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mercurygray · 3 months

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Blind Dates 2024: Capt. Marion Brennan, WAC

My second submission for this year's @blind-dates-fest! I'd love to introduce you all to Marion Brennan.

Fandom: Masters of the Air (2023) The waiting was the worst part.

She’d been overseas for nearly a year now, and she could take everything else that came with the job in stride - the bloody faces, the vomit, the smell of piss and fear seeping out of flight suits, the way a boy tried to steady his shaking hands so that his buddies wouldn’t see that he was still scared. But the waiting was always fresh, always raw - and the fear returned anew each time the planes went up, and each time they came back down.

And when they came back down, she went to work. Except for today.

Marion surveyed the names on the large blackboard on the other side of the Operations Room, reading each one over as though she didn’t already know them all by heart. Her boys, day in and day out. Move them around, re-assign and re-group them, but she would know them even when their own mothers wouldn’t. Because I see them when no mother should - and hear the things no mother should ever have to hear.

Did you take any flak? Did you see any chutes?

And was he on the radio? What heading was that? Tell me what the plane’s condition was.

What time was that?

"Why, it’s barbaric," one of the new women had said once, after watching a particularly grueling session in the interrogation rooms. (Marion had made the flight engineer tell his part of the story twice, blood already clotting his face from a wound under his helmet, his face white with exhaustion.) "Making them tell you all that all over again. Those boys have just been through hell and you make them do it twice?"

Out loud, she explained about accurate after-action reports, finding coordinates for downed airmen, establishing times of death and declaring Killed In Action status. But it was more than that. If I have to explain it, you’ll never understand, Marion wanted to say. They come in bloody and shaking and afraid, and when we are done they leave the mission with me, and my girls, and I let them return to the world unburdened.

And who will do that for them in Telergma?

She knew the whole base was on edge. It was one thing to send out a task force knowing that they would come back to you, that after eight hours inside the inferno there was something you could do to ease their way in the world by bandaging a wound or patching a wing or serving a cup of coffee. But this waiting? This was the worst sort of waiting imaginable, because no one knew what they would find there. Was there an ambulance? Hot coffee? A bed with clean sheets?

When you land there, who will count you in? Who is there to care?

“Captain Brennan.” Marion turned away from the ops board to see Colonel Harding standing in the doorway. He looked like he’d slept in his uniform - a first, for him. Army Air Corps COs didn’t just fall asleep on couches, and men from West Point even less so. “I didn’t think you took shifts in this room.”

It was a polite way of saying that she wasn’t where she was supposed to be - and he was right. Captains didn’t take night shifts in the ops room - even female captains, whom Man and the Army had decreed a somewhat lesser species. She tugged a little at her jacket. “I sent Sergeant Wilcox along to bed - the poor girl was nearly asleep in her chair and I didn’t think she was much use to anyone in that state. ”

Harding didn’t seem to think much of that. “That shift change was hours ago. Where was her relief?”

More bad news. Marion took a breath and braced for impact. “Sergeant Hastings has the flu, and Wilcox thought she could use the rest. She didn't want to leave the post unmanned. I told her to go to bed. I can answer a telephone as well as the next woman.”

She waited for the blow to fall, but it didn’t come. If anything, Harding looked...impressed. “That was kind of you, Captain.”

Kind! What a word. But Harding wasn’t made of stone. Everyone was worrying about this one, and he knew it. It was one of the things that made him a good leader - that he had his nose in the wind, as it were, instead of being unreachable in his office with his reports. Still. Kind wasn’t a word you were supposed to use for officers. “It was also against regulations,” Marion acknowledged, trying to be as matter-of fact about it as she could. “You can write me up for it tomorrow morning if you feel it's appropriate.”

Harding actually laughed at that, and she realized, belatedly, that it wasn’t a sound she heard very often. (And why should she? Most of the time they spent together was reviewing debriefing reports.) “Do I already have a reputation for being that much of a hard-ass, Captain?” He winced and paused. “My apologies. My language.”

And just where do you think I’ve been the last twelve months, Colonel? Curse as much as you like - I won’t break for hearing it. “I've heard worse, sir,” she assured him. “Regulations exist for a reason, and as the CO you're responsible for maintaining order and making sure your instructions are followed. Including watch rotations. It might be good to set an example. ” He looked impressed by the answer - possibly more than he needed to be. “My father was a West-Pointer, sir. Career Army, too.”

That, at least, impressed him where it needed to. “Is that so?” He studied her for a moment, processing this new information. “I can see that, now that you've said it. Is that how you got here?”

She nodded. “We moved a lot as a kid, and when I turned 18...Army life was all I knew. I started as a clerk, and worked hard, got a few promotions here and there, and when they let us put in for overseas assignments...” She let that hang for a moment, smiling as she thought about what she’d been spared because she hadn’t gotten what she wanted all those years ago. “I never did make it to Manila, or Maui, but maybe that’s for the best. Hamilton Field was about as far West as I got.”

She wasn’t in the habit of giving her life story out around the base - her girls needed a leader more than they needed a friend, and the scant four or five years she had on most of them was only good for so much, where authority was concerned. But it felt right that Harding ought to know a little something. After all, wasn’t he the one coming in with a reputation behind him, and the shoes of the former CO to fill? Everyone knew that he’d been at West Point, that he’d coached football, that he’d come to Thorpe Abbotts by way of Palm Beach and Spokane, Washington.

“And you still like the work? Little bit different than what you’d be doing at home.”

“Free a man to fight” looks different from here, that’s for sure. After everything she’d seen, everything she’d heard, she could say that much. “I do, sir. It’s important - making sure that the facts are straight, that we’ve learned everything we can before it fades out.” She had another thought, and paused, considering whether or not she should share. “I think they tell things differently, to a woman. They used to try and be more precise - cut around the edges a little wide so I wouldn’t see the bad parts. I think they know that we’re all used to it, by now.” I’ve been in every single op this wing has flown - turret, tail, and cockpit. I fly them in my sleep.

Harding nodded, considering all of it in that thoughtful way of his - a coach reviewing game-day footage to look for his next play.

There was some movement, at the door of the ops room - a woman coming in and realizing, late, that the person she was looking for wasn’t there. Marion spoke up. “Lieutenant Callaway, can I help you with something?”

The lieutenant's face was plainly guilty - a daughter caught sneaking in the front door with her shoes off - but she was trying valiantly to play it cool. It almost made Marion smile. "I was just...wondering if there was any news yet, ma'am. My shift's just starting and I ...thought I'd tell the girls, if we’d heard. Sergeant Wilcox said she'd tell me, if she...got news."

"Sergeant Wilcox was sent to bed," Marion replied. (Was that why she’d stayed on duty past her time? Because she wanted to be there to report out to Callaway?) "There's been nothing so far. We'll send a runner to Tower if we hear anything."

Callway nodded, obviously disappointed by this news and more unnerved than she had a reason to be, and she left looking a little shaken. Marion looked over at the Colonel and saw he was studying the lieutenant's exit with mild interest.

"Something there you think I ought to know about, Captain?" He asked, his expression thoughtful and vague.

Marion knew what he meant. A total ban on fraternization was impossible, given the confines of the base, but there had to be some separation of church and state, and making girlfriends out of her officers was a good way to undermine productivity. Still, if Cordelia Callaway had a beau, Marion knew she also had enough brains to keep it to herself, and she wasn't about to go spoiling that for her. She was a good egg, at the end of the day - maybe just the thing one of those fly boys needed to keep himself on the straight and narrow. "They all care a little, Colonel. I think it's impossible to live like this and not to." That's the strange thing about the army, isn't it? You get assigned to a place and suddenly you've got a whole band of brothers you never asked for.

Brothers, husbands, sons. Everything to everyone - one big, mad, teeming family.

Another noise at the door - Sergeant Dacre, a tiny mouse of a woman, nearly squeaked when she saw her CO and her supervisor in deep conversation, the lights half-off and the day just beginning.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, sir, I thought Sergeant Wilcox...”

“Captain Brennan was just leaving, Sergeant,” Harding said with a knowledgeable smile. (They were starting to teach that earlier - how to be a softer touch with the women. Marion could remember officers who would have shouted at Dacre to get her ass inside and moved her to tears.) “I don’t think we’ll need to do anything in the way of reprimands, Captain Brennan - for any of the business,” he added, being intentionally vague while Dacre readied her station. “But tell that Hastings girl she ought to get herself on the sick list, if she’s thinking she can just get out of work for a cold.”

“It’ll be the first thing I do, Colonel.”

The phone buzzed, and Harding swooped to answer it before Dacre could get her hand in. “Yes? Yes.” A visible sign of relief crossed his face, and she saw his shoulders relax. “Yes, very glad to hear it. We’ll look for those directly. Yes, thank you. Good-bye.” He put the phone back in its cradle and beamed. “Ground Control has them at Telergma. No details yet but - someone made it through.” He took a deep breath, still smiling. “I’ll get it out on the PA but you’d better tell Callaway out at Tower first. An officer doesn’t break her word.”

She almost smiled at him for that. The worst part, over. Now the details would come, but she could face that like she always did. “Of course, sir.' A pause, and - "I hope you have a good morning, sir.”

“And you, Brennan.”

Someone appeared with coffee, the room whirring into life as the day rotation came on board, and Marion took her leave, pausing at the door to look back at Harding, now studying the map with renewed enthusiasm.

Hughlin never made much of a father, she thought. All that waiting nearly did him in. But I think you’ll do just fine.

So that's Marion! She and the version of MOTA she inhabits can be perceived as being adjacent to the alternate history in my fic The Darkening Sky.

If you'd like to meet Cordelia Callaway, you can read more of my writing for her here at her tag on tumblr.

#blind dates 2024 #blind dates fest #marion brennan #meet my originals #masters of the air OC

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indian-kahani · 11 months

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Desi LGBT+ Fest 2023

@desi-lgbt-fest

Day 2: Legacy

All her life, Durga had been told that she was a good daughter.

All through school, she had been called a ‘pleasure to teach’. Students regarded her with wary awe: she was the good girl, who did her homework and listened to the teacher and never, ever stepped a foot out of line.

All my life, her father had told her, “Beti, you have to be a good girl. Strike that – you have to be the best. There are many eyes watching us.”

He was right, of course. He was a major army lieutenant – Arjit Sindh, a household name for his medals and bravery. Ever since Durga was a child, she had watched him salute the tricolour every morning, watched his juniors (and god, there were lots of them) salute to him.

While others dreamed of being artists and musicians, she dreamed of her first day holding a rifle.

While others looked up to Abdul Kalam or Lata Mangeshkar, her walls were covered in photos of Gunjan Saxena, Vikram Batra, everyone who had ever won the Param Vir chakra.

She had a legacy to inherit, a place to fill.

Her dreams may have been out of place, but they were in vivid technicolour none the less. She faced up to her dream with a steady heart.

Her father approved, and watched from a distance as the Indian Army became entrenched deep inside her heart.

She had always followed in his footsteps. The golden girl she might have been, but she was a golden girl you shouldn’t mess with. She had always been raised to be a loyal servant of the army, the loyal servant of her country.

As her father's daughter, she was proud to uphold his legacy.

Karate, Jiu Jitsu, yoga, junior boot camp. Durga was signed up for all of it, and every summer she trained without fail.

On her eighteenth birthday, she joined the army. What else could she do? I mean, it had been her dream for as long as she could remember. She hit it out of the park. She had been training to assemble a gun since she was sixteen. The other recruits were no match for her.

They were playing for glory (or so she thought).

She was playing for honour.

Or was she?

Durga saw her first at her graduation ceremony.

Her name was before Durga’s.

“Sharma, Saranika!”

Saranika. Such a beautiful name.

All of a sudden, she was reminded of her childhood when her mother sang beautiful Hindustani music. That was what Saranika Sharma's name reminded Durga of.

“Sindh, Durga!”

She snapped out of she reverie, and walked onto the stage, determined to forget the girl with the beautiful name.

Months passed. Promotion after promotion came her way. Talent, or nepotism? Who knew? Slowly but surely, she was becoming jaded. Life seemed grey and joyless, and even at the young age of twenty-one, the lines under her eyes were becoming more and more pronounced.

The day was an ordinary one – so mundane that Durga didn’t even read over the details, instead preferring to wing the training exercise. She was assigned two officers to help out. Major Raj Kuldeep and Major Saranika Sharma.

…wait, what?

She re-read the document again, eyes alight. Major Saranika Sharma.

Almost unbidden, her mind flashed back to that day, when she had heard her name but didn’t see her face. Durga’s heart stumbled at just the thought, secretive smile stretching her lips open. It hurt – maybe the first time she had smiled in days, weeks even.

She arrived at the training exercise fifteen minutes early, pretending to be absorbed in the details of the exercise.

An officer arrived, and saluted in front of her. “Ma’am!”

From the evidently male voice, her hopes were dashed already. She looked up. “Major Kuldeep.” She inclined her head in recognition, and the man smiled at her tightly. It was a regulation army smile – deferent and not too intimate.

“I believe Officer Sharma will be arriving in a few minutes, ma’am.” He informed, and she nodded, returning to her papers to hide the thumping of her heart.

Why was I feeling this way? The thought hit her all of a sudden, but she didn’t have time to process it.

She had arrived.

“Ma’am, it’s good to finally meet you.” she deferred from the standard greeting, and she looked up.

She was beautiful. My God, she was beautiful. Her cinnamon skin looked so soft, and Durga fought to tear her eyes off of her prominent collarbones-

Durga’s eyes widened as she hastily raised her eyes to meet her face.

She instantly regretted it. Wide, honest eyes, full lips, and a gorgeously sharp jawline.

Before she could say something she would regret, she greeted her. “Major Sharma, may I ask why?” Hints of curiosity pricked at her. She wanted to unravel every secret of this Saranika’s, big and small.

Saranika met her gaze with the barest hint of a challenge in the way she raised her chin. “Who wouldn’t want to meet the prodigy of the army?” she smiled with a small shrug. Major Kuldeep was watching, slack-jawed, at the casual way Major Sharma was addressing Durga, but the women had only eyes for each other.

“I hardly believe I’m a prodigy.” The words slipped out before Durga could change them, and she disguised the raw honesty in them with a short laugh. “Hard work gets you far, Major Sharma.”

Suddenly, she wanted to get as far away from this enchanting woman as possible. She could feel her back prickle with sweat and she could swear her face was heating up.

“I don’t doubt it, ma’am.” Saranika – no, she was Major Sharma, when had Durga started addressing her so casually? – replied promptly. “Talent can only get you so for before you need more to take you further.”

Durga ended the conversation with a clipped nod, checking the watch on her wrist. “We had best be going.” She turned to Kuldeep, who snapped to attention. “At ease.”

She finished the training in a daze, dismissing the recruits five minutes early with an uneasy frown on her face. Rumours were flying around that the infamous Durga Sindh had something on her mind. She heeded none of it as she headed to the mess hall to eat lunch.

Almost out of instinct, she scanned the hall for Saranika, finally noticing her tucked away in the back of the hall.

She sent her a note to come and eat with her in her office. Saranika arrived five minutes later.

Durga gestured for her to sit down. “I was impressed with your performance in the training exercise today, Major Sharma.” Bullshit. She hadn’t paid attention to even a single second of that training exercise.

Saranika ducked her head shyly, a strand of hair falling forward, and Durga resisted the urge to lean forward and tuck it behind her ear. “Thankyou, ma’am. I appreciate it.”

“Call me Durga. No need for formalities in my office.” She blurted out, cursing herself immediately as the words slipped out. That seemed to happen a lot around her.

Saranika looked up suddenly, startled. “I couldn’t possibly be so… informal, ma’am.” She hesitated.

“I insist.” Durga said.

“Very well, then… Durga-ji.”

From then on, it only got better. Lunch turned into days off, days off turned into weekends until finally, Durga worked up the courage.

“I- I wanted- what I meant to say was- the thing is- will you be my girlfriend?”

The sight of her then, with her hair loose and framing her face, was enough for Durga to plant a chaste kiss on the cheek of her girlfriend.

Only one thing was left.

Durga had to tell her father, a strict adherent to tradition and principles, that she was a lesbian.

“Papa… I met someone.”

She had phrased it carefully enough, hesitating over each and every word. Her father, aged but no less sharp, looked at her (or through her, it seemed sometimes).

“That’s lovely, beti.” His old face creased in a smile. “Bring him home this weekend, hm?”

There it was. Durga opened her mouth and closed it again, pressing her lips together in shame of her own cowardice. Her father was watching.

“He’s a Hindu, right? Not a Muslim? It’s okay if he is, as long as he’s respectful to you.” Her father tried to reassure her seeing her distress, and tears fell down Durga’s cheeks.

“She’s not a boy!” she burst out all of a sudden, hiding her face in her hands as she heard her father’s small intake of breath. Water dripped from her eyes, wetting her hands and falling in droplets onto the cold marble times.

“Accha, I see.” Her father leaned forward in his chair, wiping Durga’s tears away. “Bring her home this weekend, hm? I hope she’s pretty.”

Durga couldn’t do anything much more than stare. “You’re- you’re okay with this? But people will-”

He let out a deep chuckle. “The world has changed since I was young, Durga.” He smiled down on her fondly. “You young people are teaching us that it is okay to love whoever you love. There are people out there like you and your girlfriend, right?”

Durga nodded, open-mouthed. “But- papa- you- I’m a lesbian.”

He waved her away, a mock frown on his face. “Of course I know that now. I’m not stupid. Bring that girl home on Saturday, and I will see what food we can get for her. Leave it to me.”

Yes, her father followed tradition. Yes, he had his legacy to uphold, and his honour. But he was a man of good sense, and the world was changing after all. Why not see what good it could bring?

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Okay so I know nothing about the military, literally nothing so the ranks/greetings/whatever might be off, please suspend disbelief while reading :D and tell me what you think in reblogs/comments!

#avani #avani writes #indian-kahani #desi lgbt+ fest #lgbtq+#lesbian #military?

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hp-mcd-fest · 7 months

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Kill Your Darlings 2023 - Anon Master list & prompts 💜💀💚

First of all, a huge thanks to everyone who participated — prompters, writers, artists, beta readers, and cheerleaders. Without you, this fest would not have been possible.

Author reveals will be mid-day Friday Oct 6!!

💀 Drarry 💀

Title: Devour The One You Love by starlitsilvereyes - a PodficRating: E Characters/Pairing: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter Length: 2.5-3 hours Warnings: Graphic violence Summary:A ghost of the past — a love story bleeds into the palm of his hands. A voice echoes from the cupboard under the stairs as figures appear in the mirror. It’s been seven years since the war. Darkness comes back in different forms, wearing the skin of the one that you love.

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Prompt: Self-prompt - A podfic of the fic "Devour The One You Love" by starlitsilvereyes, one of last year's submissions.

~💜~

Title: Whatever it Takes Rating: Mature Characters/Pairing: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter Length: 15,244 words Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Main Character Death Summary: Harry Potter has been given a sacred mission to find all of Voldemort’s Horcruxes and he will do anything to succeed. He, Hermione and Ron hadn’t expected Draco Malfoy to become a part of that plan, but he had—and now Harry couldn’t imagine trying to do it without him.

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Prompt: #88 - Harry goes on Horcrux journey with Hermione and Ron only to realise at the end they both already died. Harry sees them because of the resurrection stone and Snape obliviated him so he can finish his mission. He has been hunting horcruxes alone.

~💚~

Title: Dream A Little Dream Of MeRating: M Characters/Pairing: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter. Ronald Weasley. Length: 1,419 words Warnings: Major Character Death. Summary: After the war, Draco Malfoy is tried by the Wizengamot for his involvement in the Dark Lord’s army as a marked Death Eater. He is sentenced to 18 months house arrest, alone in Malfoy Manor. Shortly after the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry Potter goes missing. Some rumour he has fled his past and started anew overseas, some believe he was killed. He is not present for the Death Eater trials and is not seen again until 18 months later. When the Ministry-mandated trace on Draco’s wand alerts aurors to the use of an Unforgiveable, Ron Weasley is the first to discover where Harry has been all this time, and who’d kept him hidden from the world he’d saved.

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Prompt: #78 - A dies in B's arms. B sings A a sweet song/lullaby. A tries to join in.

💀 Dramione 💀

Title: mirrored scars (show the true beast within)Rating: E Characters/Pairings: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy Length: 2613 words Warnings: MCD, dead dove Summary:Draco Malfoy was a completely stressed mess of a teenage boy during his sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and all because he had been given a task from Lord Voldemort, simply because Draco’s own father had failed his task the year previously at the attack at the Department of Mysteries in the Ministry of Magic. He was being forced to kill Albus Dumbledore. However, while having what he guessed was a panic attack, he had been attacked by his sworn enemy, Harry Potter, using a spell that he had never even heard of before. Draco resented the Sectumsempra scars. He wanted revenge. But, not on Potter himself. No, he knew that attacking Potter would never work well. Instead, he set his sights on seeking revenge on Potter in a different way. Attacking Potter’s best friend.

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Prompt: #67 - Draco resents his sectumsempra scars and the people around him who never have to see their own marred skin every single day. He sets out to give scars to either one particular person or as many people as possible, because he refuses to suffer alone.

~💜~

Title: IlluminationsRating: E Characters/Pairing: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy Length: 8,087 Warnings: Major Character Death, Breeding Kink, Infidelity, Pregnancy Summary:Everyone stretches the truth. Everyone covers things up, tells little white lies to make things a bit more palatable. When they walked into the interview, Draco and Hermione certainly expected to. Instead, they found themselves needing to be a bit more honest than either was prepared for.

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Prompt: #67 - Survive until sunrise.

~💚~

Title: Can you hear me screaming? (Please don’t leave me) Rating: General Audiences Characters/Pairings: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson/Harry Potter. Along with Granger-Malfoy children Length: 5,062 Warnings: Major Character Death Summary: Draco Malfoy’s life is turned upside down when he wakes up next to his unmoving wife, Hermione Granger-Malfoy.

—

Prompt: #70 - Draco/Lucius/Pansy wakes in the morning, rolls over for a 'good morning' kiss and finds Hermione/Narcissa/Harry has died unexpectedly but peacefully in their sleep.

💀 Wolfstar 💀

Title: The banal evilRating: Explicit Characters/Pairing: Remus Lupin, Fenrir Greyback, Sirius Black || Sirius Black/Fenrir Greyback, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin Length: 5450 words Warnings: MCD, Non-con, Violence Summary:Remus comes to Azkaban expecting something unpleasant when he tries to speak to Greyback. He couldn’t even start to imagine this.

—

Prompt: Self-prompt - In Azkaban Sirius finds an unlikely ally. He keeps him safe, at least until the Order of the Phoenix finds out about it.

~💜~

Title: dormivegliaRating: Mature Characters/Pairing: Sirius Black/Remus Lupin, James Potter Length: 5,402 Warnings: Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Torture Summary:Dormiveglia (n) The space that stretches between sleeping and waking. Like a record skipping round a turntable, memories skip and stutter, too.

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Prompt: #64 - They're in a secret relationship during the war even if they're on opposing sides, but now one has to kill the other in order to survive. There's no other way around it because they're being watched by spies from both sides.

💀 Sirius/James/Lily 💀

Title: flickering light in an endless night Rating: Mature Characters/Pairing: Sirius Black/James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Sirius Black/Lily Evans Potter, Sirius Black/James Potter Length: ~4466 Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Child Death, Murder, Mention of Suicide Summary:Harry Potter is dead, taking Voldemort with him. While the rest of their world celebrates, Lily, James and Sirius struggle with their grief.

—

Prompt: #50 - Harry dies in Voldemort's attack taking Voldemort with him, but Lily and James survive. With their house partially destroyed and full of bad memories they go to live with Sirius. How do the three of them deal with the grief and guilt of surviving while their 1yo son / godson is gone? How do they deal with their son/godson's death being celebrated by the wizarding community?

~💚~

Title: Please?Rating: M Characters/Pairing: Sirius Black & James Potter, Sirius Black/Lily Evans, Lily Evans/James Potter Length: 3.5k Warnings: Violence, Sexual Content Summary: Lily and Sirius decide to take Justice into their own hands after James’ death.

—

Prompt: #89 - James dies to save Harry. Heartbroken and angry Lily and Sirius go on a tear to keep Harry safe and avenge James's death.

💀 Snily 💀

Title: Let Me GoRating: G Characters/Pairing: Severus Snape, Lily Evans Length: ART Warnings: Time Travel Summary: No matter what he tries. He fails. He’s meant to.

—

Prompt: #2 - Severus is in a timeloop where Lily keeps dying and he tries to save her but it always resets after her death. There is no saving Lily. He has to let her go to end the timeloop.

~💜~

Title: The Sea LilyRating: M Characters/Pairing: Lily Evans/Severus Snape Length: 743 words, 10:35 min Warnings: MCD, Graphic Depictions of Violence, Rape/Non-con Elements (forced marriage) Summary:A tragic ballad of obsessive love based on traditional folklore of the selkies.

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Prompt: #18 - When character A traps a mermaid/merman and takes them from the sea, they expect they will fall in love. They do, but the merperson pines away for the sea. They can't live without it and eventually they die.

💀 Hestia/Emmeline 💀

Title: To Have Loved and LostRating: Teen & Up Characters/Pairing: Hestia Jones/Emmeline Vance Length: 3,527 words Warnings: Major Character Death Summary:From the unfinished book on the nightstand to the empty seat at the kitchen table, everything about their shared apartment reminds Hestia of Emmeline. But now, in the days that follow Emmeline’s death at the hands of the Death Eaters, Hestia knows she will never walk back through the door. How can she find a way to move forward after losing the woman she loved?

—

Prompt: #53 - Emmeline is murdered and Hestia struggles after her death.

💀 Luna/Ginny 💀

Title: so let the stars fallRating: M Characters/Pairing: Luna Lovegood/Ginny Weasley Word count: 1,012 words Warnings: Major character death, graphic depictions of violence Summary: She had known that getting involved with Ginny Weasley, Harry Potter’s known girlfriend, was a bad idea, but now that Luna knows that Ginny will die it’s that much worse.

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Prompt: #49 - Character A killing character B, accidentally or on purpose.

💀 Charity/Narcissa 💀

Title: her eyes.Rating: T Characters/Pairing: Narcissa Black Malfoy/ Charity Burbage Length: 1044 Warnings: MCD Summary: Her eyes are the worst part.

—

Prompt: #77 - The Dark Lord murders Charity Burbage, and Narcissa is forced to watch.

💀 Narcissa/Lily 💀

Title: out with the lanterns, looking Rating: T Characters / Pairing: Narcissa Black Malfoy / Lily Evans Potter Length: 9,920 words Warnings: Creator Chose Not to Use Archive Warnings, MCD Summary:Narcissa is a moth to Lily’s flame, forever at her mercy, ready to sacrifice the remaining shards of her sanity for a sliver of Lily’s love and the promise of Lily’s life. She’s so desperate in her attempts that she forgets one simple truth—all promises can be broken just as easily as they’re made. or, how the burden of knowing might change the outcome of war.

—

Prompt: #28 - What if they found out about the Horcruxes during the first war with Voldemort?

💀 Draco/Ginny 💀

Title: Red, Gold and True Love’s Soul Rating: M Characters/Pairing: Draco Malfoy/Ginny Weasley Length: 2,333 Warnings: Major Character Death Summary: Draco had thought there was hope once more in the form of Ginevra Weasley. A beautiful beacon that promised the world still existed in his heart. Until she takes on another form, and becomes embedded into his life forever in more ways than one. Forever like he wanted, but as a sadistic reminder brightness and golden souls can’t exist in his world.

—

Prompt: #29 - Voldemort wins . . . and he's not known for mercy.

💀 Snamione 💀

Title: lead feet, dead belief Rating: M Characters/Pairing: Hermione Granger/Severus Snape Length: 6976 Warnings: Character Death, Torture, Crucio/Aftereffects, Mild Sexual Content Summary: They have no idea how many days it’s been since they were brought to the island. What they do know is that the creatures beneath the dark, shimmering surface of the water guard their escape. It’s all rather hopeless, really.

—

Prompt: #16 - They are trapped, and will all die if they do nothing. They have even figured out a way to escape. Thing is: one has to stay back or it won't work.

💀 Tomarry 💀

Title: Love me, love me Rating: Mature Characters/Pairing: Harry Potter/Tom Riddle Length: 2129 Warnings: Serial Killers, Angst, Hurt No Comfort, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Manipulation, Character Death, Minor Character Death, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Death, Possessive Behavior Summary:“NO!” Tom ran up to him, laying his head on his legs, “Don’t leave me! You promised!”

—

Prompt: #39 - Insane and obsessive love where Character A will do just absolutely everything wink wink to be with Character B. Can also be inspired by the song 'Lovefool' by The Cardigans.

💀 Viktor/George 💀

Title: Catch a Cold Out ThereRating: M Characters/Pairing: George Weasley/Viktor Krum Length: 3,187 Warnings: Major Character Death Summary: Having a life built around quidditch, George didn’t think anything could go wrong. Quidditch related injuries, let alone deaths, never entered his mind. Looking back, he supposed he should have been more concerned as they grew older. Beating back bludgers wasn’t exactly an old man’s sport. Reminiscing over the past though, very much was.

—

Prompt: #1 - Main Character dies from a quidditch related sporting accident. Whether it is from an official game or just an at home game the only stipulation is that the character dies from the sport.

💀 Bellatrix/Rodolphus 💀

Title: Glory and Gore Go Hand in HandRating: M Characters/Pairing: Bellatrix Lestrange/Rodolphus Lestrange, Bellatrix Lestrange & Andromeda Tonks Length: 2807 Warnings: Graphic depictions of violence, major character death Summary: Destruction and bloodshed have always come easy to Bellatrix Lestrange.

—

Prompt: #42 - First kill vs last kill vs the character's own death.

💀 Romione 💀

Title: My Darling, Who Knew?Rating: Teen Characters/Pairing: Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley Length: 551 words Warnings: Character Death, Splinching, Heavy Angst Summary: Hermione and Harry struggle with losing Ron.

—

Prompt: #24 - P!nk's song "Who Knew"

💀 Luna/Draco 💀

Title: dreamersRating: Teen and up Characters/Pairing: Draco Malfoy/Luna Lovegood Length: 908 words Warnings: MCD Summary: In which Luna isn’t the only dreamer, and dreams are realized.

—

Prompt: #26 - "A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight." Oscar Wilde

💀 Black Sisters/Voldemort 💀

Title: The Art of OcclusionRating: M Characters/Pairing: Voldemort/Andromeda Black; Voldemort/Narcissa Black; Voldemort/Bellatrix Black; Length: 5435 words Warnings: Main Character Death, Bigamy, Marital Rape, Forced Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Minor Violence, Torture, Murder Summary: When Voldemort decides to marry all three of the Black sisters, they quickly learn that only one can be his Queen.

—

Prompt: #86 - Black sisters all married to Voldy, concubine witches competing to be queen. Some would kill for it.

💀 Gen Fics 💀

Title: The Fallen Fifty-OneRating: T Characters/Pairing: Pansy Parkinson Length: 2,720 Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Summary: 5 years after the Battle of Hogwarts, witches and wizards flock to Hogwarts School to commemorate those Fallen Fifty who passed in the final battle of the Second Wizarding War. Pansy Parkinson is one of the only almuni from that year who chooses not to attend. Instead, she sits at her writing desk and pens a letter with no address.

—

Prompt: Self-prompt - Pansy Parkinson's suicide note.

~💜~

Title: every city's got a graveyardRating: Mature Characters: Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley Word count: 1,660 Warnings: Major character death, graphic depictions of violence Summary:After sacrificing everything for one measly victory, Harry is left to learn what that sacrifice means.

—

Prompt: #55 - After taking the position of Master of Death, the most feared moment has come: The first time they have to take a/their loved one.

~💚~

Title: This is how it endsRating: Teen and Up Characters/Pairing: Draco Malfoy & Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa Black Malfoy Length: 6234 Warnings: MCD Summary: The executioner leaves through the same door that he came, his face hidden behind a mask. It’s ironic, really. Draco’s father was sentenced to death because of the mask he had worn, and now his life has been taken by someone wearing a different one. A mask for a mask.

—

Prompt: #83 - Draco's father is sentenced to death. A kindness compared to the Kiss and prolong stay in Azkaban. People are happy with the sentence and Draco has to deal with grief and complicated emotions.

~💜~

Title: hungerRating: T Characters/Pairings: Basilisk, Poppy Pomfrey Length: 140 words Warnings: MCD Summary:The basilisk is hungry and someone dies.

—

Prompt: #30 - How did most of the professors survive considering how often they missed the signs of what was happening right under their noses in Hogwarts?

~💚~

Title: lifelineRating: T Characters/Pairing: Gen, Harry Potter & Ron Weasley, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Gabrielle Delacour Length: 1115 words Warnings: MCD, drowning Summary: Rescuing two people instead of one shows moral fiber even if it doesn’t work.

—

Prompt: #56 - Ron or all drown in the lake during the second task of the Triwizard Tournament.

~💜~

Title: I have never known a silence like the one fallen here(never watched my future darken in a single tear)Rating: Teen and Up Characters/Pairing: Hermione Granger & Draco Malfoy; Hermione Granger & Bellatrix Black Lestrange; Bellatrix Black Lestrange/Voldemort Length: 5k Warnings: Major Character Death Summary: Hermione has been kept prisoner at Malfoy Manor for longer than she cares to remember. Broken beyond the point of no return, she finds herself in the wolf’s den with nothing to lose. She is going to die, she knows that much, but she ill not go without a fight. And she certainly isn’t going alone.

—

Prompt: #12 - Character A knows he is going to die soon, but he wants one last hurrah. Going out in style was always an option.

~💚~

Title: As the Death Wishes Rating: M (for the topic only) Characters/Pairing: Lily Evans, Severus Snape, James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Mary McDonald, Albus Dumbledore Length: 8,623 words Warnings: major character death, discussions of suicide and homicide Summary:For Prompt #10. Severus Snape commits suicide, leaving only a letter for his former best friend - Lily Evans. A letter which changes her entire life.

—

Prompt: #10 - Someone's dying wish is for revenge, but killing is not something easily done. How to attempt it? And can one go through?

Make sure to leave a kudo & comment, and share with all your wretched friends 💜💀💚

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carryonthroughtheages · 7 months

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Hello friends and history lovers!

Another year of Carry On Through The Ages is over and done! I am so happy with success this year has had. Every year, I am blown away by how amazing this little community is. We are a small event, but we are so supportive and loving of each other.

It has been an absolute joy to watch the Discord server so active every single day, with people talking about their research and their projects. Watching as they gained support and encouragement from other history nerds. It was everything I could have hoped for when I first started this fest four years ago. So, thank you, from the bottom of my heart, everyone who participated, whether it was as a creator, or support, or researcher. You all helped to make COTTA 2023 a continued success.

Under the page break, you will find individual links to the fics and art that were created this year for COTTA. They are INCREDIBLE, and I highly encourage you all to read them.

Here is the link to the AO3 Collection: Carry On Through The Ages 2023!

Until next year, love you all!

BazzyBelle 🧡

Monday

Blood, Salt & Hummingbirds (T) - @hushed-chorus : AO3 // tumblr

Simon is lucky to survive when his ship is wrecked, even if it left him stranded on a desert island. But he's not the only one who escaped. The ship's mysterious cargo, the creature in the box, also made it to shore. What hope does Simon have when a vampire is lurking in the island's wooded interior? But the monster is not what it seems, and if they are to survive, they need to work together. And maybe they can do more than survive. Maybe they can thrive.

Fifty Names For A Cat (T) - @hushed-chorus : AO3 // tumblr

Simon and Baz are settling into their new life, getting Pitch Manor in working order and preparing to move to their cottage on the moor. Meanwhile, a certain cat is adjusting to his new life.

Tuesday

The Trails We Blaze (M) - @j-nipper-95 : AO3 // tumblr

Simon and Baz have been through a lot together. Growing up as criminals on London's streets; surviving the Great War; dealing with a lot of repressed feelings. But after their latest con goes wrong, they're left with nothing but an ancient map, a signet ring of unknown provenance or value, and promises of a city that doesn't even exist. Thrust into a world of adventure with danger at every turn, they're forced to decide how far they're willing to go for a myth, a fortune, and a chance at love.

The Snow Fox (E) - @aristocratic-otter : AO3 // tumblr

Simon "Snow" Salisbury is the most wanted patriot in the American Revolution. Wanted by the British army, who want to see him hanged. Wanted by the Tories, who'd shoot him on sight, given the chance. And wanted by Tyrannus Basilton Grimm-Pitch.

Wednesday

Lavender Hearts (M) - @aroace-genderfluid-sheep : AO3 // tumblr

America, 1950s. Queer people are fired left and right, friends lose their jobs daily--and sometimes, their lives. Simon and Baz are caught in the middle of it all with a homophobic father and an unconventional (in more than one way) relationship, terrified out of their minds but unwilling to give up the fight. They'll fight for years if they have to. They'll fight for decades. But even the strongest wills can be broken with the hardest of blows.

An 1800s daguerreotype photograph art piece created by the amazing @samalander01 : tumblr

Thursday

Shoulder To Shoulder, Hand To Hand (M) - @wellbelesbian : AO3 // tumblr

Britain, 1984. Across the country, miners go on strike against pit closures. With the government, police and media set against them and no end in sight, they and their families begin to feel the strain. In London, Simon Snow recognises a familiar struggle, and decides to do something, while closeted Baz Pitch just wants to get out of the house and be among his community for a day. What starts as a few collection buckets at a pride march soon becomes an organisation, and a bond is forged between the lesbians and gay men of London and a village of miners and their families in South Wales. But Simon has a past he's trying to outrun, and Baz is trying to live a double life. Both boys have secrets and shame, but if they want to make it through together, they'll have to find their pride.

A beautiful Galatea/Pygmalion-inspired water colour piece by the wonderful @ic3-que3n : tumblr

Friday

Safe Harbour (M) - @snowbaz-parentis : AO3 // tumblr

It all started on an island... It's 1956, and Baz Pitch is existentially lost in New York City. After graduating from Columbia, he's working for a wedding photographer with no taste as he avoids his inevitable fall attendance at Yale Law School, his father's alma mater. All Baz wants to do is be a fashion photographer, and when an opportunity to assist a famous photographer out on Fire Island falls in his lap, it just may be the key to helping unlock him from the closet of his family's expectations. It's 1956, and Simon Snow is wondering if there's more to life than this or if this is as good as it gets. He's been working in construction with his foster father, David Cadwallader, practically ever since he was taken in at age 13, but there's something beyond the water that's calling for him. When Davy offers Simon a chance to manage his family's rental properties for the summer in Cherry Grove on Fire Island, Simon jumps at the chance to finally take charge of something. What Baz and Simon didn't expect: the sense of freedom that comes from being able to absolutely surrender to the truest version of yourself, and the choices you have to make when it happens.

Costly Colours - A Precious Bane AU (M) - twigs_in_my_hair : AO3

In the aftermath of the Napoleonic wars Baz is being groomed by his aunt to be a physician. Tired of the farming life, Fiona would like to set up shop in town with her sister’s herbal remedies and her nephew settled down with his mentor’s lovely daughter and a fine degree hung on the wall. But first the family must toil and scrimp and save to raise the funds. And what if this is not the future Baz longs for? And what if the townsfolk won’t let go of their superstitions and petty grudges towards this family marked by tragedy? Does the handsome young weaver have all the answers?

#carry on through the ages 2023 #cotta 2023 #carry on through the ages #historical AU #historical fanfiction #historical fanart #amazing writing #amazing art #simon snow #baz pitch #snowbaz #the simon snow trilogy #the simon snow series #masterlist

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drarryspecificrecsdaily · 8 months

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2023.09.13

Complete fics posted on AO3 this day

Fest/Exchange

1. Dream A Little Dream Of Me by Anonymous [M, 1k]

►After the war, Draco Malfoy is tried by the Wizengamot for his involvement in the Dark Lord's army as a marked Death Eater. He is sentenced to 18 months house arrest, alone in Malfoy Manor. Shortly after the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry Potter goes missing. [...] ★ Kill Your Darlings 2023 - HP MCD Fest | @hp-mcd-fest

2. Fantasy by @aqua-myosotis [E, 11k]

►[...] Harry swallowed hard and then again and knew immediately that the drug had hit its mark. He could feel his pulse, a dreamy repeating thrum, his mind opening to exist in only the moment itself. An unbidden smile spread across his face and he let his body relax, waiting. ★ HP Law of Attraction Fest | @hp-lawofattraction-fest

3. I Thought You’d Never Ask by @drwhoisginnyholmes [T, 2k]

►Harry's crush on Draco is getting out of hand, but at least he's aware of it. Now Draco is too. ★ HP Law of Attraction Fest | @hp-lawofattraction-fest

#drarry #drarry fanfic #drarry fic rec #harry potter #draco malfoy #daily list #2023 #2023.09

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oknowkiss · 1 year

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fic claim: historians

for @shiftylinguini and @hd-erised 2022!

PAIRING: DRARRY RATING: E (masturbation, anal sex, brief autoerotic asphyxiation, degradation kink, Dom/sub dynamics) WORDCOUNT: 30K

Read on AO3 here!

TAGS: Fake/Pretend Relationship, Master of Death Harry Potter, Voice of The Historian Draco Malfoy, Level 9 workplace dynamics, Skiing, Switzerland, A Big Fucking Chalet, Harry Potter Has a Temper, Draco Malfoy Just Wants Coffee, Hairless Cats and the Loving Thereof, Cat Dad Draco Malfoy, Size Queen Harry Potter, It’s Fun to Lie to All of Your Friends Zero Moral Crises Will Ensue

SUMMARY: It’s the Dumbledore’s Army Reunion Holiday, and Harry’s found himself in hot water with his friends once again, after telling them he has a boyfriend he definitely does not have. In an attempt to fix things, he’s made it his colleague on Level Nine, Draco Malfoy’s problem too. Featuring a ski chalet in Switzerland, a pair of bunk beds, and an agreement that should’ve been simple, were it not for all the bloody feelings getting in the way.

wow!! WOW. thank you so so much to all of the @hd-erised mods for hosting such an enormous (and enormously fun!) fest. this was my maiden erised voyage, after watching and reading all of the incredible fics that have come from this fest for years. i can’t believe i got to throw my hat in the ring! AHH. and to get to write for @shiftylinguini, who is an unbelievable powerhouse of a writer???? reader, we were BUZZIN. shifty, i meant it in my A/N when i said it was an honor to write for you. a gift!! you said in your claim form you like “unique jobs” and i really glommed on tight to that, so much so that there may have to be a second appearance of The Historian at some point in 2023.

and none -- NONE -- of this could have happened without @wolfpants who read this fic and smashed it up in the absolute best way. this story would not be half of what it is without you wolfie, so thank you for your eagle eye, and your ruthless pen, and for bearing with me as i wrote and edited and cried at you across multiple timezones and countries and weddings.

to everyone who has read so far, please know i will be crying at you directly soon. i am overwhelmed by the love this fic has received. as a final behind the scenes note: the title and plot are loosely inspired by the song historians by lucy dacus. thanks lucy!

#my fic #my fic posts #erised 2022 #hd erised #drarry #draco malfoy #harry potter #harry x draco #draco x harry #harry/draco #draco/harry #hpdm #drarry fic

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emiliasilverova · 10 months

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Day 2 of Fest... time to unleash one very big post 👀

You've seen the title on the link above, today I bring you an Alec playlist. But me being me, there's a tiny bit more to it than just being a selection of music I love (it absolutely is, though, don't get me wrong). This is a narrative playlist—in other words, each song represents a moment in Alec's life, in chronological order, and based on my interpretation of (and expansions on) the GoldenEye canon. Oh and... although I didn't put that much thought into this aspect of the playlist, it happens to be mostly British songs, some Russian ones and a few others. Pretty fitting, I would say.

See you below the cut for the full story behind each song :D

Pink Floyd, Another Brick in the Wall pt. 1

Our story starts with Alec being a little orphan in 1950s-60s Britain. Therefore, my choice went to a song about a very similar little orphan—Pink, the protagonist of The Wall. Although circumstances are different, the song tells the same story for both kids: they're lonely and deeply resenting of their father's (or parents') absence... which will be the root of all the ills in their lives.

David Bowie, Life on Mars?

There was a joke between @prismatic-bell and I once. Since Bowie and Alec are so similar in terms of appearance, Bowie must have been Alec's first crush (and therefore, bi awakening). Therefore, there has to be some Bowie in here—and this song in particular is perfect to describe Alec growing up, looking at the depressing Cold War world from his young eyes.

David Sylvian, Forbidden Colours

Speaking of bi awakenings, well this is it. At this stage of the story, young Alec has realised ‘[his] love wears forbidden colours’. And just like in the song, he'll ‘[try] to show unquestioning faith in everything’, from public school to the army. Another brick in his wall, as somebody else would sing.

John Barry, Theme from the Persuaders

The only instrumental in this playlist, but perhaps the name of the composer alone tipped you off on why I chose it. By now Alec is a Royal Marine, and he meets a certain Navy commander—a fellow named James Bond, you might have heard of him. So why the Persuaders and not a classic Bond theme? Easy, just watch the opening of said Persuaders. The parallel editing between the lives of Roger Moore's and Tony Curtis's characters... I dream we could have that for Brosnan!Bond and Alec.

Pet Shop Boys, This Must Be the Place I Waited Years to Leave

So Alec is an MI6 agent now (probably under James's influence). The point here is, he actually loves his job—being in the shadows, not having to be around handsome men in uniform all the time anymore... He's found his place, and he can look back on his younger years as a bad time that is finally over (or is it?) Fun fact by the way, this song could have been the Living Daylights' theme song. It didn't go too far into that process, but still I highly recommend this edit of TLD's credits with the song over it.

Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Relax

‘Not having to be around handsome men in uniform all the time anymore’... yeah. Well, there is still is one ridiculously handsome man Alec is around all the time—James. Cue more bi panic, growing jealousy, and, of course, sharing everything absolutely everything. Doesn't help that Relax, an extremely gay song (enough to be banned by the BBC when it came out...), is the hot thing on the radio back in those days...

Tears for Fears, Shout

Alec has just earned his 00 status, and he has many scores to settle with life... so he's going to shout, and life is going to hear him. Case in point, his bullets.

a-ha, The Living Daylights

A continuation of the previous song. This is Alec and James living the high life as 00 agents, full of broken gadgets, expensive food and clothing, private jokes and other code phrases. An excuse for me to shoehorn my favourite Bond song in the playlist? Absolutely. a-ha's synth version of it, too—as much as I love Barry's version (the one used in the movie), I have to say this one is vastly superior.

Public Image Ltd, The Order of Death

Oh no. Alec has been too curious and got his hands on his MI6 file. Now he knows everything. The Lienz Cossacks and their betrayal by the British; his parents' survivor guilt; the fact his name shouldn't be Trevelyan but his parents' Russian name (Trailin, in my headcanon); the fact MI6 knew his origins and still got him to work for them (if it didn't have a say in how he was brought up...) He wanted to know, now he's got his answer. Whether he likes it or not.

Secret Service, Flash in the Night

Alec is depressed. He doesn't really know yet what to make of everything he learned in his MI6 file. He looks at James but he knows he can't tell him anything. James is part of the system that betrayed his parents, then betrayed him in turn. James can't possibly understand how it feels like. Yet again, Alec is alone. The scar once healed forever dissolves in the rain, as the song has it.

Кино, Спокойная ночь (Kino, Spokoynaya noch'—Calm Night)

Not too long later, a still depressed Alec is wandering in Soviet streets during a mission. Moscow or Leningrad, who knows (one day I'll have to choose, because I really want to write a one shot based on this song). Ideas are coming to him, but they aren't really clear. The only sure thing in all this is that he's starting to feel a lot more Russian than British... hence the inclusion of the first (and not last) Soviet rock song in the playlist.

C.C. Catch, ‘Cause You Are Young

Probably the same night, Alec stumbles on an underground nightclub blaring Western songs. After all, it is the mid-1980s, and Gorbachyov's USSR slowly starts to allow such music within its borders (censorship is still there, though, as proved by the blurb on the Soviet edition of Frankie Goes to Hollywood's second album not mentioning a single thing about Relax. Western music, okay, but gay? How about nyet) Anyway, my point: Alec hears this obscure German pop song, and suddenly everything starts to fall into place in his mind. A wake-up call, if you will. What he needs now is to catch his freedom from MI6, whatever the cost.

Depeche Mode, Personal Jesus

Janus is born. Alec's Personal Jesus, the persona that will give him his freedom from—and revenge on—Britain. The inspiration behind this choice of song comes from Brigada, the most famous Russian TV show of all time. Basically, the story of a group of friends in the late 1980s who go on to become a powerful mafia group in the 1990s. In the first episode, the protagonist decides to commit his first crime over Personal Jesus... and commits said crime in an underground nightclub that blares ‘Cause You Are Young. Small world, I know.

Peter Gabriel, We Do What We're Told

Alec is preparing his plans to fake his death and truly become Janus, but in the meantime he has to pretend everything's fine. So he does what he's told... like in his childhood, like in the army. He absolutely hates it, but he knows his patience will pay off.

Propaganda, p:Machinery

One word: Arkhangelsk. The planning phase is over, the day has come for Alec to make his move and disappear from the face of the Earth. Except that, as we all know, not everything goes according to plan... Fun fact, I just learned that this song was greatly influenced by David Sylvian, of Forbidden Colours fame. The world doesn't get any bigger, does it?

Pink Floyd, Hey You

In a Soviet hospital, Alec recovers from his Arkhangelsk wounds... and falls deeper into depression. But with Janus on board, depression takes on a much more threatening face. Alec is despaired, but he also wants to kill. That should distract him from despair.

Nautilus Pompilius, Воздух (Vozdukh—Air)

As the USSR slowly dies, a new organisation comes to be—the Janus Syndicate. It's only the early days, and it probably doesn't really ressemble what we see of it in GoldenEye. But it comes at a time Soviets themselves are growing disenchanted from their world. as everything crumbles down, even law enforcement doesn't see any point in catching criminals anymore (as told by the lyrics). Exactly the kind of fertile ground the Syndicate needs to grow.

The Rolling Stones, Sympathy for the Devil

There's a newcomer in Alec's life—a certain Xenia Onatopp. Is she a cis or trans woman, I'll let you choose. What she definitely is, at least, is someone who wants absolute freedom, even if it means harming others (a cause Alec can relate to). That, and the kind of untamed energy that would greatly benefit from being given a direction. For instance... working for Janus? Unless it is dominating Janus in the bedroom... my Alec is bi for a reason, after all.

Depeche Mode, Never Let Me Down Again

Do you know Scarface, and more specifically the Push It to the Limit segment? Well picture that, but with Alec as Tony Montana, Xenia as Manny Ribera, the freshly renamed St Petersburg instead of sunny Miami... and Depeche Mode instead of Giorgio Moroder's music (with the caveat that Alec clearly didn't get married back in those days, because there's only one person he'd marry: James). These are the heydays of the Russian mafia, when some people who previously knew nothing of capitalism became dizziyingly rich overnight... and fought each other to death for more power. The days of the Gulf War, also—when the Janus Syndicate sold stolen Red Army weapons to Iraq. Pop quiz, do you know what the mafia bosses who survived those turbulent times are called today? Oligarchs. Kinda sheds a new light on Alec, I won't lie.

Tina Turner, GoldenEye

I had to include it. There's no two ways about it, this is the ultimate, canon Alec (Bondalec, even) song. Just look at the lyrics, and tell me this isn't Alec spitting all his jealousy on James. Xenia would be just as menacing, yes, but nowhere near as salty. So where are we in our story for me to include this song? Well, just at the beginning of GoldenEye proper: Xenia has met James in Monte Carlo, and tells Alec as they prepare to steal the Tiger (yes, Xenia's accomplice in that scene is Alec. Fight me). Cue a very sour laugh from Alec, who cannot believe fate has put James on his path again. Not that it really matters to him at this point though—all he's focused on is his upcoming revenge on Britain, and if James has to be a bystander, then so be it.

Midge Ure, The Man Who Sold the World

James wanted to be set up with Janus... well, he's got what he asked for. Janus, in person, at the statue park. Alec, alive and with a murderous intent. Again a song with a connection to Bowie, as you might have noticed... but unsurpringly I prefer the very 1980s, synth-heavy version by Midge Ure. Bowie, hmmmm... a hint towards renewed bi panic on Alec's part? You'll know soon enough.

Nautilus Pompilius, Нежный вампир (Nezhniy vampir—Tender Vampire)

A little interlude before we enter the endgame. The tender vampire here is Janus, of course—dragging Alec's better self into the abyss, being so jealous of James he starts circling around Natalya like a hungry shark. The absolute creep we see in the train scene, in short. For the record, I know this song from Brat, another very famous Russian movie about the 1990s mafia (I'll probably run a watchalong for it later during this Fest, so stay tuned 👀).

Propaganda, The Murder of Love

Train scene, act 2: the Mexican standoff. Alec and James face each other again, but James still doesn't really have the upper hand. So Alec (well, Janus) spits more poison at him, this time a lot more personal and hurtful. And yes, the bi panic is firmly there, as smug as Alec tries to look. He knows he can't kill James, but he also knows he can't let James talk to him. Alec can't be diverted from his revenge on life itself, because that would be acknowledging that all the time and effort he put into that goal was a waste. Therefore, he prefers to gloat at James... in other words, to be the victim who's become the judge, and to make James plead for mercy.

Pet Shop Boys, I’m Not Scared

Well, this particular one originally wasn't in the playlist. But the moment I first heard it, I knew I had to include it. This has to be James's answer to all of Alec's venom in GoldenEye and The Murder of Love. James has always loved Alec, and doesn't understand how Alec could have grown so scorned and spiteful. Are Janus and Alec really the same person? Will he have to kill Alec? If he does, will James ever be able to forgive himself? If only he and Alec could talk heart to heart... as @3nigm4art commented about this song, Alec would cry if he heard James singing it to him. Perhaps he could even be reasoned... So what I envision here is the beach scene, with James looking at the sea asking himself all those questions—and Alec, somewhere in his lair, being unable to take James out of his mind.

Leonard Cohen, First We Take Manhattan

We are now in the Janus control center in Cuba. Xenia is dead by now, but Alec probably hasn't really processed that yet. After all, he has other things on his mind: his scheme coming so close to completion... and James right in front of him, watching and commenting what he sees. Alec likes this, in a way—what better witness to him becoming a literal god than James? He's not jealous anymore at his point, because in his mind, he's won. He's done the impossible: destroying Britain, and beating James. But there's an issue here... being so drunk with his triumph, he forgot that James won't let himself be just a passive bystander. Which surely won't come back to bite him in the arse, will it?

Pet Shop Boys, It's a Sin

As everything explodes around him (literally), Alec loses it. James has stolen the triumph he deserved to get. Therefore, James will die. By Alec's hand. Ensues the fight on the antenna. Alec probably knows he won't survive it, but he doesn't care anymore. All his rage, all his jealousy, all his frustration are what fuels him at this point—with glimpses from his past flashing before his eyes, as the song suggests. He has wasted nine years of his life, and the rest of it in fact. His whole life has been nothing but sin, from his origins and attraction to James to becoming a spy then a mafia leader. So if there's no turning back... at least he'll go out with a bang. And hopefully take James with him.

Кино, Легенда (Kino, Legenda—Legend)

The story ends here. Alec falls to his death after James lets him go, and James has to live with the memory of Alec haunting him. But is it what really happens? If anything, this song is here to be an open ending. It is an elegy, yes, but it could be Alec singing it. Since death is worth living, but love is worth waiting, maybe he survived and has to piece himself back together at James's side. Or maybe it's James who fell. You decide, but at least there's one thing we can all be sure about. Credits might roll, but Alec's legend never ends.

(Thank you so much for reading, and listening ♥️ I put a lot more energy into this post than I thought I would 😅)

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daily-ravka · 1 year

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Keeping Up With The Grishaverse

Missed the clips? The interviews?⎮ February 2023 - March 5th, 2023

⚡️Rounding up everything in the past month before the junket interview rains down on us.

Interviews and Articles with the Cast or Creators ⎮ Video Format

Netflix’s Shadow & Bone Cast Reacts to Season 2 Trailer | IGN Fan Fest 2023

WATCH: Dazzling April cover girl Amita Suman teams up with Shadow and Bone co-star Jessie Mei Li for Tea With Tatler

Interviews and Articles with the Cast or Creators ⎮ Reading Format

The Darkling Wages War With an Unstoppable Army in 'Shadow and Bone' Season 2 Trailer**

'Shadow and Bone's Writers Address The Darkling's "Gaslighty" Ways in Season 2**

'Shadow and Bone' Season 2: Netflix Reveals How the Costumes Tease the Story**

Shadow and Bone showrunner teases the Crows’ season 2 story – and the introduction of new characters**

Amita Suman: style sensation! A look back at the Tatler cover star’s most show-stopping moments

Shadow and Bone star Patrick Gibson unpacks his dual 'Tony Stark–esque' season 2 role**

🚨Official Content🚨

Shadow and Bone: Season 2 | Official Trailer

Meet Wylan

Meet Nikolai, Tamar and Tolya

How Well Does The Shadow and Bone Cast Know Fan Slang?

Official Clip: New Alliance | Netflix**

Shadow & Bone Cast React to Fan Theory & Thirst Tweets | Netflix**

Links marked with asterisks (**) may contain plot details and spoilers

✨Need the list of interviews of a specific cast member? Want to know which article your favourite ship was mentioned? Looking for something specific for your edits? Our ask box is open!✨

- Full Masterlist now on our pinned post.

#shadow and bone #six of crows #Grishaverse #shadow and bone netflix #daily ravka #daily ravka list #daily list #we are back in business #lets goooo

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princeofjinhae · 7 months

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GOT7’s Jinyoung performs ‘Jeon Somi - Fast Forward’ at the 2023 Ground Forces Festival.

#park jinyoung #jinyoung #got7 #got7 Jinyoung #army fest 2023 #loml #my prince

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ojcobsessed · 7 months

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the fantastic fest 2023 website which will host the world premiere of oliver's upcoming film jackdaw has put up showtimes and a detailed synopsis of the film:

Jack Dawson is a man of focus, commitment, and sheer fucking will, but "Jackdaw" has fallen on tough times. Unexpectedly finding himself the sole caretaker of his younger brother after a family tragedy, he desperately needs some fast cash to finance their future. When he gets a call from an old contact named Silas to make an open-water pickup at a dinghy deep in Britain’s North Sea, he reluctantly accepts the job.

Equipped with a special skill set as a veteran of the British army and as a former motocross champion, Jackdaw resurrects his childhood dirt bike for a job that he anticipates will be a quick pickup and dropoff. When he finds out that he’s been double-crossed and that there is no cash, he’s enraged, but when he arrives home and finds his brother missing, he’s terrified.

Noted television director Jamie Childs’ feature debut is a swiftly paced, atmospheric crime thriller set in the dark streets of a depressed English Rust Belt town, where the high-tech turbines that dot the North Sea stand in teasing contrast to the rural farms, rundown factories, and dangerous young men that stand in his path. Reminiscent of some of the ‘70s finest, with leading man Oliver Jackson-Cohen channeling the stoic charisma of Steve McQueen in his prime, JACKDAW barrels forward, never taking its foot off the gas. (LORI DONNELLY)

according to the site, the film is showing once next friday and twice the following wednesday.

#oliver jackson-cohen #oliver jackson cohen #jenna coleman #jenna louise coleman #jackdaw #jack dawson #it's giving titanic

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euroquision · 8 months

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Creative or Copycat: The SloMo Dancebreak

Three countries came to the 2023 competition with a SloMo-inspired dancebreak to share with the world. Whether you're a fan or not of these songs, my question applies to all of them: Are these dancebreaks a creative take on Chanel's trend? Or are they lackluster copycats? Let's find out in the latest EuroQuision essay!

Written and Researched by Beatrice Quinn

They say imitation is the highest form of flattery. I, for one, consider large sums of riches or compliments about my cheekbones more flattering, thank you. In Eurovision, however, sharing truly is caring as it is no secret to anyone that trends, ideas, staging elements, and even songs themselves are imitated amongst countries the following years – for better and for worse. Should any country pull off anything impressive that manages to have a lasting impact on the viewers, be prepared to see redo’s, redux, and remixes of that very same idea. If you thought the visuals of Mans’ ‘lil balloon child army was “neat,” be prepared for one loud Russian man to get sent hurtling through the depths of space while somehow still inside an arena in Sweden. If this reference means something to you: cool! Please stick around for a later edition of this series where I talk about how 2016 was plagued with “Heroes”-VFX ripoffs. For this first edition of “Creative or Copycat,” we’re gonna watch some dance moves in slow mo-mo-mo, and decide whether the decadent dancebreaks of Eurovision 2023 were creative or copycats.

Where were you when Chanel first performed “SloMo” at Benidorm Fest on January 26th, 2022? After having had access to the songs for Spain’s golden goose egg of a National Final since Dec. 21st, 2021. In that month, fans were treated to early standouts like Tanxugueiras’ “TERRA,” Rigoberta’s “Ay Mama,” and Rayden’s “Calle de la lloreria.” Of the 14 total songs, there was a dembow pop gem called “SloMo” by debut-artist Chanel. Previously a regular face in the Spanish musical theater scene, the Cuban-born singer’s song was catchy, fun, and quite the earworm. However, the song itself sonically didn’t stand out as other selections. Without visuals, it was easy for many fans to overlook Chanel’s potential. By no means did people hate her song – until she did well in Eurovision, but that’s a different essay – but it simply didn’t get as much “hype” as some other songs did. That was, until the first live show…

Chanel takes to Havana-esque stage and begins what can only be described as a meticulously staged, choreographed, and executed ensemble dance routine to what is still just a solo female pop song. As she interacts with the drop-dead-gorgeous dancers around her, we launch into the first chorus. As we’re hit with the “mo-mo-mo” of the chorus, the lights strobe to create an attempt at a “slo-mo” effect before the dance resumes with impressive synchronicity. Chanel continues to dominate all corners of the stage, letting her hair down and repeating the same dance routine as the second chorus hits us. Now remember: for the last month we had only been hearing this song where the second chorus just repeats the same words identically once more; not a very creative direction, but it’s fine, I guess. So as the song gears up to continue as expected, Chanel’s jacket comes off and the music drops. Before you have any moment to prepare, Chanel and her dancers whip their entire upper bodies to the floor and back up as the most impeccable, well-oiled, show-stopping dance break captures our attention and doesn’t let go until Chanel has gone from shaking every angle of her body, collapsing to the floor, high-kicking, flipping her hair some more, and getting back up before singing the rest of the motherfuckin’ song.

So. It was unsurprising when Chanel won the jury vote and ended up winning Benidorm Fest and taking “SloMo” to Eurovision. But now there was an issue presented: Chanel surprised us by saving the dancebreak until the last minute, ensuring that people who had already been listening to the song were surprised with something new, while the dancebreak on its own was still thrilling enough to capture the attention of first-time viewers. But now everyone has seen the dancebreak, and really I mean seen it. Every ESC Pre-party, on Instagram, TikTok, Chanel’s publicity team was going nutso in the buttso with this dance. How was it still going to impress come the night of the Grand Final? Surely would it not have worn itself out? Lucky for the viewing audience, Chanel proved to still have more to give on the night of the final. No, it sadly wasn’t a super-secret-surprise 2nd dancebreak, but there were sparks falling from the ceiling, a fan being tossed across the stage, a new vocal run, and new choreo for Chanel herself where she proceeds to do another vocal run while being dipped.

Naturally, this impressed juries and televoters alike and placed it right up on the podium with a flashy bronze medal. And the success didn’t stop there: on Dec. 31st, 2022, “SloMo” dethroned “Euphoria” [SWE’12] at #1 on the Eurovision Top 250 – the annual radio show where everyone around the world votes on every ESC song in existence – which hadn’t placed lower than #1 since its victory in 2012. So why am I using two full pages and some change of my article to sing the praises of Chanel like she was the second coming of Christ? Because she may as well have been! Spain went from colonizing the Americas to colonizing the Bottom 5 of Eurovision finals ever since they started qualifying for said-final. Out of the 19 editions of ESC Spain has been in since the introduction of semis, 12 of those were in the Btm. 5, with one being dead last in ‘17. Compare that to their Top 10 finishes: a whopping 3. Then: in a brand new National Final format, a Cuban-born singer takes her debut single to ESC and get Spain on the podium. Spain couldn’t even get back in the Top 10 for nearly a decade without getting an artist from a land they colonized, performing a song in a genre of the country Spain colonized–

"Hello!"

"My name is Lynda Woodruff, and I’m the official spokesperson of the EBU. I’m here to remind you all, along with Ms. Beaches Quilt, that Eurovision is a non-political song contest. Now, back to EuroQuizzin– EuroQuestion– Quision! EuroQuision."

Sigh.

Lynda, you get a pass because you’re universally loveable. But we’re not gonna pretend that an international song contest with audiences and artists from countries that have significant histories of geopolitical conflicts, while also at most times actively having geopolitical conflicts, sometimes with other competing countries, is somehow “apolitical.”

However, Spain and colonization isn’t what we’re here for. We’re here to remind ourselves why this is called The SloMo Dancebreak. This is by far not the first dancebreak in this contest’s history, but this song’s dancebreak is associated with a legacy, a redemption after taking a risk and crafting an amazing live performance featuring a stellar new artist. And on top of that, what did we get in 2023? A whopping three acts that contain what we can qualify as a SloMo Dancebreak, and thus we get to decipher: was it creative or copycat?

Ok I promise: I’ll shut up about SloMo after this and talk about 2023. You’ve been so great and so patient, get yourself a treat. I’ll give you a sec.

*waits patiently*

Got a snack?...Great! So the last thing we need to get in writing is what actually “characterizes” the SloMo dancebreak. Like I said, people have danced here before. Other than the legacy and why people like it so much, what’s unique about the SloMo dancebreak/what rules a SloMo or non-SloMo dancebreak? And this is what I love about the concept of “rules” in Eurovision is that there are none – other than the legal ones and ones the producers make up and other rules thereof. But in a spiritual sense, there are no “rules.” Therefore, some rules can be bent and reconstructed. Anyway, my general rule about what makes a SloMo Dancebreak is its essence, and the execution of said dancebreak is up for interpretation. If we were to look at the SloMo dancebreak structurally and how it works in the song, the break itself occurs around the metaphorical 3/4ths point of the song. That is, typically: after the 2nd chorus and either during/part of or in place of the bridge, all occurring before the final chorus. Performance-wise, a SloMo dancebreak is when the lead artist is the unobstructed focal point of the dancebreak. Additionally, the dancebreak is intended to be a noticeable break from lyrics/lead vocals, as Chanel performs no “vocals” during her break. Another important note is that the SloMo dancebreak was not a solo, even though Chanel was the focal point. She had her heavily-involved backup dancers all up in her business from start to finish; her dancebreak was like the one moment where it was just mostly Chanel herself in focus. What comes with this is a certain attitude about the dancebreak – remember how this is more essence than execution. SloMo’s dancebreak commands attention, performing choreography that at minimum looks very impressive to the Eurovision audience, and typically carries a sense of “Should I stunt on the hoes? I think I’m gonna stunt on the hoes.”

So! Are we all agreed on why this dancebreak is significant and what qualifies it? Amazing! Then let’s get to our three acts in question. The SloMo Dancebreaks of Eurovision 2023 are, as I’m sure you already know:

“Solo” [POL] by Blanka

“Unicorn” [ISR] by Noa Kirel

“Future Lover” [ARM] by Brunette

And while I hope this reminder goes for every article I publish, keep in mind I will genuinely attempt to be as objective as possible. In theory, that’s what all of these articles are about: objective deconstruction of Eurovision songs/acts. While I can and will happily share personal opinions where I think appropriately/most comically advantageous, the topic at hand is one that I think merits detail, context, and scrutiny no matter my personal preferences. With that being said, we’ll start by going alphabetically by country. So let’s all decide to be good, do good, and look good with “Future Lover.”

PART I: FUTURE LOVER

After 2022, where a simple folk pop song that finished 20th landed on the fast track to soon hit a billion Spotify streams, Armenia had quite the shoes to fill. Instead of trying the same thing twice, “SNAP” and “Future Lover” are jarringly different songs, especially in the case of composition. Even compared to the 2023 line-up as a whole, Brunette’s dynamic ballad about the anxieties, insecurities, and passionate wants about love is scored with an orchestra that creates a truly dynamic journey through just three minutes. Chilling vocals over a solitary piano soon becomes a soundscape of strings, light percussion, and a noticeable build that ends up thrusting us into a spoken-word verse. Not only is this a unique song for 2023, this is unique in comparison to many Eurovision songs of recent years. On top of this, Brunette is alone on stage while singing atop of a flat, angled, white pane as projected lights and graphics transform the pane into a morphing panel or lights and images. All of this put together creates a truly unique and memorable Eurovision entry, but I know what you’re thinking:

"Where's the dancebreak?"

Well don’t worry! Even though the song in studio/the music video was released without any such dancebreaks, so when Brunette put down her microphone and the song momentarily dropped, audiences were in for a surprise as she began what I personally describe as an abstract contemporary dancebreak. Important note: while I do my best to take it upon myself to research the cultural relevance behind many Eurovision entries, I am not an expert on everything! So, if there’s any cultural context behind Brunette’s choreo, anyone who knows more than myself is free to let me know!

Whether or not you were wondering, hoping, or jonesing for a dancebreak, we got one! Let’s compare and contrast, shall we? Brunette’s dancebreak is similar to Chanel’s in its location in the song, at about the 3/4ths marker. It contains no lyrics (other than amorphous “Oh-oh’s” we’ve already heard) and served to us by Brunette with a distinct “Stunting on the hoes” vibe from her commanding eye-work and fluidity in her routine. Her moves also bring her from standing positions, down to the floor, and back up by the end, similar to Chanel’s choreo. Taking another page out of the dancebreak handbook, Brunette’s dancebreak was kept a secret until the live performance, which we didn’t see until Eurovision itself as opposed to Spain’s NF. The dancebreaks of each song are even the same length: 8 measures of music/8 counts of 4. Of course we can’t overlook the glaring differences. Noticeably, Brunette is all by herself on stage with her emotional-support ambiguous white panel. No sexy backup dancers are there to lift Brunette off the ground and perform other such tasks that Chanel’s team did for her. Brunette’s dance also does not come after a 2nd chorus; “Future Lover” has a slightly unique form in that the song goes Verse - Chorus - Verse - Dance/Bridge - Final Chorus, so simply there’s no 2nd chorus to be found. In my opinion, putting a dancebreak into a song that already has an unconventional structure and exists in a genre that’s much more ethereal ballad than pop power is a risky move, despite it being an enjoyable dancebreak regardless. Another risk Armenia took was the fact that there’s multiple instances during the dancebreak where the screen goes dark and obscures Brunette’s dancing; something that “SloMo” does not do.

Perhaps this is what kept Armenia away from a higher result overall. Coming 12th and 13th in the jury and televote, respectively, this may not have had the same success as Spain had the year prior because “Future Lover” by all accounts is just so much more unconventional for the choices it’s making. It already exists as a song that’s hard to dance to, and doesn’t seem like it would be enhanced by a dancebreak. This is one of the biggest factors as to what makes this dance creative or copycat: does it enhance the performance in any meaningful way? It’s also very important to note that something doesn’t need to be “necessary” to enhance the act. This is Eurovision, people; if we start asking “But is this necessary?” we’ll undo the very fabric of Eurovision. Australia has a DeLorean on stage, Austria is singing about Edgar Allen Poe, and I have seen more elderly Croatian men in their underwear than I ever anticipated seeing in my life; none of this is “necessary,” and that’s why we love Eurovision. Moving on.

“Future Lover” is a very hard one to decipher. A good result does not make one dancebreak better than the other if we’re just trying to judge the dancebreak itself and how it functions in the song/performance. In the case of Armenia, I would argue Brunette’s dancebreak is a creative interpretation of the SloMo Dancebreak. Nothing about Chanel’s performance felt like it was copy-pasted into “Future Lover,” and Brunette herself is clearly a capable and confident dancer. The song already being unconventional can be a risk to appeal to juries and televoters for different reasons, but that didn’t stop Brunette from adding some creative and unexpected flare to the performance. In my thoughtful opinion, I could’ve seen Armenia finishing Top 10 with juries, but alas, the points given have been given. Ultimately, what I think saves “Future Lover” from being a copycat dancebreak is the fact that it is a song that attempts to create a dancebreak unique to the song and performer; there aren’t many other songs and dancebreaks that sound/look like “Future Lover.”

RESULT: CREATIVE!

PART II: UNICORN

Free Palestine.

Anyway! With the important business out of the way, let’s talk about Israel’s song. And no, I’m not gonna waste your time asking you if “you wanna see me” talk about my Eurovision hyperfixation for another essay. You’re already here, you’re already on part two, I know you wanna see me talk about Eurovision. However, if I were to ask you three times if you wanted to read my article, I wouldn’t be surprised if you just said no. Anyway, I’ll touch on this lil bit soon. Let’s talk about the song!

I need to begin by talking about the musical horse in the room which is the fact that “Unicorn” is clearly three different songs stitched together, three songs I call “DNA,” “Watch Me,” and finally “Unicorn.” These songs exist within three different parts of the song. “DNA” are verses one and two, including the earworm of “Phenomen- Phenomen- Phenomenal.” “Watch Me” is my nicer name for the dancebreak section, as the first draft name “Black Pink Is Calling Their Lawyers” was too wordy. Lastly, “Unicorn” itself exists in the chorus where the lyrical simile of “stand[ing] like a Unicorn” occurs. While the dissection of “Unicorn” could/probably will be an essay all on its own, I promise you this is important. To give you the SparkNotes edition, here’s what makes me think “Unicorn” is three different songs:

Musically: the instrumentation of the verses, choruses, and dancebreak are all almost completely different. The verses have an electronic composition beat with crisp, punchy music that has no connection or transition into the sudden power ballad it becomes in the chorus. This difference is especially jarring considering that “real” instruments are used in the chorus primarily, whereas the verses have some percussive string instruments here and there as embellishments. The dancebreak is the most egregious offense where this sudden electronic build comes out of nowhere and uses a meter/beat that we haven’t yet heard and could not sound more different from the chorus if it tried. The song jumps genres and compositions with no connecting motifs or callbacks.

Lyrically: We start by singing about our DNA and if you’re gonna do it (spoiler: don’t do it). Then we start singing about…unicorns? And how they stand? And the power of said unicorn? My point here being: the lyrics of the verses and the chorus literally have nothing to do with each other. In verses about writing a new book and how phenomenal it will be, we go back to these comparisons to a unicorn that don’t really mean anything. “I got the power of a unicorn.” What “powers” does a unicorn have? Jesus I’m tired.

So what does this have to do with the dancebreak? I’ll finish explaining once we do a quick compare and contrast. These two dancebreaks are more similar than “Future Lover” was to “SloMo.” No main vocals, a small costume change/reveal, lead act supported by attractive and skilled dancers, the hoes and their impending stunting, and many dance moves that involve impressive stretching and posing of various limbs. However, “Unicorn” goes to numerous lengths to differentiate itself from “SloMo” by doing things such as announcing the dancebreak before it begins; again, the offer seems pretty hollow given the fact that you’re probably gonna start dancing even though I’ve given you a clear “NO” in response. The dancebreak also falls at a notably different point in the song: the end! When you look at the time stamps of the song, Noa stops “singing” at 2:15, meaning the last 45 seconds of that 3-minute Eurovision window has her not singing at all. 45 whole seconds! So where the SloMo break lasts 8 counts of 4, “Unicorn” (starting from “Watch me” and not “You wanna see me dance” because, well, she’s not dancing yet) lasts a whopping 16 counts of 4; literally twice as long as the break in “SloMo.” The routine itself, once you’ve watched it upwards of twelve times like I have (because I take my research seriously, dammit!) you begin to notice these dance moves are more akin to…poses?

Roll with me here: the dancebreak starts, Noa hits that impressive backbend into a frontwards drop, bringing her to the stage floor. So naturally, her next set of moves consist of a backwards roll, some yoga-like poses where she continues to impress with her control by lifting her legs and kicking, then whipping her hair in time with the beat of the song. Up to this point, I’m genuinely impressed. Then, she hits what is literally a downward-facing dog position, and then goes back down onto her knees and slides to the floor to do the splits over her own body. So I don’t think it’s totally unreasonable for a viewer to at this point start to think “Yeah this is really cool, but like, there’s not so much dancing going on.” Then once poor Noa is finally allowed to stand upright, her dancers join back in and they perform a series of synchronized moves to the “U-NI-CORN!” blasting into our ears. So why are we suddenly in this new genre with a new rhythm, new instrumentation, and new pacing while Noa performs a series of admittedly challenging moves but are ultimately glorified “poses.” Also: an assisted backflip at the end? Another thing I didn’t ask for.

So as you can see, “Unicorn” is not an easy one to pin down. Going back to my analysis of the song and how disjointed it feels, I think the dancebreak itself is the most alienating way to end this song, especially because we don’t hear Noa sing literally anything else after she starts dancing. The fact that we’ve just dealt with two sets of verses and choruses that sound like two different songs, this Black Pink homage dancebreak looks flashy but doesn’t actually provide character or flavor to the song as a whole. It brings ah flavor, yes, but I don’t know what I’ve been tasting for the last 2 minutes and 15 seconds, I don’t know what I’m tasting now. Therefore, I shall be labeling “Unicorn” as a hybrid creative copycat. It is definitely creative in the sense that it didn’t attempt to do the same exact thing “SloMo” did in terms of execution, song style, dance style, etc etc. However, what makes it also part copycat is the fact that I don’t know why or how this dancebreak even made it into this song. To me, it almost feels as if the dancebreak was something they knew they wanted to do from the beginning, but then wrote a song that didn’t have natural space for a dancebreak. So they then compressed the verses and choruses to the first 2/3rds of the song and slapped the dance in at the end and called it a day. This reads as fairly inauthentic and ill-considered. Compare this to “Future Lover” and how yes, that song also didn’t “need” a dancebreak, but remember: necessity does not dictate something working or not working. “Future Lover” carved out a natural space and time within the song to create a dancebreak that sonically fits in with the rest of the song and provides a solid build of momentum to the final chorus. “Unicorn” and their K-Pop-influenced dance (which was more posing than anything) sticks out like a sore thumb and attempts to distract from that by being incredibly flashy.

RESULT: CREATIVE COPYCAT

Anyway, creative copycat is what I’m stickin’ with. I’ve already wasted enough of my own time listening to and watching this song several times over. Please tell me I don’t have anything worse waiting for me after this song—

PART III: SOLO

Son of a BITCH--

“Solo” is a song. By definition. And I too found myself asking the wrong question of “Why is this dancebreak here? Was it really needed?” a couple times. And in full transparency, yes: Poland is 37th in my ranking of 2023. However! Let the record here and now show that I will attempt to give this dancebreak a fair shot just as I did for the two prior. In fact, let’s start with a guessing game! I’m going to list out some key characteristics about a dancebreak, and it’s up to you to guess if I’m talking about “SloMo” or “Solo”! Ready? Go! GUESS! THAT! DANCEBREAK!

This dancebreak in question starts with a costume change/reveal and the lead performer flips her hair vivaciously. The music of this dancebreak is nearly entirely percussion; drums, rhythmic clapping, and maybe including one or two musical highlights that exist elsewhere in the song. There’s a quick one-two beat where the dancer thrusts a part of her body in time with the beat, the dancebreak lasts for 8 counts of 4, and it ends with the lead performer being handed her mic from a backup dancer. So now you guess: which dancebreak am I talking about?

…Got a guess? WRONG, it’s: both of them. Here’s the thing: initially I was going to start with a compare and contrast list like I’ve been doing, but I quickly realized that this is all “compare” and no “contrast.” The only thing that might noticeably be different is that Blanka is doing significantly less dancing than Chanel was. This is not an attempt to say that Blanka can’t dance or wasn’t dancing at all. I saw her up there in those heels hitting some moves, she definitely danced. But did she stunt on them hoes? While Chanel was going from upright and down to the floor and back up again, Blanka had no moves that were anywhere near as complex or physically demanding as Chanel. Meanwhile, everything else seems lifted right out of “SloMo” and given an off-orange coat of spray paint and messily slapped together. For fuck’s sake, one song is called “SloMo” and the other is “Solo.” The names literally rhyme and use the same letters, minus a singular “M.” I know, I promised I would be fair and objective about this analysis, but I’m also genuinely just working with the information I’ve been given. If I close my eyes and just listen to the dancebreak, it sounds like I’m listening to a demo of “SloMo.” And if I open my eyes to the onslaught of on-screen effects Poland is treating me to, I see what I interpret as an intermediate backup dancer version of “SloMo.” This dancebreak is almost unapologetically a copycat of “SloMo.”

RESULT: COPYCAT

I’m almost sad that this is the shortest section of the three analyses, but sadly it’s just the most obvious offender. I’ll end this section by sharing two things. First: I don’t harbor any hatred or resentment towards Blanka, she’s just a performer doing what I’m sure is her best. My disappointment is at the greater picture of Poland in Eurovision and how I feel they have incredibly unique things to offer, just like they have in the past. We don’t need this kind of thing from Poland or any other country for that matter. Second: in the second verse, I had always heard the lyric “Bet you regret how” as “Bet you’re a Grey Hound” and I didn’t realize that until the writing of this essay. In my defense, the next line goes “What goes around comes around” which actually rhymes. Whereas “how” and “around” are near rhymes, “hound” is a perfect rhyme, that’s all I’m saying.

PART IV: CONCLUSION

So there we have it. Three different dancebreaks, three different results. I think it would be most helpful to end this essay with re-examining why this question of “creative or copycat” exists, specifically in relation to something like the SloMo Dancebreak. Trends and the recreation of them have always been and forever will be core to the essence of Eurovision. In the process of uniting Europe through music and participating in a cultural exchange, countries trying to put their own spin on successful trends will be inevitable. So let this certainty be a reminder that simply trying to emulate a trend or anything of the sort is never an inherently bad thing. It is not something to be looked down upon or just labeled as unoriginal without thought or consideration. Inside every Eurovision song and performance exists artistic value and intention, to varying degrees, and that is what should decide whether emulating a trend is a positive or negative thing.

If I could somehow magically communicate this message to the artists and delegations of not only Armenia/Israel/Poland, but to all Eurovision competitors, it would be this: Following a trend will simply never be enough. What proves most effective is doing something that elevates and enhances the performance. Despite the fact I think Israel’s dancebreak is a “creative copycat,” I also can’t deny that it objectively did its job the best out of the three we’ve discussed here. But this is also another flawed line of thinking: If a song got a good result, that must mean it did everything creatively, right? Not always! One day when I make a “Unicorn” deconstruction essay, I’ll elaborate on my theory that the song did so well because it’s the most “Eurovision Movie”-sounding of all the 2023 songs, but I digress. Until that essay, thank you for joining me in another EuroQuision think piece! Truly hope this one was phenomen- phenomen- phenomenal for you all to read.

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stupidporcupine · 5 months

Text

Together at the end

Rating: G

Tags/Warnings: Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers, major character death

Wants: I just want they can be together til the end of the line.

DNWs: What happened after Endgame

Summary:

Bucky Barnes – a WW2 veteran just had a weird dream that he became an assassin under a maniac Nazi’s organization and Steve was there... It was so real, but glad that it was just a dream. Now, he can go back to his family and…his Steve.

Thanks to the wonderful mods of Bucky Barnes Events @buckybarnesevents and the Shrinkyclinks Double Fest 2023. I'm so happy to have claimed this amazing art from @dwarvishgeorge. It's been an honor and privilege to work with you again, and your art is gorgeous.

-”You’re my friend…”

-”You’re my mission!” – the Winter Soldier looked violently at Captain America, punched him as hard as he could.

-”Then …finished it…Cuz I’m with you…til the end of the line…” – Captain America looked straight at the Winter Soldier, which confused the assassin so much. ‘How can this man want to be killed. He could have beated him, but why?

Then, the Helicarrier collapsed. Captain America fell into the river.

‘Cuz I’m with you til the end of line, pal’

‘Why does it sound so familiar? Has he heard it before?’ – Winter Soldier thinks.

‘Thank you Buck, I can be on my own now’

‘Don’t do anything stupid til I come back’

‘How can I? You take all the stupid with you.’

“Steve?”

-” Sergeant Barnes? Are you okay?”

Bucky Barnes woke up. He looked around, they were his warbounds, looking at him worriedly.

-”Look like you just have seen a devil” – one soldier said.

-”I guess it was a really bad nightmare.” – said Bucky. He calmed everyone that he was fine, but only he knew that he wasn’t. Everything he saw was so real. Himself as an assassin tortured by Nazis, a metal arm, and big strong Steve that tried to stop him but his crazy mind keep hurting Steve. That was definitely a nightmare – he thought. Although he always wanted Steve to be healthy, but a giant Steve like that…it’s impossible for his condition. And he would NEVER EVER hurt Steve, even never think about it. So maybe it was just a bad dream that showed him everything he never wanted to see. That’s all!

‘Kiss me once, then kiss me twice

Then kiss me once again

It's been a long, long time’

After nearly four years, the war was finally over. Bucky and his peers can finally go home. The ship finally stopped at New York habour. Bucky was really excited to see his family and…his Steve.

-”Mom…Dad…girls…It’s good to see you!!!” – Bucky hugged all of his family the moment they reunited at the habour. After experiencing a deadly war and that terrible nightmare, he cherished this like it was the most precious moment ever.

Dad drove the family to their home. Bucky asked them about another person, the one he vowed to protect.

-”Guys, how is Steve?” – Bucky can’t not help it but asked about Steve, that punk. He did also hope to see him at the habour, but Steve was not there. Maybe because his condition was not good again, or he was making troubles somewhere, or even worse, he joined the army and became a what…super soldier?. Oh, snap it out, it was just a bad dream.

-”Oh, I thought you was gonna ask about him sooner” – laughed Rebecca. “Steve was the same without you, but you know, no one was there for him the deal with trouble, but mostly, he’s fine, we also supported him when he got sick. His health is not good these days, that why he cannot come and see you. He must be very happy if you come and see him.”

Rebecca was right, he needed to see Steve right now. He really missed that punk.

*cough…cough*

-”Rebecca? Is that you? Did Bucky come…back?”

Steve cannot say a word right now…It’s him…It’s Buck.

-”I heard that you have done some stupid things while I’m gone.” – Bucky smirk.

-”BUCKY!!!” –Steve burst into tears, seemed to forget that he was sick, ran forward and hugged Bucky like he never hugged him before. It’s been a long time since Bucky last wrote him. There was rumours that his unit was captured and was tortured. But now Bucky is here, and if it was a dream, Steve would never want to wake up.

Bucky hugged Steve back. He was thinner than the last time he saw him. It must be so hard for him to be on his own during cold winter. Bucky knew that Steve is a strong man, but everyone needs helps sometimes. Steve must have refused the support from his family because he didn’t want to be treated like a weak kid. That punk,…always stupid.

However, Bucky was glad to see a small Steve, not that big guy that was called Captain in his nightmare. Because in that nightmare, Steve stupidly joined a deadly experiment, then was treated like a clown, and then sneaked in Nazis’ lair alone just to find him. Bucky never wanted Steve to run into a deadly war like that, never wanted him to see deadly scene. So, in a way, he was glad that Steve can stay at home safely.

Bucky missed his punk so much, he could not help himself but laying a kiss on Steve’s lips. To Steve’s astonishment, he said: “It must be God’s gift that I can be alive and go home. I just want to be by your side. Will you let me be with you til the end of the line?”

Bucky knew Steve did not have any prejudice on this kind of emotion, but would he accept his feelings? Bucky didn’t why he dared to do this, maybe he that nightmare gave him a belief that Steve also had the same feelings.

-”I miss you too, jerk” – Steve kissed him back.

After returning from the war, Bucky got benefits from the government such as higher education and housing. Now, he can have a place of his own, where he can take a better care for Steve. He heard about an island called Hawaii, where the weather was sunny all year long. Therefore, he wanted to live there, with Steve so his health can be improved.

Bucky worked very hard to earn money to support for his small family (in secret) and savings for Hawaii. Steve also have drawing jobs. Bucky knew that Steve loved it, but he worried about his health more. However, Steve is happy, so Bucky is happy.

Finally, it was a sunny day in 1950, they can have a new life in Hawaii.

The weather is really good for Steve’s health, the asthma was lessen. Everything here is relaxing, life is slower and people are friendlier. The native people there was open with the kind of feelings that they were having, which was amazing.

It was a nice, quiet, and peaceful life that Bucky always wanted.

But nothing lasts forever.

On Steve’s 50th birthday, they celebrated it in the hospital. Steve used to say on his 15th birthday that it would be a miracle if he can live until he was 50. But now, he is 50, and may leave this life at any moment. But he regrets nothing, accept the fact that he always feel like he has been a burden for Bucky because everything that Bucky did was for him. He wished that he was stronger to make Bucky happier. But, Bucky stopped Steve to say more. He got all he needed for this life, is to be til the end of the line with Steve. All he wanted is Steve to be healthy and stay with him longer.

Outside, fireworks were displayed colorfully in the sky, and inside, Steve had been into a forever sleep with a smile on his face.

Bucky held Steve’s hand, which was cold now.

What could he do now? How can he move on without Steve? What should he do now?

Suddenly, Bucky saw a light outside, in the sky. It’s not fireworks or something, it’s just stay there. Bucky thought that his eyes had problems, since he is old now.

-”Bucky…Bucky…” – he heard a voice outside. That familiar voice, how can he not recognize. But it’s not from the one on “sleeping” on the bed. It’s from the light, that light outside. Curiously, Bucky opened the window, in that light, he saw Steve, but not the same as his Steve. It’s the tall and big one that he once having a nightmare about it in the 40s.

-”Bucky…we will be til the end of the line together, won’t we?” – that Steve said. Bucky knows that smile, that eyes, it was always Steve, just a different body. Steve would always want to be strong like that. His heart and mind never fits his body. This must be how he would have become if he was fully healthy.

-”Sure, why not?” – Bucky takes “big Steve” hand and go into the light…

I guess that your mind is in peace now, and you can see you punk in Astral Dimension. Sleep well Bucky Barnes, you finally can be at the end of the line with Steve Rogers.

I confirm that Bucky Barnes or Winter Soldier is dead now. There is no reason for me to stay in this dead universe anymore.

You might be wondering who I am and what I am talking about. So, let me introduce myself.

I am an inter-universe creature, who can travel across the multiverse. You can say that I, myself is a dark matters between world, who goes around, see things and escape from danger. With my power combined with my device, I accidently landed on this universe, where Ultron won and annihilated everything. On this planet Earth, somehow, Bucky Barnes still alive and he is also a Winter Soldier in this universe. I found him under the radiation snow, he was still fine, but seems lost. I tried to talk to him and looks like he was still finding his lost memories, just like his versions in many other universes. He did remember about Steve, his little Steve, which was Captain America.

But well, in this hopeless universe, there is no more Steve for him to find, and now, he is all alone, in this world, waiting for death, a sad lonely deadth. Therefore, I decided to help him a little bit, by injected a dose of strong LSD, REALLY strong LSD. I did have a little affect on his mind, and with LSD, he can have a illusion in his mind about the life he always wanted with Steve. At least he died happily.

When the time comes, I touch his hand, take him to death with my power, a soft death, with a smile on his face. I guess you saw your Steve in Astral Plane.

Well, this universe is dead now. I need to move to another one. Good night Bucky Barnes, I hope in a universe that I will come, you will be truly happy.

-THE END-

#bucky barnes events #stucky

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