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#source: shadow and bone tv show
one-and-lonely16 · 2 years
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lance: *goes to make a joke*
the team: shut up lance
lance: i miss keith
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aedemoth · 1 year
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Hey, does anybody else like the Shadow & Bone TV show more than the books? Because I like the TV show more than the books.
There’s a weird culture among readers who tend to always think the source material HAS to be better than the movie/tv show and HATE any changes, but I just think that’s silly.
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wisteriander · 1 year
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sorry but zoya and genya are lesbians i don't make the rules
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bigcryptiddies · 1 year
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I know I shouldn’t be surprised but every time a tv show or movie based on a book gets made the collective fanbase of whatever the fuck it is forgets what the word Adaption means
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neanderthyall · 2 months
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Idk TV show adaptations like the new percy jackson show or shadow and bone are in the same category as really good fanfiction to me, not because of quality reasons (ok quality matters but perfection isnt the point) but because theres something about them where it very much feels like the source materials essence so i can enjoy it for fan reasons, but at the same time, i don't feel any need to integrate it into my existing concept for the source material. Idk if this makes sense, but it's kind of like when you watch a good show or read good book, and you think "i want to watch/read more of this" but you dont want to REwatch/read it, but you want more. Its like, yes this is more of what i want without being the thing i want more of, yknow.
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skelavender · 13 days
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He doesn’t know how to do this. He’s been scared for her life before, he’s seen her pale and unmoving in a hospital bed with a machine breathing for her, but he’s never had to see her covered in a sheet on the cold, unfeeling metal of a morgue slab. OR Wetwired: marriage of convenience style.
read closed doors on ao3, or below the cut!
Mulder’s shaking. He struggles to hit the correct button to hang up the phone. 
Dead. Scully’s dead. 
“What happened?” Frohike asks from behind him.
“Maryland State Police.” He tries to keep the shake, the fear, out of his voice. “They think they've found Scully.”
“Is she okay?”
“No, um... they think maybe I should come down and I.D. the body.” He chokes on the last word, and closes the door behind him before his friends can react. 
Mulder doesn’t remember the drive to the county morgue. When he parks, he’s still trying to hold back his tears, his grief. This isn’t right. 
What is he supposed to do? She can’t leave him a widower, once again partnerless within the FBI, chasing her ghost through the X Files. It’s not right.
He’s hazy through a confrontation with his source, letting the anger at the injustice fuel him. He yells, and it doesn’t matter. He doesn’t care. If Scully’s gone, then what’s the damn point. They’ve already gotten away with it. 
He kicks the door of the man’s car, and goes inside to identify his wife’s body.
He doesn’t know how to do this. He’s been scared for her life before, he’s seen her pale and unmoving in a hospital bed with a machine breathing for her, but he’s never had to see her covered in a sheet on the cold, unfeeling metal slab of a morgue tray.
But it’s not her. It’s not Scully. There are no words for the relief he feels at seeing another woman through the slats of the blinds. He almost collapses right there, the tension of mourning fleeing his body. Scully is still Schrodinger’s cat, both alive and dead as long as she remains unseen. Though the dead woman is still somebody’s loved one, she is not his wife. 
“It’s not her. Somebody has to call her mother.”
“We already tried.” The coroner says, “We weren't able to reach her.”
“She's not answering her phone?” 
Just like that, Mulder knows where Scully is. 
***
Mulder knows that he has a pretty good relationship with the woman who is technically his mother-in-law. It helps that Maggie is one of the most kindhearted and likable women he’s met, and that she doesn’t know he’s married to her daughter. 
As a result, Maggie has never, ever, told Mulder to go away. Not on the days when Scully was missing that she couldn't stop crying, not when Mulder showed up shaking and swaying on her doorstep. Never. She had always offered that motherly, soft smile and opened the door with a “Come on in, Fox,” and scolded him when he tried to address her formally. 
This time, when he casts his shadow across her doorstep, frantically knocking and peeking in the windows, she tries to close it in his face. She makes no comment on her name. 
He pushes past her with a half-hearted apology. He needs to see Scully, to wipe away the mental image of another redheaded woman on a metal slab, laid out and labeled potentially with his wife’s name. 
Mulder sees Scully’s gun before he sees her. Her weapon leads her from around the corner, and it is immediately trained on Mulder’s figure. Instead of tensing up at the threat, Mulder relaxes. She’s alive, she’s upright, she’s breathing.
He knows she won’t hesitate to shoot, hell, she’s already shot him once, but he’s not scared. Not for himself, at least. For Scully, out of her mind from too much TV, yes. For Maggie, who Mulder is trying his best to keep behind him in case Scully does fire her weapon, yes. But he’s not scared for himself. Even if Scully shot him now, straight to the heart and he bled out in seconds, the pain wouldn’t compare to the half an hour this evening when he thought she was dead. Nothing can hold a candle to the horror that had sunk into his bones. 
“You’re in on it. You’re one of them.You’re one of the people who abducted me. You put that thing in my neck! You killed my sister!”
The accusation stings. There’s always been a part of Mulder, buried deep in a chasm of guilt over Samantha and everything else, that has felt responsible for Melissa’s death. If he had never dragged Scully into the conspiracy shrouded corners of the world, her sister might still be alive. So maybe Scully’s right, in a twisted way; maybe he did kill her sister. 
“That’s not true, Dana.” Maggie steps out in front of Mulder’s human shield. 
“It is! He’s been manipulating me since day one. He even m–” she removes a hand from her gun and presses it to her mouth to keep in a sob. Mulder can fill in the rest of the sentence. He even married me to manipulate me. His heart breaks.
“I want you to listen to me.”
“Mom, just get out of the way!” Scully sobs. Her gun shakes in her single hand. 
“You trust me, don’t you? You know that I would never hurt you? That I would never let anybody hurt you. That’s why you came here, isn't it? You’re safe here. Put the gun down, Dana.” Maggie steps closer as Scully’s gun retreats to the ceiling, her arms folding to her chest. “Put it down.”
Finally, Scully lets herself crumble in her mother’s arms, dropping like a puppet with her strings cut and sobbing, sobbing, sobbing like he’s never seen her do before. She doesn’t let go of the gun. 
Mulder steps closer on light feet, approaching to release the weapon from Scully’s chokehold. Unfortunately, he hits a creak in the floorboards. 
“No!” She screams and lifts the gun to him again.
“Scully, please.” Mulder begs, his voice cracking. “Please let me help you.”
“It’s okay, Dana. Fox loves you, he’s not here to hurt you. It’s okay.”
Mulder stays across the room. “Do you two want to get into your car to go to the hospital, and I can follow?” he asks Maggie. She nods. “Okay. Scully, would you hand the gun to your mom, please?”
Maggie puts enough space between their bodies for her to receive it, then holds it out to Mulder, who finally approaches to retrieve the weapon. He clicks the safety back on, removes the magazine, and places them in separate places around the living room. He does the same with his own, and helps Maggie lift a still-limp Scully upright. 
“I’ll go grab my keys, Dana, you’re safe with Fox, okay?”
Scully, leaning most of her body weight on Mulder and completely out of it, makes a vague sound of agreement. While Maggie is out of the room, Scully shifts to lean her head on Mulder’s chest. He rests his right hand on the back of her neck, running a finger along the two chains that lay there: her cross necklace from her mother, and her wedding ring necklace from him.
The wedding ring that Maggie doesn’t know exists. Shit.
“Scully, I’m going to take your necklace, okay?” He whispers, “So your mom doesn’t see.”
Scully lets out a little whine from the back of her throat and nods slightly. Mulder’s fingers fumble at the clasp, and he manages to slide it into his pocket half a second before Maggie reenters the room. 
***
Mulder puts his hands up as he enters Scully’s hospital room tentatively, trying and failing to make a joke of the situation. Maggie, thankfully understanding their need to talk in private, exists as Mulder enters. 
“How are you feeling?” He asks, taking a seat beside Scully’s hospital bed. He scoots the chair closer in before grabbing her hand in his, and lifting the other to brush her hair from her face. 
“Ashamed,” she confesses. “I was so sure, Mulder. I saw things, and I heard things… it was just like the world was turned upside down. Everybody was out to get me.”
“Now you know how I feel most of the time.” Mulder tries to lighten the mood, to make her feel less… guilty, if Mulder is reading her right. It doesn’t seem to work.
“I thought you were going to kill me.” It comes out as a whisper, as another confession. 
“I'm not surprised.” He leans toward her, and explains the common link between the victims and their hallucinations, turning their worst-case-scenario anxieties into a reality in their eyes. 
“Like me thinking that you'd betray me.” Scully offers in understanding, “I was so far gone, Mulder, I thought that you had gone to the other side.”
She tells him what she had seen, him conferring with the Smoking Man in the parking lot, selling their secrets. She doesn’t tell him about seeing a smudge of lipstick on his collar, or the scent of an unfamiliar perfume in their motel room. For the sake of her own sanity, those shall remain unmentioned and she will just accept that they, too, were hallucinations induced by the recorded television programs. 
Mulder considers the Smoking Man for a moment, formulating a theory as to who was behind the induced mania. 
“Why don't you try to get some rest?” He says, and rises to leave the room. Before he crosses the threshold, he remembers half his reason for coming by. “Oh!” He turns towards her, and fumbles with the pockets of his coat “I almost forgot.” He pulls out a familiar chair, with an even more familiar ring dangling at the bottom. 
Scully smiles softly and holds her hand out for Mulder to drop her wedding ring into. “Thank you, Mulder.”
“I… let your mom take the lead, with the hospital. She still doesn’t know.” He says quietly.
Scully nods and slips the chain over her head. She motions for him to come closer, and he leans down to her. She presses a soft, grateful kiss to his cheekbone. 
“I’ll just uh, go take care of the Cancer Man and stuff.” He bends down to place a final kiss to her forehead, and steps out the door.
He’ll deal with the rest of it. He’ll clear the path of obstacles, of things they need to investigate, so she can focus on getting better. 
***
When Scully is discharged to Mulder’s care and he takes her home, she beelines for the loveseat that backs the kitchen. What Mulder considers her solitude chair. She sits sideways, crossing her ankles and pulling her knees to her chest, and sets her book on the arm of the chair.
Knowing she’s unlikely to relocate to the couch, he stretches out across the length of it so his feet are closest to her and grabs the book he left facedown on the coffee table last week, which Scully had placed a bookmark in and closed to save the spine. They sit quietly, absorbed in their respective books, each enjoying the quiet, steady company of the other.
“I’m going to go to bed.” Scully says, breaking the silence and rising from her seat.
Mulder smiles up at her, “Goodnight, Scully.”
She gives him a watery smile and disappears down the hallway. 
When Mulder gives up on his book an hour later, he retreats down the hallway after her. When he reaches Scully’s bedroom door, accustomed to sliding into bed with her as has for the past few weeks, he pauses with his hand on the knob. 
It’s closed. It’s never closed. 
This is… new. Scully closes the door when they retreat to bed together, and had done so in her own apartment as well when he had stayed there. It hadn’t surprised him in the slightest, Scully’s a practical person, and a closed door is safer in the event of a fire. Usually, on the nights he joins her late, he closes it behind him. So far, she’s always left it open those nights. 
But it’s closed now. The invitation he’s been eating up so greedily is closed, at least for now. Mulder turns to the other side of the hallway, swinging open the door to his own bedroom. The hinges creak. 
Without even stepping in, Mulder knows he can’t sleep there. The room is cold, stale, hollow in a way an extra blanket and Scully’s fancy scented candles can’t fix. It’s not Scully’s room, with her soft pink walls and soft mattress and, well, Scully. His own bedroom serves a walk-in closet with a mattress.
There’s no love here. 
He clicks the door closed and retreats to his leather couch, pressed against the staircase in the basement room that they use as a home office. At least on the couch, there is no empty side where someone else should lay. 
***
When Mulder wakes a few hours later to shift positions, he feels the pressure of something resting against his knee. He opens his eyes to see Scully leaning against the couch, legs folded under her, dozing with her head rested on his knee. It’s not dissimilar from when she had snuck into his old apartment months ago, an instance they had never outright addressed. 
He tries to shift his cramping leg slowly, gently, as not to wake his partner. She rouses anyway, turning around to blink up at him sleepily. 
“You alright, Scully?” he asks, voice rough. 
She nods. “I’m sorry I locked you out.”
“‘S alright.” He stretches to relieve the ache in his leg, and once it’s gone, lays flat and reaches his arms out to her in invitation. She rises, only to lay back down on top of him, legs intertwined and arms wrapped securely. Her head rests on his chest, and he presses a kiss to the top of it.
“I do trust you.” Scully’s voice is quiet beyond a whisper, and Mulder’s not entirely sure he actually heard her say it.
“I know.”
“I’m just…” She sighs. “Unsteady. Like I’m not sure what’s real.”
“This is real, Scully.” He says into her hair. “We’re home, we’re safe.”
“But are we?” She lifts her head to look at him properly. “Mulder, we’ve been manipulated and abducted, there have been attempts on both of our lives. I’m not certain we’ll ever be safe, much less feel it.”
“You’re right that it’s possible that this will go on forever.” He replies. “But it’s also possible that that’s not the case. It’s possible the Smoking Man will be dead on our doorstep tomorrow morning, and we won’t have to worry about him anymore. It’s possible that we’ll get a tip about Samantha’s tomorrow. If we worry about every horrible possibility, we also have to let ourselves dream about the wonderful ones.”
If only you knew, Scully thinks. She does daydream about peaceful and happy futures, and every single one of them involves him. 
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Fandom: Shadow & Bone (TV) word count: 5,415 Whumpee: Kaz Brekker Whump tropes: explosion, human shield, self sacrifice, burns, touch aversion, unconscious, caretaking
This is my longest fic to date and frankly there could be more. This is unbeta'd cause I was too excited to get it posted to wait for anyone else to read it 😅
Gifting this to @bocularteletheric because of our shared love of Kaz whump, please enjoy ❤
Read on Ao3 or continue below~
~~~
"Are you really sure this is the best use of our time, boss? I was rather hoping to be keeping warm with a drink and a rousing conversation over a hand of cards this evening," Jesper griped for the third time.
Kaz sighed as he used the head of his cane to lift the top of a crate, glowering into it as he surveyed its contents- or lack thereof for that matter. It was the eighth crate he had opened on this particular venture and nothing of interest to show for it. The first five were partially full with various items, none of which were of any use to them. The rest of them were empty, nothing but dirt and grime from the sloppy mud road that led to the compound that the barn sat upon, nestled deep in the forest outside of the city.  
“The source I have is reliable, they said it should be here,” Kaz snapped out, letting the lid drop with a hollow thud. Dust puffed around him, tiny particles glinting in the moonlight coming in through the gaps in the wide slats of the barn wall, shooting beams across the otherwise unlit building. The moon was full and bright tonight, the use of a lantern unnecessary for getting around except for deep in the shadows. 
“And what, pray tell, did they mean by ‘it’? What are we even looking for?” Jesper turned, throwing his hands in the air.
Kaz turned and shot him a piercing glare, his brow downturned in annoyance. “You’ll know it when you see it, okay? Trust me on this.”
Jesper dropped his hands, his shoulders slouching forward as he threw his head back. “Where did Inej go anyways?”
“Checking the house and smaller out buildings. Shouldn’t be long before she joins us.”
“We’re going to be here all night, aren’t we?” 
“We’re here as long as it takes.” 
“Fine. But the next three rounds at the club are on your coin.” Jesper snapped his gloved fingers and pointed at Kaz, cocking his head and raising an eyebrow, his expression clear that this wasn’t a negotiable option.
“So be it. Check the crates in the loft would you?”
“Always gotta send someone else to the precarious heights and dangerous situations, don’t you?”
Kaz turned to him, giving a pointed look to the ladder as he tapped the corvid head of the cane against his chest.
“Yeah yeah, whatever.” Jesper took a step back as he started to turn towards the ladder.
The world seemed to focus into a pinprick for Kaz as Jesper turned, a glint of silver flashing near his ankles caught his eye as Jesper moved through the moonlight. 
“Jesper, wait!” Kaz yelled, lunging forward to grab the collar of Jespers coat, snatching him backwards before he could finish his step. He heard a faint ping as the tripwire popped apart, the scraping of metal, or was that flint on steel? He wasn’t sure, but he definitely knew the sound that followed, the crackle of burning gunpowder sputtering across the floor. He didn’t spare time to see how much time they had or where the line of powder led, instead he used the momentum of his yank on Jespers coat, propelling the gunslinger around and then shoving him forward in the other direction, away from the general direction of the gunpowder and towards the door. 
Jesper stumbled, barely able to put his feet in the right order to catch himself with the way Kaz was throwing him around. He finally caught himself and took off running, feeling like he was dragging Kaz with him as the thief kept a tight grip on his jacket collar. 
Kaz knew they weren’t going to make it. He could hear the violent reaction of the gunpowder snapping across the floor become muffled as it reached its destination. They weren’t going to make it. But he could do his best to make sure someone got out of here. 
He lunged forward, tackling Jesper around his torso,  forcing him to fall forwards so he crumpled under Kaz's weight. One hand around Jespers waist and the other over his head so he couldn’t raise it, Kaz spread himself over the gunslinger just as the world exploded behind them. 
Searing pain ripped through the back of his shoulders, the force of the explosion threw him even further and his head slammed into a support pillar of the barn. 
Everything went black and he knew no more. 
~~~
Everything hurt. 
Jesper groaned as he regained awareness. He didn’t think he had been out for long, maybe a few seconds, but the impact had been harsh. His whole body ached, squeezed into a tight ball as he was. His knees were pressed to his chest, one arm trapped underneath him where he was flopped onto his side. He could feel a weight against nearly every angle of his body, wrapped around him like a warm and heavy blanket. 
A warm breath ghosted against his neck and he tried to open his eyes, wincing as he attempted to uncurl his legs. The muscles protested but he managed to push himself to his knees. He hadn’t even realized the weight on the back of his head was a hand until it flopped to the floor, limp and wrapped in black leather.
“Kaz?” Jesper coughed as smoke made its way into his lungs, cast off from the flames licking at the rubble of the barn around them. The support beam in front of them still stood and a section of the mezzanine from above had nearly fallen on them, half of it held up by the beam so they were tucked under a dangerous lean-to. He tried to clear his throat but only managed to inhale more smoke, his eyes starting to burn as well. “Kaz, are you okay?”
He received no response to his query. He twisted around, searching for where he had felt Kaz slip off of him when he moved. He found Kaz was slumped on his side, his face lax and pale in the flickering light of the fire around them save for a shadow down the left side of his face, a shiny and dark crimson smear that started at his hairline and followed the angles of his face. Blood.
“Kaz, wake up. We gotta get out of here,” Jesper coughed again. He placed a hand under Kaz’s head, lifting his face towards him. “Kaz!” He yelled as loud as smoke infested lungs would allow, shaking him gently with no reaction.
“Alright then,” he huffed, shuffling around in the tight space so he could get behind Kaz, “You’re probably going to hate this, but let it be known that I tried to wake you up and I don’t exactly have another option, asides from leaving you here and that is not happening-”
The words died in his throat and fear bubbled up as he caught sight of Kaz’s back. His jacket was smouldering in places, flames dancing across the fine material in others. Jesper frantically tore his own jacket off and threw it over the flames, hastily slapping it down to smother the fire. He held it there for a few seconds, gasping for breath until he felt sure it would be extinguished. He cautiously removed his coat. His throat tightened and he had to clap a hand over his mouth as the contents of his stomach threatened to reappear. “Oh saints, Kaz…”
Most of the back of Kaz’s coat was gone, as were chunks of his vest and shirt, the fact he wore so many layers might have actually saved him for the most part but not enough. Wherever the clothing had burnt away were angry burns pocked with wounds that weeped blood around pieces of shrapnel buried in his flesh.
Jesper clenched his eyes shut and tried to control his breathing, he could feel his hands starting to shake and that wouldn’t help either of them right now. Lifting Kaz in any way that touched his back was out of the question so he shuffled around to his front again, grabbing his wrist instead and hauling him into a seated position, ducking his head under Kaz’s arm against his side and shouldering him in the stomach to drape the limp body across both shoulders, holding on tight to his arm and leg to keep him from falling off. 
“Thank saints you’re even lighter than you look,” he huffed as he got his feet under him, snatching Kaz’s cane from the floor before carefully standing up. 
It took time to get out, awkward as it was carrying a body over his shoulders while picking his way through rubble and fire. He was trying to inhale as little as possible, trying to keep the smoke out of his lungs, which just made them burn even worse. 
He barely made it out of the front door when the mezzanine collapsed, a burst of sparks showering around them as Jesper stumbled. He caught himself on one knee, unwilling to let go of Kaz as he tottered dangerously. Just when he thought he would lose the battle with gravity and they would both tumble to the dirt, a hand caught him around the chest, keeping  him upright. 
“Jesper!” Inej was right in front of him, he had to squint to see her. His eyes burned but he couldn’t let go of Kaz to wipe them. 
“His back,” Jesper managed to cough out, “be careful with his back.”
“Okay, put him down, I got him.” 
He felt the weight on his shoulder shift and held on tighter, panicking for a second before realizing Inej had snaked her arm under Kaz’s chest to help get him on the ground again. Once his burden was gone Jesper fell forward, catching himself on his elbows as he coughed hard enough to gag into the dirt. Every breath he managed to drag in felt like gravel in his throat, rattling through his spasming chest.
When the coughing started to abate and he managed more wheezing breaths between fits, he felt gentle hands on his back and he rested his forehead against his arm. He managed to gasp out “Kaz…”
“He is alive but in bad shape, we need to get him to a healer.”
He nodded before pushing himself back to his knees, turning so he was next to Kaz again. Inej had managed to get him on his side so his back wasn’t touching anything. Jesper avoided looking at the mess that was his back, instead focusing on his face. He was dirty with soot and blood, and a shock of hair had fallen forward onto his face, obscuring the wound and brushing against his cheek. Jesper pushed it back and rubbed his thumb over Kaz’s forehead, frowning at the lack of reaction the contact received. It was so unnatural to see his brow smooth and relaxed, unburdened by troubles.
Inej’s hand touched his elbow and he suddenly turned to her, grasping her shoulder as he inspected her. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, I was in the other building.” She cleared her throat and turned her eyes down to Kaz, but Jesper could see her eyes were red. She had already thought them dead, which a look at the flaming pile of barn behind them would have been a reasonable conclusion to come to.
“We’re going to be okay,” he said. “He’s going to be okay.” He squeezed her shoulder once before letting go and pushing himself to his feet. “I’ll find the cart.”
It took him precious minutes to find the horses and the cart tied to them, spooked as they were by the violence of the explosion. He calmed them, shushing them quietly with gentle strokes. They trembled under his hands, he didn’t blame them at all because he could feel his own hands starting to shake again too. “Calm, calm. Shhhh.” He whispered, though whether he was talking just to the horses or himself too was up for debate.  
By the time he managed to lead the horses back towards where he left Inej and Kaz, Inej was back on her feet, looking like she was about to come searching for him.
“They were spooked.” He said in explanation and she nodded in response, already getting into position to assist. Between the two of them, they got Kaz into the back of the simple wooden cart that they had driven out and within minutes they were back on the road, Jesper at the reins and Inej sitting cross legged next to Kaz on the floor.
~~~
Nearly an hour later they pulled in front of the inn that they had hired a room at for the night.
“Do you know anyone in this city, Inej?” Jesper asked her quietly. 
“Not personally,” she shook her head, “but I do know there is a healer here somewhere, I will inquire.” She spared a look at Kaz before hopping out of the cart and hurrying into the inn. 
Jesper stood from the driver's seat and stepped over it, into the back of the cart to crouch behind Kaz. Inej had positioned him so he was on his side, the best they could do for his injuries with no supplies along with them. He hadn’t made a sound the entire ride back to town and that worried Jesper. He reached over him, placing a hand in front of Kaz’s face, biting down on his bottom lip and holding his own breath until he felt the faint movement of air on his hand as Kaz exhaled. 
“Once again, you’re going to hate this, and I’ll apologize about it later, but if you’re not going to get up, I’m going to have to get you upstairs somehow.”
Jesper went to his front, getting his arms under Kaz’s armpits and pulling him to a seated position before gently and awkwardly shifting him towards the back of the cart. He jumped down and slipped an arm around Kaz’s waist where the least amount of damage was. Most of the burns were across the back of his shoulders, starting just where his neck and shoulders met and growing less severe towards the bottom of his shoulder blades, spanning the entire width of his torso and down the back of his arms. 
The change in position caused Kaz’s head to flop against Jesper’s shoulder and he heard a faint groan. “Kaz?!” Jesper whispered, bringing the hand that wasn’t around his waist up to touch his face, tilting the thief’s head back so he could see. “Kaz, can you hear me?”
Kaz’s eyes fluttered open and Jesper could see how hard it must have been for him, fighting his way back to consciousness. His eyes were cloudy and he looked confused, scared even, but too weak to do anything. He didn’t seem to recognize Jesper at all.
"Pl-please," he pleaded with Jesper. His voice sounded so small and terrified. "Please, just let me go."
“It’s okay, you’re alright, I’m trying to help,” Jesper kept his voice low, trying to sound comforting. Every other comfort instinct of his had to be thrown out the window when dealing with Kaz, his hands ached to gently touch his face, to push his hair back and just touch him in a way that would bring comfort to Jesper. 
But even the arm around his waist, his head lolling against Jespers shoulder, even just being a physical support was a forbidden line that he had already crossed, it hurt him so much to see Kaz in pain and to be contributing even further to that discomfort even if his intentions were to help. 
Kaz twisted against his shoulder, trying to squirm away from Jesper. One hand came up to push against his chest and just that movement brought out a strangled cry, his eyes turned white as they rolled back in his head and he went limp in Jespers arms.
“I’m sorry,” Jesper whispered, pushing back the lock of hair that had fallen over his face.
~~~
Inej took a deep, steadying breath as she entered the pub that made up the main floor of their accommodations. Tables and chairs were scattered around, most of which were empty at this time of night, and a large counter to the right where a big man with a bushy red beard poured drinks for the handful of patrons still sitting at the bar. He nodded at Inej as she entered, recognizing her from earlier. When she approached the bar rather than turning up the narrow staircase to the rooms on the upper floor he raised an eyebrow and moved to the end of the bar to meet her.
“You seem troubled,” he said in greeting. 
She lowered her voice, not wanting to bring attention. “We are in need of a healer. Does Eleanora still reside nearby?”
He gave a curt nod, rubbing his hands with a towel. “She does, not far. I will send my son to retrieve her and bring her to your room. There is an entrance to the rooms from the back if you’d rather privacy from prying eyes.”
She dipped her head in thanks before slipping out the door again, where she found Jesper had Kaz sitting more or less upright on the back of the cart, ready to drape the thief over his shoulders again. She whirled around as the door slammed behind her, a young boy with red hair stumbling over his own feet as he looked at them, his wide eyes catching on the unconscious man that Jesper supported. He gave Inej the same curt nod that the innkeeper had and took off down the street. 
“Around back, let’s get him upstairs.”
The back stairs were even narrower than the ones from the front which made progress slow and awkward. Jesper supported most of Kaz's lanky form while Inej climbed the stairs behind them. Jesper doubted she could catch both of them if he slipped and they fell backwards onto her, but he trusted she would catch Kaz so he wasn't injured any further at least. 
By the time they made it to the room, Inej heard a commotion at the bottom of the steps and the red headed boy came bounding up the stairs. "Mz. Eleanora is coming, she wasn't far behind me."
Inej nodded in thanks and shut the door as he tried to crane his neck to see around her. A boy his age didn't need to see the bloody wounds that marred Kaz's flesh.
Jesper was standing in the middle of the room with Kaz more or less standing with him, holding him up with arms under Kaz's armpits and letting him slump against Jespers chest.
"She's going to want to see the wounds, we need to get his clothes off. Use one of your knives, cut it off. His jacket's a loss anyways."
Jesper could only stand and hold Kaz upright while watching as Inej carefully slipped her blade under the fabric, slicing through the back of the collar and moving towards the sleeves. Every cut was an attempt to keep fabric from touching skin in the removal process.
He felt it moments before Kaz started to come around again, every muscle in his body going tense as a groan hissed out from between clenched teeth. His forehead was resting against Jespers collarbone but when the gunslinger looked down he could see ropey muscles flexing around the sharp angle of his jaw. 
"Inej stop," he warned moments before Kaz suddenly threw himself backwards, a mad scramble to get out of Jespers arms, to get away from the hands touching his body. 
"Kaz, it's me! It's Jesper, it's ok, I've got you," Jesper rambled, trying to keep his voice as calm and comforting as possible, which was difficult as the other man struggled against him. "Inej is here too, we're trying to help."
Inej smartly didn't try touching him, standing back and tucking her blade away again. She had cut away enough fabric already that they would be able to remove his top without issue, but she didn’t dare try to take any of his clothing while he was already panicking.
"Kaz, you need to calm down, you're hurt," Jesper said.
"Let go of me," Kaz whimpered. His hands curled towards his own throat to keep from touching Jesper and he pushed outwards with his elbows, trying to leverage Jespers hands off of him.
Inej threw the scratchy quilt off of one of the beds, revealing the relatively soft bed sheets underneath and frantically waved at Jesper to set the injured man down. The beds were not much more than a metal frame with a latticework of straps that supported a thin mattress, not the most comfortable of beds but fine for a night or two when needed.
It took effort, their boss was gangly but stronger than he looked and he fought hard, especially when injured and afraid. His eyes remained closed as he writhed in Jesper’s arms, frantically trying to push away from him even as his legs refused to bear his own weight, the only barely conscious thought being the need to get the hands off.
“Kaz, please!” Jesper cried out, flinching as gloved hands scrabbled against his face, blindly searching for something to grasp, whether that would be his eyes, hair, or throat, whichever they found first.
He tried to keep moving Kaz towards the cot while being weakly assaulted, determined to not drop Kaz right there in the middle of the floor. 
In the struggle he didn’t hear the door open behind him until he felt a slight thrum in the air and someone quietly commanded “sleep” right beside him, a hand reaching around his shoulder, one slender finger gently tapped Kaz in the middle of his forehead. Jespers stomach turned as for the second time that night he watched Kaz’s eyes roll back in his head and he fell bonelessly limp into Jespers arms, almost slipping completely out of them before Jesper tightened his grip.
Inej was there in a flash to help support the injured man, one of her blades glinting in the light as she resumed the task of removing the burnt and bloodied clothing. A couple quick and efficient slices and they were able to pull the material away from his back and arms, the ruined clothing being left in a pile on the floor to be dealt with later. 
“Get him on the bed.”
With a grunt Jesper managed to shuffle the last couple steps towards the bed and gingerly lowered Kaz onto the sheets, Inej slipping in beside him to support Kaz's head as it flopped off of Jespers shoulder. Together they positioned him on his front, Inej moving the pillow away so he wasn't stifled by it and wedging it under one of his arms. 
They barely had him situated before the healer, Eleanora, was there, her skirts puffing out as she sank to her knees at the side of the bed and summoning her powers with a twist of her hands. She lightly traced around the edges of the angry and blistering skin. 
“There is a lot of damage,” Eleanora said quietly. “I will need one of you to help remove this shrapnel before I can work on everything.”
Inej glanced at Jesper, already knowing he likely wouldn’t be able to stomach it. He stood frozen next to the foot of the bed, one hand on his hip and the other clamped aggressively over his mouth. There was a sickly pallor to his skin and his thumb and forefinger were pressed hard into the spaces below his cheekbones. It was like he couldn’t tear his eyes off of Kaz.
She touched his elbow, startling him out of his trance and he gasped, his hand breaking away from his face to latch onto her shoulder. She kept her hand on his arm, squeezing it gently. 
“Sit down. Before you fall down.” She said, guiding him to the bed next to Kaz’s. The cots were close enough to each other that if the two men sat across from each other their knees would be touching.
He flopped onto it, bracing his elbows against his knees and resolutely determined not to look anywhere but at Kaz’s face as the other two worked on his back. 
Inej perched herself on the edge of the bed, trying to leave a space between Kaz’s hip and her own. She already felt guilty for all the times they have had to touch Kaz without him being able to consent, and she knew he wouldn’t have even if he was consciously able to do so. 
She tried to keep from thinking about that as she started plucking out the pieces of shrapnel, mostly slivers of wood from the crates, barrels, and barn that had surrounded them when the blast occurred. There were a lot more than she had been expecting, a variety of sizes. She dropped them on the floor by her feet as she worked, another thing to clean up later. 
There were two bigger pieces near his right shoulder blade that each began to splinter as she tried to pull on them, threatening to leave part of themselves behind in his flesh if she wasn't careful. She winced before pulling out one of her blades yet again, using the sharp tip to make the hole in his skin just a bit bigger in order to get every sliver of the wood out. 
She glanced up at Eleanora, who nodded in approval with her lips pressed tight together before she focused her attention on those newly bleeding wounds. 
“He’s hurting.”
Inej looked at Jesper in surprise when he spoke, so quietly she didn’t catch what he said. “What?”
“He’s in pain, look at him.” Jesper gestured towards Kaz’s face.
He was right. Kaz’s face was twisted into a deep grimace, his jaw tight and sweat starting to bead on his brow. The hand upon the pillow that was wedged under his arm was clenched tightly, grasping the edge of the pillow in a death grip.
“The wounds are significant,” Eleanora said, not taking her eyes or hands away from the task at hand. The smaller injuries that had marred the backs of his arms were already back to a healthy pink. “Some of these burns are severe enough he may not  even feel them, but as I heal them the sensation may return. It’ll feel worse before it feels better.”
Inej felt her breath catch in her throat at the same time Jesper choked on a sob. She grasped his knee and immediately his hand was on top of hers, desperately holding onto her. 
“He would hate this. He hates being touched, it’s like a visceral reaction whenever someone so much as accidentally bumps against him.” Jesper started to ramble, unable to keep his mouth shut in his own distress. “Even as friends he doesn’t let us touch him.”
Eleanora looked between them, noticing now how neither of them had laid hands on him since getting him onto the bed. Even removing the shrapnel Inej had been so careful to avoid touching him, only using the tip of her blade when necessary. Eleanora pulled her hands back slightly, leaving an air gap between her fingers and his skin. 
“I didn’t know, thank you for telling me. It’s not necessary for me to make contact when healing but some people find it comforting.”
Inej nodded and smiled at Eleanora, understanding where she was coming from but grateful for her accommodating his needs. With the shrapnel removed, she tucked her blade away and slipped off the cot and onto the other next to Jesper, carefully looking him over to see if there were any injuries he hadn’t fessed up to yet. He seemed visibly shaken but otherwise fine. He had a couple coughing fits on the way back into town but she hadn't heard anything more in a while. His eyes were locked on Kaz’s face still, watching him like a hawk for any sign of awareness. 
His breath caught for a moment as Kaz’s eyelids fluttered. “Kaz?”
Kaz whimpered in response, slow and painstakingly opening his eyes just a tiny amount. He blinked at them, his eyes hazy and clouded with pain. Inej reached out and placed her hand on the mattress right near his hand, just in front of his face where he looked slightly confused at it before focusing on his companions' faces again. 
“Oh saints, his head,” Jesper whispered, reaching out and hovering his hand over the area where blood had been seeping out along his hairline. Crimson still encrusted the side of his head where it had dried what felt like hours ago, now pressed into the sheets with how his head was positioned. 
Eleanora shifted her attention there for a minute, making motions as if she was pushing her magic into Kaz’s skull. As the wound sealed up, Jesper and Inej could see when he fully came aware, his eyes clearing slightly. He was still tense with pain, but the confusion when he looked at them was gone at least, replaced with recognition as he looked up at his Crows watching over him. 
~~~
He hadn’t expected to wake up again. But when Kaz came back to awareness, he wasn’t sure that he even wanted to. 
Every nerve in his back screamed as though the fire still burned upon it, the pain causing muscles to tense and spasm against his will and amplifying it, resulting in a never ending spiral of call and response of torment. 
Something slipped into his head, an odd sensation of a chill inside his skull and it was like he had awoken with his eyes already open, as though he had already been awake but not aware of being awake for a moment or two. 
As his eyes came into focus he could see white sheets that were pressed against his cheek. Right in front of his face he found Inej’s hand and he focused his gaze to travel up her arm, to her face set in a mask of barely concealed concern. Next to her sat Jesper, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, not even trying to disguise his concern. Jespers lips twitched into a sad smile that didn’t reach his watery eyes.
Kaz’s hands ached, clenched tightly as they were but he recognized the familiar feeling of the soft leather that hugged them, grateful that they hadn’t been removed. He could tell the layers of clothing he wore like an armour around his torso were gone though.
That chilled sensation that brought back his awareness now traced over his back, momentarily cutting a trail of relief through the searing pain. The pain was so great that the relief was often short lived, but it never stopped moving, skimming along the edges of areas that just felt like… nothing. 
He took a deep breath, which caught in his throat for a moment as the movement of his rib cage pulled on muscles that protested vehemently and he had to close his eyes against the pain. When he opened them again, Inej had shifted off of the other bed and knelt on the floor to be closer to him. Her hand never moved from the edge of the bed, not moving any closer, which he knew she wouldn’t. 
Slowly, he relaxed his hand, letting go of what he realized was a pillow that he had been holding so tightly to and reached for the edge of the mattress, curling his fingers around it mere centimeters away from Inej’s hand. Close, but not touching. 
He felt at peace in that moment. Knowing two of his most cherished Crows were with him, watching over him. Trust didn’t come easy for him, but if there were any two people he could rely on, it would be Inej and Jesper.
The pain flared up again and his whole body tensed, once again amplifying everything. His hand clenched and he wound up with a fistful of bed sheets, his eyes screwing shut with a strangled whimper. 
He vaguely heard Jesper begging someone to do something, he’s in pain, though Kaz couldn’t say who he had spoken to. 
He didn’t have an opportunity to find out as the cold sensation returned to his head, and with a brief burst of relief he succumbed to the black again.
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n1ghtm4r3-p01s0n · 4 months
Text
The Ultimate Emo/Scene Name List - WARNING: Long post, and make sure you read the trigger warnings!
Having trouble coming up with a name for yourself? Do you planning on using a part of your real name but can’t find a word to go with it? Well, worry no more!
Today, I’m here to provide as comprehensive a list as possible! I’ve scoured the internet, and some sources have some problematic suggestions. So, my goal is to break down possible names into easy to understand categories. Obviously, this will be a VERY long list, so keep that in mind. There is also a section purely made up of words used in the past that are to be used/reclaimed at one's own risk/discretion due to the words being used to oppress or belittle various minority groups. I will also be sharing my sources at the bottom for stuff I used from online, alongside any trigger warnings that may be needed. Without further ado, let’s go! Also feel free to reblog with suggestions to add!
TRIGGER WARNING: Some of the suggestions include elements of horror, violence, weaponry, gore etc.
Animals
Rex (as in T-Rex)
Stegosaurus
Wolf/Wolfe
Kitty
Bunny
Lynx
Hawk
Eagle
Moth
Spider
Raven (also applicable to pop culture - see Raven from Teen Titans and Raven Queen from Ever After High)
Claw/Clawed
Fang
Animal
Beast/Beastly
Carnivore/Carnivorous
Jurassic (as in the Jurassic Period, also applicable to pop culture (see Jurassic Park))
Snake
Chameleon
Jungle
Hyena
Cheetah
Fossil
Sabertooth
Skink
Deer
Vole
Weasel
Ferret
Moose
Ermine
Shrew
Mouse
Rat
Corvid
Magpie
Pigeon
Bee
Wasp
Butterfly
Tarantula
Velociraptor
Serpent
Viper
Cat
Rattlesnake
Cobra
Bat
Monsters
Vampire
Werewolf
Zombie
Monster/Monsta/Monstar
Ghoul
Demon
Angel/Angelic
Reaper (also applicable to foods (Reaper Pepper))
Ghost
Fallen (as in Fallen Angel)
Curse/Cursed (in reference to witchcraft)
Hex (in reference to witchcraft)
Boo (common saying associated with Halloween and cartoony ghosts)
Bone (in reference to skeletons)
Sacrificed/Sacrificial (in reference to religious rites)
Dead/Deadly/Death/Deathless
Immortal
Alien
Extraterrestrial
Anomaly/Anomalous (also applicable to pop culture, in reference to the SCP Foundation)
Damned
Eerie
Creepy
Exorcism/Exorcist
Ghastly
Imp
Succubus/Succubi
Incubus/Incubi
Undead
Abominable
Devil
Supernatural (also applicable to pop culture, reference to Supernatural TV show)
Paranormal
Sacred/Sacrament
Specter/Spectre
Banshee
Poltergeist
Siren (also applicable to music, see Sleeping with Sirens)
Dragon
Dragon Slayer
Kraken
Archangel
Starship
Halloween
Dragon Slayer
Angelface
Mermaid
Pop Culture
Jigsaw (as in Jigsaw from the Saw franchise)
Ghostface (from the Scream franchise)
Krueger (as in Freddy Krueger from Nightmare on Elm Street)
Myers (as in Michael Myers from the Halloween franchise)
Voorhees (as in Jason Voorhees from the Friday the 13th franchise)
Chucky (as in Chucky from Child’s Play)
Lala (nickname for Draculaura from Monster High)
Hyde (as in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde)
Lestrange (as in character who shall not be named from franchise by TERF author that shall not be named)
Lockhart (another character from the franchise mentioned above)
Coraline (as in Coraline by Neil Gaiman)
Jinx/Jynx (League of Legends character)
Blitz (Helluva Boss character)
Loona (K-Pop group, Helluva Boss character)
Shadow (as in Shadow the Hedgehog)
Killer/Killa/Kyller (as in Jeff the Killer)
Grim/Grimm (as in Grim Reaper and the Brothers Grimm)
Eldritch (as in Eldritch Horror)
Eevee (from Pokemon; you can use any Pokemon you like)
Hellraiser (as in the film by Clive Barker)
Jabber (as in Jabberwocky from Alice in Wonderland)
Wonderland (as in Alice in Wonderland)
Jedi (from Star Wars)
Necronomicon (Evil Dead franchise)
Avenger (in reference to MARVEL's The Avengers)
Scourge (see Warrior Cats and Sonic Comics character)
Zelda (from Legend of Zelda)
Skellington (as in Jack Skellington from Nightmare Before Christmas)
Phantomhive (as in Ciel Phantomhive from Black Butler)
HelloKitty (Sanrio character)
Akira (anime film of the same name)
Memetic (term used by the SCP Foundation)
Blackheart (as in the Ghost Rider villain)
Colours/Shades
Crimson (Red)
Black
Neon
Rouge (also applicable to pop culture)
Ruby
Violet
Indigo
Cyan
Blue
Rainbow/Rainbows
Porcelain
Green/Greene
Weapons/Violence/Semi-NSFW
Blade
Razor
Knucklebuster
Uppercut
Scar (also applicable to pop culture, Lion King character,)
Eyeball (body part)
Torture/Tortured/Torturous
Torment/Tormented
Fatal/Fatality (also applicable to pop culture, Mortal Kombat)
Brutal/Br00tal/Brutality/Brutally
Berserk/Berserker (also applicable to pop culture, see the anime 'Berserker')
Chainsaw
Hacksaw
Bear Trap
Grenade
Bomb/Pipebomb/Timebomb
Dynamite
Acid/Acidic
Heroin
Marijuana/Mary-Jane
Cannabis
Alcohol/Alcoholic
Booze
Vodka
Brandy
Whiskey
Blood/Bloody/Bloodied
Flesh
Gore/Guro
Raw
Casualty
Crackhead
DrugAddict
Erotic/Ero/Erotica
Explosive
Execute/Execution/Executor
Beheaded
Decapitation/Decapitated
Flailing
Gutting
Handgun
Hangman
Homicide
Hostage
Hurt (also applicable to emotions)
Pain/Pained/Painful (also applicable to emotions)
Jackknife
Laceration/Lacerations
Attack
Murder/Murderous/Murderotic
Massacre
Assassin/Assassination
Regicide
Cannibal/Cannibalism
Cyanide
Pothead
Suffocate/Suffocation
Steroid
Puncture
Violence/Violent
Wound/Wounded
Bruise/Bruised
Serrated
Gruesome
Autopsy
Asphyxia/Asphyxiation
Curbstomp
Assault
Battery (also applicable to technology)
Annihilation
Addict/Addicted/Addiction/Addictive
Arson/Arsonist
Ambush
Crucifixion/Crusifixion
Tequila
Beatdown
Throwdown
Arsenic
Collision
Manslaughter
Bite/Bites
Plants
Belladonna
Nightshade
Wolfsbane
Rose
Lily
Sakura
Toadstool
Thorn (also applicable to pop culture, see Thorn of the Hex Girls from Scooby Doo)
Hazel
Foods
Cupcake/Kupcake/Cuppycake/Kuppycake
Strawberry
Lollipop
Candy
Cocoa/Kokoa (alternatively; Coco/Koko)
Chilli
Cheyenne (as in Cheyenne Pepper)
Cookie
Pumpkin
Jawbreaker
Jerky
Juicebox
Caffeine/Caffeinated
Treat
Macha
Skittles/Skittlez
Ambrosia (also applicable to mythology (food of the Greek gods))
Smoothiecake
Smoothie
Teacup
Slushie
Coffee
Sugar/Sugarrush
Space
Luna
Stellar/Stella (also applicable to pop culture, Helluva Boss character)
Nova
Mars
Pluto (also applicable to mythology, Roman counterpart to Hades)
Galaxy
Meteor/Meteorite
Nebula
Stardust
Star
Mythology
Persephone (Greek Goddess)
Hel (Norse Goddess)
Fenrir (Norse God)
Thanatos (Greek God)
Baba/Yaga (Slavic folklore character)
Artemis (Greek Goddess)
Freyja (Norse Goddess)
Cerberus (Greek Creature)
Hades (Greek God)
Loki (Norse God)
Medusa (Greek folklore character, can also reference the piercing)
Satan (Ars Goetia demon)
Beelzebub (Ars Goetia demon)
Athena (Greek Goddess)
Lucifer (Ars Goetia demon, Bible figure)
Technology
Error
Hack/Hacker
Analog
Digital
Malware
Virus
Corruption/Corrupted
Java
Machine
Mechanical
.exe (or similar file extensions, such as .sai, .txt, .rar, .szs, .psd etc)
Robo/Robot/Bot
Animatronic
Electronic (also applicable to music)
Automaton
Automatic
Systematic
Syntax
Emotions
Heartbroken
Heartless
Depressed
Lonely/Loneliness
Hopeless
Helpless
Ache
Envy/Envious/Envied
Hatred
Jealous/Jealousy
Lust/Lustrous
Shock/Shocked/Shocking
Panic/Panicked/Panicking (also applicable to music, see Panic! At The Disco)
Cowardly (also applicable to pop culture, Courage the Cowardly Dog)
Rage/Raging
Scared
Confusion/Confused
Wrath/Wrathful
Minerals/Crystals/Metals
Onyx
Amethyst
Obsidian
Titanium
Steel
Sulphur
Mercury (also applicable to mythology)
Uranium
Garnet
Pearl
Topaz
Quartz
Iron
Silver
Jewel
Gem
Crystal/Krystal
Diamond
Amber
Azure (also applicable to colours/shades)
Elements/Natural Phenomena
Blaze
Fire/Fiery
Flame
Hellfire
Ember
Poison
Venom (also applicable to pop culture, Spider-Man character)
Drowned/Drowning (also applicable to pop culture (Minecraft mob) and weapons/violence)
Hurricane
Typhoon
Tsunami
Earthquake
Tornado
Storm
Thunder/Thunderstorm
Blizzard
Dust Devil
Toxic
Volcano
Eruption/Erupted
Electric
Spark
Frozen
Hail
Ignite/Ignition
Lightning
Magma
Night
Sunset
Twilight
Aurora (as in Aurora Borealis, can also be applied to music if you wanna reference the singer AURORA)
Inferno
Frost/Frosty
Music
Metalhead
Melody
Megalovania (song from Undertale)
Brightside (song by the Killers)
Hatsune/Miku (in reference to Hatsune Miku)
VOCALOID
Synthesizer
Orchestra
Symphony
Rave/Raver
Rock
Anthrax (also applicable to 'Use at Own Risk')
Bring _ The Horizon/_ Brings The Horizon (reference to Bring Me The Horizon)
_ Eat World (reference to Jimmy Eat World)
Jitterbug (phrase used in 'Wake Me Up Before You Go Go' by Wham and title of Hachiya Nanashi VOCALOID track)
Jitterdoll (niki VOCALOID track)
Serenade
Breakdown (also applicable to 'Use At Own Risk')
USE AT OWN RISK
These are names that have been used in the past BUT often rely on oppressive stereotypes involving women, mental illness/disorders, LGBTQIA+ people, Indigenous people and so on. Some of these are also just straight up mental/medical conditions and medications. I would advise only picking one of these if it is a term you wish to reclaim for yourself. Do so at your own risk.
Insane/Insanity
Delirious
Demented
Psychotic/Psychosis/Psychopath
Nuclear
Bitch
Whore
Crazy
Hallucinate/Hallucination
Haywire
Suicide/Suicidal (also applicable to pop culture - see Suicidal Sadie CreepyPasta)
Mania/Manic
Maniac/Maniacal
Paranoia/Paranoid
Savage
Mad
Fag/Faggot (only reclaim if you are LGBTQIA+)
Mental
Xanax/Xamax
Schizophrenia/Schizophrenic
Dementia
Genocide (added to here and not to 'weaponry/violence/semi-NSFW' due to the current genocides happening in the world)
Warfare (added here for the same reason as above)
Asylum
Amphetamine
Hooker
Neurotic
MISC IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER
A
Accidental
Axis
Ambitious
Amazing
Apocalypse/Apocalyptic/Apokalypsis
Abyss
Abdomen
Amor/Amore
Ambition
Apparel
Atomic/Attomick/Attomik
Atrophy
Alluring
Asshole/Asswhole
Abrasive
Atelophobia
Arachnophobia
Abstract
Adorable
Anonymous
Audacious
Antorcha (Spanish for 'torch')
Avenge
B
Baby
Bang
Blah
Boom
Brigade
Bombard/Bombardment
Blast
Biohazard/Biohazardous
Beauty/Beautiful/Beau
Bow
Bottom Jeans
Barbie
Babycake
Babydoll
Break/Breaks
Brave
Bacteria
Bandaid/Bandage
Blackout
Bittersweet (also applicable to foods and emotions)
Barbaric
C
Catastrophe/Catastrophic
Claustrophobia/Claustrophobic
Crash
Chaos
CreepyPasta
Crunch/Crunchy
Chuunibyou
Coward
Chick (also applicable to animals)
Carnage (also applicable to pop culture, see Spider-Man villain)
Chaosbaby
D
Daring (also applicable to pop culture)
Devious
Darling
Disaster
Daydreaming
Destruction
Doll/Dolly
Decay/Decayed/Decaying
Dark/Darkened
Deceit/Deceitful
Daily
Dial
Deutschland
Danger
Destroy
Discord
E
Ecstatic
Ecstasy
Emergency
Extreme
Echo
Exposure
Enchanted
Endanger
Enigma/Enigmatic
Epidemic
Endemic
Egotistic/Egotistical
Entropy
EatsZombies
F
Frightful
Foul
Foe
Futile
Flash
Flicker
Feeble
Funeral/Funerary
Forsaken/Forsakened
G
Girly
Gab
Gangster
Glitter
Gorgeous/Goregeous
Gluttony
H
Havoc
Hazard
Heartbreaker
Heist
Hiatus
Hoax
Hyper
Heart
Horizon
Hollywood
I
Impolite
Immature
Ill
Iris
Infection/Infected
J
J'Adore (also applicable to pop culture, see Jade J'Adore from Bratzillaz)
Jailbait
Jaundice
Jaywalk
Jeopardy
Jingle
Jive
Joint
Jubilate/Jubilee
Junction
Juxtapose
K
Katastrophe/Katastrophic
Krunch/Krunchy
Kawaii
King
Kitching/Keching
Killjoy (also applicable to music, see My Chemical Romance)
L
Lush
Loathe
Lovely
Lucky
Legendary
Light (also applicable to pop culture, Light Yagami)
Luz (also applicable to pop culture, Luz Noceda)
Love/Luve/Luv
Leper/Leperacy
Litterbug
M
Macabre
Macroscopic
Mafia
Magnetic
Malady
Malice
Mutiny
Malediction
Marauder (also applicable to pop culture - won't say the name but you know what franchise this was popularised in)
Medical
Membrane
Mesmerize
Metallic
Mortician/Mortuary/Morticia (last one applicable to pop culture, in reference to Morticia Addams)
Mortified
Mystery
Myth
Mayday (also applicable to popculture, see Mayday from No Straight Roads and the Helluva Boss character Verosika Mayday)
Malevolent/Malevolence
Millionaire
McCrackin
Monstrawrface
Miracle/Miraculous (also applicable to pop culture, see Miraculous Ladybug)
Morgue
N
Ninja
Notorious
Nocturnal/Nokturnal
Naughty
Nasty
Nihilist/Nihilistic/Nihilism
Nightmare
Necro
Necromancer/Necromancy
Necrotising (in reference to Necrotising Fasciitis)
Nefarious
Neuron
Nerd/Nerdified
O
Overdrive
Original
Outcast
Odd
Obscure
Obsolete
Obsession
Oblivion
P
Prince/Princess
Punk
Plastic
Parable (also applicable to pop culture, see The Stanley Parable)
Pandemic
Pirate
Q
Queen/Queenie
Queer
Quack
R
Random
Revenge
Reckless
Royal
Riot
Rebel
Rude
Rawr
Rad
Rotten
Ravenous
Ruthless
S
Sabotage
Scary
Silly
Sadist/Sadistic
Sahara
Salivate
Spectacular
Synthetic
Supercharged
Surrender
Stethoscope
Sublime
Sterile
Stealthy
Spinal
Spiffy
Sinister
Scoundrel
Scandal
Shell
Scene
Spookbat
T
Tears
Tragic/Tragedy
Terror
Trick/Trickster
Temptation
Terrible
Twisted
Trash
Tenacity
Trauma/Traumatised
Temptress
Tuberculosis
U
Unusual
Ultimate
Usurper
Urban
V
V.I.P
Vendetta (also applicable to pop culture, see V for Vendetta)
Velicious
Victorious/Victory
Vandal/Vandalism
Vain/Vanity
Vile
Vortex (also applicable to pop culture, Helluva Boss)
Void
Vengeance/Vengeful
Valentine/Valentines
W
Wacky/Whacky
Wicked
Wonder/Wonderful
Wise/Wisdom
Wreckless
X
Xtreme/X-treme
Xx/xX
XoXo/XOXO/X0X0
X-ray
Y
Young
Z
ZigZag
Zero (also applicable to pop culture, see Nightmare Before Christmas character)
SOURCES
http://esgbeauty.blogspot.com/p/scene-names-directory.html?m=1 (TRIGGER WARNING: site listed actual genocides as name suggestions (e.g. Holocaust) or elements related to genocides/wars (e.g. Kamikaze) - view at your own discretion. For this list, I opted to remove these suggestions as I think these are remnants of the edgy humour of the 2000s that is best being left behind.)
Some of these suggestions came from my friends and members in Scem0 K1dz (Discord server).
https://thescenebible.blogspot.com/2021/10/blog-post.html?m=1 (Currently working on slowly adding anything from here.) TRIGGER WARNING: A lot of names involve mental disorders, medical conditions and medications. I will be including some of these, mostly in the 'Use At Your Own Risk' section.
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alexiaugustin · 1 year
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season two of shadow and bone should have shown absolutely every last fucking person that this show is a soulless piece of trash adaptation that doesn’t understand nor gives two fucks about the source material they're allegedly trying to adapt and that the people behind this show were all lying to your faces when they apologized for the things that upset people for 24 hours before season one streamed two years ago, because after all this show still erases the trauma of a woman’s sexual abuse story and they are still sexualizing bisexual people and they are still fucking everything about these characters and their dynamics up.
season one should have upset most people enough to stop stanning this show but during the last two years we have learned that there’s A Lot that the tv industry can do that people won’t care about. an ableist, colorist and fatphobic and age inaccurate casting that hurts people by taking their representation away is something people won’t care about. complex characters being reduced to an inch of what they actually are like so they and their relationship can neatly fit into archetypes, tropes and ao3 tags is something people won’t care about. showrunners getting exposed for having their white stunt doubles do brownface is something people won’t care about. a show having a dumb script that makes everyone on the show look like a fucking loser is something people won’t care about.
and now season two is out and they did everything they already did in season one wrong but it’s somehow still so much worse. after watching season one i felt like the deeply offensive and wrong things about this show were still explainable, season two actually has me at loss for words because of how bad it is. because of how there’s not a single thing they did right about the soc books; not the characters, not their relationships, not their storyline, nor the world they live in. i could give a few examples like the fact that kaz told inej that feeling as if she’s not really free from the menagerie where she was sex trafficked as a child "isn’t her fight anymore, it’s his“ just because pekka rollins owns her now. or the fact that wylan and jesper met via a one night stand and were fucking by episode four even tho they don’t even kiss before the end of ck. or that they turned pekka rollins into a super villain who wants to kill kaz even though the whole point of his role in the books is that he has no idea why kaz has it out for him and he doesn’t care abt these teenagers.
i could explain all these and so many more examples in depth, and still it wouldn’t be enough to capture the the true scope of how bad and truly horrible this show is. and yet. and yet when i log into tumblr dot com or twitter dot com i see gifsets of this show, of the relationships they don’t understand, of the characters they butchered and i'm seeing people rooting for another season of this nonsense. at this point this show feels like a social experiment that’s trying to see how far people will go to defend a deeply offensive and atrociously bad piece of media. and during the last 48 hours i've come to realize that some of y'all will never be able to be pushed too far. some of y’all had their brains rotted away a long time ago when tiktok and ao3 made you believe that media is nothing more than the consumption of aesthetics, tropes and archetypes and that it’s a good thing if these are responsible for the death of art. if you claim to love the book and the show at the same time you are lying to yourself because that is simply impossible. you have, in short, truly lost the fucking plot.
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An Unexpected Taste of Love: Chapter Three
Pairing: Darkling x Female Reader
Rating: Teen and Up
Summary: You are a servant at the Grand Palace, but when a threat to the Second Army’s General leads to the King assigning him a taster, you are forced into a new role that just may be the starting point for a whole new journey.    
Author’s note: I haven’t read the books but there may be a couple of small references to them that I have picked up from other sources (other fics, the grishaverse wiki, etc). Other than that, this fic is solely based on the TV show version of the Darkling.
Warnings: Near death experience, The Darkling is his own warning
———————————————————
< Chapter Two | Masterlist | Chapter Four >
You stifled a yawn as you hurriedly made your way to General Kirigan’s quarters to test his dinner. You had learned from last night’s late call and had not been asleep this time, but it had been a close thing. It had been another early morning and you were still fighting the bone-deep exhaustion that would take much more than two days to recover from, but you couldn’t help but smile. You had rather enjoyed the General’s company last night and were eager to see if it would be more than just a one-time thing.
You knew you shouldn’t get your hopes up, but something about the way he had said goodnight made you think that maybe he had enjoyed your company too.
You reached the General’s rooms just as the server was leaving, and you quickly slipped in before she could shut the door behind her. She seemed to be in a hurry to get out of there, and when you laid eyes on the General, you saw why. His back was turned to you as he looked at something on the massive table in front of him, but you could tell straight away that he was angry. His shoulders were taut and his fists were clenched where they rested on the table, and if that wasn’t enough, there were also the shadows lurking at the edges of the room to give away his bad mood.
‘General,’ you said, softly, announcing your presence. His shoulders seemed to relax a bit at the sound of your voice, but otherwise he didn’t move.
‘The food is on the table.’ His voice was tinged with anger, but you got the impression that he was holding it back from you. Whatever had soured his mood, it obviously wasn’t to do with you.
You tested his food in silence, and when you were sure you would live to see another day, you moved over to where the General was standing by the table. ‘The food seems fine,’ you said.
He nodded but didn’t say anything, so you hovered awkwardly. Partly because he hadn’t dismissed you, and partly because you didn’t want to leave just yet. The thought of him stewing in anger all alone just didn’t sit right with you. It was a new feeling for you to have about someone you served, and you were a little worried about it, but you couldn’t help it.
In an effort to distract yourself, you surveyed the table. ‘The map is impressive,’ you said, more to yourself than anything, but it got the General’s attention.
‘Let’s hope it stays that way,’ he said somewhat darkly, and you followed his gaze to see why. On the table in front of him was a poster of General Zlatan from West Ravka. There were not many words accompanying the picture, but the message was all too clear.
‘General Zlatan would see this map changed forever,’ continued the General. Or perhaps “the Darkling” was a better description for him at that moment. His shadows had gotten closer and were now surrounding you both as he lost himself in his righteous anger. ‘Our own people turning against us, betraying the Grisha.’
‘Betraying us all,’ you said, pushing the poster away in disgust. There had been much talk of Zlatan in the Grand Palace recently. It was well known that he wanted West Ravka to become its own independent nation, but lately, he seemed to be getting a lot closer to his goal. And East Ravka needed the West. If they were to separate, the East would fall into a poverty that not even the King could escape, and the war would surely be lost.
Zlatan knew all that; he just didn’t care.
‘He would leave East Ravka to fend for ourselves.’ You let out a sigh, your own anger leaving with it. ‘I suppose I cannot blame him too much,’ you said. ‘It does get tiring supporting others with little in return.’
For a moment, General Kirigan looked like he was going to yell at you, but then his shadows receded and his whole body deflated. ‘I feel I must apologise,’ he said, confusing you.
What did he have to apologise for?
‘For my irregular schedule,’ he explained, as if sensing your question. ‘If it were up to me, you would not be pulled from your sleep just to have a bite from my plate.’
You gave him a tired but grateful smile. It was practically unheard of for nobles to even acknowledge the challenges of your job, let alone apologise for them.
‘I am well used to being pulled from sleep,’ you assured him, not wanting him to feel guilty. ‘And I’m sure I will adjust to your schedule. I have always preferred the night-time, anyway. I’ve found it to be much more peaceful than during the day.’
The General’s lips twitched at the corners. ‘I have noticed a certain displeasure for mornings from you, I must admit.’
You felt your face heating up in embarrassment, and you looked back over the map, unable to meet his eyes. ‘I’m not much of a morning person, it’s true,’ you admitted. ‘I apologise if I have shown any disrespect in my zombie state.’
You heard a soft chuckle from beside you and you looked back to see that the General was now properly smiling. ‘No apologies necessary,’ he said. ‘I forget sometimes that Otkazat'sya need more sleep than Grisha.’
You smiled too, happy to see his mood improved. ‘I was always the same,’ you said. ‘Even as a small child, long before I started working at the Grand Palace.’
The General moved over to the smaller table where his food was still sitting and gestured to the two chairs. ‘Where did you grow up?’ he asked, General Zlatan seemingly forgotten, as he sat down and slowly picked at his food. You took the other chair.
‘A few hours ride out of Os Alta. We had a small farm in a small village.’ You smiled at the memories of helping your parents feed the chickens and the sheep, but it soon fell as less pleasant memories took over. ‘It’s not there anymore.’
‘The farm?’
You shook your head. ‘The village. Fjerdans raided it when I was 12. They burnt the whole place to the ground.’
A solemn, yet empathetic look passed over the General’s face. ‘I know what it’s like to be forced from one’s home,’ he said. ‘It’s not something you forget. Is that why you came to the city?’
You nodded. ‘My father died trying to protect the farm, and with the whole village decimated, my mother had no means of supporting us. We lived on the streets for a while as she tried to find work, but in the end, she had no choice but to get a job at the palace, which meant I got one too.’
There wasn’t a day that went by that you didn’t miss your mother. She had died a few years ago, falling off a ladder while cleaning the palace’s high windows. You remembered begging the medics to fetch a Healer from the Little Palace, but they had refused. Healers were not for servants, and without one, your mother had soon succumbed to her injuries.
You hoped the General didn’t ask you about her; you really didn’t want to have that conversation.
So you deflected.
‘Do you have any family?’ you asked him.
‘My mother is around,’ he said in vague tone that made it clear he didn’t want any follow up questions. ‘But other than that, no, it’s just me. It’s better that way.’ There was a faraway look in his eyes that you knew all too well. He had lost people before. People he was close to.
‘Is that why you don’t eat with the other Grisha?’
You were aware that you were really toeing the line with your question, but you felt you had to ask it. You couldn’t help but feel an affinity with the General, despite your different backgrounds and social status.
The General took another bite of his food and chewed it slowly. ‘I’ve lost so many people,’ he said at last. ‘At some point, I realised that it was just easier not to become too close.’ He glanced over at you. ‘Sometimes that can be difficult, however.’
You almost reached out to take his hand and give him the comfort he so obviously needed, but at the last moment remembered your place. You had already pushed your luck with your questions about his personal life, unwelcome physical contact could be enough to get you thrown out of the palace. And despite the danger and anxiety of your new role, you found that you didn’t want to leave it just yet.
‘That sounds very lonely,’ you said, softly. ‘But I get it. Sometimes loneliness is easier.’
The General regarded you as he took another bite of food and then pushed his plate away. ‘You sound like you are speaking from experience,’ he said. ‘I admit I know little of servant life, particularly in the Grand Palace, but surely relationships and friendships are not forbidden.’
You shrugged and picked at a loose thread of your dress. ‘They aren’t forbidden, but it is hard to find time for other people. The only times I really get a chance to talk to my friends are when we work together. Relationships are even harder to maintain. No chance for dates when you are busy serving other people their meals.’ You paused, thinking. ‘I imagine it’s not that different for people in the army, really.’
‘No, we don’t serve other people their meals.’
He said it with such a straight face that it took you a minute to realise he was joking, and when you did, you couldn’t control the burst of laughter that left your mouth. The General’s lips twitched and soon he was chuckling along with you.
After a minute, your laughter subsided, but your smiles remained. It was a vast improvement to the start of the night, and you couldn’t help but feel proud at lifting the General’s spirits. You hoped his good mood lasted after you left for the night, even if only for a little while.
‘Well, I suppose I had better let you get back to bed,’ said the General, looking over at the clock. Was it your imagination, or did his smile fall a bit?
‘I can stay longer if you want me to,’ you said. You really did need the sleep, especially if he’d be having breakfast before sunrise again, but you also didn’t want the night to end. You could already tell that you were too attached to these private moments where you got to be a person and not just a servant.
The General continued to stare at the clock, considering, but then shook his head and stood. To your immense surprise, he held his hand out to you. You took it with a shy smile and tried not to blush as he helped you up, something that was made very difficult by the way his thumb rubbed circles against the back of your hand before he let it go. It reminded you of how his fingers had lingered on your skin the previous night, and you wondered if he even realised he was doing it.
‘Go get some sleep,’ he said, the softest order he had probably ever given. ‘I should probably retire for the night, too.’ His eyes darted to the large table where the poster of Zlatan was still laying, upturned from when you had pushed it away earlier. ‘No doubt the King will be calling on me tomorrow.’
‘I’ll send word to the servers in the Grand Palace to give him an extra ration of bacon with his breakfast,’ you said, also glancing to the poster. ‘It usually puts him in a better mood.’
When you looked back at the General, it was to find him staring at you with a curious gaze. ‘Is that something the servers often do?’ he asked. He didn’t sound angry. Quite the opposite, in fact; he seemed impressed.
You shrugged. ‘We can’t do it too often – there is a food shortage, after all – but we’ve found it can help curve his temper when things go wrong.’
‘I think I had better start paying attention to what the servers give me in the mornings,’ the General chuckled. ‘They are evidently craftier than I imagined.’
You chuckled too. ‘Somehow I doubt you would be swayed by something as simple as an extra serving of bacon.’
The General gave you a look that your tired mind couldn’t quite decipher. ‘You’d be surprised,’ he said.
Something about his gaze made your face heat up, so you distracted yourself by gathering his plate and cutlery. ‘Some of the kitchen staff have rooms in the Grand Palace,’ you told him. ‘They can let the King’s cooks know that it is going to be a tough day tomorrow. I know it’s not much, but I’ve found that any improvement to the King’s mood is a blessing.’
‘Truer words,’ muttered the General as he took a step back, giving you room to get past him with the dishes. ‘Thank you.’
You gave him a polite smile and then made your way to the door, which he helpfully opened for you. ‘Thank you, General,’ you said with a small bow. His next words had you freezing, however.
‘Call me Aleksander.’
You looked back up at him, eyes wide.
‘When we are alone, at least,’ he continued. ‘I think we’ve gone past formalities, don’t you?’
You were fairly certain your heart skipped a beat. You had hoped for more nights like this with the General, but never had you expected to be on a first name basis with him.
‘Are you sure?’ you asked. You half expected him to change his mind, or to laugh at your hopeful expression and say he was joking, but he simply nodded.
‘Okay.’ Your voice was a tad squeaky so you cleared it, giving yourself a chance to compose yourself; it was bad enough that you felt like a schoolgirl with a crush, you didn’t want to sound like one too. ‘Goodnight… Aleksander.’
The smile he gave at that was enough to combat any shadows.
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yellow-yellow-jacket · 2 months
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i feel as though we’ve gotten to a weird point in television entertainment where the fear of being cancelled is actively affecting shows’ writing in a negative way.
i saw a post talking about this in hazbin hotel, but i can’t find it again and i have not watched hazbin hotel so i can’t really speak on that.
what i have watched is shadow and bone. in general, i liked season two, it was a good piece of television, but a bad adaptation. i felt as though they were throwing in as many token book-pieces for the fans because they were afraid that the show wouldn’t get another season, which messed with the story from the source material. they didn’t think they’d have enough time to build up to kaz’s backstory and give it its proper payoff, so they did the whole thing in four episodes - and the scenes themselves were great (freddy carter DAMN WELL should’ve been nominated for awards for his performance), but imagine how much better they could have been with two seasons’ worth of buildup and suspense, revealing bits little by little and finally coming to a natural climax.
and alas. they were right. shadow and bone and its six of crows spinoff were both cancelled. we most likely would not have gotten those moments if not for their shoe-horning into season two.
the cancellations that are happening of so many tv shows are causing writers to have to claw as desperately they can onto the cliff, packing as many binge-worthy cliffhangers and rewatchable moments into their shows instead of being able to take their time and create. on many streaming services, shows are renewed based on how quickly the fans devoured them, and not based on their quality or whether or not people actually want them.
seasons get shorter, some shows with only five or six episodes compared to the standard dozen to two dozen just ten years ago. they stay in renewal limbo until the word of streaming-god tells them whether or not they get to live for another six episodes, and then they take two to three more years to release those six episodes.
it’s just shitty. i hate it here. help
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stromuprisahat · 9 months
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Slightly incoherent The Witcher S02 rant
(Finished and posted two years later with no Starbucks involved...)
They’re trying so hard to be The Next Game of Thrones, they’re erasing everything that makes The Witcher special. Things are changed unnecessarily, *new* *original* storylines added- much simpler and inferior to source material.
There’s a lack of ~variety~ of dangers. Different kinds, different degrees... It’s all life-threatening, fatal. The writers forgot some things can be dangerous only thanks to specific circumstances. Leshy in the woods can be just that- monster living in witchers’ keep’s backyard, not some weird parasite trying to murder or transform all the witchers.
Another trend I've noticed is "No rest for the heroes.". Characters aren't allowed to have a place and/or time to develop without preasure. The most peaceful part of Ciri's story got turned into parade of incompetent, inconsiderate idiots. It’s the same issue I had with first season of Shadow and Bone, where MC's studies and integration into new enviroment got struck out. Both were lacking "action". Both got cut short and re-written to be more "eventful". In both cases the story AND characters suffered. Characters aren’t developed, they become changed. Netflix seems to have a pattern, and- considering second season of S&B- doesn’t learn from its previous terrible results.
Another huge issue is pacing. The whole season feels like it happened in a week, when Blood of Elves took more than a season of the year.
“I know someone...” As it turned out, we all do.
When we’re at things I hate, there’s the trend of connecting EVERYTHING. You have a minor part to fill? Give it to one of already existing characters to make their path more eventful and memorable. What happened to random soldier, corpse no. 54 or anonymous inkeeper in shithole MC’s just passing through? You don't constantly cross ways with the same three people! Make the world real by houndreds of faces you'll never see again! It’s like the creators didn’t notice this is a TV show, not a video game, where you have to animate every different feature, so more NPC with the same faces are to be expected.
I also dislike the trend of giving some storylines to one-off side characters or making new things up just to make them important enough to keep them around (Istredd, Dara, Stregobor). Why can't you accept some people appear, fuck up your life and you never see them again? Are they pushed to keep some actors around?
The books are mostly following Geralt’s and Ciri’s story, but not exclusively. Show offers a chance to add more background politics, wider picture. Instead they bait us with well-known, already beloved characters that get reduced to something they’re not. I’ve made a separate post about Francesca Findababair, but they didn’t treat Philippa any better. Instead of a badass, crucial for the plot, the intelligence behind Redanian Intelligence, she’s just an owl. Dijkstra’s messanger to keep in touch with some sad little elf kid.
Voleth Mier disaster
There isn’t more genric evil creature in fantasy than “demon”. Then they call it “Mother of Evil”? She’s feeding on fear? I’m starting to suspect someone in the writing room has some serious mommy issues. ... and no imagination.
Apparently Blood of Elves without a final boss fight is too boring to adapt faithfully. There’s no time to increase the stakes gradually. Every season needs to end with a BANG!
Shared dreams? Why is there the need to connect everything even more to make it MORE important and SPECIAL and INTERESTING?
Vesemir and the rest of Kaer Morons
Why the fuck is Coën Wolf, not Griffin? Remember how I talked about unnecessary changes? Why bother keeping names, when everything else is different?
Eskel didn’t deserve this shit. The writers are counting on our pre-existing knowledge of his relationship with Geralt, so his death has at least some impact. Zero effort on their part, merely one (1) flashback. The Wolf funeral is plain stupid, while supposed to look "cool". a.) There isn't many witchers, they tend to die on the Path. b.) I'm sure the mutations just make the witchers tastier. No side effects. c.) Eskel was a fucking tree. Did the wolves just use him as a fancy chewing toy?
Lambs is a dick, but a dick, who loves his family. Not a bully picking on young traumatized girls.
Vesemir’s probably the second worst, considering the whole mischaracterization mess. They’ve changed friendly grandpa into "Let us use Ciri to make more witchers". Not OOC at all.
The writers also kinda missed the whole point of only four witchers living in the gigantic keep, but never mind that...
Why do they bother looking for new stories, when they just grind it into homogenic crap corresponding with The Pattern™?
Since when are witchers training in temples? (So much for neutrality...) And where's the chubby Slavic panímáma? Melitele's tample was about healing and herbs, not magic, that's Yennefer's storyline. Yes, it matters. It completely changes the perspective.
Since there’s no emotional build-up for anything, creators went for low-haging fruit. But Roach had to die for more reasons. Aside from the obvious (Horses aren’t immortal and we can’t kill the bard.), it’s the perfect way to get Geralt on gorgeous black Friesian. Y'no, because other horses are never so cool. And the Hero™ can't ride just some chestnut these days... Don't get me wrong, I love Friesians since I was a child, but this trend is beyond annoying.
Why change 14th of the hill? That’s Triss’ storyline and passing it on Yennefer served absolutely nothing.
Then we have Rience, who is for some reason super powerful- not only he doesn't have a problem drawing from fire, he can teleport to witcher's keep? Place full of magic, the very same one that's hard to find and he's never been to? Compare with game!plot, where Lambert’s dimetrium bombs messed with Yennefer’s magic enough for her not to be able to call someone.
There should be a list of banned words, or words and phrases that are often overused: power, protect, save, curse(d), fault, ~ needs you. ~I~ need you., Together. *meaningful pause*, You can fight this., glowy eyes = evil, suicidal self-sacrifice, not perfect but real, family, I beliiiiieve in you., force, darkness...
Sorry, but using a quote from one of the strongest moments of Blood of Elves in completely different situation will NOT give you extra points. Quite contrary. This is how you ruin one of he best parts of the books- by holding a sword to your SO's (who's been through some serious shit) neck.
Honorable mention of Emhyr var AnotherDumbVillain, for publicly proclaiming Ciri’s his daughter ...now the whole Nilfgaard knows what he wants. Stupid and the easiest way to let his enemies’ spies know just HOW much is she valuable.
Things I liked about this season: Tris and Ciri's meeting, Vereena, Yenneskíer chemistry
If there’s one thing second season of The Witcher taught me, it’s “Keep your expectations low, you’re gonna be let down anyway.”.
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percyseas · 3 months
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what is people's obsession with comparing PJOTV to movie franchises instead of other television series?
i'm not on here besides the occasional lurking, but on tiktok specifically i often see people comparing the changes PJOTV makes to changes made in movies, when television shows and movies are NOT the same.
if anything, people should be comparing PJOTV to other book-TV adaptations. shadowhunters and shadow and bone are the first two to come to mind, and fans of both will know that those two adaptations aren't the most book accurate.
a non-fantasy book-TV adaptation i can think of is heartstopper, which is pretty accurate to the source material, but still i would say....
PJOTV is the most accurate book-TV adaptation I've ever seen.
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qqueenofhades · 5 months
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Okay so I’ve been a huge Old Guard fan since the comics and recently binged all of Deo Volante and KoS on the recommendation of a friend and loved absolutely every bit of them. The same friend said I absolutely had to read all of your works but I don’t overlap into any of the other fandoms- I know a bit about Good Omens and Sandman through tumblr osmosis and a bit less about Shadow and Bone, then nothing at all about Timeless and some of the others.
The friend in question said most of your works are similar to KoS in that they’re completely separate AUs that reference/cameo canon but can be appreciated and understood without reading them (I believe they specifically mentioned one called Promised Land or something that was that way?) and I just want to poke in and ask if you’d also say that was the case, like which of your works (if any) can be read and appreciated without having read actual canon and if there are any I should avoid until I’ve read/watched the source material?
Aha, thanks so much. I think one of the highest compliments you can give a fic writer is to want to read their stuff even from fandoms that you yourself are not in, so yes. This will not by any means be an exhaustive list (you can find my full AO3 profile here, I have a lot of fics and most of them are, uh, Long) but some highlights that you might enjoy include:
Shadow and Bone:
This is the "Promised Land" fic referenced by your friend above. It's a historical AU set in the 1980s Soviet Union. You don't really need to know anything about the source material to enjoy it, and other fans of mine who weren't familiar with SaB have read this and liked it.
The Sandman:
This will introduce you both to the characters and the ship (Dreamling) in the course of a long historical saga. This one isn't an AU; it's canon-verse (for the TV show) all throughout, but it's designed in a way that doesn't really rely on knowing the TV show beforehand (and especially since this ship became a fan favorite after literally 30 minutes in half an episode).
Timeless:
This is another of the fics of mine that people who don't know the source material have read and enjoyed. It's an AU set in a magical steampunk Victorian universe, and features one of my favorite Garbage Men of all time, Garcia Flynn. Blowing up things, as he does, and being outmatched by a tiny and feisty historian named Lucy.
Also, if you are a KoS fan, I have exciting news for you, in that I'm currently working on an original-novel rebuild of it based on the same premise, featuring all-new characters, world, relationships, plots, etc., entitled The Empire of Bones. I have just finished part 2 (of a planned 3) and am planning to publish it when I'm done, probably independently but possibly also looking for a tradpub deal (depending on how much hassle that proves to be; I have tried it before and don't have unlimited patience). Anyway, yes. I'm very excited about this project and am looking forward to being able to share it.
Happy reading!
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Ok I swear to god this is the last rant I’ll go on about Shadow and Bone SPOILERS BELOWWWWW
Ok initially I’ll admit I was on the side of WTF WHERE IS THE ORIGINAL PLOT and WHY CANT THEY FOLLOW CANON and all that HOWEVER
having had time to sit in it now. I’m not mad anymore. And this is for a few reasons, but mostly? Because it wasn’t bad!!! Yeah they shifted around plot points and certain storylines but like it was GOOD. I was on the edge of my seat the whole season (yes mostly for the crows lmao but still)
The thing that really makes me set in this now is the fact that last year, I watched a show called Shadowhunters than I absolutely FELL IN LOVE with and THEN read the books, so I was able to see them as seperate entities and love both at the same time. Shadowhunters was beautiful to me because while it did not follow the book at all, I felt it still very much honored the original source material, and Shadow and Bone has done the same thing. Are there things I missed that I wish they’d put in? Yes, but they also ADDED things that I wouldve never thought of but adore with all my heart.
What’s funny also is that my two favorite characters in Shadowhunters and Shadow and Bone are Wylan Van Eck and Alec Lightwood, and both of their romantic storylines were one of my favorite part of their books AND one of my favorite part of their shows, despite both being so VASTLY different once they reached the screen. Can a tv show be glorified fanfiction? Yes, and I’m not angry. Shadow and Bone was GLORIOUS and we need to stop shitting on it so we can get more please😭😭 don’t let it be canceled like Shadowhunters was 🙏
We lucked out with the best casting of all time with this show, we cannot let it go to waste. At this point I don’t even care that we’ve run through the Pekka Rollins storyline so fast, we still have the Ice Court and LISTEN I NEED TO SEE ESTABLISHED WESPER IN THE ICE COURT PLEASE AND THANK YOU. I NEED TO SEE JESPERS REACTION WHEN VAN ECK BLOWS UP THE SHIP WYLAN IS ON. DONT TAKE THIS FROM MEEEEEEE
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disaster-vampire · 11 months
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pls talk about the shelf
i was desperately hoping someone would ask me to rant abt it akehdjshd i'm kissing you sweetly on the forehead anon
okay so if anyone sees this out of context: i have a shelf in my bookcase dedicated to hannibal. yes it's kind of like a weird little shrine but leave me alone.
be warned this is going get LONG.
so, it has the obvious: the hannibal books, the tv show box set, the tv show's cookbook, my fancy copies of the divine comedy (they're hardcover with gorgeous sleeves that have art printed on them to match each book), and i also have the iliad and the odissey in there in a single big book that i bought on a whim when out once and then after buying it i found out it also had the original greek alongside the italian translation and i lost my mind. i've never felt such pure joy and i can't even read greek. yet.
as for decorations, as of right now there's a piece of driftwood that is kinda shaped like an L so it stands up on its own and it also kinda resembles an antler.
there's this fuckin box, i don't even remember how i got it, but it's made of bones. it's shaped kinda like a stereotypical treasure chest but it's literally made of bones. the inside is lined with red velvet.
i'm not sure what else to decorate with? i've put in a seashell but it can't even be seen because the shelf has glass doors but the shell is covered by the frame (might move everything to another shelf where the frame is not in the way tbh just so i can decorate with tiny things at the front).
i just moved this whole thing from my other bookcase (i just got this new one today because i have too many books and in my first bookcase the shelves are literally bending with the weight of the books piled up on them) and when it was there i also had a teacup in there along with a lighbox that says "bone saw time! 🖤" but this new shelf feels very elegant and there's also not enough space for the lightbox. i also had a bust of dionysus there but i'm going to move it to my dionysus altar.
i've got an old scalpel somewhere too and i'll try to find a visible spot to put it. i also have 3 tiny japanese plates that were all given to me as gifts and some souvenirs from japan from a friend too but idk if i wanna put japanese stuff in there. like it's fitting but at the same time idk if it's disrespectful or not.
if i had money and more space i'd make this whole thing bigger and get like. a little frame with fly fishing lures like the ones will made in the show and maybe something like some ethically sourced taxidermy. a snake skeleton and a mongoose skull would be really cool. maybe i could print out a little something with lures instead of buying real ones and like. a fake death's head hawkmoth taxidermy. i'd need some of those shadowbox frames and i'd make it so the pictures stand out a bit from the back so it looks like they have shadows. bc like i'm fairly certain real death's head hawkmoths cannot be ethically sourced at this point in time because ever since silence of the lambs came out people have started going insane over them.
i think my grandpa has this framed thing somewhere with sailing knots made with actual ropes in it rather than just pictures. haven't seen it in ages so i'm not sure anymore if it was my grandpa's or someone else's. probably my grandpa since he was in the marines when military service was mandatory in italy but idk maybe i saw it somewhere else. i could print out a small picture with various illustrations of sailing knots.
i also have these cards that my aunt gave me at one point that have prints of a lot of famous paintings with descriptions in the back and i THINK one was the primavera. it was either that or the birth of venus i'll have to check but either way there's at least one botticelli in there. i don't like botticelli much tho so 🤷
i plan at some point to also get physical copies of all the movies but idk when that'll be since i've found a different box set for the tv show with gorgeous covers that i plan to buy as well. also of the ones i currently own i think one of the dvds stopped working bc it got scratched while inside my pc because i was pausing and rewinding/forwarding too much. we'll see i guess.
now for the rest of the books. i have a medical book in there called the abc of the human body. i think the title is kind of hilarious for a hannibal shelf. i just found out today while moving books back and forth from one bookshelf to the other that i actually have two copies of this book and one of them was owned by a doctor that died i think like 15 to 20 years ago. i have a few other medical books that said doctor also owned on the shelf above. he also owned the scalpel i mentioned before.
there's the book skulls by simon winchester, which is a collection of pictures of skulls from one of the biggest skull collections in the world, along with a few inserts on biology if i remember correctly? i originally bought it for art references and i LOVE the cover so i made sure it was facing forward in the shelf.
there's the resurrectionist, which is a sci-fi/fantasy book kind of in a frankenstein-esque vein where the main character is this made up doctor who manages to make some mythological creatures through surgery & digging up dead bodies and i won't spoil it any further. the second half of the book is a whole bunch of medical/biology style illustrations of said creatures, their skeletons, their muscles, how certain parts of their bodies would function (for example i believe it goes into explaining the lungs for both mermaids and harpies). i don't think it quite fits thematically with hannibal but i think it's got The Vibe so i put it in there.
there's a book on saint lucy, who is the patron saint of sight. i have it because i was born with my skull being asymmetrical and the doctors immediately told my family it would likely cause problems with my eyes, and so instead of, you know, starting to take me to eye doctors from a young age, they swore me to saint lucy and left it at that. i'm likely going to go blind on my left eye at some point in my life btw lmao thanks st lucy <3 i do like her though. i like her iconography a lot, she's always portrayed as holding a plate with her eyes on it.
there's damien by hermann hesse, which is one of my all time favourite books. it's written in first person and it starts with emil sinclair's childhood, explaining that he sees the world in a very black and white way, and does so very literally because he speaks of the world of light and the world of darkness, which are kind of meant as good and evil. but then something happens to him that starts blurring the clear line he thought was between the two, which sends him into a moral panic until he meets max demian, who starts to make him see that there's more to both sides. the story as he grows up follows his "corruption" into someone who is neither good nor evil. it has a lot of implied homoeroticism, as it was written i think either in the 20s or the late 1800s so it couldn't be explicit but it is very much there and is expressed mostly through demian's mother. there's also a weird cult thing going on and the ending is a bit ??? and honestly i need to read it again because for such a short book SO much happens that i'm having a hard time summarising it accurately.
the only other books i remember being there rn (it's 1am i'm not turning the lights on again) are dracula, because cannibal/vampire count with a big castle, the butchering art, and les fleurs du mal, plus two other books written in french that i haven’t read yet because my french isn't the best, whose titles i don't remember rn, and one in italian that i've found at a used books stall once but i believe it's from a local author and i've never seen it in a bookstore nor online so there's definitely no english translation of it. i still haven't read this one either and i don't even remember what it's about, it might be a poetry book? not quite sure. but yeah these few ones i haven’t read are there like. on trial. if i read them and find them fitting they'll stay otherwise they go to another shelf. i also haven’t read les fleurs du mal nor the butchering art yet, so the same applies to them. i think that's all of them? i plan to put my art history books and regular history books on the shelf above as well next to the medical books to kind of carry the theme over lol.
i would like to maybe someday get some of the books that we've glimpsed from the bookshelves on the show but this is it for now!
anyway. tysm for asking me about it dear anon. you said but a few words yet they meant the world to me <3
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