#okay it's more about marisa & lyra but asriel's there

[tragicotps]

Young Masriel au [part 6: the green-eyed monster]: in which Marisa gets jealous over Asriel meeting with certain witches in the North and tries to make him look bad in front of her husband. Unfortunately, and to Marisa's surprise, Asriel has been paying attention and likes to play this game as much as she does. He should've anticipated she'd be angry about this. Completely hypocritical of course, since she's the one that's married here. First she couldn't get rid of him fast enough, and now she's acting as if he put her through the worst betrayal imaginable. If she wants to play dirty though, he's more than willing to participate. He's been watching her when she thinks no one is looking. Her daemon straying uncomfortably far from her at times, testing his boundaries. If there are any, that is. she never even flinches. Anyone else would be appalled by the very idea, but he's just fascinated by the science of it. The Northern witches, their magical abilities and way of life have always intrigued him. Marisa seems to be less impressed. Asriel would be lying if he said he doesn't enjoy the look on her face when she realises he knows about her little secret.

(part 1/ part 2/ part 3/ part 4/ part 5)

[freuleinanna]

For goodness' sake, she is barely twenty-three, she has no more comprehension of being a mother than of being a panserbjørn, yet the longing, purely physical, is there. Something's changed in her, like her integrity has been compromised. Like she’s been invaded and pillaged, robbed of something she never quite wanted but is barely restraining herself from crawling on her knees after. It’s humiliating. 'Is she safe?' Marisa strikes the perfect dry, pragmatic tone despite the most vicious yearning building underneath. 'From you? Yes.' 'Good.' It is good. She doesn't know what her body could enslave her to do if there existed the slightest chance of getting near that child. It is very, very good that Asriel hates her enough to spare her the turmoil.

Masriel + Lyra via random excerpts from my writing

[midnight-in-town]

“Why can’t you just be who I want you to be?”

Okay wowwww. Emotionally intense and unsettling scene there. From Marisa spitting on Asriel (happened in the book), to him almost choking her (nope), that was... hot terrifying, even more so considering that this was not at all the vibe we got from the trailer for that scene. 

Considering that the more intense part of this scene was not in the book, I wondered for a while why this scene still made so.much.sense and I think maybe I figured it out. 

I read or listened to James McAvoy speaking about S3 several times and once or twice he mentioned that s3 was hard on Asriel because 1) he realizes he’s not the main character of this story but his daughter is, 2)“the love of his life walks back into his life” and he’s gotta deal with it. And man, oh man, now do I realize with s3 ep3 how badly he deals with all of it. With all of them. This is why I’m so glad that we have James playing Asriel, because he loves these books so much thus he knows how to handle such a fiery man like Asriel, making ep3 so epic ! 

Tbh, while most men desire and lust after Marisa in this series (Boreal, MacPhail) because she acts the part of the beautiful woman while barely hiding her own lust for power (since women in her world hardly have any opportunity to be men’s equal and she wants that, so they don’t know how to handle her which is, for controlling men, tempting), I’m convinced Asriel sees her as his equal and she knows it as well. 

So why would he almost lose his mind like that in ep3? He knows her well, he knows she lies, he knows he can’t trust her even if he wants to and he witnessed in the past that she chose Lyra over him. Well, because, this whole reunion eventually turns out to be about him being completely jealous and mad that she can never choose him over absolutely everything else.

“why can’t you just be who I want you to be?” 

He said it: he sacrificed too much of his life so far to change his ways now. So he’s not just mad about Lyra’s safety being more important than his rebellion against the Authority in this scene. It’s also about the affair and how Marisa never left Edward, it’s about how she describes their affair as “a shame” when for him it can never be a humiliation because they loved each other, how she didn’t leave their world with him because she chose Lyra and, now, how Marisa doesn’t even recognize how much he sacrificed for this rebellion because Lyra’s safety matters more to her. After all, she only decided to help his side because they could protect Lyra.

“why can’t you just be who I want you to be?”

To be fair, Ogunwe had warned him (“if that woman tempted you, I’m not sure you’d resist”) and he at least had the decency not to deny it (can’t remember if he was as explicitly silent in the book): he still carries so much baggage from their affair that he never properly dealt with that it all came running back to him, when Marisa kept talking about Lyra, dismissing the role his rebellion against God plays in all this. 

This whole scene was unexpected by how intense it was, but it makes so much sense that he’d lose it briefly, because what Asriel selfishly wants is for Marisa to support and love him, the man who challenged God, and no one else. Could be partly why, at this point, he rejects Lyra’s importance in all of this.

Anyway, LOTS of kudos to Ruth Wilson and James McAvoy for bringing such an intense reminiscence on screen in less than a minute: the whole episode 3 was a delight to watch, with how they brought to life the broken but incredibly compelling dynamic between Asriel and Marisa. :D 

[midnighttragedy28]

Okay so I've read the comment of @thetavoid on my last post, and since I'm not yet very good at rebloging and other things like that, I am writing this to say that I agree.

I think that, in terms of character development, the show does everyone more justice. I loved all of those scenes with Marisa that weren't in the books, and I feel that her betraying the Magisterium makes more sense in the show. Also her relationship with her daemon, and her apologies at the end of episode 6 of season 3 were heartbreaking, and a great addition to her character, since it hints to childhood trauma which could justify some aspects of her personality.

I agree with the fact that we see Asriel develop more, since he's in the third book for like 6 chapters. He is an interesting character, and the war is an interesting plot, but I also understand Philip Pullman's decision to not show most of it.

Another character I'm glad to see developing more is Lee, because in the books, he doesn't talk to Lyra that much, and they don't seem as close as they do in the show. Therefore, it makes much more sense that he was so fiercely involved in protecting her - and then dying for her cause - in the show. Also, that additional scene with him and Marisa adds a lot to both of them, since we find out about their parental issues and how those affected them later on.

In conclusion, I very much agree, I do think a lot of characters were developed a lot better in the show than in the books.

[strangesmallbard]

okay here are my not-drunk thoughts on the hdm premiere eps:

stelmaria possessing all of asriel’s fatherly brain cells is still a very good choice, but it was hysterical to have Everyone including his daemon go “lyra is the most important person right now” and he’s like “pfft. what’s a lyra.” like okay.

i wish they’d kept the dual images of marisa brooding over her double decker mommy issues while the monkey rips apart bat wings. i’m always concerned about the show de-fanging mrs c to show her motherly side, and i think that imagery would have helped.

nevertheless: ruth wilson flambéed me again. when she said “don’t look at me like that” and visibly shattered when ama hugged her i was weeping into my can of trulys pineapple seltzer. she GETS it. also i love her tentative bonding with the monkey, who carries all her softness and rage.

i think the ogunwe plot was interesting and i’m glad he gets more character development than in the books, but it’s also clear this was a scrapped storyline from s2 before james mccavoy was unable to appear. as a result, those scenes feel both rushed and boring when compared with others that include lyra + marisa or will—especially since lyra’s rescue mission is so time sensitive.

BARUCH AND BALTHMAOS. SMOOCHED!!! GAYNGELS. take that philip

however, i wish balthamos got to be funny like in the books. the change worked tone-wise, but the comedy factor of two ancient angels babysitting a 12 year old who can kill god would have added some great levity to the show.

i love mary malone and her sensible shoes for traipsing across the multiverse. she is on the adventure of her life. everyone she meets knows this is the nicest woman in the world. she has the best smile. if she’s not a lesbian i’m going to eat my foot.

the magisterium scenes are boring as hell, but i might have just been 1) drunk at the time 2) a lesbian, unable to appreciate father gomez. so who’s to say. can’t wait to see father-president macphail get slam-dunked into hell, however.

dafne keen looks even more like ruth wilson now and i’m crying about it. jack thorne & co making them the heart of the adaptation was so correct actually. i was slightly disappointed they didn’t include mrs c pleading with lyra to stay, but i think the scene still really worked for this version of the characters. i’m also nearly convinced marisa and lyra will talk again before [REDACTED].

[mrscoultxr]

@godblooded || i present to you: pain

Worn, muddy, hard leather boots clacked against the sidewalk rhythmically, heavily, a thudding like a stampede of exactly one. They carried her harder and faster through the streets, the golden monkey no more than a blur of golden fur at her side. As she swung around corners, he leapt from the walls and tore down awnings and crates to obstruct the path left behind. Blood pounded in their ears, the slight spray of fresh and salt water in the air as they passed the Thames stung at their eyes and lungs. She heaved each breath, both alive and dead as she ran through the streets of London. Another few quick turns and darts, and she slipped down into a tuck away, hiding from the men chasing her; stragglers from the battlefield who recognized her. She’d have to get a move on and collect her things before they swarmed her old place and took away all of her research.

Marisa glanced up at the tall building that held her penthouse apartment. If Lyra had been able to climb down it, and the Gyptians had been able to climb up it, then she certainly could scale it on her own. She hurried her way up the fire escape and leapt from trellis to window where the stairs stopped. With her daemon helping point out footholds and places to put her hands, she climbed and climbed, high and into the night, until she had made it to the balcony of her place. There she swung down low and crept as silent as a mouse to the door, the golden monkey hiding in the deepest shadows he could find. Even if she had outrun the men on the ground, there was no telling if they were already waiting for her here. And she knew better, she absolutely knew better than to assume the Magisterium would simply let her go.

She had taken down the regent of Heaven. Her daughter had released God from his captivity and put an end to death as it had always been known. She was persona non grata number one for them. Well, number three, but they didn’t know Asriel was dead and Lyra, she hoped, was somewhere far away still or at least under some protection.

But Marisa had nothing. 

Well, now that wasn’t entirely true. She did have something – a huge something. Alana Stark. But in the midst of her churning emotions, her mind darting in a thousand directions, she hadn’t stopped to consider that perhaps Alana had waited for her. Or perhaps had even had a funeral for her. So hellbent on survival was she that she hadn’t really thought about who she had left behind. 

So when she finally entered her apartment with a pick of the lock, she nearly fainted in shock at seeing Stark there. Marisa’s breath caught in her chest and she slammed a hand over her mouth to stop herself from screaming, from crying out in joy. Stark was here! Stark was okay! Marisa had been gone so long she was sure something might have happened—

[selenityshiroi]

Finally got around to watching season three of His Dark Materials.

I wasn't entirely sure how they were going to fit The Amber Spyglass into 8 episodes and there are aspects that I think they adapted well and aspects that I think fell through. Some of my absolute favourite moments don't even exist any more.

I was impressed with how they adapted Will breaking the knife, because in the book we see his thoughts and understand why it happened. I wasn't sure how they were going to do that on film but it was brilliantly done. I also liked that they got rid of some of the...cheesier dialogue at the ending and let the love and pain and heartbreak speak for itself. And although I was disappointed that Mary and the Mulefa didn't really get much time, I liked how they did it. I thought they adapted her learning about them and their language well and showed it off in a short but effective way.

But I think Asriel was shockingly done. Marisa was better but their confrontation with Metatron was pretty poor. I also disliked that the bomb happened the way that it did. I HATE that we didn't get 'because he's Will' during Lyra's dreams. I loathe that we lost SO MUCH development with Mary and the Mulefa. That Will and Lyra didn't get the 'pick up the wrong daemon' scene. That Marisa's daemon wasn't with Marisa, Asriel and Stellmaria. That they completely glossed over the fact that Will and Lyra killed God (okay...it's kind of a minor plot point in the book, too, but they didn't make any attempt to explain who the shrivelled being in the cube was).

I think it's a shame we didn't get the Galespie with them in the world of the dead, a perspective on a different way of life for Will and Lyra. I think it's a shame we didn't get to see the dead fawning over Pan before the boat scene, the discussions of different daemons and how some people see their deaths all their life and confused them with daemons when they heard of them. I really dislike that they had Will and Roger poking at each other over Lyra (because Roger was jealous that they were alive, not because of Lyra and Will). And, although it was well acted and heartbreaking and still made me sob...the entire ending sequence from Xaphania arriving until the end felt disjointed and pasted together.

That being said, overall? I enjoyed it. I thought it was a decent adaptation.

Not perfect, but decent.

Also, I love that, production wise, everything came full circle!

That back in 2006, Doctor Who referenced His Dark Materials by having the separation of The Doctor and Rose Tyler on Bad Wolf Bay mirror that of Will and Lyra. That Julie Gardner, a huge fan of the His Dark Materials trilogy and Exec Producer on Doctor Who at the time, went on to found Bad Wolf studios. Which would then produce the His Dark Materials TV Series.

I'm not yet impressed with The Book of Dust trilogy. In fact, I flicked onto a random page of the second book, saw a potential plot point that instantly turned me off and am refusing to read it until the third book confirms it doesn't go there. So, for now, the story ends with HDM. Even with the unresolved heartbreak that still hasn't healed after two decades.

But I'm glad I got to see these characters again through a slightly different lens. The performances were all phenominal.

[mothersmalice-a]

get to know the author !

name: rubi! ive had two or three aliases over my time online, rubi's just the one that feels most like second nature to me. i also adore taking to some variations of my tag. ( ie. ivana, ruben, ru, etc. ) preference of communication: im almost always on disc.d ( dearest creature#1962 - feel free, im literally always open to rant about dynamics, ideas n whatnot n id absolutely adore talking to some of you ♡ ), alongside tw.tter, since its easier for me to keep tabs on with mobile. anything ooc is always easier to do with me through either, i hate tumblr ims. most active muse: marisa's been rattling around in my brain for a good while now, and even when im not writing for her ill normally have an idea or two about her simmering. i haven't had this much enjoyment from dissecting and delving into a muse in a very long time, along with the fact my perception of her is always changing with every re-read / rewatch / discussion. bedelia is also always around to me even if im not currently writing her, she's very fun to play off of and even gives me a good grounding point to bounce from if I'm stuck with other muses. experience / how many years: about eight years or so now ? i've always enjoyed writing since i was younger so developing that through my own writing and picking up muses while growing up has been a nice learning journey. platforms you use: tumblr, tw.tter and disc.d. best experience: when my mutuals and i are writing something more prolonged n they come at me with something absolutely devastating. got hit with something someone was brewing for weeks once unknowns to me and oh boy connecting the dots left me a wreck. rp pet peeves: people who create certain muses and expect their dynamic to adhere to your muse without any regard for your portrayal. im always for original muses, but not talking to me first when certain muses of mine just. do not fit certain dynamics is a big no no. fluff, angst or smut: depending on the context i adore fluff and angst equally. i thrive off of writing domestic fluff just as much as i would heartbreak or any other darker subject. i love the bittersweet nature of lyra and marisa's first time bonding or AUs where things are more domestic for them just as much as her reconciliation with asriel, or the intensity of the torture scene with the witches. if it exists and it hurts or its tooth-rottingly sweet i want it all. smut is a sore spot for a few reasons, alongside the fact it just isn't what i care about / have focus on for my writing or my muses, so it would be very, very rare for me to even consider, and even then only ever with close writing partners. long or short replies: it can really depend on the day and what muse im writing. i thrive more with longer replies for characters like marisa, because it's easier for me to find a voice and get into her head. short, bantery replies normally leave me lacking in what i feel a character is like, and shorter comedic interactions just aren't what i'd consider to be my strong suit in writing, so i linger towards longer replies. the biggest thing about long replies is i burn out very easily though, so i try my best to find a middle ground. best time to write: at night, on weekends or early morning before my classes. any time i have to myself where i can just draft things for a little bit, ideally. are you like your muse(s): christ i hope not, im way too sensitive to take to being called moral filth lmfao. i think what's so compelling about marisa is i'd love to inhabit some of her strengths, though. i adore her guile, and her femininity and her ability to take everything head on. she's so unbelievably driven and intelligent in what she does and okay come on im a lesbian why do you think im really here writing for her.

tagged by: @secondbetrayer, @evebeforethefall ( thank you. ♡ ) tagging: @toxicmalicex, @viciousgold, @dustserpent, @mryscross, whoever else sees this and wants to. ♡

[measuringbliss]

Reading through His Dark Materials (Book 2) 2/2 (Chapters 10 to 15)

Check the first part if you haven't.

CH10

On one hand I'm still not really interested in Lee Scoresby, but if it means we also get to see Ruta's confrontation with Lord Asriel...

I wonder if Pullman had planned for this whole Grumman plot thingie when he wrote the first book. Is it wise of Lee to tell Grumman everything, though? I thought Asriel was protecting Grumman by faking the latter's death, which would imply they're allies.

So Grumman comes from another world right? He was probably part of John's expedition. I guess we can assume he *is* John. ...Oh, the next line literally says that. Okay. WAIT A SECOND. JOPARI? JOHN PARRY? OH MY GOD HOW COULD I MISS THAT?! Gosh I hope Will gets to reunite with him but I have a feeling he won't. So Lord Asriel was *not* part of the expedition. Huh. SO PARRY *IS* AN ALLY OF ASRIEL. OH MY GOD. PARRY REJECTING THE WITCH MAKES SENSE NOW.

CH11

Dear Mr. Pullman I do not need to see another description about Will's hurt hand.

I appreciate how real Lyra feels; she talks a lot about killing so-and-so and yeah, that's something a child would say. Talking about real, the scene of the children attacking Will and Lyra reminds me a lot of those happy times I was bullied. Masterful.

OMG SERAFINA ;-; Separating the children from the adults vertically is an interesting idea...

CH12

Are the Spectres the manifestation of repressed Dust from our world?

*Of course* he'd want to make military use of their research. Of course. Fuck. I hate this conundrum.

OH MY GOD. THE DUST IS ANGELS?!?!?!?!?!?! OH. SO. THIS MEANS A LOT OF THINGS. WHAT THE HELL. So I was right to think about the alethiometer's goal! It must be on Asriel's side. Wow. WOW. OH WOW. OH MY GOD. THIS IS SO COOL. I'M SO HYPED.

CH13

I'm not sure we (the readers) needed that much recap, it's happened a few times in the book by now and I guess it's also to keep the reader aware of what transpired, but still.

I'm disappointed we didn't get to see Ruta's meeting with Asriel! A summary doesn't satisfy my thirst. So did they fuck? I think it's a central question. An essential question. It's implied but it's weird, isn't it? Why would Ruta do that? We know she had a relationship with him, but she had *business*. With that said, it would explain why Pullman didn't show us the meeting proper...

Will and Lord Asriel are of the same race? Huh. Hmm.

So Mrs Coulter was Asriel's mistress? That's why their union was shameful, then.

CH14

I have ADHD, the Specters would never attack me lmao

See, THIS is a chapter I would have been satisfied seeing summarized. Lee Scoresby and his adventures continually fail to interest me, in part I think because they seem like your typical adventure story. Also, we're almost at the end of the book!!!! Is this really the time? I didn't need an action climax.

Well at least he's dead, so this issue shouldn't be present in the next book. Also, Serafina did fuck all. I thought she was going to help Lee but nope.

CH15

I HATE THIS MOTHERFUCKING APE.

(Mrs. Coulter is protected by The Plot. Lena can't harm her because The Plot dictates that Mrs. Coulter survives. IT'S THE PLOT!!!!!! I'm beginning to think she has a divine protection.)

Seeing ~Marisa~ seduce ~Carlo~ might be the most disgusting thing I've ever read.

Oh. So Æsahættr is just the subtle knife. I was expecting more but alright. I guess it's the only weapon that can harm God.

It's the second time a member of the Church tries to poison someone, I'm beginning to think it's a commentary, but surely the author wouldn't do that...

EVE? LYRA IS GONNA BECOME EVE? WHAT? THE SNAKE??? DIDN'T SOMEONE ASK SOMEONE ELSE TO BE THE SNAKE???? Wait. I thought Lyra would kill God but she's not supposed to?

...IS THIS JOHN? Wait, but Mrs Coulter and the dude both want a different outcome for the war. Is Mrs. Coulter on Asriel's side or not? YES. IT'S JOHN. TELL HIM, JOHN. FUCKING TELL HIM.

NO

FUCK THIS

OH MY GOD THIS WITCH

THIS FUCKING WITCH

I KNEW SHE'D BE TROUBLE. I KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN!!!!!

aaaaaaaah fuckkkkk

OH MY GOD *THIS* IS HOW IT ENDS?! ughhhhhhhhhhhhhh

______________________________________________

I have to let things simmer a bit, but overall I really enjoyed the book. Can't see myself waiting for long before reading the third. What a sudden ending. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!

[nellie-elizabeth]

His Dark Materials: The Abyss (3x06)

Man, I got super weepy with this one.

Cons:

I felt like of all the emotional gut-punches in this episode, the one that wasn't as effective for me was Will and his dad. I think this goes back to an error in judgment from the second season. See, in the books, Will and Jopari never get to have a conversation as father and son while they're both alive. This is the first time, in the land of the dead, that they're getting to talk. But here in the show, they got to have a big chat and a slow death scene at the end of season two, so this additional scene just didn't really add all that much? I mean, don't get me wrong, always glad to see Andrew Scott, but other than his hint about how Will belongs in his own world, and instructions on finding his daemon, it felt devoid of the emotion I was wanting to feel.

I should say an overall weak point of the season has been the Gallivespians. I think they might be kind of weak points in the books too, but I remember feeling a deeper sense of connection to them such that when there were moments of tension and action, or even tragedy, it mattered to me. In the show, if you replaced all the Gallivespian characters with literal drone cameras that flitted around after the human characters, I'm not sure it would make any real difference.

I'll also say that while I liked the harpy moment, I think my knowledge of the scene in the books was doing a lot of heavy lifting. The whole idea of telling the harpies stories is pretty trite, but in the books it's more about feeding them the truth, and them feeding on something freely given rather than just forcing something out of the dead souls. There was a bit of nuance flattening here that was too bad, because otherwise I felt the episode did a pretty good job with the land of the dead stuff, as did the last one.

Pros:

But, okay, look. I did some crying with this one. First you've got Marisa, who continues to be the real highlight of the show (some might argue she's taking screen time away from Lyra, actually, and while I don't disagree with that argument, I'm choosing to focus on what I like about what we see, not just lamenting what we don't.) The cold, detached way she plays her grief, when she comes to tell Asriel that their daughter is dead... oof. And then of course the scene with her daemon that I'm sure is going to be a standout for a lot of people. The extended metaphor of self-harm being played out with her character is honestly really well-executed in my opinion, and this culminating moment where she offers an apology to her daemon, and thus extends herself some grace, was quite lovely.

Obviously my pre-existing affection for Lin Manuel-Miranda makes it easy for me to love Lee Scorseby here, but my god do I really love Lee Scorseby. Such a sweet pure love he has for Lyra, and the way he sees what Will and Lyra are to each other, tells them to look out for each other... and then he's gonna go be with his Hester... I cry... I don't care about Roger quite as much but I thought he and Lyra's goodbye was also quite touching, just on the strength of the actors' performances.

Like I said, the whole "tell them stories" moment didn't 100% land for me, but I did think the harpy design was cool, and Lyra nearly dying was harrowing: loved seeing Will lose his shit when he thought she was about to die. That's the good stuff right there.

Meanwhile with Mary Malone, the buildup to her relevance is finally going to be revealed, as we see Lyra and Will emerge into the world where she's been staying with the mulefa. She has stuff to tell them about Dust, but more importantly she has stuff to tell them about... feelings. All will be clear in time.

I can't believe that in a week I'll be done with this show! In preparation for my final thoughts, I'll say that while this show certainly can't match the artistry and brilliance of the books, I find myself greatly enjoying getting to see some of the moments I remember play out in this form.

8/10

[companionjones]

Triggers of Desire

Pairings: Lord Asriel x Fem!Reader

Fandom: His Dark Materials (HBO)

Summary: You stop Asriel from doing something terrible. The two of you argue about it. Things ensue (though not directly resulting from the arguing).

Warnings: Cursing, SMUT, Mommy kink, Dom!Reader, Sub!Asriel

*******

    “Don’t you dare,” you warned.

    “Dare to what?” Lord Asriel questioned. “I know what my life is for, what I was born for. She is not a part of that plan.”

    You were shaking, livid. “Say her fucking name, you arsehole! Her name is Lyra. She is your daughter!”

    “Not in any way that counts!”

    “Stop pulling that shit, and take responsibility for once in your goddamn life!”

    “Responsibility?! I was responsible when I left her at Oxford when she was born!”

    “Yes, and that’s the only good thing you’ve ever done, and that’s including all this so called ‘work’.”

    Asriel’s face twitched. “Now you’re the one who dares--”

    “Were you going to kill that child?” you interrupted. Your voice was deadly calm.

    He clenched his jaw. He stayed silent.

    “If I hadn’t stopped you and told you of the ripple that I found, would you have killed Roger to create your own doorway?”

    “...You know I would have.”

    That ripped your heart in two. “Jesus Az.” You sat down on your bed. “When did you get like this? When we were in school together, you were ambitious, yes, but you...you had a heart. I know that much.” You finished, leaving out some details you didn’t want brought up in that moment. “And when you started dating Marisa...Dammit Az, I had never seen you so happy.”

    “Don’t bring up that vile woman now.” He was facing the fireplace then.

    You furrowed your brow. “I thought you loved her. Even after all those years...”

    “She sent her daemon to attack Lyra. Hurt her,” Asriel spat.

    “See? Was that so hard? Using her name?” you almost teased. “I knew a part of you loved that girl.”

    “Now who’s not using her name?”

    If you didn’t know any better, you’d say Asriel was teasing you, too.

    He paused for a moment. Asriel sighed. He sounded tired. “I don’t think I ever loved Marisa.”

    You couldn’t help but laugh. “Then why--?”

    “Because I couldn’t have the woman I truly loved.”

    Your heart stopped. “...Why bring this up now?”

    “Because,” he turned around to face you, “It’s why I’ve distracted myself all this time with my work. It’s why I’ve become obsessed.”

    “So it’s my fault now?” You were on your feet.

    “No!” He cursed. “It’s mine. It’s just...seeing you after all this time. Thinking about how Jeffery--”

    “Jeffery’s dead,” you blurted.

    Asriel looked as if he had just gotten the wind knocked out of him.

    “Two years ago, he went out on an expedition...and he didn’t come back. His men said that he had fallen from a cliff.”

    A heavy silence filled the space between you and Asriel.

    “What are you doi--”

    Lord Asriel had been crossing the room to you, and he cut you off by capturing your lips with his.

    You moaned at the impact. Asriel’s hands went to the base of your head and the small of your backs when you were too surprised to touch him at all.

    “Az--” you tried once the kiss broke.

    But he was already talking again. “I’ve wanted to do that for...so long, but you and him were already together by the time we met. When you got engaged as soon as we graduated, I...I thought I lost my chance with you forever.” Asriel kissed you once-twice more before his lips trailed down your cheek to your neck.

    Finally, you could speak, but you weren’t sure you were able. When your gaze met his again, only one question left your lips. You thought back to all the little moments you shared with Asriel. All those times you caught his gaze lingering on your lips. You assumed he caught you in the same way many times. “You thought it was one-sided?”

    Asriel’s eyes darkened. His pupils started to dilate. His gaze shifted back to your lips with a newfound hunger. “You mean...to tell me...all this time...that you’ve felt the same?” he grunted between assaults.

    “Always,” you gasped.

    “Then why not say something? I would’ve taken you away. We could’ve had a life together.”

    “At what cost? I was already with Jeffery. If I left him and ran away with you...Do you have any idea what that would have done to our reputations?”

    He growled, “I have never once in my life cared about my reputation. Had you said the word, I would have taken you away. Damn everyone else’s thoughts.”

    The feeling of Asriel’s mouth all over you and the words leaving his mouth had caused you to not notice he had been undressing the both of you. You didn’t notice you were naked until your bare back hit the bed. Asriel was already on top of you, lips trailing down again.

    “Wait.” The word left your mouth out of shock.

    He did so. His eyes met yours again. His head was hovering over yours.

    Again, a thick silence settled over the two of you.

    “Do you want me to stop?” He swallowed, causing his Adam’s apple to bob.

    It only took you so long to respond because the word had taken so long to travel from your brain to your lips. “No.”

    Asriel took a shaking breath. It was clear to you how much he was holding himself back. “...I need to hear you say it.”

    His eyes were glued to your lips. So were yours to his. You didn’t know if you could handle what was coming. “Take me, Lord Asriel.”

    He leaned down, and captured your lips again. He breathed in the scent of you, and on his exhale, Asriel’s hands traveled up and squeezed your breasts.

    You gasped, as the action took you off guard.

    Asriel used the opportunity to slowly lick your tongue before his mouth started making a wet path down your jaw to your tits.

    “Fuck, Asriel,” you moaned when his lips closed around your nipple. You could feel his tongue rolling over the sensitive bud. His hand was tending to your other breast, his fingers pinching and tugging at your nipple there.

    At your loud moans in response, Asriel’s cock twitched. You could feel the hard member pressing against the inside of your thigh. He was only getting harder. He switched what he was doing to your breasts.

    One particular shock of pleasure caused you to call out and pull Asriel’s hair, and he reacted with moan and an involuntary thrust into your thigh. You could feel his face heat up on your tits, and made a mental note of the button you could push (or in that case, pull).

    Eventually, Asriel left your chest. His mouth trailed down your stomach.

    “Asriel, what are you doing?”

    His eyes met yours as he sucked at the inside of your right thigh.

    You almost drooled at the sight of him between your legs.

    Asriel must’ve known exactly what he was doing to you, because when his lips left your skin, he wore a mischievous smirk that you had not seen since you were in school together. “I thought it was obvious.” He kept eye contact with you as he leant down and licked a long stripe up your cunt.

    You tried to keep yourself propped up on your elbows so you could match his gaze, but you fell back and your eyes shut tight almost as soon as Asriel made contact. The strangled moan that left your lips was the most lewd sound you had ever made.

    Asriel’s hand moved up and down your leg as encouragement. He only parted from your lips long enough to express to himself, “Oh god, yes.”

    The last person to interact with you like that had been Jeffery, and...Well, the two of you had grown apart toward the end of your husband’s life. It had been a long time for you. Besides time, you had always been jealous of Marisa for having Asriel when you couldn’t, but in that moment, you were jealous of the woman for a whole other reason. Asriel had a gift. You didn’t last long with his mouth working on you.

    “Asriel-Asriel, oh god. Oh god, yes. Asriel, I think I’m gonna...”

    Vaguely, through the deafness your pleasure caused, you could hear Asriel. “Come for me. Please, come for me.”

    As your stomach and legs tightened up, you grabbed a fistful of Asriel’s hair and tightened your grip as well.

    His moan against your lips was enough to send you over the edge. “Oh, god...oh Asriel...”

    When you came to, Asriel was already making out with you again. It took you a moment to put together what he was saying. “...need you...right now.” Asriel pulled away from you. “You need to tell me in this moment if you can’t do this because once I’m inside you, I won’t be able to stop.” One of his hands was playing with your breast while the other was sliding his cock up and down your folds, spreading the slick. As if things weren’t already slick enough.

    You tugged him down to you using the back of his neck. You ordered, “Fuck me, Lord Asriel.”

    It barely took him a second to comply.

    You gasped when he entered you, and Asriel groaned, “Oh, darling.” He scrambled to find your mouth to kiss.

    While catching your breath from his thrusts, “Good boy,” slipped from your lips.

    It seemed to knock the air out of Asriel. He snapped his hips into you. The man whimpered.

    “You like that?” The corners of your mouth turned upward.

    Asriel didn’t respond. He stayed buried deep inside you. He seemed to be working very hard at keeping his breathing normal.

    You had no problem taking control. Suddenly, you flipped the two of you over.

    “Are you my good boy?” you smiled. You leaned down to kiss Asriel as you humped his cock. Making your way down his jaw to his neck, you repeated, “My good, good boy...my baby...”

    As time went on, it got harder and harder for Asriel to hold back his moans and whimpers. One of his hands slid up to the back of your neck. “Y/n...”

    Licking up to his ear, you whispered, “You think you can call me ‘mommy’?” You knew it was a risky move. Your kink wasn’t for everyone, but there wasn’t anybody you trusted more than your Asriel.

    His cock twitched inside you. “Keep going, m-mommy, please...”

    That was music to your ears.

    “Good boy,” you encouraged, “You gonna cum for me? Hm?” You gonna cum for mommy?”

    He looked so helpless as he nodded.

    “Then cum for me. Cum for me, baby. It’s okay. Let go.”

    “Oh god.” He tensed up. “Oh my god. Mommy-mommy, I gotta--” Without warning, he flipped the two of you over and started slamming into you.

    You tried keeping up with him, but you eventually fell back in ecstasy. Your orgasm overwhelmingly coursed through you.

    Immediately after you, Asriel filled you, and collapsed on top of you. As he came, “Mommy!” desperately flowed from his lips.

    Hearing it like that was enough to tighten your walls even more than they were before.

    That word fell from Asriel at least 20 more times before you two were done.

    After, as the two of you laid together, Asriel eventually whispered, “I am so sorry, darling. I shouldn’t have...I should have never even thought...”

    “I know, baby.” You pulled yourself closer to him. “I know.”

    He continued, “I think...I want to try to to be a better father.”

    That made you prop your arm up on an elbow so you could look at him. You stroked his cheek with your thumb. “Are you sure, baby? This is something you have to be sure of.”

    “I know, darling,” he nodded, “I know I want this. And...I know I want you by my side.”

    Your heart skipped a beat. You smiled. “Yeah?”

    His happy face matched yours. “Yes, darling. If you’ll have me.”

    “Of course I’ll have you, baby.” You kissed him. “Of course I will.”

*******

Author’s Note: Thank you so much for reading! Fill up that heart and reblog if you liked it. I would also really appreciate a comment, if you have the time. If you would like to read more, I have more fics on His Dark Materials over on my page. You should check it out. Have a nice day, night, or whatever time it is for you! <3 <3 <3

[alwaysahiccupandastrid]

His Dark Materials - Season 2 Episode 7 *FINALE* (Thoughts and Rambles)

We have a LOT to unpack here oh my god oh my god

When I say I was screaming and yelling during the episode, I mean I was LITERALLY screaming and yelling

This post is mostly screeching and capital letters, you’ve been warned

“So cold” “life or death meant nothing” - well shit. Accurate description of a Spectre attack damn

I didn’t know what those creepy noises were at first and I was sat here absolutely TERRIFIED because it was creepy as fuck. Then I realized it was cliff ghasts because they said something that I recognized from the book and I was like “oh shit”

Pan and Will talking is the sweetest omg

The fact that Pan told him that Lyra thinks he’s as brave as King Iorek Byrnison :’)

“She’s the best friend I’ve ever had” “You’re her best friend too” - STOP, MY HEART

Lyra was awake and heard the whole conversation :3

“I’m no longer an aeronaut” :( “I’m an insect” - LMAO

Hester and Lee’s banter remains my favourite thing and now it’s bittersweet tbh...

“You could never be an insect, Lee” “Okay, hare” - bless them

Marisa finding where Lyra was staying and then finding Lyra’s coat?? And crying with it pressed to her face?? :’(

In case I haven’t mentioned it already, I am incredibly gay for the witches/their aesthetic/costume. Absolutely beautiful queens, all of them

Oh hi, it’s Mary and the two kids!

The fact that Mary helped them find their adults :’)

Also, “We like you miss” - BLESS

I’m kind of confused as to whether the blue flower petals are important or if it’s just her smelling them? IDK

“I’m close to my father, it’s time I found him” - OOF OKAY UMM ARE YOU SURE

“I let my best friend down” - Noooo Lyra, no you didn’t! :( Your dad is a terrible parent and killed him, that’s not your fault!

“Maybe this is how I let you down” - Well done, Asriel and Marisa, you’ve fucked up a perfectly fine child is what you’ve done

Will telling Lyra that she hasn’t let him down :3

That witch turning up because she was trying to warn Marisa about the spectres, only for Marisa to torture and kill her... oof

FUCKING MONKEY I CAN’T DECIDE HOW I FEEL ABOUT HIM

“She’s MY daughter” - Okay, damn, lady...

“EVE. She’s the mother of all” - OH FUCK YOU TOLD HER. OH FUCK OH FUCK OH FUCK

THE SPECTRE ATE HER DÆMON OMG NO THIS IS HORRIFYING WTAF

Seriously, the way the witch went so grey and lifeless and just fell to her knees and down... Urgh, my stomach is turning

Just when I thought I hated the monkey again, he starts whimpering because he’s afraid of the Spectres :(

“Stop whimpering” - DAMN MARISA YOU ARE A STONE COLD BITCH HUH

Pan being the damn voice of reason and telling Lyra they should stay with the witches like yes, Lyra, listen to him for once!!!

Okay but why are the Magisterium soldiers lowkey dressed like German soldiers from one of the World Wars???

I’m not really surprised that BBC left out the detail of Ruta and Asriel fucking when she found him to be honest XD

So the witches think that the Æsahættr is a person but it’s actually the KNIFE. AND THEY DON’T REALIZE. RUTA YOU DON’T NEED TO GO ANYWHERE, IT’S LITERALLY RIGHT THERE

“...That’s not my dæmon.” “Run.” - OH SHIT OKAY MY WHOLE BODY JUST TENSED UP

So umm Lee got shot and FUCK NO FUCK NO I’M NOT READY FOR THIS EMOTIONALLY THANKS

I LITERALLY DO NOT WANT THIS TO HAPPEN OKAY

“You’re either with me or against me” Umm he’s your dæmon?!?!

THE WAY SHE SCREAMED AT HIM OH MY GOD SHE’S FUCKING TERRIFYING HOLY CRAP

“What are you frightened of?” - oh, I don’t know, Marisa, maybe because YOU FUCKING SCREECHED AT HIM. MAYBE HE’S FRIGHTENED OF YOU

Also I love the detail of Marisa getting onto her hands and knees, sort of crouching and mirroring the monkey’s body language. I just love the parallel

The way the monkey flinched from her when she went to touch him omg :( No dæmon should be THIS afraid of their person (or at all?!?!)

Honestly, I find this series’ portrayal of Marisa fascinating tbh

“We have to do whatever it takes to keep her safe” - Umm, like maybe drugging her and hiding her in a cave for months? 🤔

Also in case I didn’t say this before, the fact she has complete control of the Spectres is fucking scary and always has been from the very first time I read the books

Okay so Lee is fully aware that he’s going to die if he stays behind but he does it because he knows that it’s the best chance of making sure that Lyra ends up under the knife’s protection (because Jopari will find her). All Lee wants is for Lyra to be safe and that hurts my heart so much, he loves this child so much :’(

“I love that little girl like a daughter” - LEE STOP MY HEART IS ALREADY BREAKING AS IT IS

NO NO NO NO I AM NOT AND NEVER WILL BE READY

Oh hey Red PAN-da (sorry I know I keep repeating that joke but honestly LOOK AT HIM)

“Once I change, you’ll stop changing” - OH SHIT. So we’re having THAT conversation then

“What do you think you’ll be?” “A flea I hope” - LMFAO I LOVE IT

“Is it Will that’s changing you?” “I think” - FORESHADOWING FOR AMBER SPYGLASS ANYONE?!

All the meanwhile, while Lee is dying and shit is going down, Ms Mary Malone is just chilling in a cave on a mountain by a waterfall, just reading

I literally struggled to watch Lee’s final scenes. I literally didn’t want to watch it because I cried reading it in the book, and I knew I’d be the same here

The fact that Lee HATES taking away people’s lives but he says “it’s theirs or Lyra’s”... I love him. He loves her so much.

“Think about anything, think about bacon!” - LMFAO I LOVE YOU HESTER YOU ABSOLUTE GEM

THE BULLET CLIPPED HIS SCALP AND I HAD A HEART ATTACK 

“This is my fault, isn’t it?” - NO HESTER NO DON’T YOU DARE BLAME YOURSELF DARLIN’, YOU ARE THE BEST AND WE LOVE YOU AND LEE LOVES YOU

I do this everytime I read the book and I did here even though I know what happens, but I was praying mentally that maybe Serafina would reach Lee in time... just maybe...

I’m really sitting here crying over Hester and Lee on a Sunday night, love that for me

Hester limping :(

“Don’t you go before I do” - FUCK YOU BBC AND PHILIP I’M SOBBING MY EYES OUT

“Oh how far we flew” - STOP IT. STOP IT RIGHT FUCKING NOW I SWEAR-

I literally yelled and cried out “NOOO” when Hester faded away and Lee died. I am so upset even though I KNEW it was coming. I am literally not okay.

Oh god no Will, now is not the time to be walking away from Lyra and that witch 

Also why is that witch asleep on guard?? Come on, love, do better, it’s not like these are the two most important children in all the universes.... 

To be fair to Marisa, I’d feel pretty invincible if I were climbing up a mountain while the Spectres were guarding me/on my side

WILL AND JOHN FINALLY MET AHHHH

“I was told I’d find my father here”  - YEAH AND THAT’S HIM WILL ASDFGHJKL;

I’m low-key disappointed that there’s no brawl between Will and Jopari here. Like they instantly recognize each other and... hmm. I know there has to be changes but still.

“Your mother, Will, where is she?” - Awww. John really didn’t stop loving her :’)

“My son... is the Knife Bearer” - oooooohhhhhhh

“You have a dæmon” - that’s right, Will. Don’t worry, you’ll get one next season

The way I audible went “oh shIT” when Mrs Coulter found Lyra fast asleep. Like I said, I knew what was going to happen but STILL

I’m not really surprised that those Spectres killed the witch who was supposed to be guarding Lyra and Will tbh like that’s what happens when only ONE witch guards two teenagers and that witch falls asleep

The way that Lyra panicked when she woke up and saw her mother stroking her cheek omg 

Off topic but I’ve only just realized that Jopari has a fucking man-bun LMFAO OKAY

The fact that Jopari tried to get back to Will and Elaine but couldn’t will always hurt me

“And you chose these people over your family?” - I MEAN-

“I’ve thought about you every day.” - Awww

So John tells Will that he has to go to Asriel and bring him the knife, and he tells him all about the war that’s coming and I have LITERAL chills because I’m so ready

“And then we go home?” “... And then we go home.” - RIP MY HEART OUT, IT WOULD HURT LESS

“I’m not strong enough” - yes you are, Will! I promise you, you are! And Jopari says, “Both of us were brought here” - exactly! You were brought there for a reason by fate or whatever you want to call it!

“Your duty was to be my father” - WILL REALLY CAME FOR HIS DAD LIKE THAT I GUESS

“Look what you’ve become without me” - Oh my god, just when I thought I wasn’t going to cry again

JOPARI HUGGING WILL, SEEING THE SOLDIER AIMING, AND THEN PUTTING HIMSELF BETWEEN THEM SO HE TOOK THE BULLET INSTEAD OF WILL ASDFGHJKL;

So in the book, Jopari is killed by a scorned witch who had once asked him to be her lover, but he had turned her down (because of Elaine and Will obviously), and she kills Jopari in front of Will and then he kills her (I think?). But here it’s just a soldier leftover from the Lee vs Magisterium fight, so... yeah. Kind of a little peeved about the change personally but whatever I guess.

“The night is full of angels, they will guide you now” - AHHHHH

Also, might just be me, but maybe that line would have been slightly more impactful if the scene had taken place at night

This show really said “fuck healthy parental figures” I guess

Except Will’s mum, she’s the best and if anything were to happen to her we’d all riot

SAYAN KÖTÖR FADING AWAY NOOOO I HATE SEEING DÆMONS DIE

Okay, last little gripe, but I just wanted to say that in the book, Will doesn’t realize it’s his dad until literally the last second before his dad dies - like they both realize and then BAM, Jopari is killed. And while I do love the father-son reunion, I am kind of annoyed by the change because it was such a huge punch in the gut in the book that Will searches for so long for his dad, only to lose him the second he finds him.

Serafina finding Lee’s body and kissing his forehead was yet another punch in the gut, thanks Pullman/BBC/BadWolf

The fact that Will had to bury his dad :(

Also, WILL WEARING JOPARI’S JACKET OH MY GOD MY HEART

Oof that shot of his amputated fingers...

So the narration, when it started I thought it was Jopari at first, like from one of his letters... but then as it continued, I went “hang on”, and then I said outloud “wait, is that ASRIEL?!”

DID MARISA REALLY PUT LYRA IN A FUCKING TRUNK?!? BITCH ARE YOU OKAY?!?

Will putting his hood up like his dad did just hits differently

Okay so um ASRIEL HI I WASN’T EXPECTING TO SEE YOU THIS SEASON OH MY GOD THE SCREAM I LET OUT

HIS MONOLOGUE BY THE WAY IS FUCKING ART AND A MASTERPIECE BUT I WAS TOO BUSY CRYING OVER JAMES MCAVOY TO WRITE THE WHOLE MONOLOGUE DOWN

Oh, hi Stelmaria!

It always makes me scream that this man is not only Lord Asriel now but he’s also fucking Mr Tumnus and MOTHERFUCKING BILL DENBROUGH LIKE HOW IS THIS MAN INVOLVED IN SO MANY OF MY FANDOMS?!?

ANGELS ANGELS OH MY FUCKING GOD-

“We stand with you, Asriel Belacqua” - AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

“Let us prepare for war” - FUUUUUUUUCK

(I was deadly serious when I said this was just me screaming and crying by the way)

I’m still reeling over the fact that Marisa put her daughter in a fucking trunk. Like I get you can’t exactly carry a drugged child about in the open but Jesus Christ, love, really?!?

Also Ruth Wilson / Marisa Coulter in a headscarf? *chef kiss*

The way that the screen went to black as she put the lid on the trunk down - SHIT OH SHIT GOOSEBUMPS

THE CREDIT SONG IS SO BEAUTIFUL BECAUSE IT HAS FUCKING ANGELS NOW I’M-

I WASN’T EXPECTING THE POST CREDITS SCENE OH MY GOD

ROGER?! ROGER! IT’S ROGER I’M NOT OKAY-

BBC YOU CANNOT JUST DROP THAT ON US LIKE THAT FUCK-

“What is this place?” - I’M SCREAMING SO LOUD I CAN’T HOLD IT IN

For anyone unaware, the reason I’m screaming so loud over the post-credits scene is because in TAS, while Lyra is drugged and in a groggy sleep, she has these visions of Roger talking to her from the Land of the Dead, which then later leads to her and Will actually GOING to the Land of the Dead and... well, the rest is even HUGER spoilers but YEAH I’M NOT OKAY.

Honestly, I’m just so happy and emotional because I’ve been waiting over a decade for a decent adaptation of not only NL but for TSK and TAS too, and we’re 2/3 there now. Just one more book/series to go... I wish we could have it now. I really hope that filming for the final one starts ASAP because if we have to wait two years just to see the conclusion to this series, I might cry.

This series is so amazing, and this season especially has been so incredible to watch. It’s been the highlight of my week for seven weeks, and I have no idea what I’ll do with my Sundays now that it’s over. I’ve asked for the DVD for S2 for my birthday already (since it comes out 29th December and my birthday is 13th January... just saying), and words can’t describe how much I do love this series. I know it sounds hollow since I say it about so many things I’m into, but this was such a huge part of my childhood and it’s one of my favourite fantasy series of all time. It’s truly one of the most incredible pieces of literature and now it’s making for incredible television... I love it so much.

[mag200]

okay i watched the season 2 finale!

some complaints i’d like to get out of the way:

john parry literally promised lee that he would tell the knife bearer to protect lyra. lee stayed behind to DIE because of this promise, and john finds will and talks to him for like ten minutes and not ONCE mentioned lyra. bro. bro you fucking promised. i mean we as the audience all know will already wants to protect lyra but john doesn’t know that. what the fuck.

would have liked to see marisa drug lyra bc as a book fan i know thats what happened but i feel like if you’re watching and haven’t read the books it’s not super obvious. also um? she just locked lyra in a trunk? does she have enough oxygen in there?? i feel like she would just suffocate

asriels speech at the end was rlly good but having not seen him literally this entire season it felt very out of place. also throwing iorek’s face in there for like one second? idk it felt to me like a “we forgot to write him in this season but he’ll be important later so don’t forget him!”

i feel like mary malone’s story the last several episodes has just been “im gonna do something important!” but we haven’t seen any progress there and. i know they’re setting that up for the last season i get it but it was a little off.

overall the pacing has been pretty weird and i am a little concerned that they have SO many events still to cover and only one more season planned. so much of season 2 was i think more focused on boreal than we really needed.

that being said, i really really love:

lee “i love that little girl like my daughter”. tbh lin manuel’s lee kinda annoys me most of the time but that was a genuinely rlly good moment and i started sobbing.

how they are handling lyra coping since roger’s death and how it shook her confidence in her decision making. i know some book fans over the years have complained that lyra’s characterization changes so drastically after she meets will but i think it’s an important distinction that it’s a change that starts with roger’s death and progresses with finding someone she trusts and believes in again (will).

like lyra’s whole conversation with pan about how she’s not willing to make mistakes that get people hurt again. BIG oof!! i felt that

all the will/pan bonding this season has been so fucking nice. i hate to say it but i think they’ve done a better job showing the relationship between will and pan than between lyra and pan. but it was rlly lovely to hear will staunchly saying “we make each other stronger” about lyra.

like genuinely i was so  scared last season that will and lyra’s chemistry was gonna feel so forced once they actually shared the screen, but actually they’re so good around each other, and i know the events of the amber spyglass are gonna hurt so much but its gonna be sooo good

pretty sure serafina 100% knew the knife ruta was talking about was will’s knife and it was very hilarious to watch her lie to her face and be like “go. go tell asriel you will find it for him” and not fucking mention that she knew the kid who had it. iconic. groundbreaking. i haven’t been deeply moved by serafina in the show (i’m still biased toward eva green its fine) but that moment made up for it.

the music at the end when asriel gave his speech and the angels came down that shit was BANGING i got so hyped up

[lordbelacqua]

Okay I don’t actually know if this is an unpopular opinion or not but although I love the show overall as an adaptation, I think a lot of opportunities were missed with Serafina Pekkala and the rest of the witches. I just don’t think they’re anywhere near as fully-formed in the show as in the books. I also really don’t understand their costume design? They’re described as incredibly in-tune with nature so I would expect that to be reflected in what they wear but instead, particularly in s2, they’re wearing clothing made of unnatural fibers and patterns that don’t make any sense at all in terms of storytelling or revealing character. And while I get that even a miniseries doesn’t have enough time to cover everything in a series of novels, I feel like they really stripped Serafina down to almost nothing; I don’t like that it takes until season 2 for her to officially meet Lyra, and while I get that they were trying to give Ruta Skadi more of an arc, it seems weird that they’ve completely erased Serafina from the whole “Marisa tortures a witch” plot. It’ll be interesting to see if they include Amber Spyglass Serafina’s hatred of Mrs Coulter in season 3; I think it’ll be harder to justify if they do because of how they moved things around. Anyway sorry for rambling lol love your blog, hope you’re staying healthy and safe

Send me your (unpopular) HDM opinions or anything else you’d like.

Well first of all, thank you for this amazing response, I love it so much. And thank you for the kind words, I hope you are staying healthy and safe, as well!

My answer will be under the cut because I talk too much. I’m going to try and number your points so that this doesn’t turn into a mess.

(1) I think a lot of opportunities were missed with Serafina Pekkala and the rest of the witches. I just don’t think they’re anywhere near as fully-formed in the show as in the books. — Even though I never really had a larger issue with this because it’s a book to show adaptation, I kind of agree. I don’t think we saw the witches as much as we should have, especially Serafina and her contribution to the entire story, since my overall impression was that I missed her in both seasons (more s1 than s2). I haven’t rewatched S1 in a long time but aside from her very emotional scene with Farder Coram, I think all her scenes strip down to that one line “She is a special child with the prophecy”. I might need to rewatch S1 to refresh my memory, though. As for other witches, I felt like they were just put in for Marisa and the Magisterium to bully them, to be honest. In their defense, I’m glad they didn’t copy+paste the book!witches to show because in my opinion, Mr Pullman has given them some very unsettling characteristics. A lot of their personality revolves around the “If you don’t love, honor and worship me, you’ll pay (die)”. That’s why it’s mentioned that Ruta Skadi killed the tigers of a Tartar tribe that “failed to do her honor” and wears their fangs in her hair, that’s why Juta Kamainen kills John Parry (something they changed, too) whom she “used to love” but had so much resentment for after she found out he was dedicated to another woman in another world. I believe the writers didn’t want them to ultimately seem like villains to the audience even though it meant taking a lot of what’s to them out.

(2) I feel like they really stripped Serafina down to almost nothing; I don’t like that it takes until season 2 for her to officially meet Lyra, and while I get that they were trying to give Ruta Skadi more of an arc, it seems weird that they’ve completely erased Serafina from the whole “Marisa tortures a witch” plot. — As for your Ruta Skadi point, I don’t really have a problem with her having an arc. Ruta Skadi still plays an important(-ish) role in TSK - she finds out about the Æsahættr and its importance to Lord Asriel in the war, she is the first one (?) to go to Lord Asriel and learn about his plans in the war and eventually, she decides about her own and her clan’s involvement in the war. I felt like, and now you point out, because it took so long (until she meets Lyra, I think) for Serafina’s arc to become more than just one line about the prophecy and stalking Lee Scoresby all the time except when he needed her, Ruta’s arc was only more prominent there. Them erasing Serafina from the tortured witch plot is something that out of everything, truly bothers me (the other things don’t really bother me, they are more of an observation). I think her erasure from that storyline is a crime!!! sad because it would give a lot more context to the “broken arrow” scene from TAS, which I love so much and would be sad to see it cut. So if I had a chance to change something about Serafina’s storyline, it would have been this.

(3) I also really don’t understand their costume design? (...) they’re wearing clothing made of unnatural fibers and patterns that don’t make any sense at all in terms of storytelling or revealing character. — I watched the Behind The Scenes of Season One a while ago where Caroline McCall (the costume designer) addressed the change in the witches’ wardrobe. She said the reason they aren’t wearing black silk like they are supposed to is because it would have been a mess to work with on the set and I understand. I also always imagined the witches in the books to be scantily clad so I think their aim was to appropriate them for younger audiences, too, and not have witch titties popping out on the screen. Even though S2 costumes don’t really fit that aesthetic, they still look so sexy grr.

In (my) conclusion, yes, opportunities were missed but I think in a book to show adaptation it’s not overall a huge issue. At least not to me, maybe I’m biased because show!witches are so sexy and bad and smart, but considering everything I said above, it can all be a result of their effort to adapt it for younger people or non-book readers without having to give too much backstory or explanation.

Thank you, again, for this amazing review!! I would like to hear more opinions on this, so don’t hesitate to share.

[strangesmallbard]

okay here are my thoughts on hdm s3 eps 3-4:

asriel is SOOO. thinking about the tears in his eyes when he grabs marisa’s throat. this loser has put an entire multiverse between himself and his daughter (and the murder of her best friend) and surrounded himself with people who think he’s the hero of this story—it’s almost enough to convince himself that he is righteous, and good. but marisa LANCES through him with one glance. and he can’t fuckin handle the pressure. exquisite.

also hilarious that asriel is against oppression ostensibly and yet can’t understand why marisa felt ashamed of giving birth to an illegitimate child. sir i know you have access to simone de bouvier now

pacing of ep 3 was a little wonky bc, again, they’re trying to cram the asriel stuff that was supposed from last season into s3 + show us what mary is up to. so we’re getting a couple extra moments with the Asriel Squad that feel laborious at this endgame stage in a tv adaptation. (a book always has more room for multiple plot/character threads than one-hour episodes.) i wish we had more time with ogunwe, ruta skadi. and the gallevespians however.

ruth wilson is just. KILLING IT. her ~redeemed version of marisa is even more unhinged, but simultaneously more grounded. quietly self aware, instead of screaming internally forever. i still have some issue with the framing of motherly love as a redemptive force, but i think it works more in this story than others—especially after including the scene where marisa’s mom sends her the clothes. anyway. marisa is still committing heinous deeds!! just for different reasons. i also like how she and the monkey are repairing their relationship.

i don’t understand the choice to remove the alethiometer explicitly telling lyra to rescue roger. my guess is that jack thorne & co wanted to create more internal conflict for will and lyra, but it reduces the significance of the choice in the overall story. in the book, will & lyra are a united front against the adults who say they know better. it’s a moment that shows they’re both growing up—doing the right thing when it’s hard and developing the free will the magisterium seeks to deny everyone.

roger is absolutely the emotional force of the plot, but i don’t think show-only fans will get why it’s so important that lyra needs to find him, beyond her guilt over his death. i have a feeling they want to hide that element, but i still don’t love the choice. that being said, dafne’s acting for older!lyra is phenomenal and the separation scene w/ pan is even more painful than it was in the book.

lyra saying she doesn’t want to be extraordinary, like her parents 😭😭 she just wants to be good, and help people. baby daughter you’re doing so well.

i still crave a final scene between lyra and marisa bc we never got the pathos of their last scene in the books. i have a feeling it’ll be similar to the s1 change from lyra and pan’s near-separation showing the trauma of severing to roger and sal. we’ll see tonight!

[natequarter]

Marisa/asriel?

How much I like it: actual cause of global warming | notp | don’t care | it’s okay | cute! | otp | MY BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN

so the reason i asked for someone to send this is because asriel rips a hole in the fabric of reality blah blah blah. this apparently causes the ice up north to melt! and he wants marisa to come with him. he's a fucking asshole but it's so funny

“Their” song: uh. anything about being an asshole? empire by beth crowley?

Who does more housework: neither of them... but also both of them. depends on if there are servants around and if they're, like, at the north pole or not

What couple cosplay they should do: they should absolutely not do that it would be an insult to whoever they cosplayed

Who cried watching Toy Story 3: marisa's monkey + asriel. stelmaria and marisa didn't cry

Who hogs the blankets at night: bold of you to assume they could spend a night in close proximity to each other without burning the blankets/the room/the world

What they fight about: literally everything, lyra,

Who has more Facebook friends: asriel. he doesn't understand how it works but he still has loads of "friends" trying to suck up to him

One headcanon about them: oh they definitely hooked up post-affair. probably more than once