#tlk is like a comfort fandom now

[lord-aldhelm]

About Me

Since somebody (who shall go unnamed) told me I talk too much about Aldhelm, I wanted to make a post about this.

Like, you know that there is more to me than this right? Like this man and TLK is my obsession but there is so much more to me than just this. It has become an important part of my life, a hobby and an obsession, and I feel like my life has become all the richer for it. I have gone WAY out of my comfort zone in so many ways because of this fandom and have done so many things that I never would have even considered because of it. And have met so many amazing and wonderful people and made some (hopefully) lifelong friends from this. Like it has seriously enriched my life way beyond my ordinary day to day hum-drum bullshit and I am eternally thankful for it.

I am 43 years old. I am married and have two cats (they are my kids lol). I was a veterinary technician (or veterinary nurse depending on your language) for over 16 years before it took such a toll on my physical and mental health that I had to quit. I do my art full time now, so I mostly stay at home. A good friend got me into doing pet portraits in 2017 so that has been my focus, although I also do original paintings, mostly of animals, that I sell online as art prints and merch (like stickers, blankets, totes, t-shirt designs, puzzles, etc). It is not a livable income but it is a nice supplement, and I can relax and work at my own pace and not get stressed out.

When I am not doing that we like to take walks in the forests near our house, go out and explore the local area, take little trips, watch TV and movies together, you know all those kinds of things. I love gardening and yard work, and can't wait until the weather warms so I can get more work done in our gardens. I am somewhat handy and can do some repairs around the house, which is a good thing because this house has a lot of issues.

I love to read, and am reading a book called "Hild" right now by Nicola Griffith, which takes place in the 7th century Britain. I have learned a lot about the Anglo-Saxon time period because of TLK and it has intrigued me to learn more about early British history. I also LOVE fantasy, especially Lord of the Rings and Neil Gaiman. I don't have a big collection of books but I get more all the time!

I love fantasy and Ghibli movies, and have a nice little collection of DVD's that we like to rewatch. I would love to do some fanart from LOTR and Princess Mononoke, and now that I feel more comfortable drawing people I may do so.

Maybe I draw Aldhelm a lot, but that is just because I love drawing him so much... I honestly don't have a lot of time to do personal art and when I do I want to do something that I love. And drawing him relaxes me and makes me very happy. And not only that it has taken me outside my comfort zone to do a subject that I typically don't draw, and gets me acquainted with drawing textures that I am unfamiliar with, like cloth, chainmail, human hair, skin, and metal. I have learned a lot in the past year doing these drawing and I will continue for a very long time. I might do other things if I feel up to it, but drawing him has become a cornerstone of my creativity and I will not stop.

I am sorry that I like to talk about TLK and Aldhelm a lot... when I am passionate about something I don't let up. I just don't want anyone to think this is ALL I do and I am one dimensional.

[pizacat72]

Why I love TLK 1.5

Okay so one thing I've noticed about TLK 1.5 is that it's not discussed a whole lot, at least not the tumblr side of the TLK fandom. It seems to be one of those "either you love it or you hate it" sort of things. I fall solidly into the love it camp and here's why!

It's funny, without being disrespectful to the original movie. The opening scene features Timon singing over the original intro and possibly poking gentle fun at the misheard lyrics of the intro. Every scene that takes place during a plot point of TLK adds essential comedy to it without taking away from it. Case in point, I Just Can't Wait to Be King.

In the first movie, the tower of animals collapses and we see that Zazu was holding up the whole thing somehow. In TLK 1.5, the reason for that is actually shown to be Timon, having been awoken by their singing. It shows him and Pumbaa walking out into the middle of the vibrant musical number as if the TLK movie found them somehow.

When Timon decides to knock over the tower of animals, we're given the reason as to why they fell over and it's honestly pretty funny. Not to mention it matches the lighthearted tone of that scene in TLK without taking anything away from it. Many people have frequently compared this movie to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and for good reason. This is another reason why TLK 1.5 works so well.

Another reason why I love TLK 1.5 is that it's probably the best example of Plot Mandated Friendship failure in my mind. As the movie progresses and as Timon grows more attached to Simba, he fears losing everything he worked so hard to find and is desperate to stop it from happening. However, Pumbaa wants to go help their son (yes, they're gay get over it) and Timon, at first, disagrees. After Pumbaa and Simba leave, Timon starts to recognize the familiar feeling of loneliness he had when he first lived in the tunnels with his colony. It's much more difficult for him to sit with that feeling, now that he's tasted the bountiful fruits of true companionship and family. When Timon realizes his mistake, he immediately goes to find Simba and apologizes. Pumbaa, to his credit, does not hold it against him and the third act misunderstanding is resolved with no extra fuss or drama.

The heartwarming moments are yet another reason why this movie works so well. When Pumbaa admits that he's all alone, Timon comforts him while realizing he actually has a genuine friend for the first time in his life. Then Simba comes along, adding to the feeling of comfort and relaxation that companionship has brought to their lives. Each scene of Simba goofing off in the jungle with his dads is precious and perfectly illustrates the true feeling of Hakuna Matata. The lesson that I think this movie teaches really well, is that Hakuna Matata is not a place, but a state of mind. When one spends time with their chosen friends and/or family, their worries and cares become much more bearable and feel less worrisome.

This movie is so friggin special to me, honestly. When I first watched it as a kid, I didn't like it all that much, but now I'm really glad I decided to rewatch it. It's probably one of the most relaxing and comforting movies for me. Also we get a little bit more of Teen Simba in this movie, so that's also a plus. This is a highly underrated sequel imo and I very much recommend it to anybody.

[itbmojojoejo]

Excuse me while I just drop this here -

Due to an increase in gif reposters I have been going back and forth in my mind for quite a while whether I would keep @mojogifs active or not. I made that side blog specifically for my gifs so I didn't annoy anyone with my mass posting, and so I could comfortably delve into other fandom gifs without bothering anyone.

For now, I have removed almost every single non-watermarked gif. If you followed for my 'Finan Every Scene' sets, I am sorry to say that anything pre-season 3 is now gone, though I suspect repeat reposter offenders have those downloaded anyway.

I'm just deflated and a little annoyed that I spent countless hours making hundreds of gifs, pointed out how to correctly use the 'add gif' function (yes I know it doesn't always behave but the tag 'finan every scene' literally shows you nearly every gif of him I made so you don't have to trawl the 'mojogifs'/'finan' tags.), I have given up dm'ing people privately about this because it makes me feel like a tool.

So heed the warning: Mutuals, followers, random stranger blog, if I catch you reposting my tlk gifs again I will block you.

I have so much more I could say on this matter but I will continue to bite my tongue and let it be for now.

[spinnysocks]

For that Choose Violence ask game: 9, 10, 16, 17, 19, and 23 for the Lion Guard

hey!! okie!! :D

9. worst part of canon

oof that is definitely one to start with! personally, i would say ushari's death and how the outlanders were handled in Battle For The Pridelands and after. ushari's death is a common talking point in the fandom, but i also think the waving off of scar's army who literally were the main villains for a whole season should've had something more, to end with at least...

also, how the whole circle of life ideology in tlg Does Not Work and is inherently speciesist in how they handle it, but i will spare you my rambling as there's plenty of good posts and videos about it

10. worst part of fanon

damn this one's even harder, i don't actually know i'm sorry 😭 i'll come back and edit this if i think of something

16. you can't understand why so many people like this thing (characterization, trope, headcanon, etc)

hmmmm!! as i said here, i'm pretty open to a lot of different ideas. but i have thought of another one: i've seen a few people shipping Simba x Kovu (IN AUs WHERE KIARA DOESN'T EXIST DW) and it's like... yeah, okay, we want mlm representation and there isn't that many non-related canon tlk characters - i get that - but the age gap... no thank you. (from my understanding, if it's an AU then maybe they would be the same age, but it rubs me the wrong way naturally) it's not like a massively popular ship but i've seen it a good few times, enough for me to talk about it

17. there should be more of this type of fic/art

i've said it before and i'll say it again, the crocodiles!!! the outlanders!!! i would sell my soul for a comic or fic about the outlanders reforming and that is a promise.

but yeah. my happiness, excitement, pure joy when i find a fic with the crocodiles is unbridled. i get so (positively) freaked out i have to put my phone down to collect myself 💀💀

19. you're mad/ashamed/horrified you actually kind of like...

erm. my crackships....... yeah. except i'm not actually that mad, ashamed, or horrified i'm having a jolly good time laughing about my stupid ideas 😭 hint: the crackships are all for kiburi HFGHDG

this prompt didn't specify anything so i will also say i am unreasonably obsessed with poacher aus, purely because it is PERFECT for angst and hurt/comfort ideas >:3 i'm sorry to all my faves you have been Captured!! for the purpose of me studying your character </3

23. ship you've unwillingly come around to

hmmm! usually, i decide pretty quickly whether or not i like a ship from first glance, for example i immediately clicked with your Hodari x Njano crackship because it's so funny 😭 but i would say your ideas about Shupavu x Njano have altered my brain chemistry in a good way lol! i would also say Makuu x Ucheshi really grew on me :)

others include Makuu x Akina from The Crocodile's Journey and Kiburi x Zula from The Northern Crocodile. when i tell you i am so strict about what i personally ship, and they aren't what i'd normally be interested in at all, but they started growing on me and i was just aAAA. they're not my main ships at all, as in i only think about them in the fics that they're in, but i do think about them

(the choose violence ask game)

thanks for your ask!!! loved doing this! now i want a "choose peace" ask game 😭

[ask-jaller]

Update

@mask-of-prime, here:

I was inspired by another post in the Bionicle tag just now and felt like opening up about my inactivity on this blog for the past 5 years:

Content Warning for adverse internet-related experiences and resulting emotional struggle:

As you may know, sometime in 2018, my hyperfixation from Bionicle completely shifted into a hyperfixation on The Lion King.

Shifting main fandoms has allowed me to start fresh from a dirtied reputation in the Bionicle fandom as a young teenager and has allowed me to start fresh and more mature as a young adult. Joining an art-oriented fandom has even saved me from a steady decline in art.

However, what with the focus on digital art and more focus on things related animated works (what with that being a career goal and all), I've been shifting away from designing MOCs, making Bionicle-related fandom ramblings, particularly of comfort characters, and inevitably, RPing as Jaller, Tehutti, Macku, and my Self-MOC Tiridak.

Not only did focusing on a whole other flavor profile of fandom experience with TLK make it hard to switch back to Bionicle, but so did the poor relationships with other Bionicle fandom members I've caused:

I would portray Jaller extremely out-of-character, I had this uncontrollable need to make him this constant whump character, and I would be very insensitive and inexperienced with subject matter that I would choose to bring myself and RP partners into. Looking back at it now, forcing roleplayers to do what I wanted to do and me making the stories we'd write super weird and self-indulgent is a manipulative tactic comparable to grooming.

But yeah, it's these things that would lead to constant frustration with other roleplayers. This frustration and overall cringe subject matter I wrote or did would result in criticisms from fellow fandom members that I took way too hard, and was an early point in internet-related depression that manifested in anxiety and anger issues that I still face to this day.

There were some people who were genuinely rude about my RPing and it would get things nowhere, but even constructive criticisms would hurt just as much for some reason. I would just always be sensitive to displeasing people and seeing them angry, and I would harbor feelings of disgust with both them and myself. I think it might be Rejection-Sensitive Dysphoria, which makes it really hard to control negative feelings after real or even perceived rejection.

Buy yeah, I just remember never wanting to talk to other Bionicle fans again and developing a huge prejudice assuming everyone in the fandom was blunt and rude all the time. Thing is, years went by, people's attitudes changed, and a new generation of fans with a completely different outlook had changed the flavor profile of the fandom as I still continued to check the tag daily.

In that fandom change, I discovered the Bonkle Word Game. The introduction of the Wordle-based Bionicle game called Bonkle caused me to slowly get back into Bionicle by looking up vocabulary on the BS01 Wiki, and has ultimately allowed me to become duel-fandomed, so now I'm fixated on both Bionicle and TLK. Specifically, I became fixated on working on my OC universe called Terra-Magna, which has completely different worldbuilding from the rest of Bionicle, but still technically considered an alternate universe if we're following Spiderverse possibility logic. So I'm mostly on a kick with OCs rather than favorite canon characters, now.

But anyway, I think what all this means is that if people would really like me to go back to RPing as Jaller, I probably can as I feel better about it now, now that I got all of these messy thoughts out. It's just that I think I'm still not very good at roleplaying and I never really did learn much about it to develop a true passion for it. There's also the decline of Bionicle RP over the last decade, possibly due to how much the internet has changed from a not-so-private escape and the prevalence of cringe culture that I'm sure everyone has an internalized form of to some degree nowadays.

[passimtemere]

What is it about the hyenas that drew you to them? Is it a happy childhood memory?

The Lion King is by far my favorite movie for sticking with me for so long. It's comfort content that I can always reach out to if I'm feeling up or down. I still have my Mufasa Mattel plush from 1994 (though I lost the Simba that went with him :c). TLK was the first online fandom I really started interacting with, checking out forums and looking into the 'off screen' lore of it all. I learned/practiced how to draw animals in the TLK style. TLK has been in my blood for most my life.

As for the hyena muses, I picked them up around 2017 when there were first talks of the remake (before we knew it was just a mostly beat for beat live-action remake and not one of the 'based on the original content but a new story' kind of remakes they were still kinda making at the time) and I had high hopes for it. So I figured that there probably would be an influx of TLK rpers so I wanted to get my hands on some of the muses (and I love me some secondary villain muses. You know. Middle management). But I didn't really know where to put them. I made the occasional sideblog or just ran them over through my head but it wasn't until we started getting more info on the remake, and the disappointment started setting in. But in honesty it just made me buckle down more on how much I loved the original movie and in 2018 I made a Banzai & Ed specific sideblog, then a main blog in 2019, and they've been with me ever since (though I fall out occasionally as I do with all my muses) but when the hyena are on the brain, they're on it hard.

Now, to get a little too personal maybe, as I've worked with the muses, I really have come to the realization the catharsis of rping a character like Ed. On the surface/face value he really looks like he doesn't get it. Like he's just a space-case who is just there for comedic value and filling in the 'hyena are stupid' trope. But when you've consumed the content as much as I have (and talked with others who have done so too) you realize there is a lot more to him. And I relate to that. Now my functionality isn't at his level but I do struggle with communication sometimes, I have the ideas but the words just don't synch up, and I think that I get some sort of serotonin reward of taking that to the extreme with a muse like Ed and I get to explore those struggles in a safe and silly space. But with Banzai I get to have a semi-sympathetic character who also understands Ed and can vouch for him (while also living out the 'only child' syndrome of portraying siblings) AND who doesn't love playing a pun-loving grouch (i do).

SO long story short. Yeah these characters mean a lot to me

[missnobodymadness]

AOT or TLK 👿💐🙈

AAAAAAAA, thank you so much for this, I'm the happiest human alive whenever I get an ask. T_T I will answer these with both fandoms because I am an indecise jerk. :'D

"👿 Least favorite character" AOT: Hope I am not gonna get killed by the yeargerists after this, but...Floch. He is simply unbearable to me and he reminds me of everything I am afraid of about the human species. :'D TLK: *nervous laugh* If the yeagerists don't kill me, the TLK fandom will finish the job now...Kiara, yes, Kiara. To be quite fair, I never understood completely why she annoys me so much, she just does? I guess this is the typical case where you just don't vibe with the character.

"💐 Comfort character" AOT: Hange! Hange is my babe and everytime I see them my day automatically gets better, their smile is my daily energy boost, I love them to the moon and back. T_T

TLK: I don't think I have a comfort character from TLK, however, if I did, it would probably be either Pumba or Vitani.

"🙈 Character you always forget exists" AOT: Most of the ones that died at the beginning of the show, but if I had to pick one that has a decent amount of scenes, I'd say Moblit or Hitch. I wish it could be Floch though, but unfortunately for me, I remember about his existence more than I'd like to. :)))))))

TLK: It's honestly a very small cast, so I really never forgot any of them existed, but the one I think about the less is probably Zazu.

[witchofthevale]

𝖜𝖊𝖑𝖈𝖔𝖒𝖊┊ ˚➶ ｡˚ ☁️

ღೋ ✧˚. ❃ ↷ ˊ- the witch's library is tentatively open. things are still under construction, but you may peruse at leisure. ೋღ { DISPLAY WINDOW— flavour of the month! } { THE GLASS CASE— fic series recommendations! } ღೋ ೋღ { LIBRARY SYSTEM— tag navigation! } { THE A-Z AISLES— monthly favourites! } ღೋ ˗ˏˋ @darlingofvalyria ˊˎ˗ for the witch's writing!

ღ current fave fandoms are hotd, tlk, asoiaf & cr. ღ i support/reblog mature and dark content. read warnings actively. block: #dead flight tag (dark/dead dove) and/or #darkened halls tag (triggering content). please check 'library system' for specific curation. ღ community labels ruin fandom ecosystem, please just block to curate your space. ღ 98% of posts are queued up! i like to bookmark fics then cycle them into queue. if queue slows, it's because i'm trying to write lol.

ღ fave type of tropes ღ hurt/comfort, wild HEA supporter, pure angst (only on a good day when i know it won't plummet my mental health lmao), grumpy x sunshine runs through my veins, i like a bit of grovelling ngl, and then they were roommates!, sorry not sorry but accidental pregnancy trope roars, exes to lovers is so funny and interesting to me, a sweet, comforting fluff never hurt nobody i'm sorry, i love kids in fics so if ya'll hate 'em you might hate my reblogs lol, dastardly bastards with or without a heart of gold slaps, smart & manipulative readers are always so fun i support women's rights and wrongs, i am a monsterfucker i apologise now i will always support getting railed by the thing in the dark

ღ this blog is a de-stress zone ღ i curate it as a sanctum for my reading, musings and interaction. my block button is a friend. stay sassy & classy 💋

[destinyisall-tlk]

It feels crazy that The Last Kingdom is once again gaining a bit of popularity due to fans coming iver from House Of The Dragon to watch Ewan Mitchell and Phia Saban. I honestly don’t even know if i like this or not because along with the popularity there can also come toxic fans. Tlk has always been a nice and comfortable community but now i fear that this may be over.

i think the best thing if you’re anxious about your enjoyment in the fandom being ruined by toxicity, i’d block accounts that make you feel that way. while it’s great that baby monk is getting love and tlk is being introduced to new people, i understand how you’re feeling and it can feel overwhelming, especially if the fandom/the show have been a safe space, or something that makes you happy. so far i haven’t seen any overly toxic fans, and i have my fingers crossed it stays that way.

[ivyithink]

Alfred: holds gently, doesn’t mind the bites and scratches

Uhtred: carries his pup around like a sack of potatoes

me, continuing to draw daemon(?)!au: haha, obviously i am drawing alfred and uhtred cause they are my faves and NOT because a dog and a raven are the only animals i can kind of sketch without reference, hahha, obviously

[australet789]

Anon here again. I in no way wanted to suggest that you should make more Ladybug art! Do what you want to do! I just love your art in general and had honestly wanted to send my appreciation for awhile anyway. Keep doing Lion King art! I love it too. I am genuinely sorry that I wasn’t clear. You’re a great artist and I follow you for ANYTHING you draw. I don’t expect you to do something for me! So that was my bad.

dw anon, i get cha. that's why i apologized for derailing too much into the answer when you only meant well

there's a part of me that want to come back fully with ml art. but the lion king hyperfixation right now is much much bigger, im getting so much interactions on deviantart, it makes me feel like im wanted in that space. which is why i started coming back into ml with the ml tlk au (which mixed both things i love perfectly) and joining a couple of charity projects.

these are all gonna be baby steps unitl i feel comfortable and welcomed by the fandom again.

so, like i said, dw. i know what you meant and you are not at fault for how i feel about fandoms and stuff. it was a nice message and i appreciated it a lot.

[solinarimoon]

Little Sea - Part I

AN: This is my first time writing outside of The Last Kingdom fandom, but I originally joined tumblr to find Hvitserk content.  So I hope my writing for him does it justice.  This is for @deans-ch-ch-cherrypie Congratulations on your milestone love!   This story is a Vikings/TLK crossover but Sihtric is basically placed into the Vikings universe.  I know in our heads these two belong in the same universe, so enjoy.  My prompt was a reimagining of The Little Mermaid fairytale. The story got too long so I am breaking it into two parts.  Sjór means sea in Old Norse, at least according to one website I found. I have more notes at the end of part two.

Warnings: Angst, unrequited love, suicidal imagery/implications, Vikings canon Ivar cruelty

My Masterlist

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She swam, racing the currents in the sea.  The water’s hazy depths constantly shifted and mottled in a swirling dance.  Hues of blue and green mixed with inky darkness but faded to the rays of the sun’s light filtering through from the surface.  

The cold temperatures below the fathoms began to warm as Alba swam towards the surface.  Swishing her fins, she felt the drag of the water as she climbed higher until slowing and ultimately stopping herself just before breaching the surface.

His face stared down at her above the water.  His lips spoke words that she could not hear.  His face was calm and serene. Happy.

The only sound was the rushing tumult of waves breaking, crashing upon rocks at the base of a cliff.  

Alba flicked her tail trying in vain to break through the surface.  She wanted nothing more than to rise above the water and envelop Hvitserk in her arms.

The fear and the panic began to rise instead.  And without warning, Alba felt her terror intensify as her tail had been replaced with two legs.  Hvitserk’s face grew farther and farther away while she sank back below the dark depths.

~~~~~~~~

Alba woke with a start, sitting up in her bed and breathing heavily.  Her hands clung to the furs draped across her, pulling them aside to reveal two legs and feet.  The sight still seemed surreal to her. 

This was not the first night she had awoken from this dream.  It was occurring more and more often as she felt the pull to return to the sea.  Return home.  And as she watched Hvitserk continue to move further and further away from her.

Slowly, the young woman stood from her bed steadying herself as her legs wavered like someone returning to shore after living on a ship for weeks.  She draped a cowl of furs around herself and pushed aside the door leading from her small hut on to the beach.

Only a few paces brought Alba up to the water’s edge.  The waves lapped over her toes and Alba breathed easier.  Salty spray drifted across the cove where the waves were always harsh and ragged against the cliffs to the north.

Alba trained her eyes on the grey horizon, watching as the mist began to fade and the shadows melted away.  She breathed in the taste of the ocean’s air and for a moment felt content.

But that moment was broken when she noticed a set of forlorn footsteps approaching her.

“I knew you would be up and on the beach already.”

His voice was low and groggy as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders with a gentle squeeze.  Alba wondered if he had seen his own bed that night.  

“I wish I could help you find whatever you are looking for on the water, little Sjór.”

Alba turned her face ever so slightly to question him with a silent gaze.  And to see his braids looking disheveled. And a small bruise just under his jaw. 

“When we met, it was not unlike this,” Hvitserk paused when Alba turned her face towards him fully, furrowing her brow in confusion.  “I mean it was very different because I still have no idea how a half drowned young woman came to be lying between the rocks on the north edge of the cove, covered by nothing but a ragged boat sail,” his lips had pursed slightly trying to ward of the smirk Alba knew he was fighting.  Shuffling his feet in the sand and clearing his throat, he continued, “so it was different but you also still had that look I see so often. The one you had moments ago. Like you’ve lost something. And you’re waiting for it to return to you.”

Alba turned her eyes back to gaze across the water before dropping her face to the sand with a huff.  “Looking for your voice, perhaps?”

Alba looked up with her mouth dropped open in shock to see the young man grinning fully while she pushed him lightly away. Hvitserk let out a true laugh before wrapping his arm once more around Alba’s shoulder. Comfortable and brotherly. 

Scuffing a bare foot in the sand, Alba moved away from his side and began ambling down the beach knowing Hvitserk would follow. 

It was no use trying to hold that one sided conversation again. Part of the enchantment prevented her from revealing the truth about where she came from, about what she was…is…would be once more.  So even if they played a crude pantomime game, she still could not reveal if his guess were to be correct. 

Her time on land was almost spent. Her time with him would come to an end. Alba knew in her heart that Hvitserk was not in love with her.  And the binding nature of the enchantment would not bend. No matter how much love she felt for him. Or how much she had become endeared to him. That was not the problem. He did love her. But it was not true love. Not for him.  So she would return to the sea, but not today.

Alba sighed, straightened her shoulders and raised her head, breaking herself from her thoughts. 

She turned to look at Hvitserk walking alongside her, scuffing his boots beside her bare feet. Gently, Alba reached out her hand and tapped his neck where she’d noticed the small bruise. 

Hvitserk met her eyes with a mischievous smile. 

“Oh that, there? That is nothing, little Sjór.  Only a slight bite I received from one of the forest trolls while I was searching for mushrooms.” 

The pair laughed at his jest, her silently and him with gentle chuckles before he continued, sincerity beginning to lace its way into his words. 

“I was with Thora last night.”

Alba arched an eyebrow at him. 

“Yes, again.” Hvitserk chuckled lightheartedly. He missed Alba’s eyebrows relax and the smile on her face fall as she listened to him talk about the new woman.  

~~~~~~~~~~

Alba woke to the sound of rain pelting the thatch roof of her small cottage. Sleepily, she opened her eyes just as a streak of lightning illuminated the sky. She had seen the flash through the leaking cracks of her shutters. 

Several moments later the booming echo of Thor’s hammer against the clouds brought a slight curve to her mouth.  A rain storm was dangerous on the water. Perilous. But under the water, Alba and her sisters had been fond of watching the crash and roll of the tumultuous waves. The lightning scattering crystalline lights across the surface of the water. A beautiful orchestra of light and movement. 

A rain storm did not startle her. A rain storm felt like home.  Alba nestled further down into her furs, feeling their weight and warmth bringing her back to sleep. 

Except this thunderous booming continued on far longer than any true thunderclap. And it was now accompanied by a muffled voice. 

Hvitserk. 

No one else ever came to her door. Barely another soul knew she even existed or much less where she dwelled.

Alba opened the door to a torrent of rain blocked only by Hvitserk’s tall frame. 

For a moment, they stood staring at one another, the rain continuing to sleet down on them.

In the dark, Alba could barely make out the features of his face.  She searched his face, her eyes questioning.  But only for a moment before Alba grabbed his arm, ushering him inside and closing the door.  

In two strides, Alba moved across the room to gather up the furs from her bed and drape them across Hvitserk’s shoulders then settling him down on the short bench next to her cookfire.  Alba stoked up the flames from the low burning embers before turning on her knees to look at him. 

Beads of rainwater still tracked down the strands of his hair that had come free from his braids and he had made no move to wipe the dampness from his face.

He met her eyes as he spoke, “It’s Ivar,” he stated simply.

Alba shuffled closer to him and placed her hand on his arm, atop the furs.

“He is sending me as his messenger to King Olaf. In Norway,” Hvitserk paused to turn his head.  He clasped his hands together while bringing them up to rest against his mouth.  He was staring off towards the other side of the room.  His next words were muffled against his fist.

“I don’t know what my brother thinks he is going to do,” he chuckled then continued, “my brother the god king.”

Alba starred while Hvitserk worked through whatever thoughts were raging in his mind.  Increasingly in the past weeks, Hvitserk’s worry over his brother’s rule in Kattegat had grown.  Though he did not often openly criticize Ivar, it was clear to Alba that he carried many burdens for his younger brother. Burdens that left him questioning his path and his fate. And questioning the path his brother was forging.  

The young woman scooted herself closer to him and placed her palm against his cheek, lightly pulling his face back to meet hers. 

She saw the torment and frustration in his brow. It was mirrored on her own face.  She opened her mouth but could only huff and furrow her brow more. Sighing, Alba looked around the room, searching for everything and nothing before finally settling her eyes back onto him. 

“Even if you had words, little Sjór, there are none you could speak that would save me.”

At this, Alba felt her face shift from frustration to concern, her eyes frantically searching his face for more answers. 

“I must do as Ivar bids. And I leave you behind to deal with Ivar’s tyranny. His madness.” Hvitserk dropped his head into his hands, continuing to talk. His words came more easily now as his emotions boiled over. “And my love, Thora. I leave her behind but she does not have the anonymity you do to protect her. I fear for her. I fear what Ivar may do to her while I am away.”

Hvitserk hung his head and sighed heavily.  Alba felt her chest stutter as she realized she was holding back tears.  He truly did love Thora.  And Alba could not help herself from liking the young woman as well.  

Hvitserk had brought Thora to the beach to meet her one day.  And though it made her heart ache, Alba could not deny that she saw the love that was blooming there.  From the casual way that she saw their bodys lean into one another to the way Hvitserk watched Thora when she did not know he was watching.  While Alba was watching him.  That night, she had cried silent tears alone on the beach, while the ocean’s mist cried with her.  And the ache in her chest now was the same.

Trying her best to quell the sobs threatening to escape her lungs, Alba shifted herself once more to sit beside him on the bench.  Gently, she cradled him in her arms and stroked back the strands of his hair, now drying by the heat from the fire.  Hvitserk hugged her knees and closed his eyes for a moment, taking comfort from the care and love in Alba’s touch.  

“I will miss you while I am away.  I know you enjoy your solitude. But if you can, keep an eye out for my Thora. Ivar has made comments. Said things that make me fear she may be a target for his frustration.  She sees how dangerous Ivar has become. It threatens him.”

The more Hvitserk continued on, the more Alba’s heart continued to tear. Her prince's concern and worry was for another.  He was in love with another.  She let out a silent sob, but laying in her lap, Hvitserk felt the jolt of her body. The pain she could no longer hold back. 

Sitting up, he questioned, “What is it, Sjór?”

Alba closed her eyes and felt the tears cascade down her face as she shook her head.  

Hvitserk took her face in his hands, turning his body so that he straddled the bench. The furs around his shoulders dropped to the ground, forgotten.  

“Hey, hey look at me?”

Alba opened her eyes to see concern etched across his features.  Silently cursing her tears, she pushed his hands away and stood, wrapping her arms around herself and stepping away towards the door.  He was tormented enough and did not need to add her pain to his. A pain that she could not explain to him. 

“Sjór, I….” He started, standing to face her and grabbing her arms, firm but gentle.  His words fell silent as he watched the tears continue to track down her cheeks. 

Huffing in frustration, Alba wiped the tears away. The two stood silent except for Alba’s shaky breaths for several moments. 

Finally, Alba brought her fist up to thump against her chest. Over her heart. Gathering her courage, she took her fist, relaxing her fingers and placed her hand over Hvitserk’s own heart. And then brought her head to rest against her hand, feeling his breath and the questions in his stance. 

Taking a step back and removing her hand to wipe another stray tear, Alba met his eye. With more force she took her fist to thump against his chest. In the same spot, over his heart. 

Looking down to her hand, Alba tapped her fist against him once more then brought her hand up and pointed a single finger towards her window.  Towards Thora, towards his love. 

She watched as Hivitserk’s brow, a deep line of confusion, slowly relaxed.  A look of realization spread across his face. 

To then be replaced by something more unbearable. 

Pity. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Bare feet found their way along the soft mosses and lichen carpeting the ground up the paths surrounding the northern side of the cove.  Alba stepped slow and deliberate, feeling the air growing cooler.  The spray of the mist off the sea left salty pin pricks of water glistening across her bare arms.  

Low in the distance, the rumble of thunder rolled.  As she crested the height of the cliffs, Alba found the crash of the waves joining in the thrum of the oncoming storm.  The energy in the air was mounting.  Mirroring Alba’s rising anguish. 

Thora was dead.  A cruel and horrifying death.

Ivar was rampaging.  His madness was building and unstable.  

And Hvitserk.  Her sweet Hvitserk was gone.  If Ivar was to be believed...If what he said was true, he was lost.  Dead at the orders of King Olaf.

Alba fell to her knees at the cliff's edge.  Her hands gripped tight onto the sharp rock’s edge.  The rough surface painful and grating at the pads of her fingers.  She clung to the edge.  Her eyes staring down at the waves below.  The maelstrom of the waves calling to her.  To end her suffering.  End the anguish and pain.  

Alba stood, the wind whipping her dress as the rain began, drops gently splattering across the terrain.  The young woman looked up towards the clouds and closed her eyes, feeling tears spill over across her cheeks.  

Silently, Alba let the anguish wash over her.  Knowing he was lost.  And the sea was calling her to return.

Alba’s time on legs would soon be done.  She had not found her love returned.  And she could not stay.  The pull of the sea was calling to her stronger and stronger.  Her sisters called to her to return to them. 

Slowly, she dropped her face back down to the tumult below and took a step forward.

“Don’t!”

The voice stopped her movements.  The roll of thunder boomed again. Several tense moments passed before Alba heard the voice again.

“Please don’t.”

The voice was deep and soothing.  But Alba could sense something else behind the words.  Panic.  Desperation.

Weakly, she turned to face the nameless voice, her head turning back to look across her shoulder.  The rain was cascading in steady rivulets now.  Mingling with the tears staining Alba’s face.  Her dress had quickly become sodden and clung to her skin.

When her eyes came to the tree line, she saw him.

He was tall.  Dark.  His hair plastered to the sides of his face from the rain.  Hands raised to indicate he was no threat to her.

Slowly, tentatively the man stepped forward to stand beside her before he spoke again.

Alba’s eyes tracked his movements.  

When he was close enough to touch her, he spoke once more.

“Please.  Do not succumb to it.”

When Alba did nothing but stare, the man continued, “To your grief.  Please.”

It was the please that caught her.  The gentleness and the kindness in his eyes as he pleaded with her.

His arms caught her as she collapsed atop the cliff, allowing the despair to wash over her.

The man held her while she cried, silent sobs that shook her to her core.  Her fingers twisting and clinging to the folds of his shirt.  His arms steady and firm around her shoulders as he cradled her. He held her until she stilled while the rains continued their lament.  And when she was half asleep, ruined with exhaustion he carried her back down the path.  

He settled her down underneath his own roof, beside a comfortable fire to dry her clothes and hair.

The man handed her a small bowl full of warm broth.  

“Go ahead,” he coaxed, “you must get dry and eat.  You do not want to catch cold. And then you should sleep.”

When Alba stared at him questioningly, he added, “You have nothing to fear from me. I am called Sihtric.”

~~~~~~~~~~~ To be continued in part II

Tagging my usuals.  Please let me know if you would like to be added or removed from my taglist.

Tags: @maggiescarborough @pokeasleepingsmaug @nxrdist @mystic-shadows42 @emilyhufflepufftlk @magravenwrites @lauwrite1225 @morosemagick @thebohemianpenguin @mrsalwayswrite @notyourwildestdream @obipoelover-deactivated20210806 @ecarroll1978 @93xdiagonxalley @nobodys-business-world @evelynshelby @trenko-heart @0hsappho

[tlkfanficfest]

TLK FANFIC FEST - FILL POST

Well TLK Fandom you have OUTDONE yourselves. What started as a little endeavour I thought would go nowhere resulted in 34 brand new fics in TWO WEEKS. Also, today they announced we are getting a Season 5 for TLK. If that isn’t the universe saying all our positive energy worked, I don’t know what is! 

I’ve tried to list the fills alphabetically by prompt, and included both a tumblr link/AO3 link(if available). Round 2 will go up tomorrow so check back soon because that prompt submission box will be open and ready to take your requests! I’ve also got a few new things coming but you’ll hear all about it tomorrow. 

IF I HAVE MISSED A FILL PLEASE MESSAGE ME.

Round 1 Prompt Fills:

"Keen is the wind, bare the hill, it is difficult to find shelter; the ford is marred, the lake freezes, a man could stand on a single stalk." - from a Welsh poem, 'Winter', c.11th century, author unknown

https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tlkfanficfest/works/25043593 by @chaos_is_welcome

"The ocean is full, the sea is in flood, lovely is the home of ships ... the rudder is swift upon the wide sea." - from an 11th century Irish poem, A Storm at Sea, author unknown

https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tlkfanficfest/works/25080601 by @chaos_is_welcome

Aelswith/Alfred, first meeting

https://minimartian.tumblr.com/post/622947185597743104/rolls-off-the-tongue-aelswithalfred by @minimartian

Aethelflaed/Aldhelm, “you have bewitched me, body and soul.”

https://tobebbanburg.tumblr.com/post/622074165361606656/duty-decency-tobebbanburg-the-last-kingdom by @tobebbanburg (https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tlkfanficfest/works/24943159)

Aldhelm has a Nice Day for once

https://cocchamscrew.tumblr.com/post/622713412871421952/day-out-aldhelm-x-aethelflaed by @cocchamscrew (https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tlkfanficfest/works/25068061)

https://sihtric.tumblr.com/post/622862452389019648/caged-birds-flying-free by @sihtric (https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tlkfanficfest/works/25117453)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/24997012 by @superprincesspea

Aldhelm, resting and thinking back on his life, Finan and Sihtric come across him. They talk.

https://softestark.tumblr.com/post/622727659241275392/a-truth-you-cant-avoid-softestark-the-last by @softestark ( https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tlkfanficfest/works/25070851)

Coccham crew get drunk and start flyting against each other

https://tobebbanburg.tumblr.com/post/621729570931015680/flyting-fighting-tobebbanburg-the-last by @tobebbanburg (https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tlkfanficfest/works/24878602)

Eadith/Finan, it was never about pleasure for Eadith until Finan

https://superprincesspea.tumblr.com/post/621821375618891776/winchesters-finest by @superprincesspea (https://archiveofourown.org/works/24896029)

https://jade-masquerade.tumblr.com/post/622774509711327232/the-altar-is-my-hips by @jade-masquerade (https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tlkfanficfest/works/25082065)

Eadith/Finan, it was never about pleasure for Eadith until Finan / Eadith/Finan, Eadith trusts Finan with her life, but she needs to convince him she trusts him with her body.

https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tlkfanficfest/works/24973942 by @chaos_is_welcome

Eadith/Finan/Uhtred, relationship negotiations

https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tlkfanficfest/works/24908578 by @NotInPublic

Finan and Uhtred roadtrip

https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tlkfanficfest/works/24953728 by @solarlotus

Finan, "Don't pretend like you're asleep. Should I find a way to wake you up?"(obvs on the smutty side... I can see it already!)

https://geekandbooknerd.tumblr.com/post/621931804972253184/morning-after-modern-finan-x-reader by @geekandbooknerd

Finan, Finan shares his cloak with the reader at the fire to keep them both warm. His hands wander occasionally / Sihtric rescues the reader from drowning.

https://righmarbh.tumblr.com/post/622266186253598720/love-like-winter by @righmarbh

Finan, Finan shares his cloak with the reader at the fire to keep them both warm. His hands wander occasionally.

https://lauwrite1225.tumblr.com/post/621715492568219648/cold-night-finan-x-reader by @lauwrite1225 (

Finan, him being soft and him caring for kids in my lfie

https://lauwrite1225.tumblr.com/post/622020890369130496/tlkfff2020-tlkfanficfest-imagine-2-finan-him by @lauwrite1225

Finan/Sihtric, that first night after Finan knows Sihtric didn't really abandon them.

https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tlkfanficfest/works/24996745 by @tobebbanburg

Finan/Uhtred, stuck in a confessional box. Can be as naughty as you like. Bonus for Aelswith coming to pray whilst they're stuck.

https://righmarbh.tumblr.com/post/621727119535407104/cloisterfuck by @righmarbh

Finan/Uhtred, they know each other like the back of their hands

https://azyland.tumblr.com/post/621846930215108608/etched-in-your-skin-azyland-the-last-kingdom by @azyland (https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tlkfanficfest/works/24901645)

https://tsukkinami.tumblr.com/post/622118184480342016/like-the-back-of-my-hand by @tsukkinami(https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tlkfanficfest/works/24951751)

Finan/Uhtred, we are bound.

https://bird-on-a-wire20.tumblr.com/post/622448696390565888/the-best-of-mornings-finanuhtred-drabble by @bird-on-a-wire20

https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tlkfanficfest/works/25114897  by @kirstenseas 

Gisela/Hild, hurt/comfort

https://druellasrosier.tumblr.com/post/622256354464317440/solertia-dolore-written-for-tlkfanficfest-prompt by @druellasrosier (https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tlkfanficfest/works/24979051)

Jealous possessive Finan please!

https://nxrdist.tumblr.com/post/621821341628317696/tlkfanficfest-prompt-fill-for by @nxrdist

Osferth saves Finan and Sihtric’s life from Danes and has a little smirk at the end. / Sihtric and Osferth bonding over being bastards

https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tlkfanficfest/works/24936049 by @limenal

Radio station AU of any description. Wessex FM, Bebbanburg Beats, Mercia Magic...

https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tlkfanficfest/works/25102252 by salto

Sihtric/Reader, Enemies to Lovers, smut should definitely take place. They have been on opposite sides for years until one day changes everything forever.

https://valhallasubstitute.tumblr.com/post/621804826542718976/that-one by @valhallasubstitute 

https://geekandbooknerd.tumblr.com/post/622293481002565633/opposites-sihtric-x-reader by @geekandbooknerd

The Coccham crew get a little tipsy and Sihtric ends up with his most interesting haircut yet

https://for-bebbanburg.tumblr.com/post/621846264781422592/the-haircut by @for-bebbanburg

The Cookham squad mourn the death of Steapa.

https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tlkfanficfest/works/24989260 by @chaos_is_welcome

Uhtred is visited by the actual Night Walker and they have a philosophical conversation around the campfire.

https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tlkfanficfest/works/24987775 by @kirstenseas

Uhtred/Gisela/Finan is a thing and they need to figure out who is the baby daddy now that Gisela is pregnant.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/24960037 by @NotInPublic

[hecohansen31]

I got a few question numbers 😅 3,9 ,10 ,15 ,18 ,21 ,35 ,41 ,45

3. What is the best fandom you’ve ever been involved in?

Ahh I personally have to say that I don’t think that I can choose one single fandom, mostly because I haven’t been in the fandom scene for so much, but as of lately, I have found myself very comfortable in the TLK one (obviously not meaning that I don’t like the others!).

9. What are the best things about your current fandom?

There are three fandoms for which I write right now, so I’ll just list them under here:

-Vikings (I personally love very much how mature are the people on here, mostly in being civil alongside each other, since I do think that many understand that there is a person under here and they try their best to be polite).

-Bill Skarsgard Fandom (other than being a lot of talented writers, as in the other fandoms I am in, I do think ths fandom as the theme of comfort down to a T and absolutely do their best to be a comforting presence on tumblr).

-The Last Kingdom (they are very accepting and not very judging, which is extremely nice for my crackships!).

10.  Is there a fandom you read fic from but don’t write in?

Peaky Blinders, but mostly because I haven’t felt any interest in writing (also because I am stuck at the end of season two and I know some spoilers of the future seasons and I am just... not sure about going on!).

15. Is there an obscure ship which you love?

Probably Skade and Brida from ‘The Last Kingdom’ (excuse me but you put enemies-to-enemies who have sex and I am IN).

18. What ship have you written the most about?

I don’t know if it is a ship, but I do think I have written the most about Ivar x Reader in my fanfic production.

21. What was the first fanfic you ever wrote?

This one (although I don’t suggest reading it, since it is honestly awfully written (it’s a Michael Langdon x Witch! Reader)

35. Do you write drabbles? If so, what do you normally write them about?

I do write drabbles, mostly as replied to my asks, and they usually about various topics, but I do admit that most of them are set up in a modern AU (because I feel like they are easier to write) and usually about comforting themes.

41. List and link to 5 fanfics you are currently reading:

So, I usually read oneshots, but I’ll like here five fics that are either still not finished because of the author or because I personally need to finish that I am following attentively.

-’Heartbreak’ by @xbellaxcarolinax (and also ‘Forging and Heart’!).

-’Beautiful and Faithless’ by @rhxegals.

-’We Could Have Been Better’ by @ivarthebadbitch and @volvaaslaug.

-’Have Love, Will Travel’ by @grandpa-sweaters.

-’The Gilded Cage’ by @honestsycrets.

45. What is your all time favourite fanfic?

Again, this isn’t something related to anyone and I don’t think that I could choose a favorite fic, but I do think that there is one fic that has brought me closer in the Vikings fandom and I won’t surely forget, because it is a masterpiece (but certainly I have many MANY more fics and authors that I love).

But I just get heart eyes whenever I reread ‘Crush’ by @peaceisadirtyword!

[whenimaunicorn]

Guardian Angel - Finan Imagine

Fandom: The Last Kingdom Genre: Hurt/comfort with a generous helping of dramatic fluff. 

Requested by @savismith - prompt line in bold.

Finan had become your savior. Your guardian angel. There was no denying it, as he swooped you up from the wreckage of the Danes’ raid, and tended to your wound on the long journey to go join the only family you had left now.

Lord Uhtred’s band of warriors had arrived just in time to save you, but not many of the others from your little village. When you heard that they were traveling toward the town where your mother was from, where you still had people who would take you in, you begged him and his sworn men to let you come along. To keep a young woman safe on the road. Finan, your angel, had pulled you up from your knees and promised to “escort you” as if you were a lady of the finest breeding. One look into his warm brown eyes and you knew this was a man you could trust.

The wound in your flank made it more difficult to travel along with them than you had thought. You sniffled through the pain and shuffled along, trying hard not to slow these fighting men down. You would hate for them to decide they had to leave you behind somewhere along the road. It was Finan who noticed the tears in your eyes, slowing his horse to come check on you. The kindness in his gaze broke your resolve, and he dismounted just in time to catch you as your last strength gave out and your knees buckled.

He put you up upon his own horse. Unfortunately you had never been much of a rider, and the wound had made you so groggy that Finan kept catching you sliding out of the saddle. There was nothing to be done but for him to climb up behind you, sharing the saddle and holding you up ‘round the waist. He was careful not to brush against your wound, or any other tender parts of your body. But some contact was inevitable, especially as your weakness led you to lean back against his broad chest. His thick beard brushed your forehead every time you relaxed your neck and let yourself be held up by your guardian angel. His cedar-and-spice scent permeated your fever dreams, bringing solace when nothing else did.

As you rode together Finan told you funny stories to keep you awake, and the sleepier you got the bawdier they became. Just to keep you laughing. Just to keep you safe.

The first time the band made camp along the side of the road, you shivered all night. Though these were men that seemed to revel in teasing each other, no one said a word when Finan took to sleeping right beside you, keeping you warm and monitoring your healing along the whole journey, as the moon waxed from new to full. He changed your bandages with soft and respectful hands, but a certain tenderness lingered in his eyes. You began to wonder if he was feeling the way that you were starting to feel, too.

On the last night you needed to sleep on the ground before arriving in your aunt’s village, Finan made sure your bandage was clean, and tucked in the furs and blankets tight around you. “You are healing well,” he said. “The wound should give you no trouble at all in another turn of the moon, if your people let ye keep resting.”

“I have never met them,” you confessed. “I am nervous about tomorrow. Will they be kind to me? Will they take me in? And if they do, how well will they treat me?”

Finan’s face was soft as he looked down at you in the flickering firelight. “They won’t be able to help but to love you,” he promised. “How could anyone not.”

His hand rose, as if to stroke your face. But he hesitated, and it hovered there in the space between you.

“You’ll be needing your rest tonight. We should arrive there by sunset tomorrow.” He pulled back, as if to rise and seek his own blankets.

“Finan,” you called out, soft but urgent.

He looked back down, hand still hovering awkwardly near to you.

“Please, just touch me.”

His eyes widened, like he could not quite believe what he was hearing.

“You have been so kind, and so respectful. Nothing but a perfect gentleman as you cared for me on this long journey.” You bit your lip, not sure what to say to make him stay, to keep tugging at this bond that seemed to have grown between you, that was now about to be lost. “But I want… It would be alright if…” He drew a little bit closer with your every word. “Just touch me,” you repeated.

The back of his fingers slid down your cheek, soft and slow. Like any other touch would be too intense, like you were in fact the angelic being, and he could be burned if he got too close.

When the heavens did not come crashing down at his daring, Finan’s face softened, and he let his fingertips trace along your brow. You leaned into his hand.

“God is cruel,” he said softly. Lightly, so lightly, his fingers stroked over the apple of your cheek. “To give me such a fleeting glimpse of a woman like you.”

A sudden desire stirred in your breast, stabbing in painful disappointment just as quickly as you thought about the facts of your situations. “I can’t come with you, where you’re going.”

“It’s too dangerous,” Finan agreed, “and you are too weak. You must find a place with your mother’s people tomorrow. You must rest, and heal, while I follow my Lord Uhtred. We must part ways.” His gaze slid down to your mouth, and you could feel how much his fingers would like to trace your lips.

“One kiss,” you quietly begged. “One kiss to remember you by, my guardian angel.”

His lips were petal-soft, brushing once, twice, three times across your own. He pressed his forehead to yours so that he could look deeply into your eyes. “When our task is done, with my Lord’s permission, can I come back and court ye?”

 TLK taglist:  @ceridwenofwales @oddsnendsfanfics@laketaj24 @thewildbeauty @geekandbooknerd @therealcalicali @tiyetiye @pokeasleepingsmaug@goldentailedmermaids @sifshoney @laketaj24 @titty-teetee  @savismith @ariellostatci @perfectus-in-morte @axiseeu12 @kingofshadowalkers

[sieben9]

“the final battle” impressions

{Quick request to anyone reading: I’m watching OUaT for the first time, and I want to avoid spoilers. So, if you want to discuss something spoilery, I’d be grateful if you could start a new post for that. Thank you!}

Ah Once, what am I going to do with you?

I mean, this episode was definitely an Experience™, that much is certain. Just… ::sighs::

Look, if I try to sum it up, I think the best I can do is “this was twenty minutes of a really good finale stuck inside a rushed ninety-minute wtf-fest. Also, those twenty minutes belong to a totally different season.

this is the sort of thing you’ve got to foreshadow at least a LITTLE

The acting was pretty damn good, though.

(Fair warning: don’t open this on mobile, there’s a ridiculous amount of pictures under the cut)

OK. So. Couple of things that I really liked up front, so I can gripe in peace later on. (And readers can skip whatever part they wish ; )

First, and I realise this is a weird thing to enjoy, but I loved how utterly despicable I found Fiona in this one. She may have hung around like a bad smell for most of the season without really doing much, but she sure stepped up her game for the occasion.

Seriously, if Rumple hadn’t killed her, I would have found a way. “Our son”, indeed.

Though, please, have some pity on the poor guy. At this point, he has killed both his parents, and one of them twice. That can’t be good for anyone.

oh look the wall robots are still there

And speaking of Rumple… dang, that was a good scene in the mines. What I loved most about it was that this was literally all him. Nobody would ever know what he did in there if he didn’t tell them, except for himself, and he still made the right choice. Despite being offered everything he ever wanted, despite being under the influence of his curse just as much as ever…

before you ask, yes, my mind did go Places

…and more literally than it’s usually shown. Well done, pal. I should probably be more excited about this, but despite the tense buildup, I feel like the scene kind of fizzled as a whole. Maybe because he already made the exact same choice earlier, and was just confirming that he really meant it, too. Still, it was a good moment, and I was very proud of this walking human disaster by the time it was done.

Some more on the topic of Rumple: congratulations on his acting skills. Rumple’s, not Robert Carlyle’s, specifically. Because there’s no way in hell I could have seen these photos…

…and kept a straight face. Honestly, I’m half convinced that they were a test by Fiona to see if he was awake after all.

Oh, and the book!

The book made it across! And you know why? Because Belle and her son have True Love, even if Gideon cannot remember that, because Fiona is The Worst. And Rumple worked so hard to make Gideon remember; it was heartbreaking to see. I mean, he had to do that for… what? Five hours? And he still couldn’t stand the thought that Gideon might believe his mother didn’t love him. It was a good scene, OK?

On a sillier note (but still unambiguously positive): Emma’s wardrobe came back for the finale!

I don’t know, it’s just nice to see.

Other things I loved a lot:

Any and all interactions between Regina and her now-settled other half. Just. Pure joy, even in the midst of the wtf-ery. And with the obvious standout-moment when the Queen goes and sacrifices herself to give the others that tiny bit of time they need to get back to their world and help Henry (and Emma, but I think we all know who the priority was in this case)

Just… damn. I’m still worried about this woman’s self-destructive streak in general, but this was a good moment. (It also helps that she got better. ‘cause that could have been really depressing otherwise.)

Oh, and since we’re speaking of Regina (or the Reginas, plural), I absolutely adored the speech she gave Emma. Just… I mean, I expect the hope speeches from Snow (and that one was pretty good, too), but this? I mean… wow. Please compare and contrast with season 1. Except you don’t have to, because Regina already did that, and it was beautiful.

Then we have an actual mirrored TLK (see below for a botched version…) in this very good moment:

Like, yes, I love bookends, and this was a great one. Calling back to the “holy crap why didn’t I see this coming” kiss in s1 worked surprisingly well, considering how little interaction Emma and Henry had this season, but there’s enough material in the show in general to make me buy into this. Like I said: sucker for bookends.

In general, I feel like this episode was at its strongest whenever re-focused on the family relationships between the characters.

And to close it out, the ending montage.

Just... it’s like Snow said. They get to live their happy endings now. Snowing finally have the time to be a proper family (and David got a dog!). Regina is accepted and loved by her people (and the Queen gets to have a completely “new adventure”, as Robin so aptly put it.) Snow can do what she loves and doesn’t have to fight all the time anymore. And Emma finally has a place in the world; one where she can settle and be comfortable and doesn’t have to be alone anymore... and I’ll just leave it at that. It’s a good ending.

And no, I haven’t forgotten it--obvious special mention to this bit here:

Yup. Killed me dead. And I died happy, thank you very much. They’ve been through so much bullshit, and now they can be together, and raise their son in peace, and won’t be really worried when he doesn’t stop growing, either.

I also want to give a special shoutout to the five six people who immediately made sure that I knew that 1) the kiss wasn’t scripted and 2) we, as a fandom, are extremely lucky to have Robert and Emilie. (For those who haven’t seen the interview in question, it’s here, and here)

The finishing dinner was nice, too, even if I’m not sure what the whole Last Supper imagery was supposed to do.

Listen, I’ve been going “just let them be happy!” for way too long to complain much when they finally are. Also, I could write an essay on the range of emotions Rumple goes through when he comes through that door and people are actually happy to see him and his family. Or about that look that passes between him and Regina, because I caught that and it made me cry! I don’t think either of them ever imagined they would really be this happy again when they first met and they’ve been through so much crap and just... guh. I like this. It’s a good closing shot.

And now, the rest.

Because frankly, this wasn’t a great finale. It wasn’t even that good of an episode. It was everything wrong with the 4B finale, only more of that.

For example: What was the deal with making Emma lose her belief? Since when was her belief required for the magical realms to exist? The only person who’s ever had even something approaching that function was Henry. She didn’t need to believe in magic to keep it alive, she needed it to break the curse.

And this was never set up as the Black Fairy’s plan. Not even a little. This came so out of left field, it wasn’t even in the same stadium! And it’s so frustrating, because this wasn’t a bad plot, as such, but there was no build-up, no real payoff, nothing. Or, let me put it differently: this was a perfectly fine plot resolution, it just had no business being attached to this season.

Everything felt rushed, there were about five dozen plot points, none of them with any time to breathe and somehow, we still got that terminally boring climb up the bean stalk.Sorry, David, you know I love you, but what was the point of that sidetrack? Nothing happened. There was no try-and-fail cycle (because there wasn’t time for one) and honestly, if you needed a handwave for how they got back from the magical realms, maybe you could have gone with a less time intensive one?

And that moment where Snow kisses David back to life? Yeah, unearned, again. And dear show: the cut-in from the first episode worked for the split-heart curse, because you were subverting it. But here? It just didn’t do anything. This wasn’t a parallel. David wasn’t cursed, he was crushed by a beanstalk.

And speaking of things that don’t make sense…

For the love of fuck. Her ankle? Really? This is such a cliché that even the slasher genre doesn’t do it anymore. And it’s a dumb cliché, too. It’s rooted sexism and it makes it look like you didn’t have any other ideas. I get it, you don’t want Belle with Rumple at that final point so she doesn’t influence his decision. Here’s a thought, then: let her stay behind for a good reason! Or, hell, if you don’t want to write a scene for her (the writers sure seem to be allergic to giving Belle any screentime), let there be a fork in the road! They don’t have the time to check each one, let Belle go one way and Rumple another. It’s still a lazy plot excuse, but at least it’s not the stupidest cliché in the book.

And one more thing…

::sigh:: I have such mixed feelings about this?

Because on the one hand: Gideon had a life that nobody would want. He was kidnapped, imprisoned, kept in the dark and abused for all of his twenty-eight years, and even if he got free, he would never get that time back. Nobody would ever choose that for themselves.

At the same time… Gideon died. The person I got to know over the last half-season is no more. He’s gone. And he never had any say in the matter. Hell, he didn’t even get to say goodbye. It’ just such a messed-up way to get a wonderful thing.

(Also, while I’m on that topic… yes, I did notice that Rumple didn’t recognise his very tiny son at first, and I realise that it’s because he’s never seen him before. It prompted a particularly long “oh noo…”, too.)

And finally…

… that cliffhanger/teaser, though, huh?

I have so many questions. Why was Henry in that monster forest? Why is he now in an apartment and doesn’t remember his daughter? When did he get a daughter? (Also, who with? Enquiring minds would like to know.)

So. I know, like, three things about s7, and one of them is the cast list. Please try not to spoil anything else, because that’s already way more than I wanted to know going in. Seriously, I’m a reasonably grown adult. I can deal with a couple of surprises.