#they're now exactly alike but i know that's not a coincidence.

[jotun-philosopher]

Discworld/Good Omens parallels ramble

Exactly what it says on the tin! These are some fun little Discworld/Good Omens parallels that my brain picked up on at various times (usually 3 a.m. or thereabouts... Thanks, mum, for the persistent insomnia...)

Mild-to-moderate spoilers for Wyrd Sisters, Lords And Ladies, Men At Arms and Carpe Jugulum below the cut.

In A Life With Footnotes, the official biography of Terry Pratchett, Rob Wilkins mentions that when he was in school, a young Pterry wrote for English class a story (sadly lost to the mists of time) about orcs attacking a vicarage in full Jane-Austen-spoof fashion. Now, given how the Whickber Street Shopkeepers' Ball turned out, it seems reasonable to assume one of two things: a) Neil Gaiman did not know about this story when writing S2 and the parallel is an ineffably delightful coincidence (a bit unlikely) b) Neil Gaiman *did* know about this story when writing S2, and the nod to Pterry happened to work really well with the plot (seems a bit more likely). Either way, the parallel is there and giving me all of the warm fuzzies <3

There's an idea in Discworld, forming a significant part of the moral backbone of the series, that's very succinctly summed up by Granny Weatherwax in Carpe Jugulum: "[S]in [...] is when you treat people like things. Including yourself." This is absolutely at the core of what's wrong with Heaven and Hell and God and Satan in Good Omens; the leadership and culture of both organisations/cults treat everyone -- angels, demons and humans alike -- as disposable things to be used and toyed with and discarded or destroyed if they start having the temerity to be imperfect or form opinions or thoughts of their own.

There're two characters in Discworld who parallel Aziraphale surprisingly strongly: Magrat Garlick (of the Lancre witches) and Captain Carrot Ironfoundersson of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch. -*Magrat is viewed as a bit of a soft, soppy 'wet hen' by the other witches, but she is still a witch, with all that that implies. She also has at least one scene in every book in which she appears where she does something extremely badass and witchy; for example, turning an ancient wooden door back into a tree, or (very pertinently to GO) delivering a literally iron-clad punch to the face of a villain who's mentally torturing her with her own insecurities. Likewise, Aziraphale seems to mostly be viewed as a bit dull and wimpy by the other angels we see (though Magrat still has the genuine respect of her witchy peers) but he is still an angel -- a Principality -- with all the powers, steadfast guardianship and bloody-minded stubbornness of that rank. The Metatrash might not be vulnerable to iron in the same way as Discworld elves, but you can bet that his attempt to break Aziraphale and bring him into line is going to backfire just as spectacularly! *For the parallel between Aziraphale and Captain (well, Corporal, at this point in the Discworld timeline) Carrot, the novel I have in mind is Men At Arms. At one point, Vimes is being held at crossbow-point by a villain, and has a bout of internal monologuing about how, if someone has you at their mercy, you'd better hope they're evil, because that way they'll take time to gloat and mock you so you'll have an opportunity to think of a way out; a good man will kill you with barely a word. Carrot does exactly that at the climax of the plot, putting his sword through the villain and the stone pillar behind said villain without saying a thing. Now, Aziraphale might not quite have Carrot's 'incorruptible pure pureness' tendencies, but he is -- for all his flaws -- a good person. If he knows that something needs to be done to prevent an evil outcome, he will DO it without hesitation. He knows how to use a sword, too, and if That Frickin' Elevator Smile Of Tranquil Fury is any indication, the Metatrash is in far deeper doodoo than he realises! Related to the above, The Smile also reminds me of the old adage, "beware the fury of a patient man." (Well, man-shaped being in this case...) Very appropriate for our careful, thoughtful angel -- it would not surprise me (much) if Metatron were to depart the plot of S3 with a flaming sword pinning him to one of Heaven's columns (probably won't happen, but I can dream, eh?)

Hope you enjoyed reading all that :D

#good omens #good omens meta #discworld #aziraphale #crowley #ineffable husbands #granny weatherwax #magrat garlick #captain carrot #carrot ironfoundersson #terry pratchett #sir terry pratchett #pterry #gnu terry pratchett

[oswaldsleftbicep]

Hi and happy new year. I've always imagined what it would be like if Levy's and Lucia's partners were twins and they all went on a double date together. Can you write a little scenario or headcanons about it , please?

lucia & levy going on a double date with twins

ooo this one is interesting! and also kinda confusing to think about!

genre: crack probably

cw: this probably makes no sense

❧ lucia met his partner while he was running a quick errand in town and bumped into them on accident. they chatted for a while before arranging a date the next day and parting ways. the date was a hit and the two of them became official not long after

❧ levy met his partner through his vet. his horse was due for a checkup and unbeknownst to levy, his vet was bringing along her apprentice so they could get some field experience in. the apprentice unintentionally made a few flirtatious remarks toward levy which got him all flustered and standoffish. it wasn't until they made a reference to one of levy's favorite books that he became more interested, and he shyly asked for the apprentice to return the next day for tea

❧ lucia and levy knew their respective partners fairly well, and they knew that they had a twin, but they never brought it up to one another so the connection was never made

❧ likewise, the twins somehow never communicated the names of their partners to each other, but they decided it would be fun to introduce them to the other via a double date!

❧ it was kinda funny seeing the boys prepare for their dates at the manor the day of cuz like,, lucia would ask "hey, what are you getting dressed up for" and levy would respond "i have a date" and the lucia is just left staring at him like "huh,, me too"

❧ then, when they go to leave for the date in separate carriages, they just keep heading in the same direction, and finally when they reach the same destination and get out of their carriages, they just awkwardly look at each other cuz at this point it's just too weird to be a coincidence

❧ levy's partner is the first to run up and greet him, and lucia is like ",,,,uh hello??" cuz that's his partner. right??

❧ wrong. and now here comes lucia's actual partner running up to him for a hug, and levy looks over at the two of them and his eyes go wide lol

❧ the brothers finally get a good look at the two people in front of them and make the important discovery that they look almost exactly alike

❧ lucia is the first to break the silence, "so you two are, uh..."

❧ his partner responds, "oh, yeah! lucia, i'd like you to meet my twin!" and the twins introduce themselves to the boys

❧ levy's partner asks if the boys already know each other given they arrived at the same time, to which levy states that they're brothers

❧ now all four of them are staring at each other like ",,,huh?" cuz what a coincidence, am i right?

❧ brushing it off as best they can, the two couples continue on to their date at a cute little sit down cafe, and they all get to know each other more

❧ the awkwardness eventually fades away and double dates, or at least spending time together, become a common thing for the two pairs

❧ levy is quick to learn telling differences between his partner and their twin to make communicating easier, like his partner has longer hair and is more of a spitfire whereas lucia's partner has a higher toned voice and more defined cheekbones

❧ earlier on, lucia would have easily fallen for the parent trap trick, but the longer that he knows the twins, he just instinctively knows which one his partner is, no matter what disguise they put on

❧ omg but can you imagine people unintentionally starting drama like "i saw lucia's s/o holding hands with levy!" "with his own brother, oh the poor man" but it's really just no one realizes the brothers are dating identical twins until months into their relationships lmao

#my. hcs #nightmare harem #nightmare harem hcs #nightmare harem lucia #nightmare harem levy #otome games

[isfjmel-phleg]

Today I walked to the public library downtown for their booksale. It's about a mile and a half from my place, not a bad walk. It wasn't too cold either, and the extreme wind we've had so much of lately is gone.

The road I take to get downtown is paved in red bricks. These were laid by the CCC in the 1930s, and they've seen better days. But they give the street a distinctive charm, and I like it. The houses in this part of town have character--no two of them alike. A dark red brick one with deep green trim. A light blue house with white trim that looks like it wants to be a cottage. Tall imposing places with pillars. An especially sad one that was probably beautiful once but is now abandoned and boarded up. A midcentury-style house with a courtyard in front. One of my favorites is a very ordinary little house made extraordinary with a staggering amount of colorful decorations in front. Planters, statuary, butterflies on the walls--all painted in vibrant pink, green, yellow, orange, white. It's probably objectively garish, but it's so unapologetically unique that it's a pleasure to see. I wonder who lives there and what sort of people they are.

A lot of businesses and public places in my town have specially painted cows, which all have names. The library has two inside: The Moo-ey Decimal System and Dairy Potter. I didn't stop to look at them today, although I should have. The sale wasn't a success for me. No much selection. My taste and that of people here who donate to the library don't really coincide. So I left pretty quickly but got to see white flowers on the trees just up the street, which was exciting.

Boringsville USA doesn't have a lot of variety in its businesses, but you can't say we don't have antique stores. Downtown is absolutely littered with them. I went to the largest one (three stories!) and prowled around. It's got a weird, dreamlike collection of oddities that go on forever. Wasn't expecting to find anything, but I did! A framed picture for the guest room (Edwardian-looking lady by the sea, very blue and relaxing), a small framed saying of the sort I need to be regularly bashed over the head with, a children's book exactly like one that my grandma had when we were kids, and a few comics in varying states of dilapidation, featuring some of The Children. Most comics I find in antique stores are unrecognizable, so it was a pleasure to encounter some familiar faces.

Heaven only knows what the lady who rang up that weird mix of things thought.

I had lunch at the coffee shop. I usually get the same half-sandwich with certain sorts of soup if available, but since they had the poblano soup today (which is not my thing), I tried a different kind of sandwich. I liked it.

Normally I would stop at the antique shop that sells a lot of books, but I didn't have expectations of finding anything this time and wasn't feeling up to small talk with the chatty elderly man who runs the store. So I went to a gift shop further on and bought a distressed yellow bird figurine because my house needs something cheerful for spring. The lady at this store knows me too because of my parents, who have frequently shopped there when they're in town, and my mom has semi-befriended the owners. She asked if my parents have been in town lately (...no), how they're doing, if I was still working on my degree, what I got my degree in, whether I was the first of my family to go to college here, whether any of my siblings went here too, where my sister is, and could I say hello to my parents for her. Maybe a few other things. Nice of her to remember. Small towns are like this. I wish I were as good as my mom at talking to shop owners.

Got all my steps in by the time I got home. Pretty good day.

#random personal stuff #this is not important but it's your slice-of-life episode for the day

[promoxie]

I think that Ging Freecss and Fugetsu Hui Guo Rou would have interesting interactions if they were to meet. Aka, more rambling about Fugetsu just waaaay longer now:

I'm not saying it as a particular theory post, or that I think they're MEANT to meet and form some kind of relationship, just that I believe their personalities and motivations compliment each other, or that they both have something that the other values.

Fugetsu at the moment isn't a super complex character, as of current events it's been revealed that she cares very deeply for her sister, knows very little about nen (she calls it "magic"), but is, at least, a determined character and is willing to learn and take risks in order to survive and protect her sister. She is as normal of a girl as we've had in this series, and I find that very endearing.

I'm sure you must be thinking then that she couldn't be any more different from Ging, who is a learned prodigy and a loner. If they were to interact, I'm sure many would think that he would brush her aside, but actually, I think that Ging often prioritizes a strong heart and a caring personality over innate skill. He does so with Leorio, saying that he possesses a lot of potential, despite how Leorio has seemed to have been lacking in skill to most everyone else in-universe. He also seems to value Leorio's friendship with Gon. Though Ging never seems eager to form lasting relationships himself, he seems to value other people's ability to do so. It's for this reason that I think that Ging would quite like Fugetsu, if he were to meet her.

I also think that Fugetsu would like Ging, or at least envy him. It's only stated once, but it's also represented in her ability that Fugetsu has a strong desire to travel the world, or at least, she values "the ability to go anywhere".

This coincides with Ging, whose desire to go anywhere, do anything, is a very prominent part of his character. With her very limited knowledge of nen, Ging's sheer skill and power would probably shock her, but I also think that it would inspire her. Like I said before, she possesses a strong desire to learn and grow. If she were to meet Ging, I'd say that she'd wish to be as strong as him, so she could also fulfill her own desire for freedom and protect her sister. Though this second desire is of course impossible now, as we all know...

How that may affect her and her desire for freedom is anyone's guess, but I would like to add that Ging and Fugetsu share one more similarity, or at least they share one more thing to gain from each other:

I believe that Ging cared for his son. However his being a father to Gon, traveling with Gon like how he'd done until his son was two, is no longer possible in my opinion. Ging knows this, and continues to travel and explore knowing this.

Fugetsu has lost her sister, her only relative that she feels safe with. She doesn't know this yet, but her dream to go anywhere, anytime, with the person that she loves and cares about the most, she can no longer do.

They both have something in their personalities that the other would value; they both have something that the other would gain from situationally. For example, Fugetsu could escape from the succession battle and travel the world with Ging. Ging could teach someone nen again, something he seemed to enjoy with Kite, but with the added twist that Fugetsu might be the perfect person for Ging to interact with positively.

I'd also like to point out one last thing, and it's that Fugetsu and Gon look INCREDIBLY alike:

This was pointed out by someone on Twitter a long time ago, but the eyes, the nose, shape of the mouth- it is all the same. That could of course be a coincidence, like I said this isn't exactly a theory post, but that, on top of all this other stuff strikes me as very noticeable, at the very least.

#and thats it lol #tldr theyd be an adorable mentor and student/dad daughter and now that I have this in my brain it aint goin nowhere #hxh #ging freecss #fugetsu hui guo rou #i posted this on Reddit too lol wish me luck on that #folks there kinda hate Ging

[bluecryptic]

Owl House Speculation(s) Part 1: Gravesfield and the history of Philip Wittebane

I've been falling deeper into the rabbit hole of theories regarding the Owl House, more specifically theories regarding Belos, Hunter, and Philip Wittebane. I'm determined to connect the dots so here's what I got:

A Tale of Two Brothers- A story that answered little to no questions and only brought upon more

Let's start with the information Yesterday's Lie gave us about two brothers who were lured into a "realm of evil by a real witch never to be seen again". So going with what we're told and shown, as well as a brief scene that presented a pair of male statues resembling the brothers from the book and even one of them looking strikingly similar to Philip's silhouette. The Philip-like figure even had a red cardinal on his shoulder, a bird that looks-to-alike-to-be-a-coincidence similarly to Hunter's current palisman. This:

-Further cements the Hunter being of human descedance and that's why he can't perform spell circle magic like most witched theory.

-Hints that Hunter maybe related to the Philip-like figure, hence is related to Philip.

-Kind of, but not really confirms a small theory that Philip had a brother and that brother is Belos.

As far as I know, there was no confirmation as to who these two brothers exactly were and as fun it would be to speculate who they could, my mind is currently wandering toward the identity of the witch that supposedly lured the brothers into the demon realm in the first place. Why would a witch lure a human or two into the demon realm? Who would do that? How would they do that?

Believe or not, we may have gotten the answer a few episodes prior:

The Collector- The String that connects some dots

Am I the only that thought this character came out of nowhere? I mean, they're a cool character that helped develop the Owl Beast but other than that, I felt there was no purpose to them until I asked myself what kind of witch would be interested in humans and for what reasons. Then I remembered The Collector existed.

Humans are rare in the demon realm and The Collector, from what we've seen likes collecting creatures and turning them into scrolls. To put it another way, The Collector had enough magical knowledge to cast spells to trap beast and turn them into enchanted scrolls, at least in the Owl Beast's case. And it's not far-fetched to say that maybe The Collector had knowledge on Titan's Blood and wild portals and knew how to use them to travel in-between realms.

However, as safe as I am betting that The Collector is the witch that lured the two brothers away. there are other details that make me scratch my head and wonder,

Philip's Diary- A blessing and a hindrance, at least for someone like me

Philip's diary and the few entries that we've seen , help prove a lot but also kind of contradicts with other information we were given. To better explain, here's what's bugging me:

Philip never mentioned a brother, much less one that came with him to the demon realm. So far, all of his diary entries hinted that the he was the only human there at the time. Additionally, Gwendolyn, who told Luz about Philip, only spoke of ONE other human,aside from Luz, that lived on the Boiling Isles.

Philip said that he arrived through Eclipse Lake, not knowing about wild portals until after living in the demon realm for five years. Also, I think if the story of the two brothers from Yesterday's Lie was somewhat true, then Philip would've at least mentioned being led there by a witch by now?

Basically my issue is that if Philip did have a brother and they found out about the demon realm through The Collector or some other witch, then the diary entries that we've seen would've at hinted something like that by now.

There's also the fact that Philip's diary is a more reliable source than a story from a history book from a time where humans feared and hunted down anyone that was different from the norm. But there has to be some truth to it, it's just a matter of deciphering how it connects to Philip and his journey.

Here's the Tea- Philip returned to Gravesfield and the two brothers are his sons

This may be far-fetched but it would help fill out some of the wholes. Let's start with Philip donating his diary to the library; he most likely had a working portal at that point or was at least confident that he had a way home because this was a journal that had notes on creating a portal to the human realm and I doubt Philip would've donated it unless he was at least certain that the portal he had was functional. Then there's how Gwendolyn said Philip lived in Boneburrough and then "suddenly vanished". Either he achieved his goal of returning to the human realm or something else happened for him to disappear.

Ignoring the latter,let's say Philip returned to Gravesfield but he wasn't alone. Philip spent at least five years, maybe even more in the demon realm, which gives him enough time to meet someone special, fall in love and even start a family. I will remind that Luz in the spam of a few months did gain herself a girlfriend so Philip may have been able to do the same and returned with his lover along with possible child(ren) as well. Let's also throw in the possibility that Belos is Philip's son into the mix and wonder how that would work out.

As crazy as this sounds, allow me to explain how this theory can work out and how Yesterday's Lie may have given us more than we initially thought:

This picture that depicts The Hunting of a Dangerous Witch may have just been a throwaway image that scared Vee or a perhaps clue. Funny enough, this kind of reminds of how Eda was hunted by the Emperor's coven for being a "dangerous wild witch". But basically, there was a witch hunt in Gravesfield, except the hunted wasn't The Collector (as ironic as that would've been) but whover Philip's wife or love interest was. Let's also say that at this point, Philip had two sons with said witch, one of them being Belos. This would loosely tie in to how Belos claims that "wild magic destroyed his family" (or at least play into it), given how his mother was hunted down for using wild magice. It does later make Belos' action as emperor a bit twisted and ironic as well as hypocritical but there's more.

Returning to this image, I want to once again point to the bird that resembles the red cardinal Palisman or rather IS the Palisman that is currently owned bu Hunter. Said Palisman is damaged and the picture that shows the burning what is now a museum could be how the little rascal got this scar.

Another detail from Yesterday's Lie that peaked my interest is that magical beings from the Boiling Isles can disguise themselves as humans using magic. I'll also add that these disguises are not guaranteed to hold since we've seen Vee slip up with hers. But it's likely that maybe Philip's wife/lover looked more demon-like but let her disguise slip that led her to being hunted down and her sons lucked by looking more human but having pointy ears which are easier to hide or at least they weren't distinct enough to warrant strange looks (witch ears, aside from being more pointy are also a bit bigger that human ears; another side not, Belos' ears are smaller compared the average witch so...). Also, the brothers faces are covered in the picture,including there ears and before anyone starts pointing out the statues, let me just say that we have no confirmation to who those guys are or if they're connected to the brothers or not.

Furthermore, let me bring back The Collecter into this theory again. If Philip lived on the Boiling Isles around the same time as The Collecter, then they would've been interested in "collecting" Philip, seeing as humans are rare in the demon realm and all. But let's also say that either The Collector found out about Philip just about before or after he left through the portal. Philip may have taken the portal door with him or at least left it somewhere safe on the Boiling Isles but the former is more likely. However, a certain diary containing inoformation on how to build a portal door to the human realm was at the library and that is how The Collector travels to Gravesfield, meets Belos and his brother and tempts them to come to the Boiling Isles, thinking that they're human or maybe intrigued on adding half-witches to their collections. It would also tie in with Belos' condition, given how it appears to be similar to Eda's and The Collector is also tied to that curse so a lot of the pieces somewhat fit here.

Yeah, I know this theory could use some polishing, especially in regards to certain details but I think what I've come up with so far has at least some merit to it. This was mostly me taking information and clues given in Yesterday's Lie and see how what we already know about Philip Wittebane ties into it or at least how it can be tied together with a dash of the possibility of Belos being Philip's son working into it.

Now to work on Part 2 where I'll try to connect the dots of Belos, Hunter, Philip Wittebane and whatever a Grimwalker is and make sense of it to the best of my ability.

#the owl house #toh #toh s2 #yesterday's lie #my theory #fan theory #just speculating #gravesfield #philip wittebane #toh belos #the collector #long post #there will be more

[midnight-lightning]

The story with the horse

Loki X Reader

Ok so I saw that your profile has requests open and I love the way you write Loki mischeif and shenanigans so if you have time there's a prompt I really want to read ok so here it is: Thor introduces you to Loki's great great great great... grandchildren. They're horses. You and Loki have an awkward talk. Idk if you know about Norse mythology (I don't) but I saw that apparently Loki got fucked as a horse and had a baby??? Thanks for reading my weird request, love your loki mischeif.

Request by @dragonagebelike

Firstly, thank you a lot for the request, I had a lot lot of fun with this one! :D

Secondly, sorry if it's a little late, school just got me really busy and I wanted to research into this one a little more :)

Warnings: None, though mention of blood and stabbing (slight)

 “You have sent her where to?!”

“You’ve heard me, brother. To the horse stables. Why wou-“

“Thor, I swear to Odin, if she-“

“If she what? I think she’s got the right to know! Especially since you proposed-“

“There’s nothing to know, you moron! It’s a damn horse!”

Loki rushed through the halls of Asgard, past other nobility and servants who leaped aside very quickly. There was always a certain caution needed in front of Loki, but a furious Loki was even more erratic.

He was followed by his brother Thor, who looked quite amused by Loki’s outrages and still kept talking.

Outside in the gardens the gardeners as well took cover and hurried as far away as possible. But Loki didn’t even glanced at them, his thoughts were running around you and what disaster Thor might had caused.

Finally they both reached the horse stable to find you next to one of the many royal horses. With horror Loki realized just what horse exactly ha caught your opinion.

Your face lit up when you noticed Loki walking towards you.

“Loki! Why have you never shown me this place? All these hidden gems…” Lovingly you caressed the horses neck.

Meanwhile Thor leaned against the wall, arms crossed and a big grin on his face.

“Yes, brother, why haven’t you?”

To his fortune, Loki ignored him. “Darling, why won’t we just-“

But you also didn’t paid attention to him, but was struck by the beauty in front of you.

“Oh my, look at this one’s eyes! Have you ever seen such a bright green?”

Thor chuckled “Oh yes, more often than I want, actually…”

Suddenly he bent over in pain, a slight cry escaping his lips. Holding his hand against his waist, he noticed the small dagger. “Bastard,” he whispered quietly.

You turned to him in concern. “Thor, are you okay?”

“Yes, Lady Y/N, I’m-“

Annoyed Loki stept in front of him and blocked your sight. “Y/N, my mother would love to discuss about the wedding preparations”

“Oh, sure, I’ll be on my way.” Suddenly a little bit more nervous but also exited you thought about the wedding ahead of you, all the preparations, all what needed to be done and fixed. But then the horse’s eyes caught yours again and a strange thought occurred. “Loki, don’t you think your eyes look a lot alike? The similarities are really… No offence”

“What a coincidence!” You heard Thor shout a little bit too…exited.

Loki turned his head very slowly, and Thor could latterly feel the daggers in his abandon again, so he shut up.

Not seeming to notice any of their fights you traced the horse’s neck, deep in thought. “Yes, what a sweet coincidence…”

But a quick glance to Loki, turned your contemplation into concern. “Dear, are you alright? I really didn’t mean no harm, the green of your eyes are really just as green as the horses.”

“Yes, brother, you wanna finally tell, your fiancé what you wanted to tell?”

For second you glanced at Thor in confusion, before shifting your eyes back to Loki. “Tell me what? Did I do something wrong?”

Loki’s eyes softened almost immediately. He sighted in defeat. “No, my dove. I’m just afraid, what I’d tell you, will quite…irritate you.”

“Oh? Now im interested.”

“Me too, me too.” You heard Thor say once more, and once more Loki slowly, too slowly turned towards his brother, a way too calm expression on his face.

“Thor… right now, the only thing inhibiting terrific murder is my Y/N, so I suggest, if you don’t want to end up stuck-“

“Yeah, yeah, you’ll stab me or to more horrendous things. Believe me, I got this after a few years.” Nevertheless, Thor made his way towards the exit of the barn. “Anyways, I think you two deserve some time alone to…talk. Have fun!”

“Oh and Lady Y/N, if necessary – you know where to hit.”

“Thor…”

“I’m gone, I’m gone.”

 Once he was gone you turned back to Loki, curious of what he had to say.“So…”

Loki cleared his throat. “You see. This one was quite a very long time ago. A very, very long time ago…”

“Loki”, you chuckled. “It’s alright. I know what I was getting into when I said yes.”

But he didn’t really seem to listen, he kept on staring at the horse… that seemed to stare right back.

Suddenly he took your hand in his and started to pull you away, out of the stables. “This horse is getting on my nerves.”

You laughed amused, but followed him nevertheless. Once outside, and pretty far away from the stabled you started once again.

“You see, many years ago, you got the picture, when Asgard was being built.”

“You mean the whole kingdom, or…?”

“Yes, the whole kingdom. And the planet, too, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is that at that time I was …found of this woman, called Freya.”

You gasped. “Freya? The goddess of Love?” Loki was prince, yes, but Freya? Oh, wow.

“And marriage, yes.” Suddenly he placed both his hands on your shoulder, looking in your eyes strenuously. “But that was a very long time ago. She doesn’t mean anything to me now, you hear.”

Softly you put a hand on his cheek, smiling a little bemused. “Loki, it’s okay. I would be surprised if there’s never been someone special on your side.”

He smirked. Of course he did. “Naturally. The problem was only, the main builder - some irrelevant Hrimthurse – was promised to wed Freya, so of course, I needed to intervene.”

“What did you do?” You asked with sincerely curiosity.

“I stole his horse.”

“That doesn’t sound too bad.”

“In the shape of a horse.” He added. “A mare, to be exactly.”

“Oh.”

“And gods, humans, horses, there’s no difference in how to distract the males in the easiest way.”

“OH.”

“So yes… it’s in fact no coincidence Sleipnis’ eyes look much like mine.

But, darling, it’s just a horse to me, nothing else. In fact, it belongs to Odin now and means nothing to me.”

“Oh.”

“Love?”

He was uncertain of how you would react. Surely it was quite some news.

But his concerned soon turned into relief when a bright grin appeared on your lips.

“I’m the stepmom of a horse?”  

#Loki x reader #Loki x you #loki x y/n #Loki imagine #avengers #avengers imagine #marvel #loki chat #marvel imagine #loki #loki god of mischief #Thor #thor Imagine #mythology #loki x reader

[romance-club-daily]

FUCKKKK IS THAT MEHMED ??????? SHIT I'm still in the early chapters in DaLS but I've met Mehmed and thought he was familiar and even knowing he was awful I couldn't hate him. NOW??? NOW I SEE WHY !! THIS FUCKER LOOKS LIKE MY FUCKIN BOYFRIEND IN REAL LIFE !!! They're so alike that it seems as if they used him as model for Mehmed... I don't mind spoilers but please tell me if we can romance him ?? 😭

That's a hell of a coincidence! \o/

Well, I don't know exactly which part you're in but there's a scene where he's really really really awful. It was a big turn down to people who wanted to romance him (I don't know if he's beyond redemption or not, I guess every reader has a different point of view on this matter).

After that we have a chance to try to make the relationship between MC and him friendlier (or not). We still don't know if it will be an LI or even an incomplete path. Time will tell...

#romance club #romance club game #клуб романтики #rc mehmed #rc dracula a love story #rc dls #answered ask #llyriaa

[imaginariaextraordinaire]

So much of this episode is about the unacknowledged labour of women, the sexism they face in different areas and the various methods women adopt to negotiate it.

Ji-Woo is such a great character because the show takes the idea of a film star and layers it with angularities and tenderness. She's well aware of what she's sacrificed on the personal front to become the successful professional she is in the present. I love how she's neither ashamed of it nor does she ignore that its a choice that came with lots of unpleasant baggage. We get a sense of this awareness in the conversation she has with Seon-Gyeom in the parking lot (it's also striking me as I rewatch the show that there's a beautiful little arc of Seon-Gyeom and Ji-Woo building a mother-son relationship almost from scratch).

The church scenes are also a great example of show-don't-tell storytelling. While Assemblyman Ki has to bribe and flatter people in order to get their attention, adoring gazes turn to Ji-Woo seemingly automatically. Except of course, it's not automatic, as the conversation with Ms Dong reminds us. Her fame as an actress is the result of hard work and putting everything else aside. I love the easy understanding between Ms Dong and Ji-Woo — both working women, both mothers. There's no shame in Ji-Woo asking Ms Dong to look out for Seon-Gyeom and no recrimination when she says Seon-Gyeom is closer to Ms Dong than he is to his mother. It takes a village, people.

In Ji-Woo and Seon-Gyeom's chance meeting at the parking lot, there's something tentative and formal about them. They're both putting up façades — Seon-Gyeom's polite mask, Ji-Woo's tinkling laughter — although she does allow him to glimpse what lies beneath. Ji-Woo only drops a vague mention of Assemblyman Ki making life miserable for the rest of the family because Seon-Gyeom isn't falling in line. It's obvious from both mother and son's body language that she doesn't need to elaborate. What's lovely though is that there's no complaint in her tone. She isn't telling Seon-Gyeom this detail so that he feels guilty; quite to the contrary. The laughter and ease of her body language is reassuring, as though she's subtly telling him that she can handle this.

While we're on Ji-Woo, how great is her barely-concealed impatience with all the smiling and greeting and praying in church!

I'm not sure what I love more — the shot of a the stained-glass Jesus, looking pained while the minister thunders out a prayer for Assemblyman Ki; or the fact that the very next scene shows a kid throwing a tantrum in a supermarket. It cannot be a coincidence that this is the one time that Seon-Gyeom is filmed from an angle that makes it look like he's descending down upon the kid (whom he bribes with a chocolate bar). Particularly love the longing on the kid's face as she stares at the retreating figure of the divine Seon-Gyeom.

The scene between Mi-Joo and Seon-Gyeom outside his hotel is so heartbreaking to watch and it's the first time we understand just how hard Mi-Joo is on herself. All this began with a drunk professor making offensive, sexist comments that demeaned Mi-Joo, but to explain all that to Seon-Gyeom feels almost indulgent so she takes the blame. She's the disappointment — for being poor, for being seen as someone who can be bribed, for having taken the money. She doesn't hear him when he places the onus of the blame on his father. It's so achingly obvious that all her belligerence is posturing and she's ending the budding relationship between her and Seon-Gyeom because she doesn't think she deserves him.

Thank the gods for May. Even if she and Mi-Joo start off at odds, it takes only seconds for them to be in sync. God bless the womance.

You've got to feel thankful for the family of choice when Dan-Ah bumps into human-trash brother. He's a strong reminder of the everyday sexism in society and how privilege doesn't mean you're protected from this venom.

Over the course of Run On, Dan-Ah figures out how to fight her battles in her own way, rather than by employing toxic methods, like putting her (half-) brothers down because society considers them illegitimate. At this point though, while her brother is disgusting and Dan-Ah is obviously nothing like him as a person, the weapons she uses to fight him — hierarchy, contempt, violence — are the same as those he uses on her.

In the middle of all these tortured, messed-up men, the kids are alright. We know this from not only the way the schoolkids whom Seon-Gyeom coaches react to the bullying scandal — interesting that the children have more perspective than the grown-ups who care about appearances rather than the truth — but also thanks to Yeong-Hwa.

I love Dan-Ah trying to subtle suss out exactly how young Yeong-Hwa is when he and Ye-Joon come to Dan-Ah's office. I also love how not for a second does Yeong-Hwa, for all his puppy-eyes, call her "noona". There's no ambiguity about this relationship. Also, while I still can't find anything remotely good to say about those wretched paintings, the idea that art forges connections irrespective of social convention/ hierarchy is one that has my heart.

If the Gyeommi couple is all about being heard and understood, the Danhwa couple is all about being seen for what you really are.

Speaking of Gyeommi, how cute is it that Woo-Sik is the one playing Cupid! In this episode, Seon-Gyeom is frequently reminded of how alone and solitary he is, but what we also see is that he's building friendships. The relationship with Woo-Sik changes from that of a senior with a junior colleague to something softer, warmer. With Mi-Joo, particularly at the dinner that Woo-Sik organises, you see Seon-Gyeom finding companionship as they attempt to set aside their attraction and actually understand each other. This is a relationship that works because they're so different. The fact that they don't think alike is why she can offer him the piercing insight of, "Why not include your failures as a part of your process?"

Also, what a bombshell to drop on audiences in a country (and continent) known for its fiercely competitive spirit... .

Rewatching this episode, Mi-Joo running back to home to translate the article in which Woo-Sik clears Seon-Gyeom's name reminded me of how different this is from the marathon run. Both times, she's running towards Seon-Gyeom, but this time it's more adrenaline than anything else and it's for him. It's the unthinking running that Seon-Gyeom told her about during their first drinking session — you're just running ahead, without looking back, focused on one external goal. The marathon run is much more internal as it pushes Mi-Joo to make peace with her past before she decides what she wants to run towards.

Also, looping back to that idea of unacknowledged women's labour, Mi-Joo works HARD to make sure the article goes viral and she claims no credit for it. She only tells an online group that she translated it because she knows that they will circulate it with more gusto if they know it's her work. This little snippet is also a good reminder that rarely do things go viral without a whole lotta effort from people in the background.

Finally, this hug in the rain turned me into full mush. By now, we know that Seon-Gyeom has grown up with very little affection. He prefers a hotel room to the family house. The only person he's felt comfortable enough to hug is the housekeeper. As far as he can tell, he has no friends (Woo-Sik and Yeong-Il will eventually set him straight on that account, but for now, he's utterly alone). At this point, the hug from Mi-Joo is something much more tender and basic than romantic love or sexual chemistry.

MJ: Don't tell me you don't know what I'm doing.

SG: I know. You're comforting me.

MJ: Correct.

I can't help but remember the later scene when they'll be on either sides of metal gates, when she won't reach out to him and he'll be upset that she won't trust him. Perhaps that's the difference between finding friendship and falling in love — they both can make you stronger, but the process is very different.

#Run On #Episode 5 #Rewatch #Kdrama #Everyday sexism #Women who work #Womance

[onewomancitadel]

Would you mind if I asked you for a tiny bit of advice in regards to Cinder by the way?

Canon cinder as far as I see her doesn’t care about Salem, she cares about having power and not having to run away. And obviously she doesn’t care about the lives of other people. She doesn’t *hate* them (she tells vernal it’s nothing personal) but she just doesn’t care, and having her care is the hard part I think. She doesn’t care about people dying as long as she gets what she wants, and I’m really trying to figure out *how* to have her actually care about people who aren’t Jaune

Ok I said to you I'd reply to this once I poasted the next Skimming Eye chapter, but I'll just do so now because I'm warming up before I start writing.

I appreciate you asking me this question, but I also add the caveat you should think about your own interpretation too because I don't want to be prescriptive. I also know that you prefer Beacon-era Knightfall based on what you write, and I'm not talking about that; most of what I'm discussing is future canon and also what informs my own fic.

I would agree with what you assert in your ask, so I'll get to the question:

having her care is the hard part I think.

Yes. If she cares then the rest of it matters, and if she cares then she has to look at herself. Empathy and sympathy can be really hard because they make you look at yourself too. This is why I think her twice-enslavement makes a lot of sense, along with her protective cognitive dissonance, and it's exactly why breaking that coincides with the following:

I’m really trying to figure out *how* to have her actually care about people who aren’t Jaune

They're interconnected, is the thing I'd immediately say. I wouldn't think of it as an independent thing, I'd think about it like a heart muscle. If he matters, then does the rest matter too?

The distinction with Jaune is that it's unconditional on both sides. Her previous relationships all had some give and take and no total commitment. To use a more recent example temporally in the show, Emerald and Mercury worked for her insofar as she gave them what they needed, and they could never be truly, unconditionally close to her in that situation. She set herself up for failure, in a way.

misstrashchan remarked to me once that Cinder and Ruby are very alike in the sense that they both want trust without risk, and in Cinder's case it's really, really apparent with Emerald and Mercury. She wanted companionship without sacrifice or fear. Emerald wanted affection that she had never got, and could not see where she already had it (Hazel, Mercury) when she sought it from Cinder. Luckily, and thankfully, Emerald frees herself in V8. My blog is dedicated to Knightfall but I really love Emerald and Mercury, let that not go unsaid.

Whereas the distinction I'd make with Jaune is that a) because it's unconditional b) it involves risk c) it redeems every person who let Cinder down d) it lets she herself love, then you already open the door up to her caring about other people too. It's not exclusive. If anything, I'd go so far to say that includes Emerald and Mercury too. Then once she cares then she can do differently.

That's the high-cost and high-boon of it and why I really like it. When she has a model for a relationship without transaction, then it applies to the others. And then and then and then.

So, I guess it's up to your own individual reading, and I'm not telling you what to do, not especially when this is the fun part of writing. You just need a solid model.

That's my approach to it though and how I view the knock-on effect of emotional nourishment.

Thanks for your ask and hope you are having a good evening.

#seraphina's asks #user: redhoodhungergames #cinder fall sadsack tag #cindemption

[thosebizzareserpents]

'There's a rumour going a around that, that Warrington got up early and put his name in, Dean told Harry. 'That big bloke from Slytherin who looks like a sloth.'

Harry, who had played Quidditch against Warrington, shook his head in disgust. 'We can't have a Slytherin Champion.'

After the representatives were chosen for the Triwizarding Tournament, many began leaving the Great Hall.

A fourth year Hufflepuff student shoved a sixth year Slytherin into a hidden corridor. Following behind was a Slytherin third year who was checking over their shoulders.

If anyone saw the interaction they would completely taken aback.

The Hufflepuff student was Susan Bones.The youngest of the trio was Poonima Shah.

The eldest of the group, Cassius Warrington, a Chaser for the Slytherin quidditch team.

Susan elbowed Cassius in his side.

"Fuck." Look I -

No! First you, now Potter! "At least your name didn't take but that was really stupid Dearborn" whispered Poonima.

"Tch, whatever Fenwick."

Poonima Shah's father, Benjy Fenwick and Cassius Warrington's grandfather Caradoc Dearborn were former members of the secret organization known as the Order of the Phoenix.

Poonima and Cassius had been enrolled at Hogwarts under their mothers maiden name to avoid unwanted attention.

Both their mothers Chandramani Fenwick (née Shah) and Allene Dearborn (née Warrington) were allies of the Order of the Phoenix. Mrs. Fenwick a Hit-Witch and Mrs. Dearborn a Healer.

Only a selected few at Hogwarts knew who the two were which of course included the Headmaster Albus Dumbledore.

Susan Bones' uncle Edgar Bones was also a former member of the Order of the Phoenix but unlike her two companions she didn't have to hide her identity. Her name was as well known as Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom's.

Cassius saw it as a double edge sword, but ultimately unwanted attention and expectations.

The wixen community proped Harry up on a pedestal that he clearly didn't want. Along with the moniker The Boy Who Lived" he was also called the "Chosen One."

To Neville's grandmother and great-aunt and uncle there was much at stake with him being the only son and heir of the Longbottom family. They wanted him to exceed and be as great as his parents who were once renowned Aurors.

At every turn Susan was constantly reminded by peers and teachers alike about her family being massacred during the First Wizarding War.

A gust of cold wind blew through the three Hogwarts students. A ghostly figure briefly appeared.

They exhaled a sigh of relief as the intangible apparition disappeared.

"Why?"

"What do you mean why!?"

Why did you put your name in the Goblet of Fire?

"Did Professor Dumbledore ask you too?"

Cassius was silent.

"Voldemort is back and like or not Potter's going need back up."

"Of course he's back, you remember Professor Quirrell!?" Susan exclaimed.

Whose that? questioned Poonima.

"I forget Poonima, your first year was when Gilderoy Lockhart become Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."

"I can't believe I thought he was cool" Susan rolled her eyes.

Well Professor Quirrell was a sorry bastard. He was the DADA professor in my fourth year and Bones first year. He put on a convincing act. Long story short apparently Voldemort had been leeching off the man's head like a parasite. Literally."

"Ew." Poonima grimaced.

"Ew is right, now back to you", pointed Susan and Cassius.

"Did you not attend the same meeting with your parents and grand-aunt as I did with my father and aunt three years ago? Susan voice rose but still in strain whisper."

Albus Dumbledore had called a gathering of the surviving relatives and members of the Order of the Phoenix in 1991 after death of his DADA professor and the destruction of the Philosopher Stone. 

"How does this help anyone!? You purposely tried to put yourself in a dangerous situation and now Harry is in thick of it by himself!'

"Did you see Potter face. That was genuine shock. I don't think put his name in the Goblet. Someone else did." Replied Cassius.

"Who?"

"I don't know."

"But you voluntary put yours in, am I correct?" Poonima stated.

"Yeah." Cassius said softly.

"They'll be talking about it in the common room. People will question you, especially your teammates Bletchley and Montague." Plus they are your dormnates so there's no way around it.

"I'll make up something. Keep up with appearances and what not." Shrugged Cassius.

"If your name had took, I would have gladly supported you. They're saying that a student in Slytherin house should not represent the school. Hogwarts is made up of four houses not three. Susan said sincerely."

"If people only knew how ignorant their comments were" scoffed Poonima.

I don't care about that. Anyways I'm not trying to be a champion or hero."

I just got bad feeling about this Tournament in general."

"From Professor Quirrell and the Chamber Secrets being opened. To being taught by Remus Lupin and Sirius Black breaking out of Azkaban in the same year. Learning the true nature of Peter Pettigrew. "

"It's one thing after another" sighed Susan.

"Nothing is a coincidence." Poonima agreed.

"Exactly."

"Another thing something is definitely off about Professor Moody."

His teaching style is certainly different than Professor Lupin's that's for sure.

Remember he was a member of the Order of the Phoenix as well. Also a former Auror.’

"What if I talked to him after class” suggested Susan. I saw him conversing with Neville a few times."

You might catch in the Ravenclaw tower on weekends. I hear he plays chess against some of the Ravenclaws sometimes."

"Didn't know Moody was the chess playing type."

 “Who knows things change over the years. Last time I saw him I was four four years old and he had two eyes and two legs intact. ”

“Emmeline did mention you attended meetings with your parents and grandparents. What was that like? What was everybody like?” Poonima fiddled her fingers.

Susan waited with baited breath.

Cassius paused and studied the two girls. He ruffled Susan’s hair and flicked one of Poonima’s braids and smiled.

“Hey!”

"I’ll tell you two next time. “Come on let’s get going”

#hp headcanon #cassius warrington #susan bones #poonima shah #grandson of caradoc dearborn #daughter of beny fenwick #niece of edgar bones #triwizarding tournament #top caption is an excerpt from harry potter and the goblet of fire

[shawtygonemad]

What Is This Feeling: Chapter 10

Fem!9th Doctor x Male!Rose Tyler

WITF Masterlist

"I still can't believe you brought us to a couple's retreat," Ross smirked staring out at the blue sea ahead of them.

It shimmered and shined in the afternoon's sunlight. The pair decided to take shore leave to Bora Bora in the thirty first century. It was a nice vacationing spot for both humans and aliens alike. They were currently relaxing on the beach, enjoying the breathtaking sight underneath their sun umbrella.

"S' not a couple retreat! There are families here as well," she took a sip of her banana daiquiri. "Besides, you're the one who said we needed a 'vacation'. Isn't everyday a vacation for us?"

"I meant a vacation from all the running and heroics. Don't get me wrong, I love it. I do! 'S just that my ankle still isn't fully healed from when I injured it during the witch hunt that was chasing us. S' still sore to run on," Ross explained.

"I told you that I have technology that could heal it instantly..."

"I know, but it should heal properly on its own. S' not like its life threatening. It'll be right as rain after a few days. 'Sides, I'm sure all this sun could be good for us. We're as pale as ghosts!" Ross laughed.

The Doctor smiled. She didn't mind this all too much. They've only been here for a day. A few more couldn't hurt, especially if it made her little human happy. And if she got to see that much of Ross's skin. He was currently leaning back in the lawn chair, one hand behind his head while the other rested against his bare stomach. He was beautiful.

"I'm just surprised you're not wearing your usual leather. That bathing suit is a nice change though," Ross smiled at her.

The Doctor turned her head away, hoping to hide her blush under her sunglasses. She didn't want Ross to see how much he affects her with any of his words. Her bathing suit was a black one piece with a pair of shorts on top. It was fairly modest compared to most of the other bathing suits they've seen on the beach that day.

"S' not like I had much of a choice between you and the TARDIS conspiring together against me! Sometimes I wonder if she likes you more than me some days," The Doctor shook her head. Ross just laughed.

After that they sat in comfortable silence. Until Ross slurped his drink indicating that it was empty. He began to sit up, and go to the bar to get another. The Time Lord gestured for him to stay.

"Allow me," She said as she got up. The Doctor grabbed his empty glass. "You need to stay off that ankle as much as possible if we want to be running around saving the world in a few days. Just relax. Doctor's orders," She gave him a wink before turning away and heading towards the bar.

Once she approached the bar she noticed the creature working behind it. They were a Junite from the planet Junifer. She was tall with purple skin that had Navy freckle- like spots peppering her body. Her eyes were intense. They were black with a bright yellow iris. They're species were so beautiful! They also knew how to throw one hell of a flower festival. Ross and her still needed to attend sometime.

The Junite was too busy addressing a worried human woman to pay any attention to her. This peaked the Doctor's interest due to the hysteria in the woman's voice.

"What should I do? Where should I go?! This resort isn't that big! Something must have happened to him," the woman explained.

"Ma'am, this would be a job for the security. If you go to the front desk and explain what happened then they will be able to help you," the bartender replied.

The human was on the verge of hyperventilating. The Doctor decided to step in.

"Sorry to intrude, but I'm the Doctor. I might be able to help. You just need to take a few deep breaths first," the Time Lord spoke.

The human followed her lead, took a few deep breaths, and began to calm down. "Very good. Right, now can you explain to me what has you so distraught," the Doctor asked.

"My son. He's disappeared. My husband, myself, our eldest daughter, and our son were all watching one of the beach performances that was going on. My eyes were off him for two minutes, tops! I looked back over to him and he was gone! He's old enough to know he's not supposed to take off alone. Someone must have taken him! We've search all over to no avail!" Tears began to run down her cheeks as she handed a photo of a boy maybe eight years old to the Doctor.

"Was there anything strange that happened before you realized his disappearance," she asked.

"Everything was normal. We were all having so much fun. I just want my little boy back," the human cried.

"What's your name," the Doctor asked.

"Suzette. Suzette Rinsky."

"Suzette Rinsky, I will do whatever I can to help you find your boy. However, you should still go and report this to the manager so we can have more than one person on the lookout," she gave the woman a reassuring smile. The Doctor was always a softie when it came to children. Maybe it was because of how many were on Gallifrey that day…

Suzette thanked her and began to retreat towards the main building.

"That was very kind of you," the Junite commented.

"I do try my best," the Doctor smiled.

"It's such a heartbreaking situation. He's the third one to go missing in the past two weeks," she said as she grabbed Ross's empty glass. "Would you like another?"

"Yes, thank you." The Doctor leaned forward against the bar. "What do you mean, the third one in the past two weeks?"

"I mean exactly as I say, miss. A couple went missing last week, and have yet to be found. They thought to have perhaps checked out early, however all of their items were still left in their room. No one has seen them since."

The Doctor nodded her head, trying to figure this weird coincidence out. "When was their disappearance noticed?"

"The morning after the bonfire celebration we held. I was working cocktail at that party, and specifically remember serving them at one point. They were thought to have left in the middle of the festivities."

"Where was this celebration held," she asked curiously.

"Right here on Pier beach," the Junite answered and passed the fresh drink to the Time Lord.

"If you notice anything else, let me know… what's your name?" the Doctor asked.

"Zamora," the Junite answered.

"Right then, Zamora. Let me know if you can remember anything else," the Doctor said quickly before grabbing the drink, and turning back to return to her companion.

This was no coincidence that both disappearance happened on this beach during some sort of busy festivity. Now the next question was where they went, and what could have taken them. The Doctor handed Ross his drink once she returned. She needed to make an excuse for her to sneak away and have a look around. She wanted Ross to relax and not stress out. Three missing people didn't seem too hard for her to solve on her own. Besides, Bora Bora couldn't be that large for them to hide.

"Did you get lost," he joked.

"Of course not. I was just informed that there was a problem with our room reservation, so I need to go to the main building and get things straightened out." Ross began to get up once more, but the Time Lord laid a hand on his naked shoulder. "No need to get up. I can handle this. You just stay here, soak up that vitamin D and drink your fruity drink I got you." The Doctor began to walk off, but turned around quickly. "Oh, and don't forget to keep reapplying your lotion. I don't want you burnt to a crisp by the time I get back." She tossed him a bottle of suntan lotion from her bigger on the inside pockets.

"I want you home by midnight, young lady! Do you hear me?" Ross teased her.

The Doctor smirked as she walked away. She decided to head back to their room to change into something more comfortable, and less revealing. She had a feeling that there was going to be some running involved on this adventure, so she needed her combat boots. Once she was changed, the Gallifreyan went off to scout the resort scanning everyone and everything with her sonic on the way.

She received a weird energy reading near an inclined forested area. She began her hike up while following the energy source that was on her sonic. The signal led her all the way up towards a cliff that over looked what seemed to be a secret waterfall draining into a large body of water. There was nothing out of the ordinary to her. Unless…

'Oh, I hope I'm right,' she thought as she back up a few feet before sprinting forward and jumping off the cliff. She free fell for a few seconds before plunging into the waters below. It took a few moments for the bubbles to clear, so she could get a good look at what was below the water.

'Maybe I should have kept that daft suit on if I was going to get this wet.'

Once the bubbles cleared she was able to see what was hiding under the water. Just as she had suspected, there was a rather large ship that reminded her of something you'd see on Star Trek. She swam down deeper to get a better look at the ship, and search for a way in. Under the belly of the ship was a hatch that must be how these creatures were able to get in and out with those missing people. The Doctor realized that she would need air soon, so she quickly took out her sonic and unlocked the hatch. She quickly climbed through and shut it after her. The water was quickly drained from the chamber.

The Doctor walked over to the door and soniced it open. She quickly started to sneak through the corridors looking for any clues as to who might own this ship, and where those missing people were. Just as she was rounding a corner the doors at the end of the corridor slid open and two Junite guards exited the room. The Time Lord quickly hid in a doorway around the corner that she had previously rounded. She waited until the two guards were out of sight to return to way she was going. She was definitely going to check out the room they had just exited. The Doctor slinked up towards the door and instantly unlocked it with her sonic.

'Clearly this is a Junite ship. Now the question is why is it hiding under water in Bora Bora and not on Junifer.' She thought to herself as she entered the room.

The lights instantly flicked on as her stepped inside. She was completely shocked at what she saw. There were rows and rows of holding cells that held all different kinds of species behind glass walls. As she walked along the corridor she saw that each cell was labeled with what species and planet they were from. Except these weren't holding cells. These were exhibits. This was a zoo! The Doctor walked on in disgust. How could the Junite's do this! They were usually a peaceful and reasonable people. They worshiped flowers for Rassilon sake!

The Doctor stopped as soon as she came across the human exhibit. "A normal human family from Earth" it read. Inside was the missing little boy, and what she assumed were to be the missing couple. She placed a hand on the glass encasement.

"I'm going to get you out. All of you," She said determined.

"I'm afraid that won't be happening, Doctor."

The Time Lord turned to see Zamora stand there with guards at her sides.

"What have you done? This is sick and inhumane! I thought your people were all about peace and flower power," The Doctor held up the peace sign to emphasize her point.

"Humans used to do this with animals on their own planet. They preserved them, and kept them in top shape to be viewed by the world. Now they can be viewed by the universe," Zamora explained.

"But why," The Doctor questioned.

"As of recent, our flowers have not been blooming. The ones that do bloom aren't as vibrant and lively as they used to be. Our festival has diminished, and no one comes to visit or celebrate anymore. We must find a new way to bring the people back. What better way than an exotic zoo? However, Doctor, we are no longer taking applications for female humans of your age. So, we won't be needing your services." She grabbed a golden headband tiara from a nearby solider. "We don't need you getting in our way."

Two guards grabbed her arms and held her as she struggled against them.

"We're just going to distract you until we've gotten our final specimen. Think of it like this… now you'll finally get to enjoy this 'couple's retreat' your companion often spoke of."

"What is that?" The Doctor raised her voice as Zamora approached her with the gold band. "No! Stop!"

The Doctor was knocked unconscious as soon as the band was placed tightly on her head. It wouldn't be coming off anytime soon.

#romance #adventure #doctor x rose #the doctor #doctor who fanfiction #doctor who fanfic #doctor who #ninth doctor #9th doctor #the doctor x rose tyler #rose tyler #9th doctor x rose #genderbent #fem!9th doctor x male!rose tyler #fem!9th doctor #male!rose tyler #bbc doctor who #doctor who imagine

[ganymedesclock]

Since you've gone in depth in the past as to your reads of both Lotor and Zarkon's personalities and characteristics and how they differ from one another in both strategy and general outlook, I'm curious to hear what you think some of their big similarities might be? Lotor consistently feels the need to insist that he's not his father, and yet Haggar (who would arguably know the most about the two) said they're similar. Thoughts?

I would really hesitate to say that Haggar claiming Lotor is like Zarkon is actual evidence of their similarity.

You have to understand Haggar is a very manipulative person.

Remember this? Virtually all of Haggar’s tactics during s1e11 are not about using her incredible magical might to subdue or destroy Shiro immediately, or even quickly. There is nothing efficient about her fighting style.

What Haggar is doing here is an extensive, morbid psychological attack. She confronts Shiro with an image of himself, in prisoner’s rags, trying to kill him. She gets him at her mercy, several times, and uses it to pressure him to further stew in his discomfort and fear. She circles, she taunts. None of this indirection is actually necessary. We see Haggar immobilize Allura- a capable frontline fighter just like Shiro- effortlessly. If Haggar wanted to just overpower Shiro and be done with it, she could.

But there’s also what Haggar says to Shiro.

The way Haggar talks about it, you would think that she gave Shiro a gift out of the goodness of her heart and he spurned her benevolence and went on to hurt her.

That is not what happened. Shiro was her prisoner. She tortured him and experimented on him to the point of hacking off one of his limbs. And this is not Haggar being oblivious, either. Again- look at the expression on her face when she stabs Shiro.

Look at her expression- wide eyes, toothy grin. She loves this. This scene, how it’s framed, what it looks like- this doesn’t feel like a battle. Again- Haggar has been holding back and toying with him. She’s been doing unnecessary things to scare Shiro, make him feel powerless and isolated.

Haggar willfully and consciously is framing what happened between her and Shiro as his fault. She talks about it as if she did nothing wrong, and that he’s the one creating a problem here. This is a textbook abuse tactic.

So what does this have to do with Lotor?

I think Haggar’s relationship to Lotor is a lot like her relationship to Shiro.

Look at the specific context around which Haggar says that Lotor is like Zarkon. This talk happened because Haggar assigned Raht, a full-grown, physically powerful and armed (he has a weaponized prosthetic) military commander, to stalk Lotor and report on his behavior.

Haggar is violating Lotor’s privacy and boundaries, without any reason whatsoever to be concerned or suspicious of him. She is telling- again, a powerful, dangerous older man- to stalk her adolescent son and tell her where he’s going.

Lotor captures Raht, kills him, and in a manner far more aggressive than he normally is, confronts Haggar about it.

And, just like in Shiro’s confrontation, Haggar’s immediate response is to talk about it in a way that sounds like it’s Lotor’s fault. Without addressing or even acknowledging that she’s making people follow Lotor, the first thing out of her mouth boils down to “you aren’t doing what you’re supposed to.”

The clear implication is that Lotor brought this on himself. That people dogging his tracks, not knowing when he is or is not being observed, and not being able to go where he wants to, are just natural consequences for not obeying mommy dearest.

Or: According to Haggar, Lotor’s privacy and autonomy is entirely contingent on whether or not he’s obedient. If he isn’t, he loses these things.

Haggar is using the same tactics she has used on her literal prisoners.

Lotor goes into this conversation practically snarling because this is what he’s used to. His hackles are already up because he anticipates her abuse before she even starts talking. And we see this color a lot of their interactions. In s4e3, Haggar greets Lotor neutrally and calmly, and asks that he follow her.

Lotor balks as soon as he sees her, and stares long and hard after her retreating back before he actually makes any move to follow. This is the behavior of someone who is scared, and went on high alert. Hell- the fact that he accurately predicted exactly what Zarkon wanted with him, but still didn’t want to go anywhere near his parents without backup should tell us something.

So- let’s get back to s3e5.

(First, with as much as there is to compare about Haggar’s treatment of Shiro vs. Haggar’s treatment of Lotor, I don’t think it’s a coincidence we see this first telling interaction between Lotor and one of his parents in the episode where Shiro is desperate, repeatedly hurt, and trying to crawl his way from the empire after they did something harmful to him)

“I know many ideas float through your head, just like your father.”

But everything Haggar is saying and suggesting here doesn’t back this up.

Zarkon doesn’t really get a lot of ideas. He’s pretty traditionalist- the person really scheming up new ways to do things is Haggar, and Zarkon’s more her patron than he is her peer scientifically. All he really cares about is results, and he’s content to repeatedly sledgehammer things until he gets his way.

And that’s the other thing: Haggar is comparing Lotor to Zarkon, at a point where she is functionally telling him to shut up and be a good little cog in the machine. She wants him to abandon what he wants, what he’s working on, and obediently maintain Zarkon’s status quo until Zarkon returns to the throne and Lotor can be put right back in his box where he belongs.

Haggar repeatedly changes tactics around Zarkon to carefully work around him because she knows, full well, that once Zarkon wants something he will never let it go. Zarkon hates being contradicted, challenged or anything like that.

Haggar saying Lotor is like Zarkon is facetious, because she claims they’re both thoughtful people when they aren’t, and she compares Lotor to Zarkon while demanding that Lotor behave like a subordinate- when Zarkon, given that same demand, would sooner kill the person asking it of him than even consider the idea.

It’s a shutdown. And I’d guess, it’s probably Haggar deliberately making Lotor uncomfortable so he won’t hold his ground in this argument. Because Lotor hates Zarkon, he hates being compared to Zarkon. He explodes immediately and then recoils and leaves. Which is probably just about what Haggar wanted him to do. She’s said her piece, so, now she wants him to shoo.

So I suppose at a glance you could say that Zarkon and Lotor are alike in that they’re both incredibly driven, but, even then, I would argue their contexts make that irreconcilable.

Because Zarkon’s drive boils down to entitlement. He is obscenely, egregiously entitled. Zarkon thinks the universe, the fabric of reality itself, owes him. That there is a massive debt that everything and everyone is constantly paying off to him. He has more than what he needs, he has everything he wants except Voltron, but he demands more, more, more, because none of it is never as much as what he thinks he deserves. If it exists, it is his, and he wants to take it.

Lotor’s drive is pretty simply because if he doesn’t succeed he’s going to die. Again, his parents are leveraging tactics against him similar to those used on Shiro- who Haggar considered a slave and an experiment. Lotor is viewed as a possession by these people, and if they want him at all, they want him to live in a little glass box and never do anything they don’t demand of him.

So yeah- both Zarkon and Lotor are very aggressive and focused on getting what they want. But Zarkon’s ambitions are grandiose to a hubristic degree.

Lotor’s ambitions are basically his own freedom and safety. It’s getting away from his abusers- and if he acts on a grandiose scale, it is because the sheer scope of Zarkon’s power forces him into a position where the only way Zarkon will ever hear him saying “no” is if Lotor becomes, or commands, a monster even Zarkon is afraid of.

He has to be bigger, he has to be tougher, he has to become something Zarkon can’t destroy because that’s the only way he’s ever going to survive.

Even when we see Lotor and Zarkon put in comparable situations, their responses just further emphasize the divide. Consider s3e7 vs. s4e3. Lotor and Zarkon, both have their teams, led by their “right hand”, turn on them.

Zarkon responded by denying any and all culpability, massacring his team, burning Altea to the ground and plunging the universe into ten thousand years of darkness.

Lotor, when hearing his team was literally going to turn him over to his abusers, responded that he understood, told them to do what they needed to, and then fled the situation in a manner where he could’ve probably injured Acxa and Ezor, and absolutely could’ve killed Zethrid, but didn’t fire a single shot after them. The only person he attacked, Narti, he perceived as endangering all of them, not just himself, and had no idea why, which is why it clearly unsettled him as much as he did- he didn’t offer any explanation because he had no explanation for what had just happened.

Someone like Zarkon would never have been at a loss for that. It would’ve been, and it was- very easy for him to immediately put the blame for the loss of Daibazaal on Alfor- when he himself was the one who left the rift open, destabilizing the planet and endangering everyone, and then forcing it even wider, until the only way it could be closed was by shattering the planet itself.

Lotor is silent on the matter of Narti, and when talking to Zethrid about the rest of the team leaving him, his dialogue tells us that he sees this as the generals just doing what they have to. 

TL;DR:

Haggar is an unreliable narrator on purpose when talking to certain people. She said that to Lotor most likely because she knew it would hurt him to hear it.

I talk a lot about Lotor and Zarkon’s differences because their similarities as I see them are ultimately fairly superficial and driven by radically different undercurrents. They exist, but only to further characterize how massively different they are.

#voltron legendary defender #vld #Lotor #Haggar #Zarkon #readmore #abuse / #Anonymous