#BLESS YOU <3

[wifeglor]

21 for BIG MELKOR if there’s anything we are yet to know…

love you for this one for real. OK, since you said you meant the DVD commentary question, here are some additional thoughts (bite thy wings and let thee crawl, Melkor/Maglor)

First, I really just want to share all the passages from Lay of Leithian that I'd copied into my notes doc (beyond the bit I included and took the title from), because. Big Melkor canon...

Then Morgoth came. For the last time     in those great wars he dared to climb      from subterranean throne profound,      the rumour of his feet a sound      of rumbling earthquake underground.     (25) Black-armoured, towering, iron-crowned      he issued forth; his mighty shield      a vast unblazoned sable field      with shadow like a thundercloud;      and o'er the gleaming king it bowed

and

Heard ye not then of that pretty fay, of Lúthien? Her body is fair, very light and fair. (210) Morgoth would possess her in his lair. Boldog he sent, but Boldog was slain: strange ye were not in Bolgod's train.

Fierce is your chief, his frown is grim. Little Lúthien… what troubles him? (215) Why laughs he not to think of his lord crushing a maiden in his hoard, that foul should be what once was clean, that dark should be where light has been?

Whom do ye serve, Light or Mirk? (220) Who is the maker of mightiest work? Who is the king of earthly kings, the greatest giver of gold and rings? Who is the master of the wide earth? Who despoiled them of their mirth, (225) the vain Valar? Repeat your vows, Orcs of Bauglir! Do not bend your brows. Death to light, to law, to love; cursed be moon and stars above; may darkness everlasting old (230) that waits outside in surges cold drown Manwë, Varda and the sun; may all is hatred be begun and all in evil ended be in the moaning of the endless Sea!' (235)

and

Into the vast and echoing gloom more dread than many-tunnelled tomb in labyrinthine pyramid where everlasting death is hid, down awful corridors that wind (5) down to a menace dark enshrined; down to the mountain's roots profound, devoured, tormented, bored and ground by seething vermin spawned of stone; down to the depths they went alone. (10)

and

Slow-wheeling o'er his iron crown, reluctantly, shivering and small, (95) Beren there saw the shadow fall, and droop before the hideous throne, a weak and trembling thing, alone. And as thereon great Morgoth bent his darkling gaze, he shuddering went, (100) belly to earth, the cold sweat dank upon his fell, and crawling shrank beneath the darkness of that seat, beneath the shadow of those feet.

and

Yet welcome, welcome to my hall! I have a use for every thrall.

and

A pretty toy for idle hour. In slothful gardens many a flower (190) like thee the amorous gods are used honey-sweet to kiss, and cast then bruised, their fragrance loosing, under feet. But here we seldom find such sweet amid our labours long and hard, (195) from godlike idleness debarred. And who would not taste the honey-sweet lying to lips, or crush with feet the soft cool tissue of pale flowers, easing like gods the dragging hours?

and

Then flaring suddenly they fell, down, down upon the floors of hell. The dark and mighty head was bowed; (275) like mountain-top beneath a cloud the shoulders foundered, the vast form crashed, as in overwhelming storm huge cliffs in ruin slide and fall; and prone lay Morgoth in his hall. (280) His crown there rolled upon the ground, a wheel of thunder; then all sound died, and a silence grew as deep as were the heart of Earth asleep.

Like did I even have to write this fic?? Tolkien wrote it first...

This is most of what I have to say that I haven't said before, aside from that I love to see people in the tags of @aquaregiaart's beautiful art losing their minds in the exact same way I did when I first saw an earlier version of it and felt possessed by a demon with the urge to tell some more of that story!! 😌

One other thing on my mind when writing beyond horny was Melkor's voice, I guess. I really wanted his lines to "sound" resonant as though they came from a position of power, and "read aloud" well, and I tried to pay attention to that when I was editing, taking out some of the hedging and other words I had in there as options at first (at least one "I think" got cut at that stage... Just picture me like staring at 2 very similar options like it's the dress meme, muttering to myself "Would Melkor say this? I don't fucking know..."). I haven't spend a ton of time thinking of Melkor as a character (I've only written him a little bit before, in the backdrop of Finrod/Sauron AU) and I really wanted him to come across as scary and brutal/unflinching but also keep some sort of undertone suggesting that At One Point, he was or could be a seducer figure as well. Also, revisiting these Lay of Leithian portions with him was inspiring in terms of writing & keeping in some of his dialogue in the fic, because he DOES have a villainous glee in Lay of Leithian, a bitter, proud sort of "positioning" against the Valar, and he likes to hear himself talk. After reading that, I felt a lot more empowered to write him talking some more!! Thank you so much for your Big Melkor support all through working on this, it makes my heart grow to Big Melkor sizes ❤️❤️❤️

[da-owo]

YOUR ART. IM OBSESSED WITH IT. ITS SO GOOD IM EATING IT LIKE A 7 COURSE MEAL

AAAAAh thank you !! i'm glad your enjoying my work tbh im just happy to be drawing haha

[paranorahjones]

And I missed the "which mutual am I" thing earlier, so doing that now to say you are the "excited about Thing and sharing Thing and makes it a point to remember to tag friends in posts about Thing mutual," and the "has Correct Opinions about Lockwood & Co and ringleader of the Lucy Carlyle defense squad" mutual and the "oh my gosh she also likes Endeavour???" mutual and the warm and insightful writing mutual!

:D you're too sweet oh my goodness, this made my day. one day we really need to sit down over the internet and a cup of tea and talk about Endeavour for the entire day. And Lockwood & Co. and our fics XD

[bits-and-babs]

Byyyyeeeee I’m stalking your master list and how POMP she closes he eyes while he eats her out and accidentally opens them and HE GETS SO COCKY I’m sobbing I loved it bye thank u for your service

this little ask made my whole entire day.

i still haven’t been able to obtain any of my medication, but things like this really do inspire me to write <3

[lilypixels]

ehehe <3

Sjdbdj I’m giving you a tackle hug in my head

[i4bellingham]

Hello, may you do a short piece (don’t worry about it being too long given it’s new years) about Jude Being away for the World Cup and you received hate for dating him mainly about your body so you take the time alone to not eat enough and work out loads in a really unhealthy way so when he comes back and he hugs you he feels that your body is different and he gets worried and it’s just fluffy. Happy new year !! I love you 🤍

okay i’m gonna be honest with you anon, i’m not entirely comfortable writing pieces that tackles/contains triggering matters. i know i should've put up topics that i'm not comfortable writing with so i really really am sorry for that 😭 i know you've waited for quite some time now so please, if it's okay with you, you can hmu with a new request in my ask box and indicate that it's you so i can whip up something for you stat. i'm really really really sorry for this 😭

[angelkissedface]

HI KIKI I JUST WANTED TO SEND YOU LOVEMAIL I LOVE YOU OKAY BYEEEEEEEE 💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕

AAAAAA I LOVE YOU TOO!!!!!!!! TAKE CARE!!!!!!!!!!!! 💕💕💕

[valentinoappreciator]

AAAAAAAAAA OMG THE LITTLE FICLET WAS SO GOOD!!! :(( ♡♡♡ oh, to be able to do coke with val...

amazing n perfect job as always!! <3 the way you write val feels so spot on, too!! also the valentino brainrot is so so so real, and i am going through it-

- 🫀

godddd, I know right 😭😭😭 also, thank you so much!!!! I'm happy you think I write Val so well, although idk what that says about me lmaooo

yeeess, share the valentino brainrot with meeee pls 🥺

[happyheidi]

｡ﾟﾟ･｡･ﾟﾟ｡ ﾟ. April will bring blessings.

ﾟ･｡･ﾟ

[thatcerealkiller]

“My blood thirsty friend.”

🔥 commission by poof on twitter 🔥

[justletmescrolll]

$90 CAD gale dress up game

[auburniivenus]

"The greater the light the greater the void it exists within."

YOU'RE   A   MURDERER   IN   EVERY   TOWN.   Upon   the   cobblestone   path   of   Baldur’s   Gate,   Lower   City   sprawled   before   her,   where   cloth-draped   merchants   whispered   bargains   under   their   very   breathing   tapestries.   Shadows   emerged   like   malleable   tendrils   around   her   as   day   faded   expeditiously,   bowing   to   the   encroaching   darkness   that   now   claimed   dominion   o’er   the   city   panorama.   A   peculiar   sensation   stirred   within   her   crux,   ushering   forth   a   presence   unbeknownst   even   to   her   vigilant   heart.

As   if   time   itself   had   inhaled   in   the   atmospheric   noise   of   hushed   conversations,   horses’   hooves   braced   against   stone,   and   all   else   that   stirred   life   within   the   serpentine   city   streets.   Unsuspecting,   she   was   approached   by   an   obscure   individual   disguised   in   peculiar   semblance   ───   a   mysterious   individual   bearing   a   weight   far   too   vast   and   ethereal   to   be   confined   within   mortal   flesh.   Indeed,   there   stood   the   essence   of PRIMORDIAL   nights.

Despite   her   inner   tumult   boiling   in   her   veins,   decorum   prevailed   o’er   impulsive   doubt   or   spontaneous   fear;   for   no   hostility   laced   those   entwined,   somber   notes   in   the   foreign   song   of   air   that   soared   around   them.   Hematophagous   of   ancient   lineage   dwelling   ‘neath   SANGUINE   moons   suspended   o’er   torpor-laden   landscapes.   Quenched   would   his   scarcity-ridden   appetite   be   upon   the   vital   fluid   coursing   through   innocuous   creatures,   ENSLAVING   them   forever   to   realms   immaterial.

As   chameleons   among   men   and   women   of   mortality’s   embrace,   vampires’   expertise   in   veiling   their   true   essence   was   artistry   surpassing   itself   ───   melded   layers   of   ivory   cutaneous   tissue   concealing   hellish   souls   like   petals   enfolding   a   bud   e’er   ripe.   Impersonating   the   elements   that   fragile   humanity   held   dear   ───   carefree   laughter   echoing   through   moonlit   corridors   or   ostensibly   beating   hearts   circulating   stolen   vitality   ───   they   were   concealed   masterfully.   Unsettled   but   sensing   no   hostility   lurking   behind   those   hypnotic   crimson   hues,   she   clung   to   civility’s   cloak.   “In   the   deepest   void,   the   smallest   flicker   of   light   becomes   a   radiant   beacon.”   She   countered   in   a   tranquil   manner.   “It's   a   vicious   cycle,   isn't   it?   Light   and   darkness   are   always   attempting   to   vanquish   each   other.” @szarr

ANGELS   NEVER   DIE.

[tempo-takoyaki]

Listen, I love the "XL helps HC to see how beautiful he is" scenario as much as the next person... But I also see it like this.

[myrkulitescourge]

the way that one line from the new epilogue in an astarion romance is going to HAUNT me

just. what a profoundly intense thing to confess to someone.

like, just these six months of newfound happiness with you exerts a force on his heart equal and in direct opposition to two centuries of endless torment, the gnawing hunger and exploitation. this flashbulb-bright fraction of his long life holds the same gravity to him as years upon years of darkness and suffering.

in all likelihood, he hasn’t even known his lover for as long as his worst memory lasted, that year sealed away to go mad from starvation and sensory deprivation, yet he still tells them this brief time has been so fundamentally and powerfully important that the weight of even that unimaginable hell is vanishingly small compared to this present he has now and the future ahead of them both.

how am i supposed to act normal about this.

[hualianschild]

shi qingxuan to hua cheng :

[cuddlytogas]

So I accidentally almost got into an argument on Twitter, and now I'm thinking about bad historical costuming tropes. Specifically, Action Hero Leather Pants.

See, I was light-heartedly pointing out the inaccuracies of the costumes in Black Sails, and someone came out of the woodwork to defend the show. The misunderstanding was that they thought I was dismissing the show just for its costumes, which I wasn't - I was simply pointing out that it can't entirely care about material history (meaning specifically physical objects/culture) if it treats its clothes like that.

But this person was slightly offended on behalf of their show - especially, quote, "And from a fan of OFMD, no less!" Which got me thinking - it's true! I can abide a lot more historical costuming inaccuracy from Our Flag than I can Black Sails or Vikings. And I don't think it's just because one has my blorbos in it. But really, when it comes down to it...

What is the difference between this and this?

Here's the thing. Leather pants in period dramas isn't new. You've got your Vikings, Tudors, Outlander, Pirates of the Caribbean, Once Upon a Time, Will, The Musketeers, even Shakespeare in Love - they love to shove people in leather and call it a day. But where does this come from?

Obviously we have the modern connotations. Modern leather clothes developed in a few subcultures: cowboys drew on Native American clothing. (Allegedly. This is a little beyond my purview, I haven't seen any solid evidence, and it sounds like the kind of fact that people repeat a lot but is based on an assumption. I wouldn't know, though.) Leather was used in some WWI and II uniforms.

But the big boom came in the mid-C20th in motorcycle, punk/goth, and gay subcultures, all intertwined with each other and the above. Motorcyclists wear leather as practical protective gear, and it gets picked up by rock and punk artists as a symbol of counterculture, and transferred to movie designs. It gets wrapped up in gay and kink communities, with even more countercultural and taboo meanings. By the late C20th, leather has entered mainstream fashion, but it still carries those references to goths, punks, BDSM, and motorbike gangs, to James Dean, Marlon Brando, and Mick Jagger. This is whence we get our Spikes and Dave Listers in 1980s/90s media, bad boys and working-class punks.

And some of the above "historical" design choices clearly build on these meanings. William Shakespeare is dressed in a black leather doublet to evoke the swaggering bad boy artist heartthrob, probably down on his luck. So is Kit Marlowe.

But the associations get a little fuzzier after that. Hook, with his eyeliner and jewellery, sure. King Henry, yeah, I see it. It's hideously ahistorical, but sure. But what about Jamie and Will and Ragnar, in their browns and shabby, battle-ready chic? Well, here we get the other strain of Bad Period Drama Leather.

See, designers like to point to history, but it's just not true. Leather armour, especially in the western/European world, is very, very rare, and not just because it decays faster than metal. (Yes, even in ancient Greece/Rome, despite many articles claiming that as the start of the leather armour trend!) It simply wasn't used a lot, because it's frankly useless at defending the body compared to metal. Leather was used as a backing for some splint armour pieces, and for belts, sheathes, and buckles, but it simply wasn't worn like the costumes above. It's heavy, uncomfortable, and hard to repair - it's simply not practical for a garment when you have perfectly comfortable, insulating, and widely available linen, wool, and cotton!

As far as I can see, the real influence on leather in period dramas is fantasy. Fantasy media has proliferated the idea of leather armour as the lightweight choice for rangers, elves, and rogues, a natural, quiet, flexible material, less flashy or restrictive than metal. And it is cheaper for a costume department to make, and easier for an actor to wear on set. It's in Dungeons and Dragons and Lord of the Rings, King Arthur, Runescape, and World of Warcraft.

And I think this is how we get to characters like Ragnar and Vane. This idea of leather as practical gear and light armour, it's fantasy, but it has this lineage, behind which sits cowboy chaps and bomber/flight jackets. It's usually brown compared to the punk bad boy's black, less shiny, and more often piecemeal or decorated. In fact, there's a great distinction between the two Period Leather Modes within the same piece of media: Robin Hood (2006)! Compare the brooding, fascist-coded villain Guy of Gisborne with the shabby, bow-wielding, forest-dwelling Robin:

So, back to the original question: What's the difference between Charles Vane in Black Sails, and Edward Teach in Our Flag Means Death?

Simply put, it's intention. There is nothing intentional about Vane's leather in Black Sails. It's not the only leather in the show, and it only says what all shabby period leather says, relying on the same tropes as fantasy armour: he's a bad boy and a fighter in workaday leather, poor, flexible, and practical. None of these connotations are based in reality or history, and they've been done countless times before. It's boring design, neither historically accurate nor particularly creative, but much the same as all the other shabby chic fighters on our screens. He has a broad lineage in Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean and such, but that's it.

In Our Flag, however, the lineage is much, much more intentional. Ed is a direct homage to Mad Max, the costuming in which is both practical (Max is an ex-cop and road warrior), and draws on punk and kink designs to evoke a counterculture gone mad to the point of social breakdown, exploiting the thrill of the taboo to frighten and titillate the audience.

In particular, Ed is styled after Max in the second movie, having lost his family, been badly injured, and watched the world turn into an apocalypse. He's a broken man, withdrawn, violent, and deliberately cutting himself off from others to avoid getting hurt again. The plot of Mad Max 2 is him learning to open up and help others, making himself vulnerable to more loss, but more human in the process.

This ties directly into the themes of Our Flag - it's a deliberate intertext. Ed's emotional journey is also one from isolation and pain to vulnerability, community, and love. Mad Max (intentionally and unintentionally) explores themes of masculinity, violence, and power, while Max has become simplified in the popular imagination as a stoic, badass action hero rather than the more complex character he is, struggling with loss and humanity. Similarly, Our Flag explores masculinity, both textually (Stede is trying to build a less abusive pirate culture) and metatextually (the show champions complex, banal, and tender masculinities, especially when we're used to only seeing pirates in either gritty action movies or childish comedies).

Our Flag also draws on the specific countercultures of motorcycles, rockers, and gay/BDSM culture in its design and themes. Naturally, in such a queer show, one can't help but make the connection between leather pirates and leather daddies, and the design certainly nods at this, with its vests and studs. I always think about this guy, with his flat cap so reminiscient of gay leather fashions.

More overtly, though, Blackbeard and his crew are styled as both violent gangsters and countercultural rockstars. They rove the seas like a bikie gang, free and violent, and are seen as icons, bad boys and celebrities. Other pirates revere Blackbeard and wish they could be on his crew, while civilians are awed by his reputation, desperate for juicy, gory details.

This isn't all of why I like the costuming in Our Flag Means Death (especially season 1). Stede's outfits are by no means accurate, but they're a lot more accurate than most pirate media, and they're bright and colourful, with accurate and delightful silks, lace, velvets, and brocades, and lovely, puffy skirts on his jackets. Many of the Revenge crew wear recognisable sailor's trousers, and practical but bright, varied gear that easily conveys personality and flair. There is a surprising dedication to little details, like changing Ed's trousers to fall-fronts for a historical feel, Izzy's puffy sleeves, the handmade fringe on Lucius's red jacket, or the increasing absurdity of navy uniform cuffs between Nigel and Chauncey.

A really big one is the fact that they don't shy away from historical footwear! In almost every example above, we see the period drama's obsession with putting men in skinny jeans and bucket-top boots, but not only does Stede wear his little red-heeled shoes with stockings, but most of his crew, and the ordinary people of Barbados, wear low boots or pumps, and even rough, masculine characters like Pete wear knee breeches and bright colours. It's inaccurate, but at least it's a new kind of inaccuracy, that builds much more on actual historical fashions, and eschews the shortcuts of other, grittier period dramas in favour of colour and personality.

But also. At least it fucking says something with its leather.