#because he's our lark

[inthishousewelovejoeybatey]

i have recently started working at a flower shop and while i love the idea that dandelions and cornflowers are the signature for our lovely bard, i would like to raise you

blue candle larkspur

[nat-without-a-g]

I probably shouldn’t find this funny, but as someone who was Terrified of learning to drive, I could never imagine being in TJ’s position. Your first time driving, you are the oldest of your peers, and you EXPLODE THE ENGINE? I would never sit behind the wheel again. There’d be no recovering. Even IF someone manages to force me to take lessons long enough to re-learn and get a license, I’d never want to sit in the driver’s seat again in my life, I’d burn the liscense.

Aaaand I just realized that I think TJ is the only dad we never see drive a vehicle in season 2 so he probably feels the same way I do.

[echolett]

I think out of all the characters in dndads I feel like I get Grant, Lark, hermie and Scary the most

[luveline]

May I pretty please request an emergency medicine doctor!reader x Hotch blurb? I’d love to see both of them in careers that are difficult, yet despite that they still manage to be together because they understand each other so much. Maybe something with the rest of the team as well if it’s possible 🫶🏼🥹

Emily used to think Hotch would never be happy again. She’d drive him home after work, pick him up in the mornings, and she’d think about how miserable he was, the kind of misery that hooks you in its grip, has you turning to wine or whiskey just to keep breathing. 

She thought for sure he’d buckle. When Hayley died, he’d have to. How could you not? But he kept going and proved she should’ve had more faith in him, becoming the father Jack deserves, and, surprisingly, your partner. 

“You’re squeezing me too tight,” you mumble, just loud enough for Emily and the others to hear you where Hotch hugs you a few feet from the dinner table. “Why are you trying to break my back?” 

“I haven’t seen you in three weeks.” 

“Eighteen days is not three weeks.” 

“It might as well be.” Hotch peels away from you to give you a once over. Emily’s half jealousy and half fondness, seeing him love someone so obviously. “Are you hungry? I ordered for you.” 

“Super hungry. Do I smell like antiseptic?” 

“No, just soap.” 

“Well, that’s not much better.” 

Hotch puts his arm behind your back and guides you to the table. The team squeeze out hellos between mouthfuls and you take your place at Hotch’s side behind a steaming plate. You’re as ravenous as the rest of them after your long shift; Morgan can hardly get a word out of you for the first ten minutes, though he tries, and you attempt to be polite. Emily nudges him until he gets the hint to stop. 

“Here,” Hotch says, putting a heaping of his food onto your plate with a large spoon. 

“Stop.” You attack his spoon with a fork. 

“It’s fine, you like it more than I do.” 

“Don’t care. You need your energy. I’m going to make you carry me up the stairs home.” 

He’s unintimidated. “Ah.” 

“Ah,” you echo. “You sound so doubtful.” 

Hotch looks like he might try to keep flirting with you, but he gives in quickly, betraying how much he’s missed you with a hand slipping under the table. Emily sees his fingers curl over your knee, averting her gaze with a feigned sip of coke. 

She can deduce the silent question you ask one another about anyways. 

“We’ll have dessert,” you say. We won’t skip out early. “What are you having, Dr. Reid?” 

Hotch orders you three different things, which you eat fast. 

“They’re not feeding you at the hospital?” Rossi asks. 

“Three emergency transfers in twelve hours,” you explain, slouching now into Hotch’s side, one slow inch at a time. “I didn’t have time for much.” 

“That’s not healthy,” Hotch murmurs in concern. 

“I’m sure I can ask any of your friends about your eating habits and find a similar schedule,” you brush him off, raising your gaze to Emily, then Morgan, then Rossi and Reid. Everyone smiles the same way. Hotch is caught, and his laugh jostles your shoulder. 

“Have you ever heard the saying, ‘do as I say, and not as I do?’” he asks. 

God, Emily thinks with a huff of a laugh she can’t contain, get a room. 

“He likes that one,” Spencer says. 

“I don’t doubt it.” You lift your lips to his jaw and press a peck to the line of it. One, then two. “Maybe that’s why we've lasted as long as we have. Mutual disregard for our wellbeing.” 

“And a great deal of care for each other,” Rossi says, nodding sagely. “This is why my marriages never last.” 

“Is that why?” Spencer asks. 

“You’ve gotten to be quite the lark.”

“Lark,” Hotch whispers to you. Emily, sitting at his other side, might be the only one who hears, the others distracted by Spencer and Rossi’s ensuing squabble.

“Scoundrel,” you agree. 

“How’s your head now?” 

“It’s gonna be a hundred percent better if you give me that,” you say, pointing hopefully at his full drink. 

He doesn’t hesitate to press it into your hand. Emily would never suspect you hadn’t seen one another for weeks; you move and he follows. You rub your cheek against his shoulder. He touches his nose to your hair, his eyes shuttering closed for one stolen, blissful second. “Missed you,” he says under his breath. 

Emily looks away with a smile. Hotch isn’t hopelessly miserable anymore. 

[wordsinhaled]

anyone else still think about "don't you think she looks tired?" or just me?

it was the very first episode of his run and ten was already dark as hell

"don't you think she looks tired?" lives in my mind absolutely rent-free because he was so new to himself, still learning what sort of man he was then. and apparently he was already the “destabilize the government for a lark because our moralities don’t line up” sort

[sagaduwyrm]

On the Grounds Where We Feel Safe

When Tim gets a letter claiming to hold his soulmate, who he's never met, hostage, he's skeptical. It turns out pretty great though. Now if he can just make sure not to make a fool of himself.

We have your soulmate , the letter claimed. It seemed ludicrous. Tim hadn’t even met his soulmate yet, and it wasn’t like Red Robin’s mark had ever been exposed. There was no way some D-list villain could have found whoever it was. Really, he should only be going to this for the chance to catch the annoying asshole.

It just seemed like a weird lie, was the thing. If they just wanted to lure him out, there had to be more believable options. Claiming to have captured one of the other members of Young Justice or another bat would have made the most sense. His teammates went no-contact for various reasons all the time, so it’s not like he could double-check.

But no. They had his soulmate, apparently. It just seemed inane.

They were more competent than expected. Tim snuck into the facility with the ease of long practice, but they must have had magic wards because he tripped some kind of alarm barely a few minutes in. He would have noticed a technological system, but his abilities with magic were more limited, like most bats. In the immortal words of Jason Todd, ‘Just set it on fire and call Zatanna if that doesn’t work.’

Tim was eighty percent sure Jason was the only bat with any real degree of familiarity with magic, but that was neither here nor there. It just made the advice more accurate.

It was kicking his ass now though. Usually he’d be doing this with a team, hopefully with at least one person who could have noticed wards, but he had drastically underestimated the size and threat of this operation.

Generic security guards dragged him through the halls, and he did his best to memorize the layout. He’d taken out the first few thugs, but frankly, he was only human, and he needed to save his energy for something more useful. In the meantime, he pressed the only emergency beacon he had that would eventually worm through the wards to call his family and examined the halls they were dragging him through. The atrocious minimalism and poor layout design were making it irritatingly difficult to keep them straight in his head.

There were four villains in the room he was brought to, three more than he was expecting. One wore a thick cloak she’d probably bought off Etsy and a cheap Eye of Horus necklace, and Tim instantly pegged her as responsible for his magic problems.

“Woooow. You assholes know how to make a Robin feel loved. What’s the occasion? Is it Christmas? You shouldn’t have.” Tim bared his teeth in a smile that had his guards leaning away from him. If he could just get them talking, this would be a lot easier.

One, the leader, threw back her head and cackled. “What’s the occasion? What’s the occasion? Didn’t you read our note? Meeting your soulmate is the chance of a lifetime! We're doing you a favor, don’t you think?” She grinned down at him. He tilted his head, bird-like.

“You know, I’m pretty sure I could swing a better meeting than this. Get some candles, jazz up the place a little bit. Your interior decorating is kind of shit.” Tim channeled the robin spirit of his predecessors and took a shot at annoying them. Instead, the woman’s demented grin grew wider.

“But your blood will look so pretty on the floors! Do you think we’ll kill him or you first? I can’t decide!” Her teeth had red in them, Tim noticed. She turned to the guards at the door. “Bring him in!”

Fuck. So they did have a hostage. Probably some poor civilian who’d got dragged into these assholes' lark and was going to need years of therapy after this. Fuck his life.

A few tense minutes later the guards walked back in carrying a black teenager maybe a little taller than Tim between them. He was struggling, doing his level best to kick at their ankles and jab at their kidneys, but the mercs didn’t even shift. Tim was grateful the hostage was a fighter at least, that could make it easier to evacuate him.

The lead villain strolled over to the civilian. Honestly, Tim wasn’t sure why the rest were here. They practically faded into the walls. She seized the boy’s chin and he tried to spit at her. She laughed. “Our little witch spent months divining for this! Ready?” She cackled and dragged his face over to meet Tim’s eyes. They both froze.

His eyes were green, Tim noticed, and lined thickly in black, like kohl. They dug into Tim's chest like his heart was moving to make room for another, two hearts beating as one. Everything felt more vibrant and alive. Tim couldn’t breathe.

The leader was still laughing, he noticed distantly. She had slumped back against the wall to keep from falling over, and her entire body shook with contortions. Her eyes were bright with bloodlust.

Tim was fucked. He was so completely fucked. Not only because this guy was stupid pretty and he could practically feel his higher brain functions turning off, leaving him a steaming pile of bisexual goo, but because his soulmate was barely five feet from a villain who practically dripped insanity, and he still had thirty seconds to go before he got his hands untied. Absolutely, completely, and totally fucked.

The other boy had stilled when their eyes met, but he tensed again as one of the other villains stalked towards him.

“I knew it,” the man snarled. “I knew it. I wonder, if I hurt you, will Red Robin bleed?”

The boy's eyes widened before hardening. Tim desperately hoped he didn’t do anything stupid. His call signal still needed more time to get through to his family. 

“Don’t damage him just yet!” the leader called out. “Start with his fingers and toes, we want this to last .” Her grin was alarmingly demented.

The other boy finally had enough. “Yeah, let’s not.” He kicked out at the ankle of the guard holding onto him, causing the man to release him. At the same time, Tim made his move. Fuck, civilians with no sense of self-preservation were the bane of any vigilante, but it being his soulmate was somehow worse. If he could just get over there in time—

A rush of sand curled up around the boy, as if from nowhere, and launched the villain near him into a wall. His eyes glowed golden, and his stance indicated some training. Not a civilian, then. 

Tim kept moving. He dumped half a dozen taser bugs on anyone in reach, leaving them keeled over on the ground, and darted forward. The guards had left the door open when they brought the other boy in. Tim grabbed him and launched out the door, practically carrying him, while the boy did something over his shoulder to hold off pursuers. The way out was blocked, but the facility was huge. They eventually managed to lose the villains, tucked up in some kind of meat locker. They curled up against the walls, catching their breath.

“You know, this was not how I expected our first meeting to go,” the other boy said.

Tim laughed, “I’ll be honest, with my luck this isn’t really a surprise.” The other boy snorted. He was beautiful when he laughed. It was an ugly sort of giggle, the kind the media would mock a person for, the kind his parents trained out of him as their heir, but it lit up his face in a way that made Tim stare. He belatedly remembered to introduce himself. “Red Robin.”

“From Gotham, right? Call me Pharaoh.”

Tim squinted at him. He was putting on a good show of confidence, but there was a tenseness to his body that couldn’t be hidden, and some of the summoned sand floating near him was curling into tight knots. “Haven’t heard that code name before. You new?”

Pharaoh waved his hand in a so-so gesture. “It’s mostly just that I stick to my hometown. We’re tiny, so we stay off the radar. And I usually manage to stay out of the news anyway.”

Tim nodded, but his eyes sharpened. Deliberately keeping out of the news wasn’t exactly a red flag, but it usually indicated something about the person in question. If you had a code name that you were clearly used to, but didn’t use for the public… There weren’t exactly any conclusions he could draw yet, but he tucked the knowledge away into the back of his brain anyway. “Do you have anyone you can call?” he asked.

The boy grimaced. “Not really. Two are out of the country, one doesn’t carry a phone, and the other is the only person back home right now and I can’t ask her to leave.”

Reasonable. The bats refuse to leave Gotham without at least one of them too. “I sent out a call, but it’s going to take a bit for it to get past the wards.”

“Can I see? I might be able to speed it up.”

Tim handed over his beacon. “You’re a magic user?” He was guessing sand-manipulating meta, but magic made sense too.

“Uh-huh. I’m not the greatest with wards, but I am a dab hand at tech,” Pharaoh said while prying open the beacon. As he held it, golden light crept from his hands into the wires, forming shapes that looked like some of the hieroglyphics his parents used to obsess over. Tim was vaguely surprised. Constantine had once mentioned that there were only a few people in the world who could do any kind of technomagic. Even the magic on his gear was secondary to the tech rather than embedded in it.

Tim got up and started looking around the room as Pharaoh worked. They couldn’t stay here for long. He moved some furniture around to block the door. It should collapse on the head of anyone who tried to get in. He shifted one of the ceiling tiles around and found there was a good amount of space between the floors. Perfect.

Pharaoh shouted in delight and Tim turned to see the connection light on the beacon turn on. Assuming there wasn’t some kind of emergency, they should have backup reasonably soon. The other boy was still grinning, “Dude, I think I’m in love with your tech. This is amazing.”

“If you like that you should see the batcomputer.”

“Can I? I do most of my stuff on a PDA I retrofitted, this is so much better it’s not even funny.”

“A PDA?” Tim blinked in confusion. How would you even—? He shook his head and gestured at the ceiling. “We need to get moving. They’ll have an easier time finding us if we stay here.”

Pharaoh nodded, still smiling from his apparent enjoyment of working with basic tech with little to no computational abilities. He clambered his way up with apparent experience. Tim wondered what kind of problems his hometown had that they needed a magic user who could do parkour.

Where Pharaoh needed a lift Tim scampered up. The sorcerer whistled quietly. “What kind of training do you even have?”

“Assasination, mostly,” Tim said as he started leading the way through the crawl space, carefully showing Pharaoh where to put his feet to make the least amount of noise.

“I thought bats didn’t kill?”

“Knowing how to kill is actually more useful in not killing people than not knowing how to kill, believe it or not.” Lady Shiva hated that.

“Huh. That sounds useful. I have to use specific spells when I want to just knock someone out, and I’m not as good at them so it’s a bit of a pain.”

“You like magic?” Data gathering, data gathering, if he was asking questions he wasn’t thinking about how nice Pharaoh’s voice was or how pretty his eyes were.

“Yeah. It’s like a puzzle, you know? There’s a lot of similarities to coding if you had to argue with the computer the whole time.”

Tim snorted.

They stilled at the sound of someone passing under them, and when they were gone Tim turned around for a second. “Hey, what do you think about picking some of these guys off?” He’d originally planned to keep them out of the fight until backup arrived, but he was getting the impression more and more that Pharaoh was competent enough to keep up for a bit.

Pharaoh grinned, and it was a sharp, unkind thing. For a moment he looked as regal as a king about to declare war, and Tim wondered if there was more to the code name than he had assumed. “I thought you’d never ask.”

+++

“Where are they?!” the leader of the villains roared. “The facility is completely locked down, they couldn’t have gotten far!”

The guards winced and opened their mouths to explain when the door slammed open and one of the other villains ran in. He was bleeding, with weeping sores up and down his arms and crush damage on his fingers. “They’re picking off the guards!”

“What? What the fuck happened to you?” The leader screamed. The witch villain, who had been melting into the wall, ran over to attempt healing magic. The others barely noticed her.

“Three-quarters of our men are unconscious, and won’t wake up. And that little ‘civilian’ soulmate tried to crush me with sand!”

The witch spoke quietly. “He must have cursed you too. This isn’t healing.” The villain looked down at his wounded arms and screamed. Golden hieroglyphs climbed their way out of the blood and up his arm, and he felt his body go numb. Within thirty seconds he had keeled over unconscious except for the occasional scream, like he was struggling with nightmares wherever his mind had gone.

“No no no no no! This was supposed to be it! Our big break! You!” The leader turned to the witch. “You said he was a civilian! This was supposed to be easy!”

Out of nowhere the ceiling above them crumbled and down came several bats and members of Young Justice. When they finally got the beacon it took them almost an hour to get to the location, leaving them tense and ready to take it out on Tim's captors.

“I hope we aren’t interrupting anything!”

The door banged open again as they finished mopping up the remaining villains and mercenaries. Red Robin and a boy in civilian clothes tumbled through the door.

“Hey! You’re late!” Tim yelled.

Robin hissed at his older brother. “You needed help to save a single civilian then?”

Tim grinned an unholy grin. “Oh, right. This is Pharaoh. He’s my soulmate.”

The room burst into yelling.

[captainofthetidesbreath]

It's really funny that to us, the audience, the situation here is, to put it humorously, "the three protagonists, also Spahr is here" — because I've realized... Weepe barely knows who Phineas is.

Like, Phineas to him is "Spahr's missing Adsecla who raided the cabaret because Imelda told him to, attacked Sherman, ran off, then showed up at the Vault bombing" end of description. They've said about a hundred words altogether to one another.

Weepe knows Jonas Spahr. That's the former Prime Consector; the smug asshole who helped Imelda lock him in the Arca to teach him a lesson; the guy who's Valor he was given, who's former residence he's living in, who's status and job he has as (at minimum) a spiritual successor; someone who dramatically refused Weepe's direct orders. This is someone Weepe actually knows as a person. They have a relationship, personal grievances even. He's spent more time with Spahr than he has with Lark and Phineas combined.

For all our jokes about this confrontation being "the three protagonists and some guy", from Weepe's perspective, the people here are: himself the Tripotentiary, Lark the Imbalance, and Spahr the ex-Consector. To Weepe, the Some Guy here is Phineas.

[stickandthorn]

We did already know this based on the fact that he bagged both Lark and Harry, but the latest appendix really is just rubbing it in our faces that if there’s one thing Sherman’s got in abundance it’s game. He incurred caenum for getting too much pussy + dick. they needed to take his ego down a peg. He sold out Lark because he was tired of being the most sought after person on Midst. The sex appeal of the Black Candle Cabaret? That was all him baby. And he even cares lovingly for his daughter and braids her hair? Absolutely unfuckwithable. Where do I sign up.

[essektheylyss]

Every week I have to talk about a really stellar craft element of Midst and this week is no exception, but it is astounding how well-broadcast the fate of our heroes were without undercutting the stakes at all. I'd figured out exactly who was going to live and die, down to guessing that Lark would "make it", but would be irrevocably changed by the Fold to the point where it's not clear if she is still alive, and I don't think that's some kind of prescience on my part—it's just good follow through on the characters' journeys.

But at the same time, the final battle was appropriately unsettled enough that, when they had to flee the cabin, I thought perhaps that was it. When Weepe took the mace to Spahr's knee, I genuinely thought that he was a goner after all. When the syringe found its way into Phineas's neck, I feared that I'd been wrong, that all hope was lost, and that he wasn't actually going to live long enough to find his fresh start.

I think it's partially because Midst really eschews any sort of didacticism. You do get the sense that the narrators are simply reporting what happened, even if they're putting their own spin on things. Had the story of Midst ended only in tragedy, with all of its protagonists dead, there would've been no obfuscation of the reality of that. There is no shying away or denial of the events, even when they may fade to black, and I think this is its own skill as well—to make clear exactly what needs to be made clear, and to obscure what should remain obscured.

It takes an incredible sense of insight into how stories are told to determine those things without revealing oneself as the architect of every choice even though that is the reality of storytelling, and I think in this case, the fact that the architects are so present and have been so from the beginning does the story a service in that regard.

[augustinewrites]

“hey,” you murmur, shaking alhaitham’s shoulder. “you need to get up soon so we can–”

“i only run if i’m being chased.”  

you frown as he turns away from you. “but studies show that morning jogs–”

“i am well aware of what the studies say, and i am electing to ignore their findings.”

“well, i’m a doctor, and i’m telling you that running is good for you. it increases mental focus and productivity–” 

your gaze turns hopeful when he finally lifts his head from the pillow, uttering the words, “against medical advice.” 

“haitham,” you pout. “what’s the point of me finally staying the night if we can’t do fun things together in the morning?” 

“if running was what you had in mind, then this is going to be the first and last time you stay over.” 

you grumble something mean under your breath. alhaitham grumbles back, an i love you too, followed by a let me sleep, woman. it’s the weekend.

“fine,” you huff, crossing your arms over your chest. “then i’ll just go over to cyno’s place and see if he wants to join me. he’s probably a much better jogging partner than you anyway. he’s so fast that he once helped the traveler escape from the heart of a crumbling pyramid.”

you let that bit of information turn over in his mind, leaving the bedroom and grinning triumphantly when you hear him curse, the bed creaking as he gets up. 

satisfied, you turn into the bathroom–

–to find someone already in there, about to help themselves to the geothermal mud mask you’d gotten from inazuma. your shocked gaze meets his and—

you both scream. 

“who are you?” you question, grabbing a copy of sapiens, which would be an effective weapon if you intended to bore him to death. “what are you doing here?”

“me?” he asks incredulously. “i unfortunately live here, so who are you and what are you doing here?” 

“oh, good. you two have met.” 

you both whirl around to face him, hands on your hips. “haitham, who is this?”

the stranger makes an offended noise. “alhaitham, do be sure that your escort keeps the details of our living arrangement to themselves.” 

“escort?” you gasp, alhaitham plucking the book from your hand before you can throw it at this strange man. “i am a doctor!” 

the stranger looks you up and down. “so…alhaitham didn’t pay you to sleep with him?”

you each size the other up equally scrutinizing squints, the acting grand sage pinching the bridge of his nose and sighing tiredly. “this is my roommate, kaveh.”

wait, you’ve heard that name before. gossip about akademiya alumni spread like wildfire in sumeru. you snap your fingers, pointing at him. “oh! i know you. you’re that architect who went broke funding his own project.”

“not broke, per se,” he sniffs, turning away from you rather indignantly. i am temporarily prudent.”

you look to your boyfriend, who shakes his head slightly and mouths, don’t ask.

then he tells kaveh your name, that you work at the bimarstan, and that you’re seeing each other. 

anyone else would have simply take he’d said at face value, because the scribe didn’t dance around points or over-complicate his explanations. he wasn’t exactly one to joke, either. 

but the broke architect immediately doubles over, laughing so hard that his face is the shade of a zaytun peach. “now there’s a lark! you with a— with a—”

“a significant other? yes.”

his laughter quickly dies as alhaitham winds a possessive arm around your waist, looking between the two before meeting the scribe’s unflinchingly flat gaze. you watch as his prior amusement dropped from his face, only to be replaced by disbelief. 

kaveh drew a breath and pressed his hands together. “when you say those words, what do you mean by them? 

alhaitham expression was inscrutable as always, but the corners of his lips were curved upwards the slightest bit. “i could not have oversimplified it more. if you require more detail, perhaps we could discuss it over coffee at puspa cafe?”

“only if you’re paying,” he answered testily, to which the scribe rolls his eyes. 

“of course. if the matter of payment were up to you, we’d just be thieves.”

kaveh sent him a rude gesture— one completely unbefitting of someone so respected within the akademiya.

then alhaitham returned it. 

the blonde turns on his heel to leave with a huff, stomping through the house and slamming the door behind him. alhaitham moves quickly, locking it behind him.

“are we not going to join him?” you ask, watching curiously as your boyfriend saunters back toward the bedroom, a satisfied look on his face.

“nope. he left his keys here. so if you want to do something fun,” he nods his head toward the bedroom. “now would be the time. cyno and kaveh can wait.”

and, well, you can’t say no to that, can you?

[vidavalor]

Muriel and My Fair Lady

We've been talking a bit about The Maltese Falcon and North by Northwest and other film homages in the series and how what a bunch of them have in common is unique use of language-- verbal and visual-- to tell their story. There's another musical/film that I think S2 is referencing a bit that is all about language and that is My Fair Lady.

The romance in My Fair Lady is terrible-- I hope we all can agree on that in our modern era lol-- but that's not really the main aspect of the story that is being referenced in GO, I don't think. My Fair Lady is full of language jokes, including the titles of two of the songs-- "A Hymm to Him", which plays with homophony, and "The Ascot Gavotte", which is about the horse race setting of that part of the story-- The Ascots-- but is, additionally, a joke on the fact that an ascot is also a term for one kind of a secret language. It's also the only real gavotte in a famous musical and we know that's Aziraphale's favorite kind of dance. Much of the story of the film also leads towards a ball at an embassy-- though one that goes a bit better than S2's disaster of a party.

In S2, Crowley and Aziraphale are kind of a more likable version of Higgins and Pickering as Muriel becomes a bit of an Eliza Doolittle. I think the "cupperty" scene is something of a nod to the scene in which Higgins tries to get Eliza to pronounce "cup of tea" differently in My Fair Lady.

Additionally, later in the season, Muriel wants to try breakfast and gets rebuffed, which is kind of like how Higgins and Pickering don't think to give Eliza some of their afternoon tea. Eliza ends up looking at the tea, which is actually Muriel's preference when they first arrive in S2.

My Fair Lady is about a phonetics professor who places a bet with his friend as to whether or not he can change the speech patterns of a Cockney-accented woman enough to pass her off as a duchess at an embassy ball. It's overflowing with linguistics jokes. Eliza agrees to try to undergo this change because she has her own aspiration-- she wants to work in a flower shop.

At the start of the film, she is homeless and selling flowers on the street. She lacks the social refinement necessary to be hired as a shopkeeper-- kind of like how Muriel is on the outside looking in on the Whickber Street shops in S2. Being able to work in a flower shop would give her a new lease on life and when Muriel is in the street on the night of The Meeting Ball, look at the flower market lit up behind them when a kinder and far more likable version of Professor Higgins-- the wordplay-happy Crowley-- approaches:

Unlike Eliza, who wished to sell flowers, Muriel loves books and, at the end of S2, Muriel is the one who winds up running the bookshop... which is a far better ending than Eliza Doolittle gets in My Fair Lady, if you ask me. (She should have gotten a job and married Freddy, dammit. Bonus points to Good Omens as well for recognizing that the real ship in My Fair Lady is Higgins & Pickering.)

Poor Crowley's also kind of a version of Freddy in S2, just with the romance not being with Muriel but the Muriel-paralleling Aziraphale. Madly in love and thrown over at the end for a grumpy old man-- despite being a total dish, a total gentleman, and having the best song in the film. (Not really in the long run but, ya know, kinda lol.) There's even a version of Freddy's gorgeous song by Crowley's favorite, Nat King Cole.

Can you hear a lark in any other part of town? Does enchantment pour out of every door? No, it's just on the street where you live...

[dgrailwar]

Round 6, Day 2 - Pretender versus MoonCancer

The doorbell rang.

"If that's an enemy, I'm going to go freaking berserk. I haven't even had a chance to boot up my computer yet."

The statue slid over to the door, as it opened.

"Hello, my Masters told me to come start a fight with y--"

"GO AWAYYYYYYY!"

A mighty blow with the strength of a freight train was swung from the elephant god, the fae king barely dodging out of the way as the shockwave caused the ground to shudder and rumble. In an attempt to get away, the Pretender fled to more open ground, as the MoonCancer slowly stalked towards him- fuming.

"Just… leave… me… alone! I swear-- I got summoned who Masters who want to lounge around and hang out with me! People who want to spend time with me! This is the closest thing to 'friendship' I've had in a depressingly long time! And I can't take advantage of it, because you all come in and ruin it! 'Oooh, you're such a threat', 'Oooh, you're boring so you should die', 'Oooh, stab her and kill her and beat her up', 'Oooh, can we use you as our punching bag?'-- I'm sick of it!"

"So, Masters, you know-- in literature, the number 'three' is often given importance. For a number of reasons we don't have time to talk about now, but long story short, big things tend to happen at 'number three'--"

The MoonCancer finally caught up, her body radiating pure divine magic.

"Fine! You wanna keep poking the god-- you got it! I'll use my divine might to send out a real warning! You're obstacles in the way of my chill-out time, so I'll just remove you, dammit!"

"That's just to say, Masters… I'm getting the feeling we're unlucky number three… and we woke the sleeping bear-- or, uh, elephant?"

The Servant boosts are...

Oberon: +3%

Ganesha: +6%

Ganesha gains +1 'Prosperity'! Due to being attacked, her skills will reset at the end of the round!

Servant Skills:

Oberon (Pretender)

Evening Shroud (EX Rank) - In the cover of night, even the most unconfident warriors can at least feign greatness. When engaged in a Free-for-All, gain a +3% boost.

Morning Lark (EX Rank) - As morning comes, as does a boost in morale. Demerits against Oberon are reduced in effectiveness by 3%, and he gains a +3% boost in one-on-one battles.

A Midsummer Night's Dream (EX Rank): Rather than just reducing the effectiveness of Servant-imposed demerits, he is immune to them entirely. Additionally, the conditions for his secret skill are revealed as such:

Survive for 3 rounds. (Achieved)

Take 1 wound. (Achieved)

Win 1st place in a Free-for-All.

Win in a One-on-One.

T■■■ N■■■ D■■■■■■■■■■ (???) - One condition met (Survive 3 rounds, take 1 wound). Other conditions not met (2/4 remaining).

Ganesha (MoonCancer)

Vinayaka (EX Rank): When 'Playing Defensively' gain a +5% bonus to scores, and you cannot be caught off guard. If you are unbothered, then this increases by 1% each time you are not attacked, resetting back to 5% once you're engaged in combat. However, this negates the inherent MoonCancer trait of ‘being unable to be targeted while Playing Defensively’. (Current boost: +6%)

Broken Tusk (B Rank): When engaged in a 1-on-1 confrontation (while not Playing Defensively), gain a +3% boost. Additionally, apply the MoonCancer Class Trait of 'not taking damage if there's a 3% difference in scores' to 1-on-1 battles as well. If Ganesha has been ‘Playing Defensively’ uninterrupted for 3 or more turns (in a row), when she goes on the offense, her attack bonus increases from 3% to 6% for that specific round. (Current defensive turn count: 0)

Prosperous Business (A Rank): If you're trying to build up your skills Playing Defensively and end up attacked, earn 'Prosperity'. Baseline +1 Prosperity, and an additional +1 per 5% you're victorious over your enemy. Earned 'Prosperity' can be spent during your preparation phase for rewards, or saved for more potent rewards later.

[idkjustlemmedrownlikerab]

Evermore (Marauder's Version)

@marsmarauders and I welcome you back to our Taylor Swift x Marauders series. We got carried away again but what's new about that huh? Anyways here you have every single song from Evermore related to the Marauders characters :D (I totally didn't forget about this series at all due to midterms, what r y'all talking about? Nope not me)

willow

"Wait for the signal and I'll meet you after dark, Show me the places where the others gave you scars"

Both of us wholeheartedly agree that this is for sure a wolfstar song. This particular lyric could go either way with scars Sirius has from his mother or the scars Remus has because of Greyback and his furry little problem and "Head on the pillow, I could feel you sneaking in, as if you were a mythical thing" bcoz obviously they shared a dorm for 7 yrs and mythical thing aka a werewolf!

champagne problems

"How evergreen, our group of friends, Don't think we'll say that word again"

WOLFSTAR. I feel like this isn't even an argument every single person in the fandom who listens to Taylor can agree on this, this song screams wolfstar from Sirius' pov. "She would've made such a lovely bride, what a shame she's fucked in the head," being said about Sirius ofc

And Tonks being the new real thing who will patch up the tapestry that Sirius shred

gold rush

"I don't like anticipating my face in a red flush, I don't like that anyone would die to feel your touch"

Now this is about unrequited love and I was certain from the beginning is about jegulus specifically from Regulus' pov talking about James pining after Lily for years when he was right there

'tis the damn season

"We could call it even, You could call me babe for the weekend, 'Tis the damn season,"

Seeing as the song talks about a fleeting relationship we couldn't help but think of this as Remus and Grant

tolerate it

"While you were out building other worlds, where was I? Where's that man who'd throw blankets over my barbed wire?"

BLACK BROTHERS. Like no discussion required at all this song screams Black Brothers from Regulus' pov like try and tell me that isn't Regulus talking about Sirius building a separate life for himself with the Gryffindors leaving Reg behind when he always used to be his protector, and now he's all alone. "I made you my temple, my mural, my sky, Now I'm begging for footnotes in the story of your life" this is soo Regulus Black coded

no body, no crime

"I think he did it but I just can't prove it, No, no body, no crime, But I ain't letting up until the day I die"

Upon a lot of discussion and deliberation we have come to the conclusion that this song is Regulus Black about Peter coz he saw him at a meeting and knows he's the spy but by this time his relationship with his brother is basically non existent and he knows Sirius won't believe him so he needs proof

But at the ending the pov changes to Peter, convincing everyone that Sirius was the spy and the murderer

happiness

"Haunted by the look in my eyes, that would've loved you for a lifetime, Leave it all behind and there is happiness"

Now this song we think could go two ways either with jegulus or with nobleflower coz the lyrics "I hope she'll be a beautiful fool, Who takes my spot next to you" and the whole song overall has this tone of the singer wanting their ex lover to lead a happy life without them while also having a very spiteful undertone due to not being a part of it and that screams Black family to us

dorothea

"Hey Dorothea, Do you ever stop and think about me? When we were younger, down in the park honey, making a lark of the misery

Now we have two interpretations for this Marls was thinking more of Remus and Mary from Remus' pov since they are the only two members left of their friend group and Mary was the one who fled, I on the other hand could also see another version which could be Snape talking about Lily, "You got shiny friends since you left town, A tiny screen's the only place I see you now"

coney island

"I'm on a bench in Coney Island, Wondering, where did my baby go?"

For this song while Marls wasn't that sure but I could see Nobelflower all over since the song talks about this badly ended relationship bcoz one of them (Narcissa) had started distancing themselves and acting strange, so the other (Alice) starts questioning their own existence and wondering if they are all alone now that their partner no longer feels known. This being coz Cissa is bound to her house and her duties, one of them being getting married to a pure blood and Alice starts to resent her for it even tho she knows she doesn't have much of a choice

ivy

"My pain fits in the palm of your freezing hand, Taking mine, but it's been promised to another"

Now ignoring the affair since we don't think any of them would do that, if we just look at the dying relationship and the beginning of a new one aspect of the song I can definitely see the end of bartylus and then Barty falling in love with Evan and thankfully Marls agrees with me on this

cowboy like me

"And the skeletons in both our closets, Plotted hard to fuck this up"

Both of us agree that is song is rosekiller all the way through bcoz it talks about two con artists who thought they never needed love but then they fall for each other?? Tell me that isn't sooo rosekiller coded

long story short

"And I fell from the pedestal, Right down the rabbit hole, Long story short, it was a bad time"

This is very obviously about Lily falling in love with James after Severus to the both of us, about how in hindsight that friendship wasn't really what she thought it was and now she is genuinely happy and it's all about James now

Tho Marls also suggested it about James and Lily getting together after he broke up with Regulus as well and while I do like it, I personally refuse to associate "Long story short, it was the wrong guy" with jegulus coz that just makes me sad :(

marjorie

"Should've kept every grocery store receipt, 'Cause every scrap of you would be taken from me"

This track again is Black Brothers coded but this time from Sirius' pov missing his brother after his death and regretting not mending their relationship bcoz there was still a part of him which hated his little brother for not running away with him

"What died didn't stay dead, You're alive, you're alive in my head"

closure

"It's been a long time, And seeing the shape of your name, Still spells out pain"

Evans sister. Yep that's it, it's Lily singing to Petunia about their broken relationship

evermore

"I replay my footsteps on each stepping stone, Trying to find the one where I went wrong"

In the words of our lovely Marls herself "REGULUS RIGHT BEFORE HE DIES LIKE RIGHT AS HE'S GOING DOWN TO THE CAVE, I TAKE NO CRITICISM"

And no criticism she had to take bcoz those were exactly my thoughts no discussion needed at all

right where you left me

"Help, I'm still at the restaurant, still sitting in a corner I haunt"

Now Marls sees this as Remus post war bcoz everyone other than him died (or fled in Mary's case) and left him alone and he couldn't move on from the fact for the longest time

And while I do love this interpretation I can also see jegulus after the break up from Regulus' pov, seeing James falling in love with Lily again and having a family "I'm sure that you got a wife out there, Kids and Christmas, but I'm unaware" "If our love died young, I can't bear witness" while he's still stuck there reminiscing their time together bcoz that's genuinely the happiest he's ever been

it's time to go

"Sometimes, givin' up is the strong thing, Sometimes, to run is the brave thing, Sometimes, walkin' out is the one thing"

Sirius Black. That's it. We hear no criticism at all, try and fight us about it and we will strangle you in ur sleep :D I'm not kidding we hope yk that for ur own safety

AND THAT'S ALL FOR TODAY!! Thank you for sticking with us even tho I was very late for this post, the next post probably won't take this long coz Marls is the one who's gonna post that, not me, but I hope u liked our opinions and if not, we'd love to hear urs

Make sure to come back to see Folklore, coming soon! (To a theater near you)

[thebibliosphere]

Did you have any thoughts on the prophecy in the last few minutes of blood origin? The editing seemed to imply that Jaskier had something to do with it which has caused some grumbling from people who want more book accuracy.

The people who want more book accuracy have been grumbling about things deviating from the books since the games came out :p

Honestly, everyone would be a lot happier if they just realized we're traversing down parallel timelines that look similar but have their own stories to tell. We're essentially watching Wither fanfic with a Netflix budget. Would that more fandoms have such coinage.

Anyway, yeah, I do have some thoughts about it.

Spoilers under the cut!

So just to recap the last few lines of the prophecy, "the Lark's seed shall carry forth the first note of a song that ends all times, and one of her blood shall sing the last."

You get the general gist that Lark/Eile's bloodline is being referenced, and Jaskier gets to break the fourth wall a bit by quite obliviously going, "wait, what, who?"

The elven woman then commands him to "sing the song of the seven, Sandpiper, so the oppressed may find hope and strength and make ready for the great change to come," ensuring that Jaskier's voice is tied to how things end no matter what.

But let's jump back a bit and break things down some more.

Focusing on "the first note that ends all times," I believe that's meant to be a reference to Ciri's power. We've seen what happens when she screams; imagine what some training and time with Yennefer will achieve. Girl is going to end the universe as we know it. Again.

But wait, who is the "and one of her blood shall sing the last?"

Why, it's our dear bard, of course!

This implies that Jaskier is related to Ciri in some way, which I don't find all that implausible, no matter how much some people are grumbling about it. He's a Viscount, after all. And royal and noble bloodlines are so thickly interwoven in this universe that all their family trees look like wreaths if you squint. Sometimes you don't even need to squint. (and that is book accurate.) It's entirely plausible that Jaskier and Ciri are thirteenth cousins twice removed on their divorced great aunt's side. Or somebody had an affair. That's just as likely.

If anyone is still skeptical about this theory, Jaskier's nickname, Sandpiper, is also a type of bird, tying him back to Lark again. Lark is the bird that sang at the start of the world as we know it; the Sandpiper will sing as it ends.

It's quite heavy-handed, and I'll be surprised if the show doesn't run full tilt with it. It'd also let them handwave away why they forgot to age up Jaskier in season one. Surprise, elf blood!

Now, I know why people are mad about it because the person in the book who is telling the end of the story is meant to be Ciri.

But this is not the book series. This is the Witcher Netflix series, and they're giving the narrative burden to Jaskier, which IMO makes more sense given his tendency to break the fourth wall and that it's his voice we hear at the end of every season finale, singing through the end credits.

He is quite literally going to be the last song we hear as the series ends. It makes narrative sense to pass the burden of retelling the story on to him.

Anyway, thanks for coming to my Witcher TedTalk.

I'm going to be so mad if the showrunners don't do any of this and pull some complete batshit fuckery out of their arses as a twist.

[kageyamaana]

A Little Push From The Future

Day 7- Free Day

Cale Henituse hated balls.

He found them boring especially now that he couldn't act like trash as everyone kept an eye on him in fear he would anger royalty or the heroes(which was stupid as King Zed would side with Cale even if he punched the crown prince and he had made up with Choi Han who was the hero he had the worst relationship with before).

So, he could only be on his own corner and drink champagne as he hoped that this ball to celebrate their victory against White Star would end soon or he would be allowed to leave.

But as Cale was about to go find a waiter and get another cup of champagne a sudden light appeared in the middle of the dancefloor(which was thankfully empty as the first dance of the night still hadn't started) and once it disappeared, it left behind a group of people no one knew but that some looked similar to certain people in the ball.

"KIM ISEUL! You are so grounded when papa finds out!" a young man with dark hair and grey eyes says as he glares at a young woman with really dark red hair and chocolate eyes

"It was an accident!" the young woman says

"...Say that to my date who will think I stud him up" mutters a young woman with dark hair

"What the hell where you doing to send us...wherever this is, noona?" a young man with caramel skin and brown hair asks in disbelief as he looks at the dark red haired woman

"I was working on my ability but something must have gone wrong or interfered with it" the woman admits with a speechless smile making the other eleven sigh

"...Excuse me, who are you?" Rosalyn asks as she approaches the group carefully as they had no idea how strong they were or what they wanted

"Aunt Rosa?" the young woman with red hair says surprised "Weren't you in the hospital giving birth?" she adds sounding confused

"W-what?" Rosalyn says not understanding this as there was no way she could be giving birth as she was still single and didn't plan to have kids so soon

"Congrats, noona" a young man that looked pretty similar to Cale but with his hair being a bit lighter and having dark eyes says "You invented time travel without the help of a god...or so I hope" he adds

"Time travel?" Alver says as the heroes make their way to the group as knights make sure no one else approaches the group

"Yes, I doubt any of you have blood children currently" another young man with red hair says

"...How far in the future are you from?" Roksoo asks as he tries to make sense of this especially as all of the kids were wearing clothes from his and Choi Han's world instead of the one they were in

"Hmm, not sure?" a young man with brown hair and green eyes says

"...Probably a few days before papa and dad got together? Papa is wearing the suit he said he wore on the ball that lead him and dad to get together" another young man with black hair says as he had looked around before answering

"So it was our fault" another young man says a bit surprised

"Both fo your parents are here?" Lark asks and the 12 nod their heads in agreement

"Then you won't mind sharing your names, would you?" Ron says as he looks at them with his benign smile

"No problem" the first young woman says "I'm Iseul Kim" she adds

'My kids?!' Roksoo thinks in disbelief because he was the only one present with Kim as his last name

"I'm Cheongwoo Kim and they are Jaekyung and Leewon" one of the young man with black hair says before pointing to two of the other young man with black hair

"I'm Yoonjay Kim and he is Taekjoo" another of the young man with black hair says before pointing to the young man with caramel skin

"Andrew Henituse" the young man with green eyes says

'Henituse?!' is the common thought of those in said family or close to them

'Is he my/orabeuni's son?' Cale and Lily think as they observe Andrew curiously

"I'm Jigu Kim and this Juwon" the last young man with black hair says shyly and then points to the young man with red hair who offers a very awkward smile that for some look scary

'Did Roksoo-ssi have too much free time?' Choi Han thinks amused

"And we are Prince, Gyerin and Hayoon Henituse" the last young man with red hair, the one who looked a lot like Cale, says as he points to the last two young woman

"Are you...young master Cale's kids?" Vicross asks as he looks at the four that presented themselves as Henituse

"Unless you know another Henituse with red hair, yes" Gyerin says with a sweet smile

"Yeah, you are certainly that bastard's kid" Choi Han says

"Shut up, you psycho!" Cale says as he walks to the them

"Make me" Choi Han says looking at Cale

"With pleasure" Cale says smiling "So, which secret should I start with?" he offers looking at Choi Han who glares at him before sighing "Good boy" he says and pats Choi Han's shoulder

"It's good to see that papa and Uncle Han's relationship hasn't changed a bit" Hayoon says softly

"Reminds me when it was found out that papa was pregnant with the three of you and Uncle Han and Aunt Minah threatened dad with so many ways of torturing him that even their spouses got scared of them" Andrew hums in agreement

"..Minah? Like Kim Minah?" Roksoo asks

"Yes" Leewon answers "Iseul, who isn't your blood daughter, accidentally opened a portal between both worlds and never closed it so there is people traveling between both worlds" he explains how Cale could have met Minah

"...We can meet hyung's world?" Lark asks curious

"Some of you even live there" Taekjoo tells him

"And when did that happen?" Alver asks since he should be ready for when the portal appeared and they would have to communicate with a world very different from theirs

"Hmmm, I was about 7 when it happened so....maybe in a year or two?" Iseul offers but she couldn't really be sure

"I see" Alver nods at that

"Can you tell me who I am with?" Rosalyn asked since she never thought of having kids but from the comment from Hayoon, it seemed like she did

"Ask Choi Han instead" Cale mutters which makes the mentioned hit him but Cale just smirks at him

"What?" Rosalyn says looking at Cale since she didn't understand what he said

"That if you find out now, you might decide to change it so it is better if you don't know" Choi Han says as he steps on Cale's foot to keep his mouth shut

"That's true...can I at least know if I am happy?" Rosalyn hums before looking at the people from the future

"Very happy, Aunt" Yoonjay says

"He says this because you are the mother of his lover" Juwon points out

"Shut up" Yoonjay says and Juwon sticks his tongue out which makes Yoonjay grab him by his neck and mess with his hair

"Is there anything you can share about the future with us?" Ron asks

"You son finally gained the balls to ask his crush out" Cheongwoo says as a subtle blush appears on Vicross' cheeks 

"Language!" Prince says hitting Cheongwoo in his chest

"Yeah, yeah" Cheongwoo says making Prince sigh

"Those are good news, they have going around each other for a bit" Ron says

"You mean years" Cale points out making Vicross glare at him as Ron nods his head in amusement

"Uncle Alver will only have daughters and his youngest will be the crown princess" Jaekyung suddenly says making Alver choke on air "I really adore how Roxy takes no shit from anyone just like Aunt Amiru" he adds

"Really, Ami?" Cale says looking at his friend in disbelief "You could have chosen Prince Valentino but you went with the fake blonde one?" he asks making many look in shock at him for not fearing to insult royalty

"Well...my mother did have a crush on one of his aunts" Amiru says amused not really caring that she would be the crown princess/queen of Roan as it would take some time for the crown prince to fall for her and for her to accept his courtship

"Still, you could have chosen better" Cale sighs

"I can't control my feelings when the time comes" Amiru says and Cale nods at that

"Next thing you are going to say is that some noble married a dragon" someone comments

"And there is, like there is someone who married a demon or someone who married a powerful sea being" Jigu says making the person who made the comments and many others look in disbelief at them

"Seems like the future will be very entertaining" Alver offers even if he is still digesting what he was told about his own future

"Oh! I think I can open the portal back home now" Iseul says as she gets a similar feeling to what she had before she accidentally sent them all to the past

"So soon?" Gyerin asks pouting as she had plans to mess with them a bit more by revealing other things from the future

"It was nice to see you all young again" Leewon offers since there wasn't much they could say as they would see them pretty soon

"Can I ask something before you guys go?" Cale asks and the ones from the future look at each other before looking at him and nodding "How many days did it take him to connect the dots?" Cale says with many looking at him confused except the ones from the future as they look amused at the question

"A whole week" Prince is the one to answer

"I see, then I will be waiting" Cale says as he smiles to them as Iseul makes a movement with her hands and they are engulfed by a light that takes them back to their own time

"I think it is better if we all return to our own homes to try and digest everything that just happened" Zed says as he doesn't think anyone feels up to continue with the ball "The ball will be continued in two weeks" he adds since he was supposed to give something to the winners and allies but with this happening, he hadn't done it

With that everyone started to leave slowly as they talked about what just happened and what it could mean to their future and for Roan Kingdom.

.

.

.

"How did you notice?" Roksoo asks as he looks at his guest who is petting On and Hong since they claimed his lap as theirs the moment he sat down

"I don't understand what you mean, Count Kim" the guest says amused

"No playing games, Cale" Roksoo says with a sigh

"Taekjoo looked a lot like father and Andrew also looked a lot like you" Cale answers

"Just that?" Roksoo asks

"Maybe" Cale hums

"Cale" Roksoo groans

"You aren't oblivious like those young ladies believe so you should know the answer" Cale says as he looks Roksoo in the eyes as the two kittens decide to leave and close the door behind them

"You like me" Roksoo says and Cale smiles at him

"It is quite obvious" Cale admits

"Why?" Roksoo asks as he couldn't see what made Cale like him

"Did you know that young the only one to notice I was acting all these years and to ask me the reasons behind it besides treating him as a human being instead of trash?" Cale asks and Roksoo looks surprised at him "Father doesn't know how to talk to me anymore and Lady Violan feels like she is intruding on my life whenever she talks to me so neither tried to stop me or ask for the reason why I started being trash while Ron and Vicross never cared about me as long as working for my family helped them hide from ARM" he continues "And my three best friends respect me too much to trust that I would come to them with my problems even if deep down they knew I wouldn't so they let me do whatever I wanted but are always there to protect me and hear me" he adds

"...And that is enough for you to fall for me?" Roksoo says

"It also helps that you are very honest and very attractive" Cale says "But the question is, what do you think of me?" he asks

"You...you are a kind and selfless who is willingly to sacrifice anything for those you love even your life" Roksoo says "You have a way to get under people's skin but also how to comfort them which is a bit contradictory but coming out of you makes sense" he continues "And...you are probably the most beautiful person I have ever met and it is not surprising that all our kids ended up being so good looking" he finishes

"Then, what should we do about our future"? Cale asks with a small blush on his face as he hadn't expected the words Roksoo said

"Well...I think I should start courting you and present you officially to On, Hong and Raon" Roksoo says as he gets up and offers his hand to Cale "Do you think that is the best plans?" he asks

"...Yes, I would love to follow that plan" Cale says as he accepts Roksoo's hand and is quickly brought to a hug by Roksoo

They simply needed a little push from the future for Cale to believe that Roksoo could return his feelings and for Roksoo to finally realize what he felt for Cale.

[kaseyskat]

since ive already been pretty open about this and im not afraid to whack a hornets nest i'll go ahead and say it: if you were raising a kid in a pseudo-apocalyptic setting and then you found out that said kid was going to be the one to defeat the eldritch god that you have tried to defeat for half your lifetime and could never manage. that she was going to FACE that eldritch god it was prophesied. you would teach her how to defend herself and how to fight. like god i am not saying hero's trauma from it wasn't justified because i do think the twins took it too far but the initial process of training her makes so much more sense if you approach it at the angle of "this kid is going to do something we've been trying to do since we were twelve and couldn't manage and we might not even be there to help her so we have to make sure she doesn't die in the process" and not "we're going to make her fix our mistakes" it makes sense. goes along with lark's running theme of not being strong enough in the moments that matter and wanting to make sure nobody else ever feels as helpless as he did when walter was injured. goes along with sparrow desperately tempting fate with normal's name- not because normal was an accident, but because sparrow never wanted to lose even one kid to the doodler and it was a fervent, desperate wish to let normal get to be normal