#izzy is also his own worst enemy

[nonpracticinghumanbeing]

I'm thinking about how some people STILL claim Edward wasn't abusive but just defending himself against Izzy's supposed abuse. And I'm thinking about the symbolism in 4 and 5 and I'm losing my fucking mind.

Izzy still doesn't feel like he belongs, even after everything the crew have done for him. His prosthetic leg is super wobbly because he STILL doesn't believe they want him now that the immediate danger is over. He has no idea how he fits in now or what is expected of him and his fragile new leg is a symbol of that. He keeps to himself, he drinks constantly and he snaps at every attempt at interaction from the crew. He believes he is alone, even among the crew.

Then he tries to intervene to save the crew *yet again* (if he was the selfish asshole the antis like to paint him as why on earth would he even bother to do this?) and the leg breaks - and Izzy is sure he is alone with it, as proven by his "we are born alone and we die alone" mantra. And what do the crew do? They fucking fashion him a new - much more stable and durable - leg. They go out of their way to fucking paint it gold. They drop it off at his door without any attempt at talking to him, which is a wonderful gesture of kindness on their part, proving that they know *exactly* what he needs.

And it literally changes Izzy, even if he doesn't like to show it. He finds his footing again, both figuratively and literally. He becomes more open towards Stede, offering to train him (also great character development for Stede, realizing just how incompetent he is and who to turn to for help). He starts fucking whittling to deal with his trauma (as unhealthy as this is, it is at least *an attempt* to deal with it). He pretty much returns to his pre-Kraken ways, going on raids with the crew and even getting complimented by Stede on his swordsmanship (because that's just *what he does*). An most importantly, he is treated by everyone as one of their own, meaning that they care for him and provide whatever help he needs.

Meanwhile, Edward starts as everyone's enemy. Stede is the only one who wants him around, with Izzy being unable to properly voice his feelings. They vote him out. They ALL want him gone, and not just his old crew. Everyone. They realize that at his worst he's capable of killing them all on a whim and they don't want him in their safe space. They LITERALLY call it a walk of shame because they realize Ed deserves punishment for his actions.

They DO eventually let him back in, but the circumstances of this are so damn telling. He's standing before him like a penitent, confessing his sins. He's wearing a sackcloth AND a bell that adds to his humiliation while making sure he doesn't sneak up on anyone ever again. This is LITERALLY a medieval penance ritual and he doesn't even try to argue with it because he knows that he deserves it and that it is necessary if he wants to be allowed back aboard the Revenge. So he just goes on slowly repairing the damage he's done one crew member at a time, knowing he has to put work into gaining their trust back.

It is all so beautifully written, with Izzy's new leg making him confident enough to sit around in Stede's room and put his fucking leg(s) on the desk and Edward owning up to his actions and allowing Lucius to punish him in whatever way he wants. It is CRYSTAL CLEAR which of them is fully redeemed in the crew's eyes and which has to work very hard to earn forgiveness.

#our flag means death #ofmd #izzy hands #ofmd meta #our flag means gay #blackbeard #ofmd season 2 #izzy canyon #i feel so validated right now #thank you daddy jenkins

[sky-fire-forever]

Being a Our Flag Means Death fan whose favorite characters are Izzy AND Ed is wild. Because I'll be in the Izzy Hands tag and I'll see posts about how horrible Ed is and how you shouldn't like him and how his arc sucked and actually he's terrible and unforgivable

And then I'll be in the Edward Teach tag and I'll see posts about how Izzy is the real villain and how him dying is so good for his arc and Ed is finally free of him

I genuinely think people who try to make either Izzy or Ed into the perfect victims who never did anything wrong are kinda... boring? I dunno. Imo pretending that either of them are completely innocent is a disservice to their characters. But so is acting like either of them are terrible, unforgivable people

Ed abused Izzy. He was nasty to him and incredibly physically violent towards him as a routine. He abused not only Izzy, but the entire crew. He was beyond cruel. He struggles with understanding the severity of his own actions and disassociates to deal with his more horrific crimes. He drives Izzy to a suicide attempt after abusing him directly and mutilating him repeatedly. He gives a non-apology and is grumpy when the people he tortured don't automatically forgive him

Ed is also a survivor of his own abuse, both from his father and Hornigold. He's someone who desperately wants to be a better person, but doesn't understand how. He's someone who loves people a lot, but who also genuinely doesn't understand what love IS. He doesn't understand romance or gentleness or how to exist in a world without violence. But he tries really hard to become something that doesn't come naturally to him. He tries to learn how to become a good person and gets frustrated when he makes mistakes

Ed constantly relapses into abusive tendencies or doesn't realize that his behavior is wrong. But he very genuinely TRIES. He's someone who clearly struggles with empathy, with understanding that what's fun for him is traumatizing to others. He struggles with understanding that just because he's ready to move on, that doesn't mean everyone else has to

I don't think that's a flaw in his writing! I think that's a character flaw and it's actually something about Ed that really, really interests me!

(I do think there's some issue in the way the narrative presents it, with the crew going along with Ed's non-apology and then Lucius being shamed for still being traumatized, but that's not the point of this particular post)

And then with Izzy

Izzy is a fucking dick. He's a jerk who lashes out against people who aren't part of the group he's deemed worthy of his protection. He views people as either allies or enemies, with very little room for something in between. His allies are only the people in his crew and everyone else can get fucked. He's quite selfish in certain ways and he doesn't care who gets hurt as long as it isn't himself or the people he cares about. He holds himself and others to standards of extremely toxic masculinity. He despises change and resorts to allying with his literal worst enemies just so he can get the guy he likes to be with him again. He's cruel and abusive towards those who are lower than him in rank, constantly making other people feel insecure.

He's also someone who is fiercely loyal, even to his own detriment. He's someone who admits when he's wrong and always tries to fix his own mistakes. When he loses the duel with Stede, he asks Ed to let him stay, but he doesn't actually fight it. He goes peacefully, even if he whines about it. He holds himself accountable to his word and to his bond. He's loyal to Ed as his captain and as his friend/lover. He's loyal to his own crew first and foremost. When he has the British attack The Revenge, it appears as though he saves Ivan and Fang, not just Ed. He expresses disappointment when members of their crew die saving Stede from the Spanish. He protects the Kraken Crew from Ed and even stands up to Ed when he realizes things have gone too far. He's someone who has longed for community, but has only found it recently

Izzy as a character is loyal to a fault. Loyal to Ed to the point where he'll get Stede killed rather than let Ed go soft and betray who he is. And I do genuinely think Izzy thinks Stede dying is the best possible course of action because he's an idiot who is going to get Ed killed because he's a fucking idiot. And Ed being so soft snd not being a pirate is also super dangerous when he's like. The most wanted pirate there is. Izzy is loyal to Ed and to his crew. He's someone who cares too much, but tries to act like he doesn't care at all. He covers up his own insecurity by insulting others and he has a LOT of insecurity

They're both just.... such great characters and I love them both. But neither of them are perfect. They're both so fucked up and that's part of why I love them

#ofmd #our flag means death #izzy hands #edward teach #queue-no steel

[amuseoffyre]

Ended up lying awake last night thinking of Ed and Zheng as mirrors of one another.

Both of them are at the top of their game, the Pirate Queen and the Legendary Blackbeard. Both of them are brilliant tacticians, clever and astute and excellent at reading a situation and using it to their benefit.

While Ed leans into visual Fuckeries with smoke and mirrors to inspire terror, awe and confusion, Zheng inclines more towards emotional Fuckeries. Auntie said it herself - "men are so fucking emotional" and Zheng uses that over and over again to get the results she wants.

We see it in the way Zheng takes control of situations with Bartholomew, Stede and Ricky. Where she lures them into a false sense of security, assures them, encourages them, tells them what they want to hear (only Ricky is more murdery than she anticipated, which is why that one goes so horribly wrong. She thought he was just weak. She didn't know he was spiteful and brutal - the fact he's someone with a legitimate source of power is the difference here. The others are desperate or have no other choice but he has choices and his choice is to be "the worst").

It's very similar to Ed's "fear is a powerful emotion: turn your enemy's fear against him and you'll own him". He uses it to make Stede run him through and to scare people into behaving and submitting. Both of them target peoples' emotions but while Ed goes for fear, Zheng goes for the soft underbelly, finding their emotional vulnerabilities and playing on them.

At the end of 2x08, Zheng does to Ed what Ed does to Izzy in 1x04: suggesting something she assumes he wants (Ed offering the captaincy to Izzy/vengeance for Izzy), indicating that there's a way to get it (Ed's retirement and vacating the spot / joining forces), flattery ('the crew are going to need someone who really knows the ropes' / 'the Pirate Queen *and* Blackbeard'). They operate using the same playbook and he recognises it when she not only tries it on him, but refocuses it on Stede to keep him sweet as well.

It's also a demonstration of the weaponising of gender and race for both of them. Ed is fully aware of how he is perceived and has seen it printed in black and white in the British propaganda. He hates it, but when he's in his deepest despair, he uses it, dressing and acting as they assume he will to terrorise them - the nine guns, the black around his eyes, calling himself "the fucking devil" after the print of the "the devil pyrate blackbeard".

Likewise Zheng knows there's a certain expectation of women, especially in a region where the colonising forces are primarily shown to be white, and uses it to her advantage to keep people off balance, knocking the emotional legs out from other people and keeping them down before they can work out wtf has happened. The scene with Bartholomew when he goes to the white guy first, then the black guy and only then to Zheng herself and the way she uses that to take control of the scene is beautiful. She also plays it sweet and nice and gentle, friendly and self-depracating, to make herself seem less of a threat, even when she has just kicked ass in front of them and they fall for it.

Both of them have a certain kind of reputation and an earned respect, but likewise, they are both also hankering for something else. A break in the day when it's become a bit of a grind. A bit of softness when everything else about their life is hard.

The difference comes from Zheng choosing the path she's on and expanding her conquests, while Ed has been pushed onto his by circumstance since childhood. Zheng actively pursues her ambition while Ed feels strangled by the reputation and name that precedes him.

I'm so curious where they'll take their arcs if/when we get S3, when Ed has made moves to step back from that life, but will inevitably be dragged back into it, while Zheng has faced her first major loss and needs to recalibrate and change her tactics.

#ofmd #ofmd meta #ed teach #zheng yi sao #blackbeard

[alexanderlightweight]

Mermay still :) how about a fic where Alec is a orca mer and Magnus is a megaladon? In this au, your "size" is determined by what species you are, so a dolphin mer would be about the size of an average human, whereas orca would be twice the size of a dolphin mer. Which means Alec, who is used to being on of the biggest mer around, is suddenly DWARFED by Magnus.

For plot, I was thinking maybe Alec's pod had set up in a new territory, only to find out Magnus had territory nearby. They are obviously afraid of him for being a muc bigger and deadlier predator than them, Magnus isn't super thrilled with the pod being nearby. Until one day when he's near the borders of there territory terrorizing them with his presence, he meets Alec, who was patrolling today and decided to go ask Magnus if he needed something because Magnus sets off allll his prey instincts and he's both not used to that, and kind of into it and it freaks him out.

every single week you do this to me. i also got requests to add more to your last prompt (which i'm getting to but like, i have to do some research first). not that i'm complaining, to be clear. i am wallowing, not complaining.

did i obsessively write this while making breakfast because @saeths got super excited about it? yes lol

ily babe

lumine

-

Alec stares with cold disdain at the dolphin mer who tried and failed to woo him. As much as his parents resent his refusal to take a mate, they also can’t push the issue. Alec is the only reason they were able to move their pod when mundane expansion and pollution intruded too far into their past territories.

That doesn’t mean, sadly, that they stop encouraging others to pursue him.

Most of the pod are dolphins and narwhals and while many have powerful tails and fins and some even know how to use their horns, they’re small. Which means that Alec is the only one of the pod who can take on their larger enemies. Those whose blood mingles more with squid and octopus.

Alec is exhausted from the long journey of finding a new territory and he’s only barely allowed himself to finally rest

“Alec—” Izzy says, and her voice is soft with fear, as if she’s afraid the current will take her voice to a predator. He’s never seen her so frightened.

“What is it?” He asks, trying to work his gills faster so he can wake up more quickly. “Did the scouting parties find something?”

“Our scouts made a mistake—” her lower lip trembles and a pearl slides down her cheek. “Alec we’re not in his territory, but we’re so close. He hasn’t done anything, but we can’t move again so soon Alec, the clave doesn’t know what to do.”

“Izzy you’re not making sense.”

“He’s a megalodon mer, Alec. He’s at least twice as big as you.”

Alec swallows, because he’s the biggest in his pod by a lot. The only way other mer can take him is if they swarm him and even that is hard with how powerful his tail is.

Alec shudders at the thought of an enemy even bigger than himself, because he’s never seen or met one.

“I’ll go.” Alec offers and then swallows hard at the gleam in Aline and Helen’s eyes. He’s never been sent to offer a tribute before except as a guard and it will be odd, being the one dressed to impress.

—

Magnus knows exactly what kind of mer has taken off the small open territory that Magnus has never bothered to claim. It’s an almost neutral route that is often taken by those he doesn’t care to waste time on.

However, the fact that he’s left it open doesn’t mean he’ll allow just anyone to live so close to him. Especially not when they’re annoying, chirpy little dolphin and dancing narwhals who flinch at his shadow and scream at his teeth.

The water reeks of fear and it’s feeding Magnus’ hunger, making it grow quickly until he’s ravenous and hunting only two days after he last feed.

He gluts himself on fish and small whales and then moves to where a small current will help him clean his hair and nails of the worst of the gore.

If it happens to also be on the border of the new pod’s territory and his own, where they can see him dipping his fingers casually into a current that could rip off any of their own limbs and lets the scent of blood fill the water.

Well, it’s still Magnus’ home.

If they’re intimidated, they can leave.

That’s his opinion for the first two days at least, until he finds a very clear tribute post near to his border and the pods but without actually crossing into his own. It shows a healthy dose of wariness and fear, though it’s a bit disappointing. Magnus thought he might actually get a fight or two before they submitted to his rule.

He leaves an agreement, takes the meager offering and then crushes it, leaving the remains behind.

If they think Magnus is like any great white, easy to please with a little bit of groveling another nothing of impressive value, then he’ll send them back to wherever they fled.

—

“You don’t remember what sharks like as tributes?” Alec asks dryly, ready to slap Imogen into the cave wall and Jia gives him a nervous look.

“We grew lax—” Jia admits slowly, which is as good as acknowledging they just started relying on Alec as soon as he outgrew the rest of his pod.

“So, then I’ll wear what you want but I’ll pick what to take.” Alec retorts, because he’s not taking a megalodon twice his size sea grapes.

There are murmurs from the elders and Alec snorts, because the clave can either do it his way or they can try it out on their own and honestly, they’re all to scared to.

Alec isn’t taking kelp baskets or anything else to a treaty with a predator.

Instead, once he’s dressed, he takes a moment to see how he moves with all the decorations and accessories they put him in and then, when he’s used to it, he hunts.

It takes time and strategy to get the most impressive squid he can, rather than just the easiest. Alec can’t afford to offer insult instead of respect.

He gets the squid wrapped up in kelp to make it easier to transport and then sets out with it trailing behind him. He gets as close as he dares to without permission and then lingers on the edge of a current that would batter him but break others of his pod.

Alec doesn’t want any interruptions or pod members spying on such an important meeting, especially if the presence of others could set off such an intense predator.

—

Magnus scents freshly killed, delicious squid and he swims towards the scent. It’s too close to his territory line to be anything other than a gift, a taunt, or a very deadly mistake.

It’s a gift.

Magnus has never seen a mer dressed so prettily that wasn’t some kind of tribute. He’s also only seen a few orca mer and never any as big as the one drifting on the lines of the territory.

He has a squid nearly as big as he is and it’s tied with kelp, clearly an additional offering that he’s hunted himself.

“Oh—” Magnus croons, sharp teeth gnashing at the taste of awe and the scent of a predator recognizing another as he gets closer. “Where were they hiding you?”

The mer bristles, not surprised by his presence but there is something proud in the gleam of his eyes, “I wasn’t hiding.” His eyes are dark and watchful but as Magnus circles him, his tail sways with clear discomfort as he takes in the clear difference in their sizes.

Magnus’ little mer is used to being the biggest in a territory, that much is clear, and Magnus is sure the little orca has taken down many lesser sharks with ease.

“Oh no, of course not.” Magnus soothes and he moves his tail in an idle slap to the water behind him, smirking as the ripples he creates rock his little visitor. “You wouldn’t hide, not from me. The others though, they kept you away. I haven’t seen you and I’ve been watching.”

“I don’t like a lot of noise.” Is said quietly, “I sleep on the far side, in the deep caves. It’s further away from any territory lines and also our least defensible. It made sense that I’d rest there, keep alert.”

Which is perfect, because Magnus also dislikes the tedium and noise of mer pods.

“And you needed rest for so long?” Magnus asks, circling again and watching hungrily as the mer’s gills flutter.

“We uh, hit a jellyfish field when we got close.”

—

Magnus knows exactly what he’s talking about and he makes a deep, clicking noise that normally makes prey go still but has his mer swaying towards him. It’s easy for Magnus, but for regular mer, the field is a horror and tragedy waiting to happen. It’s more shocking that so many survived and are uninjured than anything else and Magnus realizes it’s because his tribute took the brunt of it.

Magnus gets closer, inspecting the skin under the layers of delicately woven pearls and shiny decorations. There are small, angry lines of silver across his mer’s skin and Magnus presses fingers to the nearest ones, earning himself a hitched breath.

“Your name?” Magnus asks, because he’s too impatient to wait any longer.

“Alec, Alexander by the old tongue.”

“Magnus Bane.” Because even though mer do not have pod names like humans, and Magnus has no pod, he is still renown.

He has a name because he has become a bane to all who cross him.

“Alexander,” Magnus says, and he reaches out to grip Alexander’s neck, just below his gills, so that his thumb teasingly caresses the sensitive membranes. It’s an incredibly intimate gesture and Alexander whines and goes still, staring at Magnus in shock.

“I accept the tribute.” Magnus tells him, “and in return for such an impressive mate, I will allow your former pod to remain. I will even

“Wha-?” Alexander starts to ask and then he nods, eyes wide and gills kissing the tip of Magnus’ thumb.

Magnus moves slowly, pressing his tail up against Alexander’s sleek, smooth one and Alexander goes instinctively still. Magnus skin is smooth against him, so long as he doesn’t try to move away.

“You’re worth far more than a small feeding ground, aren’t you Alexander?” Magnus has killed tributes trying to offer themselves to him before, but Alexander is the only one who has ever caught his eye.

—

Alec has a moment where he almost explains, and then he decides it really doesn’t matter.

Even if Magnus were willing to forgive the misunderstanding, he’s not going to be willing to let Alec’s pod stay without something of equal worth and now that Alec knows how much value Magnus sees in him, he finds he doesn’t really care.

Alec’s body is covered in scars and while he likes fighting, he’s tired of it being for the survival of other people. Especially when half the mer in his pod do stupid things, convinced of their own hubris because they expect Alec to come save them.

Magnus is three times his size, not the two Izzy predicted, and his hands could cover the entirety of Alec’s gills, but he’s being gentle in a way the pod stopped being long ago. For all that they covet Alec’s size and skills, even those in his family unit stopped being soft, as if Alec is always a weapon and protection both.

Magnus is treating him like he’s delicate kelp, like he’s something fierce and incredible but still precious and it makes Alec warmer than the sun on the surface ever has.

“Magnus—” he murmurs because words are lost to him and it’s all he can think of to say.

The massive, heavy tail against his own presses closer and Alec shifts, shivering when he can feel the promising bite of Magnus’ tail against his own. The scales of Magnus’ tail are larger than any shark he’s fought and if he moves wrong, he’ll be shredded.

Magnus merely chuckles and pulls him closer, so that the scales are smooth against him once more.

“As long as you stay close, you’ll be fine.” Magnus tells him, the hand not holding Alec’s throat and gills wrapping around his waist. Fingers play where his body melds from torso to tail and Alec gasps out a stream of bubbles at how intimate such a simple gesture can be.

#lumines writes #writing wednesday #writing wednesdays #malec #shadowhunters #magnus bane #alec lightwood #shadowhunters au #my fics #my fanfics #my ficlets #the open sea

[izzysillyhandsy]

Izzy has love for Ed. Ed has love for Izzy.

Ed loved Izzy as best he could. Izzy loved Ed as best he could.

And it wasn't only not good enough, in the end it was actively bad, a destructive, unhealthy, co-dependent love for both of them.

But!

We don't know when and how it started (Izzy's "all my life" implies a very long time) and what happened between them in the years and years they spent together. We don't know if there were good, happy times once. Or at least content and/or exciting ones. What we do know is how important Ed is to Izzy, and vice versa. They built their whole lives around each other.

Yes, their relationship was (at least in the end, maybe always) damaging to both of them, to put it lightly. But I think they didn't know it could be any other way and painfully held onto each other 'cause this is as good as it gets - at least we don't fuck each other over. At least this one person will never leave me. If we go down, we go down fighting side by side. And if we live another day, there's this one person I can trust to help me survive.

And then Stede comes along. And shows both of them this radical new concept - a soft and sweet kind of love, affection, enjoying each other's company in a light, sunny way. Just having fun, nothing life-and-death about it! Two people immediately getting each other, talking, laughing, being comfortable. Ed immediately falls for it and is the happiest he's ever been. For Izzy it takes a while, and it has to trickle down and be filtered through the crew for him to accept it (also his armour had to be cracked by the Kraken to make even that possible).

For Ed (and also, to an extent, for Izzy) this is the first time in their life they got a taste of a healthy relationship - it can also be like this?

This is only the start of it of course. Love unfortunately isn't that easy. But Ed will get there with Stede, and Izzy will get there (and faster than any of us thought judging by his character development in the first 3 episodes alone).

But...

Edward Teach and Israel Hands, old married couple, best friends, mentor and pupil?, captain and first mate, maybe (ex-)lovers, probably not, their worst enemies, the perfect team, two very troubled men, taking each other down to the brink of death. Obviously theirs wasn't a healthy relationship! But that doesn't mean that their love for each other is worth less and shouldn't have happened. It also doesn't mean that the way forward is to stop that love (as if that was so easy).

This show is all about learning to love in a healthy, mature, non-destructive way - be it romantic love, friendship, the love of (found) family or (most importantly) self-love.

I'm absolutely certain both Eddie and Iz will get there in the end, not us-two-against-the world, not as a romantic couple. But each in their own way and, hopefully, still remaining loosely bound to each other by mutal hard earned respect and love. That's all I hope for for them <3.

#ofmd s2 spoilers #ofmd season 2 spoilers #edward teach #izzy hands #this is a bit of a reaction to all the toxic relationship posts out there #yes yes of course it is an unhealthy relationship #but it's our unhealthy relationship #years and years of shared experiences mean something especially with such a close bond #it had to end ofc and well done show for how it ended still a bit shaky over here #ofmd

[run-me-through-but-not-like-that]

ooohhh, maybe a fic where reader is a pirate too, the captain of their own ship? maybe they had an agreement not to fight with blackbeard and even be allies, but they just heard about the toe thing and now izzy has to hold them back so they don't violently dismember ed, lol

I'll Kill Him:

As soon as the ship came into sight, Izzy recognise it. Its flag was raised high and proud, making sure it couldn't be missed.

"Should we get the captains?" Oluwande asked, frowning slightly. The ship was definitely approaching them but who would risk raiding a ship that flew Blackbeard's flag.

"They won't attack us, prepare to let them board," Izzy sighed, already feeling the migraine coming on.

"...seriously?" Normally Izzy wouldn't be so lenient with one of Bonnet's crew questioning him but the concern was fair if they didn't know better.

"They're old allies. Just do it," was all the information Izzy gave.

"And the Captains?"

"...wait for now..."

Izzy watched from the quarterdeck as the ships lined up, a friendly approach considering a canon hadn't been fired. He watched as you boarded the ship, shaking his head. A captain shouldn't board another ship alone but your arrangement with Blackbeard was an unique one.

The majority of your crew, including your stony first mate, stood at the railing of your ship, watching. Waiting to see if their assistance would be required. They understood the peace between you and the other captain but you had sought out the Revenge in a rage, making them wonder if it still stood.

You assessed the crew with a stern expression, figuring out what to make of them. Izzy waited to see what conclusion you came to.

"You," you pointed to Lucius, who scrambled over and stood to attention. He could be a right twat but he wasn't stupid. "Where is your captain?"

"Uh...which one?" the scribe asked nervously, hoping you wouldn't think he was being difficult on purpose.

You frowned a little before putting the pieces together. So, that part of the rumours was true...

"...he took him back?!" you snapped in disbelief.

"Uh...I guess you want Captain Teach?" Lucius decided not to get into Stede's return.

That was when a familiar voice called your name, saving the scribe from your wrath. Though, all of the anger fell away from your face when you turned to see Izzy approaching you, a grin on your face instead.

"There you are!" you approached like an old friend, arms held out at your sides, "thought you weren't going to welcome me aboard for a minute."

Izzy grumbled as you pulled him into a hug. He didn't resist but he didn't wrap his arms around you either. Had to uphold his reputation at least a little after all.

You were still smiling when you stepped back. At least, you were until your gaze dropped to the cane he clutched. Instantly grimacing at the fire raging behind your eyes once again.

Of course, you were disgusted by his weakness. The cane being a dead give away of what, he was sure, you had already heard rumours about. He refused to hang his head in shame.

"Fucking Blackbeard," you muttered through your teeth before turning away from him. "Edward fucking Teach!" you called, the same shout you would use when taunting an enemy to fight you, "get your arse out here!"

The crew quickly when from cautiously curious to completely stunned. They had taken part in their fair share of raids now and couldn't believe you would address the fearsome Blackbeard in such a way, even if they had come to know him as Edward now. They had also had a taste of him at his worst.

Thankfully, you didn't have to storm into the captain's cabin because the two captains soon came running out to see what was going on.

"Uh, who are you?" Bonnet asked with a small frown, unsure whether this would be another Calico Jack incident. Should he be welcoming a friend of Edward's or shooing them away before they can do any damage.

"Seriously, Edward? Everything that happened and you're co-captaining again?" you asked, sounding almost disappointed in him but your anger was more prominent.

"Not that it's any of your business but we have talked all of that out," Bonnet huffed defensively.

"Does he speak for you now?" you raised an eyebrow. You weren't here to speak with the Gentleman Pirate after all.

"Of course not," Edward sighed, rolling his eyes at you. "What are you doing here?" he would have greeted you with more excitement, if you hadn't come here with obviously hostile intentions.

"I had hoped the stories Jackie told me were just rumours, imagine my surprise when I decide to visit and find your first mate needing a cane just to walk across the deck," you glared the pirate captain down.

"Y/n," Izzy sighed, shaking his head, "that's why you're here?"

"That's why-of course that's why I'm here!" you spun back round to face the first mate. Did he really think you wouldn't have something to say about all the nonsense that happened over the last few months? "Seriously, Izzy, I told you that you should have accepted my offer years ago," you sighed, thinking about how this whole thing could have been avoided.

"So, that's why your here," Edward scoffed, "trying to poach my first mate. I thought we settled this."

You faced Edward again with another harsh glare. "We settled it until you fucking mutilated him!"

"It's more complicated than that," Izzy insisted, coming up by your side.

"What? Eddie had his feelings hurt so had to dismember you?" you knew you were taunting him, pushing all the right buttons, but you didn't care.

"Fuck you," Edward spat, Stede sharing his sentiment.

"Well, that sounds enough like a challenge for me," you smirked, unsheathing your sword with a little flare.

With a smirk of his own, Edward accepted by drawing his own sword. "Edward...is this necessary?" Bonnet asked, eyeing the other ship nervously. The crew wasn't exactly prepared for a raid and you seemed like you meant business.

"Stand down. Both of you," Izzy demanded, even if he had no authority over either of you.

"I'm the Captain, Iz," Edward reminded him without taking his eyes off of you.

"And a Captain only lives if his crew allows it, you should know that," you reminded him, threat clear in your words. "How many mutiny attempts has our dear Mister Hands put down?" you asked, earning a glare from Edward as he stepped forward.

The crew watched on intently, honestly a little excited to see the two captains duel.

Your smirk grew as you approached him, sword firmly in your hand.

"Enough," Izzy grabbed your arm, jerking you to a halt, before demanding, "Bonnet, make yourself useful."

Stede got the hint and hurried over to Edward, holding him back and trying to dissuade him. He wasn't the biggest fan of Izzy but if he thought this duel would be a bad idea, he was probably right about something.

"You should let me fucking kill him," you seethed, addressing Izzy but glaring at Edward. "But I'm feeling forgiving, so I'm thinking I might only take a foot," your smile was twisted, sadistic if Izzy hadn't known any better. But he did know better.

You always had been protective over those you called friends, even back on Hornigold's ship.

"I don't need you fighting for my honour or some shit," Izzy scoffed.

"Are we fighting or not?" Edward asked, his glare nearly as cruel as yours.

"Oh we're fucking fight, you bastard," you lunged towards Blackbeard, only to have Izzy catch you and hold you back.

"This is ridiculous!"

But what broke out next was an even more ridiculous scene.

Edward stood seething beside Stede as you spat vitriol at him, making all sorts of threats, each one Izzy was certain you would follow through on if he released you. Each one worse then the last.

You fought against Izzy's hold, occasionally slipping loose but only to be pulled back by the first mate.

"Izzy, get their ass off my ship," Edward ordered. "Or our agreement is off the table," he settled a heavy glare on you. Threatening you like you weren't the one to track him down with the intention of dismembering him.

"Fuck your agreement, Edward. If you want fight, fucking do it," you tried to tug out of Izzy's hold, but to no avail.

"Off my ship. Now," Edward snarled before letting Stede pull him back into the captain's cabin.

In an instant you spun around to face Izzy, the speed and force of your movement causing him to stumble back. Thankfully, you caught him by the arm before he could lose his balance. He used to have impressive balance, helped make him such an impressive fighter, but you were certain his missing toe had impacted that.

"You should let me gut the fucker," you insisted.

"Obviously, I can't let you do that," Izzy rolled his eyes.

"He cut off your damn toe, Izzy," you said, as if he needed reminding.

Izzy huffed, shifting as he became aware of the number of eyes on him. "Can we talk about this somewhere else?" he asked.

"Fine," you sighed, knowing this was a private conversation.

You didn't speak as you followed Izzy down to his cabin, ignoring the rest of the crew.

"He took your toe, Iz," again, he really didn't need to be reminded, but you said it anyway once the door was closed. There was another part of the rumour, more speculation than usual, some people believed it some people didn't. However, knowing how impulsive Edward could sometimes be, you couldn't rule it out. "Did...is it true, that he made you eat it?" you asked.

Izzy glanced at you before sitting down on the edge of his cot with a heavy sigh, "yeah."

A beat of silence.

"Can I see it?"

"It's not-"

"Please, Iz."

Izzy looked up at you for a moment before nodding. He knew that you just needed to see the proof, wanted to see how bad the damage was, you weren't enjoying this anymore than he was.

You just watched as Izzy removed his boot and unwrapped his bandages. Neither of you spoke as you knelt down in front of him, lifting his injured foot into your lap. Cradling it.

Izzy bit back his complaints that as captain shouldn't be kneeling for somebody else but you weren't a pirate captain right now, were you? No, you were his friend. Somebody who cared about him. You always had, hadn't you?

Instead, he just watched as you examined the injury. You were well experienced in controlling your facial expressions, but he still caught the sadness in your eyes.

"It looks like it healed alright. Did it get infected?" you asked quietly.

"Yeah...Roach managed to salvage it before I had to lose another toe," Izzy answered honestly.

"And you're still here..." you thought out loud before looking up at him. "You know I admire your loyalty, I always have, but...I can't help but think it may be misplaced."

"I threatened my Captain, he punished me. Any other captain would have killed me," Izzy insisted, it sounding a little like a script, like this has been what he's been telling himself since it happened.

"But Edward isn't just your Captain, he's suppose to be your friend. You've known each other for decades," you reminded him, "even Jack was speechless when he heard, and he normally finds this type of shit hilarious."

"You saw Calico?" Izzy asked but wasn't too surprised. Of course the bastard wasn't dead, maybe nothing could kill that cockroach.

"Oh yeah, drinking his sorrows down in Jackie's. Until she kicked him out, of course," you nodded.

"Useless bastard," Izzy grumbled, earning a small smile from you before you glanced back down at his foot.

"...does it still hurt?" you asked.

Izzy sighed. He had hoped you had forgotten about his foot, even if it was still in your lap. "Yeah, sometimes," he admitted, "most of the time. On bad days it goes right up to my hip."

"When it hurts, you take care of it by yourself?"

"Obviously," he huffed, no real bite to it.

"Ed doesn't help?" You felt like you already knew the answer.

"Don't think he knows how bad it can get. Thinks I'm just down a toe," he explained.

You carefully placed his foot down and stood before joining him on the cot, sitting close enough that your thigh touched his.

"I'll kill him," you whispered, more so to yourself than to Izzy.

"You and Ed have been friends for nearly as long as I've known him. You'd kill him because he took my toe?" Izzy asked, like he didn't believe it. Couldn't believe it.

"Don't act like you don't already know that," you sighed, the way you looked at him stealing the breath from Izzy's lungs. Yeah, he did know that. "You know I would, Iz. When I heard about what happened, I demanded that Jackie told me where the Revenge was last sighted. Had to come see if the rumours were true, and if they were...I had to kill or dismember Edward," you told him as if it were nothing, just a simple fact of life. For you, it was.

"I don't understand you," Izzy sighed, staring down at his lap.

"Oh c'mon, you know I've always sweet on you. Never tried to hide it," you nudged your shoulder against his, your words coming easy and with no shame. Just another fact.

You were sweet on him.

You cared for him.

You would kill Edward for him.

"Never understood that either," Izzy confessed.

You loved him.

And he lov-

"I'm going to ask again," you warned him.

"Please, don't," Izzy pleaded, bracing himself.

"Come with me, sail with me. Be my first mate. Fuck it, if Blackbeard can co-captain, so can I. Be my first mate or be my co-captain. Just come with me," you took his hand in yours, holding it in your lap.

Izzy at least did the decent thing at met your gaze as you spoke. As you pleaded with him to leave with you. As you silently promised to take care of him.

"I can't."

"You can," your thumb brushed over his palm, making him shiver, "and you should."

"I can't."

"I won't stop asking." Another simple fact of life.

You wouldn't stop asking.

You wouldn't give up on him.

"I know," Izzy found himself smiling slightly.

"And if Ed thinks he can make me leave this ship before I'm ready to go, he's obviously forgotten who I am," you huffed. You weren't leaving until you were ready, until you said everything you wanted to say.

"As stubborn as he is," Izzy agreed with a small nod, making you chuckle.

You just watched him for a moment. The slightest smile on his face, the pain in his eyes mixed with...something else.

"Fuck, Iz," suddenly feeling an intense wave of sympathy, you practically threw yourself at him. Arms circled around his neck as you embraced him.

"Wha-"

"Shut up," you mumbled into his shoulder.

And he did. Izzy let out a shaky breath before slowly returning your embrace, giving up his weak attempt at resisting and burying his face into the crook of your neck.

"I don't care what you did, Izzy. If I were here, I wouldn't have let him hurt you, would have killed him if he tried. I don't even care if he was justified, people don't hurt my Israel and get away with it," you spoke into his hair, fingers running through his hair.

"I'm not your anything," he reminded you. Still, he tightened his hold on you.

"Not from lack of trying," you retorted. His grip tightened further.

"Are you going to kill him?" Izzy asked after a short silence, knowing that the two of you couldn't stay down here forever.

"...no. Only because I know it would hurt you," you conceded, pulling away from the embrace, cupping his neck in your hands, touch gentle and caressing. "But I am going to be having a word with him," you told him, using that tone that told him there was no point arguing.

He was looking at you in that way he did sometimes. Reverently. Like you were God's gift.

"My offer will always stand. If you ever decide to leave, there will always be a place for you with me," you promised him, running your thumb along his jaw. Izzy lent into the soft touch.

You wet your lips with the tip of your tongue as you watched him, deciding to take the chance. You closed the distance between the two of you, pressing your lips to his. Izzy didn't hesitate for a moment, like he had been expecting it, hoping for it. He didn't deny himself this one thing, desperately melting into you instead.

It wasn't the first kiss the two of you had shared during your time knowing each other but it had been so long that it felt like the first. And for the first time Izzy truly knew you would do anything for him. It only made this whole thing that much more difficult.

You weren't sure how much time had passed by the time you and Izzy remerged back onto the deck, but you didn't really care. Still ignoring the tense crew, you marched right over to the Captains' cabin

You didn't know, you just let yourself in. Edward could earn your respect back another day.

"I thought I told you-" Edward was up from his seat in an instant, glaring and pointing at you.

"Shut it, Teach," you rolled your eyes. To your surprise, he actually went silent. His glare remained. "You ordered me to leave but since when did I ever listen to you?"

"So, did you steal my first mate?" Edward asked bitterly, as if Izzy wasn't standing right beside you.

"Nah, he turned me down once again," you shrugged, trying not to lash out at Edward's smug look. "He should have accepted my offer, any sane man would, but it's always been Blackbeard and First Mate Hands, right?" you added.

"And always will be," Edward reminded you.

"Until you decide you've changed your mind," you agreed.

"What are you implying?" Edward growled.

"I'm not implying anything, and I'll get out of your hair, but one more thing..."

"Which is?"

You stepped up to Edward until you were only inches away from him, holding his gaze with no fear. Izzy watched you, hoping his awe didn't show on his face. Stede anxiously glanced between you both, wondering if he should step in.

"If you ever lay a hand on him again, I will kill you, Edward. I don't care what he does, I don't care if he kills half the crew, if you so much as slap him, I will kill you. Right in front of your crew," you threatened. Edward had known you long enough to know when your threats were real. This one certainly was.

"Now, I don't-" Stede began to protest but you didn't give him a chance.

"And you," you practically growled, pointing at Stede accusingly. "If you ever leave or hurt Edward again, I will track you down and kill you," your threat had the blond widening his eyes and going speechless.

"Do you both understand?" you asked, looking between them both.

"Yes," Stede nodded. Of course, he had no plans on hurting or leaving Edward ever again, so it would be an easy promise to keep.

"You've always been a protective friend," Edward recalled, almost fondly.

"Yeah. Just don't forget that my loyalties lie more with Izzy than they do you," you warned.

"You never let me forget it," Edward rolled his eyes.

Deciding that this conversation was over, you nodded and turned back to Izzy. "Remember what I said. No matter what, there's a place for you. Always will be."

"I know," Izzy nodded. And he really did, which made it all the more painful.

You sighed but accepted the answer before leaving the cabin, Izzy following after you. If Edward didn't like that, he could tell him about it later.

You didn't care if the crew was around, you gave Izzy one last hug before you returned to your ship, greeted by your diligent first mate before they shouted to raise the anchor.

On either ship, you and Izzy stood at the railing. Focused on nothing but each other, watching the distance between you both expand once again.

#israel hands x reader #izzy hands x reader #izzy hands #ofmd izzy #ofmd #our flag means death

[katyspersonal]

🤥 LYING, ☀️SUN, 🕷️SPIDER, 🙉 HEAR-NO-EVIL, 🎭 MASKS, ☁️ CLOUD for Izzy!

💢 ANGER, 😨 FEARFUL, 🙈 SEE-NO-EVIL, 🌱 SEEDLING, 👑CROWN, ☁️ CLOUD for Archibald!

(Asks from this ( x ) meme)

(Yeah, this ask meme is originally for OCs x) I just mentioned in the original reblog that sending asks for canon characters, especially very obscure ones was okay too!)

For Izzy:

🤥 LYING - are they good liars? do they have tells to show they're lying?

Izzy can lie, but doesn't want to! People mostly can't tell she's lying unless she lets them know, and she will snap and admit bullshit because of the pure discomfort. She just prefers to be direct! The one successful lie she committed to was pretending to join the League on their own terms, hiding that her true motivation was to study whatever weird "filth" Valtr was raving about and hopefully benefit from it!

☀️ SUN - are they a morning person? what is the first thing they do in the morning?

Izzy's mornings are normally long and idle, she takes her sweet time to "properly" wake up always chilling for some more time in bed, combing her hair, thinking about her dreams, then napping some more but in another spot.. After her waking up add 1-2 hours until she actually wake up for the day (unless there is emergency). When that happens, she washes her face with a cold water. She also stretches the same way cats do xD

🕷️ SPIDER - what is their biggest fear? do they have any irrational / mundane fears?

Izzy is, in fact, scared OF irrational people! Not something most people expect from someone so beasthood-affiliated, but Izzy has plenty of logic and reason. Dangerous people that can yet provide her a coherent idea of their reasoning and motivation like Laurence (or Micolash before his 'fanatic' era) don't bother her beyond being ideological enemies. People like Logarius, Ludwig or the Choirlings, on the other hand, put a pit in her stomach...

She conquered her fears to the point of being reasonably careful to not get herself harmed and killed and will turn tail if being shot at or threatened by a much stronger enemy without a damage for her pride. What counts as 'worst nightmare' is being bewitched by a Great One to the point of losing freedom and self, similarly to how Ludwig, Micolash and many Choirlings got charmed by their guy (well, girl). Thankfully, she is associated with Fauna the Great One beast that is more cooperative and on the contrary honours autonomy; even speaking or fighting in sync with him feels for her like it makes her more, not less.

🙉 HEAR-NO-EVIL - what is the worse thing your oc could hear from someone?

You should NEVER let her be aware that she is not as different from Laurence as she thinks she is. At some point Izzy does become aware and both him and Laurence are very far gone, but do NOT tell her this before she is 'ready' :')

🎭 MASKS - do they act differently around certain people? what's different between the way they act around friends, family, strangers, etc.?

Izzy is rather insolent around his 'ideological enemies' and likes to troll them for a good measure when he isn't busy trying to make them THINK, very on-edge and aggressive around 'fanatic' type of enemies that scare her, both friendly and pulling the over-familiar rudeness with strangers. With friends she is very caring and understanding, even if she might be rude or abrasive without meaning to hurt them (simply very open, honest and emotional). She could not bring herself to hurt a friend even if they ditch her or straight up betray her, the worst she will do is to have a kicked puppy attitude... But her friendship is hard to earn.

He tends to give a thought to societal rejects and straight up "bad" people, not in Djura's 'we all might end up like this tho :(' kind way but in 'I believe what we hate is natural for humans' way.. This trait of his strongly accelerated ever since Healing Church started propaganda and amount of declared "heretics" increased. When Izzy crushes on someone she doesn't know what to 'do' about it and simply shows more affection to this person... She doesn't even bother with confession, let alone understanding how relationship and dating works! But when someone attracts her sexually, she will be open with her.. uhhh, compliments, let's call it that. 98% of his family memories and interactions are his father and Izzy really resents him.

☁️ CLOUD - a soft headcanon

Izzy was the second person that accepted Garlan (Suspicious Beggar) for who he really is, a rare person with Loran descent that was born with beastly traits lurking. First was his father, lurking as kind of a Loran Cleric but electric-leaning rather than fire. Izzy and Garlan liked having friendly fights with scratching and biting, like kittens xD Also, when Garlan devolved into a beast form, Izzy enjoyed scratching his belly :3

For Archibald:

💢 ANGER - what are some habits they have that will take some getting used to?

He is a very pragmatic, often cynical man, taking calculated risks and only bothering investing emotions and time in "worthy" people. This can make people, even his friends, develop very negative impression of him and think he is an adaptable rat with no morals that just joins the winning side or the one useful for him. It would take time to internalise that he is more complex than this and does have a heart. People need quite a heart-to-heart, or to see him beat the shit out of someone that hurt his friend, to lessen the negative opinion unless they're basically mind-readers hahah. He also might be a bit snappy and rude when he is strongly focused on something, which is unbearable when you NEED to tell him something!

😨 FEARFUL - when scared, do they go into "flight" or "fight"?

He tends to retreat to calm down his senses and figure an efficient way to eliminate the threat. 'Fight or flight' refers to state of anxiety transcending rational thinking and it is extremely hard to get him be like this! But if it happens, he will rather flight.

🙈 SEE-NO-EVIL - whats a side of your oc that they don't want to show other people?

He doesn't like to show his emotional side, that he is not always so collected and pragmatic and still has weaknesses. It is one thing to need to communicate that he does have morals and heart despite using what opportunities he has, and will cheat his principles when someone genuinely needs to be punished. But it is another thing to admit that these seized, hidden emotions can be STRONG, and that he struggles all the time.

🌱 SEEDLING - what is their most vivid memory from childhood?

He witnessed a person getting struck by lightning. And not only he was fascinated, but also afterwards was a bit too eager to see the corpse with fascinating scars. He remembers both the event itself, and the reaction he received from others telling him what callous, cruel, crazy child he was. Plenty of children develop curiosity before they developed compassion and morals, and he was one of them. He still sometimes thinks back on how little he cared about that person dying before his eyes, especially since he knew him.. But at least, his interest in physics and specifically electricity got into him that day! He knew what he wanted to study since childhood, even if by such a "striking" event haha

👑 CROWN - what does your oc want to be remembered as? why?

He always wanted to be of help for humanity and simply be credited as progenitor of many follow-up inventions and inspiration for follow-up scientists! He knew his name would be in every book about physics... Well, due to circumstances, most of his inventions were weapons or otherwise helpful in military. He has some regrets, becoming the 'guy that invented more ways to kill' more than someone known for his inventions that would turn useful whenever Eldrich Nightmare ends. As a person, he wanted to be remembered as someone with the heart and morals despite how many deals with coincidence he HAD to make to proceed, and that can come true since he not only conducted research that was "heretical" amongst Healing Church hunters but died taking down a Vicar that was somehow even more evil than Laurence. Depends on what the descendants will think of the Healing Church!

☁️ CLOUD - a soft headcanon

Paarl didn't eat or otherwise kill the guy! Archibald gave Paarl his badge because he just gave it to all his friends, and even though he never knew Paarl before beasthood he counted him as a friend as well!

________________

Thank you for the asks! o: Sorry I don't have new doodles of these two, just old drawings. This ask meme is extremely handy to use though wtf

#bloodborne #archibald the eccentric #irreverent izzy #bloodborne headcanons #ask replies #(also fantomette and Val you actually DESTROYED me with asks for this meme fhhfdfds) #(I will be taking my sweet time thank you fsdhfds xD) #(granted I still need to introduce more than like two of my OCs because people just don't know) #(I am also very shy because my internalised fandomphobia tells me no one will care about my OCs) #(even when people legit ASK me to tell more..... LOOOGIIIIC)

[awrestlinggirlwholoves80sbands]

AU of GNR going to a carnival?

Hi, my brain could only come up with headcanons, so I hope you like it. Also I might have blended a bit of how luna parks work here, because honestly I'm not American and carnival to me is like the Venice carnival hahaha.

Axl:

- Mr recklessness himself. He will try every ride that looks like it could kill you.

-"Axl, I'm not going on something that looks like it's about to shoot me out of space. "

-"C'mon it's going to be fun!"

- Probably he will drag you into the house of horrors but then you both get scared.

- He will spoil you. Are you hungry? He will buy every treat you want. You see a cute souvenir? Boom, it's paid and in your bag now.

- However he is extremely competitive. Shooting gallery? He will look like those poor targets own him money. He wants to win the plushie and he will win the plushie for you.

- If he succeeds, he makes sure you get the biggest one, if he doesn't, he will pout but still try to have fun for you.

- Beside the shooting gallery, his worst enemy is the punching machine. He wants to impress you, no matter what, even if you are aware of how strong he is.

-"Babe c'mon. No need to impress me, that's not our first date!"

-"I gotta beat my record!"

-Before getting home, you will have your romantic moment on the top of the ferris-wheel.

Slash:

-Slash loves rides, especially the one that will spike your adrenaline. So be ready to not have a break.

-You will both scream at the top of your lungs, out of excitement and fear.

-If your stomach is upset, he will take pity on you and wait before hopping on the next ride.

-Even more than rides, he loves the haunted house. If you are a big horror fan like you, then great!

-But if you are not, you either gather your courage or don't follow him.

- He will probably be so happy to be scared by random noises and flashing lights. He has even the courage to tell you that he didn't find it scary enough.

-"To be honest that scream wasn't even that scary."

-" I'm happy you didn't, because I found it very fucking scary."

- He will wear his sunglasses on every ride, it doesn't matter that you get thrown upside down. Somehow they will stay on him.

- If either you manage to win a prize, you already know if there's a snake stuffed animal, he will choose it and you will make him carry it around.

-"We should call it Elton John, it will make him a gentleman"

- Slash will laugh and you will know everything is worth that smile.

Duff:

-Duff loves carnivals, he didn't have a lot of money growing up so he didn't manage to go often.

- He will take advantage of his height at any time and make lighthearted jokes about you being shorter than him.

-"Are you sure you can go on this ride? Are you tall enough?"

-Jokes on him tho, because you drag him on the carousel and other rides for people who are not as tall as he is.

-"Is the horse too small for you, Duffy?

- Food doesn't discriminate and you make sure to get different dishes so you can taste them all, from funnel cake to chicken and waffle.

- You convince him (more like he pretends to have to be convinced) to go on the ferris-wheel for a romantic moment.

- The view isn't the best but the kiss at the very top pays off everything. You even joke about how this is the way Duff sees the world, so up there, and he will laugh.

- Lastly you want to take a photo in a tiny photo booth, to remember this day.

-Needless to say you take a few minutes to figure out how to get both in frame, without cutting Duff's head in the picture.

-"Say cheese!"

-" I can't feel my legs anymore."

-" But look how cute you are in this!" And you really mean it.

Izzy:

-he is not a big fan of carnival, but he will still go with you.

- Will skip most rides with the excuse that he needs to hold your stuff and he likes to look at it better anyway.

- You will manage to drag him to some rides, and he will be the most chill even while he is excited.

- "Did you have fun?"

-"It was okay. I liked when it felt like we were about to fall into the void."

- However you discover he has a secret talent : guessing how much something weighs by holding it.

- How's that helpful at a carnival? A game where you have to guess precisely the weight of an object.

-He will win a giant teddy bear that will make you both take turns to hold.

-"Why are you so good with weights?"

-"My previous "legal" job? "

-You know he had fun, even if might not show it. He can be just as crazy and childish as the rest of the band.

Steven:

-He is a child at heart so he will try every ride. Every single one of them.

-He will drag you to the carousel, saying it's not only for kids but for couples too.

-He is not the most precise with tiro al segno, but he will manage to win a small stuffed animal. Great, now it is your child.

-"C'mon, I bet we are short enough to pass for teenagers!"

-"Steven, it's literally a dog shaped train for children."

-His second favorite thing to do is eating. He will want to try every single food and will get upset if you say he can't.

- "I can't choose just one! You know I love both the caramel apple and the deep fried oreos."

-Needless to say he will get both and feel full for approximately an hour before asking for food again.

-He will still want to ride even with a full tummy, which means he will look like he's about to puke most of the time.

-"No way we are going on that roller-coaster after you ate a whole turkey leg."

-"But I feel fine!"

- At the end you will spend a fun day, feeling like a child again, with a new stuffed animal, hopefully with a non-sick Steven and getting over some of your roller-coaster fear.

#guns n'roses #Axl rose #Slash #Duff Mckagan #Izzy Stradlin #Steven Adler #guns n roses fanfic #Request #Headcanons #Carnival

[khorai]

Being sick and bedridden for the past few days, I've decided to marathon all the seasons of "Total Drama Island" because I love this show.

And, not surprisingly, I'm still a big fan of Heather, Alejandro, Izzy, Leshawna, Trent, and Sierra. Although I must admit that Heather, Alejandro, and Sierra are definitely my favorites. One is a formidable manipulator, calculating, selfish, and willing to do anything to achieve her goals, while the other is eccentric, obsessive, jealous, and has attachment issues. They are both quite unique in their own way and I find them particularly endearing (and funny).

In short, they are great.

Alejandro is also very interesting in his own right. To me, he's like a male version of Heather and honestly, these two deserve each other 😂

Aleheather is the best couple on this show and I stand by that statement. Honestly, this couple has everything: chemistry (in every sense of the word), style, arguments, low blows, reluctant alliances (which work incredibly well), feelings that emerge despite themselves, and many other things that I could spend hours listing. I couldn't even say which trope they embody because their relationship is so chaotic.

It's somewhere between that of enemies to lovers and rivals to lovers. Their most beautiful declaration of love? "I hate you." They are simply iconic.

Alejandro has been hooked on her since day one and even though he tried to hide it behind his machinations, it's as plain as day. As for Heather, her feelings for Alejandro are very obvious; he destabilizes her and it has been evident from the beginning as well.

What I like about them is that their reluctance towards each other never stopped them from playing the worst possible tricks on each other, quite the contrary.

However, they sometimes help each other out of real concern, even if they deny it and prefer to attribute it to a strategy. It's very amusing to see them unconsciously flirt with each other and behave like an old married couple while being enemies 🤧

And what about the end?

Heather kicking Alejandro in the groin for a million dollars was the best thing that could have happened in this show; it was so true to their dynamic.

"Boys are nice, but suitcases full of money are so much better," I think this phrase from Heather is what ultimately made her my favorite character in this series. A woman focused on her goals and who couldn't care less about what others think of her?

She has all my admiration and all my respect.

In short, I love them, Your Honor.

#total drama island #total drama heather #total drama alejandro #aleheather #total drama world tour #Please forgive my broken English #it's not my mother tongue

[xamag-draws]

The Izzy paradox

I’m so fascinated by how Izzy was the one pushing Ed back into being Blackbeard. On the surface it seems like a logical outcome, but when you dig deeper, you start to realize that the end of S1 is not something anyone would want, not even Izzy himself. 

So Izzy is very much a lawful evil kind of guy. He seems to value reputation, skills and structure above all else. He admires Ed for being a great sailor instead of a great pirate, and the most annoyance Ed can cause to him is when Ed stops paying attention to the actual captaining that keeps them alive and afloat and starts doing his own weird impulsive cat things.

The funny thing is, for how much Izzy hates Stede’s way of pirating, Izzy is also a pretty unorthodox pirate, if you think about it. Izzy’s version of piracy isn’t what most people would normally picture.

Izzy’s mad about Stede ambushing them and tricking them out of a hostage, but when you think about it, isn’t that what pirates and robbers are supposed to do? Why would they politely buy the hostages from the natives, when Stede’s tactic seems more intuitive? Why would you cut your enemy’s shirt open and give them a warning, when you could just stab them and leave them to die? Why would you agree to leave the ship just because you broke the handle of your sword, when you absolutely won the fight in every other regard? 

Because Izzy isn’t some lowlife savage criminal, he’s a connoisseur of the respectable art of High Crime.

Ed mentioned how their raids aren’t a challenge for him anymore because people just run in fear. And honestly? This sounds like such an Izzy thing. 

You approach someone, they wee their pants and abandon the ship, there’s no senseless loss on your side or time wasted fighting, you simply board and loot it and maybe take a couple remaining hostages and move on like a badass. Nice, clean, fucking professional… but way too efficient for Ed. He enjoys the thrill and unpredictability of a nice fight, and this just feels like routine. Tragic: you streamlined your job so well, your boss doesn’t like it anymore.

As far as I know, the real Izzy Hands was probably responsible for spreading a lot of the Blackbeard mythos we know today, so it wouldn’t surprise me if the fictional Izzy worked his ass off building up Ed’s scary reputation, as well.

So this is how Izzy operates. And when you keep that in mind, you start to realize that Izzy shouldn’t want Ed to end up like he did in ep 10. His ideal Blackbeard would’ve been closer to Izzy’s own ideals: intimidating, disciplined, smart pirate with brilliant strategies and an obedient crew, focused on extending his terrifying but just reach. Like some sort of... menacing gentleman pirate.

But what Izzy provokes at the end of S1 is pretty much the opposite. This Ed is even more volatile and chaotic than ever, probably even less inclined to listen to anyone’s advice, or be rational and fair in his judgement. If he wants to start throwing crew members overboard or cut their toes off for a laugh because he feels like it, he will. If he wants to send them all to their doom because he’s feeling emo and has nothing to lose, he will. So who’s to say that Izzy will be safe?

Izzy didn’t want to die for either Ed or Stede. But I think he might come close to that in the next season. And for a survivor like Izzy, that’s probably the only thing that’d make him realize the line he’s crossed.

Back when Ed said that he needed him, Izzy gave one of the few genuine smiles in the show, and that smirk was timid, and almost immediately hidden, as if Izzy was embarrassed to show how happy that made him.

When Izzy announces the return of Blackbeard, his smile is different. He’s still in pain from his toe loss, and probably still a little shaken by it. All of his other toes are intact, so this is something Ed has never done before. It must be pretty scary to see Ed at his worst, but Izzy’s trying to convince himself that this is what they need to make things go back to the status quo, where Ed still needs him, and where others don’t see them as a joke. So he’s grinning through that pain and fear like a maniac, in a false triumph he made up for himself.

#xam rambles #izzy #edward #stede #our flag means death #ofmd #analysis

[henryandalex]

***Magnus and Alec are husbands. Yes, this needed to be said because CAN YOU BELIEVE? :’) But also, yes, it’s really been that long since the latest Malec fic rec. I’m sorry. It’s... yeah. Although if you also miss Malec every second of every day, reading fanfics at least helps a little. 

I tried to collect a nice mix again so I hope you will enjoy this 9th (!!!) edition of my Malec fanfic rec posts. As usual, I enjoy making them and rec’ing you fics but these posts take a looooot of time so please, please, please reblog, like and spread the word so that I see you enjoy these and these posts are helpful. It motivates to do a new one in the future if y’all are interested. Thank you

And now, have fun discovering, reading, and loving those Malec fics. And leave a kudo and comment for those authors while you’re on it. We all love appreciation and need validation. :)***

previous Malec fic recs:             1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

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42 NORTH 71 WEST by @lecrit​ [ M | AU | 62.1k | complete ]

Alec sometimes wonders why he ever decided to pursue a career in politics. Magnus sometimes questions whether pursuing his dream of becoming an actor was worth it.

Those two facts are not necessarily mutually exclusive.

THE SHOW MUST GO ON by @unrestrainedlyexcessive [ E | AU | 21.3k | complete ]

Alec pulls up to the gold intercom positioned at the enormous front gates. Like everything owned by the obscenely wealthy, they’re proportioned for both for giants and giant egos.

He’d hoped this would be easier, less gut-churning work than protecting diplomats and foreign dignitaries, some guilty of truly terrible things, but being a bodyguard for a coddled popstar who can’t even be bothered with basic safety isn’t his idea of a good time.

---

Magnus is a popstar and Alec is his reluctant bodyguard. The bodyguard au in epistolary form. Image-heavy.

HIGHER THAN THE BIG TREES by @carmenlire​​ [ E | AU | 242k | complete ]

Alec loves his job. He’s been touring since he was sixteen. He’s stayed in dozens of countries over the years, learned enough of their languages to get a beer in his hand and a man in his bed. The road is as much his home as the townhouse on the Upper West Side. He’s as comfortable in cheap hotel rooms with scratchy linens and glaring lights as he is in his penthouse that overlooks Central Park with its silk sheets and the constant hum of the city that never sleeps. Alec works hard and that hard work has paid off. He just finished his latest sold-out world tour and by all rights, he should be on top of the world. But the mental pressure of celebrity is getting to Alec and he doesn't trust his footing. He's stuck where most people would kill to be and he just wants to know what his next move should be. Enter Magnus Bane. A history professor at Columbia University, Magnus is content with his friends, his classes, and the occasional warm body in his bed. But he's been feeling stagnant, looking for the next chapter in his life to begin. If only he knew what Alec would bring his way.

THE SECRET OF THE SECRET SANTA by @notcrypticbutcoy​​ [ T | AU | 12.7k | complete ]

As busy doctors with busy schedules, Magnus and Alec have danced around their feelings for each other for years, much to the chagrin of their friends. This Christmas, Simon decides it’s time for an intervention-in the form of a shamelessly rigged secret santa.

Or: In which Simon rigs the secret santa, Magnus and Alec flirt over nerdy doctor things, and are both a little bit oblivious.

RUMOR HAS IT by @lecrit​​ [ M | AU | 12.9k | complete ]

Magnus widens his eyes at him, silently asking him to just give him this one. Alec simply curves one of his stupidly perfect eyebrows in response, a simple gesture that carries the weight of a call for challenge. “Looks like you’re gonna have to postpone your wedding for now,” Maia giggles next to him. Magnus huffs, flexing his jaw. “Oh, it’s on, Lightwood,” he mouths at him.

.

Or the one where Alec and Magnus are both after the same guy, but end up falling for each other instead.

CIGARETTE by j__writes [ T | AU | 3.1k | complete ]

His relationship with Magnus Bane had been nothing short of frustrating.

Frustrating in the worst of ways. Frustrating in the best of ways.

ABSOLUTELY ABYSMAL by @aemiliafawn​ [ E | 4.8k | complete ]

The first time Alec sees Magnus wearing lipstick he wants to do filthy things to him. Magnus isn't exactly opposed to this.

A ROYAL AFFAIR by j__writes [ M | AU | 38.8k | complete ]

Prince meets professor and it's love at first sight. Lucky (or maybe unlucky) for him, the beautiful professor doesn't know his boyfriend's a prince.

HEAVEN IS A TASTE ON EARTH by @alittlebriton​ [ T | AU | 20.7k | complete ]

Making a birthday cake for the renowned chef Magnus Bane is a hard enough task – made harder still by the fact his girlfriend doesn’t seem to know Magnus’ likes or dislikes at all. Alec Lightwood, maker of some of the finest cakes in Brooklyn, is up to the challenge, even if he can’t take his eyes off the birthday boy. But as Alec and Magnus grow closer, could it be that the missing ingredient is true love?

LOVE & OTHER DRUGS by @la-muerta​ [ E | AU | 2k | complete | Semi-Charmed Kind Of Life #1 ]

Rising rockstar Magnus Bane’s life is all about sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll - it's an old cliché, but sometimes the clichés are true. And Alec Lightwood, a bassist from another band, is a drug Magnus can't get enough of - even if he knows that like any drug, he's sinking deeper with every hit he takes, and that this is killing him slowly and painfully.

Because this is just about sex, and Alexander doesn't love him back.

OUR LOVE IS A HARSH CHORD by @la-muerta​​ [ E | AU | 21.9k | complete | Semi-Charmed Kind Of Life #2 ]

Magnus lives in two worlds: one of blinding stage lights and the thunder of the adoring crowd stomping its feet to the rhythm of his music; and one of the darkness offstage, a blur of lonely hotel rooms, one-night stands, drugs, and the sting of whiskey.

Magnus lives in two worlds, both of them stark, bleak, empty - until Alec Lightwood comes along, and everything falls apart.

MELTING MOLTEN by @raininginadelaide​​ [ E | 4k | complete ]

The training scene in the show was their second attempt. The first time, Alec showed even less restraint.

SUPPORT SYSTEM by @bytheangell​​ [ T | AU | 122.8k | complete | Support System #1 ]

When Alec's favorite show gets cancelled and he takes to messaging customer service repeatedly to show his support, he doesn't expect to connect so well with the support representative he keeps getting paired off with.

PAGING DR. LIGHTWOOD-BANE by @carmenlire​​ [ not rated | AU | 4.4k | complete ]

Alec scowls. “I’m not on rotation this weekend-- I’m not even on call-- and we decided to make the most out of it.”

“We,” Maia asks, brows inching towards her hair line. “Who’s we?”

“My husband and I,” he mutters and he rolls his eyes as it's like a bomb’s been detonated in the middle of the table.

Simon screeches, “What,” and even Jace and Isabelle are looking at him with wide eyes.

“You’re married?”

Or, the one where everybody finds out

TRUTH OR DARE? by @atowncalledmalec​​ [ E | AU | 4.5k | complete ]

Two small-town cops, partners, Alec Lightwood and Magnus Bane, have somehow pulled desk duty on the graveyard shift. Bored out of their minds and finding a lie detector machine, the chance of winning a $50 bet and being able to ask the questions they've always wanted to ask is too good of an opportunity to pass up. Alec gets a little more than he bargained for though when the machine betrays him at every turn. And so does Magnus.

EVERYTHING I DIDN’T KNOW I WANTED FOR CHRISTMAS by @la-muerta​​ [ T | AU | 4.5k | complete ]

Alec got his Christmas shopping done months ago - but he should have known that Jace would mess it all up for him. Now he's out braving the crowds on Christmas Eve trying to find a toy that's sold out everywhere for his son, and as it turns out, he's not the only desperate single father out there who will stop at nothing to get his hands on that last toy in the shops.

CERTAIN PERKS by quill_and_ink [ E | 5.5k | complete ]

"You never have to prove yourself to me."

Shadowhunters are being murdered and mutilated. The Clave is getting desperate to find the culprit, but Alec has to believe there's another way. He won't let this end his relationship with Magnus - he refuses to accept that, and he'll do whatever he can to protect them.

Based on the dialogue and actions from "Shadowhunters" Episode 2x13: "Those of Demon Blood"

THE TRUTH UNTOLD by @carmenlire​ [ not rated | 4.4k | complete ]

Magnus closes his eyes and leans into the feelings that wrap around him. They’re two of the most powerful men in the New York shadow world. It makes his chest ache sometimes, the knowledge that they may never be able to take their relationship public, that he won’t ever be able to kiss Alec on a sunny day in the city, that they can’t hold hands as they walk through Central Park, that whenever they do see each other in public it’s always in an official capacity and they’re relegated to formal greetings while their eyes try to say everything they can’t.

He’d still take this over not having Alec, though. That Magnus knows without a doubt.

ANYTHING YOU SAY by @milominderbindered​​ [ M | AU | 117k | complete ]

Detective Alec Lightwood likes his job. He likes the order of it, likes helping people, likes that he gets to work with Jace and that Izzy is always right downstairs in the morgue too. He's wanted to be a cop ever since he was a kid, just like his parents before him, and now he's living that dream. His life should be perfect.

There's just one problem. Their precinct has just gotten a new forensic expert -- Magnus Bane.

And honestly, he's so cute that Alec's kind of losing his mind.

EMISSARY OF SIN by @insiemes​​ [ M | AU | 97.6k | complete ]

Alec Lightwood, the Clave's top protection agent, is called upon to guard the life of his mortal enemy - one of the world's most notorious hitmen, Magnus Bane.

SHOOT TO KISS by @dantes-wombat​​ [ M | 5k | complete ]

As far as dates go, this one's a bit more weapons-centered than Magnus expected - but also a lot sexier.

IF YOU’VE GOT THE MONEY, I’VE GOT THE TIME by j__writes [ T | AU | 73.4k | complete ]

Alec has made plenty of questionable choices, as Izzy likes to so kindly remind him. Asking Magnus to be his fake boyfriend and then offering to pay him? That, right there, he doesn’t know what the fuck he was thinking. And he wasn’t. But Magnus is really nice and really fucking hot, and if Alec gets to pretend to be his boyfriend then… win - win, right?

ANONYMOROUS by @superficialpeasant​​ [ E | AU | 10.6k | complete ]

When one of Clary’s art exhibition performers drops out last minute, Alec steps in to help. Unfortunately that also means he’ll be having sex with a stranger in public.

DATE NIGHT by @unrestrainedlyexcessive [ G | 562 | complete ]

“Look, it’s no big deal,” Alec says. “The angles in pool are just like archery. I have a natural advantage.”

“Pretty sure I beat you the first time we played,” Magnus says, taking a sip of his martini. He couldn’t remember ever feeling so relaxed, so at home in a relationship.

That is, until Alec started winning.

HARDER THAN THE LIQUOR I POUR by @carmenlire​​ [ not rated | AU | 6.5k | complete ]

The bartender considers him for a moment before holding out the hand that was over his just a second before. “I’m Magnus, bartender extraordinaire. While I certainly wouldn’t mind calling you pretty boy for the rest of the evening, I think it only fair that you share your name, too. Don’t you?”

Slowly, Alec reaches out and grasps Magnus’s hand in a poor imitation of a handshake. He meets Magnus’s eyes and knows they both know that this is a mere prelude for what’s to come.

“Alec,” he says slowly and watches as Magnus’s smile deepens.

“Well, Alec, my shift ends in an hour. Wait for me?”

CREAM by @ohfreckle​​ [ E | 3.4k | complete ]

Sometimes Magnus likes to wear panties.

“Are you kidding? You look amazing!” Alec wishes he were more eloquent, that he could miraculously find the words and praise to express how fucking hot Magnus is with his little panties on.

SAY IT by @ilovealeclightwood​​ [ E | 4k | complete ]

“I want you,” Magnus pressed his lips to Alec’s neck, the sensation of his lips against the deflect rune making Alec shudder again.

“To admit,” Magnus continued, pausing to run his tongue over the length of the rune, sending sparks of pleasure through Alec and making him try to jerk his hips up again.

“That I was right.” Magnus pulled away from his neck to look down at him and it took a second for what he meant to click with Alec.

---

Or, Magnus and Alec solve petty arguments in a sensable, responsible manner

ALL NIGHT (OR A HUNDRED YEARS) by @hourglassmermaid​​ [ T | 4.3k | complete ]

“Get your mind out of the gutter, Raphael,” Magnus chastises. “You know I take care of my friends.”

Friends. The word stings more than kuri venom; it lingers far longer than any demon attack ever could. It lingers in Alec’s mind when he’s tossing and turning at night imagining what they could have been if Alec hadn’t been such a coward all those years ago. It lingers in his heart whenever they’re alone, and Alec swears he sees a glimmer of those feelings Magnus must have buried long ago. And it lingers in his soul whenever they work together as allies, as leaders, as partners, because they really are compatible in all the ways that count.

But none of that matters, because they’re just friends.

---

Alec and Magnus are colleagues — maybe even friends. Definitely allies. Alec's content, with his life, his career, and even his (lack of) relationships, but sometimes when Magnus sits beside him, Alec may or may not cease to function. It's okay; he's okay.

I SAW PAPA KISSING SANTA CLAUS by j__writes [ G | AU | 3.3k | complete ]

“I heard a noise and so I snuck out. He didn’t see me but I saw him. I saw Santa and then I saw Papa and he kissed Santa, Raf.”

LIKE NOBODY ELSE by @carmenlire​​ [ not rated | AU | 3.7k | complete ]

Simon’s been Alec’s assistant for the past three years. Alec was a hard ass, no doubt about it. He had exacting standards, a perpetually sardonic expression, and Simon had literally never seen the man smile.

Lightwood had exploded onto the scene ten years ago and in that time, he’s made a name for himself that no one else could rival. He might not be well liked but everyone-- even his enemies-- respected Lightwood.

Or, Simon is Alec's secretary and doesn't realize just how little he knows about his boss until he solves a mystery.

SEXY SNAPSHOTS by @tobythewise​​​ [ E | AU | 2.8k | complete ]

“Anything interesting on there?” Alec asks, a teasing note in his voice as he nods at the camera. “Anything sexy?" “Not at the moment.” Magnus raises his brow. “Wanna change that?” OR The one where Magnus and Alec explore what it's like to have sexy times while snapping sexy pictures of each other.

PUNDAMENTALS OF OFFICE RIVALRY by @bytheangell​​ [ T | AU | 3.8k | complete ]

When Magnus and Alexander get off on the wrong foot at the start of their internship, Magnus takes it upon himself to annoy Alec at every turn.

WORSE THINGS THAN BEING IN LOVE by @aemiliafawn​​ [ E | 4.6k | complete ]

Their wedding was everything they had ever dared to dream of. But perhaps their wedding night was just as special.

CRYPTIDS OF BROOKLYN by @alexanderlightweight​​ [ M | AU | 2.3k | complete ]

For all the rather redundant and overused jokes made about lawyers and sharks, never was such a comparison or joke made concerning Alec Lightwood, as there was one glaring difference between the two ruthless predators.

Sharks smiled, Alec Lightwood didn’t.

ZERO COMPLAINTS by @aemiliafawn​ [ E | 3.3k | complete ]

Usually when someone wakes Magnus up before sunrise they'd have to face his wrath – however since Alec decides to make it actually worthwhile for the exhausted warlock, Magnus finds he doesn't mind making an exception just once.

HAHA JUST KIDDING... UNLESS? by @carmenlire​​ [ not rated | AU | 2.5k | complete ]

"You know Magnus wouldn’t joke about boning his best friend just to do it. You mean too much to him and we all know how gone you’ve been over Magnus since, like, eighth grade.”

Alec sighs and it feels like the weight of the world is on his shoulders. “I can’t get my hopes up, Jace. I’ve been in love with him for years but he doesn’t feel the same way.”

Groaning like they’ve gone around the block about this a thousand times-- because they have-- Jace facepalms. “How many times do I have to tell you-- Magnus feels what you feel but you’re both too stupid to get past your own hang-ups to talk about it.”

TAKE IT EASY by @la-muerta​ [ E | AU | 18.2k | complete ]

Alec signs up for a session with a professional male dominant, just a one-time thing to satisfy his curiosity. It most definitely doesn't end up being just a one-time thing.

THE LONELY HEARTS HOTLINE by @unrestrainedlyexcessive [ E | AU | 40.6k | complete ]

“Hey there,” Alec says in the lowest, sexiest voice he can manage. It sounds vaguely disinterested but some people get off on that.

“Hi,” the voice says.

“Ready to have some fun?”

The voice makes a small, sad noise.

“Or not?” Alec tries hastily. He gets paid regardless of what they're talking about. “We can just chat for a while.”

“What’s your name,” the voice says finally.

“Uh, Chad,” Alec says. He was drunk when he picked his name, just as he was drunk when he answered the job wanted ad. He should have picked something sexy like Tristan, but he’s forever Chad now, the douchiest phone sex operator in history. He balances his bowl of macaroni carefully on his stomach and sneaks a quick bite.

“You don’t sound like a Chad,” the voice says doubtfully.

“Why the hell not?” Alec says before he can stop himself, mouth full of pasta.

“--are you eating?”

“No,” Alec lies and swallows.

---

Alec is a bored phone sex operator. Bafflingly, Magnus just wants to talk about music.

BRIGHT LIGHTS, SMALL TOWN by @lecrit​​ [ E | AU | 104.3k | complete | To Build A Home #1 ]

When Magnus gets to Nashville, Indiana to handle his late mother's will, he doesn't expect to be forced to stay there for six months. Six months away from New York and lost in the wildness of the countryside.

It quickly appears that he is going to go through six months of living hell.

The fact that he hates the local veterinarian on sight isn't helping.

BRIGHT LIGHTS, SMALL TOWN: EXTRAS by @lecrit​​​ [ E | AU | 12.6k | complete | To Build A Home #2 ]

A combination of extras for Bright Lights, Small Town.

EARTH’S MIGHTIEST HEROES by @lecrit​​​ [ M | AU | 141.9k | complete | Avengers Assemble #3 ]

The thing is… Their plans have a history of not going accordingly so when they finally do, maybe they build a confidence a bit too quickly. Breaking Magnus out turns out to be indeed a formality. Selling the ruby, too. So what could possibly go wrong now?

In which our team of misfits has to deal with the consequences of messing with a dangerous man and again, everything goes according to plan. Or not.

COLOR ME BLUE by @carmenlire​​ [ not rated | AU | 18.8k | complete ]

Christmas is his favorite time of the year but Alec has barely had time to buy presents let alone enjoy the holiday season. December seems to have lasted the blink of an eye and Alec's shoulders hunch as he realizes morosely that most of this year is a blur of emergencies and rounds and consultations.

His gaze snags on a bakery display as he walks past. The window is dressed with multicolored lights and garland wrapping around the edges. The display case is full and Alec’s mouth waters just at the sight.

Without conscious thought, Alec is reaching for the door to Bane's Bakery, eager to see if the interior is just as whimsical and welcoming as the outside.

#malec #malec fic #malec fic rec #malec fanfic #shadowhunters #fic rec #fanfic #otp: look what i have waiting for me

[rabbitsparklez]

Explaining the red rocks + Eugene’s and Rapunzel’s TRUE worst fears 

I was rewatching Be Very Afraid and I developed a headcanon about the red rocks and characters' worst fears. 

I am not a writer of this show, nor is my logic infallible, but I put together my theory on how the red rocks read people, and the possibility that they can misread people

This is my longest post yet, so grab some snacks.

Rapunzel said that her worst fear was the things Cassandra could do to Corona, and losing her as a friend, but unlike everyone else, she didn't actually see visions of her fears and wasn't screaming in terror, as Eugene observed and pointed out. Maybe the rocks only work when the victim chooses to acknowledge their fear, and if they choose to avoid thinking about their fears, the rocks won't sense their feelings.

In the previous episodes, we see that Rapunzel is obviously trying to push her thoughts about Cassandra to the back of her mind so that she can focus on her life in Corona. She's clearly still upset about it all, but she has always had the tendency to be optimistic and cheerful, even when she's upset or scared. Rapunzel chooses not to acknowledge her feelings, but others do, like Varian and Lance. Of course Varian was having visions of losing his father because of his recent traumatic experience, and he chooses to acknowledge that fear, having every reason to be afraid. Not to mention, being a teenager, Varian must think about his emotions and feelings a lot, and the rocks could easily sense that. What would be giving him nightmares and swarming his mind every day more than losing his father again? Throughout the episode, Varian had tried to keep his mind off of that so he could focus on helping Rapunzel, and mostly it worked. He didn’t see anything related to his fears until he and Rapunzel reached the chamber where the rocks originated, and he had to use the amber to eliminate their power. Varian was scared of the amber because he knew what it was capable of doing, and it was in that moment that he started seeing his fears. We see another example with Lance. He showed that he had stage fright and fear of clowns and spiders, and while he didn't openly admit that, he didn't try to push it back into his head either. When Lance decided to stop letting his fears overcome him, they shrunk and ran away, because he no longer had that fear. It appears that the person doesn't need to confess that they are afraid, but all they need to do is allow themselves to be afraid, and let those negative emotions stick in their minds.

Realizing this, I became very incredulous about Eugene's worst fear.

 The episode said that it was a cowlick, but......No. No way. Why do I think that Eugene's biggest fear wasn't a cowlick if that's what he saw? Because he allows himself to make a fuss about the way he looks. He acknowledges the fact that he hates imperfections in the way he looks, and doesn't try to push that away. His true, deep emotional feelings, on the other hand, are a different story. A while back, @timid-izzie wrote an essay that went over the possibility of him having post-traumatic trauma and the fact that he tends to hide his own fears and negative emotions, covering them up with humor. Eugene doesn't acknowledge his negative emotions and fears, and I think, similar to how Rapunzel wasn't seeing visions of Cassandra, the rocks didn't sense any of Eugene's greater fears because they are pushed into the back of his mind. Deep down, Eugene has very unbearable fears, but pushes them so far back that he doesn’t realize how badly he has them. 

A few people have compared his worst fear, being a cowlick, to the scene from “The Quest for Varian”, where he mentions the fact that he had a cowlick before Rapunzel hit him with the frying pan and it was fixed after the blow. Basically, the fact that he doesn’t have a cowlick signifies the fact that he met Rapunzel and became a better person. I agree that this theory makes sense, and it doesn’t exactly disprove what I’m saying, because the cowlick is also related to imperfections.The writers wanted a cheap way to brush him out of the picture so they can focus on Cass, so why not use vanity as an excuse to do so? With or without the significance of the frying pan, the rocks could easily sense Eugene’s discomfort regarding imperfections. But they only show his reflection, not anything related to the origin of having that fear. The rocks sense his “fear of cowlicks” as a vanity-associated thing, because they can’t read the rest of the story. They don’t know why he hates cowlicks, but only the fact that he does. Considering this, I believe that Eugene has more deep fears than just the cowlick. 

What are the rest of his worst fears, then? There are many things that Eugene has likely had negative feelings about that might be a lot worse than what he convinces himself to believe. If you think about it, it makes a lot of sense. He spent a good 23 years trying to find himself and escaping his identity, having no family, no friends, no home, and no money  - until he started stealing. There are many things that can go wrong there. When he grew older, he made a lot of enemies and must have gotten into a lot of conflicts. He worked with and for very bad people who wanted to use him, and almost married an abusive and manipulative girl who only wanted him for his thieving abilities (Not to mention was way to young and naive to get married). Several notably traumatic things happened to him only in the last three years. In one day, he was sentenced to be hanged, witnessed the abuse of the woman he loved, and was stabbed and killed. No matter how much you think of others, there’s no person who can thoroughly escape such horrific events that happen to yourself. I think that Cassandra's taking the Moonstone was just as traumatic for Eugene as it was for Rapunzel, but in a different way. Remember that Eugene’s ancestors dedicated their entire family legacy to destroying that stone because it killed people, including his own mother. The Moonstone is directly the reason he was sent to an orphanage, became a notorious criminal, and received a death penalty. He forbade Rapunzel from entering the castle because he was so afraid for her safety that he didn’t want to risk losing her. Minutes after he built up the courage to let her grab it after remembering his faith in her, Cassandra took it like a piece of candy and ran away with it. He turned his back on the woman he loved to protect her and felt terrible about it, only for the stone to be stolen by someone who resented and wanted to kill her. Later, the unseen events or “No Time Like the Past” apparently forced him to stop resenting her because “friends don’t leave friends behind” (which, let’s face it, completely abolishes Flynn Rider’s persona and I hate it). But no matter what happened in that episode, I highly doubt Eugene immediately came to forgive Cassandra. The objective was to show that Cassandra was still redeemable, but it was poorly written, as a comment in “Flynnpostor” about Flynn Rider leaving people behind basically confirmed that either the events of “No Time Like the Past” never happened, or that he came back to his senses. Either way, there is no way Eugene’s (completely justified and understandable) resentment towards Cassandra just disappeared. 

It should be clarified that Eugene was not completely okay in season 3. He wanted to support Rapunzel and keep her hopes up, but logically, he would have serious problems deep inside.

 We get an example of this in "Return of the King", when he's irritated at Edmund for suddenly wanting to be part of his life after abandoning him. I've seen a lot of people point fingers at Eugene and call him rude for his hostility toward him in that episode, but honestly, I don't blame him. That was the first time he'd seen him since "Destinies Collide", and in his defense, Edmund didn't exactly welcome him with loving fatherly arms. When Eugene met his father, the first three things he had to do were accept his tragic backstory and identity crisis, dedicate himself to destroying the moonstone, and break his beloved girlfriend's heart. In actuality, Edmund is really a sweet and loving father, but Eugene didn't see that at first and it's not his fault. It wasn't until he found out that his father had kept track of him by reading his favorite books and bringing his childhood toys home that he realized just how much his father thought about him. In the finale, he admitted his resentment and confusion towards him, but that he had come to understand his motive. Until that cursed episode “No Time Like the Past”, he was very worried about Rapunzel’s behavior and the fact that she was thinking about Cass despite the fact that she almost killed her. The point is, Eugene is not immune to having emotionally painful feelings, and the writers didn't fool us when they claimed that his worst fear was a cowlick. It's an absolute pity that in a show where one of the morals is "you should never bury your feelings", one of the main characters has no story whatsoever relating to his very much real trauma.

If my theory about the rocks misreading peoples' feelings is correct, based on my observations, I don't think Rapunzel's worst fear is what she claimed it was either.

 It was not losing Cassandra as a friend. You might say I'm contradicting myself by saying this, because my original point for this theory was based off of that, but remember that Rapunzel generally does not express negative feelings. I believe that the rocks couldn't read Rapunzel's fears because she didn't allow herself to think about her fears. Perhaps losing Cassandra as a friend is one of her fears, but not her worst fear. Although she thought a lot about her, she thought in a hopeful sense rather than a miserable, negative sense.

In “Cassandra’s Revenge”, Rapunzel seemed to be completely over Cassandra, wanting to settle down and appreciate her surroundings. I’m not going to elaborate, but I’ve always regarded Cassandra’s and Rapunzel’s relationship as unhealthy, and it was especially bad for Rapunzel to keep wanting Cass to be back because Mother Gothel, her former abuser, was the motive. I saw this episode as a way to show that she was over her - she even painted over the pictures of her on her wall. But afterward she still seemed to care a lot about bringing her back, and even sang a song about wanting to do anything for her (which I don’t believe, seeing that she would use an incantation on her to save Eugene, showing that she wouldn’t give him up for her). Part of me sees this as another poorly written, contradictory scene that tried to cram in Cassandra’s potential to be redeemed, because, for her own mentality, Rapunzel should be over her. But I don’t think all of that was thought out in that way. Rapunzel still continued to pine onto Cassandra and bringing her back, but that came from her compassion for her rather than a deep and serious emotional feeling. The entire “Cass is still redeemable” arc was aimed to show that Rapunzel has compassion for everyone and won’t give up. It was not a matter of having a truly passionate fear of losing Cassandra, and I highly doubt that that was Rapunzel’s worst fear.

Similar to Eugene, I believe she has certain trigger fears that are buried deep down inside of her.

 I'm specifically thinking about "Rapunzeltopia", when Matthews controlled her dreams. According to Matthews, the things that he showed her were her worst nightmares. She saw Mother Gothel restraining her, Corona acting hostile, her fear of touching the rocks, and.... Cassandra. But it was not in a "afraid to lose her as a friend" sense. Cassandra was attacking her and blaming her for her problems. She tried to kill her and take revenge for getting her arm burnt. These visions must have had a more valid representation of Rapunzel's fears than the rocks did, because Matthews had entered and taken control of her mind. The rocks (again, if this is correct) merely read peoples' visible feelings; Matthews went inside her head and brought out her traumas, her true fears. A lot of people seem to think that Rapunzel has completely forgotten about Mother Gothel and what she did to her, but that is not true. I believe that Rapunzel’s fears are masked by her positive attitude, and this precisely was why the rocks couldn’t see through her, similar to Eugene. When she saw Mother Gothel keeping her in the tower, she was chained up. There was one time ever when Mother Gothel chained Rapunzel up. That was the day Rapunzel found out her life was a lie, was almost buried in a dungeon for life, saw the love of her life get murdered before her eyes (and might have partially thought it was her fault), and experienced other dramatic changes in her life - especially the part about losing Eugene. Throughout the series, Rapunzel has shown a particular weakness whenever she thought she would be separated from Eugene or lose him. He is her first friend, aside from Pascal, and an infinitely close and beloved one. He was the first person to ever show compassion towards her and care about her, which was the thing she never received from Mother Gothel. Whether she’d realized it or not, she had always craved that sort of attention and love, and Eugene gave it to her. She holds him especially close, not just as her lover but as a friend, because he repaired her life. Whenever his life was at risk, Rapunzel became especially desperate: He was what sparked her to use the Reverse Incantation on Hector to defeat (and possibly even KILL) him. Similarly, she used another potentially dangerous incantation to fight for him when Cassandra threatened to kill him (proof that she would not give anything for her). She stopped and dropped in the middle of a fight with Zhan Tiri because she saw him lying on the ground, possibly thinking he was dead (True, anyone would be concerned for someone they love if they saw them on the ground, but I can’t help but notice they were in a very similar position that they were when he died) Eugene has always been Rapunzel’s #1 priority, and I have a strong feeling that besides loving him above all else, she has the fear of revisiting that traumatic moment in which she lost him. Maybe she even felt responsible for letting that happen to him, especially since Mother Gothel made everything her fault.

I believe, among the other things she saw in that episode, Rapunzel's true worst fear was that day - that fateful day in which she found out her life was a lie and lost the one person who truly loved her.

Well I might be seriously overthinking this and be completely wrong, but from my POV it makes sense. People take trauma in different ways, depending on how seriously affected they are, who they are as a person, and their capacity to rise or fall from their demons. I truly believe that despite their natural optimism and resilience, both Rapunzel and Eugene have deeper fears and traumas than what is focused on in the show. We know as a fact that this show isn't afraid to let the audience know that characters suffer mental afflictions, such as Frederick and Varian, so why wouldn't characters like Rapunzel and Eugene, who have been through so much, suffer the same?

I hope you enjoyed reading this post and if not I thank you anyway.

Note:

I’d love to hear what you think, but please, if you have any questions or comments regarding this theory of mine, do not message me with the chat. I will not be active on Tumblr for a while. (You may use my ask box)

#TTS #Tangled the Series #RTA #Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure #Rapunzel #Eugene #rabbitsparklez #This is a LONG post fyi

[coffeeandcalligraphy]

were lonan and harrison in a relationship? could you ~maybe~ share a romantic (as romantic as them two can get) excerpt between the two of them?????👀👀👀🥰

OH so u want the tea anon, I shall SERVE. This will probably make more sense if you have context on the series (which I briefly summarized HERE) but I’ll try my best to add context as we go. Here’s a comprehensive breakdown of the entire relationship! TW: this relationship is a little toxic, so tread carefully, mentions of trauma, blood, also lots of old, sorta cringe writing in this one!

1. The initial phases

The boys have had a very complex relationship from the start. At the time, I was very young, so I hadn’t sorted out sexualities for any of my characters, and over the years, they’ve all progressively come out to me, which has been a really wonderful experience.

Lonan is introduced 1/3 way through book two, when the series was still very YA dystopian. When he appears on the page, he’s been Harrison’s coworker in the ~~government, so they know each other well. They’re also nemeses. They dislike each other fiercely, but it’s kind of endearing. Clearly they have a history no one knows about (including myself), whether that’s as friends, enemies, both.

At the time of meeting, both boys are in relationships of their own, Lonan with his first serious girlfriend Holly who is Foster’s (Harrison’s best friend) sister, and Harrison with his first girlfriend, Margo, which always didn’t work (because! Harrison! is! gay!).

2. Getting warmer

In book three, the boys still hate each other, but with even more passionate vengeance. Harrison is angry at Lonan because Lonan keeps ruining his life (does this sound familiar) and Lonan is mad for no reason (does! this! sound! familiar!). This is the book where Fostered’s protagonist, Reeve, finds out Lonan is actually her half brother, and this very much changes the dynamic between Reeve and Lonan who go from trying to kill each other to ~~bonding, which by proxy, changes the dynamic between Lonan and Harrison because Harrison is essentially an older brother figure to Reeve. They’re kind of forced to make some form of amends in this book, but don’t become allies until 1/2-3/4 through.

Big tea is that they take a solo trip together and this is where I first hint at the SHIP (ft. Harrison’s very kind nickname for Lonan: Loner). The squad discussing romance:

“Really Foster? With Loner? Oh my god, out of all of the guys in this world, you paired me up with Loner?”

“Yeah, well why not? You both seem awfully close–”

Foster on Lonan and Harrison’s relationship:

“You guys are practically a married old couple. You even have nicknames for each other…”

3. Making progress

In book four, the boys have amended their destructive relationship, somewhat, and are kind of friends! Between books three and four, we can assume they’ve gotten closer as Harrison seems to know things about Lonan’s past that even his sister doesn't. I’d say they have a pretty productive friendship at this point. Lonan, however, starts a pretty intense romance with a woman named Glenne who reappears in Feeding Habits, and Harrison finds a dog! This is really becoming too similar to what’s happening currently oh! Here’s the first moment where I began squealing at this ship:

The both of them lie on their backs, staring straight up at the ceiling. Blood pools from Ris’ nose, slicing his cheek in two. Lonan’s eye is black, tears still seeping from them in slow, agonizing lines. They don’t look at each other. They don’t speak.

But when I look down, they’re clutching each other’s hands, so tightly, the blood between their fingers drips to the floor. 

THE SHIP THE SHIP THE SHIP

4. The ship?? is it sailing??

In book five, the boys seemingly have gotten even closer! The boys have a lot of one-on-one time before the start of the book because they create an entire underground empire together lol but Lonan’s mental health has taken a dip for the worst as past traumas from book four follow him into book five, and Harrison is a big support. Their emotional intimacy has deepened, even if they are only friends (Harrison is single and READY to mingle but Lonan’s still in a relationship with Glenne).

Here’s a line where Reeve states “so haha Harrison is the only person who can make my brother feel better”:

I’ve brought Harrison with me. Not because I don’t trust Lonan, and what he’s capable of, but because I think, out of every one of us, he’s the only one that can get through to him when he’s like this.

I mentioned Lonan’s mental health is not doing great, and at its worst point, Harrison goes out of his way to do the difficult task of tracking Lonan’s mother, Izzy, down so that he can have more support. He pretends to reach out under the guise that he’s actually Reeve:

“Don’t tell him,” Harrison breathes, running a hand through his hair. “The last thing I want him thinking is that I gave enough of a shit to actually, I don’t know, care about him.”

“But you do, don’t you?” Mom laughs when he only flushes deeply, taking a final sip on her tea, which must be nothing but lukewarm at this point. “Seriously, Harrison, right? You two are such teases with one another. You bicker like a married couple.”

5. Harrison says I love you: 

(it’s in a funny context but STILL)

“See, this—this is why I love you, Lonan.” Harrison says, swipes the tears from the corner of his eyes with the heel of his palm.

“What did you say?” Lonan asks, and not even biting his lip is enough to stop the goofy smile that peels across his face. “Did you just use the L word?”

6. This ship has come to a halt??

At the end of book five and the beginning of book six, Lonan and Harrison are not on speaking terms. This is because everything seems to go wrong for everyone at the same time. Harrison keeps secrets Lonan wishes he hadn’t, etc. Lonan and Glenne’s relationship falls apart and no one is happy.

Here’s Reeve saying Harrison’s heart is broken over how badly he feels for Lonan and that loss of friendship (SOFT):

I always wondered with Harrison and Lonan, if it were possible to have your heart broken over love that wasn’t romantic... Harrison’s heart broke over Lonan’s torment.

Reeve explains the state of their relationship:

Lonan and Harrison haven’t shared a word since their fight. But we’ve all had duties to tend to, so they’ve still been forced to interact, but even then, it’s radio silence. Sometimes there are glares and scowls involved, but other than that—nothing. It’s the longest they’ve gone without talking, as far as I know. Ris and Lonan might have had a similar conflict when they were co-workers, but from what I’ve witnessed of their relationship, this is more than just a warning sign.

The two make amends after a few weeks of not talking because mutual friend of the squad, Darren, calls Harrison to be like “haha so Lonan and Reeve are disasters please help” and so their reunion is kind of forced:

[Harrison] knows [Lonan and I are] standing there. The involuntary twitch of his ears, the tense of shoulders when the weight of both our stares pin them down. He knows. But he doesn’t look up. He keeps his attention fixed on the bubbling eggs in front of him, the old red spatula that now misses its spot in the cupboard.

Lonan immediately takes a step back, almost knocks me over in the process. It’s not shock, it’s not anger, it’s nothing. Just a passive jolt that makes him clench his jaw, and pull himself together. His eyes, as usual, are safeguarded, prepared to launch back any form of advance.

“You guys gonna stand there for the next hour, or what?” Harrison turns as he says that, and it’s a sting, yet relief when he looks at me first, and not Lonan. “Seriously, you can talk if you want to. It’s not gonna bother me. You look lovely, by the way.”

Silence, but around the skin I peel off my lip with my incisors, I say, “Thanks.”

“Actually,” Ris unzips his jacket, throws it over the back of one of the chairs. “I was talking to him.”

At this point, we feel a few things: a) Harrison is done with Lonan and his toxic patterns but still cares b) Lonan feels somewhat suffocated by Harrison’s attempts to help and the relationship, though a little more civil, is still volatile.

Their second reunion again, is inevitable, which Reeve explains as the squad set out to rescue Foster lol:

Lonan’s coming with us too. That wasn’t my call, or Harrison’s, even. It’s mutual, albeit wordless, the agreement we have that we’d rather find Foster without him. Though his motives steer somewhere closer to wanting to avoid pissy attitudes, we both know Lonan’s of no use if he’s injured. And from the looks of his eye that’s gotten worse, crusted in blood, like a leaked pipe gooed over, and the lacerations across his ribs, sewn shut by my unsteady hand, he isn’t ready for a mission like this. But who am I to control him. I’m not his mother. 

7. Back on track?

Reeve outlines a false backstory for Harrison’s iconic leather jacket in the 250-word sentence from a few years ago (she’s in Harrison’s room) and we hint at an actual, palpable romance:

...pretend not to have a flask of whiskey hidden behind his headboard, drink out of it when he falls in love and drink out of it when he falls back out of it, meet a boy who will drink half of it with him, who will hurt him, and hate him, who will be pasted in polaroids behind the map he’s tried to cover him up with, who he’ll kiss and take a picture with, sometimes both at the same time...

8. Or not

But when she brings the romance up shortly after, Harrison seems a lil *tense* about it:

“I saw those pictures. In your room. Behind the map? I saw you. You kissed him.”

Harrison’s jaw trembles. Clenched by the joint, skin concave in the bone. Takes another puff of the cigarette but almost bites off the tip. Curls of the cherry wood table catch under his fingernails. 

Harrison denies his feelings for Lonan, tho from the above, we’re not exactly sure why:

“You’re wrong.” And then louder, when I don’t say anything. “You’re wrong. I don’t like your brother.”

 “Then why are you hiding him from [Emily]?”

From this, we can assume the boys had somewhat of a productive, healthy romance threaded through the end of book 5, and in sprinklings in book 6, though it seems to not be in a very hot place currently. We see flashes of this in the “mini” stories I’ve written about the boys (Lampshade, Fishbowl, and Mandarin).

9. Jump into Moth Work

In book 6, Lonan has a bit of a resurgence back into a bad frame of mind when something bad happens to his sister and he feels he could’ve prevented it. This leads closer to the present of Moth Work as Harrison makes the decision to take him to his father’s cabin on the west coast, a place he hopes Lonan’s mother, Izzy, will be. She is there, but unlike the first time in book 5 where she helped him, Izzy’s a bit far gone with her own problems, namely a drug addiction. Lonan is unhappy at the cabin, tho this decision leads us into Moth Work as the squad, except for Lonan and Harrison, leave the cabin for the east coast.

In Moth Work, the relationship seems to be teeming into unhealthy as both parties (but mostly Lonan) need to work on themselves. The entire book centres on this conflict as a) Harrison tries to help Lonan who is still unwell, while struggling to realize this is just something he can’t do and b) Lonan struggles with accepting himself and also being a better, accountable human.

10. Oh god here comes Eliza

Lonan is so hyperfocused on himself and understanding his traumas that he struggles to prioritize others over himself, even when he doesn’t mean to. This becomes really emotionally exhausting for Harrison, so in ch. 5 of MW, they physically split. Lonan winds up in Las Vegas, looking for Eliza, his father’s ex-girlfriend, and OH BOY does a bizarre, unplanned (for all of us lmao) romance ensue. This relationship takes a nosedive, even in its best parts because its foundation is laid upon mistruths.

11. Harrison is back

In chapter 12 of MW, Harrison, who’s been entertaining a romance with someone else in the interim, appears at Eliza’s apartment to make amends with Lonan who he can’t seem to shake off (he’s a pesky moth haha). This shakes them both as a) Harrison isn’t sure about Eliza and her potential motivations, and b) Lonan, without Harrison, most definitely knows he’s done hurtful things to “better himself” (which is actually toxic).

12. Lonan says I love you

Lonan realizes how important Harrison is to him, and while they both inevitably know their relationship isn’t going to work out, which Harrison hints at, they share a wholesome moment at the “beautiful place” which I mention in MW writing updates:

“You’re not coming back with me,” Harrison says.

Lonan takes hold of the guardian angel, and gingerly, like it’s fragile enough to crumple, brings it to his mouth and kisses it. His lip glints, just as the angel does, in the moonlight. He lets the angel fall, swaying like a pendulum, and pulls his hand back slowly. Quietly, he says, “I think I’ve loved you a long time.”

13. Inevitable split

Harrison makes the decision to not stick around for Lonan because he’s realized it’s actually unproductive for them both to try to make a relationship work in the state it’s in. Structurally, Lonan needs to change, and he realizes that. Harrison leaves Las Vegas to live with his mother and that leads us to Feeding Habits.

14. Where are we in Feeding Habits?

Lonan has been in a strange relationship with Eliza for about six months, and Harrison’s been living with his mother in NYC after a few destructive instances that prompt her to host an intervention. While Lonan learns a lot about himself and grows a lot in this book, Harrison struggles because I really think he’s hurting over the end of their romance. This is truly a hurt bae moment.

TL;DR: Lonan needs to work on himself & be accountable for his actions before he gets into a relationship with anyone, and Harrison has to learn when to keep his emotional spoons for himself and that he can’t control how much he helps someone, even when he wants to. In my head, I know where the relationship ends (happily ever after), but this is just the very, very beginning, so there’s a lot that both sides need to work out before we get there.

Since you particularly asked for a romantical excerpt, the last chapter of MW is under the cut. It’s imperfect but I think it kind of sums up everyone’s feelings pretty nicely.

--Rachel

Chapter 15: Summon Away

He sees Lonan once the next morning. Sitting at the kitchen table over a cup of steeped tea—something floral and springy. Harrison watches him from the couch and can’t remember at what point he fell asleep last night. He’s not sure if he even did—if all he remembers is Eliza leaving, and then a blank wall.

Lonan is reading the newspaper. Every few minutes, he flips the page so new cheap colours and words blot against his fingertips. Harrison doesn’t move at first. It’s easier to watch him. How in the trickle of morning sun, his hair is a damp brown. How his eyes take to that glow, their translucent sparkle.

When Lonan has sipped four times from the mug, Harrison finally rises. No sign of Eliza sounds, and he’s grateful for it. This morning, he knows what he’s doing.

“What is that?” Harrison asks, pulling back a barstool with one hand, while pointing at the mug with another.

Lonan glances up, and the two mutually analyze each other. Lonan’s puckered skin, how morning makes his eyelashes papery, like wings. He wonders what Lonan sees in him—for a moment, it’s all he wants to know.

Lonan knuckles the mug over and Harrison picks it up like he’s holding an eyeball. The tea is hot, though Lonan hasn’t seemed to mind, and its flowery perfume burns Harrison’s throat. Lonan pulls the mug back to him when Harrison’s done, and takes another sip.            

“I still have no idea,” Harrison says, and to his shame, studies Lonan’s face for a bite wound.

“Earl grey.”

“Sounds fancy.”

“It expired four years ago.”

Harrison gasps, and Lonan almost smiles. And for a moment, Harrison almost forgets where he is. What happened at this counter just a few hours prior. With Lonan, it almost disappears. They could be back at the cabin, needling through the woods on that first day they tried to get rid of the darkroom. They could be in the water, shielding, yet simultaneously pushing each other under. They could be dancing to no music in a tiny bathroom or driving for carless miles in the tarnish of rain. Harrison traces Lonan’s face, each line that etches his eyes, nose, mouth, hair, and he doesn’t stop.

“You’re up early,” Lonan says finally. “Did I wake you up?”

Harrison shakes his head. He clutches the edge of the counter and tries not to tremble. Lonan is pretending to read the paper. He tries to fill in a miniature sudoku game in his head, follow along to headlines, but Harrison knows he isn’t. Through the skin of the paper, Harrison watches him watching him. Harrison doesn’t know what he dreamt of last night. If it was a good dream. If he’d want to dream it again. If he dreamt at all.

“I found this article,” Lonan says, and turns the paper over. It’s not very long, just a small corner of the entire page, but Harrison sees the title, all bolded, Summer’s Dreaded Pesk: 10 Facts About Moths. He leans in closer to read it.

The facts are almost all useless to him—that moths like sweet things, that there are thousands of species, that many don’t eat, but what sticks out to him is the last: how they’re attracted to light. Harrison skims the text with his fingernail, reads something about light traps, and tries not to think of how unfortunate it all is—to move toward light and then stop moving altogether.

“What does it mean?” Harrison’s voice catches.

Lonan doesn’t say anything. They just watch each other, and then the article, alternating until they can almost do both at once.

Harrison looks away first. He inhales, and tries to steady himself, but when he knows he’s going to break, reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out the chain. He took it off last night and put it in there, and today, he unravels it carefully. He shoulders off his eyes, and in his palm, displays the angel. Its crystals beam in the sunlight that hits them both, and though it misses a jewel, has never looked more beautiful.

He almost says something but catches himself. He knows whatever he will say will keep him here, in this sun, on this barstool, reading the newspaper about moths, sitting next to Lonan, drinking his tea, never knowing what flavour it is. Harrison inhales, and on his exhale, unclasps the chain and drapes it around Lonan’s throat.

When the angel hits Lonan’s chest, a sound comes out of his mouth that Harrison thinks is almost animal. Harrison’s hand lingers on the back of Lonan’s neck when he clasps it, feeling the pulse of Lonan’s heartbeat, even from all the way up here.

Lonan clutches the angel when Harrison pulls back, and he doesn’t let go, even when Harrison rises.

“I’m going to grab a pack of cigarettes,” Harrison says, speaking to the ray of sun next to Lonan’s face. “Is there a gas station around here?”

“Just up the road.”

“Do you want anything?”

“I don’t think so.”

Harrison nods. Then he steps back, away from the kitchen, and slips his shoes on, one by one, more carefully than he’s ever done before. He knows Lonan looks at him. He knows what’ll be in his eyes if he looks up—and so he doesn’t. Harrison checks his jacket pocket for his car keys, and when they jangle, he turns toward the door.

“How long?”

Lonan’s voice makes him jump.

“Pardon?”

“How long will you be gone?”

Harrison frowns. “I’m just grabbing a pack of cigarettes.”

Lonan is the one to nod this time. He’s such a pretty sun baby, golden and capable.

“Before you go,” Lonan says, and closes the newspaper so it sits as a square on the counter. He doesn’t continue. All he does is gesture Harrison forward, his fingers weak as they curl twice—a beckoning.

Harrison takes a step forward. And then another. He doesn’t move closer than that. His head pounds; his heart bleeds too much. Lonan meets him in a place he won’t go, stepping out of his seat so they both stand in a patch of light that makes the dishware in the glass cabinet sparkle. Harrison says nothing when Lonan puts a hand on his cheek. Pushes a strand of his hair behind his ear, connects the dots of his freckles in a quick sweep because he’s done this before and knows exactly where they are. Harrison says nothing when Lonan kisses him. How his lips taste like the tea—a flavour he’s already forgotten, but that he knows. He doesn’t move. He just lets him touch, and touch, until he’s finished, until the lack of his mouth on Harrison’s finally feels like he needs it back immediately.

“A pack of gum, maybe,” Lonan says, and wrings his lip between his finger.

“A pack of gum.”

Harrison steps back. The sun is getting brighter now—it lights the kitchen like the lace on a doily, a warm glimmer like being underwater at dawn. He leaves the apartment without his angel, and keeps going, even when he wants to turn back.

 ***

Harrison buys the pack of cigarettes. And then the gum. And then he finds his mother.

She isn’t hard to locate. A quick question at the checkout counter, and he finds out the apartment complex near the public garden is only a fifteen-minute drive away.

It’s just as he pictures it. A white building, with a white lobby, the bricks white, the carpets white, the tables white. In little places, there are bits of gold—lining the keyboard the security guard types at, on the edges of every window so it’s only visible when the sun flashes.

In his hand, he holds a bouquet of roses from the convenience store. They’re cold and wet, and dampen his palms, but he clutches onto them in the elevator. When he gets off, he navigates through the hallway until he reaches her door—217.

He hesitates before knocking. Something in his heart is missing, and he knows exactly who, but he knocks anyway, two quick taps that he’s surprised she hears.

When his mother answers the door, she’s still wearing her pajamas. And they aren’t the pajamas he’d expect her to wear—no silks, laces, tank tops, fuzzy slippers. Instead, she’s in a too-big trucker t-shirt and a pair of wearing sweatpants. He doesn’t know why this comforts him. Or why this makes him cry when he hands her the roses.

He is swept into her apartment in a cloud of tears and he lets them fall as he collapses on his mother’s welcome mat. She smells like coffee, and clementines, and he clings to her when she holds him, when she pats his hair, his cheeks, his neck, the clamminess of her what he feeds on.

“It’s not going to last forever,” she says as she pats him again, on the floor with him now, crying with him now. And he repeats this: it’s not going to last forever, it’s not going to last forever, and he doesn’t know if this is supposed to be a good thing.

 ***

His mother has a balcony too. At it, they sit together, mostly silent, though Suzanna comments on the madeleines she unboxed for them to try ever so often, as if their flavour changes, though it never does. He can’t remember what he explained—it feels like so long ago that he arrived, even though it’s been less than an hour. He doesn’t know what he knows, if Lonan knows his trip to the gas station is going to be prolonged. His words were a woven mess when he spoke to his mother, of their messy love, of the unknown tea, of the moths, of so much more with that kiss.

Now, his mother massages his hand absently while paging through a book. He doesn’t know what book. It could say encyclopedia or academia, or amnesia—he can’t read it. She peeks at him too often, but he revels in it, the worry there, a care he doesn’t know how to handle, as if it’s fragile and wrapped in moth wings. Ahead, the city crumbles, and he can’t stop the pictures he sees in the clouds.

His mother reads. Harrison watches. A father and son down below, who take turns walking their golden retriever. A food stand vendor that hands a stack of checked tissues to a mother wrangling four small children. A couple who take photos in front of a cherub fountain, how he can almost hear the mechanical click of their camera from fifty feet up. Something stirs inside of him, at the thought of Lonan back in that golden apartment, and he only realizes what it is much later, when his mother is heating up something spiced and leftover in the microwave. The feeling like being buried alive and wanting to do it again just so someone can pull you out. A loneliness he sucks on until his mouth sores.

#asks #mothwork #fostered #feedinghabits #writing

[xesotericconundrumx]

{ charlie rowe, male, he/him } i’m sure you’ve seen ( aiden howard ) around ivywood.  he is ( 21 ) years old and are a ( student and an afterschool assistant ).  i’ve heard a rumor that he is a huge fan of ( comics, harry potter and star wars) and have a tendency to be ( valiant and sympathetic ) and ( stubborn and immature ).  

he’s always the one to let someone push ahead of him. he’s a stand back in the shadows and let someone steal the spotlight boy. he is the overlooked, the end of the story notation without ceremony. do not let this fool you. he never stops. the bruised and forgotten, the glancing crooked smirk, he reads room from the floor, trampled upon. he is a restless summer air, a calculated chaos, he is your worst enemy and your best friend, loyalty will always depend on what you mean to him. he is the broken victor an unsung hero. it’s fine. sometimes it’s not about victory.

Meet Aiden.

Izzy’s brother and twin but not twin

Growing up with Izzy was everything, he would do anything for his sister. They were adopted at the same time and are the same age and it’s easier telling people they’re twins then having to explain all that.

he is extremely protective of her and messing with her is like asking to be punched in the face. 

with that being said he has no idea about what happened her because if he did things would not end well for anyone who hurt his sister.

Aiden is a calculating boy, quizzical and witty and stubborn. He thinks before he speaks, focused and driven.

His impulsivity thrives from his quick moving brain. He sees an idea and once that idea is in his brain he won’t stop thinking about it he gets what he wants

His driven by his own nature. He has to be good at everything else, he has to go for what he wants and not only take it but keep it.

 A heroic nature lingers in him. He is also focused on finding where he belongs.

And because of that he’s very sympathetic, or empathetic. He can read a room, focus on people who are having a rough go at it. He may have a dominate personality but he’s generally a soft hero to those who need it.

It’s why his major is social work. Coming from that background he has an understanding of what it’s like to be in the system and he wants to be apart of changing it and making it better.

he generally knows more then he lets on.

he’s really good at random things; chess, rubix cubes, and puzzles ect.

got boyish good looks and charming as hell. a bit of a 1940s screwball comedy kind of young man.

he drinks so much coffee. so much coffee, never stops.

#( all you wanna do||about ) #( && aiden howard && )

[immortals-malec]

So we’ve moved to comparing/making a rant on Lucelyn and Maruke. (this will be a lot of rambling probably.)  First we shall talk about Lucelyn, whom we all shipped for like one season, but that’s because we wanted Luke to be happy.  Anyways, what’s the problem with them and why they didn’t work. i had a little post on it while i was rewatching “The Mortal Cup” episode and have decided to expand on it.  Let’s go- we begin with the writing because no shocker there that the writing is the main reason why they didn’t work but that’s only on one character’s fault, Jocelyn! Luke seemed to have nice relationship building but Jocelyn’s a mess. So in the pilot we basically shown that Luke and Jocelyn are in a relationship, which is confirmed by Luke’s boss, telling him to marry Jocelyn, I know some might say oh it’s a coverstory but from how Luke acts and how they wrote the relationship from his side, they were in a romantic relationship. But with Jocelyn, they never really wrote her feelings for Luke, NEVER. From the beginning of her character to the end in s2, she’s never shown any romantic feelings to Luke, tbh whenever they interacted it was all about Clary, never about their relationship, it was always about Clary and the memory blocks/erasing she had Magnus do. They showed that Luke really loved her, but Jocelyn never showed that she loved him back as much as he did, makes you wonder if she really ever did love him romantically. Or if she settled for him as a substitute for Valentine.  (Get to that in a bit)  It really doesn’t help that development that Lucelyn had was all from like I said before Luke’s point of view and the fact is she was in a magical sleep for whole 13 episodes of season one.  And also doesn’t help that Jocelyn is a shit character with the writing she had, the show in the first season tried to tell us she was like savior to the downworld(ers), she saved them bah, bah, she’s pure of heart etc. When in reality she’s a selfish bitch and is just as racist as the Clave or as her husband is, just shows it in  a different way and never really grew and they just continued to write her that way. I’m basically dead set on her blackmailing downworlders into helping her, because she had the mortal cup so yeah there. Luke didn’t deserve her, when she acted like a racist half of the time to downworlders, he deserved someone who didn’t treat his kind like shit, which Jocelyn showed her true colors in s2, they were there in s1, just they really showed in s2.  (Jesus Christ Alec and Magnus were the only ones to call her out on her bullshit)  Anyways, she’s a shit character, who didn’t grow. Instead  put Alec’s life in danger, to find her daughter!  Who is someone’s fucking child. (Still angry)  But back to what I was saying the development  for them was all one sided, and now I feel like Luke could have been a substitute for Valentine... why? Oh boy let me explain this.  Remember 1x06? The episode that explains Luke’s/the Circle’s backstories? When Luke awakens and explained everything to Clary in Magnus’s (guest?) bedroom, he describes how Valentine was before he became a mass murderer. She basically says “He is Mom’s type, just like you.” And boy it rubs me the wrong way and made me realize holy fuck, Luke could’ve been just a substitute for Valentine??? Because this quote makes it seem like it. I mean- look, Valentine was Luke’s parabatai at the time, and when he started to pull away, and she noticed signs of him murdering downworlders, turning evil, she knew it would make her look bad (even though she’s racist herself, she denies it but she is) so she turned to someone else who was basically feeling the same thing: Luke, in a way reminds her of Valentine, I guess, while Luke fell for her, she just fell for the fact he was her husband’s parabatai and had the same qualities.  But if that’s not true, I don’t think she loved him romantically as he did her, Valentine’s crazy racist actions against the accords and Downworlders, supposedly pushed her and Luke together, to lean on each other’s shoulders, meanwhile it’s clear Luke hadn’t loved anyone before or at least he thought to himself, he fell in love. With Jocelyn, she loved Valentine, and it seems to be clear that they were meant to be (the alt world is proof) and maybe she thought she did but reality either got it confused with platonic feelings or she used Luke as a rebound which is probably more possible here. Because Jocelyn is just a bitch.   Either way it’s clear with the writing Jocelyn had, that she didn’t really love him the way he did her or whatever, just seems to be that she used him for a lot of things.  Anyways, now the second problem chemistry or as I should say the one sided chemistry just as there was one sided writing with the relationship.  Isaiah is not the problem, in fact he’s what made half of them work but it wasn’t enough.  Maxim was the problem- like okay she’s what I pictured Jocelyn to look like, she acts pretty good, but her chemistry with Isaiah is just eehhugh. She didn’t even try tbh, she didn’t try to ever give me emotions, never. She just stood there with the same expression her face when it came to somewhat romantic scenes she had with Isaiah, who did give you Luke’s emotions towards Jocelyn in that flashback in 1x06, that scene where he finds Jocelyn in 1x11, the standing by her side scenes in 1x12/1x13 and catching her at the end of s1? You felt it, you even felt his one scene with Jocelyn in 2x04 like he did it, but with her? Zero emotions! Like even if the writing lacked, improv exists.  Just everything with them was one sided and Jocelyn continued to be the worst character/mother alive.  The best change they ever did was killing her off, Luke got himself a sexy ass woman.  Oop- let’s move onto everyone’s favorite even though we weren’t sure about it at first, Maruke!  Now Maruke is everything Lucelyn wished it could be, with the writing and the chemistry.  So first we will begin with the writing- you could always tell with what little writing we got for Maruke that they cared about each other, and could be romantically in love with each other one day, which really lacked with Luke and Jocelyn’s relationship, Luke and Maryse isn’t one sided. And also some who still like Lucelyn are like Maryse is/was the same as Jocelyn!!! EVEN WORSE. Lol she had something Jocelyn didn’t.  Character development, Maryse’s development is also what makes Maruke works as well. In s1 yeah, she was racist, a bad parent, reminded you of Jocelyn in a different way, we disliked her, in s2 it continued for a bit up until she left and came back for Max getting his first rune, you notice she’s trying to change there, she’s trying to gain back her children’s trust, and also trying not to be so racist with Magnus, (Nicola mentioned at a con that 2x08 is when Maryse started to change her mind about Magnus because he saved Alec’s life when she couldn’t something along those lines) and she makes up with her adoptive son, and Alec brings  up their father, which caused her to break down because the whole cheating thing, and we get her sobbing and Alec confronting her, and you feel bad for her, and you see she’s trying to make up for what she did to her children and we were all like “is this the beginning of a redemption arc??? if so i’m fucking up” and she returns in 2b to continue making amends with people and how she treated them before hand, Luke and Izzy, which are both heavily important because she did sl*t shame her daughter, made her feel less compared how she treated Alec and Luke she treated differently because he turned into a werewolf, and honestly good shit, then they continued with making her own up to her mistakes by de-runing her and making full amends with Magnus (3x03 is really fucking important) and fully accepting Alec’s relationship with him! She had the character development to be with Luke.  And Jocelyn, was just lol nothing but undercover racist to showing in fully s2, when she died.  Back to what I was saying before, with what little we got with Luke and Maryse worked perfectly. Hell even the talk in 3x06 which I love because Luke comes in after Maryse has been deruned and she’s like “Lucian” and they sit down to talk about how they have been ripped away from being a shadowhunter, etc etc. and Luke goes right into how he fucking remembers the last time she had her hair down and that was like twenty years ago ( listen if you remember the last time she had her hair down, you’ve feelings for them okay) and they’re making hearteyes and shit its *chief’s kiss*  Their first kiss was oof, like it was damn good okay, they bond over shit and it fits them where you didn’t get to see that with Lucelyn.  Also not to forget that Maryse tells Magnus that her and Luke used to be rivals at the Shadowhunter academy and than in the Circle (I believe? I have watched it once I think she mentioned the circle too) which is like holy fuck, one of my favorite tropes is Rivals-Enemies-to -Friends then Lovers, because they really don’t hate each other, they like each other, whoo.  With the littlest things in their set up and writing, makes you ship them (along with Nicola and Isaiah’s chemistry which in a minute), and also makes you wonder, did they like each other back then and realize it but couldn’t act on it because they didn’t think the other liked them that way, just with little things you see it in their writing, with Lucelyn’s you didn’t.  And now the chemistry, tbh their chemistry is good shit. Like on the top tier as Harry and Matt’s, for Malec. You can see the emotions in the romantic scenes, which lacked with Lucelyn’s, it’s not one sided chemistry with one actor, both actors are showing the emotions, the hearteyes, and probably things that aren’t in the script.  Isaiah and Nicola played their strengths with each other, hoenstly, just honestly, even little eye contact was enough for you to be like woahhh.  All of their scenes never lacked anything, you could see they were a building romance, even though I don’t know if they were just planting it to see our reactions in s2, so they could build on it, or our huge interest in them and how they could be a romantic relationship made them do it, someone should ask this question.  Together, being able to show us the emotions along with the little writing they got, is how Isaiah and Nicola made Maruke work.  Bottom line: Lucelyn suffered from one sided writing/chemistry and Jocelyn’s shit character, who never grew, continued to be a racist, selfish woman, while Maruke worked because Maryse had the development, so did the relationship as a whole and were able to show me that these two care a  lot about/like each other and eventually will fall in love. Even with little writing. 

#lucelyn #maruke #writing problems #chemistry problems #sh couples

[howaminotinthestrokesyet]

Poison/Guns N Roses: Random Quarantine Thoughts

Poison

1. Slash... One amazing fact about Poison is Slash almost joined the band as their lead guitarist. This was right before he joined Guns N’ Roses. I do not think he would have lasted very long in the band as he probably would not have been able to accept the image that went along with the band. CC Deville was a much better fit because he was much more pretentious.

2. Hated... in the mid-1980s, Poison was the most hated band in Los Angeles. Every musician in that town despised them with a passion hotter than the Phoenix Suns. They were looked upon as a joke because their image did not portray them as a very tough, hardcore band. Other groups hated them as well because record companies loved them despite not paying their dues. Poison was one of the first bands after Motley Crue to be signed during that time period.

3. Clowns... The band did not help the backlash from other groups in any way whatsoever. The first few music videos they made were jampacked with images of them clowning around, trying to be funny, and not acting serious in any way. This hurt the band in the long run because when they finally did do serious stuff nobody took that seriously at all.

4. Own Worst Naive Enemy...The band’s choice to always ignore the backlash did not do them any favors as well. This choice probably hurt their legacy more than anything else because they are remembered as a band of all style and no substance. It is funny hearing Brett Michaels talk about it even at interviews now showing how completely naïve he was and still is to the band’s image problem.

5. Underrated... Saying all of that, Poison is a bit underrated as a band because they did grow musically throughout their time together. The group that made “Nothing But a Good Time” also made “Something to Believe In,” which the average fan probably would not have thought possible in the beginning. Unfortunately, first impressions are everything when it comes to hair bands in the 1980’s.

Guns n’ Roses

1. Urban Legend... One thing about this band is the number of myths and urban legends that are associated with them. One of the biggest ones is the reason Use Your Illusion was two albums originated in a demand from the record company. They wanted to release them both at the same time thinking some members of the band were not going to live long enough to see another album. Looking back, this was probably a good idea anyway not for that reason, but for the fact that Axl Rose drove everybody out of the band in a couple years.

2. Izzy Stradlin Drug Dealer... Leading up to the release of Appetite for Destruction, Izzy Stradlin was not only a member of the band, but he was also the number one heroin dealer for musicians in Los Angeles. Big-time bands would come in to town and seek him out like Aerosmith’s Joe Perry. Later, one of the reasons Aerosmith was always apprehensive about touring with them was the fact that Stradlin had done this previously for the now sober Perry.

3. All in the Name... The band’s name and its origin tells everything about how the Los Angeles rock music scene was at the time in the mid-1980s. People were starting new bands, switching to other bands, and ending bands left and right. The guns in their name actually is for Tracy Gunz, who originally was going to be in the band with Axl Rose, but quickly dropped out. They ended up keeping the name because all the members liked it. Tracy Gunz would go on to form LA Guns, which had a couple of hits including the “Ballad of Jayne.” The roses part of their name is for Axl Rose, which probably did not help matters when trying to tone down his ego.

4. This Was Never Going to End Well...If you read about the band’s life just before they started recording Appetite for Destruction, then you would be almost amazed that the album got finished at all. Each member except for maybe Axl Rose was either a full-blown drug addict or an alcoholic. The record company from the beginning did not have much faith that they were going to be around too long. On top of that, the way in which the band was formed from three other bands probably meant that the shelf life would not be too long. Certain members of the band might have been simply too independent for their own good.

5. Everyone Wanted Him... In 1985, there were a lot of unknowns for many of the bands in Los Angeles. The one constant was that every band pretty much wanted Axl Rose as their lead singer. This turned out to be almost a bidding war for his services, where various musicians would beg him to join their band. The one thing that brought Guns n’ Roses together emerged in the fact that Rose was adamant about being in a band with Izzy Stradlin. Imagine the irony of this eight years later when the guitarist left GNR because of him.