#what up i'm rewatching vikings

[claymoresword]

Fatal Attraction

Lagertha Lothbrok x Farmer Fem!Reader

Summary: After a long day of working on your farm, you have an accidental encounter with a gorgeous shield-maiden.

Wordcount: 2.1k

Warnings: smut, g!p reader, y/n could be transmasc, lust at first sight or whatever, y/n and lagertha are soulmates infact, porn no plot

Note: fairly certain no one's going to even read this silly thing but i've been rewatching vikings and something shifted.. that's all i have to say. (whenever there's a blonde milf trust claymoresword will be there)

gif cred: winnickdaily

You are forced to call it a day as you notice the sky dimming. Sundown is rapidly approaching and ypu recognize that it would not be productive to continue working through the night again.

Days at the farm have been long and tiring enough as it is while you prepare for winter.

You finally exit the stables after checking on the horses one last time. Slipping the hilt of your axe through your sword belt, you decide to head out into the forest to answer nature’s call once more before turning in for the night.

-

You relieve yourself upon a tree, subsequently clearing your throat whilst making a considerable amount of noise without much thought.

Once finished, you lace up your breeches in haste, anxious to return to the comfort and warmth of your farmhouse.

Then, a noise captures your attention, it is the crunching of leaves, a jarring snap of a twig just beside you.

Footsteps.

You reach for your axe, but before you can even attempt to retrieve it, the sensation of a pointed, cold object against the back of your neck causes you to freeze in place.

“Wait– don't harm me. I'm not here to cause trouble.” You declare in resignation, lifting your hands up as a gesture of surrender.

Today cannot be the day that you die.

“Who are you?” A woman's voice, edged and perilous, much like the blade that's being pressed up against your neck.

“I- I'm a farmer, I live just across the river.” You explain, and then, blessedly, you no longer feel the edged metal against your flesh.

You allow yourself a sigh of relief. However, just as suddenly, your breath hitches in your throat once more when you turn around to face the mystery woman– the most beautiful woman you have ever laid eyes on.

Clad in armour, she bears a sword like she was born to it. Evidently, she is a shield-maiden, the most captivating one you have ever seen.

“State your name.” The blonde haired goddess demands. Her expression is taut and fierce and she has yet to lower her sword, strangely enough, it only makes you want to smile, but you possess enough wit to fight the urge.

“Y/n. My name is y/n.” You state, breathless, incapable of concealing the look on your face.

She is captivating. Now that your eyes have met, you can hardly find the strength to look away.

The shield-maiden remains silent as she continues to observe you. Once satisfied, she finally sheaths her steel.

“What's a farmer like you doing in the middle of a forest? This place is dangerous, full of bandits looking for an easy target.” The goddess asks, eyeing you once more.

Her seemingly impenetrable demeanor only intrigues you further. You find yourself actively fighting the desire to step closer to the shield-maiden.

"It- the truth, it's humiliating." You mutter, chuckling slightly, finally averting your gaze.

"I came out here to take a piss, I don't like to do it infront of the animals.” You admit, and your heart sings as you catch a smile threatening to form upon the shield-maiden's lips.

Lagertha's eyebrows raise slightly with your confession but she forces an impartial stare.

"So.. you have chosen the most dangerous place in all of Hedeby to answer nature's call?" The shield-maiden asks, her tone sharp with judgment.

Her words don't graze you, in fact your grin only widens as you are filled with a stroke of confidence.

She is even more beautiful when she is trying not to smile at you.

“Are you going to kill me?” You ask boldly, and finally, it is the shield-maiden's turn to flush a light shade of pink. She bites her lip, focusing her attention on the ground for a moment.

“Tell me your name again.” She orders, and you catch her eyes, the colour of the ocean– you wonder what it would be like to get lost in them, to lose yourself in the depths of her.

You aim to find out.

“Y/n.” You repeat, finally inching closer, hypnotized.

The other woman fails to move, but she allows the proximity. A tantalizing smirk that pulls your gaze toward her lips once more.

"You know, y/n–" She begins, tilting her head gently to the side.

"You could have gone to take a piss in a bush near your farm. But you chose to go in the woods, alone, in danger, I wonder why..” The shield-maiden taunts.

You only shrug.

“Perhaps I enjoy the risk.” You claim in jest, taking another step. “What are you doing here all alone?” You redirect the question, and the other woman looks off into the distance for a beat.

“Hmm..” She hums, purposely taking ample time to conjure a response. Your bodies are now only an inch away from touching.

She enjoys this, leaving you wanting– like a pathetic, eager pup.

Finally, the other woman advances forward, you are close enough to smell the sweat on her skin.

A thrilling scent.

"I come out here to think, to clear my head, and–" She pauses to lean forward. "I also enjoy the risk.” The shield-maiden claims in a whisper, her lips brushing against the shell of your ear.

She is mocking you, and Gods do you enjoy it.

Your smile remains, as well as your stare upon her lips. “You never told me your name.”

“My name is Lagertha.” The shield-maiden answers, her hand leaves the hilt of her sword to carefully graze your chest, she traces the details on your tunic.

An action that takes you both by surprise, yet she fails to pull away, and you pray to Freya that she never does.

“Can I kiss you, Lagertha?” You ask. If this gorgeous woman before you aims to plunge her sword into you now, then so be it.

To your delight, Lagertha does nothing of the sort, instead, her hand clenched into a grip on your collar, she nods. “Kiss me.”

You regard her permission, leaning in to capture her lips for a passionate kiss. Subsequently pinning her up against the tree as she wraps her arms around the back of your neck.

Lagertha immediately parts her mouth wider, wanting your tongue. Once again you do not hesitate to do as she asks, your tongue meets her own, and she thanks you with a whimper and a slightly louder moan.

Your hand shifts further downwards to her rear, deliberately pulling her close until she is flush against your groin. You can already feel yourself growing painfully hard; kissing this woman you had just met mere moments ago.

“You are so beautiful..” You utter, earning another gasp of pleasure as your mouth finds Lagertha's neck.

“You are not so bad yourself.” She pants in return, pushing herself further against you. Her hand slips in between both your bodies, boldly palming your hardened cock over your breeches.

You poorly mask a moan with a strained chuckle, pulling away for a moment to look upon her flushed expression. Lagertha's mouth remains parted as she chases your lips. You grant her another deep kiss before separating once more to speak.

"Do you have a husband, Lagertha? Will he care that you are kissing strange women in the middle of the forest?" You remark with a certain playfulness, although secretly hoping she will admit that she is indeed unmarried.

Eventhough you knew that the chances of it are highly unlikely.

"I have no husband," Lagertha replies, her voice laced with desire as she pushes herself against your groin once more, well aware of how hard you had gotten for her.

Her answer is the sweetest there is– it is exactly what you want to hear. Yet, you don't believe her.

"A gorgeous woman such as yourself.. unwed?" You mutter skeptically before placing another open mouthed kiss against her throat. You swiftly begin sucking on the flesh, relishing in the desperate whimper you manage to pull from the shield-maiden.

Soon Lagertha finds strength enough to grip a fistful of your hair, tugging your head back so you are forced to look her in the eyes.

She appears delighted to watch you wince.

“My heart has not yet found its place.” The shield-maiden admits, and you accept it to be an earnest statement. Though the glimmer of doubt beneath her poised expression does not go unnoticed.

“Oh– then, perhaps..” You say, pausing to kiss her again.

“Your heart will find its place with me.” You declare brazenly, and it is met with a faint smile before Lagertha reacts with a feeble attempt to shove you away.

“You are incredibly arrogant..” She claims, and you kiss her neck again before leaving another deep bruise upon her milky white skin.

The shield maiden chokes out a moan as you repeated the action on another part of her neck.

“Presumptuous–” She tries to continue, but is ultimately overcome with pleasure as you move your mouth over a particularly tender spot.

“–ah, fuck.” Lagertha groans as you proceed to slip your hand underneath her bodice, soon your mouth finds the swell of her breasts.

“You are perfect.” You praise in retaliation to her insults.

Lagertha doesn't try to wound you with her words anymore, only guiding your face closer so she may kiss you again, hungry and anguished.

Now she is utterly lost within you– and you in turn are reduced to the simplest most vulnerable part of yourself.

There is nothing else; all you care to see, touch, and taste is her.

Lagertha eventually results in pulling you down onto the ground with her. Leaves rustling violently as you both fumbled to undress yourselves. You removed your sword belts, tossing your weapons aside. There is no time, you needed to have her now, and the shield-maiden wanted the same.

She hastily pulls down her breeches and smallclothes. Once they are off her body, she discards them heedlessly and without thought, while you do the exact same.

A grunt leaves you as Lagertha grasps the base of your shaft, she pumps the length of your cock, diligently guiding you closer.

In half a heartbeat you are sheathed inside of the other woman to the hilt. Lagertha moans aloud at the sensation of your large member impaling her. Her gasps of pleasure, bold enough to echo throughout the vast, open forest.

You begin a quick but steady pace with your thrusts, feeling every delicious inch of her cunt. With every movement of your hips, Lagertha squeezes desperately around your girth.

The feeling was utterly intoxicating, fucking her is what you intend to do; inside of her is where you intend to be for the rest of your life, if it was possible.

Your groans are continuously muffled in the crook of shield-maiden's neck as Lagertha's fingers dig into the flesh of your back. Her grip would no doubt have broken skin if it wasn't for the barrier provided by the fabric of your tunic.

Lagertha's noises of pleasure, in contrast, are unapologetic. She is whimpering and moaning with every thrust of your hips, her breathing shallow but loud.

If a bandit was indeed scouring the forest this evening, they are bound to stumble upon this display, and the thought excited you more than anything else.

“Oh, fuck, y/n– you are so good at that..” Lagertha manages just as you lean in to kiss her once again, you swallow her moans, tasting her.

“Gods– yes..” She says after your lips part.

Her hot breath against your ear, accompanied with the feeling of her warm and wet cunt clenching around your cock was overwhelming. You were nearing your peak already, far sooner than you had anticipated.

With a groan, you begin to pick up the pace. Although as it happens, Lagertha was much farther gone, it takes only one thrust, and then another for her to come completely undone. She comes hard around your cock like a wanton maiden, she screams out in ecstasy like a whore.

The sight of the shield-maiden writhing with pleasure underneath you was enough to coax you over the edge. You only manage a guttural noise as your entire body tenses, releasing thick spurts of warm seed inside of the other woman.

–

You have since climbed off the shield-maiden, Lagertha now laying beside you on a bed of dirt and dried leaves. A similar look of contentment highlights her delicate features as you both attempt to catch your breath.

Eventually, you turn to look at her properly. With an effort to make sure that you were definitely not dreaming, you reach out to gently brush a strand of her golden hair out of her face.

Lagertha glances at you with her bottom lip set in between her teeth, she is trying her hardest to conceal her grin.

“Come home with me.” You find yourself uttering, and the shield-maiden gazes at you in a similar manner.

It is not shock, she is only trying to decipher you in return.

“I would like that.” Lagertha simply replies, she lets herself smile then, her calloused yet tender hand upon your cheek.

[underforeversgrace]

Nine (or so) People You'd Like To Get To Know Better

I love tags games and it's goddamn tag game time again! Thanks to @jackdaw-sprite for tagging me in stuff for me to mess around with!

Rules: Answer the 4 questions and tag 9 people you'd like to know better.

Last Song: YouTube is playing in the background and this is what it played from my mix: For Honor by Peyton Parrish. I am so in love with his songs for real for real! Viking Metal my beloved.

Currently Watching: I'm not currently watching anything new BUT I am rewatching Buffy: the Vampire Slayer and Angel: the Series! I think I'm going to start watching Supernatural and/or Doctor Who again soon.

Currently Reading: Other than all the baller fanfic dropped during Invisobang? I'm not reading much original stories right now, between school, work, and fandom! But the last thing I read was Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao! And I will recommend it until my dying breath. Enjoy the summary!:

The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle the mecha aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall. It doesn't matter that the girls often die from the mental strain.   When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, it's to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister's death. But she gets her vengeance in a way nobody expected—she kills him through the psychic link between pilots and emerges from the cockpit unscathed. She is labeled an Iron Widow, a much-feared and much-silenced kind of female pilot who can sacrifice boys to power up Chrysalises instead.​   To tame her unnerving yet invaluable mental strength, she is paired up with Li Shimin, the strongest and most controversial male pilot in Huaxia​. But now that Zetian has had a taste of power, she will not cower so easily. She will miss no opportunity to leverage their combined might and infamy to survive attempt after attempt on her life, until she can figure out exactly why the pilot system works in its misogynist way—and stop more girls from being sacrificed.

Current Obsession: There's a few that I'm rotating between currently!

Peyton Parrish's music

Jonathan Young's music

Miracle of Sound's music

Buffy: the Vampire Slayer and Angel: the Series (specifically Wesley Wyndam-Pryce)

Danny Phantom, ofc

Ecto-Implosion!

Uhhhhh... do I even know 9 people? Let's check out what people I know well are doing! @probably-dead @hannahmanderr @the-oaken-muse @raders1001 @scarletsaphire @duchi-nesten @going-getting-got-ghost @half-deadmagicperson aaand @blobghost!

[autisticlalna]

"You Were Right" (and a behind the scenes on how we got here)

initially i was gonna make a post going over all of Anathra's lore so far but then i realized i do not quite have the spoons for it, and also i'd like to break it up into easier to cover parts anyway. so let's jump straight into the most recent mystery!

i've already talked before about the hidden messages in Rubyco's videos, and about the split-second easter eggs in Viking's. encrypted messages aren't exactly new to Skyblock Kingdoms.

but, okay, let's rewind a little. it's 1 am, a couple days before Anathra's episode 8 premieres. i'm winding down for bed, see the premiere on my homepage, and go: hey! i wonder what Anathra's doing next episode!

hey what the fuck is that. why is there elder furthark

a bit of backstory on me: i love translating things. you probably know this by now. i also knew a guy who was big into norse mythology stuff, and that included him knowing elder furthark. so i immediately peg that as "oh, shit, that's elder furthark" and track down a translation tool.

("why are you going into backstory" we'll get to that. lol lmao.)

anyway, its 1 am, i run it through the first tool i find, and get:

someþiŋ ' weird ' happened

...or "something weird happened".

COOL. THAT'S OMINOUS.

i go to bed. when i wake up, Moxi has shared something from Anathra's discord:

...but i can't figure out what it translates to.

timeskip to the premiere.

Anathra gets a delivery from the End Kingdom after helping Josh out with villager stuff. he goes to place the shulker down, it's suddenly nighttime, and...

hey, what

iou were right

...okay, here's where we loop back to that backstory bit, and also i pull back the curtain to showcase how hilariously bad this went for the dnerds.

i recognized the alphabet as elder furthark

(and yet my dyslexic ass doesnt realize theres two rs in it until now. it has been 5 years.)

trying to translate the box name gave me gibberish ("io nht tuil")

i also knew from the "something weird happened" message that elder furthark isnt 1:1 with the english alphabet

oops there are two translator tools. oops they use different runes for "y"

due to [gestures at cherry and doak], there is a minor scuffle about if it says "you" or if it actually IS supposed to say "iou"

we still cant translate the box

still cant translate the discord message either. this is about to be really funny

people in the sbkcd are also translating it, so we compare notes

anathra steps in to save us:

THANK YOU ANATHRA <3

i am immediately embarrassed because, oops, turns out Angerthas (dwarven runs from Lord of the Rings) has alphabet overlap with elder furthark, so that's where the confusion came from. seeing as it's a post-filming decision, that does mean that the episode description and chat message were translated correctly, but the box is in Angerthas and, despite having the same runes, they do not correspond to the same english letters.

i spend a bit alternating between bonking myself for my mistake and bonking my very tired head against Angerthas for a bit until WhiteQry suggests that maybe what Anathra said in chat is the same thing. later, Aquelon is able to translate it as "IU WER RAIT". or,

YOU WERE RIGHT

...right about what?

skipping back to the events of the episode: Anathra realizes that he's lost time. he says he's only felt this "once before", doesn't know what the writing is, and is generally thrown off by... whatever just happened.

i need to rewatch Anathra's pov before i can dig into what i think the message means-- my initial guess is that it has something to do with his ?nightmare? from episode 5, although im not sure past that. considering his pov plays with the concept of the fourth wall a bit as-is, the message also might not be for Anathra (and he can't read it with glasses on either way).

Anathra's in the middle of something. there's a lot going on with him, inside and outside, and i really want to do more overviews of his lore because it's very fun. until then, keep an eye out for more strange messages i guess.

-

"hey leo you didn't translate the furthark in the 'glasses off' message, what gives" WELL, YOU SEE. I WAS TOO BUSY BEING EMBARRASSED AT THE TIME TO PROCESS IT. AND IT WASNT UNTIL WRITING THIS POST AND GETTING THAT SCREENSHOT THAT I SAW IT AND WENT "wait. hold on" AND RAN IT THROUGH THE TRANSLATOR.

AND THEN REALIZED, AFTER FOUR DAYS, THAT ITS THE URL OF THE SITE IM USING TO TRANSLATE THIS AND IT JUST GOT KINDA MANGLED BECAUSE OF THE "NOT 1:1 WITH ENGLISH ALPHABET" THING.

im in hysterics. how did this happen. please dont ever think im professional. all of these super cool in-depth explainer posts are the end result of so much clownery but i needed to show you guys just how much of a MESS this is lmao

[bestanimatedmovie]

Choose your favorite!

Time to fly!

Vote in the other polls!

What fans say:

How To Train Your Dragon:

The message was just nice. I have a lot of nostalgia for it. I used to be a huge dragon nerd as a kid and dragons just weren't that prevalent in media here, especially not as friendly figures. I still love HTTYD and it's sequels nowadays.

It was one of my favorite movies as a kid and one of the few movies I watched that wasn't a barbie movie, it's just really cool.

Best movie featuring dragons period. The pure wish fulfillment fantasy of having a highly intelligent fantasy creature companion that can fly and doesn’t mind being ridden like a horse, therefore also the best execution of the dragon rider trope in all of fiction. Extremely funny, adding to the comedy is the fact that only adults have Scottish accents and all the teens have an American accent. So good that even its tv show follow up was decent by extension. The bit where Hiccup is trying to earn Toothless' trust and they start to work together changed me on a fundamental level.

I LOVE IT SO MUCHSHJKBSKHGDK I have a bone dysplasia which causes some bones to be a little bit more hollow and whenever I would feel a pain in my top back, 8 year old me was like ''woah I'm growing wings its my time to fly like toothless'' lol and it was always a dream of mine to fly. Weirdly enough I could relate to toothless because the "not being able to fly but you should be" felt like an allegory to a lot of my life! It gave me hope when he WAS able to after the help of others + the care he always needed + that mechanic wing thing made me feel like with the right ''recipe'' could help me get better too. My favourite scene is the first flight!! I love the animation for it, it makes me feel like im flying through the clouds too! The soundtrack is amazing too, I still cry to the songs.

I could write an entire essay about how much I love this movie, it truly is one of the best films ever made to me. Utterly flawless on both a technical level and a story-telling level. Not to mention the score oh my GOD the score of this movie changed my life. There are too many scenes that are so impactful, but the Forbidden Friendship scene has to be one of the best. Test Drive too.

This is literally my favorite movie of all time. This movie got me through the worst times in my life. It’s about love and friendship and all that lovely goopy stuff and it’s also fucking gorgeous.

THE cinematic masterpiece of our generation. On god.

This movie is an absolute masterpiece, the animation is pretty, the score is perfect, the relationship between Toothless and Hiccup is so sweet, Toothless is absolutely adorable. Definitely one of DreamWork's best films.

It's a beautifully animated movie about an unconventional viking boy named Hiccup finding his place in a world where dragons and vikings are constantly at odds, and how he changes the world around him. The dragon designs are unique and beautiful, and the vikings are larger than life and match the exaggerated setting.

Who on Tumblr DOESN'T want a dragon best friend I ask you. I would kill to have what Hiccup & Toothless have.

It does a brilliant job balancing tropes in a way that subverts and plays into them. There is so much in it for both adults and kids, it doesn't look like other animated films, it feels more grounded and in that realism it becomes so beautiful. The friendship in the film feels very real despite one of the characters being unable to talk! Forbidden Friendship scene is, in my opinion, the greatest scene in the history of cinema. The music, the lighting, the cinematography, the pacing, the emotions, it is practically perfect in every way. I could go on but I think ya get it.

God this movie defined my childhood and it's still so good when I rewatch it now. I'm guessing you'll have had this submitted a good few times bc it goddamn deserves it but. Hiccup is so relatable and !! dragons !! big cute dragons whose animation models are based on cats!! based fr

I have many fond childhood memories of this movie and in particular I loved how my cousin would "talk" for Toothless (cousin was babysitting us when we first watched the movie). Another thing is The SCORE. The music is iconic and awe inspiring to this day. That first time when Hiccup and Toothless fly together and it Works and the score absolutely goes HARD, I loose my breath every time. It's great. Also have you seen Toothless he's an adorable dragon and a badass, what's not to love?

Makes me cry every time because Hiccup and Toothless are such good friends and they love each other and end up as two halves of a boy dragon soulmate sandwich also the music is extremely good who doesn’t like dragons anyway.

It's the story of a beautiful friendship forming between a boy who doesn't fit in and a dragon who is the last of his kind. It's so cute. And it shows positive representation of disability, Hiccup and Toothless become disabled in ways that meaningfully parallel each other. Hiccup makes a prosthetic tail fin! And Toothless is just so cute!

The sound track is amazing

Honestly everything is phenomenal. It has a good use of comedy and an excellent story and character development. There are also countless beautiful and awe-inspiring scenes supported by an amazing score.

Up:

It is a very emotional movie about an old man learning to still enjoy life even though his wife died.

Such a beautiful film about loss

[come-chaos]

Me a decade ago: Okay, so the first and second Thor movies are entertaining I guess, but I cannot for my life take the Jesus Christ Superstar version of the mythology I grew up with seriously.

Me three years ago: Hm, I see Loki all over my dash but I'm not going to actually watch the show because I'm busy elsewhere and can't afford a new hyperfixation.

Me three weeks ago: Alright, having lazily rewatched the first two Thor films during my vacation, I guess I'm going to finally watch Loki.

Me two weeks ago: ... Okay, this was amazing and not at all what I expected. Also, Loki in the first film is actually the most character ever?! Blorbo has all my problems?!

Me one week ago: Holy shit, for once in my life I can actually make a mood playlist with several HOURS of the viking and folk and black metal I have on my ssd instead of looping three sad pop songs on youtube?

Me today: I'm going to write a really fucked up fic I'm going to reread the Poetic Edda I'm going to start singing folk music again I'm going to change my name I'm going to

[bonearenaofmyskull]

Hey! Curious if you're currently into any great shows. If so, mind sharing your recommendations? Always on the lookout for some good TV suggestions!

I imagine you've seen everything I have. I spend more time gaming. Not into anything great at the moment, but I can dig deep and see if I can remember what shows I've watched since Hannibal aired and give my opinions. I binge TV series with my mom who is in her 80's and has Parkinson's and macular degeneration and can't really do activities or read anymore, so I rewatched some old ones with her here largely to torture her with them, so they'll be in here also.

S-Tier (Winners)

My Brilliant Friend. Probably the best thing I've watched since Hannibal. If S4 is out I haven't seen it yet, no spoilers.

Better Call Saul. Possibly tied with My Beautiful Friend. Better than Breaking Bad. Much better ending. So good, no complaints. Nailed the ending. Did I mention the ending?

A-Tier (Runners-up)

Black Sails: God, there were some parts of this that were so gratuitous and tedious, especially early on, and I hated Eleanor Guthrie and not in the kind of way that means good things for a show. Some of the dialogue was just really on the nose too. This sounds like a lot of complaints, but the things it did well, it did SO WELL that it really does make up for the negatives. The acting was sooooo good and the Flint and Silver dynamic was AMAZING and the show looked great, and over all that, it really had something thoughtful to say, and that stays with you when it's over.

Stranger Things: Some parts of this show hit better than others, but I'm squarely in the bullseye of the target audience and get the vast majority of the references and nostalgia, and I love David Harbour. I appreciate their exploration of various types of horror, attempting a new style each season, and I like the charm and humor and cheese, and it's a show that knows its voice and its tone and commits fully to those things. It's trying to be a fun show and it is, and it wants to deal with real fears and real grief, and it does.

The Handmaid's Tale: Speaking of shows that are committed to their tone, this one definitely is that. It's too heavy and relentless for most people, I think, but I don't mind that at all. Parts of it do drag, but it has a lot of the same qualities (for good or bad) as Black Sails: great acting, powerful character dynamics, the things that it does well it does so well it makes up for the shortcomings, imo.

Breaking Bad: Famous show, not much to say here. Rewatched it recently and don't think it's as good as Better Call Saul, so I put it here.

B-Tier (Can't complain but will anyway)

Good Omens: Can't get into it, can't find anything particularly wrong with it. I'm into the ship. I guffaw out loud while watching it yet am thoroughly bored most of the time. Love Michael Sheen and David Tennant on screen together. I know the show can't be that all the time but I wish it was. Aziraphale ftw. I feel like people missed the point of the ending of the last season.

Mad Men: Show could give Seinfeld a run for its money in terms of being about nothing, but definitely had its charm. Watched it with my mom so her nostalgia and appreciation for how historically authentic it felt went a long way. Good performances. God, it could be boring sometimes though.

Vikings: This one was a lot like Black Sails for me. They had a bit of a struggle for a season or two but once going, they really got going. Many great acting performances and characters. Loved Ecbert and Ivar especially. Didn't have Toby Stephens and Luke Arnold, so you know...can't quite make that tier. And didn't have as much to say, or didn't say it as well, and it doesn't stay with you.

C-Tier (Can complain and will, but were good enough to stick with)

LOST

The X-Files

His Dark Materials

Downton Abbey

BBC Sherlock

Game of Thrones (I think most people have misdiagnosed this show's problems, but it sure did have them)

D-Tier (Tried but could NOT, though many people will like these...they were just Not For Me)

Bridgerton

Dark

The Good Place

The Gilded Age

Outlander

The Crown

Outer Range (what even the fuck with this show)

I tried to think of more shows I've watched in this time, but this about sums it up. But here are a couple YouTube channels I really like:

Beau of the Fifth Column

Bistro Huddy

[serpentarius]

I'm on my S1 OFMD rewatch before I dive back into S2, and I'm only now realizing something.

So, we can pretty much all agree that Ed's transformation into the Kraken by the end of Episode 10 (and leading into 2x01) is an intense one, especially considering he's only known Stede for a few weeks. (I know the descent into detached violence is primarily egged on by Izzy, but for all intents and purposes, the pivotal trigger is Stede leaving Ed.)

Here's the thing though. Ed's depression and subsequent spiral into the Kraken isn't just about Stede the person. It's about all the things Stede represents.

Sure, Ed's fallen hard for Stede. And for any of us who have gone through a particularly hard-hitting breakup (or been ghosted by someone we really liked), we can easily understand the deep heartache. But there's so much more to it than just Ed's feelings for him.

When we first meet Ed in Episode 4, he's already at wit's end. He's fed up with life and searching for a new purpose. He's already reached legendary status as Blackbeard, so of course the question is: what's next? He even toys with the idea of dying ("Haven't done that before, have I?"), and actively acknowledges that his physical presence on a ship has become obsolete. Just the name and flag alone instil the fear of God into other sailors/pirates. And at this point in Season 1, it doesn't even seem like Ed's super keen on pillaging and plundering, except for when he and his crew get to go into teaching mode when they're showing Stede's crew how to raid. But even that scene goes to show that he only enjoys it when there's some larger purpose at play.

Ed wants to be known for more than the reputation that's currently out in the world. ("Is this what they think I look like? Fucking viking vampire clown with.... nine guns all over him?" & "I'm a ghost. There's no chaos, there's no drama, there's no fuckin' life!")

He's itching to be more than this. He doesn't want to be a ghost, or the "shell of a man" that Izzy later accuses him of being.

And Stede—Stede is the person who sees something more in him. Who allows him to be softer and sillier. A human; not the larger-than-life Mad Devil Pyrate Blackbeard. Ed feels seen, perhaps for the first time in his life. And he proceeds to spend a glorious, genuinely happy few weeks with Stede.

So then cut to 1x10 when Ed's staring into the flame of the candle, eating marmalade in his blanket fort and crying while wrapped in Stede's robe. He sees everything he's lost. He was on the cusp of something new, a chance to break free from the Blackbeard persona - but it was ripped away in an instant, ripped away before he even had a real chance to explore this path.

He desperately wanted to distance himself from Blackbeard, from the Kraken, and thought Stede was his ticket to this happier future. One filled with excitement (and warmth, and good food, and possibly even orgasms). Ed told Stede that the last few weeks were the most fun he'd had in ages, years, maybe ever. And now it's all gone; and he's mourning the loss of that hope.

Where does he go from here?

[spacenintendogs]

Sorry for the ask. My brain craves HTTYD-based interaction and the shadowban on my sideblog won’t be lifted for at least a month.

I think the first movie is so special in comparison to everything else. Not only because of Hiccup and Toothless, but because of the dragon riders. They all act so different — like Snotlout is sort of like the leader, Astrid gets along with the twins over the idea of getting a scar in training.

They all just seem to be pretending to be something to all fit in with one another (except, maybe, the twins? Maybe?) and I think one of the main reasons they reject Hiccup is not only because he’s a complete clutz (two left feet, that’s why he lost one) but also because he, too, is pretending… just not well enough. (This mostly goes for Astrid and Snotlout and a bit for the twins, arguably the only one nice to Hiccup is Fishlegs but he’s also pretending to hate dragons, so… I guess this also applies to him.) (I suppose the only one who ever never really dropped the act was Snotlout, which would be why he’s suddenly put in the underdog’s position in the group, even if it’s mostly just seen in the TV shows.)

(Plus, it’s the only one I haven’t got on DVD and I only rewatched it today when it was on TV exclusively for that minute long scene of Snotlout taming Hookfang because I couldn’t find a clip of it on YouTube. Really says a lot about me.)

Yeah. I just think the group dynamics in the first movie are very special. It (from dynamics and atmosphere) just feels so different to the rest of the franchise, including the other two films.

hi! sorry for taking so long! i'm not used to being asked for questions abt this kind of stuff!! i'm usually the one doing the asking or i lurk a bit akdjsjdks

but no u have points abt the dynamics between the gang in the first movie. smth i noticed while rewatching it with some friends is in the beginning when snotlout is making fun of hiccup for messing up the raid through his wrecklessness (tee hee), snotlout after he gets shoved down by gobber, gets back up, and laughs, and looks to astrid. she was also smiling at him, as was fishlegs, as he & the twins made fun of & laughed at hiccup. and then they all just. move on & snotlout deflates

this tiny little smile says SOOOOOO much <3

smth tho i noticed u said is that snotlout is kind of the leader, however the film has astrid be at the center & front of the gang or them all looking to her or making sure she is the one they listen to bc she is the leader of the gang. she's THE ideal model viking bc she has to be. snotlout is the most vocal & the second best by far in training, & similar to how he is in the shows & other films he's pushing himself towards the front when he can to get the attention of others & be taken seriously or to be seen as another model viking (like impressing astrid)

there's an intimacy abt astrid & the gang in the first movie that just hasn't fully shown in the other two films or even the shows with tiny details of them fiddling in the background or even the foreground of a scene when someone else is talking & u see them interact. the great hall when tuffnut is playing with his knife before saying "wait? you mean READ?" astrid is amused by him playing with the knife.

but what you said abt them all pretending: they are. fishlegs is still seen as weird but he's friends & in with the gang. he loves dragon knowledge & knowing abt them, but it's for the art of the kill instead of simply knowing them as creatures. the twins love destruction but with all the talk of being on a team & working together with other vikings they bicker more with each other & end up not getting as far bc they get focused on their own shenanigans. snotlout is trying to show astrid he's the model viking & be a flirty teenage boy at the same time lmao. astrid is the one who changes first when everyone saw her as the most steadfast in her ways. The Viking Way™️.

snotlout in the shows becoming the "underdog" is bc he's not astrid, who learned & changed herself but now is such a tryhard she applies herself to the fullest extent in the opposite direction (i love her). fishlegs can actually enjoy dragons & learn abt them without having to fight them (he's the most skittish of the gang), the twins now have direct ways to blow things up & do their shenanigans (after also having learned to work in a team!!!) without worry of there being a war against the dragons (now just other ppl but ppl can't breathe fire... right? lmao). hiccup is the newest edition of the group, the circle, & now he's just?? the leader. they look to him now after snotlout did everything to get astrid & others attention. astrid is by hiccup's side 100% now & bites back at snotlout when she didn't before. snotlout has changed & loves hookfang, he loves dragons, but he doesn't want to change the Viking Way™️ he's known & tries to force the Old Ways™️ and New Ways™️ together in a way that moreso clashes. he wants to still be at the top but forces instead of working to his advantage. his jealousy of hiccup grows to a point where he's basically self destructing in acting out & causes (unintentional) harm to others but then brushes off the consequences of his actions. & then he learns. he's slower to the take, similar to the adults, but he's also got it more quickly than they ever could. he just hasn't stopped pretending like the other kids.

smth i love abt the first film is the explanation as to why the gang all have american/canadian accents (bc of jay baruchel lmao) vs the scottish accents of the adults. to show the generational difference. they are different from the adults & a very clear distinction is made by the accents of their voices. you can almost say hiccup having the most jarring of everyone's voice (so nasally & distinct) ties in with hiccup being the leader. he commands attention but not in the way that's expected. even "the more viking-like teens" (as gobber refers to them) have distinct voices & even if they're acting how the village expects.

it's not rlly them, is it? not fully at least.

guess sometimes you need a little guidance, & it can come from the most unexpected places. maybe someone who's been in a leader position can give you a little extra push

& even if you're afraid & don't adjust to the change 100%, you can start coming out of your shell & stop pretending. some stop pretending easier than others, & some ppl are stuck in a lot of their ways. but they still feel they can relax abt smth & stop pretending abt that.

it makes everyone happier, right? :)

[narcissistcookbook]

okay......anime. I'm sending a lot because I'm not entirely sure what you like? perhaps none of these? please ignore it as needed haha I am mainly getting it out of my system.

SERIOUS FARE - drama, action, adrenaline, feelings

Cowboy Bebop (1 Season, Complete) - slick, gritty, moody, jazzy, impeccably animated. neo-noir space-western about a crew of oddballs on a little spaceship just trying to get by. sometimes goofy, sometimes sad, always a favorite.

Chainsaw Man (1 Season So Far) - an impoverished, immature young man whose dreams include "eating some nice food" and "touching a girl" finds himself swept up in a career that allows him to do both those things and more, to varying degrees of satisfaction. also he can turn his body into chainsaws. it's coming-of-age it's horror it's action it's more found family it's good.

Violet Evergarden (1 Season, Complete) - some controversial choices were made for the adjacent movie, but the show is so good even standing alone. a traumatized child soldier slowly reconnects with her emotions by writing letters for other people. that's basically the whole story. made me cry a lot.

THE FUNNY PAGES - for when you need a laugh!

Spy x Family (1 Season, 2nd Incoming) - a delightful situational comedy set in Definitely Not Cold War Germany about a spy, his cover wife whom he does not know is an assassin, and his adopted daughter whom he does not know is a psychic. featuring moments of genuinely compelling found family connection.

Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun (1 Season, Complete) - a girl summons the courage to confess to her crush. a series of misunderstandings ensues and doesn't stop ensuing. more mistaken identity goofiness, a cast full of charming dumbasses, and some insights into life as a manga artist. also another bangin theme song.

TOASTY'S TOP 3 - my absolute favorites

Vinland Saga (2 Seasons, 3rd Seemingly Confirmed) - you follow me so you are probably at least aware of this and whether it looks like something you'd enjoy but I have to include it. a viking-era tale of trauma, war, revenge, redemption, masculinity, religion, politics, philosophy, and more! season one is the prologue, where the antagonist is (imo) the secret main character. season two answers the unmitigated violence of season one with the povs of normal working people who end up as collateral damage, and also pays off one of season one's earliest setups in a huge fantastic way imo. it's idealistic without ever failing to acknowledge the pain that comes when idealism meets reality. I love it.

Run With the Wind (2 Seasons, Complete) - there aren't a whole lot of sports anime for older audiences, but this is one of them and I rewatch it on a yearly basis. you have to kind of slow yourself down for it--most shonen sports anime are brisk, high-octane fun-times, but this one (a college-age series about the most Underdog of Underdog Track Teams) really takes its time building up the characters and environment, and chemistry between the dual opposites-attract leads is so heartwrenchingly beautiful. they complete each other! they love each other! what does it mean to run? why do we run even if we know we can't win?! the answers to these things are found within each other!!

Mob Psycho 100 (3 Seasons, Complete) -slapstick, drama, mindblowing action scenes--this is another one that needs a little time to start showing you what it is, but there's so much heart in this dang show. a hymn to all things mundane and ordinary, a rumination on the dangers of suppressing one's emotions, a story about a middle schooler who tries not to use his Unlimited Psychic Powers and a fraud exorcist who pretends to have powers but doesn't. absolutely worth the watch.

BONUS LIGHTNING ROUND

Shirobako (a stressfully/excellently accurate anime about the anime industry, the only cute-girls-doing-cute-things show I like), Keep Your Hands off Eizouken (weird girls making amateur anime in high school), Blue Period (for if you want to have an existential crisis about ART), Kaiji (Squid Game before Squid Game), The Great Pretenders (Robin Hood-ass confidence artists pulling off HEISTS), Haikyuu (my favorite younger-audiences sports anime, get hype for VOLLEYBALL), Beastars (the Furry One, gorgeous 3d animation, dark and weird and wild), and Neon Genesis Evangelion (surreal horror sci-fi/fantasy, "mechs" vs. apocalyptic "angels", I haven't seen it but it's a standard and also I've been told not to watch it while depressed)

ANYWAY thanks for receiving this absolute infodump, do what you will with it!!

okay but honestly i didn't know cowboy bebop was one and done, i can commit to that

[its-all-or-nothing94]

Ravenblade - Part 1 // Ivar Lothbrok x OC

Summary: The sons of Ragnar are forming their great army to avenge their father. Soon Björn realizes he gets help from someone he doesn't know he can trust.

Warnings: Language

Pairing: Ivar x OC

A/N: First chapter of my Vikings story - I hope you like it. It's been a while since I started this story, and I got a few chapters ahead - but eventually, I will need to rewatch this fantastic show! Poor me ;)

Ubbe and Björn stand at the Docs of Kattegat and see the vie boats coming towards them. The banner is unknown to Ubbe, but any reinforcements are welcome. As the boats dock, some men and women get out, looking ready to fight.

Ubbe walks up to them. "Welcome to Kattegat. I suppose you are here to join our great army?" he asks, but he receives no answer.

Only one of the men looks at him before he gets off the boat. He stands in front of Ubbe and Björn and looks at them both.

"Are you their leader?" Björn then asks with his arms crossed.

"No. The leader is not here," is all the latter says. "We are here to avenge Ragnar Lothbrok's death."

Ubbe and Björn exchange a look. "Where is your leader then?" asks Ubbe then. The strange man, however, only looks at him.

"Be that as it may," Björn then interjects, looking again at the banner under which they sail, and suddenly he realizes something.

"What does your banner mean? Which king or jarl are you sailing under?"

"This is the banner of the Ravenblade and we sail under neither a king nor a jarl."

No sooner has the man spoken the words than Björn turns and walks away. Ubbe looks at him in confusion.

"I am Ubbe, son of Ragnar. Turn to the servants of the great hall, and they will show you to your lodgings."

"I am Sven Eriksson. I thank you on behalf of the Ravenblade."

Björn walks through the crowd of Kattegat until he meets Hvitserk.

"Have you seen a young woman? Blonde, about this tall?" he asks his half-brother, hinting at the size.

"Are you serious? Half the women here look like that."

"She's about your age, and you'll never have seen her before."

"What's going on, Björn? Who are you looking for?" asks Hvitserk, confused.

Björn exhales in annoyance. Why does she always have to play games?

Without answering his brother, Björn walks towards the great hall. Hvitserk follows him, and Ubbe has now joined them.

Together they enter the great hall but no sooner have they taken a step inside than Björn falters. He stops and looks up at the throne. Hvitserk and Ubbe also stare at the person who has made himself comfortable on Lagertha's throne.

"Who is that?" asks Hvitserk, but again he is ignored by his brothers.

Behind them, the door is pushed open again, and Ivar and Sigurd enter the great hall.

"That's what I thought," Björn then says.

The young woman sitting on the throne, one leg draped over the armrest, looks up and at the five with amusement. Then she pops a nut into her mouth and chews it leisurely, grinning at the young men.

"What are you doing here?" asks Björn, and finally, she stands up.

She strolls towards Björn until she stands in front of him. She is wearing armor like the shieldmaidens wear and is also heavily armed. Her posture looks arrogant, considering she is almost two heads shorter than Björn.

"Are we not here to raise a great army and avenge your father?" she asks, looking into the eyes of Ragnar's sons.

She pauses briefly at the youngest. Something about his aura does something to her, but she cannot say what it is. The only thing Liv knows is that the gods still have something planned for them both. Ivar, meanwhile, looks at the stranger the same way. Her pretty blue eyes stare into his, and warmth rises in him. Then she looks back at Björn. A wicked grin is on her lips.

"Your friends arrived earlier. Why weren't you with them?"

"Oh, I've been here for days," she says nonchalantly and sits back down on the throne. "I need to know who I'm fighting with before I decide to do so," she says, looking at the brothers again.

Just as Ubbe is about to ask something, the big doors are pushed open, and Lagertha, followed by Astrid, enters the hall.

"What is the meaning of this?" she asks, looking at her son and his brothers standing before her throne. As the shieldmaiden makes her way forward, she sees someone sitting on her throne. The young woman stands up and opens her arms invitingly.

"Lagertha! It's been so long," she says, but her voice could hardly be more sarcastic. You can sense the young woman's disapproval of Lagertha, which only makes her more sympathetic in Ivar's eyes.

Lagertha stops in front of her and looks at her in surprise.

"Liv?" she asks, looking the young woman up and down. The latter only puts on another amused grin, but her eyes seem to fire lightning bolts. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, nothing that should concern you. As far as I've heard, you're not joining the sons of Ragnar to avenge their father."

"And you are?"

"Yep. I just made up my mind." The young woman walks through the still confused and slightly astonished young men and towards the exit. "You can let me know when you are ready."

With these words, she turns dancingly and disappears out of the hall.

"Okay, can anyone here explain what just happened?" asks Hvitserk after a while. "Who is that?"

They look to Lagertha, but she sits down on her throne and doesn't seem to want to answer. So they look to Björn. The latter is visibly grinding his jaw angrily, his eyes still annoyed at the door where the blonde disappeared earlier.

"This is Liv," he says after what feels like an eternity. "My sister."

A little later, Björn and his brothers are eating at a table.

"So let me get this straight…. You have a sister? But she is not our sister. She is the daughter of Lagertha and her ex-husband, whom she killed." Bjorn nods and takes a sip of his mead. "And now this Liv wants to help us avenge Ragnar?"

"Looks like it."

"But as far as I can see, it doesn't look like she's doing it out of compassion for you," Ivar says, and Björn looks at him.

"No. I don't think so, either. I am trying to figure out what Liv's ulterior motives are. Lagertha often told her stories about Ragnar when she was a child, and she admired him. Then when she left Hedeby, I only saw her a few times. But I heard enough stories, which makes it all the more suspicious. I don't know if we should take her and her people with us."

"What stories?" asks Ivar with interest. This Liv somehow fascinates him.

"Does the term Ravenblade mean anything to you?" asks Björn, and the brothers look at him.

"I've heard of them. They are said to be the most ruthless assassins you have ever seen," Sigurd now interjects. "They are said to get in almost anywhere unnoticed if they want to."

"The banner," now says Ubbe, who understands. "The banner on the boat. The man said it was the Ravenblade. Does that mean…?"

"They want to support us, and Liv is their leader."

"And why do you want to send them away? They would be an asset, wouldn't they?" now Ivar asks, his interest growing.

"You don't understand it, do you?" asks Björn. "We don't know what their motives are. One moment they are fighting by our side, and the next, they are holding a dagger to our throats. These guys have no honor or loyalty. They fight for the highest bidder."

"Then we'll just have to be the highest bidder," Ivar continues. "For my part, I think it's advantageous to have someone at your side who can get in anywhere unseen."

"I will try to find out what is behind this and will talk to Liv. Besides, it worries me that she's been here for days, and we haven't noticed."

The next day, Ivar wanders through Kattegat before being automatically pulled in one direction by the metallic clang of swords. He pulls himself onto a tree stump in a small square and sits down. In front of him, he sees Liv training with a tall, handsome man. Her movements are elegant yet precise and, above all, deadly. Even though the man holds his own very well, she has the upper hand.

Fascinated, Ivar watches the two of them. There are a few things that immediately catch his eye. For one thing, her beautiful face, which always has an alert look and an ironic smile, and her well-built body.

But what catches his eye most at the moment is her sword. It is a medium-length blade, but what stands out is the hilt. It is black, and two raven heads adorn it. The upper part, however, looks like it is illustrated with black feathers.

"You should keep your arm higher when covering yourself," she says to her sparring partner. He only nods briefly before attacking her again.

Liv, however, manages to duck away from his attacks without much trouble. She stops, presses her shoe into the dirt, and then draws her dagger. She may not be the biggest, but she is all the more agile for it.

"Come on! One more time!" she demands. Again the man attacks her.

She now holds her dagger at the back of her sword and uses it as a spike. She lunges at him, and just before her dagger rams into his thigh, he can stop her and stop it. Liv smiles, and then let's go. Together with the strange man, they approach Ivar, taking a cup of water.

"Who do we have here?", Liv then asks with amusement, looking at Ivar. "Do you like the idea?" she then asks and takes a sip.

Ivar has his hands folded in his lap and looks smugly at the young woman. "When you're done with that one, you can try me," he says with a grin, and Liv raises an eyebrow.

She looks at the young Ragnar's son and then smiles. "If you say so," she says and again Ivar can hear her smugness in her tone.

She raises her sword and points it at him. Behind Ivar, his brothers now come out and look at the young shieldmaiden as they point their swords at their brother.

"What is going on here?" asks Ubbe immediately, but Ivar only rolls his eyes.

"Give me a sword," he demands.

Sven, on the other hand, looks at him curiously. Somehow he doesn't like the way the son of Ragnar looks at Liv. He has known for a long time that Sven has feelings for his leader, but somehow he can't bring himself to tell her. Whereby he sometimes wonders if the tough young woman is even capable of love. Then Liv looks at Sven and nods at him, who then walks up to Ivar and puts his sword in his hand.

"Ivar…", Ubbe tries again, but the dark-haired man has fixed Liv with his gaze.

"Shut up! I can do it," he says, cradling the weight of the sword in his hand.

Liv is still smiling and then attacks.

She and Ivar clash swords a few times and she prances around him. He is holding his own quite well, the blonde has to admit. Again and again the metal hits each other and they move as one. The surrounding observers are truly fascinated by how the two move in unison.

Then Ivar knocks the sword out of Liv's hand, which flies through the air in a high arc and then hits the ground. He holds his sword to her neck and grins at her triumphantly.

"Ha! You see! I won!" he says confidently, but the grin on Liv's face doesn't disappear.

"Are you sure?" she asks then. "Look down."

Ivar lowers his gaze to his lap, where he spots the blade Liv is holding directly at his soft parts.

"You'd be just as dead as me."

"That's not fair!" he protests then, but Liv just winks at him before backing away.

Sven retrieves his sword and Liv picks hers up from the floor.

"I thank you for this kind exercise," she says, bowing theatrically to the sons of Ragnar before she and Sven disappear.

Ivar stares after her with his mouth open. He has yet to see a woman like her. Her sarcastic manner and her cheekiness in battle are simply unbelievable. A grin now creeps onto his face too.

"I think I know what Björn means," Ubbe now says. "They don't play by the rules."

"So what?" asks Ivar of his big brother. "I think it's just what we need. She's just amazing."

"Has someone fallen in love little Ivar?", Sigurd teases Ivar, which earns him a deadly look from the latter.

"I would rather call it admiration for an equal opponent."

Next Part

[sirtadcooper]

I was tagged by: @matbaynton - thank you! <3

Tag someone you want to know AND/OR some of your besties.

This turned into a monster of a thing so I'm sticking it under a cut!

Favourite colour: I am rubbish at this question. I love various colours in various contexts, but at the moment I am really gravitating towards greens. Green is a colour I haven't paid much attention to before, but for some reason over the last few months I have taken an interest in it. I even bought a solid green jumper!

Last song: When Things Explode by Unkle. It's a song I first heard on an episode of Person of Interest and it's now on one of my YouTube music playlists. Takes me right back!

Last movie: I had to check my Letterboxd for this - that's how often I'm watching films at the moment! It was the 1995 version of Persuasion that I rewatched at the end of August. A film I only discovered recently but has become one of those instant comforting favourites.

Currently watching: Oh heck - I'm struggling to keep track, there are so many! I'm watching The English at the moment. Also Outsiders series 2, Taskmaster series 16, New Girl (on season 2), This Farming Life series 6 with my dad on a Sunday morning, All Creatures Great and Small series 4, Fletchers' Family Farm series 2, Schitt's Creek with @phantomviola (on season 5), The Musketeers (series 2) and Black Books (series 3) with @userdjarin and who could forget Our Flag Means Death season 2 which has taken over my brain! Along with all that I squeezed in a Primeval series 2 rewatch which I finished the other night. [slaps roof of my brain] this bad boy can fit so many narratives in it.

Other stuff I watched this year: HAH! I have an IMDb list of TV shows I've watched this year! It's long as heck! Silk, The IT Crowd, Black Sails, The Last of Us, Lost in Space, Endeavour, The Terror, Arrested Development, Community, Vicious, Prehistoric Planet, Why Didn't They Ask Evans?, Ted Lasso, Miranda, The North Water, His Dark Materials, And Then There Were None, Jonathan Strange & Mister Norrell, The Great British Sewing Bee, The Bear, Blackadder, 30 Rock, Chernobyl and The Expanse. And those are just the ones worth mentioning! And some of these I watched four times! Okay, one thing. Okay, it was The Terror.

As for films, it's a poor show this year - I haven't watched as many (see above for reason why). I have seen the latest Spiderverse film and I've love to see Barbie!

Shows I dropped this year/didn’t finish: The Mandalorian (sob!), Vikings (I think I was maybe an episode or two shy of finishing the first season but... man... I just wasn't having fun), My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (to be fair this might have been last year, I can't remember, but I know I stopped a few episodes into season 2), Fleabag (I watched one or two episodes... wasn't quite for me).

Currently reading: Darwin by Adrian J. Desmond and James R. Moore (about 100 pages in but I'm taking this one slow because I'm not hyperfixating on him) and Dead Famous by Greg Jenner which I am taking even slower. I've read quite a few books related to the Franklin Expedition this year (thanks, The Terror) and for a while I was reading pretty solidly but I guess that's what hyperfixation does to you!

Currently listening to: I'm not really listening to music much these days thanks to YouTube's annoying ad blocker pop-up so I'm typing this in silence, haha! But podcast-wise I'm doing great. Three Bean Salad is probably my favourite podcast at the moment. The humour is just too good, and I look forward to hearing the lads every week. I'm also binging The Rest is History which is a bit more serious but still has its fun moments. I'm also listening to Off Menu, No Such Thing as a Fish, The Bones Booth, Taskmaster: The Podcast, The Mariner's Mirror Podcast, and odd episodes of RHLSTP if I know the guest. I save podcasts for when I'm doing something like washing the dishes, walking or driving.

Currently working on: Now that the puppy I found at the end of August is vaccinated, she can go out and about, and that has led to me abandon the polymer clay for a while to return to a hobby that I haven't spent much time on since early 2020 at the latest. I wanted to make her some nice collars and leads so she looks smart for our walks which I will inevitably be photographing. I know it's kind of hard to see but I made this collar and lead for her.

I was a bit worried that I'd forgotten how to sew the leather but thankfully not. I have a few more straps of leather lying around that I'd like to make into collars and leads as well. And several rope leads that need whipping (you wrap thinner twine around the thicker rope to finish it and protect the end from fraying) but I'm having to take my time with those because the twine is murder on my soft, delicate, feminine hands. I can whip maybe four leads before my fingers are red. It's worth the pain!

Current obsession: Our Flag Means Death has taken over my life once again. Whatever happens in the finale next week, I know I will be a mess. Heck, I'm already a mess.

I'm tagging: some recent mutuals so we can get to know each other, but no pressure! @tigerballoons, @woofety, @jackharkness, @jddryder, @ajcrowleys and @skatingthinandice! <3

[jens-holland]

While rewatching season 2 of Vikings Valhalla today, I brainstormed a few possible storylines that they might pursues for season 3.

Since Olaf is already dead and he was like,, technically meant to be a major player for another 20 years, it's hard to imagine what sort of conflict they could come up with for the Norway arc, so it'll probably be something made-up, but Olaf's son Magnus will likely be back. Hopefully, they'll bring in Einar Thambarskelfir, a wealthy landowner in northern Norway, who irl brought Magnus back from Kiev after his father's death. Maybe, he'll make his play for power in Olaf's name!

They probably won't explore anything in Denmark or Sweden (especially since they just did not fill us in on anything that Knut was doing in Denmark this past season), but in England there are plenty of possibilities: they could bring in the earls of Bamburgh (and the real Uhtred the Bold, not the self-insert one from TLK), they could address the struggle to bring Mercia into the fold that they sort of/sort of did not wrap up in season 1, and there is always fucking Scotland!! I would love to see Knut put Malcolm II in his place and host that meeting with Malcolm, Macbeth, and Echmarcach mac Ragnaill that happens around 1030.

Also Knut related: I wonder if he'll be visiting Rome in season 3, because there are several actors credited as cardinals on imdb and Knut did travel to Rome irl also around 1030. If he does go to Rome, I hope we encounter Conrad II because they were like bffs (and lowkey kind of gay).

I have nothing to go off of for Freydis's plot, but over in Constantinople, I wonder if Leif will find maps leading to North America when he reaches Mariam's house. As for Harald, Kaysan, and Batu (the later two I expect will join Harald in the Varangian Guard), hopefully they'll go to Sicily with Maniakes and if we're lucky, we'll encounter William Ironarm or other Norman warlords fucking around in Italy at that time. Either that, or I'd be down for a greater focus on the political drama that is RIFE in Constantinople. I don't have high hopes that John the Orphanotrophos will show up, but if Romanos is supposed to be Romanos Diogenes, we'll have the Doukai opposing him, the fateful Battle of Manzikert, and possibly even the Komnenoi since the writers/producers only seem to care about bringing in the well known families/events rather than trying to bring lesser known but historically relevant figures to the big screen.

Somehow, they're also bringing Eirik the Red into the show, so I wonder if maybe Freydis will be returning home to Greenland, but again, this is where I'm less knowledgable, so no matter what happens I will definitely be surprised. I already know that literally all of my expectations here will be subverted; I don't know how they do it, but they manage it EVERY TIME.

[muffinrecord]

Mirage of Alexandria rambling

alright, having rewatched Ebony's event, it's a little better than I remember, but it still has some issues for me and it's probably my least favorite of the PH stories (and no, not just cause of her design).

I feel like it has a lot of really interesting ideas presented throughout the writing but I'm just not a fan of the execution. Like, on paper, I dig the idea of a ruler taking as much power as they can from their servants and using them disposably until that ruler has made an entire mess of her own head, while those they subjugated rise up to live their own lives. With so much magic and wishes focused on the ruler, they feel more like a witch with tenuous human form messing with powers that they don't fully understand, and having that ruler come undone by their own greed feels pretty cool. I also think that having the Tokime Clan be the ones to say "fuck tradition, do what you want" is pretty nice considering their whole shtick.

But like... it kind of doesn't feel great that Cleopatra was used for this character assassination as it were. I guess they had to use some historical figure, and for the story's purposes, you would want one that had impressive feats to speak of-- you wouldn't want to choose a "historical villain" for it because that goes against the point of this story. But man, it also doesn't feel good. I think also it REALLY doesn't help that Cleopatra has this cloth over her face, so we never see her have any expressions or anything like that. She's emoting with her body but it would have really helped to have seen her eyes so that she feels like a person at least-- all her greed and madness makes her feel less like a human and more like a comical bad guy from an afternoon special.

The other problem is that for a story where Ebony is leaving for her own path, she doesn't really... I dunno. The girls show up, they give her a pep talk, Ebony is convinced by them, Ebony tells Cleopatra she's leaving, Cleopatra thinks that Ebony is leaving to get more sacrifices (so it's easy on her to leave), Ebony goes to the Met clan to say goodbye, Met clan is like "yo cleo was kidnapped so go get her and then you're free of service," Ebony is convinced, Ebony goes to Cleopatra who is pissed, Cleopatra dies to an assassination, Ebony goes back to Met Clan, Met clan leader dies to a witch's kiss, Ebony kills witch, everyone leaves.

The last couple of events (Cleopatra's death and the clan's leader's death) I think really hurt the event for me, because neither of them happen thanks to Ebony's actions. I mean, Cleopatra dies because the Met Clan was following Ebony around, but it's not Ebony who has an affect on her own story. Things just kinda happen to her and keep happening to her.

And yes, I know that's part of the point that she's passive and stuff. But hmmm.

I think my issue with it is best illustrated with the Viking event actually. I'm surprised by how similar "Mirage of Alexandria" is with "Valkyrie of Vik" though. Both deal with characters learning to take steps on their own, agency, choices, etc. And both protagonists are passive in the beginning and things happen to them as opposed to them doing things.

But the viking event, when it ends, it genuinely feels... uplifting? That's not right. Maybe it feels more like the protagonist is genuinely going to go somewhere. It's so bittersweet and Olga has lost everything, and it feels like the last few episodes are just hammering in the misery there, but it also feels like Olga is really, FINALLY, ready to step on onto her own.

But Ebony...? I dunno. When it ends I just get this overwhelming feeling of emptiness.

I think part of it is that Ebony doesn't have a moment like Olga does. Olga's big triumphant moment of choice is when she makes a wish and sends her sister off to Valhalla. Yuna leaves Olga alone, knowing that Kyubey will be there to make a contract with her... But it's still Olga's moment, and her moment alone. She has to be given a pep talk (a pep kick?) at the very end to kill the witch, but still, I feel like she's the one holding her own reigns at that point.

Ebony meanwhile... Where is her big moment? I'm not saying she needed to kill Cleopatra or the Met clan leader herself, but I feel like all of her big moments were more afterthoughts. Her deciding that the met clan leader's death was deserved isn't really good enough for me. Killing the witch isn't good enough for me either, because all magical girls do that and it's not like Ebony was having issues killing witches to make this particular witch's defeat all that notable. Ebony deciding to leave Cleopatra feels like the closest "moment" that she gets, but it's hampered by the Tokime clan's shenanigans and then watered down by her running around between Cleopatra and the Met clan back and forth.

Maybe the point of the story is that her beginning starts at the ending. Like she ends the story by finally taking steps of her own, without Cleopatra, the Met Clan, or the Tokimes to guide her. She's finally all alone and able to make her own decisions. I can buy a narrative structure like that I think.

I think one big difference between Olga and Ebony is that while both girls lost everything, Olga still has memories of Gunhild and her dream to guide and propel her. What does Ebony have? She loses her Pharaoh, she loses her clan, and she loses the only friends she's ever made.

I guess again, that's the point. Ebony starts clean and fresh and new. She gets a new start.

I'm just talking myself in circles akfssaklfa.

Anyways, the event wasn't bad, it just doesn't sit well with me either and it's frustrating me like a fly buzzing around a room.

...

I think what I would have liked for this event would be for Ebony to make a choice that was against what Cleopatra, the Met Clan, AND what the Tokimes wanted. Something that really says that she's under no one's rule now. Not that she needs to be bad or anything, but like-- a choice that she really made and wasn't coerced into. Cause it's nice that the Tokimes were hyping her up, but I also think that they overshadow her real fast. Something that makes Ebony stand out against them and as her own person.

Anyways I could talk in circles about this all day so I'll stop here. Genuinely curious as to what other folks think, even if you disagree with me.

[illwynd]

Tag people you want to catch up with/get to know better

Tagged by @gorgeousgalatea :DDDD! Ty!!

Last song: uhh the last one I was specifically intending to listen to, rather than just happened to hear in passing, was all of Dwarrowdelf's album Of Dying Lights, because I spotted it at the metal swap meet yesterday and was tempted to blind-buy it on a hunch but I always hesitate to do that with black metal (gotta at least do a cursory search for shadiness). However, nothing unsavory turned up and I liked the sound, and also I really appreciate when a band that has named themselves after something from Tolkien actually uses those themes in their music. Amon amarth I love you but why is a viking-themed melodeath band named that. Anyway, Dwarrowdelf. Pretty nice.

Last film: Last one i actually paid attention to was the rewatch of Pontypool the other night. I do really like that flick. I've watched a metric fuckton of horror movies in the last month or two and really good horror stands out all the more.

Current/last read: I bought JMS's Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer a while back and hadn't had time to get to it, but I threw it in my bag today and I'm really enjoying it so far. I despise most writing advice books, and there are only a handful of writers who I might trust enough to give it a chance. But his perspective feels actually helpful to me. I also have recognized a few anecdotes and thesis points from when i went to his panels last sdcc lol.

Currently watching: the moon outside the train as we roll into the desert. If you ever have a chance to get your own room on a multi-day train trip, it's so worth it. Even the tiny little budget room... so cozy. Imagine lying sprawled out on an actual bed, closed off by curtains in your own private nook, being lulled by the rocking of the rails. The romance of the train is still alive. I wonder how far we'll get before morning.

Current obsessions: I have a few things sort of orbiting in my head, sparking off each other. I've been studying some old interests again, historical linguistics, human prehistory, etc., and it's getting to be acorn season, and I picked up my bow for the first time in ages and found that I could shoot better than i remembered, somehow, and i acquired a bunch of old books on carding and spinning and dyeing wool, and I've also been realizing some parts of me that got worn away by tough times in my life, some of which I'd like to get back, and some things i never picked up on before, and... I don't know what it's all going to form, in the end, but I feel like something is going to arise and I'm just trying to leave it space to do so. I feel like Delirium: "what's the word for things not being the same always?"

Tagging (if you feel like it!): @rynfinity @hechizero-emplumado @morganeashton @philosopherking1887 @pyrebomb @actuallyvady @rabidfirefoxfan @rollychan @obligate-rebel @seamayweed and uhhh anyone else who wants to do a meme rn :]

[superprincesspea]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Thank you for tagging me @ewanmitchellcrumbs <3

1. how many works do you have on AO3?

23

2. what's your total AO3 word count?

628,894

3. what fandoms do you write for?

Currently, House of the Dragon but I've also done The Walking Dead, Vikings, The Last Kingdom, Loki, Game of Thrones, The X Files and a few others.

4. top five fics by kudos

The Hound's Wife (1050), The Honey House (721), Courted by the Dragon (689), The Lady and the Bear (530) and Paths Crossed (469)

5. do you respond to comments?

Yes and no. I love responding to comments but I'm also terrible at doing it. I'm trying to be better.

6. what is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I love angst more than anything but I mostly write romance so I try to give a HEA. Or at the very least an open ending. My angstiest fic is probably Creep and it's my homage to The Landlady by Roald Dahl.

7. what's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I think Knock has to be my happiest ending because I literally saved the main character from his canon death and gave him a beautiful life.

8. do you get hate on fics?

Rarely and not recently, I used to get quite a bit of hate for writing Negan but I never responded to it.

9. do you write smut?

Yes

10. craziest crossover?

I wrote a fun crossover for an old friend and its a threesome with Fox Mulder, You, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan's FBI character from Solace. It's called The Red Velvet Inn.

11. have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yes

12. have you ever had a fic translated?

I don't think so. A couple of people mentioned it to me years ago for The Honey House but I don't know if they did it.

13. have you ever co-written a fic before?

I've attempted to in the past but its always been too many working parts to figure out and its never come to fruition. I do like the idea of co-writing though, maybe it could be something easier to organise like characters exchanging letters or something.

14. all time favorite ship?

Richonne, hands down! I just love the way they love each other. I was rewatching the first few seasons of TWD recently and all I wanted to do was skip to their scenes. I also really loved Jamie and Brienne but... I'm not going to open that can of worms! And Mulder and Scully will always be my OG's.

15. what's a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Never say never.

16. what are your writing strengths?

I like to think I'm good at understanding characters and their motivations. I hope I'm good at making people feel like they're falling in love (butterflies, kicking, screaming, the works). In my most recent series, people have really been enjoying the banter between the characters, its probably what is most commented on, so maybe dialogue?

17. what are your writing weaknesses?

Pacing and forgetting wtf I've written.

18. thoughts on dialogue in another language?

Love it and I'm terrible at it

19. first fandom you wrote in?

The Walking Dead

20. favorite fic you've written?

That's like choosing a favourite child. All fics are my favourite and I'm honestly proud of them all even if I would write them completely differently now.

No pressure tags: @to-pick-ourselves-up-7 @anjelicawrites @barbieaemond @adragonprinceswhore and anyone else who wants to do this, please tag me if you do!

[meredoubt]

Tagged by @glintglimmergleam for a fun ask meme. Sorry it took me a minute, my notes have been a mess 😭 Also, not the "regrettably, s2" given the Penthony situation! A sentence full of tragedy.

Last Song: "abcdefu (angrier)," GAYLE

Relationship Status: very single, but pretty happy about it these days. Even a year ago that would've felt impossible. Feels good to get here. 💚😊💚

Sweet/Spicy/Savory: I used to think savory, but I'm starting to notice that it's really about balance for me. Like I have to even them out? I do think, because I find things too sweet quite often, I probably do prefer the other two.

Favourite color: Green! All shades, though I definitely prefer any shade that feels alive. Doesn't seem to be dependent on tone, just a feeling. My room is mostly shades of green, at this point.

Last Movie: oh geez, this really made me reevaluate my show:film ratio. Tbf most of my watching these days has been shows I haven't seen (Ripley, IWTV), or rewatching things so my little brother will watch them for the first time (we're finally on the newest part of JoJo, for example). So, in terms of new watches: The Invitation, and Extremely Wicked and Shockingly Vile. For rewatch: I believe the last ones were 300 (lol. Lmao. Even a rofl.) and Mad Max: Fury Road (shocker: my teen brother loved it). I have....so many things to watch. Help.

Last Show: ...well. Ripley, for completed seasons (great show, phenomenal). I'm a few episodes into a couple shows (I think most recently Vikings is the only one I'm entirely new to). Catching up on Bridgerton with my sister, JoJo with little brother, and then, again, so so many other shows. Interview With The Vampire may be my favourite show in some time; probably should rewatch Housr of the Dragon ahead of season two. I do think I'm gonna drop Woman of the Dead, even tho I just started it. As someone studying the field, discrepancies are...pretty distracting. Her job feels almost superfluous to her goals and journey, which is weird given the premise.

Last Thing I Googled: class specializations in Dragon Age; the four humours; mortality stats for my county; if Jaejoong was releasing a full new album. (Thought the spread was funny)

Current Obsession: the pile of books I'm working through (mostly to study, fiction's been putting me off for the last month or so, in books); Dragon Age (how did I get here again...what year is it...); tattoo ideas; my fitness goals. MUSIC. Always recommend me music. All my little OCs and story ideas. 💚

Tagging anyone who'd like to participate! Tag me so i see your answers, I'm nosy.

But let's go with @defira85 (hope you're recuperating well <3) STRICTLY when up and at 'em; @heterophobic-antipope; @thetruenightzedge; @patrickdiomedes; @ronqueesha; @southeastsappho; and @spiderkiss.