As I listened to it for the first time, I knew it was going to embed itself in my brain as I was going to play it again and again and again. I became obsessed with the record and the three women responsible for creating it - Lucy Dacus, Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers.

It was like being a teenage girl again, eagerly watching interviews, trying to find out ways in which to watch their Coachella performances and following a fan account that reposted every live video and tour photo imaginable. People always talk about separating art from the artist, but the songs on the record felt so grounded and rooted in familiarity, like they were made by people that felt real and compassionate and vulnerable. In interviews they would talk about books and artists they admired and how they valued each other, and for someone, who has long felt that romantic love should not be valued more than friendship, it felt almost revolutionary to hear that as a foundation of an indie ‘supergroup’s’ ethos.

In August I had a chance to attend Oyafestivalen with my best friend Tina, who had very kindly gifted me a ticket. boygenius were due to play in the early hours of the evening. This was my first time seeing them live.

‘I want to hear your story / And be a part of it’ / boygenius- without you, without them

Making meaningful connections with other people is probably one of the, if not the most, important things you can do with your life. As I stood on a lawn in Oslo and kept bawling my eyes out, I couldn’t help, but end up in existential ponderings about love, loneliness and human connection and the fact that my closest friend was sharing the gig with me. We live thousands of km apart, but I love her loads and appreciate that she’s a part of my life.

‘And it feels good/ To be known so well/ I can’t hide from you / Like I hide from myself’ / boygenius- true blue

After the concert ended, I sat down by a tree to regain my composure, tear streaked cheeks and red eyes, an emotional outpouring and connection that meant so much to me. A few weeks later, I saw them headlining at Gunnersbury Park, this time sharing it with Tina again and my other friend Peter. This experience was less rooted in existential ponderings and more just an overwhelming sense of joy. It was a scorchingly hot day and multiple people fainted, however everyone around helped to get those people taken care of as quickly as possible.

Queer care and joy was ever present in this audience, people had arrived with wonderfully crafted items of clothing or little references to boygenius lyrics on them. Tina and I handed out pink carnations to the younger girls behind us. There is something strange about loving a band, whose audience seems much younger than you are, but maybe the best kind of music manages to reach something within us that is shared, regardless of age.

As the fireworks went up into the dark night sky, I felt so much joy. This time their music had reached the part of me that felt an immense gratitude for being alive and being able to experience such happiness with more than 20’000 people. This performance felt even more explosive and raw, but also funny and deeply meaningful. It seemed that all of us were treating ourselves to some self-belief.

‘will you be a nihilist with me / if nothing matters, man that’s a relief / Solomon had a point when he wrote Ecclesiastes/ if nothing can be known, then stupidity is holy / if the bore becomes a void, we’ll treat ourselves to some self-belief’ / boygenius - Satanist

The last time I saw them live was thanks to Peter, in a small and intimate acoustic set in Kingston. It was another very special experience as the songs had become embedded in my brain and hearing them acoustically felt quite different from the previous shows with a full backing band, here were the three people who were responsible for all those captivating melodies. They embody a vulnerable compassion and a reliance on friendship that feels authentic, and it is wonderful to see creativity blossom from a place of deep love and appreciation for each other.

The record is an album I have grown to love deeply, because it seems to fit whatever mental state I am in. Without You, Without Them for when I want to remind myself of the love I feel for my friends, Cool About It as a reminder that all of have had to play it cool, when someone has hurt us deeply, Not Strong Enough and Anti-Curse for when my mental health lies somewhere in the bottom of the bin. Whatever I am going through, I can find comfort in knowing that the record is there to give me solace and company, whether I am staring at the ceiling or going on a walk around North London.

#boygenius #personal #personal essay #music #album #albumoftheyear

[epicfranb]

WHO'S READY TO HEAR A NEW AU?? FROM ME????? WOOHOOOOO

Anyway remember a post i made about assigning hermits superpowers. No worries if you didn't see it btw. Basically, i talked about how i looove coming up with superpowers, but usually have no idea how to tie the plot together... The last concept i had was pretty boring (hermits get isekai'd into the real world. Blegh), but i think i got something here. Take my hand and let's go.... Into the read more

Bdubs comes home from work to find his girlfriend, who he lives with, Cleo, murdered. And the murderer, still at the scene! The murderer disappears right before Bdubs's eyes, and leaves shards of glass behind. The investigation obviously takes place, and, after long questioning and everything, Bdubs is forced to spend the night at a hotel, exhausted. Strange things continue to happen, as everything becomes strangely quiet, as though the entire world had stopped. There is knocking on the door, but no answer; until a tall woman, mysterious but strangely normal looking, enters the room. She introduces herself as Pearl and gives Bdubs a clock, saying he lost it. Bdubs doesn't recognize it, until Pearl shows that his name is engraved on the backside. That's when Bdubs remembers that it was his former friend, Etho, who made this clock for him. They haven't talked in such a long time, but Bdubs was still devastated that he lost such as precious item. Pearl doesn't even hint at where she found it or how she has it, but she says that it's been away, quietly collecting magical power. Turns out, the clock can stop time - Pearl shows him how, and after Bdubs puts the palm of his hand on the face of the clock, the time resumes, the ambient noises are back and Pearl just... Disappears, with no answers.

As if Bdubs wasn't stressed enough already, Cleo's body also goes missing. One of those days, Bdubs walks by his house and sees a familiar silhouette... It speaks with a familiar voice, though horribly distorted. The person is Cleo, a walking corpse. She calms Bdubs down to the best of her ability and they try to catch up on what's going on. Turns out, Cleo woke up with a strange woman looking at her; it was the same woman that Bdubs met, Pearl! Cleo thinks she probably was given a little time to finish her business, and decides that the last thing she has to do in this world... Is to take revenge on her killer. Bdubs thinks it's uncharacteristic of them; he thought they'd say something like, "to spend my last days doing what i love, with someone i love". But Cleo says they have a specific reason why they want to take revenge. It's because they know the killer! They don't tell Bdubs who it is though.

Now, i haven't figured out what happens next yet. Here's some miscellaneous stuff ig

Some people may have guessed that "person disappears before your eyes and leaves glass shards behind" sounds like a specific power i have for a specific someone... It's Etho, actually. But also, writing this, i thought how cool would that be... If they meet Etho and find out about his power, and think oh it's so obviously him. But he swears it's not. And plot twist it's actually someone else who framed him ghhhhgghh do i wanna say who i have in mind. Do i wanna say. Um. I was thinking Lizzie. Idk. Idk. I think it's cool tho

There's gonna be other peepos in this AU too!! I'm thinking it's gonna be groups of people who start off seeming unconnected, but gradually your realize they're all part of one story (i love this sort of thing!!). The other group will be the Magic Mountains bros (or whatever they're called). So far I have thought of powers for Scar and Joel, and i have ideas but am undecided on Gem, Grian and Skizz, and haven't even began thinking about Impulse.. And mumbo (i keep forgetting he exists)

I thought it'd be funny if Grian had to throw a dice for everything he does and let luck decide if he succeeds or fails. No particular reason for it, other than sort of? adapting a curse i had for him in another AU but for a different setting. In that other AU, he had a curse where, when he would involve himself in someone else's business, the result of his involvement would be the opposite of what he intended. Here, i adapted the basic idea of this, which is: Grian's actions are not under his control, and are independent from his intentions. The only thing is... The rest of them have actual powers, but Grian is stuck with a curse again LMAO i will keep thinking about this.

For Scar, it's a power that i talked about and, in fact, also headcanon for his Hermitcraft character. It's that he has (pretty limited) shapeshifting abilities. Essentially, he can change a few basic things about himself, but he can't, like, turn into a tiger or into a rock. So he has to remain human basically. I think.

For Joel i wanted something crazy. I remembered an AU i had for another fandom, so i gave him a power based on that. Whenever Joel has a bleeding open wound, he goes berserk.. he has increased strength, but can hardly control himself. He ends up being covered in scars, poor boy.

For Gem, i initially had nature powers in mind. Her talent and love for building organics could translate very well into something like controlling plants. But then i remembered, if I'm (sort of) basing this group on season 10, should i give her water powers instead? Hm.

For Skizz, uh, I'm like. I REALLY want something that's kind of like... It SCREAMS that it's Skizz's power, or maybe it enhances his already present character traits. But so far the only thing i came up with is... Super duper eyesight. He can see ridiculously far, with all the detail, but also ridiculously close. What do you think. I think it's a cool power but I'm not sure it fits.

As for Pearl, i think she's kind of like... Not the "mastermind", but something like an outside force who has more powers and information than everybody else. Perhaps she isn't even human. I thought it'd be neat if she only appeared during a full moon.

Oh, and on Etho, of course. His power is to go fully non-existent for short times, but he leaves glass shards behind. In addition to that, he needs to keep a strong grip on his consciousness in this state, or it will disappear as well and he will forever remain this weird type of ghost.

That is all i have for now (i think)! I just like thinking, guys. I guess i should really get into a habit of finishing stuff though... It definitely won't be this time lmao sorry. Please do talk to me about this though UwU

#life updates #my fic #<- goes in this tag. ig.

[npcgrian]

hi. no one asked for this but i feel very compelled to explain my stance on joel being referred to as a "lone wolf" because it seems to be a pretty dividing topic. i am placing him in a petri dish and using a microscope to analyze his behavior.

people seem to argue that, aside from limited life, joel has been very alone throughout the series whereas everyone else is part of some kind of group allyship. this is by far the most clearly seen in third life where the two major sides of the server practically fought over him, both of which he refused to pledge loyalty to despite trying to be allies to both, and everyone knows that if everyone is your ally, you have no allies.

everything after third life is where people disagree. a lot of people have pointed out that he was friends with scar in the beginning of last life and then later on befriended grian toward the end, but aside from that he had very little. this does disprove that he was always alone but the thing about these two friendships is that his with scar was so short lived that i barely count it as one. firstly, i think its very telling that joel was the first to turn red in last life, the one series where being red means all allyships are thrown out the window, and second, it happened so quick that the plans he and scar had may as well have not existed.

joels relationship with grian formed for two reasons: grian was kicked out of the southlands for being red, and joel was one of the only other reds at the time. obviously they make a great pair anyway so thats another reason they were so adamant on working together, but being red was definitely the fundemental reason. not that it negates their allyship in any way, but they were unlikely to have any association with each other if circumstances were different.

and of course, double life. i honestly think double life both proves and disproves the lone wolf theory. first off, i feel like it should be obvious that its impossible to try and say he was alone during this and i dont understand people who act as if joel and etho meant little to nothing to each other, but at the same time, certain elements of their relationship do, in a way, provide as further evidence for the lone wolf thing, and to explain that i also need to explain whats significant about etho.

etho is, in many ways, the polar opposite of joel. i feel like i havent seen a single person point this out and i dont know how. etho tends to follow a larger group, as seen in third life (his team with impulse and tango but also being on the side of dogwarts), last life (team best), and team ties later on in limited life. on top of that, hes even stated himself that he doesnt do well on his own which is why he prefers to follow a leader. he also takes a good while to become red and doesnt get very involved in combat until the later half of the season, another thing that was pointed out in double life (i forget who said it, i think it was etho but im not sure). joel, of course, is the opposite, being notorious for being very aggressive and reckless which more often than not leads to his own death. him being paired with etho in double life was almost like putting a curse on etho with the way they both died in such stupid ways. but the biggest takeaway from these differences is that, juxtaposed with ethos tendency to follow a larger team, joel definitely seems like hes been on his own a significant amount. double life isnt another example of joel being alone, its meant to highlight his other experiences being alone.

but what people seem to assume from the lone wolf theory is that it doesnt take into account joels loyalty, saying things like he cant be a lone wolf with how loyal he was to etho and the bad boys. in my opinion, being a lone wolf and being loyal are not mutually exclusive. being alone was his choice in third life, but ever since that ended, hes gone out of his way to try and find people he can pledge loyalty to. the point is that hes *cursed* to be a lone wolf regardless of what he wants. being assigned a partner gave him the opportunity to have someone to receive his undivided loyalty without even the option of parting, and he definitely took it. and after that ended in limited life, that was when he knew to form an alliance as quick as possible (and also brag about it to his ex soulmate to whom he no longer owes loyalty, but they had fun while it lasted at least).

the bad boys is probably the biggest reason people dislike this theory but ive also seen people point out how the curse managed to slither its way back to him just moments before his death when grian decided he would leave him to join bigb and pearl, and i dont disagree with that.

overall, i think theres points to be made both for and against the lone wolf curse, but i believe in it for the most part. this is just my opinion though, any other thoughts or comments in the notes are very welcome

#i am once again posting long ass analysis of minecraft youtubers 😊 #smallishbeans #third life #last life #double life #limited life #traffic life #e

[mcybree]

🌓 + ❄️ + 🌌

🌓 - opinions on watcher lore?

(warning for any onlookers I am a hater in this one. avert your eyes)

I think it’s fun in passing, like I have fun with it when I make an AU and have to incorporate it in a silly way but I feel as though watcher “KILL EACH OTHER WE MUST FEED” brand of interpretations undermine the entire narrative by tossing aside every character’s own agency and reducing their internal struggles to set-ups by immoral gods. There is only so much “I dont want to do this but I have to :( the watchers told me so” a story can take before it becomes the narrative happening *to* all of the characters, rather than the characters making their own bad decisions which takes away all the fun for me. similarly, watcher grian has always bothered me but I only ever put into words why a few days ago— If I was writing the life series, I would look take one look at Grian’s character and separate grian (watcher lore) and grian (the guy) into two different characters. I’ve never seen watcher grian incorporated in a way that compliments his character or says anything about who he is as a person. The Watchers are a punchline to me <\3

❄️ - be honest, which character do you care about the least?

I have thought extensively about every character at some point in my year long hyperfixation hellscape *except* for Etho and Impulse; through nature of being a scott megabuild mutual I care about Etho now like I get it but Impulse… im sorry man. I have still yet to get it I’ll keep trying though. I cant make myself write something without feeling that I have a grasp on how everyone involved thinks and acts I could not live with myself if I made every impulse fan point at me and go HE WOULD NOT FUCKING SAY THAT!!!! before rightfully banishing me to the beyond

🌌 - what happens when the players die?

Okay so. To me. The games are set in a dubious state of reality, like a simulation but theyre still made of flesh and blood and the trees are still breathing and the dirt is still dirt. I’m going to cite the infinity train car coding for how I sort of imagine this works… where its all living breathing thinking feeling but the organics of it are still attached to adjustable values behind the scenes. This is all to say that none of the players ever really sleep— the games existing in this dubious state of reality allows for adjustments to be made and this was one of them. So when they *die* die, the memories they gathered throughout the game are sort of flipped through and finalized in this window of time before the next game, creating a warped nonsensical dream sequence loosely based on the events of the game that they experience until the next one. I visualize this as a sort of psychedelic drug trip combination of all sorts of familiar places and people merging together but eerie nightmare purgatory dreams like being at an empty convenience store at night while echoes surround you is just as likely tbh.

TLDR what happens when the players die is whatever makes the coolest visuals for an animatic SORRY. Like if I’m being completely honest it’s whatever I need it to be to tell the story I made this up retroactively,

#THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE ASK I had a blast answering these #mine #< just in case I need to find it again #asks #bree barks so fucking loud

[10piecechickenmcnugget]

i am enamored by your trafficmon au and will continue asking questions. such as

what’s up with dogwarts? what do they have going on?

does this take place in a canon region or an original one? if it’s an original region then can i pleasepleaseplease help with worldbuilding i love worldbuilding

what’s jimmy doing?

how closely are you planning to have this follow third life?

this one’s not so much a question but if you don’t have anything planned for cleo yet then i think that she could be the researcher who revives fossil pokemon for that region. bdubs could be her lab partner or assistant or smth

also what did you mean when you said etho nearly got joel killed please elaborate 👀

OK BUCKLE UP THIS MAY TAKE A WHILE

-i have no fucking idea 💀 i’m working on it. so far all i’ve got it ren is an ex gym leader, etho is an on again off again member of the elite 4, martyn is a researcher/trainer and has a bit of a history with grian, and that’s it. i need to figure out bigb and skizz’s backstory and how they all got together, but for now as a group all i know is they’re a decently strong group of trainers and have beef with desert duo

-i’m thinking of making some of the regions that already exist canon, but making a new one seems like a good idea and id love your help with worldbuilding 👀

-jimmy is a sort of trainer? and atm he owns a flower shop with scott and they’re living their best lives (for now)

-i’m having some events based off of 3rd life events, and some events from other series + certain dynamics i like from other series

-THATS A REALLY GOOD IDEA i have cleo somewhat in the lore (see below) but i needed lore for her and bdubs ty ty

-ok this one is kinda long. basically joel meets desert duo -> helps them fight with dogwarts -> meets the dogwarts guys -> doesn’t really have a strong sense of “i should hate these people” -> is friendly with both groups -> gets kinda close with etho -> etho wants help pranking cleo and bdubs -> joel says fuck it why not -> the four of them get into a sort of argument/turf war -> cleo gets pissed off and has her pokémon (i was thinking charizard) try to attack joel’s arcanine -> there’s some sort of scuffle/miscommunication and it ends up fire blasting joel square in the face -> it spirals from there, joel and geraldine (the arcanine) run off and the other three eventually find them and take joel to the hospital and they all feel pretty bad cause it was never supposed to escalate that far

i based it off of joel’s second 3rd life death, etho asked him to help attack cleo and bdubs using joel’s hill to launch a tnt cannon, and cleo burned down joel’s house in response which ended up killing him

#THANK YOU FOR THUS IVE NEEN WANTINF TO TALK ABOUT THAY LAST PART FOR A WHILE #<- also flower husbands and what they’ve got going on #10piecetalks #trafficmon au #tw injury

[turkfra]

Hypermobile François anon here!

I absolutely love your characterization of Arthur in Boy's Don't Cry, by the way! People underutilize Arthur's punk era imo.

I also love Arthur's hatred of the cops because that's so relatable. I remember when he called the holding cell the bacon factory (which had me laughing so damn hard).

hi hun sorry i have had a rough few days and wanted to be able to give this a proper answer. thank you again so much for all this, it really keeps me going.

not gonna lie i am pretty proud of how i write him. some of it is projection like in a superficial way. but i DO NOT trust anyone else with punk arthur. like. hes my special guy. but it's definitely not my only characterization of him and i disagree with 99% of the 'punk england' interpretations out there. unfortunately i dont think its underutilized i think its overdone - poorly.

it is glaringly obvious how little most people know about what it means to be a punk. i am begging you please learn about the music (yes, real punk. from the 70s) and the political ethos.

fair warning i'm kind of a purist and might sound like a gatekeeper here but i feel like the true punk subculture is so misunderstood and also doesn't really exist anymore. like. its so rare to find accurate representation. i could go on about kids these days misappropriating subcultures for a loose 'aesthetic' and then claiming that subculture. but i am trying not to go off on a rant about what is and is not punk... i am trying so hard.

anyway yeah of course he hates cops dude. i believe it was a holding cell at a police station (precinct) which could be called a pig pen. bacon factory. any variation on that. glad it got a laugh bc that was obviously my intention but also the reality here is that he's an addict who's had repeated run ins with law enforcement. he's familiar with the system and very much desensitized towards what might be more traumatic for those who aren't as tough as he is. being scared of cops is normal. he's clearly not. in turn, he does still benefit from white privilege in this aspect. some people wouldn't be so lucky to get away with this behavior.

also this is fiction and i would not suggest acting that way towards a police officer. even though it might be fun and morally correct to antagonize them. probably will not end well.

so on that note. all cops are bastards. they don't exist to protect and serve. never talk to them. arm yourself if its legal where you live. if you see someone stealing food no you didn't. if someone breaks into your house you can rock their shit with a baseball bat. life hack.

#oops! i ranted again #ask and ye shall receive #my writing #punk dad arthur #punk #acab

[stitchthesewords]

Hi hello that new story is rotating at rapid speeds. For once Grian is the one who doesn’t remember? I ADORE that. Scar being Fate is so so cool. Of course he would be the one holding them together while watching them fall apart. It just works.

And Mumbo knows? Did you specify how he knows? I was too in shock about Scar trying not to let their strings break and being literal Fate. How many times has Scar had to explain this to Grian? How many times has he not remembered? What made this time different for him to WANT to be reminded?? So few words have sparked so many questions. I am so here for this au.

Yeeeees I really wanted to play on the idea of Grian Knowing about the Life Games and change the rules - Like. He's still a Watcher - but I'm thinking in this au, if it weren't for SCAR huh, huh, he WOULD only be Watching the Life Games. Scar [And, Mumbo] have an incompatible set of....idk. Godliness???????? Magic????/ And it overrides Grian's Watcher abilities methinks. I'm still ironing that one out. Also poor Scar, someone get this man a cookie, he's desperately holding everyone together [Well - him and Cub, I imagine the Vex thing also being a cover up for disappearing for long stretches of time to Fix Strings{which, btw, I think they only mend them for a certain amount of time or for a number of tears EXCEPT for Grian and Scar and Mumbo bc the man can be a little be selfish and desperately cling onto his soulmates if he wants to}]

So here's what I'm thinking with Mumbo [And Xisuma and Etho] - they are a trio called colloquially as the Brothers of the Void - they themselves don't have a name, but if Scar upkeeps the strings of fate, they upkeep all forms of the Void - The End, the Overworld, the Nether, and this sort of between lives that Scar maintains, along with the afterlife. Mumbo specifically is the Overworld and the realm Fate occupies [which is how and why redscape is already A Thing.]. Xisuma is the End and Etho is the Nether I think, and I think one controls the afterlife and maybe one controls the like. Before??? Life???? idk man I'm spinning them in a salad spinner rn.

Scar and Grian don't have this convo EVERY time Grian dies, I imagine most deaths are pretty mundane because like, hermitcraft as a server [Which, this world is sort of The Game Minecraft but not. Like, they respawn? But its not like a game. Its like they just die and wake back up usually, even Scar or Mumbo. Different servers and worlds are just different universe bubbles people can travel between,,,somehow?] but Grian's participation in the Life Games as the Creator of them is...maybe in direct defiance of Fate itself thanks to Scar. Grian made them to feed his Watcher powers maybe?? and like yes he KNOWS that its Bad to kill/watch his friends die but he has to do something or he'll....idk fade out of existence???? And Scar, being mildly grumpy at having to participate maybe dragged Grian into it himself and so I think every death in the Life Games holds this sort of weight to it. Where Grian wakes up in this place he doesn't belong and won't remember and then flickers back to respawning like he's supposed to. Except - he never remembers, and Scar isn't usually there at the same time, so it's only maybe...once or twice? They've crossed each other's paths. Maybe the last death in every life game. Like maybe Scar waited for him in 3rd life and uhhh im ngl i do not remember the order in which they died in last life it's been a minute B U T regardless.

The thing that's different, I think, is watch Scar literally for their bond back fron the brink, watching him mend it, weave the fibers back together, force them to hold strong, refuse to lose Grian like this. Because, idk, I don't know about you but if I watched the dude who I definitely have a deep and profound love for I was just soulbonded to fight to keep our REAL soulbond together I would absolutely be like "find me and tell me".

#Asks #em-mermaid #Catch-All AUs #yeah this one definitely needs a tag I am rotating it #it is in the microwave of my brain

[cescalr]

please pretend i finished this yesterday <3 i was up until 4:30am.

to see what he looks like (whole point of this exercise), first etho from start of s9.

raise up that mask for his modesty <3 ooh mysterious wonder what's under there (normal guy)

gas mask. he does live in an alien landscape by this point. a post limited life etho. he stole those earrings (guess who) (easy answer) (why his hair is brownish now) (don't randomly soulbond to people fellas [gn]. leaves lasting impacts on your physiology.)

a post double life etho <3 he was freely given those earrings. Retroactively they will become stolen. Time is relative <3.

maskless post secret-life Etho. <3 <3 For your full understanding of his design. (The sims are basically how I would draw the characters, for the most part. Er. Jevin is... not simmable. Nor is muppet Joe... Im working on it!!! I'm working on it. Joe was meant to be made today but I really need to finish my dissertation. This was me procrastinating. Do not follow my example.)

Anyways! Hermitaday 17 - Ethoslab!! As i am currently unable to draw for a number of reasons, I thought showing my sims of the hermits would be a cool idea. (And since i haven't done any previous days because of my university degree dissertation, have a bunch of random hermits under the readmore; s9 editions)

in order;

general application bdubs <3

king cleo, human hair (wearing a sleevless dress. just. syk.)

king cleo, gorgon hair <3

elven warrior princess gem, outfit 1* <3

general application pearl <3

dwarven imp Impulse <3

elven warrior princess gem, outfit 2* [*I had full body pics of everyone, but I lost them >-< oh well. you get to see doc at least?] <3

general application grian [he's. a bit weird looking. sorry. i try really hard but i am blind. You... don't want to see my first etho attempt

general application false <3

SCARS SO MANY SCARS. first; buttercup <3

second; shirtless. he does that a lot.

cool shirt you can't see because i lost the picture :(

park architect scar <3

elf scar <3

hotguy!!!

doc! m! 77!!

full fit of doc! m! 77!!

mr Ren Dog <3 not finial version. might change the ears?

(The gradients were randomly chosen from my pre-existing gradient collection <3 do not read into them. Except the impulse one because. easy guy to make gradient for. easy. Also you do not see colour banding. it does not exist! sRGB sucks.)

Sm bonus pics (bc i found the fullbodies!!! they're just not edited. no fun gradients. pure blue chroma

(sorry. cw eyestrain:)

fun shirt!!!!!!!!!!!!!

iconic

the guy in question. very tiny <3 because of how photosets work. clicketh the images for better visability.

gems!!!!!!!!!!!

and that's all tumblr will let me fit </3 have a good day everyone who clicked thru to this part!!! <3

#hermitaday #a day late *symbol smash* #<- /joke sorry. sorry it's late. i was up until 4:30am #simply had to crash </3 #anyway: etho!!! slab!!! etho's lab!!! #hc #hcfanart #???? i guess #hc etho #these are s9 ethos #just ftr #from start of season + end of season (post secret life) #he stole the earrings. he stole them. those are stolen earrings. #guess who from (easy) (reason his hair changes shades slightly) #(i love giving characters lasting consequences of their actions) (getting soulbound to each other) #HMMMM i wonder. lol. anyway #hope you like him!!!!!!! i spent a lot of time on him!!!!!!!!!!! #and hope you like the rest of them i also spent a lot of time on the rest of them. but this is etho's moment not theirs /sorry for not #having posted theirs on their days :( ive been a busy gal #ts4 #ts4edit #??? i guess #ts4 hermitcraft

[steelcityreviews]

FRINGE 2022 Preview Series - Meat(less) Loaf

Steel City Girl thanks Carly Anna Billings for her insights and experience bringing this production to the Hamilton Fringe 2022!

1. Quickly! 5 words to describe your show!

Food. Family. Fun. Finding yourself. 2. What inspired your company to produce this show? What inspires you generally when creating shows?

Meat(less) Loaf exists because I, Carly, am at a bit of a cultural crossroads. Entering my Saturn return, I find myself now more than ever examining my cultural identities and trying to make sense of them and their weird and wonderful intersections. As a reconnecting native, someone who was removed from her culture growing up, I know I have a lifetime of cultural work and celebration ahead, this piece is a big part of that. As a 2021 Garden Project recipient, it allowed me to get this idea to the page and as a Fringe Xchange artist and with support from Lighthouse Festival Theatre I have been able to move the piece from page to stage. Without our vibrant community this would still just be a seed bopping around my brain. Afterlife Theatre is dedicated to creating work that speaks to our humanness and inheritance of the past while looking to the future; this show is an excellent embodiment of that ethos and is a very personal one for me as a co-founder of the company who is being directed by Patrick Teed our other co-founder. 3. Is this your first time producing a show at the Hamilton Fringe Festival? If so, what influenced your decision to bring your show to the city? If not, what helped you decide to return to the festival this year?

This is our second Hamilton Fringe production and we are ecstatic to be back at the festival. We dipped our toes in the festival last year in 2021 with our critically acclaimed digital exclusive and verbatim cringe comedy It’s a Beautiful Day for Brunch and to Arrest the Cops That Killed Breonna Taylor and this time we are ready to be here live and in person! As a bi-city theatre company based in Hamilton and Toronto, it’s our home and we are so happy to share this homegrown and supported story with our people who have been there from the beginning. 4. What have been some challenges in bringing your show to life and how have you overcome them?

The biggest challenge has been doing a solo show. It is not for the faint of heart!! As someone who is used to collaborating on a project with other people start to finish it has been an interesting exercise in stretching my artistic voice as a writer and performer. A 60 minute show that is just you?!! Turns out that’s some serious gymnastics! But I’ve been very fortunate to be surrounded with incredible mentors and the best team a person could ask for that keeps me reassured that yes, this comedy show does have funny jokes in it. 5. How will this show speak to audiences?

This show goes out to anyone who has ever felt like they’re not enough, to those who don’t know where they come from or have very strong relationships to their cultural identities but most of all to those who want to gather around the table ready for a laugh (or seven). 6. Why is Fringe important to you? How do festivals like Fringe help you as an artist?

Fringe is important because it’s a safe place to try out something new. Without Fringe there is no way I would let this show see an audience for at least another year of workshopping and development so I am so so grateful to Fringe audiences who are always ready to witness new work in whatever shape it’s in and for letting us know what lands. It’s how indie theatre keeps cooking and nourishing us, Fringe is the hearth that makes it happen.

For more information, including show dates, times and ticket information, please visit: Hamilton Fringe 2022 - Meat(less) Loaf

#hamiltonfringefestival #HamOn soloshows livetheatre TheBridgeworks