We, That Have Made Of Subtext Our Belief🔝😍

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　WANGXIAN　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

She's absolutely a great character. I've always loved her and her relationship with Lestat (yeah, all of it to the end). I'm really curious to see what they are going to do with her in the show.

She is 'The Wild' and I can't wait to see how they'll make that real on screen.

Gabrielle De Lioncourt is such a cool character I cannot wait to see them on the tv show preferably played by a non-binary person maybe? There's no character like them, like being forced into the performance of womanhood and motherhood out of the constraints of the time period. Being so apathetic to her children and husband because it's almost like they belong to someone else. She's one of the only characters who was given a choice about her turning and she's the one who takes to vampirism the best, immediately viewing it as an opportunity to disregard all the shackles of societal expectations, directly opposite to someone like Louis who tries desperately to hold on to whats left of his human life. And the pure agony of her hair growing back every time she cuts it that scene felt so tragic, the betrayal of her true self by her own body.

@mdzsnet | MDZS Network’s Anniversary Requests ⤷ requested by anonymous: Wangxian + Shrike

I couldn’t utter my love when it counted Ah, but I’m singing like a bird ’bout it now I couldn’t whisper when you needed it shouted Ah, but I’m singing like a bird ’bout it now — Shrike (Hozier)

Rio and Agatha - Star Crossed Lovers

Happy birthday Wei Wuxian!

I'm so happy to share my first playlist about this amazing character!

Timestamps are on the way

Absolutely true. Because Flint and Madi were just two birds of a feather. They learned it slowly, through hard experiences I'd say, but they definitely understood it (and each other) by the end of it. How great the two of them would have been in leading that war together! And what greater evidence of this is the knowing look they share after Madi's rescue in ep.XXXVIII?

And the sadness Madi shows at the end, learning of Flint's departure, how true that was! Either she thought he was dead or not, the point is that she felt on her own skin the same desperation and defiance he must have felt seeing their war and all their effort going to waste, because she felt the same -if not worst. She felt that losing that, for him, would have been just like dying, as it was for her.

So yeah, that's why I'll never forget Silver for what he did. He loved her by cutting away her wings, he locked her in a cage just to protect her, and how can you do that to someone whose life is lived in the name of freedom? I can't accept that.

For how I see it, he never deserved her nor her trust.

Y'know, something that's very elucidative to me regarding John Silver's character, and in a way Flint's character, is that despite him not being the one in a romantic relationship with Madi (in fact I believe his dynamic with her is more of a brothers-in-arms, united for the same cause, that later transforms into something bordering on a mentor/pupil dynamic or even almost a father/daughter dynamic but not quite), Flint ended up understanding Madi as person FAR better than Silver ever did, or could.

So much so that Flint knows Madi would never allow anything to jeopardize the start of the war or its success: not her own life, not Silver's life, nor any promises of safety for her people and her people alone in her maroon encampment - nothing. And he's right! Madi herself confirms it to Woodes Rogers toward the end of S04. Silver might have fallen in love with Madi, but he never actually saw her. And if there ever was an instance when he did, I don't think it was voluntary and it only fed into his own selfish desire to protect her at all costs, not just to himself but to her, too.

Silver also knew she would stop at nothing for the revolution, he knew that even if she were to die, they would make a martyr of her and she would have been fine with that because even dead, she would have accomplished what was necessary, which was to make the war explode and the revolution set in motion. Where Silver failed but Flint did not, was that he was more scared of losing her than he was of losing the war. Which is very human for someone who is definitely not as idealistic as either Flint or Madi, but still selfish and in a way, cruel.

Flint and Madi understood each other completely and made this silent pact to do anything to make their plans go forward, always with the intent to keep each other safe whenever possible, but willing to let the other die if all other options had run out, and they would hold no grudges toward each other should it come to that and they happened to survive. And Silver... Silver didn't. He loved Madi with all his heart, but he never understood her. Not enough to respect her wishes, anyway.

Oookay I think it would fun if you could do a fic where the reader has a crush on Riley and is part of same social circle as Riley and Harper so she knows what Harper did to Riley and also knows how Abby was lowkey using Riley for comfort only to go running back to Harper. So the reader is comforting Riley and telling her she deserves better but ends up confessing her feelings for Riley in the process of that and it escalates from there.

At last! What can I say, this turned out to be a pure lesbian romcom, I hope you enjoy it.

Closer

Riley Johnson x Reader (Happiest Season) Warnings: go figure, but there are none. Word count: 3.1K

‘So my parents were so attached to me believing in Santa that, even after years went by and I stopped believing, and they knew about that, still we just kept the charade going,’ said Riley.

‘Yeah,’ the blond girl sitting next to her nodded, staring into the void.

‘They were struggling, and I just felt so bad for them—that I eventually murdered them.’

‘Sounds fun,’ Abby muttered without even looking at Riley.

‘Ahem…hello?’ Riley ran her hand in front of the girl’s eyes.

‘Sorry I just…I think I need to go—’ Abby looked confused and all over the place.

'Hey, what’s happening?’

Riley got vexed as she really was trying to cheer Abby up and be there for her, knowing that being among Harper’s family on Christmas Eve could be quite a challenge, especially if you’re taken hostage and forcefully pushed back into the closet again.

‘It’s just…I was going to propose, but now it feels like she’s a totally different person. Like with me and here with her parents and…Connor.’

‘Welcome to the club,’ Riley chuckled.

‘What happened with you by the way? Harper was vague about that.’

‘Well, in school we were really close for years, like, inseparable, and in the freshman year we became…more than friends,' Riley rolled her eyes. ‘But then her friend suspected something, and Harper freaked out and told everyone that I was like obsessed with her, and she basically outed me in front of the school, which made my life awful for a while.’

‘Fuck, I’m sorry, I didn’t know that…’ Abby was genuinely shocked right now, discovering another layers of her girlfriend’s past.

‘It’s alright, it was a long time ago,’ Riley shrugged and took a sip of the red wine.

‘Do you believe people change?’ Her face was almost pale with tears in her eyes, ready to burst any second.

‘Honestly, I have no idea. How about we get you a real drink?’

‘Sounds good, thanks,’ Abby said as she gave her a nod with a strained smile and continued piercing her gaze at Harper, who was talking enthusiastically with Connor near the Christmas tree.

***

As she walked over to the bar to fetch drinks, you finally saw her up close. Riley was at arm's length and looking stunning as always. You'd wanted to talk to her for quite a long time, but it hadn't been easy since she'd been chatting with Abby furtively in the corner of the room all evening; besides, there was a bunch of people here, mostly former classmates with their families, who were eager to know everything that had happened in your life while you'd been out of town. By and large, everything that was going on at this posh party seemed bizarre and uneasy, and there was some kind of lesbian drama in the air.

You left this town first thing after graduating, and normally spent Christmas with your friends in New York, but this time decided to visit just to check up on your old parents. You didn’t have the best relationship with them, especially after your awkward coming out, but it was actually good to be there for Christmas, get lost in a crowd of familiar faces and some childhood memories. Plus, someone in a group chat said Riley would be there. You came across her post on insta and thought that…It’s probably stupid, but this Christmas you were free like a river and lonely as a wolf, so why not take a chance?

Seeing those people conjured up high school memories, especially the year Harper outed Riley in front of the students. It had been horrible, to say the least, and suddenly you remembered it so clearly, as if it had happened yesterday. You wanted to stand up for Riley then, but unfortunately you didn't have the guts to do so in those days, and you were still processing your own sexuality. Given what you saw happening to gay people at school, it goes without saying that you were shit scared of those bullies. Whatever the case, you did your best to show Riley that you were on her side and never made fun of her. Still, being a shy little person, basically a wallflower, you probably didn't get her attention, so she was unlikely to remember you.

She was now a few inches away, and the scent of her sandalwood perfume hit you hard, provoking a faint panic attack inside you.

‘Hey, Riley,’ you uttered awkwardly.

‘Sorry, I’m so clumsy,’ she said, trying not to spill the drinks, ‘hi!’ She bestowed her perfect smile upon you.

‘It’s Y/N, from a freshman year, you probably don’t remember.’ 

‘Of course I do! It’s been a while since you’ve visited this godforsaken place, right?’ Riley said.

‘It’s actually cute out there. I mean…almost poetic pastoral, isn’t it?’ You faintly chuckled, giving her a subtle flirtatious look.

‘Yeah, I know, just fooling around. Can you believe they are still doing that ‘white elephant’ thing?’

‘I think I missed that stuff. Living in New York, you know…’

‘Oh yeah, that explains a lot,’ she playfully pouted and shook her head exaggeratedly.

‘Well, I guess being there on Christmas, kinda comes with the territory,’ you said.

‘When in Rome…’ she smirked.

‘Do what Caldwells do.’ Then you both laughed, still figuring out the mood of this small talk. 

You blushed in a second, as you saw her laughing at your jokes. How could she be so gorgeous all the time? Years later, it only got hotter—a sexy brunette with sharp eyes and a deadpan expression. You could barely pull yourself together and put words in sentences, but on the outside you seemed to be nailing it.

‘Sorry, I should—’ she pointed to the lounge as she had beed expected by someone. 

‘Oh, I didn’t mean to distract you,’ you briefly apologized with a dash of disappointment on your face.

‘It’s fine, it’s just…’

She glanced back again and realized that Abby was suddenly gone.

‘Hm,’ she looked a bit lost.

‘Everything alright?’

‘Actually, I think I need a breather. Do you mind?’ Riley tilted her head pointing at the front door.

'Absolutely not!’ You tried your best not to show your childish excitement.

Looked like the party had just started.

***

You both snuck through the crowd and went outside of the house. It was cold, but the fluffy snow lying softly on the porch surface and the Christmas decorations of the Caldwell's upscale home with warm lights, wreaths and mistletoe made it look like some Hallmark fantasy. But you couldn’t take your eyes off Riley’s beautiful features and her perfect curled strands, slightly blowing in the wind.

‘Sorry if it's none of my business, but Abby and Harper?’ You finally brought up the elephant in the room. 

‘Hm?’ Riley looked a bit puzzled. 

'I mean, something is obviously off. Harper is still in the closet, isn’t she?’

Riley was probably figuring out if she was supposed to gossip about them.

‘Yeah, she surely is.’

‘Frankly, I don’t care about what’s going on with Harper, it’s just…I’m so sorry about what happened back in school.’

‘That’s okay, it doesn’t matter now,’ she stuttered.

‘It does matter, Riley. What she did was unforgivable. Period.’

‘You think so?’ She looked at you rather carefully and surprized.

'I’m sure there were ways to get out of that situation, but she chose to betray you. And…I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you. It frightened me so much, that I was sitting in my own closet until graduation,’ you said, realizing that you had just come out in front of Riley.

‘Oh, so you’re…’ Riley’s face broke into a sincere smile.

‘I’m gay, that’s right,’ you chuckled with a relief, ‘and watching you confronted everyone helped me accept myself earlier, so thank you for that.’

‘Basically I was forced, but you’re welcome,’ she chuckled, ‘besides, it was enough not to be bullied by at least one normal person there.’

‘And as I said,’ Riley added, ‘it doesn’t matter now. Honestly, that made me even stronger, so I should probably thank Harper for that.’

You felt the blood boiling in your veins. No way Harper will benefit from her own shit. Of course, you knew what Riley meant, but nevertheless, you felt jealous.

Suddenly, you heard some screams and sounds of breaking and instinctively ran inside the house.

***

‘Harper is a lesbian!’ Sloan shrieked, adjusting her messy hair. Seemed like you had almost missed a once-in-a-lifetime Caldwells performance.

For a while, there was a total silence that heavily hung in the living room, stealing everybody’s breath.

‘She’s…she’s lying!’ Harper screamed, looking embarrassed, though all you can feel now was rage. You looked sideways at Riley, and her face spoke for herself. 

As you said, people less likely to change. Especially Caldwell people.

Guests started to leave and you briefly took your coat and were standing in the doorway, waiting for Riley to join you; but she walked up to Harper as if to say something in private.

***

‘Great party,’ Riley grinned gazing at Harper, standing alone in the middle of the hall. It was hard to tell whether she was sorry for what had happened, or pleased with kind of a payback for the old days. But knowing Riley, it was probably the first one. 

‘Oh yeah…’ Harper mumbled sheepishly.

‘You okay?’ Riley asked softly.

‘I’m so sorry,’ she said with her reddened cheeks.

Riley looked right through her eyes and suddenly put her hand out to shake. 

‘She’s a really good one,’ she pursed her lips and nodded her head in Abby's direction who was standing not far away with her friend. Harper was trying hard not to burst into tears.

Riley said goodbye to other members of the Caldwell family and approached the doorway; you handed her a coat and finally you both left the house. Yet you felt that something was odd.

***

‘Is everything fine?’ you cleared your throat, breaking the silence as you walked toward the main road.

‘Yeah,’ she sighed, ‘maybe just some flashbacks or whatever.’

‘I can imagine. She’s such a coward.’

‘Well, that’s her family. She couldn’t have it any other way,’ Riley seemed to defend Harper, and you had been trying your hardest not to rant and rave.

‘I don’t know,’ you let out a loud sigh.

‘What?’

‘Am I supposed to react the way I want?’

'Yes, Y/N, you’ve been thinking too loud,’ she chuckled.

‘Okay. I get it, it’s hard to be out to parents like hers, but why the hell inviting your girlfriend to the family party, where you’d need to hide her from everyone? I think Harper’s an asshole, let alone she never said sorry to you after what happened. But you are so kind to her, feeling sorry for her even now…I mean, you must have been really in love with her. Like really—’

‘Hey that’s sweet. Thank you, Y/N,’ she gazed at you as you were walking down the road under the falling snow. ‘I guess, I left that school stuff behind and buried it deep down, trying not to think about it for a hell of a lot of time. But now it was like it triggered something.’

‘Don’t you feel angry?’

‘Somehow I don’t. Maybe seeing her so broken made it even. Or maybe I just know her family too much to judge. I’m lucky my parents love and accept me, it’s a privilege, you know. That’s why I forgave Harper long ago.'

‘Anyway, I wish I kicked her ass back then at school!’ you still couldn’t let it go being emotional.

‘That’s cute!’ she laughed, ‘I’ve never been fought over before!’

‘I’m fucking serious. You have a big heart, Riley. You deserve to be with someone who shouts their love for you from the rooftops,’ you blurted it out.

Riley giggled but remained silent, only the slight blush on her cheeks giving her away.

‘Do you wanna go somewhere, like to grab a drink or whatever? My folks are gonna sleep early, so I’m totally free,’ you said trying not to make it too obvious that you were hitting on her all evening. But probably it was a little too late for that.

‘I thought you’d never ask,’ Riley smirked and took you under her arm. The proximity sent waves of warmth and shivers to your body, and you couldn’t help but grinned as if you were in high school again and you’d just asked her out.

‘There’s one tiny problem,’ you said, ‘I don’t know any decent places in this town.’

Riley just laughed and said: ‘Leave it to me, baby.’ And that baby immediately turned you on.

***

A guy with rainbow makeup in a sparkling silver jacket opened the door, welcoming you to a local queer bar. There was a Christmas drag show, and lots of people were standing close to the scene, but gladly there were a couple of free tables. Riley ushered you to one of them, and in a minute, the rainbow host fetched you two glasses of champagne.

‘Compliments from a bar, Merry Christmas, darlings!’ he said in a high-pitched voice and disappeared into a dimly lit space with a haze of rainbow-lit light.

The music was loud and you needed some time to adjust to the atmosphere; Drag Queens were singing Christmas carols alternating with Lady Gaga songs, and everything was a far cry from the previous ‘party’, so it took just a few moments to forget about what happened before and to switch to a cheerful mood.

One of the queens approached your table and handed to you a glitter eyeshadow in a tiny box:

‘Everyone’s slaying today, don’t be shy, lovebirds!’ she said.

You looked down, nervously giggling, but Riley took the glitter without hesitation and gazed at you.

‘Want some?’ 

You shrugged and leaned over her, but the table was wide and Riley quickly moved to your side.

‘Close your eyes,’ she was bossing you around.

In a moment, you felt her delicate fingers touching your face, covering it with soft glitter. She was so close to you, that you could feel her fragrance and her breath on your face—it gave you a huge vertigo; not to mention that she was cool with the queen calling you lovebirds. Perhaps it was silly, but you got the impression that maybe she wouldn’t mind.

‘You’re so beautiful,’ she said, observing her artwork on your face.

‘So do you.’

‘Not yet! I need you to help me with this as well,’ she said, closing her eyes and preparing her face for a makeover.

‘Eyelids?’

‘Wherever you want, I trust you.’

It was an amazing opportunity to legally study her face and touch her skin. Luckily, she didn't know about your crush on her, which had escalated to oblivion over the day. 

She opened her eyes as you finished—silver sparkles were glowing on her skin, paving the way from her eyelids to her temples.

‘You look fabulous, Riley,’ you gasped, ‘do you mind?’ You took your phone to take a selfie.

‘Definitely not!’ she responded, ‘I need evidence that we’re slaying anyway.’

She pressed her face against yours while looking at the camera, and at this point, you were calculating your moves, trying to tread carefully so as not to spook her.

‘I’m so glad I bumped into you, Y/N, and that you happened to be in town this Christmas.’

‘Oh, the pleasure is all mine,’ you couldn’t believe that you were actually on a date with her, and something told you that this was the perfect moment to reveal the cards.

‘You know,’ you muttered, ‘I’ve been dreaming of meeting you this holiday, to be honest.’

‘Really?’

You took a little pause.

Was it the vibe of this bar or the Christmassy mood or champagne or whatever, you suddenly felt brave enough to caress her cheek, slowly moving your hand to twist her hair around your fingers.

Riley just smirked, gazing at you up and down, teasingly sliding her tongue along the inside of her mouth. You’ve taken your shot, but still were a bit uncertain about her feelings and too scared to say a word right now.

No words needed, in a while you felt her body respond as she leaned in and pressed her lips against yours. You swiftly cradled her face and returned a long, passionate kiss, cherishing the precious moment. Riley grasped your wrists softly, caressing them, while deepening the kiss, sending twists to your core. At last, you broke away to gaze into each other's eyes.

The glitter smeared all over your faces, with some landing on your eyelashes, creating a shimmering blur when you looked at Riley's face. She kissed you on the lips a few more times and said:

‘Dance with me.’

She stood up and took your hand, and in the blink of an eye you were on the dance floor. ‘Closer’ by Tegan and Sara was coming from the speakers, and Riley was seductively singing along, staring at you with her big brown eyes:

All I wanna get is, a little bit closer

All I wanna know is, can you come a little closer

She waved you over with her hand, swayed her hips to the beat, and flipped her hair to the other side. You were utterly spellbound by her moves, and her lips drew you in like a magnet.

So let’s make things physical

I won’t treat you like you’re oh so typical

On impulse, you put your hands on her hips, pressing against her body, merging with Riley in a hungry kiss as if you were doing it for the first time; and then she smiled and kissed you again and again and again, and you just couldn't get enough of her, bewildered like a teen at the queer prom, dancing with the homecoming queen.

‘You’re such a good kisser, baby,’ Riley whispered closely to your ear, so you could hear her through the loud beats of the music. 

‘And you’re such a good dancer, hot stuff,’ you took hold of her waist, so she was just a hair’s breadth away, her perfume intertwining with yours.

Finally the song was over, but you were still standing in the middle of the room, kissing under the disco ball reflecting iridescent colors. She wrapped her arms around you, running her fingers through your hair and giving you a beckoning smile, and you felt like the happiest person in the whole world at what was truly the happiest season.

***

You will care. Someday, you will care.

Re-reading Treasure Island and this (incredibly ableist) quote from pg. 30(?) really struck me. And all I could think of was how Silver saw himself after losing the leg and struggled, even when he was at the height of his power - but his allies never saw him as lesser for it. Only Civilization did... Would that haunt him, too? I thought that having a s1-inspired Silver in contrast with that quote was particularly meaningful.

Textless version under the cut.

"But I hear other voices. A chorus of voices. Multitudes. They reach back centuries. Men and women and children who lost their lives to men like you. Man and women and children forced to wear your chains. I must answer to them.

And this war, Flint’s war, my war, it will not be bargained away to avoid a fight. To save John Silver’s life, or his men’s, or mine.”

I’d like to start from this beautiful speech from Madi to explain why I think Madi is the war itself. Why she was exactly what Flint needed to start fighting it and why she couldn’t be further away from Silver as a person.

Just because I rewatched the final ep. today and I feel the need to honor the one who lost part of herself in this and to reason about the dynamics among the two persons who might have changed the world and the one who kicked that hope back into the dark corner of the untold.

As always, Flint and Silver’s conversation at the end of ep.XXXVIII made me think A LOT. First time I guess I was overwhelmed by emotions, but this time, between the bitterness of the betrayal and the desperation of Flint's loss, I think I started to see exactly what Silver couldn’t get about the war. Which basically is its meaning.

But let me begin with Flint, because is the character I think I know better by now and because I need to start from a warrior who is not the war itself.

Flint started by fighting a war, another one, an easier one, alongside Thomas. He found himself in that period of time, but he lost that war and the one he loved the most with it. Then he started to fight another kind of war, twisted himself in order to fit into its lines. That war was never about liberation, even if that was what he had been telling himself all along and maybe what he hoped he could eventually accomplish by fighting it: it was just about revenge and something to grab in order to stay afloat. It took him to lost every hope of happiness he had left (Miranda), the last possible meaning of his life and of the person he felt he really was deep inside to see the chance for yet another kind of war. A wider one, a harder one, a most fundamental one. It took him to meet Madi. Knowing her, someone completely different from anyone he had known and fought along in the past, someone who was somehow closer to him as a person than anyone he had ever known (except maybe Eleonor, I’m talking mainly about the pirates. Thomas and Miranda were close to him but not very similar in character I’d say and maybe this is why they got along together so well), he finally had the chance to understand that he was not alone in his misery. She had the courage to be what Flint didn’t even know he could become, the fight not for the fight’s sake but for the outcome, as much as he reputed himself already excluded from it, because however he couldn’t ever be part of anything again, not in the way he had been with Thomas and Miranda. But there’s a difference between fighting just to kill and fighting to save who the one you are killing would have been willing to kill, and Madi represented that change for him.

And the war represented the only meaning he was still able to give to his life.

He is defined by his past, absolutely and mainly, and this makes him both someone with valid reasons to fight and someone with reasons to stop fighting.

In the previous episode we see how Silver instead refuses to be defined by his past, which could be a good or a bad thing, depending on how one let that past influence themselves, but that in this specific situation is basically what makes him unable (just my point of view of course) to get the general meaning of that war.

He chooses to erase his experience in favor of the moment, of the future maybe, and this makes him unable (as much as he likes to affirm the contrary, which I had never agreed upon) to understand the minds of the ones who let that experience shape them. And even more, it makes him unable to understand the minds of the ones who don’t need to have cruel experiences behind them in order to feel the fight. That is, Madi.

To link with my previous post ( https://www.tumblr.com/dragonsinthedarkness/758840316125216768/from-the-moment-he-started-speaking-i-couldnt?source=share ), in that infamous conversation in the last ep. Silver confesses he felt the war only (or especially, but I’d say only) when he lost Madi, because he felt the need to honor her sacrifice, avenge her lost and everything Flint had been doing for years, and the point is that that war was EXACTLY that. It was answering to the multitudes of voices who had undergone all that suffering and that demanded justice for it. It was trying to accomplish that as few others as possible could undergo that same fate.

And the point I want to make is that Madi was not only a warrior but the war itself because she felt those voices and the need to answer to them EVEN IF she had never personally experienced such tragedies. She was raised with the Guthries, then in the camp, she had probably even had the chance to be happy in her childhood, but this didn’t prevent her from developing the knowledge of that evil or the responsibility to fight it as leader of her community and as sisters of all the ones who had suffered before and may suffer again.

She wasn’t defined by her own past, but she brought on her shoulders the most painful and important legacy and decided to honor it.

And one may ask for justice for what happened in their own lifetime with a single chance of succeeding, that can make a great warrior of them, but those voices REACHED BACK CENTURIES, as she said. Her justice, their justice, would have been hopeless as long as something bigger as that war started to change things, and this is exactly what Silver couldn’t understand.

Now of course I know changes don’t happen overnight because “the world is too strong for that”, but I’m talking about their reality in that age right now and I think that as much as a war couldn’t have probably changed things, it would have been a beginning at least. A scream echoing in the night of their existences who would have maybe be heard, and as long as even a single person was able to gain goodness from it, it wouldn’t have been in vain.

As I believe all their efforts had not been in vain, despite the outcome.

For one hour, a month or a year (to improperly quote Silver) of freedom.

For one single moment of victory, of light in the dark.