#and how all that contrasts all the stuff going on with arthur and how he realizes how much he misses the mundanity of home

[pyrotechnicdarts]

← he is constantly thinking about arthur lester and christine anderson and how they are sort of opposites but also so similar and how their individual journeys trapped in an eldritch horror dimension mirror each other but are also so different and how those journeys impacted them and and and. am i making sense

[olympeline]

Would you want to say more about omega Arthur and how he presents as an omega? I like both alpha and omega Arthur but as an omega I think of him as the more rebellious type who doesn’t want to be forced into that typical omega role. 🤔

Oh and maybe tell us about his potential alphas and their relationship if you want to? 👀

Would I like to talk more about omegaverse Arthur? The answer to that question is always and forever: yes, yes I would love to 👀

To me, Arthur is one of the most fun characters to headcanon as an omega. It works in any setting but for simplicity’s sake, I’ll stick with the canon Hetalia verse.

National personifications are born from their people and reflect the societal attitudes of the time. Make it omegaverse and why would second sex be any different. Every country would want their nation-person to be an alpha because they’re seen as being the best. The strongest, the most powerful, the natural leaders, etc. Being part of a nation with an alpha personification is something to be proud of. In contrast, a nation-person presenting as omega would be shameful. An ill wind, a bad omen, a portent of hard times ahead, all that good bad stuff. Betas would be in the middle: not as good as alphas, not as bad as omegas. There would probably be a shared attitude that alpha nation-people mean empires, omega nation-people mean getting stepped on by empires. It’s not actually true - there’s no link between how strong a nation is and which second sex their personification has - but people believe it anyway. They wouldn’t stop believing it until omegas started getting equal rights. Something I headcanon as only happening in modern times, but that’s another story.

So, that’s where my interpretation of Arthur comes in. He’s always struck me as a character with a huge thirst to prove himself, which makes sense if you look at England’s history. Specifically if you stretch it back to the pre-Roman era. Extreme oversimplification here, but England/the British Empire is kind of the opposite of what happened to the Roman Empire/Italy. A nation that started out in ancient times as Europe’s punching bag, but then went on to become a great power. Which fits so well with the trope of an omega hiding their true nature to stop it being a hindrance to their rise. They’ve come out into the world, teeth bared and fists swinging, and are determined no one is going to put them back down again.

Arthur wants to be great. He wants to be strong like the nations who used to rule him. He wants to be an empire. He’s been raised to believe omegas aren’t empires. Been taught that what he is is shameful and a hindrance for his people. So Arthur, ever ruthlessly practical, decides if being an omega is such a problem then he simply won’t be one. I said he might try to fake being an alpha for clout in my other post, but I actually tend to headcanon him as an omega who fakes being a beta. I’m not sure Arthur could pull off alpha and make it believable. Even in canon he’s described as being “slight” and alphas are tall and larger framed. Think Ivan or Alfred. Arthur isn’t built like them and he wouldn’t want to arouse more suspicion than he had to. So he grudgingly settles on faking a beta identity even though he would have preferred alpha. Better to fake being second rate and not get caught than to try for first and risk being outed as third, you know?

He gets away with it because he presented late. That slim frame came from a childhood of high stress where there often wasn’t enough to eat. Arthur got his first heat way past when he should have. Everyone had already accepted him as a beta, so it was easy to hush up his true nature. After that he just maintained the illusion. Until some handsome alpha catches him out during a surprise heat and all the steamy sex happens because yes please give it to me I will never get tired of this trope shut up and take my money

So, to sum up my thoughts: omegaverse Arthur wanted to be an alpha, thought he was a beta, only to eventually present as an omega. World prejudice against omegas made him decide to keep faking a beta identity. Both to avoid disappointing his people and to make the international community take him seriously as a potential world power.

There you have it. I hope this was entertaining to read because I love rambling about this stuff. Oh, and if you’re wondering about what happens with Arthur’s future mate, about his interactions with the alphas in his life, about when his true second sex would eventually be revealed to the world, about the resulting fallout from it, etc. my answer is: I think I’ll save those questions for their own post because this one is getting too long. 😉

[vickyvicarious]

With Lucy gone now, and Van Helsing saying that they found a diary she had just started, it reminds me how she had started it right after Jonathan had his own sealed up. And that he has not 'spoken' since the wedding or written since his escape. While he was silent, Lucy was starting he own story. Now her own voice is gone, too.

Both of them ill, but while Jonathan was beginning to move out of the bed after his rock bottom and slowly gaining some weight, she was moving to the bed and shrinking. He started his married life, learning to live again, while she was dying close to her own.

I'm answering this together with another ask I got shortly afterwards, talking about very similar things:

It's fascinating how much Jonathan and Lucy's life stages contrast. Even their beginnings and ends, with Jonathan starting out as a poor orphan who could not even dream of ever acquiring a great fortune, and now getting a large inheritance, and Lucy starting out rich and now dying disinherited!

You both (if different anons) are so right. It's super interesting. Both of them are interrupted right at the start of a new phase of life by Dracula, who preys upon them before they can get married. They both encounter three 'suitors' who hope to 'kiss' them, but Jonathan's are the nightmare version who wish to prey upon him while Lucy's are all honorable men and true friends to her. Jonathan's ability to see himself in the mirror is removed and then we get Lucy talking about how she looks at herself in the mirror. All throughout his time in the castle, the parallels between them tend to lean towards Jonathan having the worse and Lucy the better side of similar situations.

But then Dracula leaves Jonathan behind, and goes to Lucy. And then all the comparisons start to flip. Jonathan escapes, Lucy doesn't. Jonathan is recovering as Lucy is getting worse. Jonathan is reunited with his love and gets to have his wedding, while Lucy is barely able to spend any time with Arthur (most of it when she's asleep) and dies before her wedding. Lucy's mother hides her illness from Lucy and keeps distant from her, denies her comfort, removes her medicine, disinherits her. Jonathan's boss steps into the role of a father, tells him he doesn't have long left to live, gives him training and trusts him with responsibility even as he's recovering, makes him his heir.

There's other stuff too, less straightforwardly positive/negative but very impactful. As (one of?) you say, Jonathan doesn't speak when Lucy does. His journal ends before hers begins. And Jonathan is isolated when Lucy is surrounded by allies and friends. It's not total isolation, not after he escapes the castle - but he still is kept apart from the main plot, and so is Mina once she joins him. It is only now when Lucy has died, and thus left the side of her companions, that Jonathan sees Dracula and the Harkers are introduced back into the main plot/begin to hear from the other main characters with van Helsing's telegram to Mina. Lucy closes her eyes in death, and Jonathan's eyes are opened (not fully yet, but with him having seen Dracula, and Mina reading his journal, then it seems apparent they will be back in the thick of things).

And I'm not going to mention all the spoilers, but a couple reversals currently popping into my head are:

Lucy is turned into a vampire and tries to get her love to join her/tries to prey upon him. Then she is killed by him instead. Jonathan's love is (nearly) turned into a vampire and wants him to kill her, but instead he decides he would rather join her.

Lucy preys on children as a vampire, in some of her final waking acts. It's a dark inversion of the motherhood that might be expected in her married life. Jonathan ends the narrative by relating that he has a child who he and Mina are raising lovingly.

[forecast0ctopus]

hewwo anj!!!! I was reading your post on how you break down arthur's likeness and how you study/what you noticed for him body language wise, how his facial features are, etc. and if that's possible, would you ever do the same for merlin? Regardless, thank you for ur merlin art ily ❤️🫶

sorry i took forever to get to this fyscka!! i got real busy lmao. anyways thoughts abt it under the cut

once again going to try not to sound weirdly obsessive abt this stuff because it sounds more insane when i put all the details into words when they just like. exist as nebulous thoughts in my brain. idk anyways

more tracing because tracing is good for figuring things out.. also fun. when you trace things a bunch for practice you pick up on the repetition like. how someone's face looks with different movement and the overlap between them. like how similar a happy expression can be to an aggressive expression and how similar an aggressive expression can be to a terrified one. if that makes sense

it is interesting too with merlin because he varies a lot over the seasons? not just with being yknow. older. like hes thinner in s2-4 than s1+5, and we all know how much his haircut varies. i dunno i just think facially he varies a lot more than arthur

sorry again for crunchy images heres a few specifics i tend to notice

when hes fighting or putting in a lot of physical strength/effort his mouth pulls up high and his nose scrunches which causes a crease from the corners of his nose. same crease as you would see when he smiles, but since the nose is scrunched the part of the crease next to the nose is more prominent. usually when i see people scrunch their nose like that it wrinkles on top of the bridge but his seems to wrinkle more at the sides. also eyebrow furrow very important

hes got a very strong chin its rather large and squared off. his eyes and the folds beneath his eyes crinkle a lot when he smiles. the smile lines appear with a point to them. also hes got a very prominent adams apple

low eyebrows, widest at their arch which is more lateral. ill talk more abt his teeth in a minute but hes got the american girl doll teeth when his lips are parted lmao

his eyes are pretty deep set, so when you see him in profile theres a good bit of distance between the bridge of his nose and his eye. when his hair is longer the hair around his ears tends to curl towards his face. same w the hair on his neck. his nose has a pretty subtle bump to the bridge and then the tip turns up a bit, but overall Not an upturned nose

his ears stick out we know this..... you can see the contrast of the hollow of his cheeks vs his mouth muscle sometimes (usually more in s2+3). his nose is in a pretty neutral position here

as opposed to this one where his nose broadens a little with his smile. smile lines again pretty triangular.

faces are soft and when one feature moves usually the others slightly move/change with it. some other things are teeth which i meant to talk abt in the arthur post too, but yeah. merlin's got pretty prominent front teeth, and arthur's got his one crooked canine. hair also is (at least to me) pretty important... his hair is always cropped above the eyebrows and imo he's less recognizable as merlin if its not. its not especially fluffy or curly either. not to say he cant be drawn with different haircuts haha, sometimes it just makes him a little harder to recognize

again body shape + language is just as important is not more so, bc we're drawing a character not an actor!! theres a few things i think about w merlin

- hes pretty thin with the exception of s5, but always pretty lanky lookin - just generally pretty angular? idk - he is somewhat broad but the slouching and not being shredded (usually) tend to negate that a little - he crouches a lot or pulls his legs up when he sits (hes so real for that) - when hes not using his hands they tend to just be at his sides, when he's standing he'll put them behind his back sometimes, when talking he'll gesture with them usually around his head or hip/waist level - he slouches more than arthur, his shoulders are usually somewhat forward - when he's confused or teasing often he'll push his head forward - tilts his head a lot when hes teasing or happy or confused - draws his shoulders up to his ears when he's uncomfortable, confused, or frightened - whereas arthur moves very purposefully, merlin moves in a way that just looks like he has a lot less spatial awareness idk a better way to describe it lmao. like u know hes clumsy even when he's not actively being clumsy

honestly i dont tend to put too much detail in faces because i dont draw in a very realistic style so i tend to lean more into shapes and body language to make characters recognizable, but knowing how the face works still plays into it a lot?

anyways i hope this makes at least a little sense lmao

[thisisjustmefangirling]

Merlin rewatch, 2x10 : Sweet dreams.

Episode rewatched on the 16th of april 2024

Summary :

Dignitaries from rival kingdoms descend on Camelot for peace talks, but what King Alined really wants is war and he'll do everything in his power to stir up hostilities, even if it means using magic. 

Alined's jester Trickler puts a spell on Arthur to make him fall madly in love with rival King Olaf's daughter Vivian. Chaos reigns in the palace and Camelot is once more poised on the brink of war. 

Can Merlin free Arthur's heart before the prince loses his head in battle?

Sounds like a crucial piece of information for Arthur's future, as he is supposedly destined to unite Albion.

Alined looks as amiable as a prison door. Funny to see how he treats his servant and compare it to how Arthur treats Merlin. I wish we'd see how Uther treats his own servant but it seems like this character doesn't exist.

That knight handshake cracks me up all the time. Supposing that we don't sneeze or cough into our elbow, this is a very Covid-era like way of saying hello.

Oh hi Georgia Tennant ! <3

Arthur, you can be such a gentleman sometimes !

Oh wait THIS IS THE "Destiny and chicken" episode !!!!! Aaaaah I'm excited ! I love this line.

Why does the servant's face looks so familiar to me ? He must have acted in something else I've watched.

Vivian quickly revealing herself to be a brat like one of those Upper East side nepo babies from Gossip girl... That's gonna be fun ! I wonder what Georgia remembers from shooting this episode.

Arthur praising Guinevere <3

"She is one of Camelot's finest". "Then I fear for Camelot".

Milady. You're getting Lady Morgana's private maid. This is special treatment. Be graceful about it.

The disbelief on Arthur's face !

"Good luck with that one".

And then they laugh. How cute !

I think Vivian is an incredibly interesting character because she serves as a contrast for several character : Guinevere, and Arthur.

Let's not forget that she is acting like a spoiled brat, just like Arthur was when he first met Merlin. He's made some progress since then, and we see that in how he reacts to Vivian's behaviour.

Then, Vivian is a contrast to Guinevere : one is spoilt, demanding and arrogant, the other is hardworking, sweet, humble and kind. Two kinds of woman, two kinds of love interest.

"You should have heard what she said to Gwen".

I love these scenes between Arthur and Merlin when they're going about their daily routine, especially when they're in Arthur's bedroom being all domestic. Here, Arthur is dressing for the feast.

He had a hole in his first shirt, created by moths ! It's pretty weird that Merlin doesn't seem to care it would leave a bad impression on the five kings present at the feast. I like to think Merlin is both a bad and an extremely competent servant in his own way. He'll mess with unimportant stuff but will be extremely careful with Arthur's armor and making him look good to other people, especially foreign dignitaries. Well, that's my headcanon.

Merlin truly has no fear, he can just bring up Arthur's love for Gwen like that, out of the blue, when Arthur doesn't want to talk about it and is denying it (even after admitting his feelings about her to Merlin a few episodes ago when they were on their way to rescue Gwen from those bandits).

Arthur's threats can't make Merlin back down. He knows deep down, Arthur won't hurt him. He can keep on teasing him and laugh a bit about it.

"You're blushing !" "No I'm not."

Morgana should always be surrounded with pretty women. This should have been her destiny.

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME ? BLUE BUTTERFLIES ? MERLIN'S FAVOURITE MAGIC SPELL ?

How can Alined treat his servant like a total buffoon when he knows he has magic ?

Also while sometimes love potions can make people act stupid and in funny ways on tv, I think we'd laugh way less if this was GHB.

Are the CROWN PRINCE'S CHAMBERS never properly guarded ? I swear ! Fuck ! No wonder prisoners keep escaping, the security in this castle is a vast mess ! And why is Arthur not waking up ? You're a soldier for fuck's sake. The way the guy pops up and down like he came from under the mattress and is going back there... Comical but illogical. Get up and leave, maybe ?

"You're dressed".

Everytime Merlin shows up to Arthur's room in the morning and Arthur is awake, up and dressed, Merlin is surprised.

"Indeed, you are very skilled... at getting people to do things for you." "That is your job".

Merlin is not afraid to spit the truth hahaha.

"I wish to make a proclamation of love".

Arthur you never speak of your feelings so openly. Ever.

Aww I love when Merlin is arranging Arthur's clothes and basically touching him as part of his job.

"Right. What will you tell your father?" "What does my father matter?" "Well, that's one way of approaching things."

"Of course" Merlin replies, and Merlin rolls his eyes, because of course even in love Merlin has to do Arthur's job for him.

Arthur you are clumsy with your feelings and how to express them even under a lovespell, but you still look extremely cute <3

You know what, this is the kind of scene that make me doubt that Merlin is bi and think he might actually be gay, and his short lived affair with Freya was more about compassion and the feeling of finally be with kin, people who understand him, that about attraction and romantic love.

"Flowers ?" "Excellent. Find some. Perhaps you should also send a note". "Brilliant idea". "Something moving. Something... from the heart. Something... You'll think of something".

Arthur relies so much on Merlin omg. I would say that this is because he's enchanted but I think I remember him making Merlin pick flowers to give Gwen in season 5.

OHMYGOD MERLIN THIS IS WHAT YOU WROTE TO GWEN ? You have strong Cyrano powers ! It never ends well. Gosh. And the flowers are in the colours of Gwen's favourite outfits : cream and light purple. Merlin, were you ever to court someone, you would have a VERY strong game. Anyone you would woo would fall under your charm instantly.

Intricate ritual : manhandle your servant as you talk about what you made him do to court the woman you are enchanted to be in love with. Touch him, grab him. And then talk about how beautiful that woman is.

Merlin you're finally picking up on something.

This is the face of someone who realised that :

A) There's something wrong happening with Arthur

B) He fucked up.

Two things to know about Merlin :

He never knocks.

He always has the lamest excuses for being somewhere and they usually involve vermin : moths, woodworms, and now rats.

I love seeing Gwen smile... Her life probably isn't easy, and it shows a nice attention like a bouquet of flowers can change someone's day for the better <3

Haha Merlin trying to get Gaius to help but he can't tell him the specifics because he can't reveal Arthur is actually in love with Gwen ! He's being a good friend.

One of my favourite lines ever from the show.

Help he's so insistent and into the food x)

He's so lucky Merlin arrived when he did! Poor Arthur, his feelings are hurt...

There is no straight explanation for this, Alined.

Arthur, you're cute. You need a hug.

"It might be worthwhile returning to your old love."

You know what, this is actually the first time I hear Merlin expressing doubts about Arthur's feelings for Gwen and their relationship.

Part 2 in another post, I can't add more pictures to this one.

[foundtherightwords]

Writing Tag Game

Thanks for the tag @waterfallsilverberrywrites!

About me

When did you start writing? I've written silly little stories throughout middle school and high school, though technically I've only started writing fanfic two years ago, after I became obsessed with a certain chocolate-button-eyed British actor :)

Are there different genres or themes you enjoy reading other than the ones you write? Fantasy (I've written one fantasy AU; I want to write more though) and mysteries. Funnily enough, I write mainly romance but I don't enjoy reading romance at all (I guess that's why I started writing my own!)

Is there an author you want to emulate, or are compared to often? I wish I got compared to a famous author, lol! I write a lot of historical stuff, and other than the classical authors (Bronte and Tolstoy are the two main ones for me), I'm influenced a lot by A.S. Byatt. Her writing is so subtle and poetic at the same time, and her characters and their relationships are so complex but still feel real.

Can you tell me a bit about your writing space? There's not much to tell, haha. I don't really have a "writing space", it's just either at my horribly cluttered desk or in bed.

What’s your most effective way to muster up a muse? Music! Most of my stories are inspired by music (and are titled after songs/lyrics), and sometimes, when I'm stuck, a song can help a great deal in getting me inspired again.

Did the place(s) you grew up in influence the people and/or places you write about? Kind of? I've written one fic (well, a series - one long fic and a one-shot) set in my city.

Are there any recurring themes in your writing? If so, do they surprise you? Loneliness and family issues. Not surprising at all 🥲

Characters

Would you please tell me about your current favorite character? I'm currently writing for Emperor Geta (Gladiator II) so I guess he's my favorite by default. He's such an ass (probably the most asshole-ish character I've ever written, even more than Paul) but that's what makes him so fun to write!

Which of your characters would you be friends with in real life? Eddie for sure. Heck, I was basically Eddie myself in high school (minus the whole Satanic Panic thing.) And Leonard! We can discuss books and music and take long walks together. Maybe Billy too, who's such a sweetheart. Ralph would annoy me (sorry! I love him but he's too hyper for me), I don't think I have enough in common with either Tom or Michael to be friends with them, and I'd probably want to kick Arthur and Paul in the teeth :P

Which characters would you dislike the most if you met them? See above :))

Tell me about the process of coming up with your characters? Are we talking about OCs? For my female lead, mostly I try to go off from the canon character I'm pairing with her and see what traits/backstory would make them contrast and complement each other most effectively.

Do you notice any reoccurring themes/traits in your characters? Basically, all of my couples (except for Hellcheer) consist of a stoic, competent, no-nonsense woman and the pathetic man-child she takes under her wings. Also, most of my OFCs have dark hair and green eyes, I don't know why (they're not based on any real person, I just like that coloring I guess!)

How do you picture your characters? I usually don't, is that weird? Occasionally I would look for an actress or model whose appearance fits what I'm imagining for the character, but most of the time I don't bother.

My writing

What’s your reason for writing? I have stories in my head screaming to get out, I'm just obeying their voices :))

Is there any specific comment or type of comment from readers that you find particularly motivating? Any comment at all would be great at this point. But what I love the most are the comments that point out specific parts in my stories that I hope would make an impact, or pick up on Easter eggs (like the commenter who noticed that Edward and Christine's twins in the Hurstfield Hall series are named after Ozzy Osbourne and Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath!)

How do you want to be thought about by your readers? As long as they enjoy my stories, I'm happy.

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer? Angst, hurt/comfort, world-building.

Have you been told is your greatest strength as a writer is by others? Angst, I guess?

How do you feel about your own writing? I go back and forth between two extremes. Sometimes I'd reread my stuff and think, Damn, I wrote that? That's not half bad! And other times I cringe so hard at my own writing I almost fold in on myself.

If you were the last person on earth, would you still write? Sure, if there was still something to write with!

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, do you write purely for yourself, or is it a mix of both? I write for myself. If others happen to enjoy it, great! If not, I'm already happy with what I've written.

Tagging @jo-harrington, @wheels-of-despair, @palomahasenteredthechat, and anyone else that wants to play!

[deadendtracks]

Finally getting around to responding to @divinekangaroo!

from the first post about the ask I sent:

The particularity does add to this sense of overly-performative sex (EVERY sex scene feels performative and slightly contrived to me, even Tommy with Grace, even him using passionate sex with Grace in S3 to distract her XD, even him drunkenly/passionately sealing the ‘transaction’ with Lizzie in S5’s My Property scene) but I think they manage to stay on the side of the line that it feels like Tommy being consciously performative/contrived, rather than feeling like I can see the director’s hand.

Did you see Grace and Tommy's first sex scene in s1 and their reunion sex scene in s2 as overly performative? I agree the scenes in the wedding ep have this sense but I personally think there's something else going on in those first two scenes that sets them apart from every other sex scene after, and almost have to be there in order to even see the other sex scenes for what they are -- the contrast is important and deliberate.

What do you make of that first sex scene with Lizzie in 2.01? I have thoughts of my own but I'm curious about how it fits into your understanding of Tommy & sex, beyond the need to avoid intimacy and the physical release. Because it's quite a strange scene if you look at the way he seems to be completely dissociated, he doesn't seem to even really be there.

I definitely think there's a lot of deliberate stuff going on with it all that sets him apart from the ruthless gang leader, and I think it's telling and important. There's also the deliberate contrast to how Arthur has sex, which is much more stereotypical.

[sonayesul]

Junior Thesis

some stuff I worked on for my junior thesis project earlier this year. Ill share the full finished comic later on but for now enjoy these character designs and such 🫶

the watercolor version of the cover looked too much like bradley james when that was like, not the point of the assignment, which is why the finished digital version looks so much different. I still prefer the original watercolor version but i tend to always favour my watercolor versions of things

In depth explanation below cut

the junior thesis assignment was the adapt a book into a six page comic and we could have creative freedom with certain things and the book only ever mentioned the color of guenever's hair and eyes, NOT her skin color or features and so I had my fun with her design. the ONLY description they give lancelot in the entire book is that hes ugly and beauty is subjective so i gave him "non traditional" features. In one of my original sketches for him, he was going to have crooked teeth, but unfortunately i do not draw teeth well LMAO. I wanted Arthur and Lancelot's designs to contrast each other as well. Arthur is shorter and stockier where Lance is taller and thinner, Arthur keeps his feelings quiet while Lance wears them on his chest, and then i wanted there to be the stark color difference too between them.

Morgause and Mordred were fun, but they both had a lot more descriptive descriptions in the book, so I didn't get as much creative control outside of their outfits. I assigned the Lot family the color blue and the Camelot cotizens red to try and contrast better throughout the story and it was kinda fun cause it made mordred look like an ice prince or something.

also despite gwen lance and arthur being around the same age at the point of my comic, i wanted to try and make arthur look the oldest, sort of visually show how much being king and his decisions has weighed on him, especially since the scene I adapted was pretty heavy.

also i did have a reference page for gwen but at some point it got deleted? so in this its just a fun drawing I did of her holding excalibur instead. I do also have a full reference drawing for exacalibur in my files that was useless because i never ended up drawing it in the comic LMAO

the last photo is the cornwall sisters, Elaine, Morgan and Morgause. With their designs i had fun trying to make them look related to each other, to Arthur and their parents but also try to not make them all have the same face. Elaine looks like her mother, Morgan looks like her father, Morgause looks like a mix of both (Uthers hair color but Ygraine's hair style, Uther's face but Ygraine's eye color) and Arthur looks like a perfect blend of both too. I sort of did the same with Mordred where I took features from both morgause and arthur to make him look related but like his own person. Ygraine and Uther are only in one panel so there's no proper ref for either of them.

This project was a five month process, six if you count writing the script to fit within a six page comic without losing any details from the book and creating my pitch for my professor (all of which was done over winter break)

The project took FOREVER and I definitely am not happy with the final result but its due to the fact i had frequent doctor visits and hospitalisations and wasnt able to work on it as much as I had wanted, PLUS i had an eight page comic for another class i worked on also over the same five months (and i was more focused on that one as it was my own original characters)4

regardless though, i do still like it, just wish it cane out better in the end lmao

will prolly post the full comic in a day or two :3

[skayafair]

37 The Farm

I love how there are two parts of the fandom now:

the "i love you Oscar but you're so not making it out of this alive, i'm in denial"

and the "JEALOUS JOHN HELL YES look dear I don't care about Oscar either but could you be a bit more stealth about it"

And sometimes they merge. I believe.

(I'm team 2 btw)

Also I'm sorry but Oscar is fruity as hell, don't even try to tell me he's written as a straight man, there's just NO way okay. Speaking as greyromantic/ace myself

And the feeling I've got in 36 that John isn't just jealous, he's basically being erased and is scared to death to lose the only things he has - a sight that's not his but is the only use he sees for himself right now, a mind - the only thing that's truly him and his alone (shut up King), and a voice just one person can hear (also a few limbs control but this is being omitted all the time), that's why being so petty and posessive, - has only gotten stronger in 37. John, dear. You need a separation, and I don't even mean your eldritch body unsharing stuff, just psychologically. Which is hard, I guess, because of the eldritch body sharing stuff.

But he feels unstable and vulnerable af, unsure, uncertain about his very existence, that's why all the snarkiness.

Btw I really liked how I switched sides with John and Arthur this episode. Usually they are more stable morally-wise, as in one is being the moral compass for the other, but here the morals were being tossed between them like a hot potato. Although with Arthur I was more like disappointed and irritated (aren't you trying to be a good man and a Human with a capital H?) when he lost the course, and with John it's simply a grinny YASSSS JOHN 💛 idk and idc. Guess who's my comfort character. (Wrong, it's Yellow. Fine, it's John first.)

I wish I could care about Oscar, but he feels like a hindrance. Oooh my John kinny is showing aren't they As in, I KNOW he's helping, but I also see him as a very likely source of drama and disaster. He's not as familiar with the eldritch stuff the Jester team went through, he's pretty innocent but kinda unhinged in borderline religious way (borderline because it's not the faith in his god that makes him unhinged), and this contrast gives me the heebie jeebies. He feels like a slightly rabid kitten who's going to be killed because of his innocent ignorance and his drive to stick his nose where it shouldn't really go.

And uh. Oscar sounds like a really nice person. So he really SHOULDN'T go anywhere near Jester team because, y'know. People die like flies around them. I wouldn't wish such an unfortunate outcome to a genuinely nice person, no matter how much I like the boys.

Oh, btw I like the most recent addition to the podcast and am eager to learn what those black wormy things were :3

[avaitor]

Avi’s HC’s: Kingsman Edition

Since I always have a shitload of silly lil ideas and HC’s bubbling in this empty bone cavern, I have decided to share them with you uninterested folks

Anyways, here are some HC’s for my bbg, James Spencer, also known as Lancelot, who had very little screentime

⁍⁍ He cannot cook. I love and adore him, but he simply cannot.

⁍⁍ Pranks. No one is safe, not even Arthur. He’s only still an agent because he is (was) so good at his job.

⁍⁍ Roxy’s uncle. The man spoils her rotten.

⁍⁍ Pure, unchained theater kid energy. He has a flair for the dramatic, and sometimes injects old-fashioned phrases into conversations.

⁍⁍ Absolutely loves dogs, never had to go through the dog test and has zero knowledge of its existence. Percival doesn’t have the heart to tell him.

⁍⁍ Prefers not to wear his glasses because “he doesn’t need them”. Also thinks that they negatively affect his “devilishly good looks.”

⁍⁍ This man is a dork and kind of a dumbass but he’s my skrunkly. My bbg. Perhaps even my funky lil guy (even though this man is much taller than my 5′1 ass.)

⁍⁍ Cares very much about his looks, one of the peacocks of the agency. On par with Harry when it comes to preening.

⁍⁍ He has the worst fashion sense out of all of the Kingsman agents, and he’s kinda extra. A few times he has almost gone on missions while wearing the most god-awful ties.

⁍⁍ Speaking of missions, he’s a bit of a wild card. He likes flashy entrances, fire, and explosions. There are a few times where he’s managed to level entire buildings somehow. 2nd major cause of poor Merlin’s hair loss.

⁍⁍ He also believes that Lee should have been Lancelot, and that he was only picked because he was the one who lived, the runner-up. Perhaps he suffers from a bit of survivor’s guilt.

⁍⁍ No matter how much he tries, he cannot/is afraid of taking things seriously. His first instinct is to joke or lighten the mood, or even dismiss what is mentioned because he is afraid. He’s so used to being the “fun” one, and just doesn’t know how to handle anything else.

⁍⁍ Very physically affectionate, in contrast to Percival. This man would give the best hugs.

⁍⁍ He’s great with kids, but sucks at babysitting because he usually goes along with shenanigans.

⁍⁍ Gets along well with Harry, and probably would’ve gotten along with Eggsy if it hadn’t been for his untimely demise.

⁍⁍ He’s like a golden retriever personified, and he hates sitting for long periods of time.

Sorta au-ish stuff under the cut

⁍⁍ He did not die, I am in complete denial, he somehow avoided death and comes back after Golden Circle. Maybe they find him while on another mission, or maybe he just shows up, I don’t know.

⁍⁍ Very, very out of the loop, but once he meets Eggsy, the two are certainly a force to be reckoned with.

⁍⁍ Tearful reunion with Roxy, who is also alive because I said so, maybe he’s a bit panicked because she almost died.

⁍⁍ A bit stunned that Arthur (Chester)  is dead, but oh well.

⁍⁍ Percilot. He’s lowkey had it bad for Percival for a while, but after he comes back boom it’s confession time, they get together, and they’re both happy.

⁍⁍ He’s so sweet with Perci and they love each other very much. Again, he’s such a dork I adore him sm.

[whentommymetalfie]

Tommy and Alfie take their children, their twins Ronnie & Reggie who are 2 (Yes I have very recently watched Tom Hardy in Legend), and their newborns Rosie & Eden to visit Tommy’s family in Birmingham, and to introduce them to their daughters, who were a surprise as they didn’t find out that Tommy was pregnant until he was already 24 weeks. The first time the girls see Arthur they cry and won’t stop, Alfie finds this hilarious.

love the imagery Alfie bundling his entire -rather large- family into a car to drive to Birmingham ❤️ because the Shelbys are insisting they come and visit so they get to see the babies. Alfie reasons it would be easier for them to just come to London, but Tommy is reluctant to have people in their home right now. Nesting instincts and all that. Even if it's just his family. And if that's how he feels, of course Alfie is going to listen. So a trip to Birmingham it is, with Alfie driving, Ronnie and Reggie 'sitting' (aka doing anything but sitting because there's way too much exciting stuff happening outside the window) in the back seat, and Tommy sitting in the front with the newborns (he's fashioned a very clever shawl-carrying-situation for the two of them. It's lucky they're still so tiny). It's not an ideal traveling situation, but the trip goes surprisingly smoothly -the older kids are so over excited about being in a car that they fall asleep an hour in- and the babies are content since they're so close to Tommy.

And when they arrive in Birmingham the whole Shelby clan is gathered at Watery Lane and it's a very loud and excited affair as Alfie and Tommy and the kids arrive. Polly is trying to keep everyone in line as to not overwhelm Tommy, because it's a stark contrast going from being safe and sound with your two new babies in a nest, to suddenly be surrounded by people. But with Alfie's arm around his shoulders, Tommy soon settles into the new environment, and even dares to let them hold Rosie and Eden. Even though they both do cry at the sight of Arthur, for unclear reasons, and much to Alfie's amusement. And Arthur mutters that Alfie has already turned the kids against him, but then his little nephews come running and insist that he come play with them, and he feels like the best uncle in the whole world. These new ones just have to get used to him, that's all.

[jerrylevitch]

I recently watched the Martin and Lewis 2002 movie and not having read that much about them yet, I was wondering. Like in the parts where Jerry's faking stomach pains for attention or stealing Dean's lines on the CCH — I know these were likely dramatised, but I was wondering if you could help clarify to what degree they were true (love your blog btw)

Thank you :)

The bit with Jerry having stomach pains was real, but whether they were fake, or a pain brought on by stress or something psychological, is unknown. He certainly did have an ulcer later on at the end of their partnership, and his heart issues. Some people who witnessed his stomach pains after Dean said something funny, thought that he couldn't stand Dean being funny. Jerry clearly thought that Dean was funny, and would laugh at his jokes and funny stuff on stage, yet there was also the contrast to that, when his jealous kid side would come out. There are moments where Jerry makes a comment that he's doing the jokes, which could be both a joke and him being jealous momentarily. It's hard to tell sometimes. Then you have Jerry telling reporters that he and Dean are both comedians, and should be mentioned as such. There are always contradictions with these two, especially Jerry.

Someone who worked on CCH said Jerry stole Dean's ad lib, and that made its way onto a short doc about their work on CCH and the movie. The movie showed a specific ad lib, which didn't make sense because they had used that line before. One documentary gave the Turkey dinner sketch as an example of Jerry stealing the ad lib about sweat dripping down and the wishbone missing, but that wasn't possible since that clearly was all in the moment. I don't think those examples should be taken literally, as I don't think anyone remembers what line Jerry supposedly stole from Dean. Dean did a good job of being seamless and not reacting to it whatever it was, unlike the strange example in the biopic movie as I recall, where Dean is clearly surprised by him stealing the line. That doesn't happen in the actual footage of the show PERIOD. That's why it annoys me.

Also the part where they have Jerry plotting on the side and looking vengeful "to get back at Dean" while he sings That's Amore. No that did not happen at all, and the whole thing is clearly a prearranged bit. It's similar to the stuff they did in the 1951 episode, with the Singing in the Rain bit. Jerry literally says as he walks off, that he is going to get him back, and that is his way of getting Dean back within the skit. In the movie, they purposefully cut that part out where he says on stage that he's coming back to get him, to create unnecessary drama. Now when Jerry was grabbing Dean's hair, I believe he did go too far in the skit, and Dean was clearly annoyed at the end, but I think Jerry just played too rough, and that's all it was. He wasn't plotting to take Dean down on tv, and hurt him. He just got carried away with the bit, that's all. Jerry did that a few times in skits.

All in all the biopic movie aggravates me for quite a few reasons, not just those. The book Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime Especially Himself was used as a main source of information for the film, and it wasn't all accurate. Arthur Marx also hated Jerry, most likely stirring from the feud between Groucho Marx and Jerry. Groucho said crap about Stan Laurel, Jerry's idol, and Jerry let him have it. Arthur Marx said he didn't want to interview Dean or Jerry for the book, so how is he there for these private conversations between the two of them, where no one else was around?

Hope this clarifies some stuff!

[lewvithur]

since i have been writing a bunch of stuff, i guess i'll go into the character of vivi and arthur's toxic twinned counterparts. (yeah, they have personalities and the like)

toxic!vivi is the more reserved of the two. in contrast to vivi normally, toxic!vivi doesn't show her emotions openly, as she is convinced it is a show of weakness to do so. but if she's pushed, she will show intense passionate anger or love. she hardly ever cries, if at all.

the one thing she has in common with vivi is her worst trait: her impulsivity. while vivi's impulsive nature has gotten her friends in trouble, toxic!vivi is exaggerated to the point where she feels like you're handling a ticking bomb with no deactivation manual. if you get caught in her volatile outbursts, you'll be sorry.

toxic!arthur is the more wild of the two. every expression shows on his face. his mouth contorts in ways you may never see on someone else. in contrast to arthur, toxic!arthur will let you know how he's feeling. it can extend into blatant manipulation, but this man will show his tears as much as his anger.

the one thing he has in common with arthur is his worst trait: his cowardice. it manifests in the worst ways; while arthur's cowardice leads to others getting hurt, toxic!arthur's cowardice makes him hurt others directly. it fuels his selfishness and possessiveness, and is the root cause of everything wrong with him.

together, they're sickeningly codependent. they're a bad habit neither of them can kick. they're lingering cigarette smoke; they can't stand to have it in their lungs but now they can't live without it. toxic!vivi's suddenly explosions mixed with toxic!arthur's defensive strikes are a horrible thing to see. but you can't get enough, can you?

[perexcri]

Stancy is Officially out as my fav poly Jancy ship,😌 esp after this new fic of yours, which made me wiggle around like a delighted little sea slug.

Honestly, Nancy deserves to smoke some weed and admire her bf with Argyle. When’s the last time she’s gotten a break like this tbh?? Ever??

Jonathan Byers, simp extraordinaire for his gf and bf(f). (This fantastic dynamic feels a little bit like how I feel Merlin/Arthur/Gwen would have been if bbc hadn’t been Cowards(tm).) also…\o/ shotgunning shotgunning shotgunning sho—

Also, the undercurrent of Ow in regards to Jonathan’s Extreme amount of trauma? you somehow managed to thread a bit of Pain into this lovely interaction. (“He’s sick of being domestic–he just wants to be a teenager!” & “I’m fine,” he lies, and it’s an easy one to roll off of his tongue. He’d been doing it all his life.” &!!!! V much!!!!! “Secondary parent, half-mother and half-father, always up in the morning to make breakfast for his little brother, and always relegated to haunting the back of classrooms and the edges of hallways–the creep and the weirdo.” Crying screaming on the floor eating my phone bye). (Also also Jon doubting that Will needs him anymore, nonoo oh dear no he does need u I promise. Crying yelling throwing up curling into a ball. He’s always gonna need his big bro and Jon doubting that is sending off death flags which are oh dear 😭)

Argyle is just. Such a good, kind guy, and good for Jon and Nancy. Like a soothing lotion/sun screen on the burn that is their horrific lives.

“Jonathan and Nancy both stare at Argyle’s mouth, watch it catch against the joint.” 🤭hohoho honestly making me ship Both of them equally w Argyle,

“My fair little Wheeler” orz on the floor bye

If there is not at least One (1) interaction between the three of them in s5 that is even a quarter as good as this one, honestly I’m throwing tomatoes at the Duffers’ houses.

Anyway, lovely wonderful fic!! Hope you are having a good week and thank you for improving mine🥰

VEEEEE i'm glad you liked the Jarncy fic hehehe. i know it's not my typical wheelhouse, but it was so fun to write, so it's nice to hear you enjoyed it!! :D tbh the biggest compliment i was hoping for from this fic was hearing at least one person say they ship it a little more than Stoncy after reading it, so you have fulfilled my wish 😌 (no hate to Stoncy ofc lol)

LITERALLY let Nancy Wheeler smoke weed. or just something - she's going through it just as much as anybody else, and i think she deserves a chance to relax 😩

and you're so right about Merlin and you should say it louder

yeah we can't have anything nice around here without a little pain right :) idk Jonathan is a very personal character for me because i grew up as the eldest in a single-mother household, so there's a lot about his position in life that i relate to too much, hence the angst bleeding over a little into this fic. maybe someday i'll post that other Jonathan one shot i wrote! it's got plenty more of some of the stuff discussed in this one 🙃

and yeah him and Will :') listen the most surprising thing about this fic for me was realizing that, in this scenario, Jonathan would actually be in a very similar position as Mike. furthermore, I think Jonathan struggles with being needed like Mike, too. i think Mike's is more wanting to be needed and getting sidelined while Jonathan's is more having been needed for so much of his life that he doesn't know what his life would look like without being needed. and that definitely showed here :') my poor dude i want to give him a hug

...but that's what Argyle's for, right? GAH i thought the same thing that you said!! i think there's something appealing about having Jonathan and Nancy, who are both really tightly-wound and damaged by The Horrors, buddying up with Argyle, who's pretty mellow and chill (as long as he doesn't like, you know, have to bury a guy in the desert lol). i thought his character would be a good contrast for both of them, and i'm glad that came across :D

Vee i am once again saying that i am so glad you liked this fic :] i knew it was gonna be a kinda niche thing and wasn't sure how it would go over, but tbh, just hearing that you liked it makes me smile :] also this one really challenged me just for its subject matter and working with different characters, so it ended up being personally rewarding? listen i know people really liked irresistible, but it didn't particularly challenge me in any way and subsequently i didn't end up liking it as much as some of my other fics,,,like it was fun and all, but i didn't feel really connected to it. this one, though, made me feel a lot better!! it was fun to try something new and challenge myself!!

i'm definitely gonna be writing more byler next tho lol. i promise i've got stuff i'm working on. i just gotta get my shrimp brain organized 🍤

this has gotten so long :') anyway Vee it is always lovely to hear from you, so honestly, thank you for improving my week :] i hope the rest of your week goes well!! 💜

(also i'm still staring at your aftry art btw 💐💐💐)

[amrass]

Excited for Barbwired Tumbleweed! For your consideration: (1) Dutch/Arthur, grooming; snippets from a real fucked up relationship. Bonus points for the cycle continuing with John and/or Jack. (2) Sadie/Kieran, hate sex/noncon. (3) Charles/Molly, sex as self-harm.

I hope your excitement remains, anon 😈 Ah, I like your ideas!

I went with your first suggestion, and I've called the piece Cydonian Apples, because ofc there must be a reference to Ancient Greek practises when the theme is grooming. (Heed the tags. All characters are 16/17 in the fic itself, but stuff is implied, and depending on your country this can be underage and/or non-con.) I went for the most bonus points possible, so there is one snippet of Dutch/Arthur, one of Arthur/John, and a short one with ambiguous John & Jack.

Some more thoughts on the requests after the cut (I liked thinking about them! Warning for Amras going full Pennywise mode) ...

The first request was a bit out of my comfort zone, verging on the "innocence" I dislike writing (but can enjoy reading), buuut I adore challenges so I guess I tried to create a disquiet mixed with a calming quiet, to create fucked-up-ness through the contrast. I'm kind of writing blind, so I don't know if I succeeded. Anyway everyone please go read My Country Has No Borders, the best Vandermorgan fanfic of all time in my humble opinion, the writer nails ambivalence.

For the Sadie/Kieran one, I recommend my friend Purl's Adrenaline Rush, because I'd probably write something similar to that fic, even with Kieran, as I write him rougher than the common fanon interpretation. I would also make Sadie piss on him at the end. And then another gang member (someone who dislikes O'Driscolls) would find him when he's lying there covered in filth. "Aw, did I come too late? I was hoping for a show, but ... I guess a fuck is just as good."

For the third one with Charles/Molly, aaahhhh, I know exactly how I'd write that one, but it's too angsty for me 💀 I'd make the story happen in Clemens Point or Shady Belle after a party, during a storm, both of them drunk and heartsore. Molly seeks out Charles because she thinks he has a big penis that she will use to punish herself, then she's so disappointed (also in herself) because he's average sized. But when she realizes he's a virgin, she convinces him anal sex is normal without lube or any kind of prep, and gets her self-harm that way, but harms him in the process .......... Ensue a lot of pain, confusion and guilt. I see no way out of this but angst galore. Sometimes I want to write really fucked up ideas and wish I could just steal an angst writer to keep in my pocket, dictating that stuff, while I revel in the horror.

Someone else can try their hand, if they want to!

Thanks for reading 🤡

[this-is-a-name-dont-worry]

Borrowed it! Gonna share what happens:

Chapter 1 opens on Jonathan in the carriage with peasants. He doesn't understand a word of what they say, but they offer him some food and the local wine. In the charriot, Jonathan reminisces how he ended up there: he was supposed to go on vacation for a month in Whitby, Arthur invited him. Jonathan was impatient to go there to see Mina again, that he met at Whitby. She was visiting Lucy, he was hanging out with Arthur. Also Arthur plays golf and he and Jonathan met because of Jonathan's job. The exposition done, Jonathan arrives at destination, it's very spooky, and chapter 1 ends.

In chapter 2, Jonathan is welcomed by a weirdo (a vampire, but he doesn't know).The guy makes him wait, and go see the count. They speak in Romanian, and John is very proud he knows the basics so he can follow along. The guy is named Skinski, and he has a very ominous conversation with count Vlad Ciuc where Jonathan hears the count doesn't want him to wander around the castle. Also Dracula looks like a corpse and is described as a giant.

Jonathan feels uncomfortable, but still thinks he's gonna get out of this place quick. Also Dracula just throws a mattress on the floor for him to sleep on, man has no manner.

Jonathan gets to play "The red flags do not exist if I don't see them!", as he sees his reflection on a glass but not the one of the count, and puts it on "Huh. Must be the glass that's strange. This is a perfectly normal job don't think about the weird shit the count just said."

For Drac house: it's near Whitby, and near an ancient Abby, part of it having been turned into an asylum.

Also I think Jonathan just drank blood. Chapter ends with Dracula envelopping Jonathan with his arm.

In chapter 3, we see Mina and Lucy! There's no room at the beach, so they go watch a boat race on the decks. Mina decides who takes which deckchairs based on their outfits, that dorks. She lets Lucy have the red one, it contrasts nicely with her pure white dress! this is not at all foreshadowing in the slightest.

Lucy tells Mina that Arthur is asking her hand, and like yeah, she likes Arthur, but she's not more enthusiastic than that. But it's what she's expected to do, so. Mina wonders who will marry HER. And then she remembers Jonathan, and is like "ah crap I have a crush on this guy who likely doesn't like me back".

Lucy informs us that the estate Dracula is buying belongs to the Holmhood family. Also that Arthur wants to keep Lucy informed about all these stuff, which is nice. Lucy is a bit pissy, but not good Lucy adaptation is to expect. She's still ok for now.

Mina goes for a walk and meets with Swales, who tells her "ghosts don't exist but vampires 100% do", to which Mina answers "bs". Chapter ends with Mina running back to the Westenra's domain, so she doesn't miss dinner.