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thenamesblurrito · 6 months

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I’m not sure if this has already been touched on, but I noticed that blackarachnia/blurr/predaking is listed as an Amica pairing, and was curious about it? Like is it a post canon thing or something that happens before their identities are revealed :] and basically what their relationship dynamic is like

you're right i did list them and yet i've BARELY talked about them AUGH i haven't decided everything exactly, there's more i want to work in but don't know when/how, but this is most of it. they're so important to me... i've sort of infodumped. everything here. um. long post, including post canon spoilers

(friendly reminder that this AU uses Amica Endurae as platonic life partners/spouses, just as culturally significant and legally recognized as romantic Conjunx Endurae)

Predaking and Blackarachnia happen to be roommates (along with notable problem-causer Deadlock) and end up clicking pretty well. Blackarachnia's biting sarcasm and droll defensive wit plays well with Predaking's stubborn independence and thoughtful deliberation. more importantly, Predaking is, down to his core, a protector, and subconsciously took on the role of being stalwart for Blackarachnia when she clearly has some uhhhhh not great family history that's given her baggage. the two of them are the edgy, aloof kids that stand in the corner, arms crossed, visibly judging everyone else in the room together while trading muttered comments about how stupid the adults' arbitrary rules are, and their weaponized back-and-forth has been known to make would-be bullies cry. they settle into a friendship pretty easily and make a great homework team.

enter Blurr, local dweeb, nerd, dork, or whatever assortment of other insults springs to mind. i wouldn't say he's quite a magnet for bullies, but he gets picked on more than his fair share, either for his stutter or his intelligence, depending on who's targeting him. it's not good, obviously, but he brushes this off easily most of the time unless cornered. so when Sentinel, irritated that the skinny little off-planet racer is skimming through textbooks in the library in half the time it's taking himself, starts mocking Blurr with the most cliche and boring bullying possible (calling him four-optics because of his glasses), Blurr just rolls his eyes and doesn't stop reading.

a voice from the back of the study area drawls, shouldn't you be saying that to me?

this is, of course, Predaking, looking at Sentinel with the most unimpressed expression and gesturing to his actual four optics: two in his face, two in the beast head currently on his chest. sitting next to him, Blackarachnia doesn't even look up from her work with any of her four facial optics or eight beast optics as she says, acidly, don't let him get a look at me, i'm not sure he can even count to twelve.

Sentinel, having been verbally eviscerated by these two before, multiple times (he's bad about learning his lesson), sputters and glares and ultimately leaves. Blurr blinks at his retreating back, then at the two who have gone back to their own homework with no further comment, and goes. Huh.

it's not so much an introduction as it is just a quiet, spontaneous moment of solidarity. and it sort of keeps happening, little instances around school. Blurr will hand Blackarachnia her dropped stylus when it rolls over to his table, Predaking will sit a table down from him and glare at an idiot being mean, they'll comment constructively on each other's projects in class, the three of them pass in the hall and sort of do that wordless chin-raise acknowledgement at one another. Blurr is pretty sure they don't know his name, and don't care enough to find out. it's that weird threshold of not-quite-acquaintance but still friendly, not-quite-stranger but i really don't know you. and yet. it's like an unspoken routine. it feels like having allies.

when given the choice to take up relics, Predaking and Blackarachnia go into it together, knowing exactly what kind of risks they're taking, but knowing each other and their priorities well enough to realize that they both want to defend themselves and other hurting people with more than just the witticisms of an angry teenager. they're very good at teamwork and slide right into cooperating with Sixshot very well too. and, extremely importantly, Predaking knows Blackarachnia well enough to spot that her behavior is, um, getting concerning as Airachnid. there's something different about her when she's powered up, and it might not be her calling the shots all the time.

Blurr's talent for snooping gets him the opportunity to take up a relic himself, and it's an extremely disorienting experience at first. he's never been a beastformer, he's not even from a planet that produces beastformers, and it's a whole new host of senses and feelings to deal with! and while he's a staunch Autobot who pretty immediately steps up to be Abominus's default battlefield rival, he has no real enmity for the Predacons and targets him mostly because he knows he's fast enough to mitigate any damage. in fact the two are pretty cordial to one another, that is when Cheetor isn't taking advantage of physics to send Abominus careening several blocks with transferred momentum. so when he discovers he can speak with mechanimals, it's both confusing and exciting, and naturally he wants to ask the only other beastformer heroes around about this. he doesn't know this is something of an offensive stereotype and is chewed out pretty soundly by them, shocked and angered that a fellow beastformer would so pettily play into framist nonsense.

that, he realizes, is something he sorely needs to be educated on. so while as Cheetor he shuts up about speaking to mechanimals and takes a new, delicate, sensitive approach to the media and general publicity where it concerns his frametype, Blurr starts doing research about beastformer experiences in a way he couldn't have learned back home on Velocitron. and perhaps, just maybe, he could screw up his courage to ask his fellow students? one of the first real conversations he has with Blackarachnia and Predaking is one day asking them haltingly, anxiously, if they could clarify something in this article about beastformer statistics he's reading, or if that would be offensive to assume they'd be willing to talk about it just because of their frametype.

it's a gradual acquaintance, one Predaking still latches on to quickly with that same protector's instinct as soon as he realizes how painfully earnest Blurr is. Blackarachnia is kind of amused by the way he nervously self-edits over and over to not say anything wrong, but still calls him out on overcorrecting from ignorance to hyperawareness. she's a person, not a checklist of morally correct conversation choices, at least treat her with the basic decency to act like it. just being around them is extremely valuable to Blurr, but he gets so caught up cataloguing the experience as learning how to not reinforce bad stereotypes as Cheetor that he sort of misses the fact that Predaking and Blackarachnia have come to think of him as something of a friend instead of their local curious nuisance. they notice when he's gone, when he's tired or preoccupied, when he's grappling with something that he never explains. clearly, they think, he's skittish, but could be coaxed over time.

they don't just pass each other in the hall anymore. Blurr asks them nervously if they're alright after the Shockblast debacle. Blackarachnia beelines to safety speaking with Blurr instead of engaging with Tarantulas when he stops by for a visit. Predaking gives his condolences to Blurr when he hears that strange shattered universe had left behind the corpse of a bot who might be his counterpart (Blurr doesn't tell him he killed his doppelganger with his bare hands. he's dealing with it, okay?) at the same time, Cheetor is noticeably more cautious when speaking to the media, subtly steering away from framist assumptions, vocally speaking up about beastformer equity. Abominus doesn't necessarily agree with the Autobots, but he at least feels like one of them is listening. Airachnid spends more and more time ignoring some suspicious changes that occur when she powers up.

and then Airachnid murders someone.

it wasn't premeditated. probably. she dreamed about it for years. they had it coming. no one would believe her. it's sickening. it's liberating. she didn't want to do it. Blackarachnia didn't want to do it. something else decided otherwise.

it's bad. bad enough she doesn't even tell Predaking, her best friend now, instead electing to find a quiet corner somewhere and fall apart. alone. this doesn't quite work out since ever-curious Blurr comes sleuthing into her spot, of course startled and concerned and asking if she's okay, and Blackarachnia snaps at him quite meanly. even so, somehow she still thinks of Blurr as safe enough for her to cry to. she's been emotionally fending for herself for so long, is it wrong to be weak?? to want to be taken care of instead of doing the dirty work herself?? and Blurr, sweet overwhelmed Blurr, does his best to be comforting, but says she should probably be having this conversation with someone she trusts. it's unexpectedly exactly the kind of respect for boundaries that Blackarachnia needs to go tell Predaking everything.

as heroes, the factions are starting to be less standoffish, working (slightly) better with one another when needed. on one of these occasions, Cheetor gets a few tidbits of vital information from, of all sources, a handful of scraplets. try as he might to speak to them surreptitiously, Abominus and Airachnid notice, and are dumbfounded to see he wasn't lying. it's one more small cross-faction bridge of trust.

while things might be improving interpersonally, everything else is worsening near the end of season 4. after a horrific and terrifying event that makes it unsafe for them to be in hero form, the factions retreat, gathering amongst themselves as kids, some meeting without the masks of their relics for the first time. poor Blurr, always the one to feel inferior and alone, has already figured out who most of the other Autobots are as kids, but somehow can't bear to reveal his own identity to them. standing among heroes, not as Cheetor but just as himself? he runs before they even turn to ask him. this time, it's Blurr having a breakdown in a quiet corner and Blackarachnia who finds him. she's not exactly a nice person, but she can still repay the favor and comfort him when he needs it.

in the middle of [finale spoilers] when everyone's identities are revealed to everyone, the only thing keeping everybody working together is an impending apocalypse. in the middle of so many revelations and personalities and high emotions, Predaking and Blackarachnia are actually doing pretty okay. they're unfazed by the surrounding drama and already solidly work well together outside of hero form. so when Blurr, almost cringing away from everyone else in a poor attempt to hide, nervously tries speaking up about something he's figured out, Predaking is the first to notice and step in to support his ideas. there's not exactly a lot of time to talk during the end of the world, but they come to an understanding. it feels like having allies again, except tangible and backed up with skill and force. there's steady certainty there in the midst of so much chaos.

it doesn't get super deep or "official relationship" in SNAP itself, mostly because their high school years aren't actually the most important period of their relationship. but it sets up an extremely important foundation for them that continues post-SNAP. Blurr still gets anxious and skittish and feels like he can't say anything right, what is he doing here he should just slink away and hide—but Predaking picks him up by the scruff of the neck and shakes some sense and affection back into him. Blackarachnia struggles with depression and self hatred for a long time, but Predaking and Blurr staunchly refuse to leave her lonely, sticking with her even in her dark times. there are times when Predaking prioritizes doing work over developing relationships, thinking that his work will of course help those he loves, but Blurr and Blackarachnia don't let him get away with it. not to mention how devastatingly effective the three of them are at Judging anyone trying to be an idiot in their vicinity, lots of would-be Karens get shut down by nothing more than their triplicate unimpressed glares .

of the three of them, Predaking is the one who first and most easily thinks of the other two as his partners, even if he doesn't say it out loud. he doesn't want to scare Blurr off, nor put pressure on Blackarachnia when she can barely stand herself, but he knows what he wants. he is quietly and enduringly devoted to them. Blackarachnia has felt like she's had to be strong, be clever, be quick and defensive and biting for herself her whole life, and yet these two consistently do that for her. she feels safe to be weak around them, and she knows she's taken care of. anxious Blurr still feels kind of like an outsider sometimes, an imposter third wheel on their already solid partnership, but then Predaking will wordlessly shuffle over to invite him to sit, or Blackarachnia will drop a snack in his lap exactly as he's getting hungry, or the two of them will be discussing something and automatically turn to ask his opinion. he doesn't need to be invited in to a relationship he's already part of.

as is pretty typical for him honestly, Predaking says something first, and does so by (as is also pretty typical) jumping right in with no warmup. it's during a conversation they've had many times over, an exercise in hope Rung recommended they try to help Blackarachnia. instead of letting her sit in the dark alone and spiraling, Predaking and Blurr sit with her, speaking aloud a good future, practice for envisioning a world that isn't under fire and themselves happy, healthy, and safe. Predaking's imagined futures have never not included them. with Blurr curled up in one of his wings and an arm over Blackarachnia's shoulders, he muses about a nice simple job rebuilding shelled cities, surely raising roofs only takes a little practice. he wants to see the sunrise over his hometown Helex again, with his favorite den siblings there. of course he'd take Blurr and Blackarachnia along, it wouldn't be right without the people he would have as his Amicae. Blackarachnia scoffs, but her spark isn't in it. Blurr freezes, anxiety already trying to convince him that he wasn't included in that statement. but Predaking just keeps talking, gently stitching together a future where they're okay.

on a practical level this is more of a proposal than simply asking them out, but it's also low pressure. nothing needs to change until they're all comfortable with it. they're already life partners in many ways, it's easy to slip a little further into it once acknowledged. the day Blurr's feeling of exclusion ends for good is when Blackarachnia casually muses about opening a clinic on Velocitron so the three of them can have a home on Blurr's planet, and he's struck by how she's doing good enough to plan for the future again, specifically a future where they even leave Cybertron to follow him.

their marriage is quiet. Blurr squares away the paperwork, double checking every detail is correct with Minimus. they let their friends take them out to a nice dinner in lieu of any ceremony, where Arcee generously only tries stabbing Blackarachnia once before giving her congratulations. Frenzy tries arranging a gag honeymoon trip for them but is too drunk to do it right and accidentally books himself a week at the spa instead. Hot Rod brings fireworks, which would have been a nice touch if he'd known he was coming to a wedding, but really he just wanted a party where he'd have the opportunity to set off colorful explosions around large numbers of people. Wheelie may have picked the pockets of everyone in attendance but he refuses to admit it. Skywarp and Predaking are the last ones who haven't swanned off or fallen asleep and in their exhausted drunken camaraderie, when bad ideas seem just brilliant, they end up going on a time travel heist to get Predaking some sick tattoos (and they're lucky it goes off without a hitch).

it's an absolutely perfect wedding.

it's not a flawless happily ever after, of course. Predaking grapples with being the only survivor of dozens of tragedies. Blackarachnia is permanently changed by a monster, and struggles with alcoholism for a long time. Blurr is personally targeted by a terrifying creature with a grudge and enough wit to outsmart him, in a rivalry that would cost many more lives than just his own. it's hard, and they live in dark times. but they support one another through thick and thin. after awhile, when they're more stable, they actually end up adopting Dragonicus, a little dragonformer like Predaking, and then later Lightspeed, a tiny thing almost as fast as Blurr.

they live. they love each other. they're good.

#tried to keep the end as spoiler free for the overarching plot as possible #shipping #<no its not a romantic ship but this still falls under shipping #blurr #blackarachnia #predaking #TF:SNAP #ive danced around some uhhhhhhhhhhh pRETTY SIGNIFICANT SPOILERS for snaps story but i feel like i elided them p well #but im sure the attentive reader can guess at them #and then theres some pretty blatant actual spoilers for snap stuff so have fun i guess

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deathsweetblossoms · 1 year

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But do Lorcan and Elide ever have a conversation about being mates outside of that Maeve induced nightmare?!? What kind of 😭😭

SJM if we ever meet in person it’s on sight for robbing me of what Lorcan did and for no follow through with the mates convo between these two. (EDIT; AND NO WEDDING SCENE. SJM. WHAT IS YOUR DAMAGE?!) I mean wtf.

#elorcan #sjm is my enemy and my friend #literally if I was ever at a fan event and we got to Q&A her I would just rip into her about elide and Lorcan #‘when did you decide you wanted them to be together I need to know’#‘was it when you were designing their characters and respective gods?!? because that’s some GOOD SHIT Sarah I swear tfg’#‘CAN a human and a Demi fae be mates? how does that work? how do they know???’#‘is the experience similar to or different than fae/fae bonds?’#‘also would you argue then that it was kind of like a feysand situation where Lorcan was unknowingly waiting for her???’#even without knowing he was waiting for her since he was so AVERSE to love?!?! I mean omg #ship wars? I care not - I want information on the writing process of these two #I know she has a ton of bg info she isn’t sharing #don’t try to act like she doesn’t #you can’t just have him SAY something like this and then not give me MORE??#yeah ok he gives up his immortality for her #can they sense each other? is there an energetic bond?! ARE they mates?!?

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eerna · 2 years

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Sjm is one of my actually hated writers - my friend loved her and recommended her books so I read ACOTAR, and I liked it! Sure it was generic and very samey and it dragged in places but I didn't hate it and I thought it could go in interesting places!

Oh how naive I was.

So many generic white characters who are a "found family" (and I say that with the loosest of terms) by virtue of being in the same geographical location most of the time and by being mean to each other under the guise of banter.

The sex scenes were full, I skipped over them.

And then the double standards when it came to the PTSD - my dudes, I was ready to throw that series down the moment I realised she was intent on demonising Tam Lin for the things our self insert main character gets to have help and healing for.

I was so angry and watching those videos seriously cheered me up about it. And I am glad I am not alone in my rage.

GO OFF!!!! I halfway relate bc I really liked ToG and when ACOTAR was published everyone was telling me"OMG YOU SHOULD READ IT IT'S A MILLION TIMES BETTER THAN TOG GO RIGHT NOWWW" and then I read it and was like ".......... that was literally everything I hated abt TOG but turned up to 11, what are you talking about" and NO ONE validated me until I saw Cindy's vids a few years later. The found family bit in particular murders me because thESE CHARACTERS HAVE NO CHEMISTRY AS FRIENDS BECAUSE SJM RELIES ONLY ON PHYSICAL ATTRACTION AS SIGN OF AFFECTION SO IDGAF ABOUT THEIR "FRIENDSHIP" UUUUGHHHHH

#eernask #eernanon #merry sjm dunk day #the only sjm found family with rights is any adult with evangeline #but that's because she is a little girl so she can have chemistry by virtue of making cruel people act all kind and soft and pg #imagine having 14+ pov characters in your series and none of them are compelling in their found families #i love found families i LIVE for found families AND THEY SERVE ME THAT???#(i hesitate to call manon and elide a found family bc they are related in very loose terms so. but they are good too)

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manonslayme · 10 months

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Do u have any malide hc 🥺? like seriously the tag is so empty rn I would take CRUMBS abt anything abt them😭

I too have been starving for malide content 🥲

I do have this post about Malide headcannon though I do have a few more that I wanted to list out

Sometimes Manon will forget to take care of herself because she’s too worried about her kingdom and making sure everything goes well and just a slew of things.

Elide is always there though to take care of her and make sure she doesn’t overwork herself to death, andshe’s willing to do it all because she loves Manon.

Manon’s love language is acts of service and and physical touch while Elide’s is quality time and also acts of service

Elide does eventually get her own wyvern but it’s in a way no one guessed. She goes on a walk in the woods or whatever is closest to that in the witch kingdom and basically has a How To Train Your Dragon moment because she finds a wild wyvern that she comforts and trains

It’s very feral and on guard around anyone who’s not Elide (including Manon) and while it does chill out a bit so it can be in cities and around others it’s still fiercely territorial of Elide.

As Elide spends more time with Manon she learns that she’s kinda like a cat??

She enjoys laying in the sun when she can, kneads her iron claws into blankets when shes really out of it. Also she purrs like a cat, something she only does when she feels truly safe and comfortable and yes, Elide got very emotional when Manon purred near her the first time.

They both have habits about staying up late working on things, sometimes at the same time, and the other always naked sure to try and coax them into bed. Whether it’s through kind and loving words or though seduction, which are tactics both of them use

Everyone around them is very shocked when they see them because. They’re so soft with each other?? Which is something they thought Manon incapable of, but after a life of pain and hardship I feel like it would be really nice for Manon to allow herself to put away the walls she’s always kept up, especially to let them down with Elide

Idk man I’ve just been thinking about them so much, SJM somehow wrote an amazing sapphic ship on accident and I’ve been wanting to write some more stuff about them so keep an eye out for that maybe?

I also have this post listing some Malide fics on AO3 that I really love so feel free to check that out, they’re all written very well!

#tog #throne of glass #manon blackbeak #elide lochan #malide #manon x elide #malide headcanons #I love them so much man #they deserve more content I’m STARVING

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hlizr50 · 2 years

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Elorcan Week Day 1 - Favorite Moment

I knew these words existed before I read Kingdom of Ash, but when Lorcan tells Elide:

"Ask me to stay."

"Ask me to go to Perranth with you."

"Ask me to marry you."

My heart explodes every freaking time.

And so I present to you, a Lorcan POV of my favorite moment:

Ask Me to Stay

Read on AO3

Gavriel.

He could hardly believe it, even with his brother-in-arms laid upon the pedestal where he now knelt. Unmoving and cold. Death had always been Lorcan’s companion - he had never shied from it and had always accepted its price.

But Gavriel.

Losing the lion-hearted male had wounded him far more deeply than he’d expected. Perhaps it was as simple as the loss of his presence, but deep down he knew there was more to it. Gavriel had been kind to Elide, had supported her when Lorcan could not. And Gavriel had supported him, too. Had not let the small, invaluable human woman completely extricate him from her life. And, Hellas, was he grateful.

Lorcan blinked back the sting of emotions in his eyes, cursing the change in his heart and soul. But it was a farce. How could he curse his softened heart when it was Elide that had made it so?

As if summoned by his musings, the tang of elderberries and cinnamon wafted to him, and he felt her gaze - deep and dark as midnight - upon his back. With a groan he heaved himself to his feet, casting one last glance at his brother before he turned. Elide was so small. A body so fragile did not match the spirit within, but he loved her all the same. And when she opened her arms to him he had never felt such relief. Such comfort. Lorcan drew her in, clutching her to him, and nuzzled his nose into her hair.

“I hear that you’re to thank for Erawan’s destruction,” he murmured. His bold, cunning, brave little human. When he’d heard he thought his heart might burst with pride. Her hands pushed against his chest, and she ignored the question in his eyes as she wove her fingers between his and led him out of the candlelit chamber.

“Yrene is,” she answered, bringing them to a halt in front of a bank of windows. Outside they could see Orynth awash in scraps of fabric and ribbon in any vibrant color to be found. A city celebrating victory over evil. “I just came up with the idea.” It was all Lorcan could do to contain a derisive huff. As if her contribution had truly been nothing.

“Without the idea, we’d be filling the bellies of Erawan’s beasts,” he argued, which only earned an eye-roll from the woman. And the towering male couldn’t help but be amused at her irreverence.

“It was a group effort, then,” she conceded, before dragging that plump lower lip between her teeth. Her eyes were so wide, glimmering with both hope and fear, as she beckoned him with her gaze. “Perranth–have you heard anything from Perranth?” Oh, to live in the exhausting mind of hers, always looking toward the next challenge, the next problem to solve. And he wondered, for a moment, if that was how she’d survived so long. Always on guard. Always prepared. A true warrior.

“A ruk rider arrived a few hours ago. It is the same there as it is here: with Erawan’s demise, the soldiers holding the city either collapsed or fled. Its people have reclaimed control, but those who were possessed will need healers. A group of them will be flown over tomorrow to begin.” The sigh she released seemed to shudder through her entire form, and she sagged with relief.

“Thank Anneith for that. Or Silba, I suppose.”

“They’re both gone. Thank yourself.”

Elide waved her hand dismissively, and in that moment he knew.

Knew that he could never leave her.

Knew that this war had been painful, but still kind enough to spare them both.

Knew that this tiny human owned his heart and soul, and he would not waste one more moment without acting upon it.

So he kissed her, a long, gentle caress of his chapped lips against hers, soft as rose petals.

“What was that for?” she breathed as he pulled away. But he just looked at her, his love for her an ache that would never heal. Not that he wanted it to.

“Ask me to stay,” was his simple response. And when she did he could hear the quickening of her heart, a delicious pulse in her throat.

“Ask me to come to Perranth with you,” he continued.

“Come to Perranth with me.” Her voice cracked over the words and her cheeks grew rosy beneath silver-lined lashes. Lorcan nodded his answer, a smile splitting his face so wide, he was sure he’d never made such a face in his centuries of life.

And then, the leap.

“Ask me to marry you.”

Elide laughed, tears spilling down her cheeks, and answered, “Will you marry me, Lorcan Salvaterre?”

Lorcan - towering, dark, brooding Lorcan Salvaterre - had never felt so light, so free, as he swept Elide into his arms, planting kisses over her cheeks, her brows, her nose, her lips. Then he paused, as if realizing that he hadn’t answered. His lips quirked into a smug grin.

“I’ll think about it.”

She smacked his shoulder as she laughed, which he figured he might deserve. But then another laugh escaped her, louder than the first. Lorcan lowered her to her feet, sliding those delicious curves down his body as he did.

“What?” he asked, eyeing her suspiciously as she tried to contain her mirth.

“It’s just… I’m Lady of Perranth. If you marry me, you will take my family name.” Elide paused, looking up at him as if there should be some revelation. But he only blinked at her, waiting for the explanation. She giggled again. “Lord Lorcan Lochan?”

Lord Lorcan Lochan.

It was absolutely, utterly ridiculous. So absurd that he could not stop himself from howling with laughter. He lifted her into his embrace again, spinning her, the delight and the freedom and the love overflowing from him. Lorcan breathed her in, holding her close, his mouth at her crown. “I’ll use it with pride every damned day for the rest of my life.” Everything within him settled, as if some part of him had been waiting forever for this moment. His grin melted away as he set her down and fell into her onyx gaze. Tucking a tendril of midnight behind her ear, his fingers brushing over her flushed skin, he vowed, “I will marry you, Elide Lochan. And proudly call myself Lord Lorcan Lochan, even when the whole kingdom laughs to hear it.”

His lips found hers, unable to contain his devotion to her. Reveling in the feeling of her, of knowing she had survived up until that moment in the woods. That moment when she no longer had to be alone. That moment when she had become his to protect. Lorcan knew he was lucky for her to have made it, even that far. And that he was infinitely lucky that he had made it to this place, this hour, this moment.

“And when we are wed,” he whispered tenderly. Reverently. “I will bind my life to yours. So we will never know a day apart. Never be alone, ever again.”

Elide covered her face with her hands, shoulders shaking as she cried. And if Lorcan knew his little warrior, she was likely overwhelmed at what he offered. What he was willing to sacrifice. But he had been willing to give up his life for her since the beginning. He just hadn’t realized that it was love.

Still, he wondered if that was truly what she wanted for him. From him. He grasped her wrists and pulled her hands away, and though her eyes were red and shining she was still the most beautiful thing in the entire world. “If you would like that,” he said.

Elide flung her arms around his neck, her tears soaking into the linen of his tunic, and he wrapped his arms around her. She was warmth and hope and life. And when she answered, “I would like that more than anything,” he knew.

She was his.

@vikingmagic33 @mystical-blaise @headcanonheadcase @mercarimari @ofduskanddreams @elorcanweek2022

#elorcan #elorcan supremacy #elorcan week 2022 #elide lochan #lorcan salvaterre #lord lorcan lochan #elide x lorcan #kingdom of ash #sarah j maas #sjm #they are the most precious #i love them so much #perfection

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une-sanz-pluis · 5 months

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William B. Robison, “The Bard, the Bride, and the Muse Bemused: Katherine of Valois on Film in Shakespeare’s Henry V”, The Palgrave Book of Shakespeare’s Queens (eds. Kavita Mudan Finn, Valerie Schutte, Palgrave Macmillan 2018)

#robison points out in a footnote that the biographies of her out there add very little to the historiography around her #(and of the biographies he cites only one gives her a lengthy treatment - the rest are from compilation biographies of english queens)#(this was also in 2018 so he's not referring to katherine j. lewis's chapter on her which came out this year)#honestly i find this to be very true - that she's always discussed with the same kind of narrative #(i read 3/4 of the biographies he cites and a couple he doesn't and when i was writing the post on catherine as a political agent #i went back and reread them and it was amazing how they all followed the same kind of narrative beats #the wooing scene from shakespeare! did she love henry v? widowhood and attempted romance with edmund beaufort! mrs tudor time! death)#(i'm also reminded of a comment kavita mudan finn made about how tudor-era writings tended to depict catherine's marriage to owen tudor #in a way that subsumes her agency in making the marriage into a wider narrative about the destined rise of the tudors)#and while there's less emphasis on destiny as a mystical force we're still eliding catherine's agency from the story #or pushing it into the realm of the domestic - at least one novel focuses on how her tudor marriage makes catherine abandon the political #world and the trappings of court to focus on her children husband and house - something akin to a housewife #(while still being - of course - the fairest and most fashionable and smartest and hottest woman in the realm)#- and i think it even depicts her gardening. she even celebrates the lives of peasants as the ideal because they're 'free')#(which. what.)#catherine de valois #shakespeare #historiography #historical fiction #historian: william b. robison

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katrinegrey · 2 years

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In today's episode of "I didn't read the fucking room that I wrote" we have the queen herself: Sarah J Maas.

This woman somehow managed to write what could have been one of the best gay romantic subplots in a YA fantasy adventure and flushes it all down the toilet by friendzoning it.

Dorian and Chaol could have had one of the best friends to lovers stories. It wouldn't take much adjusting at all. The ending of Heir of Fire? Take Sorscha out of the book entirely. Queen of Shadows would have such higher stakes! Kingdom of Ash's reunion would be so sweet! Their dialogue doesn't really need any changes.

Reading Heir of Fire and Queen of Shadows, Chaol is near obsessed with Dorian (for good reason. man's a snack). Chaol being harmed was the only thing that freed Dorian from the Valg. They love each other so much. And Chaol's inner conflict about Dorian's magic would have been *chef's kiss*.

If you don't believe me, genderbend one of two. Make either Dorian or Chaol a woman and tell me what you think. People would have been shipping those two immediately. Immediately.

#they're gay your honor #yep i really just wrote a whole fucking essay on tog gayness #i love them so much #manon is free to be with elide #or just be her badass self living the single life #yrene has plenty of options #my girl can get it #dorian havilliard #chaol westfall #throne of glass #tog #heir of fire #queen of shadows #kingdom of ash #chaol x dorian #bros to lovers #i've been rereading throne of glass on my lunch breaks so it's been on my mind

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freepassbound · 1 year

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15 questions for 15 people

Tagged by @ya-nahz

Are you named after anyone?

Just the last names.

When was the last time you cried?

Out-and-out bawling... it's been awhile. I get teary fairly frequently, though.

Do you have kids?

Only metaphorically.

Do you use sarcasm a lot?

Noooo... whatever would make anyone think that?

😁

What’s the first thing you notice about people?

Height.

What’s your eye color?

That's actually been a matter of some debate recently. 🤔

Scary movies or happy endings?

Well, I'm not a 'scary movie' person, so happy endings?

Any special talents?

Uh... I'm pretty handy with puzzles, I have an excellent reading voice... I absorb and process information well?

Where were you born?

About 3 miles from where I'm sitting.

What are your hobbies?

Nothing in particular. I read. I internet. Every once in a great long while I write something.

Do you have any pets?

Nope.

What sports do you play/have you played?

It's been awhile - the last few years haven't really been conducive, you know? Formerly: basketball, soccer, golf, tennis, and baseball.

How tall are you?

6'2".

Favorite subject in school?

History! I guess that should have been foreshadowing. 🤔

Dream job?

Already did it.

Tagging: @sunfl0werswitch, @thegirlwiththetwinklyeyes, @rae-being-naughty, @shy-gfd, @christiandomme, @youknowitsworthfightingfor, @skinreflectsthesun, @the-affectionate-boy, @thatsuccubabe, @reddevilgoddess,@k-thursday, @a-prevented-domme-light

#(some of these questions seemed a little data-mining-y)#(so I elided them)#(just to say)#yeah already had my dream job #I'm back to teaching again #and it's nice #but it's not the same #and it never will be #and I have to learn to live with that #foreshadowing I blindly ignored and tried majoring in computer science 😂#tall and thick #too big to be tossed around 😔#those sports are in order of most recently played #and probably talent too 😂#though in that category golf could arguably flip with soccer #haven't had any pets on my own #my schedule was never appropriate #and now... well now I fear my mental health isn't good enough #my preferred media ending is actually 'ambiguous'#it's some kind of blue #uh... I don't think I have any other relevant tags?#thank you Moody 😊#(that's not 15 people)#(but I literally just went up the mutuals list)#(checking for people I've actually talked to who *might* be interested 😂)

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unproduciblesmackdown · 1 year

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ideal scenario is that i like thinking about this like, essential short story adventure where winston and tuk hook up w/a couple [that bachelorette party] members, and as a foursome/quartet because they have these parallel stories of two pairs of friends who are like "sure i'd have sex with you if things aligned for that" and now are living that short story about expanding a dynamic & becoming closer friends for the end of it (of course billions only wrote winston as standing next to tuk next episode, instead of rian as he's often written to be standing with incl in a previous finale, to shove him out of the path of getting material and let taylor have confusing nonresolution w/rian based on this proximity and coincidence instead. but who can't say that that, And winston next not even trying to sit with tmc in the last finale appearance which at this point is probably for the best and instead again hanging out with tuk and then ben, isn't about having been closer for whatever all happened there in obtaining casual sex together)

and they can have perpendicular stories of also just having some nice chats and enjoying other interactions together such that maybe it's just fun for this one night of crossing paths, maybe anyone stays in touch at all, who even knows, if winston or tuk are dating anyone it's probably only going to come up again in how they were last dumped for being too much effort for how unepic they are, so godspeed to offscreen unmentioned dating. but just friendly acquaintanceship, or again this one-time spontaneously crossed paths night's acquaintanceship, is also a lot of fun. and why not imagine that winston "he's not allowed to not feel self-loathing or, by doing basic things like talking or initiating Or oppositng anything, Not operating as though he's too low in a social hierarchy here to be allowed thusly" type of material where his spontaneity, vivacity to bon vivantocity, self-assurance that is apparently arrogance/aggression to every who thinks he ought to be self-effacing instead, etc, is actually just a social success in other less wretched non-work situations, and his personality is taken as a contribution to the proceedings even before anyone takes up his proffered contribution of himself as a potential sexual partner. and lending confidence to tuk as like one person who won't, at any given time, go into hostile mode with him or even like take up the position of issuing this criticism, which is an inherently elevated (over tuk) one when it's a unilateral thing. such that tuk's personality can be a potential contribution as well. and winston and tuk's Friendship Developing Moments can be happening then, too, b/c Maybe they've hung out outside work on their own aleady, but also maybe they've never really been interacting with a larger group outside work, such that that group is less likely to include some people, or entirely people, who will suddenly go sicko mode on either or both of them. and then meanwhile, who knows anything abt this bachelorette party, could be already a cohesive friend group who all see each other all the time, or people who see each other more infrequently meeting up on this trip, or a mix; could be fun and chill or something so scheduled/demanding it's kind of like a work trip, or fluctuate....and of course zero info abt the individuals such that imagining anything abt them is entire OC territory, and i'm bad at that, or at coming up with stories, so not exactly a lot of details here from me but godspeed if two of them unlock another tier of friendship here b/c like parallel to winston and tuk, they're like hmm okay so we're mutually down re: potentially having a foursome here, and spending some time away from the larger group

(or of course the scenario that tuk and winston can also have that moment but just as putting "and/or: a threesome?" as an option, and that tips the scales for someone who might've otherwise felt more indecisive like "hmmmm casual convenient hookup, or spending more time out & about like this / whatever other activity...." but then is like oho Well, if it's a threesome, i'll seize that opportunity, sure....such that then maybe afterwards [winston and tuk hanging out together] happens sooner, if the third member feels more third wheel about things lol, since now they'd be the only two who already know each other. like ooh who knows, round n+1 in the aftermath just one on one (and/or i mean, maybe another thing the third party's still around for, re: further casual sex opportunities that don't just fall into your lap every day), and/or talk, watch tron together, go back out on the town even. where the conclusion of this truly is the essence of "it Is easy to imagine that winston and tuk are real Genuine Friends for the implicit further offscreen time spent together outside work / interactions between them here. and fun" and with that flair of "and give that a juxtaposed parallel in it being the same for a couple bachelorette attendees, why not, good for them"

#winston billions #not even overt winstuk ideas. at least not in the sense that this or other ideas i have in that realm would necessarily be distinct from #the realm of ideas abt their being actual regular friends. even when it's like ''ooh & what if they kissed'' ideas.#it's [aroace] it's [relationship anarchy] it's [for the most part if i use ''romance/romantic'' as a term it's a shorthand for convenience]#not the most interesting dynamic i'm working towards here. like even w/the world of [many Tayston ideas that involve their both extensively #navigating this world of What Are We] most fun ideas aren't that they Just want to say ''i love you(tm)'' especially not wherein that in #turn is supposed to be a shorthand for Romance; Huh? that itself elides everything else w/more Meaning that can be discussed or organically #figured out by further navigation when what's more honestly going on is that they want more options in how they interact w/each other #which is included in fun ideas that they do enjoy & go ''jk unless??'' when ppl assume they Are dating / together romantically(tm) lol....#all that to really take a long tangential way around to ''and i don't even think much abt what billions canon could offer re tuk & winston #being friends beyond further very occasional very isolated very peripheral glances outside of knowing a) it'll be a joke on both of them #and/or b) it'll be a joke on just winston; in that tuk is the one who must Transcend this genuine friendship'' and i certainly don't expect #much in general given that i'm not even presuming winston's not written out early in season 7 or anything #to even write some nebulous Positive Enough / Genuine Enough riawin dynamic material for my tayriawin wip sure is essentially equivalent w/#writing this What If Their Friendship Was Positive/Genuine Enough. and tbh taking it back to pre 5x08 rian of the short hair & busy desk #when there was still that potential re being a character b/c whoops weren't yet cast into being taylor's mirror & only plot Device vs Drive #great times out here. could get actual character material if she's actually criticized vs w/e taylor says abt her is [their mood ring]#evidently hypocritical in how she treats winston; which is to say: uses him; most often by bullying him; & seems to have interacted w/his #ever indeed having a crush on her by consciously taking advantage of that for....only more bullying. so based on That canon precedence it's #like....considerations of how they could interact now that might be more romance(tm) proximate are. certainly not Good lol.#the one true This Could Be Good And Enjoyable billions canon has proven to yield: Put It All On Taylip Baby. As Personal All/Anythings 🙏🙏#hilariously similar Seeming premise w/riawin like wow they're rivals when feeling petty but can & want to work together. they're peers.#they're foily. they're offbeat enough. they're a duo of somethings. they're Aware of the language & the rules & the behaviors. they're #crucially unusually cooperative in general but esp. with each other....and yet. apparently At All Costs winston must be a joke and rian mus #be correct; other characters insisting on thusly so much that there's no indication the writers are even aware of any other possibilities #when perhaps core themes of analyzing perceived intrinsic vs extrinsic incongruity fails to apply this to Autistic Ppl Are Real....shrugh!#i have no idea if the fact rian has no clue she also ever uses people to her benefit & will keep at it b/c she can get away with it is also #aligned thusly like. writers think pwning winston is A Neutral; Unquestionably Correct simple fact of human interactions/relations.#still nonzero suspicion that [no; rian isn't meant to simply be correct] but if you write him off / nobody's said shit to her except for #winston himself (ignored by characters & potentially viewers) or even blinked; as has been the case so far....then where are we exactly.

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artemissoteira · 1 year

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ithren is being. terse. but they are feeling so many things. they are just small!

#ithren #my beloved #also look much of ithren's speech just comes from them directly possessing me but i also spend so much time thinking about how they words #everything they say is in translation from pure intention #like the particular ways that ithren uses phrasing that is just slightly wrong or elides something unexpected #but of course it isn't actually wrong at all #reforged campaign #yes im still thinking about [redacted] what of it

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msommers · 2 years

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i have the horror genre brainrot and have been playing dead by daylight nonstop lately, so here’s a bunch of fun concepts for a few ocs as survivors. for elide and maeve i like to imagine they were plucked from their fantasy worlds~ just because it brings to mind some funny imagery while putting them next to regular ass modern folk. (tagging @carminasolis bc of the recent ask you sent! here are half of the requested thoughts 😂)

ELIDE.

perk #1 — perpetual calculations. you always think multiple steps ahead, preparing for success and failure alike. for each successful great skill check you gain a token, storing a total of 3/4/5 per trial. when you fail a skill check you expend one of your tokens, granting you the chance to immediately attempt the skill check once more with a 15%/20%/25% better chance at success. only one token can be expended per failed skill check.

perk #2 — trick shot. you've scrounged for materials over the course of your last few trials, giving you enough to craft a single shot for the arbiter (the scattergun elide invented in andaria). once per trial you can activate the second ability button while standing still, pulling out the arbiter and taking aim. you can shoot at a range of up to 8/12/16 meters, stunning the killer for 4 seconds if you successfully hit them.

perk #3 — rapid repair. you know how to quickly fix damaged machinery. you can see the auras of incomplete generators within a 8/16/24meter range. you gain a 8%/10%/12% bonus to repair speed while repairing generators below 60% progress.

outfits — would probably be her outfits from this art line-up! syllerian would be the default, casual a rare and orothelli the very rare. another very rare could be one of her modern outfits. a deep green teddy bodysuit under a pair of tight-fitting black jeans and a red cardigan. half-up crown braid styled hair.

MAEVE.

perk #1 — damsel in distress. physical fights aren't your strong suit, but you have faith that your friends will always come to your aid. other survivors gain 10%/15%/20% speed while healing and rescuing you from a hook. when a survivor takes a protection hit for you while you're being chased, you both gain a 7% haste status effect for 4/5/6 seconds.

perk #2 — historical accounts. from the grim journals of maeve sommers, you recognize the details of your next trial’s setting. at the start of the trial, auras of generators, chests, hooks and totems are revealed to all survivors for 8/10/12 seconds within a 32 meter range.

perk #3 — the bard's muse. there's nothing wrong with a bit of idolization every once in a while. at the start of the trial, one other survivor is chosen at random to be your muse. the aura of your muse is revealed to you when you are within 8/16/24 meters of them. while your muse’s aura is revealed to you, they gain 8%/10%/12% action speed while repairing generators, unhooking survivors and healing.

default outfit — her outfit in the art here! prolly with pink and blue recolor options uwu

rare outfit — prolly a cute and more casual outfit, something she’d be found wearing at her estate. a dark purple long-sleeved top with ruffles around the edges and a floor-length black ruffled skirt to match, then a corset over the top which has flowers embroidered on it purely for the aesthetic bc who needs function. honestly could look good in a roughed up state.

very rare outfit — mayhaps just a modern maeve outfit bc why not. hair in half-up space buns. a lace heavy shirt worn underneath a flower patterned elbow length button-up, both tucked into a pair of light jeans. bi pride patch stitched onto one of the back pockets and wearing a bunch of jewelry plus pink heart-shaped glasses.

SPENCER.

perk #1 — seeker’s study. your deductive and perceptive skills can aid your allies. perks that allow you to reveal the aura of the killer last 3/4/6 seconds longer. whenever you reveal the killer’s aura, other survivors within range can also see their aura.

perk #2 — rogue’s evasion. outrunning dangers seems to be a family inherited trait. gain a token for each successful pallet stun and rushed vault while being chased, up to a maximum of 3/5/7 tokens. for each token you gain a 1% haste effect while being chased by the killer. being put into the dying state or being hooked removes all tokens.

perk #3 — cosmic resistance. you are less afraid of the eldritch and arcane after accepting the harsh truths of the universe. killer perks effects that affect you within their terror radius are reduced by 8%/12%/18%. you recover from status and passive effects 4%/7%/10% faster and reduce the remaining duration of exhaustion by 6/8/10 seconds when you escape a chase.

default outfit — a denim jacket worn over a stripe patterned t-shirt, accompanied by dark blue jean leggings and a messenger bag slung across her shoulder. variants change the pattern of her shirt and shade of her jacket/pants. loose hair.

rare skin — a knee-length brown, wool double-breasted trench coat worn over a green sweater and light blue pair of jeans. her hair is up in a messy bun.

very rare skin — mandy thompson morph (like the stranger things/resident evil specials). she wears a yellow tweed jacket over top a dark brown shirt with a belt around her middle, with a below-the-knee box-pleated red skirt and plain dark knee stockings underneath. her glasses and pearl necklace are pristine baybee.

map — velma’s diner in arkham city, though from way back when in the 1930s~ when eldritch cult activity was at its peak in the city and investigators needed a space to relax and grab some food. and then, y’know, make it extremely fucked up. kind of as if the old cult had succeeded in summoning a great one and the city got screwed as a result, the entity pulled that universe’s version of it. the main building is the diner which has broken windows, doors and walls opened as vaults. the inside has a load of retro decorations and electronics, and in some places amidst all the random clutter there can be seen notes and gear of investigators that were still working to fight the good fight. the long countertop and rearranged barricades made out of the tables/booths are your classic loops. the outside is the parking lot and a small bit of the forest behind the diner, a killer’s shack replacing what was probably a utility shack of some kind just a small bit off to the side of the diner, and a road that you can cross. the other side has a handful of storefronts with signs so dilapidated that you can’t make out what they once were, but who cares bc there’s probably some generator spawns there.

killer — leader of the cult of atlach-nacha, aka the cult spencer was working against in her home realm. a humanoid man that has started to morph from his time spent devoted to and communicating with eldritch beings, able to call upon their powers for his machinations. probably that classic of having one tentacle-eqsue growth on one arm that has overtaken half the chest, making him a bit lopsided in stature but incredibly strong with that arm. not too sure about his ability. could be a case of calling on the power of the eldritch “deity” he worships to summon a tangible circle of the cosmos in a certain radius, triggering a countdown that leads to the survivors being confronted with the absolute horrors of reality and becoming afflicted by manifestations of that deity which could slow/injure them. ways to rid themselves of the effects could perhaps be reading one of mandy’s journals that are scattered throughout the map because her sensible, clinical ass notes can clear the mind lmao. i DO know that it’d be dope to have a perk about conflicting loyalties, where he can displease his eldritch deity by instead working with the entity to alter smth in the trial. i don’t know what but it sounds cool from a character perspective.

i don’t know exactly Why it would have happened, but i know the When of spencer and the cult leader being brought into the entity’s realm would have been right in the middle of spencer and her friends attempting to disrupt the cult’s big ritual. two of the biggest players on that board being yoinked would have been really sucky so who knows what happened after that (i mean, i do. in this fake scenario her friends would have 100% won because she has really skilled allies lol)

#ch: elide harker #ch: maeve sommers #ch: spencer thompson #misc: au ramblings #spencer's special and got actual map/killer concepts bc her character lends well to this game lmao #elide and maeve are just for the lulz #i might have more thoughts in the future just bc it's me?? but this is what i have atm and it was v fun #i discovered while working on this that a lot of custom perk makers all have the same thoughts. we share braincells #ok so elide's perks were inspired by her class features and feat #perpetual calculations is just a spin on her lucky feat (or how i always pictured her lucky feat working instead of pure luck)#maeve's were the easiest to come up with just base concepts bc they're so core to her character #yeah ofc the bard who wants to build up witchers and non-humans is gonna offer pure support perks #spencer's took a bit longer but i liked how they ended up! esp rogue's evasion bc it's very Her #favorite overall is probably bard's muse or perpetual calculations tbh bc i'd like to actually use them #anyhow i am in fact also writing scattered quarry au thoughts whenever i'm lying in bed so that's another thing #but dbd got a bitch in a stranglehold so #too lazy to add the character banners <3 #smash that post button bc i'm tired of lookin @ all this

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cobragardens · 8 months

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The 3 Falls of Anthony J Crowley

So far, Crowley has told three different stories to three different audiences about why he Fell, and there's some important information that can be inferred from them. Let's get nerdy.

(Nb. C. 25% of this is from a previous post I made about Crowley's memory problems.)

Here's Crowley's 1st story (gifs courtesy of Fuck Yeah Good Omens), in 1867:

In Book Omens this line is narration about Crowley, and means that Crowley didn't embrace evil and side with Hell so much as he just wasn't into the whole Heaven shindig.

In Show Omens, this phrase becomes a little more fraught, because Crowley says it about himself, and he says it to Aziraphale.

Aziraphale has just disagreed with Crowley's assertion that the two of them have a lot in common. Az thinks Crowley means their origins as angels, and demurs, "I don't know. We may have both started off as angels, but you are fallen."

But what Crowley means, as we find out in pretty much every other scene the two of them share in S1 and S2, is that that he and Aziraphale have a lot in common now, in their current positions. He wants Aziraphale to see him as a friend--and to be his friend--so he elides the difference his Fallenness makes to Aziraphale, all "Ehhh, it wasn't really a fall kind of Fall, it wasn't that bad."

Also, given the conversation they have in the Final Fifteen, I feel like his phrasing is kind of important here, because falling is not voluntary, but sauntering is. In saying this Crowley is claiming that to some degree he chose to reject Heaven.

It's entirely possible that Crowley may have been lying to Aziraphale in 1867--he is, as he says, a demon, and he's lied to him before to make something bad seem less bad--but maybe not. Remember what the Metatron says about Crowley:

And this is another interesting point: The Metatron knew Crowley as an angel. The Metatron. The being who, after shepherding Aziraphale out of the bookshop, turned back and looked at Crowley with hate.

(And tense music playing, in case you weren't sure.)

So maybe that's it. Maybe Crowley just chose to be on his own side.

But in 2019, and addressing God, Crowley's story of his Fall is slightly different:

I think we can take this as Crowley's sincere belief. It's unlikely that he would lie when speaking to God, because that is Aziraphale's job because he doesn't have any reason to do so: God hasn't been listening to Crowley for 6,000 years at this point, and if She were listening, lying would not work. So Crowley probably believes he's telling the truth here with this story: Crowley believes one reason he Fell is that he asked questions.

But is he right?

Another line from the Metatron:

The Metatron seems to speak of Crowley's habit of asking questions as though he finds it obnoxious rather than damning, so maybe the questions weren't the problem. Then again we know that the Metatron is a lying piece of shit and an authoritarian who doesn't want his regime questioned, willing to erase memories and destroy lives to cover up the 'institutional problem' that Heaven doesn't know what the Plan is and is run by a handful of warmongers who want everyone dead or indentured.

Either way, this is the third time in the series someone has talked about the problem of Crowley asking questions, so my guess is his questions were probably a salient feature of his Fall.

Onward!

Before we look at the 3rd story, remember that we have strong evidence now that Crowley has had his memories erased by Heaven.

But we also know Furfur, another demon, still has his memories. Inference: Heaven don't erase the memories of every angel who Falls. This suggests that Heaven erased Crowley's memories because he had knowledge in those memories Heaven didn't want him to have anymore.

This may not be specific knowledge. We know Crowley has a high security clearance in Heaven and therefore must have been a high-ranking angel, and we know he created a nebula with Saraqael, so presumably there was a lot of stuff in his head Heaven wanted stripped out.

But I think there was something specific, and here's why. Firstly, there's no reason to assume that importance in Heaven is a guarantee of importance in Hell. Furfur could have been a high-ranking angel too before ending up an admin in Hell. (Hell does not seem to be any more of a meritocracy than Heaven does.)

Secondly, it's clear that Crowley doesn't know his memories have been erased. If he knew, then when Furfur says "We were in the same Legion? Just before the Fall? Doing dubious battle on the Plains of Heaven? Remember?" he'd say something like "Don't be stupid, of course I don't remember, Heaven erased my memories."

Instead he says,

Now, maybe Crowley is just being a dick here. Certainly we're supposed to take it that way until he goes up to Heaven with Muriel and doesn't remember Saraqael either.

But what if he's being truthful? If Crowley is being honest (and a dick), that would mean the Fash didn't erase all of Crowley's memories of his time in Heaven. We know this because Furfur says he and Crowley fought together "on the Plains of Heaven," and "just before the Fall" [emphasis added].

This suggests that Maybe Heaven didn't erase time from Crowley's memory. Maybe they erased people.

Okay, now here's Crowley's 3rd story about how he Fell:

It's a cute line, but what if it's not just a throwaway joke referencing what people say about kids who go down the wrong path and become criminals?

Crowley mutters this 3rd story to himself, so we can be confident Crowley believes this to be true. But Crowley doesn't know who the wrong people are. He doesn't know whose company got him thrown out of Heaven, because his memories of all those people have been taken from him.

And taken together, these three stories and Crowley's stolen memories suggest a bigger, more disturbing inference: Crowley doesn't know why he Fell. (Or sauntered vaguely downwards.)

Like Crowley, Job was once a favorite of God. But he has fallen out of that favor and been delivered to demons for reasons God refuses to tell him.

We the audience are meant to draw a parallel between Job and Crowley. We know this not just because of the speech Crowley cathartically gives Job's goats, in which everything he says to the goats can be just as easily applied to Job or himself, but from two other indications. Here's one:

Job is wearing Crowley's color.

The other is the minisode title, "A Companion to Owls." This phrase comes from the Book of Job, specifically Job 30:29. Job, lamenting what has happened to him, says,

I am a brother to dragons, and a companion to owls.

In Biblical symbolism, dragon=serpent=snake=demon. And in some Mesopotamian beliefs--one of them Judaism--owls were associated with demons as well:

and

So the Job of the Bible is saying in this verse the same thing the Job of Good Omens says: God has forsaken me and delivered me to demons. Or even: God has forsaken me and I am now being treated like demons are treated.

And he's also saying something else. In the Bible, owls symbolize loneliness, desolation, and solitude. They're consistently depicted as living in barren, abandoned, isolated places. Seriously. Go search owl(s) in a Biblical concordance and read all 30 entries: it comes up a lot. If you're a companion to owls, you're alone (except for the owls) in the wilderness. You're forsaken.

WHOMST do we know whose signal color is yellow, who's a brother of demons, and who admits at the end of the episode that being alone and forsaken in the wilderness is lonely?

So. Job, a character whose claim to fame is that God punished him and he didn't know why, is a mirror character to Crowley. This on its own isn't enough to say definitely that Crowley doesn't know why he Fell, but combined with the three different stories he tells about his Fall, I think there's enough textual evidence to conclude that Crowley isn't entirely sure why he fell; he only has educated guesses. Either he knew and the memory was erased, or he was never told at all.

My question about Crowley's Fall is this: Who pushed him?

Was Crowley's Fall an act of God Herself, or was it an act of Heaven? What did the fucking Metatron have to do with it? What was Crowley's crime? When Aziraphale takes charge of Heaven and the Second Coming, will he read Crowley's file?

#good omens #good omens 2 #good omens s2 #good omens meta #crowley #aziraphale #the metatron #good omens analysis #crowley's fall #3 falls of crowley

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