#I ship her with Guinevere so hard

[liminalpsych]

A very, very roughly sketched, unedited scene that wouldn't leave me alone this morning and demanded to be written (....oh hey @queer-ragnelle! I accidentally made a Lusty Month of May / May Day Parade contribution!):

The week they arrive at Sorelois. Perhaps even the day. Guinevere is half-mad with rage and grief, reeling from Arthur's betrayal, the loss of her marriage, of her court. It's the usurping of her entire life.

It makes her bold. It makes her want to be cruel. It makes her want to strike back or to take what she wants or to rebel in some small or large way. It makes her want to hurt Arthur in turn, or transgress since she has already been spurned from society and convicted for something for which she's innocent.

"There is something I wish to see," Guinevere says, there in the somber quiet of the receiving room with Lancelot, Galehaut, and Lady Bloie of Malehaut. An announcement to the air, undirected.

Lancelot responds first, of course, as expected. He kneels before her, the picture of earnest devotion. "Whatever you wish, my queen, I will strive my utmost to bring it to you."

Across the room, towering nigh to the ceiling even leaned against the wall as he is, Galehaut watches her with a carefully neutral expression. Unblinking, unsmiling, and there's the barest tightening around his eyes. He is wary of her still, and senses her mood.

The Lady of Malehaut is a different kind of unreadable entirely, lounging next to her with a spot of embroidery to keep her clever hands busy. Her full mouth is always a breath away from smiling, like she carries with her a trove of private amusements at all times. She observes from beneath half-lidded eyes, her needle flashing through cloth more by touch than sight.

Guinevere lifts her loyal knight's chin with a touch of her finger. His lips part, eyes wide and wondering. She smiles. "I want to you to give Galehaut a kiss."

Ah, if only she dared to watch Galehaut's expression in that moment! Yet she must keep her focus on Lancelot. His face pales. His breath catches in his throat. His pulse thrums against her finger like a trapped and frantic bird. "M-my queen?" he stammers, gaze darting side to side as if for an escape.

Her smile sharpens, serpentine. "Do you not wish to?"

"I— I am not—" He's breathing rapid and shallow now, on the edge of panic. It's a pretty quandary she's put him in, one with no known safe answer, and he's reeling under it.

(She feels more steady by the moment, her control re-establishing in the small sphere she still possesses.)

Galehaut steps forward. There's the edge of fury in his warning, in the creak of leather and the rattle of maille. "My lady," he rumbles.

Now Guinevere looks his way, and she lifts a graceful eyebrow at the storm in his countenance. Lancelot quivers beneath her touch, unmoored by the loss of her pinning gaze. "Will you tell me truly that you don't want this, Galehaut?"

He halts. His jaw works; the stormclouds thicken. He glares, proud and silent.

Guinevere laughs. It's a free, bell-like sound—as playful as a day a-Maying. Lancelot stills and his breathing steadies, soothed by her apparent merriment. She makes a show of taking pity on him, releasing his chin to stroke his cheek. "Do you wish to kiss me?" she murmurs, leaning closer.

His breath catches again, no different than before. He nods.

She kisses him, sweet and soft; he returns it with a small desperate sound against her lips. (It tastes like power.) He's breathless when she pulls away, and she smiles down at him, indulgent. "I know Galehaut desires a kiss from you as well," she says, "and he is the one who brought us together, yes?"

Another nod, and Lancelot seems more dazed than panicked now. Swaying towards her, and glancing shyly towards his boon companion, who draws a sharp bracing breath.

"It is not as if he's a lady," she says with a wink. "So it is not being untrue to me. And it is my request, is it not?"

"Y—yes, my lady...?"

"Do you not want to kiss him?"

"I..." Those expressive eyes flicker from her lips to Galehaut's and back again. His breath quickens again, but this time it is a little less panicked. "My lady, you ask hard questions," he says at last, helplessly.

She laughs again, darkened with satisfaction. "Kiss him, then," she commands, "and then tell me if you want to do it again."

"My lady," protests Galehaut, strained—oh, and there is longing so sharp that it is agonized, bare and naked in every rigid muscle and the aching furrow of his brow. He looks at Lancelot like a man starving. He looks at Guinevere like a man betrayed.

To give Galehaut what he so desperately desires, when he knows it is something she can take away at any moment? To receive a kiss from his Lancelot, but only on the order of Lancelot's lover-queen? For Galehaut to touch his companion in the way he desires, but only so long as Guinevere allows it, never knowing truly if Lancelot would have initiated on his own, never being certain of Lancelot's desire?

It's a power like none she's ever wielded before.

Lancelot stumbles to Galehaut on unsteady legs with a last hesitant glance over his shoulder. Guinevere smiles encouragingly and nods her approval. One last nudge—and still, Galehaut could refuse Lancelot. Galehaut is sworn to neither Guinevere nor Arthur; he needs not obey her. Galehaut could save the last unconquered edges of his heart and maintain this last barrier of distance. He could still refuse himself what he wants so badly.

Galehaut tenses, and Galehaut wavers, and Galehaut's heaves great draughts of air as if he's in the thick of a melee.

Lancelot reaches out, and Galehaut surrenders.

[queer-ragnelle]

hello..👋👋

as someone who wants to get into arthurian legends.. where do you think I should start? is there a precise canon to follow? oh and.. this might be a stupid question but.. how would you describe guinevere's and lancelot's relationship...? i personally really like them because of what I've heard online, but i got shamed for liking it a while ago from people who really hated guinevere and said gawain or galehaut(not sure if i spelled it right) would be better for lancelot..

Hello anon!

I have a Beginner’s Guide to Medieval Arthuriana pinned on my blog. There’s no precise canon to follow, but you’ll get the most bang for your buck reading the works of Chrétien de Troyes and the Vulgate Cycle. Much of what Chrétien developed ended up in the Vulgate, like Lancelot rescuing Guinevere from kidnapping, but there are more elements added from other stories, such as Lancelot’s upbringing in the lake which originated from Lanzelet by Ulrich von Zatzikoven. On the other hand, Yvain’s journey as Knight with the Lion doesn’t make it into the Vulgate, so that’s worth reading on its own.

Regarding the part about people shaming you: block them if you haven’t already and anyone else who does so in future. I’m terribly sorry those people were unwelcoming as you begin to read and learn about Arthurian Legend. Let that not reflect on the community as a whole—there’s many lovely people here that’ll be happy to help you along. I hope you’re able to cultivate a positive online experience to the best of your ability and start enjoying the legends with us! :^D

But back to the fun stuff—I also really like Guinevere/Lancelot! My favorite dynamic is when Arthur is included too, but Guin is my number one pick for Lancey. ;^) It’s hard to describe them in so few words but I think it’s important to establish that they’re friends. This is an oft overlooked aspect that really deserves attention. They care for each other deeply. She helps him out of his madness and he helps her out of danger. This is something Arthur couldn’t do for either of them, much as he wanted to. That’s what makes the pair special, to me.

As for shipping wars about medieval characters….kinda ridiculous! And shaming other people over it is just abhorrent. I’m sorry you had to deal with that! Personally I enjoy Arthur/Guinevere/Lancelot and Galehaut/Lancelot. I think it’s obvious I favor Gawain with his wife Ragnelle lol but Gawain/Lancelot is fine too. Gawain can have a little Lancelot. As a treat. I even enjoy “crackship” type pairings, like Bedivere/Lancelot or Kay/Lancelot or maybe a little [unrequited] Agravaine/Lancelot, and if the author or filmmaker chooses to write her in a positive light, Elaine/Lancelot as well. But that’s just it—there’s certainly no such thing as a “better” person(s) to couple with Lancelot. It’s literally fake. It’s fiction. It’s for fun! Doesn’t sound like the people you’ve encountered were having very much fun and put that on you, which was wrong.

Here I’d like to mention I run a discord server called the Arthurian Theater Server. Every weekend I stream TV shows and movies, mostly Arthurian, sometimes random fantasy. But it’s more than visual media—my friends and I share resources, character playlists, art we made, stories we wrote, we’ll liveblog retellings or newly discovered medlit translations, and discuss anything else Arthurian! We have custom made emojis for all the knights and ladies, a variety of original art stickers of the characters provided by several members, and an array of sounds bites ripped from films and TV for the soundboard to be played while streaming. Tumblr can be a little hard to navigate with the unreliable tag system, so this server is dedicated to an organized and moderated exchange of ideas and content. You’re welcome to join us!

Let me know if you have any other questions, it’s never a bother. Take care!

[mdhwrites]

Which character stands out the most for you in Star Rail?

Meet Guinevere, though known nowadays as Guinaifen or Little Gui after her planet blew up and she moved to the Xianshou Loufu to be a street performer.

She is actually one of the characters I DON'T have leveled right now, though she's high on my priority list. This also means that she's caught my attention despite the fact that I'm not mechanically using her and she's also a four star so she's not one of the characters you have to go hard on trying to get ahold of. In fact, come 2.0, one of the events for that patch will include the chance to get a free Guinaifen (if you pick her over the other options available.)

No, this actually just comes down to the fact that she is a very VIVID character, even without reading her character story. In the game, she has had two major appearances. One was when she first came out and was given a small introduction in the Pokemon parody event where she introduced herself as an outworlder living on the kiiiind of racist Xianshou Loufu as a street performer which would not be an easy job to put it mildly. Little Gui is her online handle/her performance handle and her performances include, not kidding or over exaggerating: Slurping Noodles While Doing a Handstand Brushing Teeth While Whistling Smashing Boulder on Chest (She even has a special equip that literally shows and talks about her doing this with her bestie) Blocking Pike with Neck Swallowing Sword to Stomach CATCHING BULLET WITH HANDS

AGAIN. NOT A JOKE. AND THAT'S NOT EVEN A FULL LIST.

And mind you, with this being a space fantasy, live streaming exists and yes, Little Gui is a streamer. What sort?

That sort. Also, meet Sushang, her best friend. They are maybe the only two female friends in this game, along with their HuoHuo, who I do not go "AND THEY WERE ROOMMATES!" But yeah, she's a bit loud, she's trying really hard and she's just got so much energy.

But... This is where we get into why she is actually interesting. See, when this cutscene happens... She's in a slump. See, the majority of her content effectively revolves around her being an outsider of the Loufu, where she lives now. Her first big hit series was actually doing food reviews and detailing the best dining spots and delicacies on the ship. She's not been doing those lately though. In fact, she hasn't been streaming as much either.

Also, if you question her as she wants to go to the haunted garden, she will actually drop the act. Her VA, English one since I don't play with Japanese voices, is actually INCREDIBLE here because you can genuinely tell the shift in just her voice to be a little deeper and little more relaxed as she stops trying to hype things up. Little Gui is NOT Guinaifen after all. It's just her stage name.

Mind you, she also isn't entirely a liar either. She is passionate and excitable, she has the right energy to do this sort of work, but the game doesn't try to pretend that she's cranked up to eleven at all times. She's just a human being trying to make it in this world. I haven't seen many streamer characters admittedly but I genuinely love how real she feels as a performer like this while staying a person.

Part of her standing out admittedly is helped by being a part of literally the best content on the planet she's a part of. Fyxestroll Garden is a great expansion with a nice story that eventually starts mixing the science and fantasy sides really well as Guinaifen helps lead the Ghost Hunting Squad! She deals with the social media side of it to keep rumors down and keep the rest of the Loufu from understanding quite what is going on while her, Sushang and the little girl with paw eyes from the trailer, Huohuo.

The trio are all helpless scaredy cats. Little Gui is the bravest of all of them and as you saw in the video, that isn't saying much. But through the events, she had to confront her old fans, show us how she works and be just a lot of fun. It also makes sure that you always remember her as part of this trio, giving her people to bounce off of and add to her cheer and charm.

And that's despite the fact that her PLANET IS FUCKING GONE. Yeah, the biggest antagonistic force of the universe literally destroyed her home planet. She can never go back and it's REALLY easy not to properly realize this because it comes up in a TEXT MESSAGE and from her character stories which you only get if you level her up. It's admittedly MUCH more explicit in her character story page, I'm reading them now on the wiki, but you only get those parts of her if you actually use her. Here is her singing of it as a part of a folk song, which is another talent she uses for her performances. I was truly from that outworld court named Camelot, and has my siblings altogether a dozen lot. Our days were peaceful and joyous to boot, but who'd thought that the Ruin Author made trouble all afoot. Parents fought back the invaders and arms they took, yet the Legion broke the nation's back. Powerless Dad stood. Elder brother led us siblings wandering without a root, to an IPC mining planet covered in dark soot. Eke out a living with meager scraps we undertook, homeless and meal-less often was our wont. My brother a timid man, doing back-breaking work. To piracy he was forced, interstellar raider forsook. Commercial shipments he only waylaid, homes he never burnt. They sing he was a hero among bandits, distributing his loot. He led hundreds of poor souls in a desperate force, terrible to look. Fallen wayward in the eyes of the law, just so we get enough food.

...Have Little Gui juggling to rinse that out a bit.

(This is one of her two idles and I love it.)

But the fact that this backstory isn't the core of her character, it is instead how she has decided to rise from the ashes that's important, is part of what I love about her character. If you just want to treat her as a fun performer, that's okay! If you want to see her as another pair of lesbians with ShangShang, the game allows for that too. But there's just... A lot. A lot of potential while still have a fleshed out and realized person behind it. It's part of why of all the characters I'd love to next see get a 5 star upgraded version (we've gotten one already), I'd LOVE to see Princess/Queen Guinaifen someday who manages to bring her old home and new together into something even better.

If she never does though, I won't complain either. Not when I'm already a fan of Little Gui and SMASHED that subscribe button.

And just to finish this off: She is currently considered the third best Damage over Time, DoT, character in the game (there are six if we count Black Swan who comes out in five days) and the best of the four star DoT characters. Her kit is actually REALLY strong, even mimicking one of the best parts of a 5 star DoT character in retriggering a certain type of DoT. Not only that but she debuffs the enemy to make them take more damage from anything the more times they get burned, her style of DoT. She also has just an absolutely amazing ult animation even though I can't tell you why these small dogs, called Ditings, are related with her so much.

(I wasn't able to find gifs for this that would actually work for either this or her idle, hence the videos.)

So yeah, if she's caught your eye too, she's actually really good and super viable as a sub-DPS/debuffer. It's something I will always keep pointing out because the 4 stars in this game are genuinely strong and Guinaifen is no different. I just unfortunately took a while to realize and have also been using so many resources on upgrading other characters.

But yeah, I could keep going but she herself would tell me to leave the audience wanting more. So leave another ask if you want to hear what I think you could do non-canonically with her or the like, or just to hear thoughts on other characters like the rest of the ghost hunting squad themselves. For now, she still stands tall as one of my favorites in the game and honestly, probably my favorite character from her planet, even if it isn't her original home. The Loufu desperately needed a laugh though and this firecracker is just what the doctor ordered.

======+++++======

As a note: I don't know if I'd say she's my favorite character. She's up there and almost certainly is top three or five but she's got some stiff competition. She is probably the person I want to see developed further the most though which is why I chose to talk about her for this blog.

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

A Twitter you can follow too

And a Kofi if you like what I do and want to help out with the fact that disability doesn’t pay much.

[grcveyacd]

💕

send 💕 and i will tell you some muses of ours i think could work as a ship. ( no longer accepting! )

celine and anna jane — i have yet to do anything majorly figure skate-y with celine yet. she is a ex figure skater who had a career ending accident during a competition. she is now a photographer and she does often still mingle with her old skater friends, and will typically offer to take photos of them for her portfolio. maybe anna and her were rivals at some point? and now with celine no longer being competition, something other than just rivalry could be pursued? maybe she was even there at the very competition where celine had her accident, and would’ve placed under celine if it hadn’t been for her accident? so maybe at the time she was excited cause that meant that she won? open to anything really. 

victor and beatrice — even though we already have a thread with vic, i just wanted to throw him out again with a small idea? okay, he does have younger siblings ( one from his fathers first marriage to vic’s mother and then the other from his second marriage ) and they are extremely rich and often go on trips, that victor often disappears from as soon as the plane lands. he’s a total prick as we well know but, it would be interesting to see their interactions since they would see one another quite a bit? and he would be the type to try to get under her skin, especially on trips, and maybe during one of these trips he actually convinces her to go to a party with him, or maybe he’s told by his step mom to take her with him so that she can get out / away from the children for a little while? again, open to any and all ideas! 

samuel and guinevere — okay, first off we love a soft boy and second, guinevere may come off a little full of herself but she is a softie at heart. she isn’t the relationship type, and does have a hard time juggling her work life and personal life which is why she typically settles for one night stands, or just friends with benefits. maybe she’s trying to scout a large enough boat for a party a client hired her for, and they meet on the dock? it would be a fun little meet cute. and then maybe after he points her in the right direction of who she actually needs to talk to, she could very casually invite him to the party, and it goes from there? i could see her being scared of being something to somebody so, there could be a lot of angst there and just her always be unsure all the time but, at the end of the day, she does want to be with him, despite her fears. 

[die-lian-hua]

thank you!!! i just kept seeing “erinnyes’ knights bathed in the blood of dragons” and while some people thought it wasn’t their /literal/ blood others were much sure it was. it’s really hard trying to find people explaining/discussing remurian lore without a biased lens (aka: without bringing up shipping) 🥲

oooooh yeah yeah I read that in the new artifact descriptions, but—not to go HE WOULD NOT FUCKING SAY THAT at other fellow theorists—I personally think anyone saying it means “it’s from the vishaps Erinnyes slaughtered” is grossly oversimplifying the text because:

- That paragraph is specifically referring to common themes and tropes present in in-universe fiction about Erinnyes (think tropes in Arthurian adaptations that were not present in the original but became popular such as Lancelot and Guinevere’s courtly love or even Lancelot’s existence itself) so it’s far from a historical fact

- The text does not specify if the “glorious royal court” is referring to Remuria where their knights fought the army of vishaps during the empire’s fall, or the royal court of Aremorica where Erinnyes and her knights and the other barbarian princes would convene

- And if we follow the Lochknights interpretation, that would make this Glorious Royal Court™ essentially the Lochknights’ version of the round table, and partaking in dragon/Vishap’s blood is a ritualistic practice coming from the vishaps themselves. So while some people could interpret that as dragons being slayed in Aremorica’s halls, you could equally as much interpret it as them forming a covenant with the dragons

heck, that sentence is so vague that if I wanted I could make it be about Erinnyes beating the shit out of Scylla until he came over to her side, as the lady is wont to do with every prince she meets, and bathing the halls in his blood before he yielded djskfjkfhfkfngk

sorry my answers are so wordy but Remuria just gives me a lot of thoughts 😭😭

[make-me-imagine]

Hello! Congratulations on hitting 8k! I would absolutely love a ship🌻🌿🌷 Fandoms: Marvel & Merlin. Can I get headcanons for both of those? Thank you x

Gender Preferences: I'm pansexual, so I'm open to anyone!

Age: 22

Personality: INFJ, Gryffindor, I'm more introverted, preferring my own company than anything else. I'm responsible, yet chaotic, very good sense of humour (I am INCREDIBLY funny 👀)... I have a soft-heart and love animals. I'm also very opinionated and stand up for my beliefs and morals. Eldest sibling syndrome - I practically raised myself, and my brother.

Likes/Hobbies: reading, writing, watching tv/movies, making playlists,

Dislikes: Other than the obvious injustices, I dislike loud sudden noises, big crowds, spiders (who TF decided yeah lets make an insect with MULTIPLE LEGS and PINCERS), entitled asshats, people who are physically too slow when they're more than capable of moving faster.

What I find attractive in a partner: Someone who knows what to do in most to every situation (or someone who doesn't mind being in charge), a great sense of humour, kindness and courage.

Thank you so much!

Thanks! I hope you like them~

Ships/Headcanons are under the cut :)

Marvel:

I ship you with Peter Parker (ages up to appropriate age obviously lol)

I think Peter would be drawn to your kind and fun personality. You are very easy going and comfortable to be around, and he would fall for you pretty much instantly.

Runner Up: Pietro Maximoff

Headcanons:

Ironically, I did pair you with SPIDER Man, BUT he thinks it's funny that you are dating the guy named after one of your least favorite things.

Also, I think in this whole world of superpowers, you would have the ability to communicate or "associate" with animals. You may not be able to literally talk to them, but you have a connection with them. Like, Disney Princess vibes ya' know?

You and Peter met in high school, were really close friends. You found out he was Spider Man, he found out about your powers, you became very close.

BUT you did not start dating until your last year in high school, and you ended up going to the same college (lets pretend the whole world-wide memory loss thing didn't happen lol)

If you are up for it, Peter likes to take you across the city using his webs. He is always cautious, never wanting to scare you or jostle you around too much.

After you and Peter moved in together a few years into your relationship, he surprised you with a pet for your birthday. Cat or Dog, your choice.

Peter is obviously protective, and never wants you to get hurt. He also hates if people try to take advantage of your kindness and willingness to help people.

*I was specifically picturing this Peter, but if you prefer Garfields or McGuires, nothing would really change about the hcs lol.

--------------------------

Merlin:

This was a very hard choice, but I am going to go with Merlin himself.

Merlin is such a kind and caring soul, and you two are quite similar I think you would be drawn to one another. Similar souls and what not.

Runner Up: Guinevere - again very hard choice between her and Merlin I think you would go great with either.

Headcanons:

You and Merlin met through Gwen, and there was OBVIOUS attraction between the two of you immedietely. Gwen was so glad she introduced you, and was so happy when you two actually got together.

Merlin loves animals as well, so if he ever finds an injured or lost animals he will bring it home to you, and you two take care of it until it can go back to it's habitat.

Merlin told you about his magic pretty early on, even before you started dating. He knew he could trust you, and he had an inkling that you might have magic as well but didn't know about it.

And he was right! With some help from Gaius as well, you discovered you could perform some spell magic, and your magic was very powerful when it involved natural elements. Aka, you were a druid.

He made sure to keep your secret safe with him, just as you did for him. Both of you are protective of each other, and will do whatever you can to keep each other safe.

Merlin definitely takes care of spiders for you, if you get any in your house. He thinks your fear of them is both funny and cute.

You are like a little sister to the other Knights, they adore you, and love that you and Merlin are so happy together. They teased him all the time leading up to him confessing his feelings for you.

[hms-tardimpala]

🕯️🍄🔪 for the writer ask game!

Hey, thank you for the ask!

🕯️ ⇢ on a scale from 1 to 10, how much do you enjoy editing? why is that?

I'd give editing an 8 out of ten, because it's light work for me. I edit a little every time I reread when I write the text, so by the time I'm done with a scene, it's pretty much reached its final shape.

🍄 ⇢ share a head canon for one of your favourite ships or pairings

Fun fact about me: after years in fandom, I'm still fuzzy on the definition of "headcanon", I keep checking it. I'm so obssessed about canon-compliance that I have a hard time imagining something about the characters because a Sloan in my head frowns and says "but that's not true". Which I know is counterintuitive for a fic writer.

But! I'll try my best.

Let's take Merlin/Arthur for this one, because I never talk about them. The few fics I read about them were quick, wish fulfillment smut, but I actually think it'd be very difficult for them to get together. I think they'd be burning for each other but held back by so many things (medieval context, status gap, Merlin's secret, etc.). Chiefest among them, Guinevere. They would be knee-deep in guilt because she's Arthur's future queen and he loves her, and she's Merlin's best friend and neither of them would ever betray her.

I think she would have to be the one to bring them together, to allow them to act on their feelings. Nothing would happen without her benediction and prodding. I don't see them as a sexual throuple because Gwen and Merlin are too much like siblings, but I think that between the two of them they'd devise a way to share the king and become Camelot's ruling triad. Also, if someone can help the revelation of Merlin's powers go smoothly, it's Gwen.

So my headcanon is that there's no Merthur without Gwen. Furthermore, I think that AU-wise, if you want to change the ending of the show and make it happy, the only (?) way to make it happen is through queer love. In Black Sails, the love was there and it didn't change anything, but Merlin is a different show. And I sort of make shows with a sad ending that could have been prevented by queer writing my specialty.

I hope that's the kind of thing you meant!

🔪 ⇢ what's the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project?

Oh, I don't know... I've researched some unusual stuff, but weird? Once, I was writing a fic set in France but a character was from New Jersey, so I had to do more research on NJ than I ever thought I would need. I read the whole wikipedia article for the NJ turnpike. Another time, I researched psychogenic amnesia and ended up taking a test destined to healthcare professionnals on weaponized biological agents.

Thank you so much for playing with me, it was fun! <33

[saitolover]

🎩 finished lupin's route! & code:realize ~guardian of rebirth~ overall as well!

here are my thoughts on lupin's route & my overall thoughts for the game!

it's been a journey finishing this game, and i can fully say that i loved the cast so much. they were all so lovable and seeing them altogether and bonding together was the cherry on top. dynamics like these where the cast are this tightly knit & feel so close are (chef's kiss). anyways, let me first get to lupin's route!

lupin's route thoughts

this route was 1. absolutely so cute & romantic, and 2. great in terms of the overarching plot for the entire game. you guys don't even know how i started to kick my feet during the one cg/part where lupin kissed cardia through her hat, like... if that isn't the cutest thing. i don't know what is.

man, there are way too many moments for me to remember on the spot (so i should be taking notes by chapter from now on... hmm.), but what else do i have to say other than the fact i loved the romance between cardia & lupin? like the cheesy lines from lupin? corny, but it fits him, they're sweet lmao. cardia telling lupin she loves him, but then proceeding to tell him she loves all her friends, then to her realizing she has feelings for lupin??? yes. the way lupin started losing his cool for once (very ooc for him, felt very odd and wrong to see him like that lmao. it was fun tho because we got to see more of his bond/friendship with van during the late parts of his route, which was fun bc we don't see that often)! yes yes, there's too much to talk about and my memory is starting to fail me now.

for the plot, it was nice to see how everything and everyone became tied to this final route. like, victoria mentioning her hidden intentions + the zicterium being used -> lore from victor's route. nemo & the gravity alleviator -> impey route lore. van & aleister's in the ship, and how aleister revealed his intentions to him -> van route lore. omnibus & guinevere coming in to help with overturning fate -> saint germain lore.

it was great to see some of the side characters shine as well. seeing more of delly supporting the gang & how he & van are going to be working together. cardia telling finis that they're siblings, that they can be together (but still ended in finis falling ://// don't touch me). holmes (and his stupid fake name lmao) and his connection with aleister. victoria & leonhardt taking action during this entire conflict. yeah there's probably more & this is probs obvious & makes sense for the "main LI route," but still, it was very nice to see this all tie together...

hmm, and i guess that's all i have to say for now!

overall thoughts on code:realize

as i said before, i loved the cast so much. all the routes were enjoyable and great, and learning about the backstories and the world all of these characters live in was super super fun and interesting up until the last minute. also the extra scenarios are fun and cute. if i had to say, i think my fav routes would have to be.... too hard to decide. i would list the three i've played recently, but that might be recency bias (also bc i barely remember much of the other routes...), so i'll let this all marinate. overall, love it very very much! :]

[lefresne]

so anyways bc I felt bad for repeatedly calling Arthur and Guinevere’s marriage a failmarriage here is a compilation from the Perlesvaus in which they are objectively adorable:

1. As Arthur returns from a quest / pilgrimage with an injury to his arm:

‘the queen and the knights rejoiced at his return, and the king got off his horse using the perron. He went into the great hall, removed his armour, and showed his arm wound to the queen, It had been deep and painful, but was now healing. The king retreated to his chambers with the queen, who dressed him herself with a silk robe, an overshirt, and a cloak doubled with hermine. ‘My lord, what hard work (travail)!’ ‘Lady, worthy men must suffer for their honour, for there is no honour without pain’

(it’s hard to get the tone across here but I 100% believe they are joking around together after Arthur had a minor mid-life crisis)

2. Arthur can’t sleep so goes to the window for some air and sees a magical ship

‘That night the king lay by the queen and woke up during his first sleep. He found himself unable to go back to sleep, so threw on a fine grey tunic, left the chamber, and went to the window (...) (after having seen the ship) The king returns to his lodgings and tells her all about the wonderful ship’

3. Arthur attempts to convince Guinevere to come on a quest with him after the death of their son?? but she is understandably not in the mood

4. King Arthur is participating in a tournament incognito when a damsel tries to seduce him

‘The damsel looked upon King Arthur and although she did not know his true identity, his appearance and behaviour pleased her. The King would have found in her a lover, if that had been what he wanted, but there was a difference between his outward appearance and his inner thoughts: in fact, although he was being friendly and polite to the damsel, all his thoughts were for Queen Guinevere, wherever she was, as he loved nobody more’ 

5. After suddenly learning that Guinevere has died

‘It would be impossible to describe the king’s grief, for his pain was incomparable: he held her gold crown and would look at his horse, as it had been a gift from her’

[friendlyneighborhoodcapricorn]

uhmm mayhaps guinevere from merlin (are you into merlin still? i saw it on you pinned post so 🤷‍♀️) or damian wayne cuz he’s my favorite little gremlin (either is fine im just not sure which one to pick)

<33

Oh yes, I adore Merlin! I'm having a hard time picking between them as well, but I'll go with Gwen for variation lol

Favourite thing about them:

She's so compassionate, but she doesn't let people walk all over her. Like, a lot of the time when you have a sweet, compassionate character, they're usually a bit of a doormat. But Gwen? She straight up tells Arthur when he's being an ass lol

Least favourite thing about them:

The way they butchered her character in season 5. She suddenly came across so cold? Like, I get it, she's queen now, but for example: in the series finale, when she decides to execute that girl who was selling them out to Morgana. I totally get why, it's treason. But the look on Gwen's face? She just looks like she doesn't care

Favourite line:

"In life, you always have a choice. Sometimes it's easier to believe that you don't."

brOTP:

Her and Morgana (like, early seasons Morgana, obviously). I love their friendship so much

OTP:

Honestly, her and Arthur. They're really sweet together

nOTP:

No clue, tbh. Probably a crack ship like her and Gaius or something lol

Random headcanon:

Can cook amazingly, but can't bake for the life of her

Unpopular opinion:

I'm not sure if this is unpopular, but I actually really liked those episodes where she was working with Morgana. Angel Coulby played being slightly evil so well, and it was fun to see a character that's known for their kindness and compassion just outright wreaking havoc

Song I associate with them:

Silly Love Songs by Wings. Even when she's told she and Arthur can't be together, she doesn't just accept that.

(Also For The King by Adrian Von Ziegler, but I associate that with every Merlin character lol)

Favourite picture of them:

She looks so badass with that sword!!

Send me a character and I'll give you my opinions!

[vendettaparker]

what do you think lizzie would be up to now that she’s outta there? does harry actually love y/n or is it more just the idea of her? how does the queen feel about everything going on? if arthur hadn’t died what do you think his life would have been like? would he have found friends/a new family (including but also outside of the reader)?

oooo these are some good questions—

lizzie went to the US (i think i hinted to that when i said the ship was going to the new world) so she went in as an early settler. i would say hopefully she found love in her new life, though she would be starting from scratch. she most likely would have no riches or jewels and the only wealth she had was what y/n gave her to pay for her passage out of england and away from her father. i like to imagine that she married a pastor (the irony!) and had a few kids. nothing too grand for her and ofc there would still be hardships. like the first winter in the new land, i'd imagine that was a rough time for her.

i think it's a little bit of both with harry. since he never had a chance to really be with her and his feelings were never reciprocated, it's hard to say if they ever stood a real chance. but i know seeing her in pain and seeing all the hardships she's gonna through hurt him as well. harry is also fiercely loyal to tom. he knows how much his brother loves y/n and how much she loves him back and harry would never want to be the one to stand in the way of that. harry still fantasizes about what might have been if y/n never left and if he married her as was originally planned, but in the end, he'll never see that future. and he's content with that, knowing that y/n and tom are both happy.

nikki or guinevere? i'll do both! nikki is devastated. she's completely shocked and heartbroken that tom would do this to y/n and she feels powerless to stop any of it. she knows it's wrong and for her, she feels that the best she can do for y/n is be there for her in her time of need. nikki takes care of dahlia a lot to help y/n out. and arthur's death racked nikki as well. paddy and arthur were extremely close friends, so nikki not only had a heartbroken daughter, but also a heartbroken son. these past few chapters have definitely taken a toll on her. and guinevere? she's just drifting by tbh. she can't believe how terribly wrong everything has gone. and so in an attempt to fix things she... well you'll see in this last chapter :)

arthur would have had an amazing life. he would have been like a big brother to all of y/n's children, he would have kept paddy as his closest friend. and when paddy traveled to other countries, he would have begged y/n to let him go as well. paddy and arthur would have had a relationship much like harrison and toms. he would have found other friends too, but none as secure as paddy. and ofc, dahlia would always be his favorite little sister.

[weakforarwen]

The Moment of Truth

I’ve so many things to say about this episode, I don’t know where to start. 

This is one of the best episodes in the series. I didn’t properly appreciate season 1 the first time, but I will now. The difference that not having evil Morgana makes. The series did need a plot to drive it, something that was lacking in the first two seasons, but, at its core, it was meant to be lighthearted and whimsical. In the later seasons, the tone changes and becomes too heavy. Morgana was so great like this... they ruined her for no reason.

Merlin and Arthur’s dynamic was so different in the beginning, so much sweeter. When I began watching the series I understood why people shipped them. Arthur was so much kinder and attentive toward Merlin in the beginning. He clearly cared about him. By the end of the first season, however, I felt frustrated by how their dynamic didn’t seem to change. In fact, it seemed to be changing for the worse. It’s like, over time, Arthur became more of an ass to Merlin, and began treating him more like a servant. In the beginning, they felt more like equals and friends. Arthur respected Merlin without “covering up” his feelings with “humor” - aka bullying. What happened to them? 

It’s so cute that Morgana, Gwen, and Arthur risked their lives to help Merlin and Ealdor. I miss Gwen and Morgana’s friendship, as well as Merlin and Morgana’s. I loved Gwen in the episode. She was so badass. She told Arthur to eat his food or else, and stood up to him for the right of all women to fight for themselves. Arthur listened, of course. I loved how she got flustered after telling him to be grateful for the food Merlin’s mom prepared, and how Arthur called after her to concede to her point: “Gwen, Gwen, Guinevere”. I love it when Arthur calls her Guinevere.

Arthur did nicely in the episode. He listened to Will when he questioned his judgment and even gave him reason. Arthur is always doubting himself, and that’s one of his biggest strengths as well as a weakness. Merlin talked him into it though, and Arthur led the villagers well. His war speech, however, as empowering as it was, fell short. The villagers shouldn’t have to fight for the right to survive and eat their own food, that’s ridiculous. Everyone deserves to simply exist with dignity - no strings attached. But the villagers were so willing to fight to the death... Only Will made sense to me. He was rightfully skeptic. Normal men against skilled warriors? That’s absurd. Am I the only person who would’ve run for the hills? Not fighting wouldn’t have helped, but less people would’ve died. If not for Merlin, half the villagers would’ve been massacred... 

I liked Will a lot. He was the voice of reason, and he told Merlin some truths he needed to hear. The men of Ealdor were supposed to give their lives when Merlin could simply take all the men out with magic? That doesn’t sound fair. And all because Arthur couldn’t learn the truth (and because Arthur was Merlin’s “destiny”)... Will was right, Merlin was still living a lie, and if Arthur really was his friend he wouldn’t hate him for having magic. Sadly, life isn’t that simple. Fear and prejudice are hard to overcome. As much as Arthur valued Merlin, a person can’t change overnight. Telling the truth isn’t always the answer. 

Merlin was brave for using his magic the way he did anyway, and Will was a good friend for covering for him. I felt sad watching him die. He died for Arthur too... Thankfully, Arthur treated Will with kindness despite his magic, proving, once more, that he was different from Uther and that he had the potential to accept magic. But even after seeing what “Will” did, Arthur feared magic. Changing his mind is not as easy as showing him how magic can be used for good - a small hurricane is a pretty frightening thing, after all. 

Arthur always disappoints Merlin. Just when Merlin thought Arthur could accept magic, he’s proven wrong. However, although Arthur reprimanded Merlin for not warning him of Will’s magic (because it was “dangerous”, which I can more or less understand), I don’t think he would’ve punished Will had he lived. Arthur’s attitude towards magic actually became more, rather than less, inflexible over time, as he was exposed to its dangers but not its powers for good. I think Merlin missed his timing. Arthur grew up fearing and mistrusting magic, but had little experience with it in the beginning, making him more likely to give Merlin the benefit of the doubt. There was never a good time to tell Arthur, but it would’ve been better in the beginning. It was sad seeing Arthur renounce magic after Will’s death, when Merlin himself was the warlock... 

Anyway, I loved Will. He was for sure the best one-off character to me. He was great to Merlin too! Merlin deserved a friend like that... 

[mallorykeen]

Hi everyone, since it’s Sapphic Summer Riordanverse Week at the moment, I would like to share my favourite sapphic fics from this fandom. Don’t forget to leave kudos and comments if you like the fics, you have no idea about the effect they have on writer’s motivation and all of these fics deserve so much love

Starting with pipabeth

moonlight by huntressreyna

look at this idiotic fool you made me by leiasfate

gold rush by huntressreyna

see you, breathe you by waterbendingpercy

Sleeping with the Enemy by sufferingbrookynite

these words are my diary screaming out loud by lesbabeths (nixy_stix)

The Strongest Type of Magic by nikkiRA

Kissing the Witch by nikkiRA

Frustrations by sunkelles

Guinevere and Lancelot by sunkelles

Or maybe you’d like some rachabeth

in the heights! by clovekentwell

My Heart is a Grenade by nokreli

The Only Exception by earth_bent

They Lied About Oxygen by anistar_e (kaikamahine)

Or some reynabeth?

cold sheets (where’s my love?) by piperreynas

you got all the love, honey, baby i can stand by piperreynas

oh, i’ve waited for you by piperreynas

The Fates Smiled by sunkelles 

Tale as Old as Time by nikkiRA

How Deep is the River by Ematheia

or the original f/f pjo ship: zartemis

We Could Be Immortals (Just Not For Long) by nvmsl

winter and everything after by commander_lexa

a midsummer night’s dream by Unrequited Hate

all we know of heaven by nostalgics

Stars by sunkelles

like diamonds in the sky by nostalgics

Second Chances by sunkelles

Moon and Stars by NonVoxSedVotum

the rarer thalica?

show me, don’t tell by Rosyredlipstick

something borrowed by advictorem

and our patrochilles parallel: ruegard, of course

Homecoming by cabin12kiddos

Hate to love you by deathboydiangelo

she’s been dreaming and yearning by TheGodWith5Yen

strawberry by unwieldyink

Green Ribbon by CatThrestral497

Hunger on Her Lips by starforged

Her Armour by sunkelles

death is the road to awe by callunavulgari

She Does by igrab

Bold as Death, Hard as Hell by Minutia_R

In Another Life by Anonymous 

bled into me by watfordbird33

There’s No Dying in Dodgeball by stroke_of_genius

So Eden Sank to Grief by thegoodthebadandthenerdy

would you mind my hand stitched onto yours by orphan_account

Hello, Goodbye by sunkelles

the tree x the iconic pink haired jewish lesbian: poisinia

Lavinia and Poison Oak One Shots by writerbitch_letsgooo

the most recent canon sapphic ship: shelper

checkmate by someticket

Slender Aphrodite (Has Overcome Me With Longing For A Girl) by MaryaDmitrievnaLikesSundays

red by aprilshxwers (orphan_account)

what’s so amazing that keeps us stargazing? by StopIWantToTalkAboutCheese

smoking cigarettes on the roof, you look so pretty and i love this view by arrowsanonymous 

ch 39.5 by leovaldez

nothing’s forever (nothing’s as good as it seems) by nvmsl

U OK by leovaldez

there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel by liperbicons

jason’s former best friend/coworker x jason’s ex girlfriend

only love can dig you out of this by piperreynas

An Actual Goddess by percyinpanties

one word: i want by svnflowerz

sometimes, things don’t go as planned by yiikes

en garde by rosegoldblood

They That Have the Power To Hurt And Will Do None by sunkelles

Possibilities by sunkelles 

dreaming about someone’s full name is romantic? perhaps? anyway: reychel

Make-up Problems by aplatonicjacuzzi

kiss me before sunrise by TheGodWith5Yen

with one glimpse by svnflowerz

Prophesised by gaycheldare, piper_mccool

https://archiveofourown.org/works/15195695 

Technicolor by addalittlesmoke

theyna my beloved

Chainmaille and Road Trips by officialbookwizard

There Is A House Built Out Of Stars by MayaDmitrievaLikesSundays

Never Have I Ever by books4belle

Dunk on Halloween (Theyna) by thaliagraceme

Blind Date (Theyna) by thaliagraceme

f is for fingerprints (also for family) by blueraven123

And the rest of the rarepairs: 

Untimely Cookie Baking by VicountessAberowen - drew tanaka x billie ng

Perhaps I was Wrong by SolNiveAngelo (Mogadorian_Wolf) samirah al abbas x gunilla

A Different di Angelo by DashingLuna bianca di angelo x annabeth chase

Oh No, She’s Waiting For No One (Hold On, Hold On, I’m A Block Away) by orphan_account - gunilla x mallory keen

Where the Lake Ends by Empatheia - piper mclean x calypso

L-O-V-E me, let me be (be your company) by liperbicons - latricia lake x naomi solace

need someone that isn't an equation, only adding up to pain (but you're so) by liperbicons - drew tanaka x billie ng

the look in your eyes, my hand between your thighs (oh this can't be real, it's all just a dream) by liperbicons - kayla knowles x lacy

as long as you're next to me (just the two of us) by liperbicons - hylla ramirez-arellano x kinzie 

forever I'm yours, forever i do ( i get to love you) by liperbicons - josephine x hemithea

i kissed a girl and i liked it ( the taste of her cherry chapstick) by liperbicons - jasmine anderson x sadie kane

Radioactive by thebigqueer - hazel levesque x sadie kane

[jasminedragonart]

I dipped my toe back into the Merlin fandom for a hot second there and found some discourse about Gwen which isnt wrong but I just have my opinion about it as well.

So the whole thing is that people push Gwen aside in favour of Merthur because, I don't know, they give a lot of reasons. Because she's a poc. Because the white ship is more appealing and other stuff like that. Which... yeah. But I think we need to ask why that is and I think it comes down to what I always hated about the show which is the writing.

Dont get me wrong I love the show, but plot wise it feels more like the Matt Smith run of doctor who. A lot of filler and not a lot of plot. Or theres an attempt at plot but the writer either isnt communicating with the rest of the writers or just arent that good at writing because it doesnt work. Game of thrones has this problem too.

Do you know why Doctor Who re earned their fame with Ecclecson and Tennant? Because of the writing as well as the acting. The Master? We could see seeds of him being sown episodes back. Some of the fillers were actually plot points. Gravity Falls, they have an excellent plot too. Everything flows and makes sense because they've established their beginning and end and understand how they're making it from one to another.

With Merlin? Either they were playing it season by season or, again, they just didnt know what they were doing because nothing really tied together in the end.

Bringing this back to Gwen. They knew, in Arthurian canon, that Gwen was Arthur's wife. We all knew this going in, and I think this was their big mistake. They relied on that too much as a reason for why Gwen and Arthur ended up together. They didnt approach this from the point of view of someone whose never heard of King Arthur before. If youd never heard of Arthur and Guinevere you never would imagine in the show why Arthur and Gwen would get together. The writers never gave them any chemistry. The actors tried their damn best but in a season we got maybe one, two Gwen episodes? That's not enough.

The reason we ship merthur more than Arwen is simply because the writers built up their relationship like they should have done Arwen. They never should have made Gwen a serving girl either. By doing this she had more chemistry with Merlin than Arthur because as a servant, she spent more time with Merlin than Arthur. She should have been in Morgana's place. Maybe not a ward but a lady in waiting. Someone elevated enough to speak more than one conversation with Arthur.

It's not like she couldn't tell him off as a lady in waiting either. Morgana did. And I guess they wanted to do some queen of the people thing with her, but the thing is when she does become queen in the show she's not even the Gwen we've come to know. She's not struggling with her duties or responsibilities like a serving girl turned Queen would be. Shes some polished woman who even speaks differently. I'm sorry but Gwen would still be Gwen five years after season 4. Arthur was born into his role, Gwen wasn't. It's a lifelong transition we should see her handling. Humanising her to us and to Arthur. We should see them bonding over it. Arthur finally has someone he can complain to about how hard being a ruler actually is because Gwen finds it hard too. We should see him helping her learn how to walk, have inside jokes about council members. We should see them.bonding over Arthur listening to her memories a speech, or Gwen showing Arthur the seeker parts of his own citadel he needs to change.

We see none of this and this is why people find it hard to ship Arwen over Merthur. I love the tangled triangle that is Gwen, arthur and lancelot. We were robbed of that in this show. We were robbed of a lot of things but primarily this because the romance is what MAKES an Arthurian epic. I felt nothing when Gwen betrayed Arthur because there was nothing for them to lose. If they'd built up the relationship properly, if we'd seen the cracks that Lancelot fills, if we saw how Gwen found it truly hard to choose between her king and a knight then I would have liked her more.

She wasn't Guinevere and I feel like this was purposeful? Maybe as, I dont know, some weird way of showing that Gwen can be good? But Gwen in essence isn't good. She's the story of a woman who's in a predicament that a lot of people can probably relate to. She's one of the original love triangles and her problematic behaviour is what makes her famous, what makes her a compelling character because yes we hate her but we hate her because she is reality. She is human and flawed and love makes people do dumb stuff.

We saw this from Merlin. We saw almost all of this in .Merlin's character. He did a lot of things because he loved Arthur. A lot of bad things. And I think they could have done this with Gwen too if they just understood their source material properly. I'm not saying we can't have different interpretations of a character. But there are interpretations and then there is completely rewriting a character. If Gwen was Guinevere I dont think we'd be having the same conversation we were now a d that's just my opinion on this subject.

[spkothdvldotmp3]

Interesting thought: we never actually here from the original Rose Red throughout all of OUAT(is), just her clones

Also interesting thought: Odin is the only suspect that gets her song all to herself, while the other three all have guest appearances from other characters

OKAY, this is actually one of my favorite things about the Mechs- it isn’t just about the story itself, but how the story is told. i have Many Thoughts on this, so sorry for the incoming rambling.

OUAT(IS) technically has several solos, like Old King Cole and Our Boy Jack, but the only solo sung by a real character is Cinders’ Song- and she’s the only character who survives the album (okay, so technically Briar Rose and the Mechs, who share a song, also survive, but that's a fun thing to think about too, that the only person to share a song with them here was also the only one to survive meeting them- not only survive, but be practically brought back to life because of these Harbingers of Death). But then, on the other end of the spectrum is her own wife, Rose Red. Rose never gets a chance to really live- her life was cut short by her kidnapping and subsequent murder at the hands of King Cole- and that's in parallel in her never getting a chance to tell her story. Every other player in the story gets to speak or sing something, but she’s locked away until literally the last few minutes. It really lends an air to the “the story can only be told by those who survive” vibe that i’m really into.

In contrast, in UDAD, nearly everyone has a solo- Ulysses has three, and each of the Suits has one of their own, because they all see themselves as the Main Character of the story (but of course, only Ulysses really is). (Also, side note, the way each of the Suits sings a melodic line from their own song in Torn Suits, because they’re sticking to their guns and refusing to compromise. The way each of the instruments cuts out with their deadly wounds. The way the bass is the last instrument playing because Ashes was the only one who knew what was happening and was really the mastermind behind it all, as well as the only survivor of the planet. Torn Suits is truly the Perfect Song, i could talk about it for hours.) However, neither Daedalus nor Hades/Ashes have solos- Ashes sings in Underworld Blues, and Daedalus doesn’t sing at all, and they’re the last two left alive at the end of the album (“the Suits lie dead or dying,” as Jonny narrates, and the fiction has that line about Daedalus’ complaining being annoying enough for Ashes to turn off the cameras, iirc). The thing about these two is that they’re pulling the strings from behind the scenes, and that secrecy reflects in their not taking as big a role in the story musically.

Then, in HNOC, i want to point out how lovely it is that when the Pendragons sing, they sing together, and the way their lines compliment each other in Gunfight with Guinevere’s fast high harmony and Lancelot’s lower, more steady line, because of LOVE is one of my most favorite things (although only Arthur appears in Boy’s Night Out The Hanged Man Rusts but really, it’s his mistake here that helps set the tragedy ball rolling, so it’s important that he be here alone). In this one, the solos belong to She Who Sings Empty Trail, Galahad, and Captain Mathea if we count The General’s presence as more of a cool harmony than a duet, who all sort of end up in a category i describe as “Leader Who is Trying Their Best But This Is a Ship of Tragedy And Sometimes You Have to Be Willing to Sacrifice Yourself for the Greater Good” (Empty Trail lady doesn’t actually sacrifice herself, unlike Galahad and Mathea, but i get the feeling she would. it’s about the vibes.) They don't have anyone else to rely on to help them make these heartwrenching decisions, and that's shown in the fact that they're literally singing alone- that's part of why that last verse of Holder of the GRAIL hits so hard, because it doesn't even have that sinister harmony, and it feels so much emptier for it.

Finally, in TBI, as you pointed out, Odin is the only one with a solo (unless you count The Void doing Red Signal, which could still technically work with all this, especially as Raph sings both the background vocals in RS and as Odin). Loki’s song is interrupted by Thor, Thor’s song features Odin, and during Sigyn’s song Loki joins in. And in this album, Odin’s the only one who actually knows really anything about what’s going on. But unlike Daedalus, who you could argue is in a similar position of Holding Knowledge in UDAD, Odin wants to be the center of attention, so she gets her own solo and butts into other people's numbers- she’s the All-Mother, she is the Serpent that Shall Poison the Sky and Boil the Sea, and this is her legacy... which makes it all the more important that it’s actually Thor who gets the last word in on their confrontation in Ragnarok IV, and then Loki and Sigyn have an entire duet after- she doesn’t get what she wants, not really.

i’m sorry this got so long and drawn out and i don’t even know if it makes any sense, but i have a lot of feelings about music and story analysis

[lordjohngreyreadingnook]

Lord John AU Event Master List

A very special thank you to all of the writers, artists, and readers who helped make the Lord John AU Event a success! All good things must come to an end, and the body of Lord John fanworks has grown immensely during this event.

Because Pan is still a geek, here’s an infographic with some of our stats. 

Below the cut, you’ll find a masterlist of all of the art and fics submitted for the event. Most of the fics can be found in the AO3 Collection, and all titles in the master list below are links to the original work posting (AO3 or Tumblr).

Here’s how we did!

Master List Below!

Art Links

“E-girl Claire and her boyfriend John” by @deanwinchesterangelfucker

“Gender-swapped, established relationship John and Jamie” by @deanwinchesterangelfucker

Fic Links

Title: extra credit Author: @iihappydaysii Rating: E Ship: Brian/John AU Category: High School Word Count: 2,532 Summary:  Brian Randall (Jamie Fraser's gay son, of course) needs to get his grade up in his trig class taught by who other than his father's friend, John Grey.

Title: Die for this Kingdom Author: @mistresspandorawritesthings Rating: M Ship: Jamie/John AU Category: Mob Word Count: 45,255 Summary:  All Jamie “Fortnight” Fraser wants is to provide a good, safe life for his family in Chicago. But with tragedies keeping him tangled in his uncle’s deadly schemes and one tenacious—and handsome—police officer determined to bring him in, Fortnight Fraser has a choice to make. Bend to Dougal’s will… or burn it all to the ground.

Title: Remember Hawaii Author: @mistresspandorawritesthings Rating: E Ship: Hector/John AU Category: Semi-Modern Word Count: 5,119 Summary:  The chances of John Grey unexpectedly seeing Hector Dalrymple in a group of Marines was always small but never zero. In the vastness of the Pacific Ocean, Hawaii is tiny. What are the odds they'd both be there at the same time?

Title: Tasting Sunshine Author: @andhopethatsoon Rating: E Ship: John/Stephan AU Category: Supernatural/Fantasy Word Count: 6,421 Summary:  Every fae and their godmother knows that you DON'T eat the oranges from THOSE trees or you will summon the Summer King who will demand your heart’s desire in return.

Title: At Operator’s Discretion Author: @mistresspandorawritesthings Rating: E Ship: Jamie/John AU Category: Assassins Word Count: 6,210 Summary:  John Grey is an operator specializing in surveillance and termination--that is, spying and murder. He keeps all this a secret from his husband, Alex Malcolm, for Alex's protection. But when a contract comes in for one James Fraser, Grey's life gets all kinds of complicated.

Title: Theatre Masks Author: @faeriesfanficblog Rating: G Ship: Jamie/John AU Category: Modern Word Count: 1,238 Summary:  A modern AU. Jamie Fraser is an autistic playwriter attending a theatre premiere with his husband Lord John Grey.

Title: The Wild Hunt Author: @mistresspandorawritesthings Rating: E Ship: Jamie/John/Tom AU Category: Supernatural/Fantasy Word Count: 8,033 Summary:  The Sorcerer is rumored to be the only being able to influence the Wild Hunt, the same Wild Hunt hell-bent on destroying the world to get to John Grey. But the Sorcerer's aid comes with stipulations.

Title: The Right Tool for the Job Author: @iihappydaysii & @mistresspandorawritesthings Rating: E Ship: Jamie/John AU Category: Modern Word Count: 5,825 Summary:  Jamie makes an embarrassing emergency call after a sexual mishap, and John Grey is the paramedic who shows up to help.

Title: gotta listen when the devil’s calling Author: @narastories Rating: E Ship: BJR/Jamie/John AU Category: Modern Word Count: 6,105 Summary:  John wasn't looking forward to his birthday. Aberdeen was cold and bloody far away. This year they also got a surprise travel companion last minute and John is convinced, it couldn't get any worse. But perhaps, it's not so bad after all.

Title: Off the Only Path I Knew (WIP) Author: @jesuisprest747 Rating: M Ship: Jamie/John AU Category: College/University Word Count: 8,920 Summary: Nothing about University is going as Jamie Fraser planned. He misses his family and friends back home, and the friends he's made at University don't feel quite right. Under pressure from his father, he is studying business instead of his true passion - Classics and Literature. To top it all off, his roommate barely speaks to him. A story about friendship, love, and following your heart.

Title: And Say We’ll Never Part Author: @mistresspandorawritesthings Rating: E Ship: Hector/John AU Category: Semi-Modern Word Count: 6,872 Summary: The war has been over for months, and the Allied forces are slowly demobilizing. With the help of his friend and battle buddy Harry Quarry, newly-discharged John Grey ensures that Hector has a home waiting for him.

Title: Lemon Drop Author: @mistresspandorawritesthings Rating: E Ship: Hal/John/Percy AU Category: Modern Word Count: 6,335 Summary:  Weeks into their mother's engagement, John and Hal still haven't been formally introduced to their soon-to-be step-brother. So Hal suggests they take matters into their own hands. And if it turns out Percy is up for a little fun... all the better.

Title: A Pocketful of Posies Author: @levisqueaks Rating: M Ship: Brian/John (end game); Jamie/John  AU Category: Modern Word Count: 3,483 Summary:  Jamie breaks up with John a mere week before his wedding to a girl John knew nothing about. 20 years later, John finally gets a little bit of closure.

Title: London Calling - Come out of the Cupboard Author: @angstosaur  Rating: E Ship: Claire/Jamie/John AU Category: Semi-modern Word Count: 24,337 Summary:  Setting – Bloomsbury, London, early 1980’s John is a newly qualified solicitor and is working in Holborn. When he was studying law in London his mother insisted he stay in her apartment in Bloomsbury. He agreed as long as he could share with his old school friend, Claire Beauchamp. Claire has just finished at medical school and has a post as a junior doctor at a large London Hospital. They’re just good friends. That’s all. Really. After all, John is gay. Then, Jamie Fraser enters their lives and suddenly all that was taken for granted is called into question.

Title: John Grey’s Anatomy (WIP) Author: @jesuisprest747​ Rating: E Ship: Claire/Jamie/John AU Category: Modern medical Word Count: 25,452 Summary:  When John Grey decided to move to America in early 2020 to escape his past and make a new start at Boston Memorial Hospital, he only wished to work hard at his anesthesiology fellowship and heal his broken heart. Little did he know that he would soon meet two people who would change his life forever, against the background of the world's first global pandemic in over a hundred years.

Title: Blood Bound (WIP) Author: @mistresspandorawritesthings​ Rating: E Ship: Jamie/John; Jenny/Minnie AU Category: Supernatural/fantasy Word Count: 2,862 Summary:  Jamie Fraser grew up with the knowledge of the unholy evil that walks the earth. For more generations than his father could count, Fraser women have been the lone soldiers charged with keeping the evil things at bay. But when one wrong move on a haunted bog in Ireland transforms Jamie into the very thing he was taught to help his sister eradicate, he's forced to reevaluate everything he thought he knew about monsters.

Title: Love is a three-edged sword (WIP) Author: @angstosaur  Rating: M Ship: Claire/Jamie/John AU Category: Authurian Word Count: 74,668 Summary: An Arthurian themed AU featuring characters from Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series of books and the Lord John Grey stories. The enduring love triangle of Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot retold with a different twist. Expect canon to be used and abused, mythology to be woven in as desired and for there to be scenes of an explicit nature.T his is neither Outlander nor Arthurian legend as you may know it, or accept it, but it’s a story that called to me many months ago and I shall endeavour to write it. The characters are fictional and I’ve put them in an indeterminate time, so there will be less historical accuracy than my previous long story.