Bedelia’s word to Will at the end of season three may be my favorite in the whole show

Can’t live with him, can’t live without him??? There has literally never been a phrase so true for two people as this one

Will literally could never just leave Hannibal alone, even when he left him there was no forgetting. I mean he came back and it took him a couple of days?? To just forget his family? And decide it never could’ve worked anyway??? Like Will I know you’re down bad and all but what

But then there’s also the not so secret homicidal rage he has for Hannibal every time their eyes meet like how can one person want to be with the one person they want to brutally murder so bad

And then his plan to kill both Hannibal and Francis?? He knew even then he wasn’t coming out of this- he chose to end with Hannibal before they went off that cliff

He chose Hannibal, and then Hannibal chose him

What confused me about the end for a minute was why Hannibal did that? It didn’t make sense to me that he would give up in that way, especially not since it was almost outright stated that while Hannibal may love Will, his love is a hunger, it’s not borne of equality, it’s not healthy it’s just the absolute best he has to offer- the only way he can feel. Hannibal’s love should push him further to want to control Will shouldn’t it?

But the parallels of the show are not something I will ever get over. Will said it to Reba, even if it wasn’t exactly fact considering Francis wasn’t dead, that she had influenced Francis to become better because she had made him unable to watch her die and unable to kill him herself. It’s the same with Will and Hannibal. Will made Hannibal better, or at least started to, which allowed for them to find comfort in each other at the end.

I firmly believe that Will may not have been strong enough to avoid falling off that cliff, but Hannibal sure was so why did he give it all up?

I also want to add that I think it may be at least partly logical on his part— he has no life beyond this. His name and his face have been plastered all over the US if not all over the world so everyone knows what he’s done. He’s also already done it all. If Hannibal is truly as driven by curiosity as his actions would have us believe, he simply got bored. Will was Hannibal’s only unexplored avenue, and they reached the end of their path. They knew what it was like to truly work together and that was the only unanswered question left. He simply had no greater curiosity than following Will

Now this is more or less all nonsensical but I had to get some of these thoughts out- I may not may not come back at some point and flesh this out so that I’m making actual real points

20 questions for writers

Thanks to @thequeenofthewinter for the tag <3

Tagging: @elavoria @atypicalacademic @gilgamish @nuwanders @ladytanithia @sheirukitriesfandom @throughtrialbyfire @lucien-lachance @miraakulous-cloud-district @bostoniangirl21 @terendelev

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

6

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

704,291 😅

3. What fandoms do you write for?

The Elder Scrolls and probably only ever the elder scrolls. Mostly Oblivion but I have one Skyrim lonngfic in the works. I read fic in several other fandoms, but this one has me by the throat.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Well, I only have 6 in the first place so it's not saying all that much.

5. Do you respond to comments?

I do the best I can to! Sometimes one slips by me on a particularly busy week, and then I'm too mortified by the lapse of time to answer. I don't think it's happened too often, but please know I read them all and am always grateful for them ❤️

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

Haven't finished either of them yet, but it's gotta be The Illusionist Part 2, which is an Oblivion novelization with emphasis on the Dark Brotherhood and Mages Guild, or Beyond the Break, which is just me crying about Mathieu Bellamont.

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

Treacle which is still hella angst lmao, but Scar-Tail does live happily ever after, and it's all thanks to @atypicalacademic for the inspiration ❤️❤️❤️ I have also vowed to make my Skyrim fic, Slither and Writhe happier 😤 Thus far, it's going... well, it is going.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I haven't, and the few dissenting opinions that I have received I wouldn't consider hate either. They're just opinions. I hesitated to mention this, but since I was LITCHRALLY talking about Lucien Lachance on one of Ray's posts a few minutes ago, in the past I have receive messages detailing how my interpretation of Lucien is distasteful, given he is unabashedly a villain in my story and 1/2 of a toxic relationship (also he's... kind of pathetic lol). It's a darkfic and not for everyone, I'm well aware. Fortunately, many of my very lovely, talented friends and mutuals write great Lucien fics that are different from mine, so at the end of the day we all get what we want :D Variety is the spice of life, and you can pry grossnasty Lucien out of my cold, dead fingies.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I write sexual content (idk what counts as smut). Originally, I wrote all the sex scenes as fade-to-black, and while they're not super graphic, while editing a few months ago I thought "you know what, this needs more cunt." So yeah. The sex scenes have become a bit more explicit now than they were in the first iteration.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

Nah, and I don't think I ever will.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge, and unless people are out there lifting passages of my writing and inserting it into their fics, I'm not going to claim ownership over ideas. We're all playing in the same sandpit, and while the execution is my own, I find it quite difficult to say the stories are totally original or novel because all my writing, from concepts to style, have been influenced in some way by the works of others.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

No, but I've tossed around some ideas with @zomboidatomic that may or may not one day bear fruit...

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

I've worked them all out of my system at this point, tbh. Romance doesn't really do anything for me on its own without compelling characterizations and intriguing plot. I select by other tags over ship most of the time too. That said I've been driven crazy by some of my friends ships with characters I've never even spoken to before. If it's good it's good, you know. (Though I am currently re-watching Hannibal and I will confess that I am still ill about Hannigram ajkfhalg)

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I'm going to finish them all, dammit!

16. What are your writing strengths?

Characterization, I think, especially when writing people who are awful lmao I've received a lot of compliments when it comes to writing villains and morally grey characters.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Ugh, I am so self-indulgent. Sometime last year I edited The Illusionist part 2 and trimmed out 60k words. It was so BLOATED (probablly still is). I think there were times when the plot got sidelined because I had an idea for a fun scene. Yes, I love writing Lucien and Nim hate-fucking and tearing each other apart in some weird mashup of Tommy Wiseau in The Room and the alien in The Thing. No, I did not need three chapters of this back to back, but I wanted it...

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

If the plot calls for it, then by all means 👍

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Hmm, now that I think of it it may have been a Fallout 3 Harkness fic that I kept in a composition notebook when I was 12. It will never see the light of day, obivo.

20. Favorite fic you've written?

OoOoh, that's tough. Slither and Writhe already feels stronger to me because I'm a more experienced writer, and I actually planned it out, but The Illusionist is my first baby.

watching hannibal series for the first time and I am sure that durge's writer was influenced by it.. hannibal and durge both are the most horrible people alive, like to eat humanoid meat and they both have just one person who they feel like are their equal and can accept them. there are way more similarities but my english is too wonky to analyze them.

every hannibal meme I see could easily be turned into durge meme!!!

never saw hannibal when its fandom was at its peak cause I though it was just queerbaiting, only to learn this year that it is canon canon

I lean toward that they came from the same source material but possibly!! And you’re right - no matter what the cause of the similarities are - there are A LOT of similarities. And SO meme-able.

(Also I understand the Hannibal queerbaiting issue and I know a lot of people who did EXACTLY as you did, because it really is an 11th hour queerbait recovery hahaha)

For me, Hannibal’s particular murder style reminds me more of how Orin’s style is described in game, since she is more of the ‘artist’. Though she may lack the precision that Hannibal has at times, so maybe Hannibal’s style is really the perfect combo of Orin and Durge.

Also, I’m so sorry to unleash this on you anon but I cannot answer a post about Hannibal without talking about how hot Will Graham is. Who gave Hugh Dancy the right?????? Easily who I would consider to be the most physically attractive character/actor….ever. Like, I get it, Hannibal, if Will Graham walked into my life I’d be irrevocably obsessed too.

fandom asks: 1 2 8 11 12 17 23 24 25

list 3 positive things about your current fandom(s)

a) I love that the Daredevil fandom has been kept healthy with several events over the years: shout out to @daredevilexchange for all the work they've done! b) My mattfoggy buddies are all so sweet and supportive; I know I can always count on someone to leave a comment on my fics even if they're occasionally a bit niche! c) I'm currently loving the surge in podficcing! We've not only got longtime veterans doing podfics for other people's work, but several of us have dipped our toes into the waters and have begun to podfic our own work. Not only a neat part of fandom but a step toward some more enjoyable reading for our friends who primarily use screen readers.

2. a headcanon you weren't sure about at first but have come to like!

I think at first I wasn't super big on the whole "Mike is in love with Foggy and obnoxious about it" thing, but as anyone familiar with my fics knows I've since come to embrace it.

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

Honestly I'd just like people to write more fics and draw more art directly inspired by comics storylines, especially some of the older stuff! That's what I'm hoping to get people to do with my upcoming DD comics bingo event. :D

11. if you're a writer or artist, what fic or piece of art are you proud of making?

At the moment I'm really proud of Hearsay, which is a comics volume 1 wip. I just think it's very tightly written.

12. compliment someone else in your fandom

@mutuallyprime is as lovely and supportive as it gets! You can count on her to boost you up if you need it 🥺 and she's written some truly great fics! The DD 2003!Matt/Milla fic is never leaving my brain.

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

Already answered this one with Matt and Foggy's friendship, but I suppose I also love their frequent divorces. 😌 Great source of drama, I think we can all agree about that.

23. the fandom you're curious about because of a mutual

lol sorry this is a boring answer but at the moment... none! I have in the past however been influenced to watch things, including Hannibal (loved it), Interview with the Vampire (loved it), and BBC Merlin (hated it lmao).

24. how has fandom positively impacted your life?

I've made so many friends!! It's lovely to wake up in the morning and be able to go and say hi and chat about this thing we're all obsessed with. Far less lonely. :D

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

literally don't listen to anybody telling you you're doing fandom wrong because you do/don't do x, y, or z. it's your life and anybody espousing these opinions has a very narrow and limited view of other people's interiority. get the hell out of there if you see a post like this. you deserve better.

My media this week (11-17 Feb 2024)

📚 STUFF I READ 📚

😠 A Damsel in Distress (PG Wodehouse) - via Serial Reader app; hadn't read before. mostly a pretty standard PGW but the final chapter was off the charts fatphobic even for PGW ☹️

😍 Dishonor on Your Cow (mandarou) - reread, forever fave. shrunkyclunks canon-adjacent AU

🥰 "Pistol Grip" (Vina Jie-Min Prasad) - described in tumblr post as "m/m pwp super soldier gunfucking" and they are telling no lies. This was fantastic.

😊 Howitzer (spacebuck) - 111K, stucky, college hockey AU - got some OMGCP inspo for the set up but very much its own tale; very enjoyable.

💖💖 +99K of shorter fic so shout out to these I really loved 💖💖

Duende (astolat) - Master & Commander: Aubrey/Maturin, 14K -a truly impressive amount of worldbuilding in so few words

The One Where They Adopt a Selkie (mikkimouse) - Teen Wolf: Sterek, 7K - a fun accidental (supernatural) baby acquisition fic

perne in a gyre (enemyofrome) - Punic Wars RPF, Ancient History RPF: Scipio Africanus/Hannibal Barca, 7K - brilliant & hilarious modern AU for fucking PUNIC WARS RPF! hannibal's taking a gap year/getting away from being the rich kid & ends up staying at Scipio's family AirBnB. and there's only one bed. Fave quotes: 'He was sharing a room with some kind of glittery Italian twink, and there was a grumpy eagle glowering at him from the headboard as if he’d offended it in a past life, but at least he couldn’t see the wolf piercings anymore, so it was fine. It was all just fine.' and 'Then Mago came back. “Soggy twink at the door for you.” “Didn't order one,” said Hannibal. Then the word twink sank in, and he looked up. “Is he glittery?” “Like a unicorn.” “Mierda,” said Hannibal. “That’s my twink.”'

📺 STUFF I WATCHED 📺

The Graham Norton Show - s31, e14 (Andrew Scott, Paul Mescal, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Kingsley Ben-Adir)

The Repair Shop - s1, e1

QI - series S, ep 6

Ghosts (US) - s2, e8-15

Game Changer - s6, e1

Dirty Laundry - s3, e12

D20: Fantasy High: Junior Year - "Party Politics" (s21, e6)

D20: Adventuring Party - "You Are The Chosen None" (s16, e6)

🎧 PODCASTS 🎧

⭐ Up First - The Sunday Story: More Than Friends

What Next: TBD - Breaking Up with Dating Apps

The Allusionist - 189. Mouthful of Fortune

⭐ Hit Parade - Hello, Gorgeous Edition

Vibe Check - UsherBowl…and Beyoncé?!

Pop Culture Happy Hour - 2024 Super Bowl, Plus Beyoncé's New Singles

Throughline - The Hindu Text That Continues to Influence Indian Politics

Short Wave - The Shared History Of The Chinese And Gregorian Calendars

The Sporkful - Can A Stanley Drinking Cup Really Withstand A Car Fire?

⭐ The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Robert Is Here

I Said No Gifts! - Joel Kim Booster Disobeys Bridger

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Toy Story

NPR's Book of the Day - 'Toxic' looks back on Janet Jackson, Britney Spears and tabloid culture in the 2000s

All Songs Considered - Mix messages: Listeners share the songs that say 'I've got a crush on you'

Switched on Pop - The Star Spangled Banger!

I Said No Gifts! - Emma Thompson Disobeys Bridger

Vibe Check - Rollercoaster of Love (and Hate)

Short Wave - Celebrate Valentine's Day With These Queer Animals

Outward - The Inherent Queerness of Poetry

⭐ Code Switch - Before the apps, people used newspapers to find love

Pop Culture Happy Hour - Platonic Love In Pop Culture

Culture Gabfest - We’re Saving Our Own Lives

⭐ The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Owamni

Decoder Ring - Why Do So Many Coffee Shops Look the Same?

The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week - Government Cheese, Mitochondria NOT Powerhousing, Dawn of the Cockroach

Ologies with Alie Ward - Hydrochoerology (CAPYBARAS) with Elizabeth Congdon

Throughline - Love, Throughline

The Assignment with Audie Cornish - Gen Z In the Workplace: Rethinking Business Etiquette

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Damanhur

Up First - KC Parade Shooting, Russian Space Nukes, Migrant Crossings Drop

Films To Be Buried With - Eddie Marsan

⭐ 99% Invisible #570 - The White Castle System of Eating Houses

Welcome to Night Vale #242 - The New Branch

Short Wave - The U.N.'s First-Ever Analysis Of World's Migratory Species Just Dropped

Dear Prudence - How Do I Get Over Someone I Never Dated? Help!

Pop Culture Happy Hour - Feud And What's Making Us Happy

Endless Thread - Dinner and a (Slide) Show

All Songs Considered - New Music Friday: 5 albums out Feb. 16, plus 'Rhapsody in Blue' still thrills at 100

⭐ You're Dead to Me - History of Bollywood

Sound Up! - Audience reaction to Rock Hall Noms, Mark reviews Stevie Nicks live and Chris Molanphy breaks down how Beyonce will impact country music and radio.

It's Been a Minute - Legendary choreographer Fatima Robinson on moving through changes in dance

99% Invisible - The Power Broker #2: Jamelle Bouie

Wait Wait… Don't Tell Me! - WWDTM: Sleater-Kinney

🎶 MUSIC 🎶

Presenting Barbra Streisand

Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox

Tag Nine People You'd Like To Get To Know Better

FAVOURITE COLOUR(s): Rusty red-orange, deep cool spruce green, bright cobalt blue, wine red, the various shades of slate green/grey/blue.

FAVOURITE FLAVOUR(s): Weirdly difficult question, in that what I think I most enjoy about food is the way that different flavors and textures complement each other to become more than the sum of their parts. But I am a huge fan of deep rich fruity-savory umami (sundried tomatoes, a great red chile sauce, things braised in red wine) as well as absolutely any kind of citrus or fresh herbs.

Also, while this isn't exactly one thing and it might be simpler just to say that I like strong flavors, I fall firmly into the These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things camp on a lot of polarizingly funky/briny things (smoked salmon, goat cheese, blue cheese, olives, anchovies, preserved lemons, etc).

Also the taste+aroma of both fresh bread and corn tortillas hot off the comal is imo the human equivalent of catnip, ie "provokes immoderate feral delight on some bizarrely primal level."

FAVOURITE MUSIC: The very sexy Bermuda Triangle where blues/rock/folk bleed into and/or influence one another. Anything else that takes my fancy, including but not limited to a lot of soul, post-punk, and highly danceable salsa or big band swing stuff. Sad jazz. Gratuitously melancholy strings. Great lyrics, great harmonies, deep rich vocals.

FAVOURITE MOVIE(s): I have never in my life been able to pick one favorite book, but Pan's Labyrinth is easily my favorite movie.

FAVOURITE BOOK(s): This is the impossible question to me but The Periodic Table, Signs Preceding The End of The World, The Things They Carried, The Little Drummer Girl, and everything Arundhati Roy has ever written are all on the list somewhere.

FAVOURITE SERIES(es): The Same Sky is exquisitely good and The Night Manager is my id-stroking comfort rewatch. I also loved Andor and the first season of Hannibal.

LAST SONG: I was just going through this tag earlier.

LAST SERIES: Thanks to holiday craft fair season I have had zero ability to do longform TV anytime within the last few months. (Also, frankly, multi-season TV series are the one of the most difficult media formats for my brain to engage with; it's a fantastic storytelling medium when done well, but I personally have a much harder time sitting down for two hours of TV than for two hours of reading and thus getting started often feels like a huge commitment. I am really a 3-6 eps and done miniseries person at heart.)

That said I am a big podcasts-while-working person and I've been listening to a lot of Friends At The Table and Bad Gays recently.

LAST MOVIE: The Wind That Shakes The Barley, which has been on the Somehow I've Never Seen This And I Really Should list for a while. It has promptly been moved to the OFC It's Possible To Make A War Movie That Doesn't Glorify War, Y'all Are Just Fools And Cowards list.

CURRENTLY READING: ...I have to admit that I'm re-reading Kissinger's Shadow (to Mark The Occasion).

CURRENTLY WATCHING: Nothing (see above), though I have ambitions of giving Black Sails a shot.

CURRENTLY WORKING ON: The sketching stage of some linocuts, some experimental worldbuild-y map-drawing (important as Cartography And Its Imperial Misuses are kinda thematically and plottily relevant to the story, at least in its nebulous conceptual form).

TAGGED BY @silkenred (thanks!), and TAGGING (only if you want ofc) @sassysnowperson, @tobermoriansass, @cosmonauthill, @essayofthoughts, and anybody else who feels like doing this. (No really, I'm shy about tagging but please do the thing if you're interested.)

Concept of Change in Hannibal (Half Baked)

Dolarhyde needs to change people by showing them the dragon, but this inevitably leads to death eg.

“I want to share.”

“You shared with Reba.”

“A little, in a way she could survive.”

“But you didn’t change her.”

Change is death. And this is important for Dolarhyde, as through this death they merge with him and the dragon.

Will and Hannibal also have this motif of change. Through their actions they both change eachother, eg.

“Did you think you could change me the way I changed you?”

“I already did.”

Except they both do this through love not death.

Hannibal’s goal through most of season 2, which underlies his decisions, is to make Will his friend. It’s to make Will accept him by accepting himself. It’s to make Will love himself. And Hannibal desires this because he loves Will, and wants his acceptance.

Will is changed once he gets out of prison, he tried to have Hannibal killed, he has accepted that he’s capable of violence and that he enjoys it. He doesn’t love that about himself, but it’s Hannibal’s love that changes him eg.

“I’m not innocent, you saw to that.”

and

“I’m changed. You changed me.”

He continues to change and become because he begins to have an affection for Hannibal, and thus himself, eg.

“I envy you your hate, it’s easy when you know how to feel.”

All of this isn’t through violence, it’s through love and hate. Its motivated by Hannibal’s love, and it’s through Wills love of Hannibal. This is notable for Will as he mainly expresses himself through violence eg.

“There are other methods of influence, but violence is what you understand.”

Yet violence does not change him but love.

Hannibal is also changed by love. His love for Will, Will’s possible love for him. Hannibal takes off his person suit and shares with Will without killing and eating him, something we know Hannibal hasn’t done, eg.

“You wanted to be seen.”

“By you, a rare gift.”

He cares about Will more than anything else, including his life and freedom, by the end of the show. Everything that used to matter doesn’t. And Hannibal knows now that he is capable of love for more than his sister, and it consumes him.

There are multiple times where Hannibal considers killing Will as a method of merging with him and sharing. Most notable is the brain eating, where he believes he must eat him (thanks Bedelia) to properly heal their relationship. Yet, he can’t.

Hannibal and Will share and blur with one another without murder, which is different for both of them. Will never shares. Hannibal only shares when he’s killing. Yet by the end:

“You and I have begun to blur.”

And

“We’re conjoined.”

They achieved what Dolarhyde couldn’t. When Will visits Hannibal, Hannibal says:

“He wants change. Don’t you long for change Will?”

Because Will is changed. Because Hannibal changed him. And Will has gone back to pretending that didn’t happen. He broke up with Hannibal, mid merging, and ran.

“Can’t live with him, can’t live without him. Is that what this is?”

“I guess, this is my becoming.”

If Will finishes merging with Hannibal, loving Hannibal and thus loving himself, he also loses himself, eg.

“Friendship sometimes requires a breach of individual separateness.”

He loses this individual identity. Can’t live with him. But he also loves Hannibal so much, he can’t go back. He does long for change. So he can’t live without him. So Will solves this problem: death. In death, they become one. In death, they merge with the strength of eachother. This is my becoming. Even if Will survived the fall, he doesn’t. They’ve merged. They’ve changed. Hannibal and Will are one now.

I think maybe what Will realised while watching Hannibal die is that if Hannibal dies he dies. That they’re too merged. Dolarhyde goes on his ‘merge with the strength of the dragon’ rant and Will realises he would also be consumed by the dragon. They’re conjoined. They’re not one, but they’re conjoined. They die together. That is the only way it can be.

get to know you tag

but it might as well be the “everyone tag glo tag” lol thanks @thehollowone16 @luxuriousmalfoy @silently--here @annanother-thing @vitaminpops AND ANYONE ELSE? EVERYONE HERE? okay

three ships

i have to say dramione, don’t i? would be a bit odd if i didn’t. but if i’m honest, they’re second bc………. everlark are my forever and always, my one and only, the key to my heart. without them i wouldn’t be the glo i am today. and also pansmione i love them so much my BABIES

first ship

okay so this one stumped me for a minute because i’ve been shipping people since before i even knew what shipping was BUT! i have to go with my gay awakening ship, because obviously. Daphne/Velma from Scooby Doo, specifically the live action films because THE TENSION???? HELLO???? it had little Glo feeling things she didn’t yet understand

last song

Le Monde — Richard Carter (yes tiktok influenced me, it’s been on a repeat for days)

last movie

Pitch Perfect, it’s one of my all time comfort films hehe

currently reading

Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer, it’s SO FUNNY!!! highly recommend!!!!

currently watching

okay i’ve been so bad at watching series recently I STILL NEED TO FINISH HANNIBAL I KNOW I’M SORRY HANNIBAL GC but i rewatched a couple of episodes of Catfish the other day and it’s been running in the background near constantly ever since lol i love that show

last thing i wrote

The Devil Wears Quidditch Robes - my new lil multichap silliness very loosely based on The Devil Wears Prada hehehehe

currently writing

gonna be vague bc it’s a fest piece but it’s dramione! it’s very fun! the idiots are perhaps idioting more than they’ve ever idioted before!

tagging everyone who reads this because why not

favorite movies / shows ? (:

sorry for the late response, but i took this too seriously and started going through notes and diaries to find lists

Movies:

Idioot (2011) by Rainer Sarnet. It's an adaptation of dostoyevsky's "the idiot" and it's one of the few movies i can actually call underground, because i've yet to met anyone besides my mom whose actually seen it. I don't like it because of that though, i like it because all of it is shot in a church (even the outdoor scenes) and the ending has gay undertones. it's arthouse, what else do you expect?

Amelie (2001) is one of the few romance movies i like because it's super sweet and has very interesting visuals. and also i saw it before i knew i was aroace so i didn't care about whether or not i like romance.

Knives out (2019) has super cool visuals and also very cool foreshadowing. definitely a movie i watched an explanation of later. not THAT deep though, like you get the message before even finishing it.

Tank Girl (1995) is a fucking comedy and apocalypse masterpiece and no one will convince me otherwise. I do not care about if it's accurate to the comics at all. it's just pure, unfiltered, 90s action. with implied lesbians.

In tandem with the last movie comes Bad Girls (1994), even though this one is a bit less goofy (it does not have kangaroo-man hybrids)

Kill your darlings (2013). i don't even care about the gayness, they went ham with the poetry references. like they explain a technique in poetry and then do that same thing in the movie? fucking beautiful. the soundtrack is also so unique. i could go on about this movie forever.

Birds of Prey, or the fantabulous emancipation of Harley Quinn (2020) is like all of those other superhero action movies, but this time it's For Girls (tm) and i LOVE it because of that. idec about action movies in general, that one just Gets It. Margot Robbie OWNS Harley Quinn for me

speaking of feminist action movies, Mad Max Fury Road (2015) is amazing. it has one of the most unique colour palettes i've seen, because of how much contrast there is. Surprisingly condensed, the action is not spread out at all, gets straight to the point. Also it has like no romance at all.

Shows:

Hannibal (2013-2015) is my number 1, no competition. It's a rom com, it's a thriller, it's horror, it's whatever you want it to be. not gonna say too much, becuase i want you to experience its glory first hand.

pushing daisies (2007-2009) is whimsical, light hearted, fairy-tale like, fluffy, etc. basically the opposite of hannibal, even though both of them are made by Brian Fuller. fun fact: it has the only straight romance i actively root for. they're also asexual because i said so.

I am not okay with this (2020) is another one of those movies you only see in those lists of shows that netflix ended too soon, because it did. it's like netflix said "wait it has LESBIANS? we can't have THAT" which is a shame, because it's a masterfully crafted allegory for grief and depression. and as if THAT wasn't enough, it parodies while ´imitating an 80s high school movie, which gives it this cool aesthetic of the modern day mixed with the 80s.

Over the garden wall (2016). Wirt is a very accurately written teen who i want to be friends with SO BAD, and Greg is somehow even more accurately written because my sister is roughly the same age as him and they are basically the same people. It goes pretty hard with the historical influences, the soundtrack fits it so well and the story is very sweet. i recommend it 👍

Hope i didn't burden you with my ramblings too much, i don't even have an excuse. thanks for the ask tho, i had fun

I think one of my favorite Will Graham moment is in season 2 episode 8 (the horse episode). It's right at the end when the social worker (idc about his name) says, "Peter is confused." And Will replies, "I'm not." And steadies his aim.

I think it really highlights the conflicting feeling I was starting to form about Will when I first watched that scene. Will is absolutely ruthless and angry for Peter, and while it's so much fun to watch, it also started the realization for me that Will can be absolutely terrifying.

And then there's also my love of Peter, the only person in Hannibal I would actually want to be friends with.

Anyways, I would love to hear your thoughts on season 2 episode 8 and that scene specifically.

(Sorry this is so long)

That is such a good episode. I love it for so many reasons. The way Will actually does look confused for a second, unsure, and he furrows his brow and steadies his hand like "no I can kill you. I understand." But also in a way like "Peter also understands". He cares for Peter and sees Ingram as a truly uncaring sociopath. Will has at least seen the reasons behind why Hannibal kills, why other people kill. "What scares him is he can understand anything" or whatever Hannibal says about Will to the neurologist. Will understands Ingram too and sees no real purpose except abuse and vitriol. He is the worst kind of person. So he emphasizes that he is not confused, and that Ingram deserves to die. Will has his own set of morals and justifications, but Ingram is arguably unforgivable in every aspect. There is nothing redeeming about him, and that is more evil than what Hannibal has displayed. But Will is still grappling with wanting to kill Hannibal, so I think in that moment, he wanted to kill Ingram not only on Peter's behalf, but for his own self. If Will can kill what is truly so terrible and awful and evil and corrupt, something with no other desire than to cause pain and smile about it and feel nothing for it, then he might be able to kill Hannibal. Maybe it would make it easier. Or maybe Ingram humanized Hannibal too much, made him seem less monstrous. The shadow had to go so Hannibal could be seen clearly again so Will could pull the trigger next time. "This is not the reckoning you want" or whatever. And it wouldn't have been. It would have been empty and shallow and none of his conflicts would have been resolved. If anything, it would complicate them. And the fact it was Hannibal stopping him makes me think Hannibal was being a little jealous in that moment. Will promised him a reckoning. Not someone else. How cheap would it be to have that passed onto someone so simple, so unworthy, of Will’s potential? To have that complicated anger thrust onto someone else? Hannibal wanted to feel that for himself. Having Brown slit his wrists and tie a noose around his neck was a tease, a taste, of what Will was capable of. And Hannibal wanted to experience that for himself. And the episode had themes of rebirth throughout, with the woman and Ingram in the horse and the bird in the woman's chest. Was this a rebirth? Or maybe a reconsideration? Hannibal then tells Will about being a caterpillar, feeding him, speaking to him, but what comes out he could never control or know. Like Will has the control over his own rebirth. He could have shot Ingram anyway, Hannibal was not that forceful. But he let Hannibal stop him. As if maybe Hannibal didn't have as much influence over the violence within him as he wants to believe. That it was more opening the garden gate vs planting the seeds. And that scares Will because it was something he battled with since the very beginning. But it was easier to blame that one someone else, an influence, on Hannibal. But if anything, Hannibal stopped that violence in that moment. So what is Will getting a rebirth from? Into accepting that violence? If he was always violent, does he still want to kill Hannibal? Would that make him more like Hannibal? More blurred? Where does Will draw the line from acceptable vs unacceptable violence? It makes it harder to draw when he is participating, because he would want to keep himself on the side closer to acceptable. But does that bring Hannibal on that side with him? And if it does, does Hannibal still deserve that reckoning?

Something immensely funny about you posting to let people enjoy things because ‘we know they’re bad’ only to get immediately schooled for not knowing how bad said things is. Anyway, thanks for sticking up for media rights, which no one is ever told, advertised, or promoted to as being good family fun without your hard work.

I’m tired of war movies getting a bad rep because they’re military propaganda like yup they sure are but I love war movies and military history because I’m just interested in it from a theoretical POV and since it’s already happened I can study it etc. etc. I just finished watching Band Of Brothers tonight and it’s easily my favorite show ever guess what I’m fully aware it’s a glorification of actual events and they 100% showed some of the questionable things that soldiers over there did painted in less bad of a light than it really should have been but I’m still going to sit down and watch Red Tails, a movie dedicated to the achievement and recognition of black fighter pilots in WWII because it’s just a good movie with a good story even if it’s “glorification of real life events”.

I haven’t seen too many modern war movies, I’ve seen a few, those aren’t my favorite, but I mean movies like the Olympus Has Fallen series is cool because wow guess what it’s fiction. It’s not the problem of a piece of media existing if people use it to justify bad things or whatever. There have been plenty of “Dexter copy-cat killers” and sorry but they would have killed someone whether or not Dexter existed. Hannibal is literally a show where you root for a serial killer. Do you know how glorified Hannibal is on here? And guess what that’s fine because he’s a fictional character 99% of the people who love Hannibal as a character do not also support Jeffery Dahmer.

I also love FPS games, especially PUBG, and I find it to be a great stress reliever, and it in no way is going to influence me to go do that irl. I do understand the argument of “kids are misunderstanding that they think that shooting someone irl isn’t permanent because they shoot people in video games and they don’t die there permanently you can start over” but like if you can’t understand the difference between a video game and real life then mental health help should be an option and maybe not have access to guns.

I’m very interested in anything WWI and WWII and I love Dunkirk that’s a comfort movie for me can’t tell you why but it is. I’m still heavily against the military but I’m a staunch supporter of veterans rights. There sure are a lot of veterans and active military personal who have committed war crimes and I recognize that but that really isn’t the truth for all of them. Ideally there would be no wars at all but like hey there were and they happened and men came back and needed mental health help from a war that our shitty government forced them to fight and would not let them leave from and then failed to do anything for them after that. Go ahead and ask any Nam veteran if he thinks the war was a good idea.

I haven’t watched any of the top gun movies I literally have no idea what they are about ngl I’m just tired of people being like “you need to critically engage with media” and then be like “but subjecting yourself to propaganda makes you a supporter” when I literally just want to watch Red Tails or Dunkirk. Hot take but you should critically engage with media that spreads messages you might not agree with to come to your own conclusions on why it’s bad instead of taking someone else’s word for it (if you feel like you can). Like I’m not saying read Mein Komf or whatever that book is and I don’t really care to get the title right (not as an attack on Germany as a culture just like fuck that dude in particular and I don’t care if I can’t remember what his manifesto is called). Not going to lie I’m very susceptible to other people’s arguments sometimes and there are times where I have engaged with a piece of media and supported it only to realize behind the scenes that it’s bad and I was just unaware even though I was advocating for it (Top Gun though I haven’t watched it and also The Satanic Temple). You might think that invalidates anything I say about me realizing that all military movies are to some degree military propaganda by glorifying “our” side to be the heroes and the “other” side to be the bad guys but things are not black and white like that and there are exceptions. Like once again pointing to Hannibal it’s literally a show where you root for the cannibal. You know that’s wrong irl. You can make the distinction between a show with events that have in fact taken place irl (killing and eating people) and this one show that is just that- a show.

If you’re going to call people brainwashed for liking war movies and think watching war movies = supporting the military then why are we not calling shows like Hannibal cannibal propaganda and calling people brainwashed for supporting a cannibal?

Or- and get this- if you don’t like me as a person or my content you can just unfollow me and leave me the fuck alone instead of being a coward on anon and hiding behind the feature to escape personalized retribution.

k so i’ve been seeing ur hannibal posts for fucking EVER and i think im finally gonna watch it 😌 u literally bombarded me with so many posts i just HAVE to know what the hype is <3 thank u

i’ve got another one folks! if you somehow haven’t had it spoiled yet i’d blacklist hannibal to avoid spoilers 😘 you’re welcome

I never understood Hannibal and Bedelia’s interactions from S1 - sometimes I feel like he was trying to be friends with her, to force a connection and she kept refusing until Will Graham showed up and Hannibal wanted his friendship/love instead.

Hannibal even said “I feel protective of you” to Bedelia after she asked him why he didn’t accept her referral and I’m like why? Why did he feel protective over her? Was it bc she had killed her patient under Hannibal’s influence and he helped her and he wanted to keep her in his debt? Was it because she listened to him and he wanted/needed that?

What’s your take on Hannibal & Bedelia’s relationship in S1?

I think before Will, Bedelia was the closest thing to an equal Hannibal had. He likely didn’t consider her a worthy partner because he didn’t try hard with her, but he made sure to stay in her life, getting to know her and letting her know parts of himself in return. She was the only person he could be at least partly himself with. He says to her that she has no idea what he’s capable of, so he still kept mostly to himself, but he showed her more than he ever did to others. He had genuine respect for her - I believe him when he tells her that he never found her lacking. Her killing her patient and Hannibal helping her escape the blame is a big thing that ties them together, so Bedelia, in addition to her curiosity, cannot allow herself to alienate Hannibal entirely while Hannibal amuses himself by holding it over her head, bringing it up at random points and watching her squirm.

One of Hannibal's major arcs in the show is pushing people to be themselves and embrace their darkness. Bedelia is his constant live experiment before and during S1. After killing her patient, she isolated herself to remove the possible temptations; almost the first thing she did after murder was accuse Hannibal of it. She really didn’t want to take the blame, she denied her direct involvement even to herself. Hannibal finds it curious, in my opinion: he is constantly trying to probe her later on, asking her if she feels guilty, smiling a little ironically when she says she doesn’t, and so on. The conversation you mentioned is one of several examples of it.

Hannibal: I feel protective of you ... You support me as my colleague and psychiatrist and as a human being, I want to be supportive of you.

This is a subtle reference to Bedelia's dark impulses. Hannibal wants to be supportive of them, and it makes her feel uncomfortable because this is the last topic she wants to discuss. He presses, and Bedelia ends up telling him:

Bedelia: Hannibal. I’m your psychiatrist, you’re not mine.

Bedelia doesn't want to remember what she did and discuss it; Hannibal wants her to remember because in his view, she's denying a vital part of herself. Their interactions inevitably go back to this topic because for Hannibal, darkness and Bedelia's reaction to it is one of the most interesting things about her. She's understandably wary.

At the same time, Bedelia has a painfully strong sense of dark curiosity herself. In S1, other than the instances where Hannibal makes her uncomfortable by bringing up her dark secret, she seems to enjoy their therapy. When Hannibal reaches out more, she backs away, never letting him close but keeping him interested enough. It's like she's playing a game of her own, getting to know this man in a person suit, understanding she's the only one he can more or less confide in, and enjoying her power. But the balance begins to shift when Will appears and when Bedelia realizes she underestimated the depth of Hannibal's depravity.

So, I would characterize their bond in S1 as the one based on subtle understanding, mutual interest in darkness, and the murder of Bedelia's patient along with her attempts to ignore this ever happened.

Hi, I just wanted to know your opinion about Hannibal and Bella Crawford's relationship. I felt, while watching the show, that Hannibal actually cared about Bella unlike some other people. Like he was really supportive of her and her decisions in s1 (he was, of course, her psychiatrist, and it was his job, but still); he saved her life in s2, and when he wrote that note to Jack after her death I thought it was one of his most genuine expressions.

(Cont. of ask about Hannibal-Bella's relationship.) But then my friend pointed out that the only reason Hannibal saved her life in s2 was because he didn't want himself under suspicion. I differed, and I also think part of why Hannibal saved her was because of his and Jack's (however flimsy) friendship. But then when I think of how Hannibal got her to be his patient in s1, (he subtly manipulated her like Abigail and Bedelia, so they involuntarily seek his help themselves) I get confused again.

(Cont. of ask about Hannibal-Bella's relationship.) Despite all of my doubts, I think she was something like Alana to him, someone who amused him, but whom he nevertheless respected (perhaps not cared for, but certainly respected). My friend still does not agree with me, do you think you could perhaps share your opinion on this?

I could go on about Hannibal’s depth of feeling, but I’ve done that a hundred times elsewhere, so we’ll just break it down to the most simple thing: the coin toss. 

If Hannibal has to toss a coin to decide what to do about Jack’s wife trying to kill herself in his office, then we have to assume that both sides of the equation are of equal importance to him, such that he cannot make up his mind without outside influence. 

Then, if both sides of that equation are equal to him, then we must also accept that the one side of the equation--doing right by Bella (letting her die via her own wishes and his own personal attitudes about end-of-life care)--must therefore equal the other side--acting in his own self-interest (saving her for Jack). 

No one here is arguing that his own self-interest is something that he disregards, correct? He does, in fact, care about his own self-interest rather a lot? We are all agreed on this, I believe? 

If that’s so, then, he cares about Bella precisely as much as he cares about his own damn self. 

Which is rather a lot, I’d say. 

!!DISCLAIMER!!

it appears i have to add this because people are getting mad. i was ranting here!! i was addressing my view on this situation. the way i perceived it. i was only talking about the doxxing. nothing else. this is not intended to make people mad at me. i was just saying its hard to participate in a fanbase when i'm worried people out of the fanbase will attack me for it. (in this case the dsmp)

mmm. im so tired of influencer's shenanigans

like one person ruins it for everyone

i cant publicly be like 'oh yeah i'm a huge dsmp fan!!' because i'll get endlessly harassed for it. just because i'm a fan of something doesn't mean that i agree with everything everyone does.

when i say 'oh yeah! im a huge dsmp fan!!' i mean i love the storyline. i love the characters, these personas that these real people have created!! its a huge friend group that i get to watch like it's a tv show!!!! it made me happy for a long time, but not everything lasts, because eventually someone is going to fuck something up, and ruin the reputation of the fandom. ruin the reputation of the fanbase.

im referring to dream here, if it wasn't clear enough. people are so endlessly obsessed with him and everything he does and everything he represents that people have started grouping the entire fanbase together. i feel like the only reason i even feel comfortable ranting about this publicly is that people on here might be able to relate, idk. because one group of people do not shape the entire fanbase. just because dream said some shit doesn't mean that i agree with him, just because i have fallen in love with the storyline and the lore of his stupid wonderful minecraft server.

sure, i do admire dream, but the same way you admire a clever murder plot, or a clever story execution. i admire that he has gotten this far with just mostly himself to rely on. i admire that he's exploited his face reveal to the extent he has, and people don't actively hate him for it. sure, they're getting fed up NOW, but look at how long its taken. hes milking his one asset for all it's worth, and its working.

i admire hannibal for his execution, but that doesn't mean i idolize him or agree with anything he's done.

this is just one of those times where i'm like 'dude(ungendered), influencers are not real people' because how can anyone think that publicly announcing-- to everyone with access to the internet-- that getting doxxed isnt a big deal? i know someone who got doxxed and they freaked the fuck out so bad, and rightfully so!! getting your information leaked is not a small little insignificant thing to happen, and i fully believe dream deserved what happened to him,((edit:)) in terms of getting doxxed, that is.

(if anyone wants me to add/take away any tags, feel free to dm me or add a comment.)

Harry Potter FanFiction I greatly enjoy (it’s just tomarry and sevitus)

Fair warning, I’m not good at describing stuff, and most of these are not complete (yet) but if you have similar tastes as I do then you’ll definitely like these stories.

Meddling of a Mischief Maker - by Athy

https://archiveofourown.org/works/5380535/chapters/12427268

I enjoy this fic because it shows a more human Voldemort with him still being an asshole as per usual. They do a good job of having Voldemort believably change into a not crazy murderous bastard haha. It also has Sirius interacting with Voldemort and for some reason I find those scenes hilarious in any fic I read.

“Harry's being a horcrux is a bit reworked here in this AU Story set during the summer after 5th year. A Mischief Maker intervenes in the Ministry during Voldemort and Dumbledore's duel, changing the course history. MorallyGrey!Dumbledore, Sirius, Restored Souls, HP/TR”

Draw Me After You (Let Us Run) - by ToAStranger @toast-ranger-to-a-stranger

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22327684/chapters/53334382

This story is a delight, it’s tone is very good and they do a great job of writing in the characters ‘voices’ for their pov’s. I especially like the posh way Voldemort talks and acts. This story is also hilarious on top of just being a very good slowburn, AND it has Sirius, which as you might have guessed, I love dearly. They also don’t bash any of the characters, and instead make them well rounded but flawed individuals, which I really appreciate.

“Harry Potter,” comes the soft, sibilant hiss of a voice he has heard in his dreams, in his nightmares, in his waking hours for years.

Slowly, carefully, Harry twists over and pushes up onto his hands and knees. He stays there, short breath fogging in front of his face, and his pursuer lets him. Harry has no doubt of that; he’s being allowed this respite. This small moment to catch his bearings, heart pounding in his ears, blood singing.

“It seems I have finally caught you.”

Consuming Shadows - by Child_OTKW @childotkw

https://archiveofourown.org/works/7040089/chapters/16011331

I’ve read two of childOTKW’s fics and both of them are fantastically written and attention grabbing stories. This one was the first one I read, and it has a very interesting take on lily Potter (one which I really enjoy) and the plot can leave you on the edge of your seat at times. The characterization is great, and the process of Harry and Tom getting to know each other is done very well.

“His attention skipped passed the students and moved to the politicians’ pavilion. His gaze locked with crimson, and he nearly faltered under the sheer hunger in those eyes.

It unnerved him how fixated the man was on his dirtied, exhausted figure.

But what troubled him more was the slight smirk he could make out on the man’s lips. It was almost pleased.

On the night of the attack, Lily managed to escape with her infant son, but at the cost of her husband’s life. Distraught and distrusting of her friends, she fled to France with Harry, to raise him away from the corruption in Britain and the rising influence of the Dark Lord. She trains him to the best of her abilities, shaping him into a dangerous, intelligent and powerful wizard.

But when Britain re-establishes the Triwizard Tournament, and Harry is forced to return to his once-home, he finds himself questioning whether he really wants to kill the Dark Lord. Voldemort finds an unexpected challenge in the child, and as his intrigue and amusement grows, so too does the desire to possess the spark in those defiant green eyes.”

A story that is kind of similar but not really: The Train to Nowhere

You Belong To Me (I Belong To You) - by child_OTKW

https://archiveofourown.org/works/11270490/chapters/25203408

This is a story inspired by the manwha ‘At The End Of The Road’ by Haribo. A comic I read before reading this, which is very good I recommend it. They do not take the exact plot from the comic though, obviously changing significant details for it to work properly as a Tomarry Fic, but one main thing stays the same, which is that this is a body swap. Honestly I really enjoy childOTKW’s works, and this is no exception. The characterization is wonderful as always, and Harry is Fantastic. Plus I’ve always been a fan of time travel fics. (Fair warning this is another slow burn and Harry centric)

“What I find absolutely fascinating,” Riddle said, stalking closer, “is you.” He marched forward, backing Harry up until he was pinned to the cool wall of the common room. “Do you know why?”

“No. And I’ll be honest here, Riddle, I don’t particularly care.”

The taller boy grinned at him, small yet infinitely pleased. “That. Right there.” One hand rose and brushed some of Harry’s fringe from his face. “Nathan Ciro was a spineless little boy too afraid of his own shadow to dare even glance in my direction. But you…”

He leaned closer, “You look at me like you want to stab me.”

“After an accident, Auror Harry Potter wakes up in the body of fourteen year old Nathan Ciro, a tormented Slytherin who recently tried to end his own life. Seeking answers to his strange predicament, Harry returns to Hogwarts, and causes quite the stir through staff and students - especially when they come to realise he is not the same boy as before.

He tries to avoid suspicion, but as his quest for the truth draws more and more attention to him, Harry begins to think that he might not like what he will discover.”

Some Bonus AU tomarry

A Thousand Paths Among The Stars - by Haplessshippo @haplesshippo

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12015060/chapters/27191238

This is a star trek au and it’s honestly my favorite tomarry au fic. Granted, I am a huge sci-fi fan. There’s also a bit of a twist at the end, or at least it surprised me, due to the way we usually expect tomarry plots to go.

“Harry Potter, newly appointed Captain of the Marauder and son of the famous Captain James Potter, was falling apart at the seams. His crew didn’t respect him, he was lost in the empty expanse of space, nightmares plagued his sleep, and his Commander deserved the Captain position more than he did. Good thing multiple attempts on his life and a vicious warlord after his head was all it took to turn it all around.

Alternatively, that space fic in which Harry Potter almost dies too many times, Tom Riddle slowly becomes the most smitten fool on the ship, and the rest of the crew are all just a bunch of assholes with popcorn watching the show. And exploding ships, don't forget the exploding ships.”

The Matchmaker - by TanninTele

https://archiveofourown.org/works/16507676/chapters/38664089

I am ALSO a huge true crime fan, and this story has a criminal that kinda reminds me of one that might appear in Hannibal (but with less murder). I enjoy the characterization, though tom is pretty tame in this compared to more cannon fics, considering he’s not the criminal and instead an investigator. Harry is also different from how people usually portray him, but I still like it.

“'The Matchmaker' is a serial abductor whose modus operandi consists of pairing two same-sex individuals together in a coffin, six feet underground - buried alive. He isn't a killer. He's a kidnapper with morals, and Detective Chief Inspector Tom Riddle finds himself obsessed with solving the case.

Unfortunately for Tom, the Matchmaker is just as intent on knowing him.”

And on to the Sevitus Stories

Far Beyond A Promise Kept - by oliversnape

https://archiveofourown.org/works/547431/chapters/974693

A classic, Harry stays with snape and unintentionally proves all his assumptions wrong and makes snape care about him. Both the stories have this aspect, but this one has snape a bit nicer from the get go. Probably because it takes place during the third book, so they’ve only known each other two years. It’s quite wholesome though, and I rather enjoy the progression of their relationship.

“Snape never wanted anyone to know of his promise to Dumbledore, but has realised that he can protect Potter much better by taking a less passive role in the boy's training. Actually liking Harry Potter has never been part of his plan. mentor/guardian.”

Crime And Punishment - by melolcatsi

https://archiveofourown.org/works/24102232/chapters/58018174

Snape and Harry have way more of a rocky start in this one, and Snape having to pick Harry up from the police station Really Doesn’t Help Snape’s opinion of him. This story very realistically shows the progression of their relationship, going from enemies to family, and near the ‘end’ (it’s not finished) it becomes very wholesome with Snape trying to help Harry with his mental and physical health after years of abuse/ neglect.

“Harry is accused of burglary. The Dursleys leave him to rot. Dumbledore sends Snape to remedy the situation. Harry finds himself in the care of an irate Snape. Not slash, gen-fic w/ focus on Sevitus relationship. Angst galore. Warnings: coarse and suggestive language, mentions of abuse/neglect. Un-betaed and un-Britpicked.”