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skitskatdacat63 · 1 year

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Boy King AU | Vettonso + Martian | 1.3k

There's something about putting the future emperor of the Holy Realm on his knees like this. About how easily he goes, how willingly, how obediently. What would his adoring public think if they could see him now. If they saw their beloved king pressed down like this, in the cramped space between Fernando's legs. When they realized their little boy king took it like he was a little concubine instead.

Fernando's bitterness is lifted away in moments like these, like taking off a heavy cloak on a winter's day. It was hard to feel humiliated about his own situation when watching Sebastian debase himself like this.

He always gives himself up so easily. When Fernando threaded his fingers through his thick curls. When he pulled them, and then when he pressed his face down further down into the vee of his legs. Sebastian rubbed his cheek into the coarse fabric of Fernando's breeches and blinked up at him. Fernando had to smother an embarrassing sound; he was just like a little cat!

Sebastian quirked his lips up into an odd little smile and slightly rose up on his knees, "What's funny?" Fernando swallowed lightly and schooled his face back into being impassive, "Nothing. As you were." Sebastian simply smirked at him and let himself be pushed back down by the fist clenched in his hair.

Fernando scoffed internally, there was only so much pleasure in putting the other man in his place when he instead acted like this, this degrading action, was his birthright. He took to ruling and indulging in carnal pleasures as if they were of equal gravity. To be privileged to hold such high station and also let himself be taken apart like this…Fernando felt embarrassed for him.

He is dragged away from his musings when Sebastian moved to settle his hands in Fernando's lap, clutching his hips over the fabric and slightly squeezing; Fernando fought against the urge to shiver. Sebastian pushed up the skirt of Fernando's waistcoat and smoothed his hands over the opening flap of his breeches.

His eyes darted up at Fernando again, a daft smile on his face. Fernando scowled at him, "What?" Seb's grin sharpened, "You could stand to be a little more gracious. This is your future emperor, and future husband might I add, kneeling for you on this dirty, depraved, derelict- ah–" Fernando tugged on his hair again and hissed, "Well then, why don't you show me how eager you are to perform your marital duties?"

Seb licked his lips, completely unconcerned by Fernando's annoyance, and unbuttoned one side of the closure to Fernando's breeches and moved to open the other–

The door to the carriage flew open, arrival announcement dying on a wheezing breath as the servant took in the image the two kings made. One splayed across the seat, exuding power, the other kneeled, debauched, between the former's legs.

One would be hard pressed to determine which was higher on the totem of power and titles.

There was something gratifying about this to Fernando, about being caught. He had been humiliated enough throughout the entire courtship, what was one more thing? And, certainly, what was one more thing if he could drag Sebastian down into the dirt with him.

"Oh Mark, don't act so abashed! It's nothing you haven't seen before, in fact, we have been in this very position not even a fortnight ago!"

Oh. Yes. That.

It was hard to be completely pleased when he remembered how Sebastian had already spent years prior to their engagement sampling the palace's ample selection of fellow high-born men. And how all those men seemed to be completely and utterly wrapped around his little finger.

Fernando released his hand from Sebastian's hair as if it had burned him. He did not understand why he felt ashamed with Mark looking in on them like this. Fernando was the one marrying Sebastian, not Mark; Mark was just a lowly courtier who had the esteemed duty of spending practically every waking hour with the brat…something he himself was decidedly not looking forward to.

Sebastian stayed kneeling, staring impassively up at Mark, still fiddling with the clasp on Fernando's breeches. Fernando gritted his teeth and looked up from where he was watching Sebastian's clever little hands; Mark stared back at him placidly.

Mark's indifference made the entire situation worse. Fernando now felt as if he was not doing anything unique, not doing anything particularly new. How many other men had Mark caught Seb with in this exact position? Fernando felt like he was just another plaything of the boy king, soon to be boy emperor, except his position was forever, permanent. He was the "Kept King", the king who only kept his throne due to the whims of a boy who doesn't even understand what power is.

Mark coughed, "Well," he says, "Your Majesty, I do believe you have a meeting to attend." Seb pouted at him and whined, "We were just getting to the main course," but still braced himself on Fernando's thighs and got up off the carriage floor.

Seb pranced down the steps Mark had placed next to the carriage, miming tripping sown the stairs, snickering when his action made Mark reflexively reach out to grab him, and then playfully skipped off the final step.

Fernando couldn't help but stare as Mark made the weirdest grimace in response, and he inexplicably felt all his mortification seep away from him. Huh. Maybe Mark is-

Seb then turned around and frowned at him, seemingly disappointed, but his eyes are deceivingly sharp, "Fernando, I regret to inform you that I have other duties I must attend to, you will simply have to wait." He then grinned up at Mark next to him and giggled as the other man stiffened when Sebastian looped both of his arms through Mark's.

He leaned all his weight on the other man, Mark not so much as shifting his weight, "Oh Mark, won't you carry me back to the palace? I'm so very tired after all the horse riding," Seb looked up at him imploringly.

Fernando observed as Mark rolled his eyes and shrugged off the man, though notably not pulling his arm from Seb's grasp, and he got the distinct feeling that this exact scene had been played out countless times before.

Fernando clenched his jaw as he watched Seb turn and saunter off, Mark trotting alongside him like a loyal dog. Fernando was supposed to be the unaffected one in this partnership, the unflustered one, the unconcerned one. And yet here he stood, in broad daylight, in a foreign kingdom, on the steps of a carriage with his breeches half unbuttoned and his cravat in disarray.

He heard a cough from beside him, jolted and looked to the side. Sebastian's loyal Horse Master stood there, lounging against the side of the carriage. Fernando had forgotten who had even been driving the carriage in the first place. After Seb has let himself be pushed down, his hair still windswept from their ride together, everything else seemed to fade away. His thoughts were reduced only to how he could mess up the younger man's hair further.

Jenson grinned at him wolfishly, and casually crossed his legs, "First time?" he inquired. Fernando glared at him. The other man laughed openly at him, "What? He's a busy man with big prospects. You're not his majesty's only conquest, you know. Now your throne on the other hand…"

Fernando seethed, it was one thing to be humiliated by the future emperor, but to be patronized by the king's horse boy? No. It would simply not do. He closed his eyes in annoyance, pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaled, and prepared a speech about how he was not about to be talked down to by a man who didn't even have a throne to speak of!

But when he opened his eyes again and opened his mouth to begin his tirade, Jenson was already wandering away to tend to the horses. Dios mío, Fernando was not mentally prepared to spend the rest of his life with all of these impertinent morons.

#i love how i kept saying to people: no no i shant write any fic for this. only art.#me like two weeks later: hey guys :)#this is just: i was sitting in class and had a drawing idea but then im obv not drawing *this* in class so my brain went into narrative mod #not exactly 'baby's first ficlet!!!' but moreso ive not written in a while so i hope its alright???#but aaahhh this was actually pretty fun!! idk i think it was bcs i was also being brainrotted by the image of seb kneeling....#maybe ill draw it. but it felt like something that needed the context of narrative and not just oo here is a drawing!#anyways you can always ask me for a directors cut-(PLEASE PLEAE BEGGING PLEASE)#see this is why im not cut out for writing fic #its not like i dont think it can speak for itself. more that im just an overly reflective person who wants to explain all my thoughts #if i wrote fic itd really be just: chapter 1. chapter 1.5 chapter 2. chapter 2.5 #anyways i think its pretty obvious but this is before their wedding and just like peak bitterness.#well not peak. peak would be the first year- first few months of their marriage #but this is fernando who is only just realizing how naive all his expectations of seb were and getting a glimpse of his future #but mostly: mindgames and power play and: whos actually really winning?#also my god jense is literally the best chara in this au. he is vibing and basically just witnessing ye olde reality tv #mark and fernando are always in a weird powerplay with seb(even if seb isnt even consiously doing so) and jense is just free from it all #hmm now how does one go about tagging fic #vettonso #f1 fanfic #formula 1 fanfic #f1 #formula 1 #martian #sebmark #also idk why im always so concerned abt tagging when im basically just writing this for my little boy king following i have somehow formed #hahaha! it is art to me!:#catie.art.#boy king au

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fictionadventurer · 9 months

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By the Shores of Silver Lake was my least favorite Little House book as a kid, and upon starting the reread, I could see why. Earlier books had Laura as a child observer--not engaging in or totally understanding the wider world of the adults, but still engrossed in the simple joys of childhood. In this book, Laura is neither child nor adult--she's too old to play like a child, but she's too young to take an active part in adult life, so she's stuck in this awkward middle ground.

Yet as the book went on, I started to see that that was the point. This book is about growing up, about being on the brink of adulthood and trying to hold onto childhood while also becoming someone new. Laura's growing-up is paralleled with the "growing up" of the country around her. Both the old and the new ways of life have their benefits and their downsides, and Laura has to figure out how to hold onto the best of both.

The prairie is beautiful, wondrous, free. Laura would love to just roam forever, always traveling west, always seeing new places. She doesn't want to marry, doesn't want to teach school, doesn't want anything to change about her way of life. But one can't stay a child forever. Eventually, the infinite possibility of childhood has to turn into the definite identity of adulthood. She has to take responsibility and settle down. The arrival of the town brings that adult life to the prairie, and in doing so, it destroys the innocent wonders of nature--the majestic wolves lose their home, the buffalo are gone, and the ducks no longer land at Silver Lake. Laura has to wrestle with this--is childhood, for herself and the prairie, gone forever? Does she have to let go of childlike wonder and embrace the mundane responsibility of adult life?

This theme is resolved when Laura finds Grace in the buffalo wallow. It's a place of impossible magic and beauty, a carpet of fragrant violets hidden away from the world with butterflies flying overhead, so perfect it seems like a fairyland. Of course Grace, the innocent child, is the one who was able to find it. When Laura asks Pa about it later, he explains that the "fairies" that made this magical ring were buffalo. There's a mundane explanation for the phenomenon, but that doesn't destroy the wonder and beauty of the place--adult knowledge enhances, rather than destroys childlike wonder. The buffalo might be gone, but there's still beauty left behind. Laura can move forward into the future and know that there are still wonders to find. She can be an adult and still maintain a childlike wonder, can take responsibility and still find comfort in the safety of home and family.

This thematic resonance made so much about the book so much deeper. It's the message of the entire series distilled into story form. Remember the past, children, but go forth boldly into the future. It's a message much easier to see with an adult's eyes, so I'm so glad I gave this book another chance.

#on the shores of silver lake #little house #laura ingalls wilder #i probably only saw this theme #because i just read her collection of fairy poems #and read a bunch of her farm columns where this theme is very prominent #she loves the simple joys of life #emphasizes the importance of hanging onto wonder and joy in the face of simple tasks #her descriptions of how much she loved taking out the cattle as a child made those scenes hit much deeper #those are the times when she gets to see the beauty of nature!#it makes the mundane chore a chance for beautiful reflection!#that kind of thing is all over this book and you know it's my jam #the point where this book really started to make sense was the scene with the wolves #laura faces this majestic wolf in the moonlight and it's like a fairy tale #the fading away of a fairy king #and suddenly everything about the theme just snapped into place #if i were a scholar my dissertation would be #'these books aren't just an old lady's memories or her daughter's libertarian tracts they're art and can we please talk about them like art

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wonder-worker · 6 months

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Friendly reminder that Francesco Coppino and Prospero di Camulio, contemporaries who were literally getting their information from predominantly Yorkist circles, were both explicitly clear that it was Henry VI who decided to surrender Berwick to Scotland.

Camulio: "King Henry has given away a castle [town] called Berwick, which is one of the keys of the frontier between England and Scotland." Coppino: "[Scotland has] received from the same Henry the town of Berwick, on the frontiers of Scotland, which the Scots have long claimed as their right from the English, as the excellently well furnished guardian of their frontiers, and the place to which King Henry repaired as an asylum after the battle."

The idea that Margaret of Anjou was principally involved in the surrender, or that she was the one who actually made the decision, is based on nothing but assumption. Two direct contemporaries, both speaking of ongoing events as they unfolded, who were both getting information from Yorkist-held England, both clearly believed it was Henry who was responsible for this course of action. Neither of them mention Margaret. Sure, you can argue that it was merely rhetorical, and that they were simply automatically attributing such an important decision to the King rather than the queen - but rhetoric is nonetheless extremely important and helps us understand how historical figures were perceived at the time. Margaret's enemies would surely not have hesitated to broadcast her involvement had it actually been true, and Coppino in particular had shown no qualms about criticizing her in favor of the Yorkists before. If she was genuinely believed to have been responsible, and if the Yorkists were actually claiming that she was at the time, I see no reason why Coppino or Camulio would not have emphasized her role in their letters. What these samples instead indicate is literally the opposite: that their contemporaries - probably including the Yorkists who were putting out the information that Coppino and Camulio reported - actually believed that Henry was the one making the decision. I think it's a very large and very unnecessary stretch to go against actual evidence and claim otherwise by placing the responsibility on Margaret instead.

Additionally, these small samples may also reveal what people at the time - once again including the Yorkists - actually thought of Henry's role in the war on a broader level, away from direct Yorkist propaganda which would obviously and perhaps understandably seek to de-emphasize it: namely, that Henry was perceived as the one making decisions and deciding the courses of action for his own side.

Source: Excerpts from the Calendar of State Papers and Manuscripts, Existing in the Archives and Collections of Milan

#henry vi #margaret of anjou #english history #my post #I want to make a longer post detailing the clear indications we have that Henry *was* perceived as the active decision maker of his side #which indicates that contemporaries did not really think that there was some kind of giant 'role-reversal' between him and MoA #but until then the gist is:#after Henry was rescued in 1461 contemporary letters clearly emphasize his own actions; they mostly did not attribute decisions to Margaret #we also know he and Margaret separated when she headed off to the continent;#that he seems to have been involved in border-raids against Yorkist England;#*and* that he avoided capture until 1465 #if Henry was entirely passive throughout it all and entirely dependent on Margaret to make decisions #I do not understand how any of this would have been possible #Instead Henry & Margaret seemed to have had more of a partnership with Margaret focusing on gaining international support #which she was very well-suited for given her powerful foreign connections #& with her taking on leadership in his absence (mainly due to imprisonment/incapacity) rather than all the time/when they were together #and like I said when it comes to Berwick contemporaries clearly believed it was Henry's decision #but also like. let's hypothetically assume that Margaret was the driving force behind it. please think of this situation logically.#whoever's idea it was Scotland was very obviously going to want a proper confirmation from the *king*#who was. yk. the actual authority of the country #even if Margaret was the one encouraging this surrender Henry's approval and agreement would have still been required #if not by the Lancastrian party then by Scotland #and again this is assuming that Margaret was actually the driving force behind it. there's no indication that she was #but ultimately contemporaries very clearly believed *Henry* was responsible #we don't know what MoA actually thought of it or what her actual involvement was (she could may encouraged it; she may have misliked it;#she may have simply been told after the decision had already been made)#but ultimately even in the most extreme case - which is contradicted by actual evidence - the final say would have been Henry's #it would be nice if this was reflected by historians?

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vampiromano · 5 months

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LOOP BABE DON'T SOUND SO BITTER ABOUT SIF BEING MORE FRIENDS WITH THE PARTY THAN YOU WERE. OR THEY MIGHT FIND OUT YOU'RE THEM BUT SHINY AND SIGNIFICANTLY LESS HAPPY

#i feel like it's fairly obvious by now by how tjey called themself a mirror and the other sifs i keep seeing reflections #and also just. who else would they be?#i am however also considering tjat the king and sif either knew each other before in their country or are the same guy #which is a lot #isat spoilers #isat

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imminent-danger-came · 1 year

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youtube

Here's a clip comp of all the times MK repeats the things the people around him say! Or at least all of the times I've noticed!

#SO WHEN I SAY MK FUNCTIONS AS A MIRROR #I ALSO MEAN THAT HE LIKE. REFLECTS THE THINGS PEOPLE SAY/DO TO HIM BACK #spent a lil too long on this video but that's okay #when don't I spend too long on something #Update for people invested in my fanfic adventures: my fic is currently at 1.3K!#I should finish up soon #It's a Red Son pov. And MK is NOT okay TM #But that's fine cause we have a Red Son #And he's surprisingly okay at comforting people #It takes place like. RIGHT after the s4 special ends at the beach party #MK and Red Son wind up at the suilian cave #And uh. Obviously things are in disrepair #There's gonna be a convo about the way MK's view of Monkey King has changed the same way Red Son's view of DBK has changed #Just like. Understanding how they actually are rather than the pedestal they originally put the two on you know?#I know myself so it'll probably end on a somber note #But more like. hurt/comfort then it's kinda sad/ominous at the end #I can't believe my first fic is a Red Son pov. Like idk who I thought it would be but I'm surprised it's Red Son #But Red Son is actually a BLAST to write #He's no nonsense but he has his own nonsense. It's great #lmk #lego monkie kid #lmk parallels #monkie kid #lmk MK #my videos

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phoenixcatch7 · 1 year

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Gem fusion au with a cryptid batman AND supernatural prince of Gotham Bruce Wayne.

In the eleventh hour the city is saved by the world famous demon creature finding the mysteriously missing prince and, in an act of true sacrifice and love for the rotten city, Bruce Wayne miraculously performs a perfect fusion with the monster, the glittering jewellery of status now adorning sweeping wings and fitting perfectly to the symbol in its chest, a diamond and pearl crown floating between two enormous pointed ears.

#batman #dc comics #bruce wayne #batfam #Just imagining how a cryptid batman (real or not) would combine with a literal prince of Gotham and the image struck me so clearly #I had to share #Like. Vampire king style thing #B being able to combine his royal powers and influence with his capabilities as the bat #Maybe his bat powers are FROM his royal powers #But so much glittering and swoopy silver jewellery... A clear night sky. A city skyline in monochrome.#Gotham harbor reflecting the lights of the fishing boats and tankers and cruise ships #Two people famous for never ever fusing except with a trusted handful (all the same people + supes)#Wayne refuses to talk about his experience with the bat and everyone wonders how traumatising it must have been #LOTS of white prince/dark knight fic/art from the Gotham girlies #All of it objectively stunning. They all put Bruce in white suits. He's Gothams darling. Their sunshine airhead with a heart of gold #And a spine of steel if you push him but no one really does that so it's only whispers #And the infamous half mythical batman. Black knight. Tall. Mysterious. Possessive exceptionally dangerous so very very kind and loyal too #But if he's magic he could harm superman. Supes tries to stop him from going too far on his enemy (who won't DIE but)#And the 'dark prince/vampire king fusion' almost claws his nose off for trying to get between him and the guy who pushed him that far #Someone gets a side profile candid (Tim) and it's the end of Gotham journalling it is the ONLY thing that gets printed alongside articles #Like;;;;

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ace-angelprincess · 1 year

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A spoopy-themed commission done last year by @sonocomics

Running of the Bulb has been my favorite Mario Party (series) minigame for its uniqueness of teamwork, yet individual players can still lose. (It's not like Key-pa-Way where everyone either wins OR loses.)

RotB is one of three ghost-minigames in MP (the other two being Pedal Power and Ghost Guess), and the only one that little-Jay (my OC as a kid) could win in; she couldn't comprehend the rules of the other two, so she would always lose.

Desperate to not be lost in the dark, little-Jay runs as fast as her little feet can take her. Don't look back, or else she might trip and break the bulb - or worse, get possessed!

Years later as she grew, Joslyn learns to fight her fears - sometimes literally! She has enough confidence in herself to put up a good battle, not backing down.

Whereas little-Jay was trying to preserve the light, Joslyn IS the light.

As for Big Boo and King Boo, I headcanon them as the same Boo character. (King Boo was Big Boo before he became known as King Boo.)

#incoming tags may turn long #Mario Party #Running of the Bulb #commission complete #AngelPrincess OC #Big Boo #King Boo #super Mario Boo #now this is where I info dump lol #when it comes to RotB the only short version I have to say is it's my fav minigame #the long version is practically character or bg lore #as a kid losing in those ghost minigames was nightmare fuel #my kid-OC would have bad dreams over and over again of getting caught by the Boos #she practically stuck to Peach to feel safe #even on Peach's map there is no Boos by default #I guess you can say the Boos were the BOOgeyman for kid-OC #no wonder she learned how to run so fast lol #the mirror aesthetic was done superbly #it's like the present reflects the past or vice-versa #or how the mirror can reflect Joslyn's inner-child of being so scared #due to SM64DS the mirror theme goes well with King Boo #Halloween is approaching once more #I felt this was a good time to post RotB commish #hee hee #also sonocomics will open commissions in a week or two

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theoestofocs · 2 years

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but the thing is, melanie hates jon because he is so very much like her.

they work in adjacent fields, they've got such similar temperaments - they both run straight for whatever supernatural horror they need to understand, they both suck at planning ahead (poisoned coffee, melanie?) and they both lash out as a primary defense mechanism - and jon wasn't qualified for his job, and martin's only "degree" was in paranormal psychology, so clearly the Institute was hiring from a broader pool than "qualified archivists." i can't imagine ghost studies are all that lucrative as a field. if melanie hadn't made it as a youtuber, what would she have done? we don't know a lot about her educational background but - she knows what it's like, to need to know. she walked into the Institute and got a job because Elias saw that he could use her.

If she'd had a legitimate encounter sooner, if she'd started her quest a few years early, if she'd come to the Institute to give her statement and stayed to use their library before Gertrude had died -

Or even if she just couldn't survive on a youtuber's salary, if she'd gone looking for job postings in relevant fields -

It could have been her. She looks at Jon, and she sees exactly who she could have been. It's only luck that it wasn't.

And that's the kicker, isn't it? It's luck, that she's in her shoes instead of Jon's.

And is she supposed to feel lucky? To feel thankful that she's had to suffer through attack after attack, Elias showing her how her father (her dad, who called her his little moth) died screaming, her body torn open by things that don't exist, her sense of self slipping as she ripped into flesh with no recognizable form, her trust violated as she woke up to two of the few remaining people who are supposed to be on her side cutting into her against her will - to feel lucky, because she had to gouge her eyes out just to have her body back in her control -

Is she supposed to be happy that she lived through all that? Is she supposed to be glad, just because she could have been Jon?

Nobody told Melanie she needed to feel sorry for Jon, or give him her sympathy, or any other kind of pity. She just wants to give it, because God, what he'd gone through -

(Thank God it wasn't her -)

- Fuck that, she isn't lucky.

She hates Jon, because she refuses to feel grateful for the horror show her life has been. (Because she's grateful, that it wasn't her; and she's furious, because - yes it was. she paid the price of the apocalypse in blood and scars and trauma, too. She wasn't Jon, and could have been - but fuck it, she was still Melanie. and the hell that she has lived through isn't nothing.)

It's just bad luck, that it was Jon of all people. It's just bad luck, that it was Melanie.

No one here is lucky.

#tma #the magnus archives #tma meta #melanie king #linden's originals #i just have a lot of Feelings ok #tangentially related but one of these days i'm gonna write the post abt basira #bc i love to joke abt jon relying on the local lesbians to make good decisions! it is very fun. but also #incredibly inaccurate. jon made bad decisions (mainly due to a dearth of information and a wealth of fear)#but he didn't make better decisions when he let the wlw take charge!#basira was the one who convinced(/coerced? definitely pressured but details beyond that are lacking) jon into performing surgery #on melanie's leg. left to his own devices idk what jon would have done but it sure as hell wouldn't have been #''roofie my coworker to perform nonconsensual surgery''#if only bc that is Not something that would occur to him. & idc man it's a messy situation all around #there was no good choice there (there never was) but that? that wasn't the right one. and i think that's the other piece at play here #melanie didn't forgive him for that. i sure wouldn't. and she gets it - she does: there were no good choices -#but how is she supposed to care about the suffering that guy of all people went through? when it feels like it invalidates her own?#how are you supposed to feel about your reflection in a face that stars in all your nightmare memories?#melanie hates jon because he never gave her a reason to like him; and because he violated her (no matter how necessary it was); and #because she could have been him. because it's luck that it wasn't.#except there is no good luck in this world. not in this apocalypse - the one that's been going on for much longer for her - for them -#than since that final ritual. she's been living an apocalypse since she saw that monster in a hospital. and that matters too.#not one of them has been free in a long time. maybe ever #melanie can't pity him because feeling ''pity'' requires a level of distance she doesn't have #pity means ''there but for the grace of God go -'' but what grace?#there but for the grace of god go i? is she meant to thank someone for giving her the lot she got in life?#how is she supposed to feel glad about that?#she cannot pity him. and she cannot commiserate; those bridges have long since been burned. all that's left to feel #is a guilty kind of hatred and resentment. because in another life she might've been him; in another life still they might have been twins #linden in the tags

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dent-de-leon · 5 months

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Still having so many thoughts about all the parallels between Molly/Lucien's souls and Opal/Ted's--

The way Opal and Ted were split apart and then became one again as a natural part of growing up; raised with this other half of their soul always by their side, learning from each other and through each other. It's a family tradition, their way of life. Worshippers of the Luxon willingly letting their souls drift apart and reform, an inherited legacy that has shaped their whole understanding of the world and themselves.

The way Lucien and Molly never had a choice; the violent violation of autonomy as their soul was torn apart and shredded to pieces, the agony of feeling so alone in the world, your very heart hallowed out and Empty. It's not a gradual, gentle transition of the spirit--it's losing your very sense of self, all these pieces of you burned away.

And it hurts them, both of them. The shard of a soul that would be Molly--young and foolish, so new to the world and yet already so scarred by it. A spirit that hasn't broken yet, in spite of how harsh and cruel the world is--in spite of all the pain he's inherited. Lucien as the ghastly specter haunting Molly's worst nightmares, the shadow always hanging over him.

Lucien's disdain for this "forgotten fragment"--how bitterly he resents Mollymauk for not having to bear the weight of all their most painful memories, his hands not yet stained with blood--the part of him that got to be free. Lucien refusing to call Molly by his name, to admit this other part of himself is real--that maybe Lucien's always known he hasn't felt whole, that someone carved out this piece of his heart long ago.

When the two meet, Molly can't help reaching out to Lucien. Can't help but try and save him. Molly growing to care for this other half of his soul, this other broken, shattered shard of a bleeding heart. Molly refusing to abandon him, staying by his side until Lucien is finally ready to reach back. Both of them learning to accept each other, understand each other. A kind of self love. A soul that mirrors your very own, makes you feel grounded and whole.

Thinking of Ted fighting so fiercely for Opal. Giving everything to defend her, even as Opal tries so desperately to keep her grounded and tethered. Thinking of Molly pleading for Lucien to stop, just walk away--save their friends and save himself. It's not too late, he doesn't have to do this. He doesn't have to be this.

Thinking of the Luxon and shattered souls that aren't bound by life or death, time or space. A part of yourself you never really lose, no matter who tries to tear them away--

#sorry i am once again in agony over a molly/lucy and how their souls were torn apart yet still found each other again in the end--#how ted and opal mirror their story in so many ways #yet its this way of separating the spirit thats healthy and voluntary--far gentler than all the pain that defined #molly and lucien's seperation--#the way people can learn to love themselves through taking care of this reflection of their own heart #how it seems to be in their nature for these souls to become protective of each other and long to reconnect--#also once again wondering what exactly molly/lucien/king is in regards to the other souls that have transcended life and death--#both pieces and whole--#i wonder if the luxon would see them as kind of familiar--

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brw · 2 months

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Thinking about The Vision.

#brieuc.txt #I've impregnated them twice in the Sims #Wanda is the father of course #This wasn't my line of thought just now I just thought I should tell you guys about Visionpreg #Anyway I think it's really interesting but also odd that despite massive technological advancement & A.I. being a hot topic in the public #Vision's writing hasn't really developed or changed to reflect this #In such a high tech world Vision would be massively powerful with how much society relies on tech #Things like the crowdstrike outage show how fragile some of these systems are #and Vision is always self replicating always improving always analysing always progressing #Of course it makes sense Vision would almost hide this from other people as to not call their personhood into question or to scare people #but it feels less like a character decision for Vision to consciously almost dumb themself down around people #and more like nobody is actually considering this facet of their character #which is a shame. I feel similarly about Ultron to be honest but Vision annoys me more because we HAD THIS in Avengers A.I.#and arguably Rage of Ultron but no writer since has tried to pick up the pieces #As always I blame Tom King

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illusivejam · 6 months

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My Courier, The Lucky Devil of the Mojave, Lazarus.

They initially had no interest in their past, the ongoing war between the 3 factions, or even what they would do after killing Benny. They just want to settle the score.

Laz is very impulsive and doesn’t (can’t) really think about consequences too well. They get a bit better at forethought later in the game, but they mostly learn to rely on their companions to reign them in (mostly Arcade, Boone, and Veronica. Cass and Raul get a kick out of seeing Laz almost blow themselves up. Lily, bless her heart, genuinely doesn’t see the harm). They have an uncanny sense of luck, and can usually walk out of very dangerous situations physically unscathed (usually. Sometimes your luck just runs out.)

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wesavegotham · 1 year

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Obviously I have no idea where Tom Taylor will be going with his Dark Knights of Steel elseworld, but the first book pushes the idea that Bruce, despite being a bastard (he's the illegitimate son of late Queen Martha and Jor-El in this) should inherit the throne one day since he's the only one related to the original monarchs of the kingdom, and I can't help but imagine Bruce sitting one the throne one day and he swears to himself to only sire "trueborn children" so no biologically related child of his would ever suffer from growing up as a bastard like he did...and then Damian is introduced to him.

#The idea that Damian might not actually be Bruce's son goes out the window the second Damian starts to scowl exactly like him #Actually this scenario would create a good opportunity for Bruce to reflect on how he was treated by his family #Legitimizing Damian might be controversial both because of Damian's connection to Ra's #And because being a bastard who became king should already put Bruce on politically shaky ground #If he recognizes Damian as his firstborn son and heir it would also become difficult for him to find a political alliance through marriage #Since any wife of his and her family would want to see her children on the throne after Bruce and not Damian #But Bruce suffered deeply from being a bastard and from Jor-El only revealing to him that he was his father when he was an adult #So treating Damian as a bastard or denying the paternity might be emotionally difficult for him because he knows how that feels #Btw in my head Talia only reveals Damian to Bruce to protect him from Ra's or another threat #Not to mess with Bruce #And hey #Maybe we can even solve this problem by having Bruce fall in love and marry her #Even if marrying Ra's daughter would probably be frowned upon #Idk I just want Bruce and Talia to have a love story again #Plus Talia would look amazing as queen

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wonder-worker · 6 months

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Margaret of Anjou’s visit to Coventry [in 1456], which was part of her dower and that of her son, Edward of Lancaster, was much more elaborate. It essentially reasserted Lancastrian power. The presence of Henry and the infant Edward was recognised in the pageantry. The ceremonial route between the Bablake gate and the commercial centre was short, skirting the area controlled by the cathedral priory, but it made up for its brevity with no fewer than fourteen pageants. Since Coventry had an established cycle of mystery plays, there were presumably enough local resources and experience to mount an impressive display; but one John Wetherby was summoned from Leicester to compose verses and stage the scenes. As at Margaret’s coronation the iconography was elaborate, though it built upon earlier developments.

Starting at Bablake gate, next to the Trinity Guild church of St. Michael, Bablake, the party was welcomed with a Tree of Jesse, set up on the gate itself, with the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah explaining the symbolism. Outside St. Michael’s church the party was greeted by Edward the Confessor and St. John the Evangelist; and proceeding to Smithford Street, they found on the conduit the four Cardinal Virtues—Righteousness (Justice?), Prudence, Temperance, and Fortitude. In Cross Cheaping wine flowed freely, as in London, and angels stood on the cross, censing Margaret as she passed. Beyond the cross was pitched a series of pageants, each displaying one of the Nine Worthies, who offered to serve Margaret. Finally, the queen was shown a pageant of her patron saint, Margaret, slaying the dragon [which 'turned out to be strictly an intercessor on the queen's behalf', as Helen Maurer points out].

The meanings here are complex and have been variously interpreted. An initial reading of the programme found a message of messianic kingship: the Jesse tree equating royal genealogy with that of Christ had been used at the welcome for Henry VI on his return from Paris in 1432. A more recent, feminist view is that the symbolism is essentially Marian, and to be associated with Margaret both as queen and mother of the heir rather than Henry himself. The theme is shared sovereignty, with Margaret equal to her husband and son. Ideal kingship was symbolised by the presence of Edward the Confessor, but Margaret was the person to whom the speeches were specifically addressed and she, not Henry, was seen as the saviour of the house of Lancaster. This reading tips the balance too far the other way: the tableau of Edward the Confessor and St. John was a direct reference to the legend of the Ring and the Pilgrim, one of Henry III’s favourite stories, which was illustrated in Westminster Abbey, several of his houses, and in manuscript. It symbolised royal largesse, and its message at Coventry would certainly have encompassed the reigning king. Again, the presence of allegorical figures, first used for Henry, seems to acknowledge his presence. Yet, while the message of the Coventry pageants was directed at contemporary events it emphasised Margaret’s motherhood and duties as queen; and it was expressed as a traditional spiritual journey from the Old Testament, via the incarnation represented by the cross, to the final triumph over evil, with the help of the Virgin, allegory, and the Worthies. The only true thematic innovation was the commentary by the prophets.

[...] The messages of the pageants firmly reminded the royal women of their place as mothers and mediators, honoured but subordinate. Yet, if passive, these young women were not without significance. It is clear from the pageantry of 1392 and 1426 in London and 1456 in Coventry that when a crisis needed to be resolved, the queen (or regent’s wife) was accorded extra recognition. Her duty as mediator—or the good aspect of a misdirected man—suddenly became more than a pious wish. At Coventry, Margaret of Anjou was even presented as the rock upon which the monarchy rested. [However,] a crisis had to be sensed in order to provoke such emphasis [...]."

-Nicola Coldstream, "Roles of Women in Late Medieval Civic Pageantry," "Reassessing the Roles of Women as 'Makers' of Medieval Art and Culture"

#historicwomendaily #margaret of anjou #my post #henry vi #yeah I don't necessarily agree with Laynesmith's interpretation (that it was essentially Marian with an emphasis on shared sovereignty)#which she herself says is 'admittedly very speculative'#as this book points out that interpretation tips the balance too far on the other side and has a somewhat selective reading #It's also important to remember that this interpretation was not really reflected across wider Lancastrian propaganda at the time #which isn't really talked about - let alone emphasized - as much by historians but remained focused on the King #For example: look at the pro-Lancastrian poem 'The Ship of State' which hails Henry VI as a 'noble shyp made of good tree'#and emphasizes how he was widely supported and defended by many great Lancastrian lords and the crown prince #but not Margaret who was entirely absent #also look at the book 'Knyghthode and Bataile' (presented to Henry) and Fortescue's various pro-Lancastrian texts in the 1460s #even the recording of that Yorkist trial which was iirc reported in the 1459 attainder #all of these were entirely conventional and highlighted the presence and importance of the King. Margaret was not emphasized.#so either the Lancastrians were impossibly inconsistent about what message they actually wanted to convey about the role of their own queen #or the Coventry pageants were not actually meant to emphasize Margaret in the lieu of Laynesmith's interpretation #and would not have been viewed in such a manner by contemporaries #I think we should also keep in mind that we don't really know what Henry VI's condition was like at the time of MoA's entry to Coventry #we know he had been injured in St. Albans and had only just recovered from his second illness #this is especially important to consider since we know he had also arrived at Coventry before Margaret but much more discreetly #and was not welcomed by any pageants that we know of. This is VERY unusual and can be best explained if we consider the fact that he #may have simply not been in the right state (be it physical or state of mind) for it at the time #in which case the pageants for Margaret should be viewed as more of a improvisation/cover-up/temporary measure to bolster prestige #or Henry may have deliberately taken a more discreet role to emphasize the position of his heir - especially important after the long wait #imo I think Kipling's interpretation (ie: that they addressed Margaret but really referenced the prince & heir) makes a lot more sense:#'Coventry [...] regarded Margaret's entry as a kind of triumph-by-proxy: the Queen entered the city but Coventry received its Prince'#though I think he tends to view Margaret as more of a cipher (and has a very questionable view of Henry VI) which I also don't agree with.#The pageants very much DID focus on and reference her but they most prominently emphasized her 'motherhood and duties as queen'#ie: I think Kipling and Laynesmith tip too far on opposite sides and I think this interpretation takes the most realistic middle ground

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