#my harlots meta

[derekscorner]

Fated Rantings: Genderbent Silliness

This won't be the same as my well thought Fate posts but I felt the need to make it. One of the things I've learned about Fate is that it's genderbends range from marketing, trolling, and "fuck it" reasons.

So let's go over some of the ones I've learned since I started this journey.

Artoria & Shirou

The iconic duo, the mainstays, and the first ones to be genderbend in the Type-Moon meta franchise.

What drew me to Fate and this duo initially was just how accurate Artoria's backstory is to the actual Arthurian legend in real life. In fact, you'll see that a lot of Fate characters stay remarkably true to their legends even if the gender is altered.

And I'm sure you expect me to give this big breakdown on how this affected Shirou and Artoria but there isn't one. No no. Shirou and Artoria had their genders altered from the initial draft of Fate Stay Night for marketing reasons.

No joke, they swapped their genders to sell the initial release of Fate Stay Night better...which was likely a good call since the original release of FSN had hentai scenes.

The scenes were relevant to the Sakura route and the rest was just service. So to appeal to the japan market way back when they made the lead (Shirou) male and his servant (Arthur) female.

The phenomenon that is Saber exploded afterward. Saber's design is so iconic and beloved by the series artists that they actively reuse it whether the reasons be jokes or serious.

This is the trend fans refer to as "saber face".

Proto Merlin & King Arthur

Since we're on the subject of King Arthur allow me to tell you about Fate/Prototype.

You see, even though the final draft became Fate/Stay Night, the initial draft was reused later to become Fate Prototype.

What makes Fate/Prototype unique to me is that many characters who had their genders bent in FSN do not in Prototype. Arthur is as you'd expect him to be, a young man of handsome build. Same for several characters.

Well, except for Merlin. Within the Prototype universe Merlin is female. The dynamic and backstory of both king and mage are the same as they are IRl or even in FSN.

I only point this out because I find Fate/Prototype fascinating (I hope it gets a show one day) but also because the voice actors for Merlin and Arthur swap roles.

The voice for male Merlin in most Fate works voices Arthur in Prototype. While the voice for Saber in FSN voices female Merlin in Prototype.

Even here they have a bit of fun with the concept.

Nero fucking Claudius

Of all the "saberfaces" and overall genderbends in Fate I consider this one the funniest I've discovered.

The true name of Red Saber from Fate Extra is Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus. Yes that one emperor, you know the one.

The sole reason Nero is female, let alone a near identical clone of Artoria, is a troll. When making Fate Extra they decided to design Nero like this solely to trick people into thinking the Saber they love was in the game.

There is no grander reason and I personally find it hilarious. I've yet to watch Extra since I'd rather play the remake when it launches but I know Nero has her own following.

I can't help but respect a troll like this.

The Genderless

Next is Enkidu. I'll admit upfront that I do not know what the logic was behind Enkidu however given how he is is written I believe it's done to be within character.

In the IRl epic of gilgamesh Enkidu is a big burly hairy wild man that is of equal strength to king Gilgamesh. He was created by the gods to reign the tyrannical king in.

Within Fate, that backstory is the same, but Enkidu is nowhere near burly nor hairy. I only refer to Enkidu as "he" for writing convenience and because Enkidu doesn't seem to care either way.

You see, Enkidu sees themselves as a tool regardless of how much Gilgamesh or the residents of Uruk say otherwise. Enkidu is also modeled from clay and is not actually human or even god at all.

The appearance Enkidu uses is modeled after the harlot sent to teach him. In the IRL myth she slept with Enkidu but given how Fate Enkidu is made it's more ambiguous.

Their feminine appearance is a way to honor this person though. This bend is neither marketing nor funny, it's more akin to a reflection of Enkidu's character and how they view themselves and thus worth noting.

"Francis Drake"

This is one I learned quite recently. Apparently the servant that presents itself as Francis Drake is actually a play on an old rumor.

See, it was rumored back in the day that Francis Drake would let Queen Elizabeth masquerade as himself and use his ship. The scar on her face is also possibly a hint at the small pox scars that Queen Elizabeth had. Both Elizabeth and this servant also have red hair.

Of course, FGO does throw out there that she was written as male in the history books because her crew could not see her as a woman. I wouldn't even be surprised if that is the answer Nasu would give.

But the parallels to queen Elizabeth and the rumors about Francis Drake letting her sail are just too funny not to bring up.

Saber of Red

I've talked a lot about Mordred before but I'm adding her here because I just find her to be a good complex character. I also won't delve into the whole debate around here since that already took two full posts dedicated to Mordred to do.

The whole reason Mordred has the physique she does is due to Mordred and Merlin's magics at work. Mordred is, in the simplest way I can explain, a homunculus/clone of Artoria and is thus female like Artoria.

BUT I do know there was concepts for a male Mordred at one point:

And a part of me kind of wishes they had stuck to this concept or reused it for one of the Fate timelines.

It would make the whole desire for the throne all the more compounded because, unlike their "father", this version of Mordred would be male and have even less reason to hide behind magics and lies like Artoria did.

It would also be interesting to see how this Mordred justifies themselves or reacts to the truth of their "father".

Though given the harsh upbringing, their idolization of Arthur, and their short lifespan, this Mordred may have been nearly identical to the one we have regardless.

Nagao Kagetora

I know next to nothing about this character both in Fate or IRL but I am adding them as my final gender bend of notice because it's oddly historical.

From what I've come to learn Nagao Kagetora was suspected to be a woman. Whether that was truth or just rumors to discredit a political rival is unknown but the Fate servant itself takes that rumor and uses it.

It's one of the few servants I know of where the altered gender may very well be a truth IRL. It's made me curious about how many there are in Type-Moon that I just do not know about due to my lacking knowledge of Japanese figures.

It also goes to show that not every servant it changed for a joke, marketing or just the writer/artists whims. Sometimes there's actual historical backing which makes that particular servant all the more interesting to research.

Yes, Francis Drake is technically similar but FGO offers an explanation. The whole Queen Elizabeth thing is just a fun parallel that might be true. Plus, both Elizabeth and Drake exist in Fate as two people.

Where as this servant possibly was a woman. Maybe they weren't, no way to know now and that makes it unique.

Finale

And that's all I got for now. There are plenty of other examples but these are the ones that have stuck out to me the most since I began watching/reading Fate.

Some servants were also just to convoluted for me to squeeze into this one post. Not for the gender swapping but their origins as demi-gods and the like. It kind of goes hand in hand.

Some servants are only a gender thanks to the body they're borrowing for example. Mash Kyrielight is an example of this because she's a demi-servant possessed by Galahad. Meaning she's a female version of Galahad in a loose sense.

Other servants may be from the "GUDA GUDA" side of Type-Moon which doesn't even bother to explain. If a figure is genderbend in a "GUDA GUDA" world story then that's just how that world's history unfolded.

Sakura Saber and female Nobunaga are two key examples of a "GUDA GUDA" genderbend.

========================

Hopefully you enjoyed this regardless. For my other experiences with Fate go here: https://derekscorner.tumblr.com/tagged/fated-rantings

[thisweekingundamwing]

This Week in Gundam Wing 14 January - 10 February 2024

Here’s the roundup for January 14th, 2024 - February 10th, 2024!

Remember to give your content creators some love! Be sure to join in on the events at the bottom! And remember to send in any new works you see or make this next week!

~Mod Hel

Fanfiction/Ideas/Snippets:

@cuteciboulette

Fic Idea https://cuteciboulette.tumblr.com/post/740430848728465408/this-is-not-a-fic

Heero, Death!Duo, tw suicide discussion

flayrie

Stellar Drift https://archiveofourown.org/works/51561307

F/M, Treize Khushrenada/Lady Une

Explicit, Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gundam Wing: Frozen Teardrop references, side material references, Romance, Drama, Morally Grey Characters, Vague love confessions, Mutual Pining, Generational Trauma, War Trauma, PTSD, past gun violence injury, Mention of blood, Smut, Porn with Feelings, Porn With Plot, Enthusiastic Consent, kabedon, Stocking Fetish, Cunnilingus, Oral Sex, Fingering, Implied Premature Ejaculation, Post-Coital Cuddling, reformed rake x political harlot dynamic, Treize lives in this one so obviously I had a beta, target audience: me

Canon divergence. Through Lady Une's machinations, Treize Khushrenada survives the war. Despite saving him, Une appears intent on pushing him away, evading him at every opportunity. Desperate for answers, Treize confronts her, igniting old feelings long buried for the sake of duty.

Arts/Crafts/Photo Manips:

@artnijna

https://artnijna.tumblr.com/post/740261816198905856/rewatching-gundam-wing-as-im-sure-you-have-all

WuFei Chang, fanart

@ellohcee

https://ellohcee.tumblr.com/post/741182839812390912/some-mr-duo-gundam-wing-maxwell-i-doodled

Duo Maxwell, fanart

@mikkurin

https://mikkurin.tumblr.com/post/741592090614562817

Relena Darlian-Peacecraft, fanart

@nullphysics

https://www.tumblr.com/nullphysics/741266409682878464

Heero Yuy, fanart

@pineappleglazedham

https://pineappleglazedham.tumblr.com/post/733849029704826880

Treize/Une, nsfw ish, fanart

@seitou

https://seitou.tumblr.com/post/741833885435969536/the-designs-are-done-not-to-build-the-wesbite

5 boyos, fanart, stickers

@sweet-rabbit

https://sweet-rabbit.tumblr.com/post/741084970389487616/its-still-131-where-im-at-time-for-duo-to-kiss

Duo and Hilde, (about Duo ship month), comic

@vasyenka

https://vasyenka.tumblr.com/post/741470346590470144/as-a-kid-i-was-obsessed-with-gundam-wing-where

Duo/Quatre, fanart

@zazagundam

https://zazagundam.tumblr.com/post/739523219144458240/im-having-way-too-much-fun

Gunpla wall

Cosplay:

@yourfavoritescoundrel

https://yourfavoritescoundrel.tumblr.com/post/741270397597728768/duo-maxwell-i-may-run-and-hide-but-i-never-tell-a-lie

Duo Maxwell in the streets

Photosets/Gifsets/Screenshots/Manga Pages:

@astragifs

https://astragifs.tumblr.com/post/741441445914869760

Relena Darlian-Peacecraft, gif

@janaverse

https://janaverse.tumblr.com/post/741097739145904128/meant-to-be-happy-21

Duo/Heero, Sims 4, screenshot

Head Canons/Meta:

@lifeattomsdiner

https://lifeattomsdiner.tumblr.com/post/740370874724663296

GW would be different if Relena had a Gundam.

MoodBoard/Aesthetics:

@wildandrecklesswings

https://wildandrecklesswings.tumblr.com/post/740078832854482944/oh-my-god-its-here-im-screaming-im-so

GW Jacket (clothes count as an aesthetic right?)

Fandom Discourse:

gwpromptmeme

GW Prompt Meme event

Rules: https://gwpromptmeme.dreamwidth.org/408.html

Main Page: https://gwpromptmeme.dreamwidth.org/

Quotes:

@incorrectgundamwingquotes

https://incorrectgundamwingquotes.tumblr.com/post/739532688989519872/heero-duo-told-me-to-tell-you-that-i-want

Heero, Duo, & WuFei

https://incorrectgundamwingquotes.tumblr.com/post/739804495958147072/wufei-you-better-not-be-experimenting-with

WuFei & Duo

https://incorrectgundamwingquotes.tumblr.com/post/739895036564635648/relena-it-must-be-a-liberating-thing-for-you-all

Relena

https://incorrectgundamwingquotes.tumblr.com/post/740076470373957632/relena-why-are-you-always-trying-to-get-yourself

Relena & Heero

https://incorrectgundamwingquotes.tumblr.com/post/740438788619321344/undercover-at-a-boarding-school-relena-do-you

Relena, Heero, & Duo

https://incorrectgundamwingquotes.tumblr.com/post/741344587168235520/duo-do-you-live-under-a-rock-trowa-with

Duo & Trowa

Calendar Events:

@gwcocktailfriday

Cocktail Fridays!

Post responses on Friday, during Happy Hour between 3 & 5 pm in your own timezone.

Here’s the prompts for Friday, February 16th! https://gwcocktailfriday.tumblr.com/post/742011330318499840/cocktail-friday-post-responses-on-friday-february

In need of prompts!

@gwlemonyshenanigans

Sign-ups Open: https://gwlemonyshenanigans.tumblr.com/post/740503319997448192/lemony-shenanigans-2024-sign-ups-now-open

Looking to fill all the days! https://gwlemonyshenanigans.tumblr.com/post/741815882530045952/31-days-in-may

@thisweekingundamevents

Events Calendar https://thisweekingundamevents.tumblr.com/post/730188053636841472/updated-events-calendar

If you are hosting an event currently, or are planning on one, hit us up with links and dates! We’ll add them to the Calendar and reblog your notices to get the word out!

GW Valentine’s Event 2024 https://thisweekingundamevents.tumblr.com/post/739857252321738752/gw-valentines-event-2024

Hope you’ve been creating!

@/???

GW Gift Exchange

There is another exchange being done now... I *think* it’s on dreamwidth, but I can’t find the convo with the person running it to save my life, but it’s on the events calendar with all the info I had...

Jan 15th - 21st is Nominations

Jan 16th - 28th is Sign-ups

Posting and whatnot will be in April.

Not sure if something will be posted anywhere on tumblr or not, but hoping I can get y’all the info for where and how when it goes.

[selkiewife]

8, 17, 25 please and thank you

Thanks @owlsinathens my love!

8. You hope more people will come to appreciate ___ (a ship, a trope, an episode, etc.)

Oh my god I have so MANY! lol. This won't be all of them but I'm trying not to overthink these: A Song of Ice and Fire: More appreciation for the potential of Theon surviving and for Theon eventually gaining some FREEDOM in LIFE. More appreciation for the Theon Sea Reek symbolism (How the Sea Reek was a giant sea monster) More appreciation for Theon's prophetic dream (And how it parallels Jon's Dream.) More appreciation for Theon's connection to Euron and Bran. More appreciation for the symbolism of characters receiving a kind of weirwood stigmata (like when Dany eats the heart- bloody hands and mouth and then losing her hair to the flames, Catelyn Stark after saving bran, Theon- bloody mouth and hands, red leaf falling on his head, etc etc.) More appreciation for Tysha & Tyrion. More people tagging her as Tysha Lannister because FUCK YOU TYWIN. More appreciation for the Tysha is the Sailor's Wife theory. Tysha & Tyrion forever. More appreciation for the parallels between Theon & Jeyne and Tyrion & Tysha. More appreciation for Tyrion ships in general. More appreciation for Tyrion's dragon dreams that he STOPPED HAVING after his trauma and then the contrast with Daenerys beginning her dragon dreams as a response to her trauma. Daenerys x Tyrion as a ship. More appreciation for Mance's band (like literal band lol) of spearwives. Game of Thrones: The acting. I'm serious. I want there to be more analysis about it- I want to go into the tag and see paragraphs dissecting the minutia of Michelle Fairley's Red Wedding Performance, Alfie Allen as Theon performing Reek performing Theon, etc. Tyrion's trial. But also the actors that don't get as much appreciation for the early seasons- like Issac as Bran when Ser Rodrik was executed etc. Also more (or any lol) appreciation for the Reek foreshadowing in Theon's scenes in season 1 and 2. I'll do a gifset eventually about this. Appreciation and analysis of the 4 episodes GRRM wrote (I am actually going to do this myself soon and also make some gifsets of the scenes from these episodes.) More appreciation for the music and Ramin Djawadi. Not just the beauty of it, but the use of certain instruments for certain characters, the META of certain characters sharing a theme- like with Jon and Theon. Also, I would love it if there was a mass movement in the fandom- a petition or something for Ramin to write music to The Seasons of My Love. More appreciation for THE FIX IT FICS! More appreciation for the idea of Daenerys x Missandei x Greyworm as the show's three heads of the dragon. Got/Asoiaf: More appreciation for combining canons in fics, art, and other fan creations. More appreciation and understanding of gifmakers who take scenes from the show out of the show context to depict scenes from the books. Fire and Blood: The Sylvessie ship (Essie x Sylvenna Sand) Gaemoms forever. The conquerers as a TRUE threesome, with Visenya and Rhaenys in love with each other as well. (I would give anything if they portrayed it this way in the show adaptation.) HOTD: More appreciation for AEGON'S DREAM! I really love the exploration of the Targaryen Dreamers. Also more appreciation for Aemma Targaryen's birth scene. I can write more about this later but I loved the way they showed the horror that birth can be- especially when choice is taken away. Harlots: I hope people come to appreciate all of Harlots IN GENERAL. The whole thing. Watch Harlots, Love Harlots, Obsess about Harlots. Also, I would like more people to appreciation the ship Birchlace (Nancy Birch x Emily Lacey.) Seriously if you look at their interactions over the entirety of Harlots it makes SO. MUCH. SENSE. as subtext for a ship. I know it wasn't meant that way but. It is delicious. I really do still need to write this fic. Black Sails: More appreciation for Jack/Anne/Mark Read- and more appreciation of the transition of Charles Vane/Jack/Anne to Jack/Anne/Max to Jack/Mark/Anne.

17. The thing in canon that everyone loves and that you also love.

asoiaf: Theon's Godswood scene. The old gods, they know me. They know my name. Shoot that scene directly into my veins. Carve that monologue onto my gravestone. Harlots: "I loved your ma, you silly cunt." the line heard around the Harlots fandom said by the iconic Nancy fucking Birch! Black Sails: A STORY IS TRUE A STORY IS UNTRUE. And all the other amazing writing that makes my brain unravel. Madi's multitudes, Silver's speech about having no story. Flint's there is freedom in the dark once someone has illuminated it. I have CHILLS.

25. a piece of advice for taking care of yourself in fandom spaces

Concentrate on what YOU love and don't feel bad about it. I'm serious. I have problems with this as well and it's hard NOT to care about what people think because part of seeking out a fandom for something you love is finding community in your enjoyment of something. But believe me, you will find your niche of fellow fans if you just fearlessly enjoy what you enjoy. And personally, I wouldn't even give what you don't enjoy any time at all. And really try to cultivate not getting upset if other fans are enjoying a headcanon or ship you hate or a character in a way you disagree with. And cultivate putting more of what YOU enjoy out there instead. (This is all advice I give myself too everyday and I don't do this well so I'm not trying to be all wise about it. It is just what I am trying to do and when I succeed it really makes everything more enjoyable.)

[fancyfade]

I really loved the last chapter of "Where are you, Raven?"! It was really interesting to see how Arella and Raven's relationship degrades, and the inevitable tragedy.

I have some questions about Trigon, if that's okay. The part where Raven sees into Trigon's head was really interesting. Do you see him as being born kind of *not* evil? Like clearly he was killing people even as a baby but more out of ignorance than anything. Your interpretation is that he kills his mom by accident, right?

In my opinion, Trigon is more maliciously evil, even as a baby. He was born from evil, after all. He's like a cosmic force with no rhyme or reason behind him, just with an overwhelming urge to destroy.

When Arella died, it was interesting to see him comfort Raven. It was a little surprising to me, as I'd have thought that he would've just completely brushed off Raven's distress. He sees Raven's attachment to her mother as a weakness, and he's probably glad she's dead. In general, he showed Arella a lot of leeway in your fic. He's never been normal about a woman ever in canon, but he treated Arella pretty decently, even with her being locked up. I'd love to hear a sort of directors commentary on the fic!

Again, I love the fic. These were just some thoughts I had while reading.

omg tysm for the comment and questions anon!

So WRT Trigon. I know that he was intended to be like the personification of evil from birth. But trying to think about it logically did not work for me. I just fundamentally do not like the idea that anyone is evil as a baby or from birth. If i was going to have him be a fundamentally evil force of the universe, I would probably not have him be born as a child, he would just be kind of always there. Just. Someone being evil from birth does not work for me, even if it was authorial intent.

He also IIRC was born from the people on Azarath purging their "evil natures" which I imagine to be evil in a human way, rather than a cosmic way.

WRT the arella stuff. In my mind Arella, now that Raven is born, only has value in relation to Raven because Raven is the only person Trigon regards as a person. He was OK with her being alive as long as Raven was happy, and he can tell Raven has a very strong connection to Arella that he does not want to risk severing because he doesn't want to risk Raven not being loyal, but we did get some hints that he was not very happy with Raven's relationship with Arella towards the end as he is always feeling resentful and jealous of it.

In my head he wasn't trying to comfort her because of the "She was going to die anyway, she's only mortal" thing - we are not mortal, we are better. but I wanted it to be able to be read both ways b/c HE would want plausible deniability, since we do see Trigon can be charming and manipulative when he wants to (tahts part of how he initially comes on to Arella, he is kind to her and in human form and she thinks they're in love and then he reveals he is a demon and abuses and laughs at her). So I think Trigon is CAPABLE of acting in a way that is socially acceptable, he just CHOOSES not to.

which actually segues back to my initial interpretation of Trigon's childhood. In addition to me just fundamentally not liking "Inherently evil from birth" I feel like Trigon is simultaneously a cosmic evil, but also very much some guy... just the evilest, most petty guy you know. Like this trigon meta by @raven-harlot (link) has this line i Like for him which is

Imagine your shitty dad (or a friend’s if you don’t have your own) if he was also a genocidal maniac and you’re already well on the right track.

which like. because a lot of Trigon's evil is over the top and mundane at the same time. He enslaves and blows up whole worlds but also kills a little girl for saying he's a monster, the latter of which seem a lot more petty human evil than cosmic evil which I would imagine as not caring at all that a human thinks its ugly. Even though Trigon does not view human beings as in any way equal to him, he still clearly possesses a desire to control them and cares about what they say.

edit: oh also do want to say that trigon has vested interest in not upsetting Raven too much (... more than he already does) for reasons we will see next chapter!!!

[dhaaruni]

Team Green, basically: Rhaenyra sucks she's like a girlboss white feminist rich spoiled entitled princess CEO like Hillary Clinton and Margaret Thatcher but she can't actually do politics right because she's a dumb harlot who only knows how to spread her legs and can't play the game without daddy helping also she's a rapist btw, also a son comes before a daughter, etc. So anyway here's my 500000-word headcanon meta on how Aegon II is the best most complex character ever and he should really be the protagonist also he's hot uwu actually it's Viserys who forced him to be a serial rapist and child abuser 💚💚💚

What are you even talking about?

Like I’ve said 20 times, I don’t engage in fandom discourse because I don’t remotely care. I’ve said and done none of the things you’re accusing me of, and it’s weird you come into my inbox yelling at me for this.

[carterhaughs]

Spoilers for Harlots Ep 6

My stray thoughts on this episode:

We see Lucy continuing to grapple with all of her deeply negative and traumatic experiences with sex this episode (she’s had only one positive experience with it and seems to have had a number of the worst sort of experiences early on - would she think she was “no good at this” if her entry into this world hadn’t been so rough? probably not, but she thinks her reaction is unnatural and her fault) - it makes her supremely uncomfortable to even hear all the groans and grunts of pleasure in the house of Wells. this of course all comes to a head when she stabs the horrid sir george in self-defense, and it’s far from an act of vengeance or something meant to signify her “descent into darkness” (she even goes back to apologize to him!) or whatever people are saying about the direction of her storyline. it’s a thing that happens that Margaret takes upon herself so that sweet Lucy won’t be damned, in one of the most powerful moments of the episode. more than ever, this episode shows us how even when Margaret does the wrong thing, it’s always out of love. that’s something of a theme in the parent/child relationships this episode including the abusive relationship of lydia/margaret (which I’ll discuss later) as Florence points out, and Florence’s own relationship with her daughter Amelia - and Fanny’s relationship with her unborn child is also explored as another example of the exigencies exacted by motherhood. Despite the hand her mother has had in her situation, Lucy continues to be loyal to her and lashes out at the other girls when she suspects them of speaking ill about her. All the scenes of her and Margaret holding each other - in the wake of Lucy finding out what her mother did for her - caught at my heart and made me cry.

Scenes like the one we got between Will and Harriet are so important. Seeing Harriet happy that she finally has some power over her life and the future of her children is a beautiful thing, and seeing Will reach out to her with kindness and empathy from a place of shared understanding was cathartic for her to be sure - and I’ve little doubt he has now somehow gone after her children and will bring them back to her. Then we see Will crack under Benjamin Lennox’s constant racist attacks on him, and Margaret’s interesting response - she is proud of Will for defending himself but as he says, still upset about the practical side of things. Margaret has a clear moral compass but business pretty much always comes first in matters of pride.

The irony of Emily’s situation and of Margaret saying to Nancy that “that girl’s not worthy of your care” is that she is a lot like Margaret was once in terms of her circumstances (and I suspect, her personality), as Nancy pointed out last episode and yet Margaret turned her away. She did not “sustain and defend” as Nancy said she ought. This is an indictment of Margaret’s occasional ruthless pragmatism (possibly even an unconscious occasional emulation of Lydia as I’ll discuss later) - it is not a reason to blame Emily for her own situation (and it’s not something the other girls have seen Margaret do before as they’re shocked and it leads Fanny to keep her pregnancy secret). She felt under-appreciated so she left for work elsewhere. She in no way brought her horrible situation upon herself. 

oh my god the scene between Florence and Amelia had me in tears. And it really seems to have enabled Florence to look on others in similar situations who haven’t given up the trade more charitably. Amelia is the only source of good in her life, but her goodness is so pervasive and determined and comforting that her mother cannot help but be swayed by it and decides to extend that understanding to others. she sees the hand of God in her child’s understanding, and takes it as a sign that her perspective is the right one. can Amelia just become a midwife or something to help out the other girls? that would be ideal. she’s been a nurse for her mother for years now!

Haxby is absolutely DESPERATE to get his job back (and looks like he’s been crying?), as it’s always been obvious it’s his whole life, and clearly believes his own delusions about the sway Charlotte had over him (notwithstanding his parting shot later about how she gave him pleasure - that was clearly a bit of unwitting jealousy) - that the fault lies with her. I’ve seen the next episode and he’s not in it much either and all I can say without spoilers is that I don’t like the direction it takes - it’s not so much character assassination as character oversimplification. It’s possible that more will be done with it in ep 8, but I’m pessimistic about it being resolved to my liking. This is one of only two things about this show that bother me - they just stick out a lot bc everything else is so well done (and I’m talking about episode 7 specifically and not what happens in this episode). Cmon guys you hired Ed Hogg - give him good material like you did in the first half of the season!

oh betsey having trouble with drink and Prince trying to help her :( he wants to be friends with the girls but his own survival instincts make it hard for them to trust him.

It was great to see more of Kitty this episode - she’s a good leader able to hold down the fort when Margaret’s needed elsewhere, and to manage conflicts and issues among the girls.

Nancy served SO MANY LOOKS this episode; I was LIVING. also Lydia’s black lace hat thing was my favorite thing ever - need one of those for myself

“How can it be hate that drives you? It is love.” And we see that love, such as it is, come into play in the final devastating scene of this episode. When Lydia comes to the door once more as Nancy is trying to transport Howard from the premisses, Margaret looks absolutely spent. Out of a combination of desperation to distract Lydia, emotional exhaustion, and through the learned behavior of an abused child, she tells Lydia where Emily is. “That’s my good girl,” Lydia says to her, and touches her chin in a way eerily reminiscent of how we’ve sometimes seen Margaret touch Lucy’s. That wraps up an episode on the perils of motherhood for both parties involved, and the lengths to which mothers will go when it’s not hate that drives them, but love.

[cocoalover1956]

On Plot Twists

I’ve been thinking a lot about how Harlot killed off one of its main characters and why it was such a bad move. [Redacted] was an emotionally complex character with close ties to almost every one major character on the show -- a gold mine of potential character development and engaging relationship dynamics. Yet all that was squandered for a moment of cheap drama. Harlots fell into the trap of dramatic, easy to sensationalize plot twists that don’t make any sense in terms of character development, narrative consistence, or basic logic. A lot of shows and movies have done with and, personally, I blame Game of Thrones for popularizing this. It got a lot of attention and praise for shocking the audience (until it took it too far and completely alienated its audience). 

Plots twists are suppose to enhance the story. They’re not just for shocking, deceiving, or trying to outsmart the audience. If your plot twist functions just to change the trajectory of the plot, without regard to the other aspects of the story, you failed to write a good plot twist and ruined the rest of your story in the process. If the plot twist is completely divorced from themes, characterization, tone, and previously established information, its worthless. That’s why the obsession with spoilers has gotten out of control. All these kinds of works have to offer are the plot twists. 

While I was mulling this over, my mind turned to The Haunting of Hill House and how that show did plot twists. Many the surprises have to do with re-contextualizing information the audience already has received, often either by revisiting certain events from the perspective of a different character or showing that the characters don’t actually understand something they thought they did. There’s no room for laziness in that kind of writing; it demands logic and consistency.

The plot twists in The Haunting mostly function to change how the audience thinks about the characters, their relationships, and the events occurring the flashbacks. It’s a great series to rewatch because after you figure everything out, the things happening in the earlier episodes take on a different meaning. It also means you can learn the spoilers ahead of time and (depending on who you are) it won’t necessarily ruin your enjoyment of the story. I can only think of one plot twist that significantly changes the direction of the plot; the rest mostly serve to explain or give context for why certain things are occurring and why characters are behaving a certain way.

Another thing I noticed is that a lot of shows and movies, Harlots included unfortunately, are leaning heavily toward having shocking character deaths, while The Haunting has different types of plot twists. Characters revealing some secret from the past. Characters discovering that something wasn’t what it seemed to be. An explanation is given for something that happened, only to turn out it happened for a completely different reason. And yes, there are a few shocking deaths, but they don’t come at the expense of logic.

Harlots was insultingly lazy with how it killed off [redacted]. [Redacted] was killed in a random, avoidable accident. And they were only in that position because they were trying to have sex with a character they have no real reason to be interested in. Even before [redacted]’s death, fans complained that the relationship made no sense and in many ways directly contradicted [redacted]’s ideas about love and sex that were established in the previous two seasons. But its easy to have [redacted] want to sleep with that character (and ultimately die because of it) if the creators are comfortable ignoring what they previously wrote.

I’m not saying that Harlots should have the same style of writing as The Haunting. They’re completely different genres and The Haunting’s use of plot twists is tied to the fact that it’s partially a mystery. But what’s applicable is that The Haunting doesn’t sacrifice everything else in the narrative to reach a particular plot twist. The plot twist works in tandem with the characterization and themes. Including a plot twists to radically shift the progression of the plot isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it’s easy to let it cannibalize the rest of the story. The plot twists has to work with everything else going on, not in spite of it. It’s a pity to Harlots writers didn’t figure that out before they threw away two seasons worth of character development.

[calamity-bean]

1/3 Tbh what ruined Harlots for me and made me stop watching it after a few episodes is the unecessary amount of porno style jackhammering sex scenes. Like, wtf is wrong with directors these days? Every channel including Netflix, Hulu, HBO is hell-bent on shoving disgustingly pornified, cringy sex into literally every show!

2/3 It’s triggering af (I’m sure I’m not the only one), also gross, unimaginative and quite frankly boring. And having female screenwriters/directors doesn’t make anything better.             

3/3 Harlots could have been a quality show with good social commentary undertones (rape, abuse, racism, classism, sexual exploitation etc). Don’t get me wrong, the intention is good, plot is interesting, characters are deep and all but what saddens me is the cliché, almost fetishistic way of filming.             

I mean… If that’s how you feel, then that’s how you feel. I gotta admit, I was taken aback by these messages, cause I’m not sure what inspired them…? It feels like you’re responding to an ongoing discussion here, yet I honestly can’t remember the last time I expressed an opinion on sex scenes in Harlots or in media in general. Regardless, though: if you find these scenes unpleasant and triggering, then obviously I respect that that’s your experience. No questions asked, no justification needed.

That hasn’t been my experience. For starters, I’m typically unbothered by a moderate amount of explicit sex scenes in the shows I watch, depending on their context; I don’t think such scenes are out of place in a show about sex work; and I don’t find Harlots’s scenes particularly explicit anyway. Honestly, I think most of them are intended to be comedic rather than fetishistic — hence the silly, over-the-top dirty talk, and the women doing mundane things like sneakily sniff-testing their pits, and the relatively low amount of female nudity, since often the women are still in skirts and stays. (I think a great deal of the nudity we do get, iirc, is unflattering shots of the men’s bums.) Oh, I’ve cringed during some, to be sure — but because they were profoundly, intentionally ridiculous, not because they were trying to be sexy but ended up gross (which is ABSOLUTELY something that certain other shows are indeed guilty of). Of course, there are also scenes in Harlots that are intended to be distressing or uncomfortable; obviously, I don’t find those comedic, but neither did I ever get the sense that I was “supposed” to find them thrilling or arousing. In general, I think sex on Harlots is portrayed as something that, depending on the circumstances, can be romantic, can be traumatizing, and can also just be lighthearted, boring, or absurd.

I’m not trying to say that Harlots is flawless — it isn’t, and I think I’ve made plenty of critiques known in the past — but I guess this is an aspect of it on which you and I disagree. I respect that you have your own response to the show, and you are, of course, free to watch it, not watch it, like it, or dislike it as you please.

[motherflecker]

hello this is the grocery shopping anon from yesterday! i have finally come here to bombard u with random thoughts as promised ❤️ so here they are:

- what cracks me up is when i see tweets like “book and his daddy 😍” it’s not even fans being cringey 😐 they actually are like that. the way that’s the official term used by forcebook themselves is endlessly hilarious.

- when book said his exposed chest was intentional 😐😐 the theo in him jumped out.

- “for me, theo will always be the pursuer and akk will always be the pursued” OMG EXACTLY!!!!!!!!!!!!! this is one of the biggest reasons akktheo hits different for me because that’s a dynamic i haven’t seen a lot of in bl. not to say that i haven’t seen “ukes” who fell first/are the one pining - i’ve seen many but theo’s brand of pining and pursuing akk just feels a bit different? idk how to explain it but i’m obsessed with our feral little harlot he’s the best

grocery shopping anon my beloved, adulthood solidarity

this is so funny though, i love everything here so let me reply to you in order

i legit had the same thought the other day during the live bc it was like "here's book and his daddy!" or "our fox daddy!" or stuff like that and i was like. this is hell. but also, they did this on purpose. the fans can't NOT call him daddy now? why did forcebook do this to us. i think the worst part is it's not just daddy but book is like "my daddy". would i be able to tolerate it more if force was just daddy (like, y'know, "that guy is very daddy") and not, y'know, book's daddy? idk. maybe. maybe not. either way, this is our cross to bear as forcebook stans

BRO THE EXPOSED CHEST HAUNTS ME. it was fully on display during the durian event. this video had me feeling like a victorian era gentleman catching the briefest glimpse of my lady's ankles. it put me in a state of which i have not yet recovered.

I'M GLAD THAT RESONATED i feel bad it was in a post about a garbage horny au bc i truly have so many feelings about that that dynamic of theirs. i think part of what makes it special is how theo goes about it as well? there's a few ships i think of where the uke pursues (intouch from uwma comes to mind as well as choi min hyun from kissable lips and meng shao fei from history 3: trapped) but something about the way theo does it, i find really titillating. i think it's because with theo, it's a ... kind of seduction? he doesn't just go "akk, i like you, i am going to come after you." no, he time and time again provides opportunities for akk to confess his feelings. he puts them in situations where they can grow closer. he courts him, even tho akk has no idea he's being courted for a bit there. i've never seen the uke court the seme in this kind of way and i really liked watching it happen. and when i say courting too -- i think of the dreamy romance of the night they spent together in episode 7. the drive with the top down. talking about confessing under the stars. "if you say i'm drunk one more--" "you're drunk". the photos. that one lingering hopeful look theo gives akk. that whole scene was a courtship and it was theo courting akk.

this post started with shamefulness and ended with meta ONCE AGAIN. I AM CURSED.

[cappymightwrite]

Fandom harlot! You have ruined your reputation! Phallic symbols, sex acts, now this. What next? Someone needs to call Septa Moelle and spark a path of repentance. .... but not before you finish part three of the Byronic Hero meta. Ahem. *coughing in incest* Anyway, fie!

Maybe I've just got to accept that this is my brand now, take a page from Byron's book + descend into full debaunchery in Part 3? Coz I've been tentative, I've been apologetic in my analysis so far, because I know it's controversial stuff... but what if I just let loose, lmao.

In ref to this post 😅

[harlots-source]

A master list of all the fan works that were created for Lydia Quilgey Week, April 5-11, 2021. The works are listed in alphabetical order under each category.

Fics and Drabbles

A Post Series Fic by @lezziemanville

Inherited by @orinocoflo1223

Potential by @julie-slamdrews​

So, Tell Me About Your Childhood by @neuroharlot

Meta

Power, Villians, and Harlots by @lyledebeast

Gifsets and Edits

Behind the Scenes by @selkiewife

Best Quotes by @selkiewife

One day, I will bite my way back into the sun by @selkiewife

Pink Eyebrow Appreciation by @selkiewife​

Prospero’s Speech by @selkiewife

So, Tell Me About Your Childhood by @neuroharlot

The Truth About Monsters by @selkiewife

The Truth Is a Complex Beast by @selkiewife

[mindynichole]

Okay...so it’s time to tackle Episode 10x18 and why it didn’t bother me that much.

Despite getting to watch TWD Season 10B early thanks to a forgotten AMC Premiere account, I waited an entire 24 hours before I watched 10x18 out of fear of the inevitable. 

And by now I’m sure you know exactly what I’m referring too.

However, after I did finally break down and watch it Friday evening, I was surprised that it didn’t bother me nearly as much as I thought it would. 

Some might say that’s just because of the tinfoil hat now firmly placed tightly around my head after the previous episode convinced me even more Beth Greene might just show up out of the blue one day soon to a TWD universe production near you. Okay, I’ll give you that! 

However, there are very logical reasons why I don’t feel the least bit threatened by this new woodland harlot, Leah, (I’m just joking, geesh) and I’m going to tell you what they are!

Before I begin, I want to make clear that while I’m not thrilled about the idea of Daryl being in a romantic relationship with anyone but Beth, I didn’t really even hate Leah but saw her instead as what I believe she was meant to be. On her own in another situation she probably would be a great character. However, when I have mentioned in the past that I liked this episode, I was mainly referring to the parts with Car*l. Not because I am petty and enjoyed the fight, but because I think these are conversations that Daryl and her need to be having. 

Nevertheless, here’s my take of 10X18. Consider yourself spoiler warned if you haven’t seen it yet.

Daryl was probably at the loneliest part of his life when Leah enters the picture.

Let’s take the time and set this scene a moment... 

At the point in the story when Leah first appears, Daryl has been wandering the woods for three freaking years looking for any sign of Rick’s body. 

While Daryl is away, everything he knows has changed and life has just continued to carry on without him for everyone else he loves. Rick and Carl are both long gone. Carol is busy being a wife and mother. Michonne has pretty much shut off Alexandria from everybody including Team family. Maggie left for parts unknown with Georgie and has taken little Hershel with her. 

Literally every single thing that Rick and Team Family ever tried to build during this apocalypse is shattered and everything the man has ever loved is gone. 

We also can’t forget that the person Daryl would have naturally clung to during this sad time happened to “die” before he ever stepped foot into Virgina. Therefore, Daryl is left with absolutely no one. It’s a damn miracle that he didn’t off himself and might have - had he not been so obsessed in finding Rick’s body.

Leah is Daryl’s exact mirror in female form. 

So he meets Leah after accidentally breaking into her cabin and almost immediately we can see she is literally like him looking into a mirror. Now, I’ve already read many people trying to compare her to Car*l and even Beth and while I do get what they are saying, I also disagree. This lady is no other than the female version of Daryl Dixon. He has surely found his exact match in her.

Here’s how we figure that out:

Leah is tough as nails but obviously has a heart because she doesn’t immediately kill Daryl for busting into her cabin and ultimately lets him go.

You come to find out she had abusive parents and a very shitty childhood just like Daryl.

You find out her life sucked until she found her group - who had given her not only hope but finally a real family.

Like Daryl, her life also greatly improved during the apocalypse.

It takes Leah a very long time to trust Daryl enough to even tell him her name.

You find out she had a son who was born very much like Judith was. Her “sister” died giving birth to him, causing her to raise him as her own.

Something horrible happens to the group (horde of walkers) and everyone else gets killed. She takes her son and runs to the cabin only to realize that he had been bitten and ultimately dies. 

It highly implied Leah blames herself for what happened to her family.

Like Daryl, at this point in the story Leah has lost everything she has ever loved, has sought refuge in the woods, and is completely alone.

Yet, in no way, shape, or form was Leah ever supposed to be a replacement for Beth. Instead, I believe she actually demonstrates why Bethyl worked so well.

While I’m okay with the character of Leah, she’s no Beth. Not even close. As I stated before, she is just like Daryl and that’s really the problem.

Because we need to understand the thing that made Bethyl work so well was their fundamentally different personalities fitting together like peanut butter and jelly - both perfectly fine on their own but together making the perfect combination. 

And TPTB spent a lot of time and effort back in the day showing us how much this was so.

While sometimes opposite people clash, we were shown that their different natures surprisingly completed each other very well. In other words, they were each other’s yin and yang. This was most obvious with Daryl helping Beth realize her own strength and Beth showing Daryl how to move forward. However, I could create an entire meta...and there are many that already exist out there...listing countless examples of how we saw them bringing the best out in each other. The combination of this along with their utmost (even sometimes brutal) honesty, shared history, and absolute trust in each other, created a foundation for a very healthy relationship.

In contrast, two people with nearly identical personalities and the same exact kind of unhealed trauma like Leah and Daryl, are usually not good life partners because they can hinder and get in the way of each other’s forward progress. 

While you can understand why these kinds of people gravitate together and form bonds over shared experience, resulting romantic relationships can often be rocky. Many times the shared trauma can result in both partners having the exact same kinds of problems with trust, communication, and reckless expression of feelings. There is nobody in the relationship to model different kinds of behaviors and ideas since both tend to have the same life experiences to draw upon. Instead, each serves to the other as a living testament to and as confirmation of why their negative thoughts and behaviors are correct. 

In other words, there is nobody there to throw the life preserver when both people are drowning. Nobody to even suggest to either partner a different way of doing things. 

Also, when the relationship’s foundation is based solely on shared trauma, the trauma itself can become the only thing holding the two partners together. 

This is why I never thought Daryl and Car*l would ever make good romantic partners. However, at least they have different types of personalities and kinds of trauma. Car*l is just...well Car*l - a force all on her own - and there’s nothing to suggest she ever experienced abuse in childhood. However, Leah being an exact carbon copy of Daryl gave that relationship even less of a chance.

And what I have just described seems to be exactly what we really do see happen between Daryl and Leah in Episode 10x18. I could list various examples but for time’s sake, I’m choosing not to because I am sure you can see it too - at least now that I’ve brought it up.

Just know I also believe this is why NR seemed to imply the relationship was not good in earlier preview shows.

Daryl flat out told Leah he didn’t know if he could choose her. 

As many others have already pointed out throughout the weekend, I believe the biggest difference between Daryl’s reaction to Leah and his reaction to Beth is the simple fact he really didn’t seem to  want to stay in that cabin with Leah forever. He doesn’t even seem all that upset about it either until he starts talking with Car*l later.

This drastically contrasts with the “Oh” scene with Beth. Hell, Daryl didn’t even care if the looney person who had been tending the funeral home and dressing up corpses came back! He wanted nothing more than to stay there and live happily ever after with her. There was no hesitation. 

I would go as far as to say Beth is the only person able to completely divert Daryl's attention away from the rest of his family - much like she did when he spotted the Grady car and began his pursuit. However, Beth would never even ask such a thing - because not only is it her family too - but also because Beth was much too unselfish to let Daryl make those kinds of choices.

So you might ask yourself why he changed his mind in the end and made him decide to go back to Leah?

I believe he makes this choice because of the conversation with Car*l. She basically tells him that everyone else has found their place and it is time for him to find his place too. It begins to slowly eat at Daryl how they have all moved on without him. It’s important to remember that by this time in the story, he’s pretty much done scouring the river for Rick. He’s already checked out that “one last place” he hadn’t been. So now he’s beginning to ponder Car*l’s words and wondering where his place is now? Where does he go from here? It’s logical to think maybe he’s supposed to be in those woods with Leah after all.

Daryl and Leah’s relationship doesn't seem to leave much of a lasting impression or effect on Daryl.

Don’t get me wrong, I believe Daryl most definitely cared about Leah. Yet, we can’t forget how we first found Daryl all those years later after the time jump in Episode 9X6.

If you remember right, Daryl still wasn’t doing all that great. His relationship with Leah apparently does absolutely nothing to change his outlook on anything. 

In comparison, we all know what just a few short weeks - perhaps a couple of months - in the woods with Beth Greene does to Daryl Dixon. It changes his character profoundly! 

Daryl might have went back to Leah at the time...BUT he made it crystal clear to C*rol that he knows where he belongs NOW. That’s what the entire fight between them was really about.

There is a line that Daryl spits out during his fight with Car*l that sums up exactly why he wasn’t able to give up everything and stay with Leah. He tells Car*l that he knows where his place is…and he’s referring to being with his family at Alexandria. He’s angry that she doesn’t seem to understand that it’s where her place is as well.

AK later points this line out on TTD as important too. In fact, she literally states that his relationship with Leah is purely in the past and they will not go there again. It is rare for a showrunner to flat out proclaim something like this. It means she felt it was important for the audience to understand that this was done.She also points out that the fight is really about how sick Daryl is of Carol running away every time things get extremely difficult.

I would go a step further and say that Daryl is probably projecting what he now realizes was going on with himself when he was wandering the woods and choosing to stay there with Leah all those years ago. He’s upset with himself for having done so and he’s upset with Car*l that she has yet to have come to the same conclusion.

Ps: Be on the lookout for another post - a part two of sorts - later this week detailing all the things I’m still tinkering in my mind about this episode! ;)

Until then, keep calm and Bethyl on! She’s coming soon...

[julie-slamdrews]

Harlots Fic Appreciation Week: Share a fic that inspired you

I saved this square until last because I didn’t want to choose just one fic and then I decided I wouldn’t. Every fic I read, in this fandom and across fandom generally, inspires me. It inspires me even if it’s about characters that aren’t my favourites or contains a kink that I don’t share or isn’t written in a style that I personally enjoy. It inspires me because putting your writing out into the world is terrifying, you worry that it isn’t good enough, that nobody will want to read it. But every person who pushes through that fear helps to keep the fandom going (along with the people who read them, and the people who create moodboards and gifsets and other art that I don’t even know the names for, and the people who share headcanons and meta and keep the discourse going long after the thing we’re all in love with has left the screen).

So with that in mind, here’s a selection of fic that I love which I haven’t had a chance to share yet during @harlots-week. There’s still a lot that I’ve missed out, and I did consider just leaving a link to the Harlots archive, but that felt ever so slightly like cheating even though it would be very much in the spirit of this post. 

Charlotte/Caroline Howard

what a lady shouldn't by Heather

Charlotte/Isabella

if i'd told you (you would have stayed) by thewritermakingdreamsreality

Charlotte gen/multiple ships

Before the Mourning by @selkiewife

Masks by pierrette

Nancy/Margaret

All I Have by @catherinecat143

Promised Me Heaven by aldiara

Nancy/Isabella

freedom among the ashes by sapphicish

Settling on the Farm & Fun in the Barn by @neuroharlot

Swagger by @hailbabel

Whisper by hailbabel

[selkiewife]

3, 9, 24?

Thanks @thistle-and-thorn !

3. A character that fandom has helped you appreciate.

asoiaf: Hmmm I think Lancel Lannister and Aeron Greyjoy. It’s not that I didn’t appreciate them before but reading others’ ideas about them really made me appreciate them more. The comparisons to Theon also didn’t hurt. Black Sails: Eleanor Guthrie and John Silver. This is the same kind of situation where I actually appreciated them alot before but fandom metas and insights and ideas seriously deepened my appreciation and understanding of them. Excited for my rewatch!

9. A Ship that isn't your OTP but that you enjoy.

Ahhhh… this is hard. I have so many favorite ships (which is what I'm interpreting OTP as in this question because I am such a multishipper.) So now I’m trying to figure out the levels of my favorite ships (I’m overthinking already and these responses were supposed to be quick and dirty so this is definitely not including everything but the ones I enjoy but aren't like my favorite ships for life: asoiaf/got: Sanrion (Sansa x Tyrion), Lansa (Sansa x Lancel), Braime, Sansaery, and Catelyn x Ser Rodrik (does anyone else ship this but me though?- since it's so obscure it might have to be one of my favorites I don't know) Harlots: Marnwells (Charlotte Wells x Daniel Marney), Northwells (Margaret Wells x William North) Black Sails: Vane x Jack x Anne HOTD & Fire and Blood: My OTPs are mostly the w/w ships of both fandoms. But I also enjoy for HOTD: Daemyra, Rhaewin, Alicole, Daemon x Laenor (Daenor?), Helaemond, Jace x Baela, Jace x Helaena and Rhaenys x Corlys and for Fire and Blood: Dettles, Nettles x Addam, Jace x Sara Snow, Baela x Alyn, Baela x Dalton Greyjoy, and Alysanne x Alaric. (Basically I am a walking ship war and that's not even getting into my faves.)

24. How has fandom positively impacted your life?

It has given me a space to create and imagine and heal when I was isolated and really messed up. It has been very therapeutic and also a source of great inspiration to me. It brought be back to writing after I had given it up. Theon specifically helped me in more ways than I can explain right now.

[clock-corpse]

“I can’t believe the one thing that makes you finally detest that blue-haired harlot is the fact that she’s pilfering your cancer sticks.”

Look, don’t knock it until you try it.

“I did try it. You wrote me trying it whilst I was trapped in a closet with my girlfriend. Or are those chemicals decaying your brain cells?”

Probably. Go back to torturing people to vent your anger and let me smoke in peace. This meta stuff isn’t funny at all and you know it.

[manabombs]

sometimes i think about writing meta about black sails or btvs/angel or harlots, but then i push those feelings deep down inside of myself and try to find a way to shoehorn those observations into my crossover fic. which has been very effective from a writing standpoint, but the problem then becomes that i have to con people into reading a lengthy & incredibly niche crossover fic, which is considerably trickier than getting people to read a tumblr post.