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lesbianlotties · 4 years

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Andromaquynh’s Story - songs

(an incomplete list of my personal favorite songs/lyrics that make me think of the immortal wives. they come with sort of very specific context for each one.)

One night, one death. Hundreds of nights, thousands of dreams. Neither of them knows, at the beginning, what the dreams mean. Soon enough though, the dreams turn into hope, into a firm belief in each other’s existence. The dreams turn into love before they even look at each other’s eyes. The dreams are everything, and the best part is that they offer the possibility of something more. aka a hundred years of yearning:

When you sleep - mary lambert

I could make you happy / I could make you love me / I could disappear completely / I could be your love song / I could be long gone / I could be a ghost in your eardrum / When you sleep, will it be with me?

I swore I saw you in a dream / All dressed in white and wide smile

How did I miss you, when I didn't know you? / How did I miss you, when I didn't know you? / How did I miss you, when I didn't know you?

Quynh had giving up. She had given up entirely and she was determined not to walk out of that desert alive. Then... Andromache. The dreams were real, the dreams were standing right in front of her in the shape of the most strikingly beautiful warrior. Suddenly nothing else mattered but their future together. Their future was sweet, like Andy’s favorite pastries that Quynh adoringly watched her enjoy. The future was endless. Because as long as they had each other to come back to, death wasn’t strong enough to take them:

Work song - hozier

And I was burning up a fever / I didn't care much how long I lived / But I swear, I thought I dreamed her / She never asked me once about the wrong I did

There's nothin' sweeter than my baby / I'd never want once from the cherry tree / 'Cause my baby's sweet as can be / She give me toothaches just from kissin' me

When, my, time comes around / Lay me gently in the cold dark earth / No grave can hold my body down / I'll crawl home to her

Then there’s Andy. Thousands of years of solitude turn to nothing the second that Quynh’s eyes meet hers. For the first time Andy allows herself to feel hope, to love and be loved without the fear of loss. In Quynh’s smile she finds purpose, joy, and everything she could ever need for eternity:

The last of the real ones - fall out boy

I was just an only child of the universe / And then I found you, and then I found you / You are the sun and I am just the planets / Spinning around you

I will shield you from the waves if they find you / I will protect you, I will protect you

I'm here, at the beginning of the end / Oh, the end of infinity with you

I'm done with having dreams, the thing that I believe / You drain the fear from me

Fear the future - st. vincent

When the Earth split in two / I was I, you were you / I run for you, run for me, too / When the wall rose and fell / And the oceans all swell / I run for you, run for me, too

Cosmonauts - fiona apple

When I met you, I was fine with my nothing / I grew with you and now I've changed / What I've become is something I can't be without your loving / Be good to me, it isn't a game

Now let me see, it's you and me, forgive, good God / How do you suppose that we'll survive?

When you resist me, hon', I cease to exist / Because I only like the way I look when looking through your eyes

There was a time when she was worshipped as a God. And, afterward, there was no way Andy believed in the gods that humans make up every now and then. That is, until the first day she gets to hold Quynh in her arms. The eyes that can render her helpless and down to her knees. The smile that makes her feel alive yet the only thing that could kill her. The skin that’s soft, that’s on fire, that’s the only truly holy place where Andy has found herself lost in. aka homoerotic religious imagery for the immortal wives:

Take me to church - hozier

She tells me "Worship in the bedroom" / The only Heaven I'll be sent to / Is when I'm alone with you

If I'm a pagan of the good times / My lover's the sunlight / To keep the goddess on my side / She demands a sacrifice / Drain the whole sea

Holy - zolita

Worship your body as you walk my way / You're the only one who can make me pray / I fall at your feet, your breath's divine / And underneath my skin's an intrinsic shrine

I'll give my soul, sacrifice me / Cause your love is holy

I'd rather drown in your ocean / Than wither on the shore / Undying devotion, feel you in my core / Veneration, this faith's got me high / Nothing without you, live for you till I die

Church - fall out boy

Time capsule for the future / Trust me, that's what I will be / Oh, the things that you do in the / Name of what you love / You are doomed but just enough

If you were church, I'd get on my knees / Confess my love, I'd know where to be / My sanctuary, you're holy to me

The witches trials. Is there anything more to say? They go in feeling invincible. Partially for their immortality, mostly because they are together. They face death while holding hands and with smiles on their faces as they’ve always had. How could they have predicted what came next?:

Which witch - florence and the machine

And it's my own heart / While tried and tested, it's mine / And it's my own heart / Trying to reach it out / And it's my own heart / Burned but not buried this time / I'm on trial, waiting 'til the beat comes out / I'm on trial, waiting 'til the beat comes out

The bottom of the ocean is cold, it is dark, the pressure is unbearable and the pain unending. If Quynh has any time to think, before dying again, it might spent blaming Andy, missing Andy, hating Andy, loving Andy, with just enough time to curse the ocean around her. aka Quynh making the most of the water/drowning theme:

What the water gave me - florence and the machine

Time it took us / To where the water was / That’s what the water gave me / And time goes quicker / Between the two of us / But oh, my love, don’t forsake me / Take what the water gave me

Hold my breath until I die - tegan and sara

Late at night, when your words are eating me alive / Does it make you sad to leave me here like that? / In my dreams, the blood runs from my eyes / If I fall, will you catch me in your arms?

If I hold my breath until I die, I’ll be alright

Pool - paramore

I’m underwater / No air in my lungs / My eyes are open / I’m done giving up / You are the wave / I could never tame / If I survive / I’ll dive back in

Dying over and over again, Quynh comes out of the ocean with a certain... clarity. Hubris, she says is their sin. They’ve never claimed to be angels, but they’ve refused to be devils, which she says they are. She may or may not believe that their real purpose is to make humans suffer. If Andromache won’t listen, she’ll have to show her what it all means. aka Quynh coming out of the ocean to shame mankind, or just Andy:

Just one yesterday - fall out boy ft. foxes

I know I’m bad news / I saved it all for you

If I spilled my guts / The world would never look at you the same way / And now I’m here to give you all of my love / So I can watch your face as I take it all away.

Five hundred years ago, Andy lost the love of her life. But she meant it when she said she lost a soldier. She was a leader, she should have been the one to face Quynh’s fate. The least she could have done was find her soon, and she failed there too. Now, if Quynh has come back full of rage, furious and thirsty for revenge, Andy is willing to accept it with open arms. She believes she deserves it:

I don’t smoke - mitski

Being with you / makes the flame burn good

So if you need to be mean / be mean to me. / I can take it and put it inside of me. / If you’re hands need to break / more than trinkets in your room / you can lean on my arm / as you break my heart.

Quynh, having escaped her underwater prison, is completely overcome with conflicting emotions. She finds Andy broken, guilty, still wearing her necklace and crying for her. But wasn’t she the one that broke their promise, stopped looking for her, gave up? Quynh, dealing with an unmeasurable and overwhelming mixture of hurt, heartbreak, love, rage, love... love and all the pain that comes with it, and how it all might lead them to a final fight with each other from which both of them can’t come out alive:

My tears ricochet - taylor swift

Even on my worst day, did I deserve, babe / All the hell you gave me? / 'Cause I loved you, I swear I loved you / 'Til my dying day

I didn't have it in myself to go with grace / And you're the hero flying around, saving face / And if I'm dead to you, why are you at the wake / Cursing my name, wishing I stayed / Look at how my tears ricochet

You know I didn't want to have to haunt you / But what a ghostly scene / You wear the same jewels that I gave you / As you bury me

And you can aim for my heart, go for blood / But you would still miss me in your bones

You had to kill me, but it killed you just the same

You turned into your worst fears / And you're tossing out blame, drunk on this pain / Crossing out the good years

Then, of course, there’s Andy’s side of the story. Andy, did she ever really give up? Didn’t she pray to all the gods she’s outlived? Didn’t she protect that necklace more than her own life, even now that she’s mortal? She’d be ready to offer Quynh anything, everything she wanted for a little forgiveness, for a small moment just to love each other. In the end, will it all depend on the strength of their eternal love for each other?:

Old wounds - pvris

They say don't open old wounds / But you're still brand new

I've got nothing left to lose besides you / I've already lost you once, what more could you do?

I think I could love you 'til the day that you die / If you let me love you when the timing is right / And if they said I had to, I swear I'd wait my whole life / I think I could love you 'til the day that you die

#basically i made this for myself but i need to share it or i'll die so hello !! please validate me #the old guard #andy x quynh #andromaquynh #immortal wives #andromache the scythian #quynh #tog andy #tog quynh #tog #the old guard meta #is it? i never know #the old guard movie #andy and quynh #my post #andromaquynh songs #yes one of this was just to include the title of one of my fics

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sunflowersupremes · 4 years

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The Child Surprise: Chapter 11

It’s not Geralt who Ciri finds after fleeing Cintra, it’s Jaskier.

Characters: Jaskier, Ciri, Geralt, Vesemir, Eskel, Lambert, Yennefer

Read on AO3

Ciri enjoyed her fighting lessons, Jaskier couldn’t decide if she thought it was a game or not. He would limp down and watch them from a window, bundled in a heavy blanket. Some days he would play his lute, and the other Witchers would complain (but, more often than not, he’d hear them just around the corner, as if listening).

“I’m taking Ciri out,” Geralt said, as Jaskier dropped himself into his usual chair.

The weather was clearer than it had been since their arrival - which meant there was several feet of snow on the ground, but no more falling - and it still looked terrible to Jaskier. “Well,” the bard said. “Do enjoy yourself.”

“We’ll be back before nightfall.”

“I’m holding you to that,” Jaskier said.

“What are you going to do? Rescue us?”

“Yes! And by rescue you, I mean make Eskel and Lambert find you!”

Geralt snorted. “We’ll be fine,” he promised. “I know these woods.”

Jaskier went back to his lute. He quickly became bored, however, and pushed himself to his feet, limping out into the hallway. “Eskel? Vesemir?”

He found Eskel first, standing in the main hall with a dead animal on a table in front of him. Upon closer inspection, it wasn’t any sort of animal Jaskier knew. “Monster?” he guessed, wincing as Eskel cut open its stomach.

“Werewolf. Found it a few miles east.”

“Ah- hehe- that's not for eating, is it?” Jaskier winced, torn between fleeing and stepping closer. The smell was truly horrific, though, and he stayed back, one hand over his nose.

Eskel only shook his head.

“Good.” He shook his head and limped past, trying not to look at the creature any longer than he had to.

Giving up on the Witchers’ company, he went out to the stable, visiting Roach and offering her a few sugar cubes. The mare had started to recover, finally standing again, but she still seemed as stiff as Jaskier.

He stood with her for a while, talking to her and brushing her, trying not to think about how cold he was.

Then the wind picked up. Roach flicked her ears, snorting softly. Jaskier turned, scanning his surroundings to see what was happening. The wind kicked up the powdery snow, forming it into a circle in the air.

“Oh, hell no!” Jaskier hurried back toward the fortress, but quickly lost his footing on the stone steps, falling to the ground. He screamed.

The portal finished forming, and a dark figure stepped out. They wore a long black cloak and a hood that covered their face. A white fur muff hung around their neck, and they tucked their hands away once the portal closed.

Jaskier kept screaming, certain one of the Witchers would come eventually. He tried to pull himself up the steps, but pain ripped through his side again and he curled in on himself with a grunt.

The dark figure stepped closer, until they were almost to Jaskier. “Why are you here?” grumbled Yennefer, lowering her hood.

Jaskier stopped screaming in shock. Eskel came bolting out the door of the fortress and, before Jaskier could say anything - not that he would have tried - he tossed her several feet away with the Sign of Aard.

Yennefer caught herself gracefully, her features twisting into a scowl. “Jaskier,” she snarled. “Call off your protector.”

Eskel had his sword out. “That’s Yennefer!” Jaskier said, holding out his hand. “As much as I’d like to see you stab her, I really don’t think-” he grit his teeth, hissing in pain.

Eskel knelt beside him, grabbing him and pulling him up, letting him lean against him. He didn’t sheathe his sword.

“I mean you no harm,” Yennefer promised, brushing off her cloak. “May I come in?”

The Witcher grit his teeth, then nodded, putting his sword back in it’s sheathe. He jerked his head over his shoulder. “Follow us.”

Once he was inside, no longer standing on snow and ice, Jaskier was able to walk by himself, although his side was throbbing more than it had in a few days. “Damn Witch,” he growled.

Eskel gave him a lopsided grin.

“I’m here to speak with Geralt,” Yennefer said, once they were inside.

“He’s not here,” Jaskier said softly, grateful that he’d taken Ciri out of the keep. Maybe they could just ditch her before he could back.

She blinked. “Why are you here, bard?”

“I’m a guest,” Jaskier retorted. “You’re the one who’s uninvited.”

She looked away, out a broken window, then said, “It’s about his Child Surprise.”

Eskel and Jaskier exchanged a glance. “What about her?” the bard asked softly.

“I’ll tell Geralt, not-“

“You can tell us,” Eskel said. “If it’s about Cirilla, you can trust us.”

Yennefer seemed to consider. Then she swallowed, turning to Jaskier. “I- I suppose he might take it better from you.”

“Oh no,” said the bard.

“Princess Cirilla is dead. I hadn’t worked out who the Child Surprise was in time- otherwise, I’d have gone to Cintra, but- Why are you laughing?”

Eskel and Jaskier were both doubled over, nearly sobbing from amusement. Yennefer looked as though she wanted to smite them both.

“Oh- oh Yen-“ Jaskier spluttered, clutching his wounded side. “Oh- oh ho am I enjoying this! I, Jaskier the Bard, know more than Yennefer of Vengerburg! I shall turn it into a ballad! I- I- oh fuck my side.” He wheezed, grabbing Eskel for support.

“This is no laughing matter!”

Vesemir chose that as the perfect time to make an appearance, tottering out from a side passage. He took in the scene: Yennefer, her eyes blazing with fury while Eskel and Jaskier sobbed with laughter. Then he sniffed. “Lilac and gooseberries,” he said. “You must be Yennefer.”

She turned her head to stare at him, horror still written on her features. “Where is Geralt?” she demanded.

“He’s with Ciri.”

She covered her mouth with her hand. “He’s dead?”

“What?” Vesemir looked at the two laughing men, then back to the sorceress.

Jaskier wheezed, “She’s come to tell Geralt that- oh fuck, my side- Ciri’s dead!”

“She’s not been seen since the Cintran Massacre,” Yennefer said softly.

“That’s because she’s here,” Vesemir said, giving a rather amused look to Jaskier and Eskel. “I don’t know what those two are doing, come with me.”

#the witcher #geralt of rivia #jaskier #ciri #witcher fanfic #my writing #story: the child surprise

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cortexifansquint · 5 years

Photo

matching pairings & annotations under the cut!

Youtube (x) Spotify ( x)

Buffy / Cordelia / Willow

* Cloud 69 // Lowell

I'm like dynamite / need a cheerleader / let me throw you down / while I look at her / I'm like "Oh my god / I think I need a girlfriend"

* Crazy // Au Revoir Simone

you knew me, wanna love to lose and to lose again / seems we're either giving up or giving in / but, uh, you girls, you drive me crazy

Willow / Tara

* There’s a Girl // The Ditty Bops

there's a girl that you might know / she's a friend at least I tell you so / but it might surprise you to find / there's something going on behind the door

* Horizon // Luna Blake

you tower over me / you are sky and I am sea

* Truthfully // Lisa Loeb

truthfully, I really can't explain / I'm floating, I'm smiling again

* Room // Palehound

she comes over / growing like a clover / in my room / in my room

* Sugar in a Pie // Erin McKeown

love me sweet like a sugar in a pie / kiss me deep with a dreamy little sigh

Faith / Buffy

* Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover // Sophie B. Hawkins

that old dog has chained you up, alright / give you everything you need to live inside a twisted cage / sleep beside an empty rage / I had a dream I was your hero

* Hologram // Katie Herzig

I'm gonna let you down / gonna toss you around / gonna make you want everything you haven't found / I'm gonna hold your hand / then ask you to stand / ten feet away

* Buy her Candy

she's a famous / she's the best / I cannot lay / my heart to rest / she is selfish / she is kind / no one can say / she is mine

* Nights with you // MO

I'll take you out tonight / leave it all at home / don't care about your boyfriend waking up alone

* Portions for Foxes// Rilo Kiley

'cause you're just damage control, for a walking corpse like me, like you (S6 Fuffy edition)

* Last 2nd Chance // Vaughan Penn

this is the last second chance I’ll ever need / this is the last time you’ll hear sorry from me

Buffy / Cordelia-

* More like you // Hazel English

I could waste all of my time / thinking up ways to catch your eye / and I tried but it just didn’t feel right / and besides I'm just trying to get by

* She // Dodie

and I'll be okay admiring from afar / cause even when she's next to me / we could not be more far apart (late S1 - mid S2 coffy, either pov)

* Can’t / Naaz

in my mind / I can be what we choose / but in life / we can't stand in those shoes

* Midway // Bad Bad Hats

the shadows you were casting nearly swallowed the night / but god, I could have kissed you (I imagine this as the night Cordelia drops Buffy home in Helpless or sometime in mid-late S3)

* Touch // Shura

I wanna touch you but I'm too late / I wanna touch you but there's history / I can't believe that it's been three years / now when I see you, it's so bittersweet (if either had showed up in L.A or Sunnydale after Buffy was resurrected)

Tara / Buffy

* If I Could // Sophie Zelmani

If I could help you with / this part of life you've got to live / you could load your weight on me

* Our Eyes // Lucy Rose

I'm alive / I feel it now / I never knew I'll find it on you / out of line we got ourselves / in a look, wait we are not fine / wait, you are not mine

* Wire // Alessi Ark

I'm tired of walking this wire / it keeps me awake for heaven sake / I was made for this girl / I feel lonely / my friends don't seem to know me / like i thought they did

Willow / Cordelia

* Upper West Side // King Princess

I can't stop judging every thing you do / but I can't get enough of you

* Then If I’m Weird I Want to Share // Tender Forever

people told me / that you're too sexy / you're too sexy for me / but actually I just don't care / I think it's bullshit everywhere

Buffy / Willow

* Loners // Maddie Ross

one night alone in the bookstacks / summer to make all the kids sad / next fall we're back in the corner / nice girls love kissing the loners

* Ray of Sunshine // Go Sailor

yellow hair, fiery stare / nothing's right, 'cause she's not here tonight

* Explosion // Zolita

it's a mindless love affair / one hot mess of bleach blonde hair / I could kiss her but your lips taste better / you could kiss him but my words are sweeter

* Sweet Moon // Sundarta

when the world is big and I’m alone / I call you and I am home

Faith / Tara

* Will You Be My Girlfriend // Alanis Morissette

I guess I fall and you stay intact is that right? I guess you hear me and won't attack me, is that right? guess I reach out and you reach back, is that right?

* Not gonna Get Us // T.at.u

soon there will be laughter and voices / beyond the clouds over the mountains / we'll run away on roads that are empty / lights from the airfield shining upon you (teenage runaway mehane)

* Love you Anyway // Jil Nisson & Marlene

I know what you've been getting / coz I sure got it too / don't, don't you forget it / the damage they do

* Walk The Line // Halsey

I keep a close watch on this heart of mine / I keep my eyes wide open all the time / I keep the ends out for the tie that binds / because you're mine, I walk the line

Willow / Amy

* Wherever We Are // Human Life

after the day we're chasing the sun / farther away the faster we run / feet on the ground our head in the stars / finding the sound wherever we are

* When We’re High // LP

let’s swallow the moon and the stars / let’s wallow just right where we are

Amy / Faith

* Whiskey & Black Leather // Sapphic Lasers

some they want a girl next door / but that ain't what I'm looking for / I first saw your lips across the room / red like a blood moon

* Her Lover // Ally & Stevie

she is like a cat in the dark / and then she is the darkness

* High Enough // K Flay

don’t try to give me cold water / I don’t wanna sober up / all I see are tomorrows / oh, the stars were made for us

Cordelia / Anya

* Only a Girl // Gia

soft touch, warm skin / nothing like my ex-man / slowly falling, I don't want my next man

* I Don’t Do Boys // Elektra

I don't do boys, I just do girls / just do girls with style and class / I don't do boys, I just do girls / just do girls with kissable ass

Fuffy / Radison

* One More // Elliphant

stay with me tonight / we can count the street lights / stay with me alright let's bring it all back to life (bad girls & smashed shennanigans)

Dark Willow / Anyanka + Darla / Drusilla + Lilah / Cordelia (Jasmine possessed version)

* Glory & Gore // Lorde

delicate in every way but one, / God knows we like archaic kinds of fun / chance is the only game I play with / baby, we let our battles choose us

“ Your Lips are Red // St. Vincent

this city's red / this city's red from riding us into the ground / this city's black / this city's black from all the ashes in downtown

Willow / Anya

* Wishful Thinking // The Ditty Bops

when the cold and lonely hours put your heart to the test / maybe I'll be the one that you like best (S7 Rosekins)

* The Happy Song // Kate Miccuci

'cause isn't it nice to have the friends that you do? / and isn't it nice that the sky is so blue? / and isn't it nice to say "I love you"? (the cheery & matter -of-factly style of this song reminds me of anya)

Faith / Willow

* So-Called Str8 Grrrl // Gina Young

I think you want me / you know you want me / so why do you talk shit about me

* She’s so Lovely // The Butchies

she's a rocker dressed like a killer / she's got lips like wine not sugar

* Sum of your parts // Mary Lambert

I didn't know I was a phoenix till I learned how to speak / even with ashes in my mouth I was still born to breath / I wonder are you like me

* All I Want is To Be Your Girl // Holly Miranda

Well there's ghosts in the night and ghosts in my mind / and if we quit changing we'll be left behind / but I won't take another chance of screwing it up / so I stay where I am / but all I want is to be your girl

Buffy / Satsu

* Cliff’s Edge // Hayley Kiyoko

you turn me on / you lead me on / you got me on / a cliff's edge (satsu’s pov)

* One Night // Charlie XCX

you are somethin’ special / twenty carats, solid gold / what we had was precious / but I had to let you go

Cordelia / Lilah

* Short Skirt, Long Jacket // Larkin Poe

I want a girl with a mind like a diamond / I want a girl who knows what's best I want a girl with shoes that cut / and eyes that burn like cigarettes

Fuffy + Willow / Kennedy

* We Might be Dead by Tomorrow // Soko

give me all your love / ‘cause for all we know / we might be dead by tomorrow

Kendra / Buffy

* Eleventeen // Kimya Dawson

you may feel strange, well, you are an angel / stuck in tight pants stuck at a high school dance / stuck doing people things not knowing you have wings

* Supergirl // Anna Naklab

you can see in her eyes / that no one is her chain / she's my girl / my supergirl

Cordelia / Faith

* Can I Say Baby // GIRLI

can I say baby? / I don't wanna be soppy / but I like your style / think you're kinda cool / I'm sort of into you

* Rebel Girl // Bikini Kill

rebel girl rebel girl / I think I want to take you home / I want to try on your clothes

* Flowers and Rope // Princess Nokia

voices in my head, monsters under my bed / I'm alone again, I lost all my friends / wanna play pretend? hope this never ends

Fred / Faith

* Whiskey // Nicole Reynolds

you accept that i talk too much / i accept that you talk too little / but it's fine / i like a good riddle

In the Margins // Ani Difranco

you are a rare bird / the kind i wouldn't even mind / writing in the margins of my books

Willow / Kennedy

* Pretty Girl // Hayley Kiyoko

I can tell you’re real smart / world class piece of art / I can see you in the dark / all we have to do is start

* Let it Go // Allie Moss

darlin' you see / the fear in me / and how I'd finally be / if I were willing to let it go

Buffy / Anne

* Annonymous Club // Courtney Barnett

let's start an anonymous club / I'll make us name badges with question marks

* Hideaway // IVY

under stars and satellites / a thousand miles / from where we've been

Willow/Fred + Buffy/Tara

* I Was Made for Sunny Days // The Weepies

I was made for sunny days / and I was made for you

Faith / Kennedy

* Crimson and Clover // Joan Jett & the Blackhearts

ah, now I don't hardly know her / but I think I can love her

“ Honey // Kehlani

I like my girls just like I like my honey; sweet / a little selfish

Cordelia / Fred

* Genius // The Murmurs

she's kinda weird / she's kinda freaky / but I don't know / I think she's a genius

* There she goes // Sixpence None the Richer

there she goes / there she goes again / racing through my brain / and I just can't contain / this feeling that remains

#BTVS #btvsedit #mine #btvsfemslash #click to expand #lmao this has been in my drafts for 2 years #but I kept coming across more music #and trying to find a fit for the really rare pairs #my personal ships are completely obvious as they have nearly a playlist of their own

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snowydawn17 · 7 years

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Harbinger!Alto AU

yeah yeah I know it's a Thing and it's got some Bad Fics but hear me out {This is a Really Long Post whoops} [ Contains Major Plot Spoilers for Stella Glow ] Alright so game starts as it does normally, Lisette's telling kids a story and later Alto goes out into the woods and finds Hilda, and they have a chat, and stuff happens. Hilda doesn't recognize him, but she gets a Feeling. Game proceeds as usual, Hilda goes to crystallize Mithra and Lisette gets Anime Powers and Hilda realizes that Alto is DEFINITELY the Conductor, and when she calls for a retreat she uses those cutscene teleportation powers and takes Alto with her. He panics for a while & refuses to listen to her/the Harbingers, but eventually Hilda explains the whole Conductor thing (can you imagine? Hilda actually explaining stuff? Wild) and while Alto doesn't necessarily believe/trust her, he has to admit it DOES make some amount of sense, and he calms down a bit. Eventually she explains the whole Elc thing and the crystallization, and eventually Alto agrees to help, but that's details and characterization stuff I'm not plotting out rn. Also at some point early on Alto tunes himself and meets Elc and they have a chat, that's probably what helps him start to trust Hilda & agree to work with the Harbingers, though he still doesn't like the whole crystallization thing. Meanwhile, Klaus finds Lisette in Mithra and takes her back to the capital, and she agrees b/c she's a Witch now and she can't NOT help, really, she's the only water witch after all, and also because it gives her a chance to maybe find and save Alto. I'm gonna go ahead and say her whole inability to sing arc kinda sorts itself out b/c Alto's missing/in danger, and cliche dictates that Lisette gets her Realization in such a situation, so she's able to deal with her feelings when it starts causing significant problems. Also, since Alto's not around to do the whole tuning thing, the witches have to figure out their problems on their own. I already talked about Lisette, and I'm gonna say she lowkey takes his place here? She can't tune, obviously, but Lisette likes helping people, and she's a kind person, so she's probably offer to listen/help when she can and stuff. Popo's insecurities are easy enough to deal with when they crop up, after a bit of poking to get Popo to open up. The big Tension Point with Lisette and Popo is Lisette lowkey projecting Alto onto her, b/c when they realize Alto's helping their Enemy of his own free will Lisette's convinced he's like, brainwashed or something similar to what happened with Popo. Sakuya's a bit harder (and her intro arc is where they really come to realize the whole Feelings Can Cause Problems Thing) and I'm not 100% sure how they help her out, but afterwards Lisette convinces her and Popo to have annual Group Therapy Sessions where they talk about feelings n stuff to try and stay ahead of any problems (which causes problems in itself, probably, but they deal.) Mordi is also tricky, but in the end the Power of Friendship pulls through. Alto and Lisette, when they run into each other, actually DO try to have conversations where they explain what's going on, but they're always interrupted by someone else who isn't willing to listen to the other side. For some reason I really want a scene where Alto (as the most unrecognizable Harbinger, b/c this'd be early on so the only person in the Capital who'd recognize him would be Lisette) post-self-tuning goes sneaks into the castle to steal the tuning knife, and runs into Klaus and they recognize each other. Alto runs away before Klaus can react. Aside from adding tension, it also gives an explanation as to why Hilda doesn't just eXPLAIN THINGS TO EVERYONE. Or have Hilda recognize Klaus at some point pre-story or early on. Just, SOMETHING. Please. Other character relationship notes: Rusty basically goes Big Brother on Lisette because #relatable, and he's also like, even more pissed at the Harbingers b/c wow, really?? Again??? Dante and Alto are still hella rivals, but it's...slightly...more brotherly. Dante tends to rag on Alto for sneaking into the capital to check on Lisette so often, and Alto tries to explain the whole family thing. When Dante doesn't really get the connection thing Alto tries to explain using like, Dorothy as an example, and it goes something like this: A: if Dorothy was about to be hit by an attack she couldn't block but you could, wouldn't you jump in, even if you might get hurt?? D: ? No? Dorothy's at her best when she's getting revenge, plus she'd probably kill me for taking the hit. Plus why would I jump in and willingly get hurt?? A: ... Dorothy's the annoying little sister Alto has a love/hate relationship with, and if he's projecting Lisette onto her (especially after she takes off her hood) it's nobody's business but his own Hrodulf is Team Dad and you can pry that headcanon from my cold dead hands And yeah that's basically it?? Oh wait one more thing - Hilda's tuning still happens late game. Alto knows he's a conductor, and asks Hilda about tuning HER, and she explains the whole clock thing and how she wants to have it as a safety net or something. So yeah no broken songs early on rip. Anyways so, shit's going down and going down HARD, probably during the attack on Lambert (yknow, when Alto's an idiot and tries to single handedly take down the entire angel army. Yeah that still happens.) or some other such super climactic moment, and her song is what turns the tide and prevents everyone from dying. As usual. God her songs are so broken. Everyone still teams up to do the endgame stuff, except Ana lives because fuck you game, and if i can think of a work around Hrodulf lives too.

#stella glow au #stella glow #stella glow spoilers #sg spoilers #snowy writes

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rachelbethhines · 7 years

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Is it for me?

The Tosh Era

The Time Meddler - The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve

There was a lot changing of hands during the 3rd season of the show. Donald Tosh came in to replace Spooner as head writer. During the middle of his run Verity Lambert step down as producer and John Wiles took over. Neither he nor Tosh would last very long, both leaving in the middle of the season.

Where to Start

The Time Meddler is a fairly good jumping on point for the show. It introduces a new companion and reintroduces some of the main concepts of the series to the audience. While also setting up new ideas that would later become staples of the franchise.

However my previous warning of not trying to watch whole stories in one go applies doubly here, as The Daleks' Master Plan is the longest serial in the series; clocking in at 12 episodes. So take it slow.

Missing Episodes

This era has been hit the hardest by lost episodes. Only one serial exists in its entirety.

Galaxy 4 - Only one episode has been recovered. For the other three you’ll need recons or audio

Mission to the Unknown - is only one episode long and it’s missing. However there are multiple ways to experience it. First there is the recon and then the audio. There’s also a fan made animation that’s of the same quality as the BBC’s official animations and can be found online. Plus there is a fan made short film reenactment.

vimeo

Since this story was the first Doctor-lite episode, the film isn’t harmed by the lack of regulars and the parts can be recasted easily.

The Myth Makers - All of the episodes are missing. The only thing that exists is a short clip of Vicki’s leaving scene, and we’re lucky to even have that. Once again recons and audios to the rescue.

The Daleks' Master Plan - Only three parts of this twelve part epic exist. There’s some clips and of course, audios, recons, and a well regarded set if novelizations. One of which includes the novelization of Mission to the Unknown. There’s also a pretty popular fan animation of the episode “The Feast of Steven”, which was the first Christmas special.

youtube

It’s gotten taken down by the BBC before. So if you’re interested in seeing it, I’d watch it as soon as possible.

The Massacre - is also completely missing. You’ll have to follow the usual recourse of audios, recons, and/or novels.

Tone

Remember how I described the first era of Doctor as serious and dark, but not grimly so? Yeah, this era is grim and gritty. Everything from implied rape, to mass murder, to whole worlds blowing up, this is easily the darkest Doctor Who has ever gotten. Two companions die for good, two historical massacres happen, and one episodes ends with literally everybody dead.

Granted this is still a 1960s children show so nothing shown is very graphic or gory. It’s certainly no Game of Thrones by any means. Hell, it’s not even Torchwood. But it is devoid of humor for the most part (with The Time Meddler and “The Feast of Steven” being the exceptions) and if you’re looking for a lighthearted adventure series than this era isn’t for you. However if you love drama, lies, betrayal, and the thrill of never knowing who’s going to die next, then you might want to give this era a shot. Assuming you don’t mind recons.

The Doctor

This is arguably the era where the First Doctor makes his greatest strides towards being the hero we know him for. Surrounded by death, destruction, and the constant lost of friends, we began to see a Doctor humbled by his experiences and questioning if there’s more to life than just exploring for curiosity’s sake. Hartnell gives some of his most touching and profound performances during this era. Like little stars of hope against an increasingly darkening sky.

The Companions

Slight spoiler warnings as I do reveal which companions die during this era.

Vicki - As strong willed, adventurous, stubborn, and impetuous as ever, Vicki goes through very little change. She does however, grow even more independent than before promoting her to leave during the middle of the era. A girl from the far flung future choosing to stay in ancient history for love and adventure.

Steven - Steven is also a space pilot from the future, so this era marks one of the rare times in Doctor Who where the Doctor doesn’t travel with a companion from present day. Originally meant to replace Ian as the action man of the team, Steven actually winds up being something a fusion between Barbara and Ian. He has a strong moral backbone and becomes the Doctor’s conscience in their place. Like Barbara he tends to use his wits and his words to save the day rather than his fists, though he is capable of throwing a punch, but like Ian he’s more affable and is quite over protective of his friends.

What makes Steven unique, outside of Peter Purves wonderful performance, is that he takes on more of a big brother role rather than a parental one. Meaning he has a different dynamic towards Vicki and the rest of his female friends.

Katarina - Katarina is one of those companions who’s interesting on paper but lacking in execution. A sweet and mild mannered maid from ancient Troy, Katarina is flung into the horrors of the far future and finds herself way in over her head.

What really makes her interesting is that she views modern sci-fi concepts through the eyes of fantasy and magic. The Doctor is a demigod, his tardis a magical temple, the daleks monstrous cyclops, and her journey through time and space an adventure in the underworld. She may not know what pills or keys are, but she can piece two and two together and make out what they do even when she doesn’t fully understand how they work.

Sadly though the writers gave up on this idea halfway through and decided that writing for someone so different from the norm was too hard. Therefore, Katarina has the honored distinction of being the first companion to ever die; nobly sacrificing herself to save her new found friends and the rest of the universe.

Sara Kingdom - There’s a bit of debate on weather or not Sara counts as a companion. That all depends on how you define “companion”. Like Astrid Peth or Jenny from the new series, Sara is meant to fulfill the companion role but only for one story; as she dies at the end of The Dalek Masterplan. However, given that that particular story is extra long, and she travels on the Tardis to many different locations through out it; many are inclined to include her on the list. She even proved so popular that expanded media has given her an extended shelf life and many extra adventures outside of her one on screen story.

But why is she so popular? Well for two reasons; for starters she is the first action girl in the series. A trained soldier from the future, Sara is a ruthless combatant on the field; both with fire arms and her fists. The second reason is because she’s morally complex. When we first meet her, she murders her own brother in cold blood. All because her government ordered her to. Once she’s betrayed by the government she trusted and realizes she was duped into killing her family, she joins the Doctor in his quest all in the vain hope to seek revenge. A goal that ultimately becomes her undoing.

Personal Opinions

I do love the experimental nature of this time in Doctor Who, and I admire the chances they took, but overall this era is something of slog to get through. The lack of watchable episodes doesn’t help matters, but there’s also an issue of pacing as The Dalek Masterplan, while impressive in scope, has really no business being twelve parts. With some episodes seemingly having little to do with the over all story.

All in all it’s my least favorite of the various Hartnell eras, but it’s still Hartnell so I’ll go back to rewatch it more than some other doctors.

#doctor who #classic who #First Doctor #William Hartnell #donald tosh

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jenmedsbookreviews · 6 years

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The above picture pretty much sums up the start of this week. Snow, snow and more snow. In fact as of this morning, it still hadn’t all melted, such has been the pattern of snow and freezing temperatures all week. So freezing cold in fact that this sums up what happened Tuesday …

It dropped so cold that my freezer thought it didn’t need to chill my food anymore. Great for my electricity bill, less so for my grocery bill … Never mind. I needed a good clear out anyway.

Back onto more bookish matters, I received just the one parcel this week. Not sure if this was planned or because the Postman couldn’t get through but I am more than happy with the one I got. With massive thanks to Michael Joseph Books I am now the proud owner of an advance copy of The Darkness, part of the new series by Ragnar Jonasson. I am more than a little happy at this. I have had the book on order since January and also have the second on order which isn’t even out until 2019 … I like to be prepared.

Netgalley wise it’s fair to say I’ve had a nuts week, but in my defence every single one of them is for a blog tour so totally forgivable … Right? I picked up Richard Parker’s Keep Her Safe; Lucy Dawson’s The Daughter; Anna-Lou Weatherley’s Last Cry; Lisa Reagan’s Vanishing Girls and Jane Lambert’s The Start of Something Wonderful.

Purchase wise I’ve been semi restrained. Sort of. Only five books for me from Amazon – all preorders … James Nally’s Games With The Dead; Casey Kelleher’s The Broken; Sheryl Browne’s The Babysitter and Stephen Edger’s Cold Heart and James Oswald’s No Time To Cry (super excited for that one). May have also bagged a few from Goldsboro Books on pre-order: JOhn Connolly’s The Woman In The Woods; Sarah Hilary’s Come and Find Me; Hendrik Groen’s On The Bright Side and Fiona Cummins’ The Collector.

I need professional help. And some new bookcases.

Books I have read

The Perfect Neighbours by Rachel Sargeant

The perfect neighbours tell the perfect lies…

A dark and twisty psychological thriller from a rising star in the genre, perfect for fans of THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR. When Helen moves into an exciting new neighbourhood, she finds herself in a web of evil with no escape.

Behind the shutters lies a devastating secret…

When Helen moves abroad with her loving husband Gary, she can’t wait to meet her fellow expat teachers from the local International School. But her new start is about to become her worst nightmare…

As soon as the charming family across the way welcome Helen into their home, she begins to suspect that all is not as it seems. Then Gary starts to behave strangely and a child goes missing, vanished without a trace.

When violence and tragedy strike, cracks appear in the community, and Helen realises her perfect neighbours are capable of almost anything…

A twisted tale of murder and manipulation, this tale follows Helen as she starts a new life with her husband Gary in Germany. But what should be a perfect new beginning soon takes an unexpectedly dark turn which Helen is powerless to stop. I really enjoyed this debut and look forward to reading more by the author in the future. You can read my review here and purchase a copy of the book here.

…

Hydra by Matt Wesolowski

Before Scarfell Claw, there was Hydra… One cold November night in 2014, in a small town in the north west of England, 26-year-old Arla Macleod bludgeoned her mother, father and younger sister to death with a hammer, in an unprovoked attack known as the ‘Macleod Massacre’.

Now incarcerated at a medium-security mental-health institution, Arla will speak to no one but Scott King, an investigative journalist, whose ‘Six Stories’ podcasts have become an internet sensation. King finds himself immersed in an increasingly complex case, interviewing five witnesses and Arla herself, as he questions whether Arla’s responsibility for the massacre was a diminished as her legal team made out.

As he unpicks the stories, he finds himself thrust into a world of deadly forbidden ‘games’, online trolls, and the mysterious Black-eyed Children, whose presence extends far beyond the delusions of a murderess…

Dark, chilling and gripping, Hydra is both a classic murder mystery and an up-to-the-minute, startling thriller, that shines light in places you may never, ever want to see again.

Oh my life – this book. If you enjoyed Six Stories then it is quite possible this one was even better. It certainly was for me. Less who but why, this feels darker in tone, a Ring-esque vibe to it which I adored. Bravo Mr Wesolowski. My review will be published in a couple of weeks as part fo the tour, but if you can;t wait that long to find out about the book, it’s out on 24th December in ebook and can be ordered here.

…

Games With The Dead by James Nally

Irish runaway. Insomniac. Functioning alcoholic. Life is about to get complicated for DC Donal Lynch.

When a young woman is kidnapped, Donal is brought in to deliver the ransom money. But the tightly-planned drop off goes wrong, Julie Draper is discovered dead, and Donal finds his job on the line – a scapegoat for the officers in charge.

But when Donal is delivered a cryptic message in the night, he learns that Julie was killed long before the botched rescue mission. As he digs further into the murder in a bid to clear his own name, dark revelations make one thing certain: the police are chasing the wrong man, and the killer has far more blood on his hands than they could even imagine.

A gripping, brutal and addictive thriller, perfect for fans of Ian Rankin and James Oswald.

I really enjoyed the predecessor to this book so I was keen to see what poor put upon Donal Lynch had been up to this time. His relationship is strained, his brother is as gung-ho about journalistic ethics as ever and Donal is about to be stitched up like a ‘kipper’ over a doomed to failure ransom drop. All in a day’s work for the Detective who can communicate with the dead. Loved this and am thrilled to be part of the tour in a couple of weeks where I’ll share my thoughts. In the meantime, order your own copy here.

…

That was it reading wise. Again, not my best week but with a trip to Dublin in the mix and a lovely side trip this weekend to catch up with the fabulous Abbie Osborne, I’ll take it. For a recap of all that has happened on the blog this week, take a look below.

#BlogTour: The Silent Children by Carol Wyer

The #Bookvent Calendar 2017: Day 11

#Blogtour: Foul Trade by BK Duncan

#Blogtour: Follow The Snowflakes by Angelina Kerner

The #Bookvent Calendar 2017: Day 12

The #Bookvent Calendar 2017: Day 13

Review: A Game Of Ghosts by John Connolly

The #Bookvent Calendar 2017: Day 14

Review: Christmas At Carol’s by Julia Roberts

The #Bookvent Calendar 2017: Day 15

The #Bookvent Calendar 2017: Day 16

#BlogTour: The Perfect Neighbours by Rachel Sargeant

The #Bookvent Calendar 2017: Day 17

This officially means that blog has seen its last full on week of the year – from here on it is #bookvent and reading roundups all the way and I make no apologies for it. Gives me time to catch up on my reading and also gives me a well earned break.

By next Tuesday I will have posted at least once every single day for an entire year. 365 days of my inane ramblings in one form or another. If that hasn’t earned me a few days off, I don’t know what has.

Have a brilliant week all. I won’t ‘see’ you next week as it is Christmas but I’ll catch you all again in the New Year. Have a fabulous festive season and for those partaking, a brilliant Jólabókaflóðið (that’s book flood to thee and me apparently 😉 )

Jen

Rewind, Recap: Weekly Update w/e 17/12/17 The above picture pretty much sums up the start of this week. Snow, snow and more snow.

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