Chapter 1\/? @ AO3<\/a><\/p>
.<\/p>"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:garnettrees:216870","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/216870.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=216870"}}],"title":"Lieder Ohne Worte (Songs Without Words) 2\/5 [Charles\/Erik, A\/B\/O, Space-Opera, NC-17]","published":"2017-06-21T01:00:48Z","updated":"2017-06-21T01:00:48Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"x-men"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"slash"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"charles\/erik"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"fanfiction"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"first-class"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"my-mom-would-kill-me"}}],"content":"Lieder Ohne Worte (Songs Without Words) 2\/5<\/b>
by Meredith Bronwen Mallory (garnettrees)<\/i>
Rating:<\/b> Mature
Disclaimer:<\/b> X-Men, all associated characters and imagery are all property of Marvel Comics. I make no money by writing this, and intend no disrespect.
Trigger Warnings:<\/b> Dub-con inherent in a\/o heat situations, arguing as foreplay, fictional society\/religion enforcing power dynamics and associated discrimination, author read _way_ too much pulp Sci-Fi at an impressionable age. Angst. Cliches associated with a\/o universes\u2013 pride? My Id knows not this \u2018pride\u2019 of which you speak. ^_~
Additional Warnings:<\/b> author\u2019s questionable world building.
Summary:<\/b> Charles Xavier, former freedom fighter and member of a fledgeling interstellar democracy, returns home early to surprise his bondmate. A simple enough proposition, if not for the fact his mate is Erik Lehnsherr\u2013 convicted saboteur, Separatist leader, assassin\u2026
And the most notorious omega in the galaxy. <\/i>
<\/p>
<\/p>
Chapter 2\/5 @ AO3<\/a><\/center><\/p>"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:garnettrees:216739","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/216739.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=216739"}}],"title":"[fic] Love Like Winter 10\/? (Fantasy AU, Charles\/Erik, Mature)","published":"2017-03-29T12:05:18Z","updated":"2017-03-29T12:05:18Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"x-men"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"charles\/erik"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"fanfiction"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"first-class"}}],"content":"Love Like Winter<\/b><\/i> 10\/?
by Meredith Bronwen Mallory (garnettrees)<\/i>
Rating:<\/b> Mature
Disclaimer:<\/b> X-Men, all associated characters and imagery are all property of Marvel Comics. I make no money by writing this, and intend no disrespect.
Trigger Warnings:<\/b> Captivity, obsession, depictions of battle (mostly with fantasy elements)
Additional Warnings:<\/b> author's questionable world building
Summary<\/b>: \"Once, when all the world was green and young, there lived two very different little boys...\"
Now these boys have grown, thrust onto a political battlefield filled with long-held grudges and secret motives. Charles has spent the majority of his adult life studying and teaching the finer points of spell casting.
Erik... Erik fights for what is his.
[ Love Like Winter 10\/? @ AO3<\/a> ]
<\/center>
."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:garnettrees:216550","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/216550.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=216550"}}],"title":"[fic] The Future Starts Slow 2\/? (Charles\/Erik, Serial Killer AU, M)","published":"2016-07-02T13:12:23Z","updated":"2016-07-03T01:56:50Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"x-men"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"slash"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"charles\/erik"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"fanfiction"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"first-class"}}],"content":"Title: The Future Starts Slow<\/b><\/i> 2\/?
by Meredith Bronwen Mallory (garnettrees)<\/i>
Rating:<\/b> M
Disclaimer:<\/b> X-Men, all associated characters and imagery are all property of Marvel Comics. I make no money by writing this, and intend no disrespect.
Trigger Warnings:<\/b> Serial Killer!AU (further details within)
Summary<\/b>: Charles Xavier has survived abuse, the murder of his parents, and the car-cash that almost cost the lives of both himself and his cousin, Tony Stark. Now almost eighteen, Charles is distinguishing himself in the Behavioral Psychology department at MIT, determined to make his name into a symbol of what he is and what he knows, not merely of what's happened to him. His world has entered a predictable pattern, until a prison break and childhood promise converge to remind him that no man may dictate his own future, and the seeds that persist most strongly often start out slow.<\/i>
For Lo! My Own Shall Come To Me<\/a><\/b> .<\/center>"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:garnettrees:211943","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/211943.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=211943"}}],"title":"Falling Skies 5x01: Taking Me Back to the Feminist Rage of My College Days","published":"2015-06-30T00:30:58Z","updated":"2015-06-30T00:31:56Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"falling-skies"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"feminism"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"aliens"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"sci-fi"}}],"content":"*****[MASSIVE SPOILER ALERT]*****<\/b>
This story is dedicated to Carly, who suggested The Kill's \"Future Starts Slow\" in relation to The Singer, Not The Song<\/a>. It was perfect, but it also inspired this story, too.
[ The Future Starts Slow 2\/? @ AO3<\/a> ]
<\/center>
."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:garnettrees:216219","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/216219.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=216219"}}],"title":"[fic] Peaceable Kingdom 1\/1 (XMA: Charles\/Erik, background Erik\/Magda)","published":"2016-06-10T21:19:23Z","updated":"2016-06-10T21:20:32Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"x-men"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"slash"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"charles\/erik"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"fanfiction"}}],"content":"Title: Peaceable Kingdom<\/b><\/i> 1\/1
by Meredith Bronwen Mallory (garnettrees)<\/i>
Rating:<\/b> PG-13
Disclaimer:<\/b> X-Men, all associated characters and imagery are all property of Marvel Comics. I make no money by writing this, and intend no disrespect.
Trigger Warnings:<\/b> Vague Holocaust references, brief period-appropriate racism regarding Romani in Poland, possible abuse of parentheticals.
Summary<\/b>: \"Give him to me,\" En Sabah Nur intones-- cool, patient, thick in eternity. \"This one last loved thing. Surely, if you loved them<\/u> then this telepath is a small thing to ask. Let go of it, sacrifice it, and all the pain will stop.\"<\/i>
An expansion on the scene just prior Charles' abduction in XMA. Erik's most dire choices are motivated by a depth of love, not cruelty. En Sabah Nur knows just how to exploit this to obtain that which will make him<\/i> truly all-powerful.
[ Peaceable Kingdom 1\/1 @ AO3<\/a> ]
<\/center>
."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:garnettrees:215832","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/215832.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=215832"}}],"title":"[fic] Afterimage 2\/? (Star Wars; Padme\/Vader, Intertrillogy, Rated M)","published":"2016-05-18T23:39:10Z","updated":"2016-05-18T23:39:10Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"star-wars"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"fanfiction"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"feminism"}}],"content":"Title: Afterimage<\/b><\/i> 2\/?
by Meredith Bronwen Mallory (garnettrees)<\/i>
Rating:<\/b> Mature
Disclaimer:<\/b> Star Wars, all associated images and characters are the property of corporate entities possessed also of a great many lawyers. I intend no infringement.
Summary<\/b><\/u>: The body of Senator Naberrie never made it to Naboo, seized en route by the newly minted Imperial fleet. With all vows broken save one, Vader intends to collect upon the very debt that swayed him to the Dark Side and uncover the power Darth Plagueis once knew.
This is the cautionary tale of Padme's second life.
Afterimage 2\/?<\/a>
.<\/i><\/i>"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:garnettrees:215785","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/215785.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=215785"}}],"title":"[fic] Th Future Starts Slow 1\/? (Charles\/Erik, Serial Killer AU, M)","published":"2016-04-26T23:28:43Z","updated":"2016-04-27T00:03:50Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"x-men"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"slash"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"charles\/erik"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"fanfiction"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"first-class"}}],"content":"Title: The Future Starts Slow<\/b><\/i> 1\/?
by Meredith Bronwen Mallory (garnettrees)<\/i>
Rating:<\/b> M
Disclaimer:<\/b> X-Men, all associated characters and imagery are all property of Marvel Comics. I make no money by writing this, and intend no disrespect.
Trigger Warnings:<\/b> Serial Killer!AU (further details within)
Summary<\/b>: Charles Xavier has survived abuse, the murder of his parents, and the car-cash that almost cost the lives of both himself and his cousin, Tony Stark. Now almost eighteen, Charles is distinguishing himself in the Behavioral Psychology department at MIT, determined to make his name into a symbol of what he is and what he knows, not merely of what's happened to him. His world has entered a predictable pattern, until a prison break and childhood promise converge to remind him that no man may dictate his own future, and the seeds that persist most strongly often start out slow.<\/i>
This story is dedicated to Carly, who suggested The Kill's \"Future Starts Slow\" in relation to The Singer, Not The Song<\/a>. It was perfect, but it also inspired this story, too.
[ The Future Starts Slow 1\/? @ AO3<\/a> ]
<\/center>
."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:garnettrees:215480","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/215480.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=215480"}}],"title":"[fic] Underneath Your Tide 5\/? (dark Beach AU, Charles\/Erik, NC-17) [sequel to Night Ocean]]","published":"2016-03-24T11:07:20Z","updated":"2016-03-24T11:07:20Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"x-men"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"night-ocean"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"charles\/erik"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"fanfiction"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"my-mom-would-kill-me"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"slash"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"first-class"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"dark!charles"}}],"content":"Title: Underneath Your Tide<\/b><\/i> 5\/?
by Meredith Bronwen Mallory (garnettrees)<\/i>
Rating:<\/b> NC-17. I'm serious.
Disclaimer:<\/b> X-Men, all associated characters and imagery are all property of Marvel Comics. I make no money by writing this, and intend no disrespect.
Trigger Warnings:<\/b> Abduction\/kidnapping, mind control, light D\/s, sub!Erik, dub con, captivity, non-pairing character death, drugging. And the kitchen sink.
Additional Warnings:<\/b> (is is that enticements?) dark!Charles, Beach AU, service submission, fluffy D\/s, feeding kink, collaring, mind fuckery like whoa.
Summary<\/b>: Sequel to Night Ocean<\/a>. A year after the altercation on the beach-- subsequent capture by his supposedly-pacifist best friend-- Erik waits for Charles to come home from a scientific conference. On the outside, they are two like-minded individuals building a school for their kind.
Privately... Erik belongs to Charles-- absolute and non-negotiable.
Trigger Warnings:<\/b> collaring, begging during sex, discussion of hostile interspecies tactics and Erik's general blood-thirsty nature, vague references to medical\/scientific ethics violations ala DoFP, PTSD, psychic bondage, condescending sweet-talk and pet names during sex.
Additional Warnings(\/Enticements):<\/b> service top, mentions of fisting, discussion of poetry and quantum physics during sex (don't look at me like that! ^_~), anal fingering, prostate massage, forced orgasm, possessive behavior, general oral fixation.
[ Underneath Your Tide 5\/? @ AO3<\/a> ]
<\/center>
."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:garnettrees:215204","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/215204.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=215204"}}],"title":"[fic] Love Like Winter 8\/? (Fantasy AU, Charles\/Erik, Mature)","published":"2016-02-24T12:10:38Z","updated":"2016-02-24T12:10:38Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"x-men"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"slash"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"charles\/erik"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"fanfiction"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"first-class"}}],"content":"Title: Love Like Winter<\/b><\/i> 8\/?
by Meredith Bronwen Mallory (garnettrees)<\/i>
Rating:<\/b> Mature
Disclaimer:<\/b> X-Men, all associated characters and imagery are all property of Marvel Comics. I make no money by writing this, and intend no disrespect.
Trigger Warnings:<\/b> Captivity, obsession, depictions of battle (mostly with fantasy elements)
Additional Warnings:<\/b> author's questionable world building
Summary<\/b>: \"Once, when all the world was green and young, there lived two very different little boys...\"
Now these boys have grown, thrust onto a political battlefield filled with long-held grudges and secret motives. Charles has spent the majority of his adult life studying and teaching the finer points of spell casting.
Erik... Erik fights for what is his.
[ Love Like Winter 8\/? @ AO3<\/a> ]
<\/center>
."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:garnettrees:214962","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/214962.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=214962"}}],"title":"[fic] Afterimage 1\/? (Star Wars; Padme\/Vader, Intertrillogy, Rated M)","published":"2016-02-03T01:43:19Z","updated":"2016-02-03T01:43:19Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"star-wars"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"fanfiction"}}],"content":"Title: Afterimage<\/b><\/i> 1\/?
by Meredith Bronwen Mallory (garnettrees)<\/i>
Rating:<\/b> Mature
Disclaimer:<\/b> Star Wars, all associated images and characters are the property of corporate entities possessed also of a great many lawyers. I intend no infringement.
Summary<\/b><\/u>: The body of Senator Nabarrie never made it to Naboo, seized en route by the newly minted Imperial fleet. With all vows broken save one, Vader intends to collect upon the very debt that swayed him to the Dark Side and uncover the power Darth Plagueis once knew.
This is the cautionary tale of Padme's second life.
Afterimage 1\/?<\/a>
.<\/i><\/i>"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:garnettrees:214552","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/214552.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=214552"}}],"title":"[fic] And Shame the Devil 3\/? (post-DoFP, Charles\/Erik, NC-17) ","published":"2016-01-23T16:35:17Z","updated":"2016-01-23T19:50:44Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"x-men"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"slash"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"charles\/erik"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"fanfiction"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"first-class"}}],"content":"Title: And Shame The Devil<\/b><\/i> 3\/?
by Meredith Bronwen Mallory (garnettrees)<\/i>
Rating:<\/b> NC-17.
Disclaimer:<\/b> X-Men, all associated characters and imagery are all property of Marvel Comics. I make no money by writing this, and intend no disrespect.
Summary<\/b><\/u>: After Charles' strange pardon in D.C., Magneto's primary goal is to lie low and educate himself on the political changes during the time he lost. But no man endures a decade of confinement without side-effects, and Erik is not prepared to handle his own reactions, nor can he fathom Charles' intentions when the telepath summons him back to the only place he has ever been tempted to call home.
(Or, two men both bloody-minded and still in love, and a talk-- among other things-- ten years delayed.)<\/i>
Quick Note:<\/b> I've revised the summary a little bit in hopes of giving a better idea of what the story is about. I also tend to err on the side of caution for trigger warnings, but I do want to clarify a bit. The dub-con in this story is not as serious as that in 'Night Ocean', and it definitely segues from a high-handed way of making a point to consensual dynamic sex.
\u2028Additional Warnings(\/Enticements?)<\/b>: Service!Top, feeding, grooming, dom\/sub behavior, emotional manipulation, Erik's fantasies, Erik's Logic[\u2122], oral sex, nipple play, and much more to come. (You know, that kitchen sink. ^_~)
And Shame the Devil 3\/?<\/a>
."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:garnettrees:214474","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/214474.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=214474"}}],"title":"[fic] And Shame the Devil 2\/? (post-DoFP, Charles\/Erik, NC-17) ","published":"2016-01-05T00:33:42Z","updated":"2016-01-05T00:33:42Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"x-men"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"slash"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"charles\/erik"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"fanfiction"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"first-class"}}],"content":"Title: And Shame The Devil<\/b><\/i> 2\/?
by Meredith Bronwen Mallory (garnettrees)<\/i>
Rating:<\/b> NC-17.
Disclaimer:<\/b> X-Men, all associated characters and imagery are all property of Marvel Comics. I make no money by writing this, and intend no disrespect.
Summary<\/b><\/u>: After Charles' strange pardon in D.C., Magneto's primary goal is to lie low and educate himself on the political changes during the time he lost. But no man endures a decade of confinement without side-effects, and Erik is not prepared to handle his own reactions, nor can he fathom Charles' intentions when the telepath summons him back to the only place he has ever been tempted to call home.
(Or, two men both bloody-minded and still in love, and an talk-- among other things-- ten years delayed.)<\/i>
Quick Note:<\/b> I've revised the summary a little bit in hopes of giving a better idea of what the story is about. I also tend to err on the side of caution for trigger warnings, but I do want to clarify a bit. The dub-con in this story is not as serious as that in 'Night Ocean', and it definitely segues from a high-handed way of making a point to consensual dynamic sex.\u2028Additional Warnings(\/Enticements?)<\/b>: Service!Top, feeding, grooming, dom\/sub behavior, emotional manipulation, Erik's fantasies, Erik's Logic[\u2122], oral sex, nipple play, and much more to come. (You know, that kitchen sink. ^_~)
And Shame the Devil 2\/?<\/a>
."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:garnettrees:214246","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/214246.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=214246"}}],"title":"[fic] The Singer, Not the Song 3&4\/? (Space-Opera, Alpha\/Omega AU, Charles\/Erik, Mature)","published":"2015-12-03T00:51:58Z","updated":"2015-12-03T00:51:58Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"alpha\/omega"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"x-men"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"slash"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"charles\/erik"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"fanfiction"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"her id is out of control"}}],"content":"Title: The Singer, Not The Song<\/b><\/i> 3\/? and 4\/?
by Meredith Bronwen Mallory (garnettrees)<\/i>
Rating:<\/b> Mature
Disclaimer:<\/b> X-Men, all associated characters and imagery are all property of Marvel Comics. I make no money by writing this, and intend no disrespect.
Trigger Warnings:<\/b> alpha\/omega dynamics (yes, I know<\/i>), the thinly veiled gender commentary that comes with said, accidental bonding, space opera, the fic equivalent of comfort food.
Additional Warnings:<\/b> author's questionable world building
Summary<\/b>: At thirty five, Erik Lehnsherr is a successful (if unbonded) alpha, with a well-established engineering firm. He has good business partners, an interesting profession, and an omegan confidant. Of course, societal conventions have ensured they know one another only through letters, but Erik still considers Charles his closest friend.
Xavier's gender merely puts an interesting twist on their political debates.
... That is, until Charles decides to forsake all outside contact for the relative freedom of an all-omega scholar's monastery, sending Lehnsherr into an emotional tailspin.
The audience knows where Erik's bad life choices will lead him, even if he doesn't.
[ Chapter 3\/? @ AO3<\/a> ] | [ Chapter 4\/? @ AO3<\/a> ]
<\/center>
."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:garnettrees:213773","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/213773.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=213773"}}],"title":"Armistice Day (May You All Find Some Measure of Peace)","published":"2015-11-11T23:12:39Z","updated":"2015-11-11T23:12:39Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"us-army"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"personal"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"politics"}}],"content":"Reposting this, because it never stops being relevant:
We talk a lot on Veteran's Day about those who have given their service. We also talk about those Missing in Action, the the ones who are gone but never ever forgotten. We talk about the soldiers we couldn't save.
I want to talk about a different sort of loss, though. I want to talk about the soldiers who are missing even as they stand in front of us. And I won't deny there's a very personal reason that this issue is now close to my heart; I've learned a lot about it, and the most important thing I've learned is that families and soldiers need to know they're not alone.
(Trigger warnings for sexual assault, PTSD, suicide, depression, trauma.<\/i>)
I want to tell you a story. This story is happening right now-- it happened five minutes ago, and it will happen again an hour hence.
While you are reading these words, this story is breaking someone's heart.
There is a mother in Missouri. Single mom, IT specialist. She's heating up a late dinner, cell phone tucked carefully in her pocket. When it rings and vibrates, it plays the special tune she has selected for her daughter, an Air Force officer stationed in Germany.
There is a father in Washington state. He's washing up after doing some chores outside. After all, there's no need to have dirt smeared on his face when he 'Skype's with his princess. He never wanted his daughter to join the Marines-- for the love of God, women are only six percent of the Corps! -- but there's no denying he's proud of her. They fought over it for months but, when she graduated from Basic Combat Training, he saw a woman and a soldier he was honored to have raised. She's at Fort Benning, training for Intelligence.
There is a sister in San Diego. She works the night shift, but she leaves her cell under her pillow, volume turned up high. Her big brother is in Afghanistan, working Transportation, and by no means able to call on a regular basis. But he's out there, lodged in a combat zone the way her heart is lodged in her throat. Every breath she takes is a prayer for his safety. What if he should be able to call, and she misses it? She is determined to be there on the other end of the line.
There is a wife in New York. She's tucking her children into bed, in the dim light of the streets and their glow-in-the-dark stars. It's been a long day, but it almost always is. She's a clerk at a law office in down-town Manhattan, and sometimes she thinks the commute exhausts her before she even makes it to her desk. She kisses the little ones, sweet dreams. Her laptop sits in the living room, all fired up and ready to go. She doesn't need video-chat to IM with her husband, but she likes being able to see his face. His ship is in port at Norfolk; it's win-win when they can have privacy and visual contact at the same time.
The mother's phone will ring, as will the sister's. The father and the wife will watch the blue 'chat' icon bounce and dial. This is the last moment of peace they will have.
What is on the other end? There's an Air Force officer who just spent an hour scrubbing her skin raw in the showers. There's a Marine who has been sitting on the edge of her barracks bed, contemplating her side-arm; this is the shape of it, the weight of it. I wonder how it tastes. There's an Army private in Afghanistan, who has spent the last three days trying to tell himself nothing happened, nothing _happened_ goddamn you. There's a pair of bloody underwear stuffed in the deepest corner of his duffle bag. There's a husband, freshly shaven, who applied that straight razor with a creeping sort of wonder; if he applied just a _little_ more pressure, what a bright and cheery red he would see.
The Air Force officer says, \"Mama, something happened to me.\"
\"I have to tell you,\" says the daughter, \"but I don't know how.\"
\"Please help me,\" the brother whispers, having called out of the blue, in the middle of a clear California morning. \"Please, I don't know what to do.\"
The husband sees his wife's face come up on screen. This is the girl he played Ultimate Frisbee with in college, the graduate student-bride in her hand-me-down gown. He turns his own face away in shame.
\"I was raped.\"
It was a fellow officer she often went to the gym with. It was a new guy she had fire watch with. It was someone-- or no one, please, no one because I really don't remember-- who tipped a little something extra in his drink while he was off-duty, and cornered him in the alley later. It was another solider who held him down when they were supposed to be cleaning out a storage compartment. It was someone she knew, it was someone she didn't know. It was civilian, it was another soldier. The attacker covered her mouth with his hand, kicked her in the stomach, came up from behind in the shadows, locked him in a choke-hold. The assault lasted forever; they staggered to their feet, amazed at how little time they'd lost. An hour, an eon.
She thought, \"How can I ever tell anyone?\"
He thought, \"Who will believe me?\"
In old English, to 'break with charity' means to have done someone a wrong. But a break is also a divorce, a separation from. And they are separated, these four soldiers-- from the rest of their company, from the hope of compassion, from the Esprit De Corps that is so lauded. This one may have filed a sexual assault report, and this one may have been too afraid to. This one may have stipulated reporting only if it was restricted-- protected from the eyes of command, those who would determine their careers. This one may have sat for a long time, head between his knees, wondering how the enemy-- a comrade! another sailor!-- got the jump on him. He may never even contemplated filing at all.
\t'Do men get raped?' he wonders, stifling his laughter. After all, it just happened to him; he should know. But it is also nonsense, just a collection of syllables. It is nothing that means anything to him.
\tShe asks herself over and over again, \"How could he do this to me? We _serve_ together.\" And then, \"I wonder if I can get away with taking another shower.\" It feels like she will never be clean.
They think about the dismissive attitudes of the CO they reported to, or they flinch from the memory of the pitying looks at Range Medical. They think about the questions-- endless questions-- and so much paper work, and they think about the way they feel marked. Their uniforms move over their skin and they feel more than out of body, they feel completely alone.
The sad thing is, they are. Even as the Midwestern mother sobs, even as the father clenches his fists. While the sister tries to even out her breathing and the wife sits waiting for these words-- are they English words?-- to make sense, they are alone. Air Force, Marines, Army, Navy, goddamned Coast Guard. You are expected to be prepared to kill, and you are expected to be prepared to die, but there will be no fraternal arm extended now. A wound on the battlefield? Well, leave no man behind! Here, however\u2026 here in this most intimate of violations, the troops have already moved on.
The next few months will be an acidic blur. This one will suddenly be written up for infractions she never had before, this one will be told to shut up and forget about it. This one may try to commit suicide, and this one may succeed. He can't look at her anymore-- not being as wrong as he is. He forgoes his wife's touch in favor of the razor's kiss.
Perhaps the mother will write letters, protesting her daughter's medical discharge. Reams and reams of letters; to senators, representatives, JAG and the Department of Defense. She never had a problem before, her record was exemplary, what do you _mean_ 'failure to assimilate'? The father may seethe, may demand his girl make the CO listen-- she must stand up for herself!-- not understanding that sometimes a particular qualification for command is being born with one's ears closed. The sister may fret, and call, and try so hard to give comfort from thousands of miles away. The wife may try to get her husband to talk, to stop denying anything happened and get help, to no avail. And they will get responses, so polite and carefully worded. They will get forms and phone calls and the opportunity to file complaints, but the one thing they will not get is help for their loved one.
What happens to our soldiers? Any number of things. There are drugs, reckless behavior, a new promiscuity because their body has already been defiled. There will most certainly be at least one death. (His letter says, 'My Darling. Your pain will be temporary, but my peace will last forever.' And my God, what will she tell their boys?) The cogs will turn and the sun will rise and the military-industrial complex will trundle along, discarding those it considers damaged with barely a glance to spare. Some will get help, become not victims, but survivors. If they do so, it is on their strength alone, something intrinsic in their soul. This is not the type of bravery they teach you in boot camp. Whatever they accomplish, they do so from their own strength-- it is those they served with, who turned away, that are weak.
And if this one decides to finally deuce out, shoot up, get wasted\u2026 everyone has their breaking point. The wife sits alone, between her boys' twin beds as they breathe in and out their dreams. Underneath her anger and guilt she hopes he gets the peace he expected. She hopes he's somewhere where it doesn't hurt anymore.
While I was telling you this story, it happened again. Based on current statistics, a woman is three times more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than she is to be shot by the enemy. The Department of Defense has compiled data, created an initiative, supposedly made it easier to transfer out if the offender is of the same company. These numbers are mute; for every victim brave enough to report, a second or third is discouraged by their command, or made to feel ashamed. Numbers on men are difficult to obtain, for our society ensures that they under-report. Many of these victims are discharged medically-- or dishonorably, if their command can find a reason-- and separate from their branch of service without benefits. Without help.
Right now, after the phone is hung up and the computer shut down, our soldiers will wonder what to do. One foot in front of the other, alright, okay, but how?
\tShe gets up, stores her sidearm, and does the only thing that makes sense.
\tShe puts on her uniform.
\tHe tells himself he's a man, that nothing happened.
\tHe thinks, 'Hell, a bullet is the least of my worries'.
Some Very Relevant Links:
My Duty to Speak<\/a>
Military Rape Crisis Center<\/a>
CNN.com: Rape Victims Say Military Labels Them 'Crazy'<\/a>
Reuters: Eight Women Allege Rape, Retaliation in US Military<\/a>
The Department of Defense: Safe Helpline dot Org<\/a>
<\/a>
."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:garnettrees:213685","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/213685.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=213685"}}],"title":"[fic] And Shame the Devil 1\/? (post-DoFP, Charles\/Erik, NC-17) ","published":"2015-11-10T00:36:31Z","updated":"2015-11-10T00:53:30Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"x-men"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"slash"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"charles\/erik"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"fanfiction"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"first-class"}}],"content":"Title: And Shame The Devil<\/b><\/i>
by Meredith Bronwen Mallory (garnettrees)<\/i>
Rating:<\/b> NC-17.
Disclaimer:<\/b> X-Men, all associated characters and imagery are all property of Marvel Comics. I make no money by writing this, and intend no disrespect.
Trigger Warnings<\/b>: Obvs, mind-control. Dub-con. Darkish!(or at least slightly irresponsible)Charles. Post traumatic stress disorder from everybody. Flash backs, disorientation, and readjustment difficulty typical of those suffering long-term solitary confinement. Charles dealing with his own internalized ableism. Vague Holocaust references, Shaw being a complete creep, slight references to animal torture (again, Shaw).
\u2028Additional Warnings(\/Enticements?):<\/b> Service!Top, feeding, grooming, dom\/sub behavior, emotional manipulation, Erik's fantasies, Erik's Logic[\u2122], and much more to come. (You know, that kitchen sink. ^_~)
Summary<\/b>: Having been granted Charles' strange pardon in D.C., Magneto's primary goal is to lie low and educate himself on the political changes during the time he lost. But no man endures a decade of confinement without side-effects, and Erik is not prepared to handle his own reactions-- not to mention Charles' sudden decision to forcibly summon Lehnsherr back to the only place he has ever been tempted to call home.
And Shame the Devil 1\/?<\/a>
."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:garnettrees:213368","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/213368.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=213368"}}],"title":"Happy Amber-Day! ","published":"2015-10-27T01:58:08Z","updated":"2015-10-27T01:58:54Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"femslash"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"art-post"}}],"content":"A belated but most sincere birthday present for Amber, aka minttown1<\/b>. Sorry it took so long, but I got a bit carried away with the pretty cartoon femslash. ^_~ Here's Raven Queen and Apple White from Ever After High<\/i>, older and perhaps only slightly wiser (at least one of them. ^_^). It's totally my head canon that they end up as college roommates, too. <\/a>
Click Above to Enlarge!<\/b>
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I hope you had a wonderful day, and enjoy many blessings and good fortune during your next trip around the sun! <3
-Meredith
."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:garnettrees:213039","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/213039.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=213039"}}],"title":"[fic] Forget The Present Tense 4\/? (Charles\/Erik, Inter-dimensional Romance, Mature)","published":"2015-10-07T22:49:57Z","updated":"2015-10-07T22:49:57Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"x-men"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"slash"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"charles\/erik"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"fanfiction"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"first-class"}}],"content":"Title: Forget The Present Tense<\/b><\/i> 4\/?
by Meredith Bronwen Mallory (garnettrees)<\/i>
Rating:<\/b> Mature
Disclaimer:<\/b> X-Men, all associated characters and imagery are all property of Marvel Comics. I make no money by writing this, and intend no disrespect.
Trigger Warnings:<\/b> Past substance abuse, and hopefully compassionate references to recovery from said. PAWS (post acute withdrawal syndrome), night-terrors, and brief suicidal ideation. Mentions of PTSD, both in canon timeline and outside of it. Dark humor; some cynical religious references. Period-appropriate homophobia.
Additional Warnings (enticements?):<\/b> Inter-dimensional romance, comics-level quantum physics, pseudo-science, doubles, time travel, Erik never learned to share. Even with himself. X_x
Summary<\/b>: Erik Lehnsherr has enough on his plate without delving into the supernatural or metaphysical. Two years after the injury that forced him out of the Army, he's still struggling with psychological and physical aspects of recovery. The strange dreams that comforted him in the hospital, however, have begun to take an alarming turn. He can not longer resist the draw towards a little town called Westchester, and the tantalizing possibility that Charles might be real.
Whatever it may cost him.<\/i>
[ Forget The Present Tense 4\/? @ AO3<\/a> ]
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."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:garnettrees:212755","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/212755.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=212755"}}],"title":"[fic] Underneath Your Tide 4\/? (dark Beach AU, Charles\/Erik, NC-17) [sequel to Night Ocean]]","published":"2015-09-01T22:40:43Z","updated":"2015-09-01T22:40:43Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"x-men"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"night-ocean"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"charles\/erik"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"fanfiction"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"my-mom-would-kill-me"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"slash"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"first-class"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"dark!charles"}}],"content":"Title: Underneath Your Tide<\/b><\/i> 4\/?
by Meredith Bronwen Mallory (garnettrees)<\/i>
Rating:<\/b> NC-17. I'm serious.
Disclaimer:<\/b> X-Men, all associated characters and imagery are all property of Marvel Comics. I make no money by writing this, and intend no disrespect.
Trigger Warnings:<\/b> Abduction\/kidnapping, mind control, light D\/s, sub!Erik, dub con, captivity, non-pairing character death, drugging. And the kitchen sink.
Additional Warnings:<\/b> (is is that enticements?) dark!Charles, Beach AU, service submission, fluffy D\/s, feeding kink, collaring, mind fuckery like whoa.
Summary<\/b>: Sequel to Night Ocean<\/a>. A year after the altercation on the beach-- subsequent capture by his supposedly-pacifist best friend-- Erik waits for Charles to come home from a scientific conference. On the outside, they are two like-minded individuals building a school for their kind.
Privately... Erik belongs to Charles-- absolute and non-negotiable.
Trigger Warnings:<\/b> collaring, begging during sex, discussion of hostile interspecies tactics and Erik's general blood-thirsty nature, vague references to medical\/scientific ethics violations ala DoFP, PTSD, psychic bondage, condescending sweet-talk and pet names during sex.
Additional Warnings(\/Enticements):<\/b> service top, mentions of fisting, discussion of poetry and quantum physics during sex (don't look at me like that! ^_~), anal fingering, prostate massage, forced orgasm, possessive behavior, general oral fixation.
[ Underneath Your Tide 4\/? @ AO3<\/a> ]
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.
."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:garnettrees:212686","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/212686.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=212686"}}],"title":"[fic] All Empires Laid Low 5\/? (Far-Future DOFP AU, pseudo-Dune fusion; Charles\/Erik, Mature)","published":"2015-08-19T23:37:30Z","updated":"2015-08-24T00:54:46Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"x-men"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"charles\/erik"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"fanfiction"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"first-class"}}],"content":"Title: All Empires Laid Low<\/b><\/i> 5\/?
by Meredith Bronwen Mallory (garnettrees)<\/i>
Rating:<\/b> Mature
Disclaimer:<\/b> X-Men, all associated characters and imagery are all property of Marvel Comics. I make no money by writing this, and intend no disrespect.
Trigger Warnings:<\/b> Canon Character Death (doesn't stick, I promise), dubious scientific ethics, mentions of genocide and slavery, depressed immortals, some space opera elements. Future references to sci-fi medical procedures, cloning, ect. Off-screen hunting and skinning of animals (see end notes).
Additional Warnings (enticements?):<\/b> half-hearted \"Dune\" fusion, psychic\/soul bonds, really circuitous X3 fix-it, features crazy\/besotted\/desperately-in-love-not-giving-a-damn-about-the-consquences Erik.
Summary<\/b>: \"A new species is being born, Erik. Help me guide it, shape it\u2026 lead it.\"<\/i>
No matter how much time has passed, how many hurtful words and wounds have been exchanged, the God-Emperor Magneto has fought too long and too hard to resist the ultimate temptation.
[ All Empires Laid Low 5\/? @ AO3<\/a> ]
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."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:garnettrees:212393","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/212393.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=212393"}}],"title":"[Hannibal Fanart] Rhyme (Without Reason)","published":"2015-08-01T14:07:25Z","updated":"2015-08-01T14:08:38Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"hannibal\/will"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"fan art"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"someone-help-will-graham"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"art-post"}}],"content":"Hannibal\/Will, in the style of Dr. Seuss.
... I am apparently in need of deep psychological help. X_x<\/a>
Click Above to Enlarge!<\/i><\/b>
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*hides under a rock somewhere* ^_~
-Meredith
."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:garnettrees:211984","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/211984.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=211984"}}],"title":"[fic] For Lo! My Own Shall Come To Me 4\/? (Hannibal\/Will; Mature)","published":"2015-07-13T22:52:23Z","updated":"2015-07-13T22:57:09Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"hannibal\/will"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"slash"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"fanfiction"}}],"content":"
by Meredith Bronwen Mallory
Rating<\/b>: Mature Audiences Only
Fandom\/Pairing<\/b>: Hannibal (2013)<\/i>, Hannibal\/Will
Warnings<\/b>: Every warning that could ever possibly be conceived in connection with Hannibal Lecter? Disturbing images, religious references, implied cannibalism, implied incest, youthful sexuality. Unhealthy character traits. And a fluffy mongoose. ^_^
Summary: <\/b>Based on this prompt<\/a> from the hannibalkink meme. Basically: \u201cHannibal\/Will. Soulmates. Your \u2018soulmate\u2019 is always perfect, able to understand you, and provide for your needs. Will\u2019s empathy is to ensure that he can see Hannibal\u2019s perspective.\u201d
If there is some cosmic order, a weaver at the loom of fate, there is absolutely no guarantee the master pattern is a safe or rational one. It can, however, be beautifully outr\u00e9.<\/i><\/p>
Will was born to see the design.<\/i>
Previous Chapters<\/b><\/u>:
<\/i>Chapter One<\/a> | Chapter Two <\/a> | Chapter Three<\/a>
***NEW***Chapter Four<\/a><\/b>
Last time on Falling Skies<\/i>:<\/b><\/u> Lexi had some very potent kool-aid, which Maggie is apparently still recovering from as she continues to make bad, Mason-centric life choices. (There *are* other guys in this apocalypse.) Tom Mason was Super!Tom, and declared his intentions to fly to the moon and destroy the Ashveni base all by his lonesome. Thankfully, Lexi ended up accompanying him and offed herself in order to save humanity. Thus, we are rid of one preternaturally beautiful and hypnotic alien woman\u2026. but don't worry, they've got another one waiting in the wings. X_x''
Speaking of character death, the writers seem to have declared a unanimous and enthusiastic open season on all female characters, since they picked of Jeanie (sob), Lourdes, Lexi (they get a pass on that one) and are in the process of some impressive character assassination on Maggie.<\/i>
[+] We pick right back up with Tom's \"you're beautiful\" comment, made the the vague but decidedly un-beautiful alien we see briefly in the mirror. The alien presents itself as Tom's first wife Rebecca (points for the attractive redhead, Tom, but not much else), acting out a pre-invasion memory with odd emphasis on \"eradicating cancer cells\". Mason thinks it's a dream-- the audience knows its yet another in a long line of head-fucks. faux!Rebecca tells him in a serious, meaningful voice to \"find his inner warrior\", which makes me worry that this is one of those viagra commercials where beautiful models walk alone through vacation resorts and talk to men empathetically about their erectile disfunction.
But then Woodrow Wilson shows up and the ocean floods through the windows, so everything is okay!
[+] Back on Earth, Weaver talks to Ann about her 'loss' as though he's had any time to really mourn or process. If this is the last mention we hear of Jeanie\u2026. well, I won't be surprised, but I will throw something.
[+] But it's Noah Wylie<\/strike> Tom Mason, so there was never any chance he was dead to begin with. A whole seven seconds of tension, whew. Mason comes back to camp, where Pope immediately articulates everything the audience is thinking, and the audience immediately looks for a drink because they hate agreeing with Pope on ANYTHING. At least, I do.
[+] Tom assures everyone that he does not have eye-worms (this is why I can't talk about this to people who don't watch the show ;_;) and has a strong reaction to Lexi's old hippie-dippie symbol. He had good dreams, so everything's okay, and people are happy to make excuses for him.
[+] In front of the (still to be decimated) survivors, Tom gives a rousing speak in which he encourages everyone to find their inner warrior. He brought a head to illustrate his point. (A dish to pass would have been better.)
TOM: \"A time will come when we can go back to being doctors, bricklayers, mothers\u2026\"
Seriously, was anyone in the remaining 2nd Mass EVER a bricklayer? Where did that come from?
[+] Cochise has commandeered some Volm tech, and is apparently willing to play telephone with other human resistance groups all over the globe. When they mentioned Arizona, one of my nieces turned around and said, \"they all hid underground and became Ant People.\" Which makes as much sense as anything else.
[+] Anthony, a far more interesting and under-utilized character, was all ready to win a stuffed bear, but Hal had to be a fucking show off. Again.
[+]Other things that happened over the hiatus: Matt became old enough to enlist, and Anne learned kung-fu.
[+] Where is MY MAGGIE? Where is my tough-as-nails-despite-exposed-wounds survivor? 'Cause it ain't the chick being kittenish and tolerating Hal's manhandling. My Maggie would have said 'enough with the babysitting' and told both<\/i> Mason brothers to fuck off. And then she'd have told Matt not to get any ideas.
\u2026 On the other hand, Hal's 'dick' characterization is holding steady.
[+] Tom takes strategic inspiration from his freaky dreams. Meredith is just proud she recognized Woodrow Wilson.
[+]AND THEY KILLED DENNI<\/b>!!!!!<\/i> You know, you might have been able to convince me I was just being paranoid before, but not now. I was willing to let it go, and just chalk it up to misogynist Hollywood in general, but nooooooo. Female, ethnic _and_ kick-ass--- she was doomed from the start. I am so over these sophomoric writers, so entrenched in their patriarchal narrative that they can't even see the lengths to which their subconscious egos insult, burn through, and discard female characters\u2026 never mind<\/i> the dramatic potential they waste.
Amber, we have to write our own kick-ass alien invasion show where the women are badass survivors, and various dudes (all of whom must be pretty) killed season after season to advance the 'plot'. Except, you know, we'll actually have one-- so we can focus on making the deaths creative.
*hugs Amber*
<\/a>"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:garnettrees:211606","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/211606.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=211606"}}],"title":"Hannibal 3x02: \"I count \/ the empty bottles upon the bar\"","published":"2015-06-24T22:55:30Z","updated":"2015-06-24T22:55:52Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"hannibal\/will"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"horror"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"abigail-hobbs"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"hannibal-recap"}}],"content":"Alright. More than a little behind on my recaps due to a project at work. I'm excited to be doing well (provisionally, don't want to jinx ourselves) and making a little more, but it comes with the side effect of sometimes carrying projects over into the evening. I've been working on an SQL procedure to help track stock and cut down on parts theft but at some point I apparently offended someone, because now an entire department isn't talking to me. (When I fail at human interaction, I fail LIKE A BOSS.)
So, that's the RL stress that has kept me relatively away from recapping, though I've been watching faithfully (and with many breathless screams). Let's talk about some other, far more interesting people who fail at human social interaction!
Last time, on Hannibal<\/u>:<\/b> Will is never, ever going to have a good day again. EVER. The writers are allergic to the 'Will Graham Has A Nice Day\" tag on AO3. That is all. <\/i>
[+] We open again in the Norman Chapel. I hesitate to call the filming 'blue lens', because it really achieves this otherworldly juniper color. It's as if that hospital-green has followed Will out and made it a part of his world. *shudder*
[+] ABIGAIL!!! Because Fuller is a (n extremely talented) dick, I had my doubts as to Abigail's status in reality, but I was also hoping against hope that she didn't come back at the end of season two only to be killed again. Natch. Never the less, Kacey Rohl is as gorgeous and emotive as always, and I jumped up and down when I saw her. Someone needs to write an AU where Hannibal really did take care to only cut and not kill-- like now<\/i>.
[+] And she says, so softly, \"We wouldn't leave without you\u2026\" This is the promise of family Hannibal was dangling in front of Will all through season one, and doubtless what he intended to tempt him with before the dinner party was crashed. Will obviously fears and\/or knows that he would have taken the bait-- especially considering the number of lengthy metaphysical rambles and wistful descriptions of 'other universes'.
[+] The flash back to Will's stabbing is\u2026 I'm sorry, it's just homoerotic, is all. Leaving aside the obvious phallic symbolism, I was fascinated by Hannibal's hands throughout the entire scene. He embraces Will even as he's inflicting the wound-- if you didn't know what happened moments before, it almost looks like the embrace of a soldier returning from war. He touches Will's cheek, paradoxically steadies him. There is just a lot of unnecessary touching going on, especially for a crime motivated by rage.
[+] Flashback montage continues, showing Hannibal's discussion of his memory palace (I'm glad that made its way into the show!), and his teacup metaphor. I think a great deal of Hannibal's anger and betray stems from the fact Will actually is<\/i> the dark magic he was looking for-- the element that would reverse time.
And when I heard 'a place was made for Abigail in your world', my suspicions cemented. Fuller, you are a fucking tease.
[+]So Lecter saved Abigail because he knew Will 'had a place for her'. What he giveth, he taketh away, AND Hannibal says, \"I wanted to surprise you\". In certain contexts, it really does sound like someone's disappointment in a lover's reaction to some elaborate surprise. He's really being petulant, which Bedelia keeps trying to call him on.
[+]On a far less serious note, every time I hear Hannibal's metaphor about shattered cups reforming, I have the inappropriate desire to sing 'I'm a Little Teacup'. (Animaniacs<\/u> moment: \"I'm a little teacup, short and stout, here is my handle-- and here is a note from my therapist! He says I'm getting much better. Last week, I thought I was a toaster.\"<\/i>)
[+] Also, all Will's talk of alternate universes makes me think he's been reading a leetle<\/i> too much fan fiction on AO3. Let's hope he at least read The Crystal Ship<\/a> series. If you read nothing else in the fandom, read that.
[+] I love the new solemnity and grace in every motion and line Abigail has. Even knowing the reason for it, it's some damn good acting on Rohl's part. Also loving her wardrobe-- the pine green, rust and cranberry that sets off her hair. I will echo Amber and say it's so<\/i> much better now Alana's not dressing her.
[+]I'm finding this episode much more disorienting than the last one. Who needs crack when you can just spend an hour with Will Graham? ^_~
[+] Will says that, to Hannibal, \"Elegance is more important than suffering\". That's because Hannibal thinks he's an artist, and pain is his medium.
Unfortunately, the stark truth of real life is that most evil is moronic and vapid-- perpetrated to feed ego(s) and advance agendas. We can't suffer 'elegantly' because the hand of G-d is rarely behind us--- the real atrocities are usually all on us.
Sorry, I digress. But this reminds me of Jack's \"Evil Minds\" museum in the first season, and people who want to ride into battle and confront evil with a capital 'E'. Also, I've been rereading Salem's Lot<\/i>. Father Callahan\/Stephen King says it so much better than I can.
And Abigail, in a knowing voice, asks, \"Are you talking about G-d, or Hannibal?\"
[+] We get a shot of Hannibal drawing again. I find it interesting that we've one seen him draw in lead mediums-- black and white. I wonder if it isn't a bit like mechanical rendering for him, a way of getting his hands inside something.
[+] Human being warped into a bloody heart? Dudes, what can one even say to that. It's just too easy. ;-)
[+]Oh, but you want to know what isn't easy? Looking at that damn headless stag-spawn as it lurches from the body-cocoon. I've heard others in fandom call it the Broken Hart, which is pretty cute, but at the time I was just cringing<\/i>. That's an epic level of body horror I haven't had since the bee-lobotomies in season one. X_x Kudos to the artists and animators-- it is genuinely geometrically disturbing.
Makes me kinda miss the swiggity-swag Stag.
[+]WILL: [dryly] G-d only knows where I'd be without<\/i> [Hannibal].\"
\u2026 probably in Wolf Trap with your dogs, sipping whiskey and enjoying relative sanity, darling.
[+] As the illusion of Abigail falls apart, it becomes pretty clear that Will is looking for a way into one of the \"other worlds\" he's mentioned. He's not going to succeed, but I really hope we see Abigail again. *crosses fingers*
[+]And we end the episode by juxtaposing surgery and with autopsy. If you haven't had enough body horror, CannibalsInc would like to remind you that any medical procedure is really a dress rehearsal for death.
\u2026 who nominated Will as morale officer, again?
<3
-Meredith
<\/a>
."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:garnettrees:211317","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/211317.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=211317"}}],"title":"Hannibal 3x01: \"The lies we weave are oh so intricate...\"","published":"2015-06-06T02:21:23Z","updated":"2015-06-06T02:22:06Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"hannibal\/will"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"horror"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"hannibal-recap"}}],"content":"It's that time of year again. The days are longer, the nights are hotter, and all the crafty little cannibals come out to play\u2026.
Last Season, on Hannibal<\/u>:<\/b> Will Graham and Hannibal Lecter were having a Really Excellent and Romantic adventure, before their love was derailed by general morality and the FBI. Hannibal is really upset that there won't be any more moonlit killing sprees or tender display of human organs in the kitchen, and it turns out that he's one of those people who absolutely loses their shit when you break up with them. Never woulda figured. ^_~ Will apparently concocted this plan by telling Jack he's a good fisherman-- but I _really_ don't think Crawford expected you'd be using *that* pole, darling. Alana slept with Lecter at some point, though who was substituting what for whom is up for debate at this point and, anyway, we'd need a flow chart. Abigail remained stubbornly dead, much to Meredith and Amber's dismay.<\/i>
[+] Cue artsy visual retreat from the engine of a motorcycle to the vehicle itself. It speeds through the dark outskirts of Paris, while the Eiffel Tower stands like a beckoning lighthouse. (Hey, I'm entitled to all the purple prose I want-- this show practically begs for it. To say nothing of the overwrought Dante metaphors. ^_~)
In all seriousness, Hannibal is the ultimate chameleon. I very much doubt anyone from his days as Dr. Lecter could ever have imagined him riding a motorcycle in such sleek oneness with the machine, or sporting leather and danger like it's the new black. (Oh, wait, it is. -_-''*) He strides into the room with perfect confidence. Every bone in his bone says, 'I belong here'.
[+] Some jarring shots of various aspects of the party-- wine being opened, patrons dancing, etc. Since many of Hannibal's kills\/con-jobs have been aided by his sophisticated sense of smell, you have to wonder if all of his other senses are like that, too. Is life for Hannibal a bit like that of any predator; a series of separate sensory images that only sparingly come together, like a zoetrope?
[+]A seemingly random pretentious poet type accosts Hannibal trying-- and failing-- to gossip with him. They agree that one can admire art without dissecting it. But, Hannibal adds, \"Occasionally only dissection will do.\"
Especially for scary hobbyists like you, Dr. Lecter. You make frightening Anthony Perkins-esque lepidopterists** hide behind their stuffed moms.
[+] The thing about Hannibal getting his stalk on with the motorcycle? At least the black helmet reflects a<\/i> face. Mikkelsen, as always, is absolutely brilliant at showing us in that moment before the murder just how empty that 'person suit' really is.
[+] Scenes of Hannibal cooking, filmed to please both the cinema lover and the gourmet. At this point, I have an almost pathological reaction to cooking shows. I wonder if there's a Hannibal fandom support group for that. Who knew you could be allergic to the Food Network.***
\u2026 seriously, is there anything scarier than Hannibal's beautiful meals? Bedelia is the only<\/i> (pseudo)wife in the world who comes how and says, \"Oh shit<\/i>, he's prepared a beautiful three course meal.\"
[+] So! Let's follow that up with a distressing flashback to Abel Gideon, with a heaping helping of auto-cannibalism to chase it down. He makes a valiant effort to keep up the witty banter, \"You smoked me in thyme.\" I actually like him a lot more than I did in the first season. Hmm. (This show, I tell you. While I love Raul Esparza, I only came to like Chilton about five minutes before they shot him.)
I must respectfully disagree with both Dr. Gideon and (possibly) Bryan Fuller. In order for Hannibal to be the devil, he'd have to acknowledge the whole good\/evil dichotomy-- and the good doctor clearly doesn't. *cringe*
[+] Gideon claims we ate the missing link. Possible, since a lot of prehistoric cannibalism was probably driven by necessity and then later developed religious symbolism. This Jewish chick is manfully restraining herself from any commentary about a certain ceremony involving bread and wine. See what a good girl I am?
Or maybe we bred out the missing link. We humans are a horny lot, I'm told. ;-)
[+] Hannibal helpfully summarizes the entire show for anyone who missed the first two seasons: \"It's only cannibalism if we're equals.\"<\/i>
\u2026. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you and goodnight. X_x
[+] Back in the land of technicolor film, Hannibal and Bedelia top of their perfect, soulless mockery of marriage with a perfectly choreographed and passionless dance. I've finally gotten my hands on Angela Carter's**** first novel, Shadow Dance<\/u>, and there's a line in it which perfectly describes Bedelia-- \"a ravishing automaton<\/i>\".
[+] Hannibal seems to have assumed his previous victim's identity. Ahaha, Dr. Fell. As in, \"I do not like thee, Dr. Fell.\" He gently chides Bedelia for her skittishness, remarking that he's \"barely killed at all in Florence.\" I think that may quickly be remedied by Mr. Pretentious-Wants-To-Die.
Of course<\/i>, Hannibal can quote Dante in the original Italian, from memory. Fuck you, Dr. Lecter. You probably ate the person who tried to collect on your student loans.
[+] On a strictly aesthetic note, I love that Bedelia's bathroom-- the gold\/brown\/bronze\/teal color scheme is very compelling. Not worth the creepy serial killer that goes with it, though.
[+] Gillian Anderson speaks each of Bedelia's lines as if every word and accompanying gesture is influences by four times Earth's normal gravity. She's like a fly caught in a slow-motion flow of molasses. The exhaustion makes sense to me, because I think her life is one big panic attack. ;_;
[+]From a directorial standpoint, the awkward camera views-- while jarring-- make it difficult for the audience to define themselves in relationship to the characters\u2026 well played, Fuller. Well played.
[+] And finally, we come to the giant elephant<\/strike> mongoose in the room. Hannibal neatly dodges her question with his own suspicions about her motives, adding that \"Will Graham is not a viable substitute for therapy.\"
\u2026 and, since no one saw those two crazy murder husbands cuddling in the afterglow, that's gonna be Hannibal's story, and he's sticking to it. ^_~
[+] Ahahaha, Hannibal asks Bedelia if she trusts him. Her answer is vague and politic, but the correct response is, \"No, no, for G-D'S SAKE NO!<\/i>\". She claims this is due to 'blind optimism, but I put it to you that the woman doesn't have an optimistic bone in her body. The thing about this show is, not only are the characters all lying to each other, they're also lying to themselves and all their other personalities.
[+] You know Bedelia just spent my entire week's paycheck in that damn little epiqure's boutique.
[+] Snails taste bad enough (well, it's the texture, really), but I don't think they go well with pretension. Thank you, Mr. Fuller, we've just about filled our This Is Fucked Up, Son scorecard. Who's got bingo?
The thing is, Hannibal doesn't exhibit much if any pleasure in the torture he's inflicting. He's an incredibly controlled creature of his own invention, so it makes sense that the sadist in him knows a lack of emotion will likely humiliate his victim further. All the same, he always strike me as more of a child poking at a dead cat, or a junior scientist applying electricity to a dead frog's legs to see what it will do. I honestly think obtaining these excoriating, visceral reactions from his victims is the only time there's any 'color' in his world.
[+] Meanwhile, Random Pretentious Poet Guy wants to know if it's \"that\" kind of kinky<\/strike>party.
BEDELIA: (absolute deadpan) \"It really<\/i> isn't.\"
[+] Hannibal sure does like braining people with statues, doesn't he? Kind of like the audience getting brained over the head with stag\/Dante metaphors. ^_~ I kid because I love.
[+] (The entire fandom basically suspected Hannibal of having something to do with the attack that caused Bedelia's retirement, and here we have the proof. I respectfully disagree with Lecter-- anticipating that someone will be an absolute asshole in no way means you are participating in them being<\/i> an asshole. But it does sound like something a chronic abuser would like you to believe.)
[+] Finally, in the ultimate act of condescension, Hannibal murmurs, \"What have you gotten yourself into?\", as though she's a naughty school girl, and tells her to hang up her coat. X_x
[+]Next time, on Hannibal:<\/b> An ever diminishing flash-back Gideon goads Lecter, saying \"If only that company could be Will Graham.\"
\u2026 Dear, 50,000 fanfics on Ao3 have already explored that scenario. At. Length.*****
Dang, for someone who wasn't in the episode at all, the specter of Will Graham has amazing<\/i> scene presence.
*fade to your local news*
*I'm trying to confine my bad jokes and obvious puns to three per recap. Let's so how I do.
**No offense intended towards actual lepidopterists. ;-)
***There's number two.
****The woman is freaking brilliant. She ought to have a shrine somewhere, seriously. Shadow Dance<\/u> is good but, if you read anything<\/i>, read The Passion of New Eve<\/u>.
*****But see, I didn't take that all the way, did I? <3<\/sub><\/a>
."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:garnettrees:210986","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/210986.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/garnettrees.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=210986"}}],"title":"All Together Now: 'Ohhhhhh Willlllllllll!'","published":"2015-06-05T03:09:37Z","updated":"2015-06-05T03:09:37Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"hannibal"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"hannibal-recap"}}],"content":"Detailed commentary about the Hannibal<\/i> season premiere to come (assuming Meredith typing up her hastily scribbled fangirl notes counts as 'commentary') but, for now, I can only say:
Dear Bryan Fuller,
Shit<\/i>, son.
Sincerely,
One of the Many Fans Who Thought Themselves At Least Semi-Emotionally Prepared For This Season(you bastard)<\/strike>
Ps. Abigail Hobbs lives.<\/sub>"}]}