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[azyland]

JOIN THE LAST DISCORD ON DISCORD!

Uhtred is beckoning you to join a new discord to discuss all things The Last Kingdom- 

theories on season five

actor discussions

9th century grooming habits

fan fic recommendations

gif making

#justiceforbrida

do we think we’ll ever see Sihtric’s wife again?

have they remembered Osbert exists?

and more!

The discord server is 18+ so if y’all join you are 👀 confirming 👀 you are 18!

⚔️ Destiny is all, dudes. Let’s chat.  ⚔️

[azyland]

TLK FANFIC FEST - BINGO

This summer the TLK FanFicFest is going back in time to those halcyon days of livejournal kinkmemes and bingo cards! That’s right folks, forget hot-girl-summer it’s horny-on-main summer in Wessex!

Rules:

- Bingo cards can be completed by writing five prompts vertically, horizontally or diagonally using any characters from The Last Kingdom.

- The center square is free and can be used for any fill/prompt you think of.

- You can switch out a prompt from another table but it must be from the same square (e.g. you can use wing fic, hurt/comfort or threesome in that square).

- All prompt fills should be tagged on tumblr/AO3 with #tlkfanficfestbingo, and the appropriate bingo card: #shieldcard #swordcard #axecard

- One fic per prompt. You can use more than one but it will only count as one square.

- Fills posted to AO3 can be added to the TLKFanFicFest Bingo Collection (here)

- TLKFFF Bingo will continue until Sept 6th/Labour Day.

[azyland]

If you donated blood you probably erected another man’s penis.

[azyland]

What does the arab in your carrd mean? Is it like afab and amab?

.. i’m palestinian

[azyland]

[azyland]

Bridgerton 1x02, Shock and Delight

[azyland]

i saw your post about uhtred contradicting the ideologies of the show and i was interested in your take on what those main ideologies were?

big disclaimer: i wrote the original post before watching season four and rereading it, i have to say it feels like i use ideology a lot as a buzzword, which is not a good look and worthy of criticism. but let me try and answer this somewhat (even if not as neatly as i probably should.) please keep in mind that this is all my perspective, i will not use “to me” an awful lot here, but it is implied.

(cue incoherent rambling)

TLK is about the formation of England. It’s about Alfred and his children. While not always a peaceful process, the formation of England is depicted as something positive and the antagonists and villains within the show are mostly people who from the show’s perspective endanger that process.

The Danish antagonists and villains get the more nuanced portrayal at times. Ragnar the Fearless, Ragnar the Younger, Ubba, Brida (s1-3), Guthrum, Erik and Perm Guy (although he is a special case I get back to that in a second) are all sort of good people, who just do not care about England. Those are then contrasted by the really blood thirsty evil Danes (Skorpa, Sigefrid, Cnut, Sigurd, Skade, Brida in s4). It is important to note though that Alfred makes the comment that he cannot make peace with the Danes or form an alliance because they do not value peace. In earlier seasons I thought that was convenient of him to say (because he clearly dislikes them and holds great disdain for their pageantry), but with the emergence of Perm Guy he is actually proven right in that sense. Perm Guy kind of reflects openly on the Danish characters that came before him and decides to be different, which translates into less ambitious for personal gain and interested in peace. So in a sense while Ragnar is not an outright villain, the show makes it clear that with him around there would have always been a threat to England.

(As a side note: it’s very interesting in that regard that Ragnar is killed in Season 3 because next to Brida, he is the only sort of good Dane left and like this we never had to deal with a confrontation between Uhtred and a “good” Dane ever again.)

The Saxon antagonists (and let's face it most are immoral villains) are way more harshly defined by this: Young Odda, Aethelwold, Aethelred, Aethelhelm & Eardwulf are all presented as endangering the formation of England. This is why Aethelwold’s coalition with the Danes in season 3 is presented as him being used by them. (It cannot be a successful alliance that could have had the potential to work because that would have made Alfred and Edward kind of look like the bad guys). These guys usually do not pose a threat to England, they also have to be just horrible people, pathetic and selfish.

Now Perm Guy says something fascinating in that regard because he basically spell out one of the underlying ideologies of the show: and that is about ambition. He states that it’s fine to be ambitious, but it has to be for the greater good in a sense. So you can be Alfred, but you should not be Aethelwold. That is the inner logic of the show. 

So how does Uhtred fit into this?

Uhtred is neutral on England, while also being basically what England needs, his guiding hand is what shapes the country, he is the KINGMAKER. And that kind of follows its own logic within the show. I would not say it goes against any sort of ideology, but basically a lot of complex moral decisions that Alfred and Edward have to make, boil down to listening to Uhtred. A lot of tension is created by these two guys just seemingly listening to the wrong people or being guided by the wrong people. And while that does not go against any ideology it is very boring for me to watch. There is no room for moral ambiguity here: Uhtred knows best. How dare you listen to Young Odda, Aethelred, Aethelhelm ect. instead? He is never wrong in his predictions and Edward and Alfred are pretty mean for treating him this badly and in the case of Alfred, Alfred by the end even apologies, like his character arc is recognizing that he mistreated Uhtred.

I put this here because I think when I wrote this post, I was actually more thinking of the internal, simplifying logic the show is under (which makes it hard for me to engage with it in an interesting manner at times.)

But I think the interesting bit when it comes to ideology is Uhtred’s quest for Bebbanburg. In general the quest is at odds with the focus on the formation of England because until now it has not been connected to it. In general Uhtred is not a self reflecting character or has a meaningful character arc, so basically his quest for Bebbanburg is never examined. It’s presented as something righteous and something he is entitled to because of his birth (Aelfric and Wihtgar are both obviously bad people and also in the case of Aelfric bad leaders at times).

This, however, creates a direct parallel between Aethelwold and him. A parallel which the show acknowledges in season 2 and a parallel that only grows stronger with Wihtgar becoming lord of Bebbanburg in season 4 (as a parallel to Edward becoming king in season 3). Uhtred has no noble claim for Bebbanburg, he wants it because it has been denied to him. He wants it for his own ambition and wishes. And the show basically acknowledges that Aethelwold and him have a parallel there and then answers this with: Well Aethelwold is pathetic and Uhtred is noble and that basically makes Uhtred’s wishes valid and Aethelwold’s not. Case closed.

And that’s--whatever I meant with main ideology--to me a lot how show engages with Uhtred: 

Skade and Sigurd burn down a village and that shows their villainy. Uhtred burns down a village and people will make a few quip remarks, but it does not reflect on his characters.

Wihtgar will try and make Uhtred watch Young Uhtred die and that is clearly bad. Uhtred will kidnap Cnut’s children and then leave them in a warzone where the chances are stacked against them and that is fine (because he didn’t kill them).

Young Uhtred is wrong for condemning Uhtred and calling him a heathen and therefore he apologizes to his father. Uhtred is not wrong for endangering his son in a spy mission and projecting all his wishes onto him. He never has to apologize for that.

I feel like I am rambling now. And you can successfully argue that my original post is actually bullshit, but there is just something about Uhtred never self reflecting and never having to face accountability for his actions which irks me and destroys the complexity of the characters and situations all around.

… I will stop here, thank you for coming to my shitty ted talk.

[azyland]

Uhtred’s Birthday 🎉 ideally with finan/uhtred ❤️

Finan was a mess, he had snapped at Sihtric at least twice for being late with the cake and received only an eye-roll in response. How all his well laid plans had ended up in a last minute panic he still didn't know but it was worth it when Uhtred walked through the door and smiled fondly at him.

“You know you didn’t have to do anything,” Uhtred murmured, dropping his bag to the floor as he closed the distance between them. 

“When have I ever listened to you,” Finan teased, dropping a kiss to the corner of Uhtred’s mouth. 

“Still, you look like you just ran a marathon and we’re only going to have to pop all these balloons tomorrow.”

“Would you just let me be the doting husband for once,” Finan huffed. 

“Oh don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy the doting but I also enjoy a relaxed husband who isn’t anxiously sweating,” Uhtred grinned. 

“I’m still sexy though, right?”

“Oh, very,” Uhtred laughed, pulling Finan into a soft, appreciative kiss. It didn’t matter that it had already been two decades, the aching familiarity of it still made Finan’s breath hitch. 

“I meant to cook but I’m sorry I’ve just got cake,” Finan mumbled against Uhtred’s lips. 

“Cake is good with me,” Uhtred smiled, “grab the cake and two forks and join me on the sofa?”

“Mmm sounds perfect,” Finan hummed. He pulled back just far enough to watch the happy glimmer in Uhtred’s eyes. 

Gently he took Uhtred’s face between his hands. 

“Happy,” Finan dropped a kiss to his forehead, “Birth-” a kiss to his left cheek, “Day,” a kiss to his right cheek, “Uhtred,” a kiss to his lips. 

“You’re a sap but I love you,” Uhtred grinned, tightening his arms around FInan’s waist. 

“Love you too but you’re still a maniac for working on your birthday, now come on let me go, I gave Sihtric hell about this cake so you’re going to enjoy it whether you like it or not.” 

“You’re just going to leave me high and dry?” Uhtred protested.

“Eat your birthday cake and then I’ll drag you to bed, deal?”

“Deal.”

[azyland]

[azyland]

It’s Always Been Us - Finan/Hild/Uhtred

by @bird-on-a-wire20​ and @azyland​

“You know, I’ve kissed both of you, and yet you’ve never kissed each other.”

In this Modern AU, Finan, Hild and Uhtred decide to risk years of friendship for a week of uninhibited fun while on holiday.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/27017020/chapters/65954404

[azyland]

Finan, Ep. 305

[azyland]

Your path is the path I choose for you, Uhtred Ragnarson. And your spirit is mine to torment.

SKADE. First Scene. Last Scene.

[azyland]

“Thank you.”

Sihtric. 308. 

[azyland]

It’s Always Been Us - Finan/Hild/Uhtred

by @bird-on-a-wire20​ and @azyland​

“You know, I’ve kissed both of you, and yet you’ve never kissed each other.”

In this Modern AU, Finan, Hild and Uhtred decide to risk years of friendship for a week of uninhibited fun while on holiday.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/27017020/chapters/65954404

[azyland]

It’s Always Been Us - Finan/Hild/Uhtred

by @bird-on-a-wire20​ and @azyland​

“You know, I’ve kissed both of you, and yet you’ve never kissed each other.”

In this Modern AU, Finan, Hild and Uhtred decide to risk years of friendship for a week of uninhibited fun while on holiday.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/27017020/chapters/65954404

[azyland]

Chapters: 1/5 Fandom: The Last Kingdom (TV) Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Finan/Hild/Uhtred of Bebbanburg, Finan/Uhtred of Bebbanburg, Finan/Hild (The Last Kingdom), Hild/Uhtred of Bebbanburg Characters: Uhtred of Bebbanburg, Hild (The Last Kingdom), Finan (The Last Kingdom) Additional Tags: Friends to Lovers, Drunk Sex, Threesome - F/M/M, Friends With Benefits, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Denial of Feelings Summary:

“You know, I’ve kissed both of you, and yet you’ve never kissed each other.”

[azyland]

Yeah, that’s pretty much it.