#Ask them to potentially to endanger themselves for you

[pigeonmilk-216]

Earlier today I was having a.. discussion on whether House MD is really about two doctors in love who actually are married and they just don’t know it yet. Now, they were of the opinion that Hilson is simply fandom conspiracy and nothing more. Despite numerous assassinations attempts to take down this idea, this person would not be moved. Which left me in a state of shock, so naturally, I vowed to have a better thesis for them.

All that to say, it’s currently 3:30am and I have finished rewatching the S4 finale. So hear my thesis. You’re telling me that, a misanthropic idiot who is afraid of pain, is willing to risk his life multiple times to have a diagnosis for his best friend. Which, okay, he like his puzzles, sure. But when faced with death (for the third time) he is more worried about his best friend hating him and not being able to handle that as to continue living, when he thinks there’s nothing beyond. Mhmm. Yeah, no I see what they were getting at, totally just friends, not in some weird relationship or something. No, no not all. Sure.

[colormepurplex2]

Did It Hurt? | Prologue: The Fall

↳ FallenAngel!Taehyung x LostSoul!f.Reader ⤜ Fallen Angel AU, Strangers to Lovers ⤜ Rating: MA 🔞 ⤜ WC: 880 ⚠️ Violence, injury, judgement and punishment

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Taehyung, Sometime around the end of the 20th century, in the Divine Chamber of Justice, Heaven

“Why are we even bothering with this trial?” Phanuel asks, crossing his arms and giving his Brother a pitying look. “Is it fair to hold ourselves to a higher standard than the ones we protect?”

Amitiel harrumphs softly. “Of course we are to hold ourselves to a higher standard. We are Divine Protectors of the Heavens, pointedly above those we protect.”

“I think what Phanuel is trying to say,” comments Mitzrael, “is that there is nothing in the Doctrine about what Brother Taehyung did being unforgivable. If those we protect can be forgiven through Grace, shouldn’t we afford our Brother that same Grace?”

“I say we hand him over to our Fallen Brothers in Hell,” mutters Kushiel, ever the rigid purveyor of punishment.

Gabriel shifts where he sits at the pinnacle of the Judgement dias. “The spilling of one’s Holy Seed is different from that of a mortal’s seed. We all are aware of this. The creation of Nephilim has been strictly forbidden since the fall of Lucifer. Therefore, the act that can potentially create such a monstrosity should be punished to the fullest extent. After all, Taehyung may not have created a Nephilim, but to even act in pleasures of the flesh where that is a possibility is worthy enough of our ire. Imagine the destruction he would have wrought, untold devastation.”

There is a quiet murmur around the chamber, soft echoes of fear and agreement, Sarathiel loudest of them all.

“Do you have anything to say for yourself, Brother Taehyung?” Zadkiel asks, speaking over the hushed clamor.

Taehyung prostrates himself before his gathered Brothers, pressing his forehead to the smooth surface of the floor, wings splayed out behind him. Holding the position for a few precious moments, he gathers his thoughts before looking up and meeting all their gazes one by one until he’s focused on Gabriel. His Brother might not be the Angel of Judgement, but he’s the Leader of all Angels, which Taehyung knows holds far more sway over all the others than anyone else; he’s a leader for a reason.

“Brothers,” he begins, “I would not ask for forgiveness for such an unforgivable act. As Brother Gabriel has stated, what I did was careless, not just to myself but to all others. I endangered all that we hold Divine and Holy here. I endangered our home. But I would ask for your leniency, your guidance and deliverance. Treat me as one of the flock. Let me seek righteousness and serve a penance for my disgrace. Do not cast me into oblivion. Let me prove myself worthy.”

“We shall take that into consideration.” Sarathiel eyes Taehyung with a cold appraisal. Fear and pain burn hot in Taehyung’s chest. The few stolen moments he sought with–he can’t even think of their name without wanting to wail in mourning–have proven to be what might be his downfall; literally.

The Counsel gathers, cloistering themselves behind a hazy wall of silence. All Taehyung can do is watch them, trying to discern what words lips are forming and what the emotions flashing across his Brothers’ faces mean. Gabriel and Sarathiel seem to be leading the conversation. He can only hope they both remember their love for him in their hearts.

It could be hours, or just minutes, before the shield falls and noise eases back into the chamber, sounding far too loud after the silence. Taehyung thinks he might sickup on the floor if that’s even something Angels can do; he’s seemingly forgotten how to function at all.

The Angel of Justice, his Brother, Raquel, steps forward and gives Taehyung a sad, soft smile before beginning, “It is with heavy hearts that we, the Council of Grace and Purity, hereby sentence you, Brother Taehyung, to one hundred years of exile for breaking your Oath of Holy Divinity by seeking pleasures of the flesh and spilling Holy Seed. At the end of your one hundred years, if and only if you have found a soul seeking absolution and deliver them unto a path of justice and redemption, will you be granted back within the sanctity of this Kingdom and your wings restored. If you fail in your penance, you will feel the wrath of Divine Smite. May the Lord have mercy on your everlasting soul.”

Always so regal and poised, Michael steps forward, the tip of his great sword trailing just a breath above the floor. Taehyung couldn’t bear to look his brother in the eye for fear of seeing the disappointment there.

“Let it be known,” Michael whispers over Taehyung’s bowed head, “I take no pleasure in this, Brother.” With one felling sweep of Michael’s blade, Taehyung is rendered incomplete, severed from his proper form. White feathers fill the air, softening the cry that rips itself from Taehyung’s throat.

His Brothers watch as he plummets from the Heavens, entering a fiery free fall into an existence none of them envy. If only he had the Grace to keep his hands to himself. Though not all Angels are meant for the Heavens, that much is clear. They can only hope Taehyung finds his way once again, or Lucifer damn him, they’ll lose another to the darkness.

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[wwdits-kink-meme]

WWDITS KINK MEME

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Who are the mods? Just some adult fans who long for the insanity that was LJ back in the day.

Mod the Impaler - they/them ModMilla - she/her

[fate-motif]

i’ll finish this little detour into hell i took by making a crusher brothers fic with a retrospective.

so jack crusher jr. has all the hallmarks of a mary sue. he’s a handsome, cheeky, scrappy, english pretty boy, the children of two beloved characters for the franchise, who’s also inherited some gnarly dark side powers that reveal deep emotional wounds within. he ends up nearly dooming the franchise, causing millions of deaths, and not only does he not face consequences, we’re implicitly told his parents greased the wheels for him to move up the ladder until in one year he’s made to ensign on the federation flagship. opinion’s pretty split on him, from what i can see. it depends on whether or not you liked the season. if you didn’t, especially because you could saw it as a pretty lame attempt at glorifying the good old days, chances are you think jack fucking sucks. that’s me, actually. i think jack fucking sucks. which is interesting, because i didn’t hate him at first. but let’s leave jack aside for the moment.

wesley crusher also has all the hallmarks of a mary sue. he’s a handsome, sweet, lovable pretty boy, a child genius who gets to have unwarranted access to work on a starship for no reason except that the captain is close friends with his mother and they have it on good authority that wesley is super special and needs to be nurtured. his antics were not as catastrophic as jack’s, partly because tng was formulated more like a motw episodic scenario, but several times, wesley makes mistakes that endanger the people around him and he just gets a pass, and still gets to apply to starfleet like his mixed record on enterprise wouldn’t be a red mark against him. opinion’s pretty split on him, too, nowadays. it depends on whether or not you watched the show in real time or maybe growing up, and you had to suffer the writers get the most interesting ideas about him wrong over and over again. but i’ve seen a trend in a lot of younger fans that wesley’s not that bad. usually, propping themselves up with some of his best episodes across seven seasons and with empathy for a child character. time’s been kind to wesley.

what’s to say time isn’t going to be kind to jack? elaboration under the cut.

i can’t know that. a lot of reappraisals for fictional characters stem from social forces beyond our ability to foresee, and in wesley’s case i think it’s very relevant to talk about how commonplace gifted kid burnout has become. there’s also the infinitesimal chance that future star trek projects will include jack and portray him outside of the glowing light of nostalgia that picard s3 showered him with.

i think the difference is that wesley had a lot of opportunities to show his depth. not all of them were taken, but some of them were. like, the first duty is one of tng’s most beloved episodes. jack had one plotline, whose vision i distinctly disagree with (no, the world will not be saved by enshrining the past and idolizing the old), and whose execution threw so many other beloved characters under the bus.

i don’t want star trek legacy for many reasons, and even against my interest to see jack crusher become a more well-rounded character that took advantage of many questions that could be asked from the setup of who he is. but if jack crusher appears again, hopefully not as a main character, i won’t be against it. i’ve demonstrated that there’s potential in him to follow through with. it just requires creative writers that can be objective about the lived experiences of characters from all walks of life, and who aren’t following an agenda of trying to put the past on a pedestal. star trek is in short supply of those, but they’ve been seen. in lower decks, in prodigy. not holding my breath about it, though.

[ikamigami]

Solar seems to cope similarly to Sun.. they both kind of repress their trauma..

And also they both view themselves as they're bad and not good enough and they blame themselves for things that went wrong..

I think that the difference is that Solar thiks that he's bad due to trauma and circumstances and it shows in the way of how he responds to our Sun..

He pushes him away because he doesn't want to go through the same thing like it was with his Sun and that's why he keeps Sun on distance and seems even sometimes passive aggressive towards Sun..

This is quite common thing for people who were traumatised the way Solar is.. Just avoiding the same circumstances that led to your trauma - even pushing someone away if needed..

Sun on the other hand seems to believe himself to be bad.. and it shows in the way he acts and in his general behaviour..

Sun also tries to avoid the circumstances that led to bad things that happened before.. but you can clearly see from the way Sun responds to events that are happening in his life that Sun thinks that no matter what he'll do or say he'll always mess up..

The difference between feeling that you're bad and believing that you're bad.. is that the first one is simply normal response to trauma and typical for many mental issues.. the second one on the other hand isn't a normal thing.. you believe yourself to be evil without a reason (some reason can also be there but your mind just always exaggerates everything to absurd scale)..

But funny thing is that you're trying your best to be good.. but in your mind you'll never be able to do something good not because you're not doing good things.. but simply because your mind will always find something to complain about you.. for example:

You: I'm going to buy this lovely present for my bestie <3

Your mind: You're only doing this because you want them to perceive you as a kind friend.. but actually you're doing it to boost your own ego.. you're definitely not doing it because you simply like your friend...

Or another example:

You: "I love you, mom" <3

Your mind: Why did you say that if it's not true? Cause if you genuinly loved your mom you wouldn't act like you do...

It's simply that that you don't believe that you have any good intentions ever... Unlike in first case when you believe that you're not good enough so you try harder and better and even sabotage yourself.. in the second case it's just everything can be fine, you can have good grades, be a good parent, spouse or kid or sibling.. but in your head you still view yourself as the most awful being.. your life can be good but you won't stop believe that you're evil...

In both cases 1) when you feel like you're bad and 2) when you believe yourself to be bad.. you're unable to accept kindness of others and happiness in your life which applies to both Sun and Solar..

In second case people also often perceive you as dishonest and two-faced.. just like many assumed about Sun at the beginning of the show.. iykyk💀

And also the anger issues and people telling you "you need to chill" - happened to Sun and me as well..

Cause I'm talking from my experiences..

Also when you believe yourself to be evil you often times let other overstep your boundaries cause when you speak up others often read that as you being too pretentious and/or angry..

That's why Sun most the time doesn't tell people to stop treating him the way it hurts him because he feels that it's both deserved and it would be seen as if he's asking for too much (even if in reality that's not true)..

Also did you realize how Sun always seem to be concerned about Moon's safety whenever the things about Old Moon are brought up? He rarely says that he's scared that Moon will start to abuse him once again.. It's more like "I'm scared that Moon will start acting like Old Moon and do something rush and endanger himself" (not real quote but example).. It's almost never about how Moon treated Sun but how Moon will potentially do something that may lead to him being harmed or even to his another death...

I don't even know if Sun fully processed Old Moon's abuse and aknowledged it as something true that happened.. Remember like Sun hallucinated Old Moon and he told the hallucination that Moon wasn't like that.. "maybe at the beginning but he changed".. and it was a response to what OM's hallucination told Sun that he represents Sun's fear that Moon never loved him.. and Sun later said "I loved you.. I did"

Also the example I gave with telling your mom that you love her also fit Sun's situation - remember how many times Sun told Moon "I love you"? Compared to how many times Moon told that Sun it's like he almost never told that (on-screen, Sun told Moon that he used to say that more often but Moon didn't like hearing Sun saying that)..

I believe that Sun wasn't saying that many times that he loves Moon because he simply felt that it is fake due to how he was unable to help Moon and how many times he screwed up everything..

You may think that I'm exaggerating but.. the fact is that I know that it bothered people - the fact that Moon who isn't as emotionally open up as Sun says that more often than the supposed to be more emotionally open up Sun..

And I can't blame them, it's like I said people viewed Sun at not so kind and as if he hides a dark side to himself or that he's straight up two-faced because of how more Moon talked about his feelings and how little of Sun's p.o.v. we've ever gotten..

Sun tries his best but whenever he messes up even something insignificant and small or when things are going downhill he immediately takes the blame (internally) on himself and try doing things from a different angle and then again and again and again.. and list of ideas for what to change in himself and how to approach this problem differently for all those previous times that ended up horribly are getting shorter and shorter and shorter.. until you don't know what to do.. and everything is crushing you from the inside and often times you start to think that the only solution to all the problems is to kill yourself - not only because you want to end your own suffering but also because you don't want to be a burden and a problem for others...

I hope that what I wrote makes any sense.. even a little bit and I hope that I didn't make mistakes cause English isn't my native language.. QwQ

[motherstone]

Post Rewrite-

What happens when they bring Trellis back?

Is Luger still around? I know you said you were reworking his character, so has he become the docile old man we saw in canon or is something else going on?

Answer:

Trellis agreed to go back on his own will eventually - at the start he only went with Alma was because his presence endangered the small village that took him in, but as he travels all over Gulfen, getting to know its people and the country's issues, the more he feels like he's made a mistake and that he left the kingdom's subjects to fend for themselves instead of actually taking care of them. Trellis has some part of him believing he's not the best guy for the throne, but he wants to enact some good changes, and someone has to take responsibility for his father's terrible actions and make up for it, even if Trellis himself isn't personally responsible for it - he feels like it's what he owes to the people, in Gulfen or otherwise.

Thankfully, people were happy he took the throne because at that point Trellis has built up a good reputation (it also helps he's the one who brought back the River), therefore while the first years were a struggle bringing a country back to proper working after the war, there isn't considerable opposition.

Luger is a villain from start to end, if having a bit more depth but still y'know, a villain - I moved him turning into a giant from book 2 to around book 8 or 9 on the timeline. I don't like him becoming docile after his transformation just quickly absolves him of any personality and impact. If he's gonna be a bad guy, really ramp it up y'know? And Luger was a very effective and a very good bad guy in Amulet, and I really wanted to tap on that potential to antagonize and force the protagonists to grow. He makes a great Foil to Emily, a great archnemesis to Trellis, and a rival for Max.

He's the guy that kicks off Trellis's character arc in the Rewrite (in an extremely brutal way), so when he comes back around, wandering around no memories, stone intact, it doesn't go well. Navin found him and took pity (he got captured by Luger alongside Aly when they got separated from the Cielan Army in Rewrite book 6/7, and at that point Luger was strained thin under the EK's increasing dissatisfaction at Luger, hence Navin was able to see a side to Luger most don't get to see), so he took him in. Emily isn't happy but doesn't feel right retaliating since that isn't technically "Luger". When they asked Trellis for help, he refused to do so, and left them to their own devices, but is forced back to help them because there's a group of people after Luger's head and anyone who helps him.

Luger's storyline occurs a bit over half of the Post Rewrite, and it's all about what "justice" is. Eventually, some events happen (I'd say more but this is getting long but I'd be happy to elaborate if you want), and Luger regains his memories, but the trio let's him go anyway while they resolve things with the people after his head. He shows up again days later in Trellis's court in remorse, as he retains memories during the time they took care of him, and despite knowing full well the punishment to be incredibly severe, turns himself in to take accountability of what he did serving the Elf King. Thankfully, Trellis has also gained understanding that retaliating against Luger by hurting him the same way he hurt Trellis and many others, even when he has all the power and understandable reasons in doing so, isn't justice, and thus ultimately imprisons him for life, but makes it clear he has no intention to treat Luger inhumanely, so no, he won't be tortured or mistreated - he simply would no longer be free until he dies.

Later, we get to see Navin admitting to Trellis he's actually been sending letters to Luger in prison and believes Trellis would disapprove. On the contrary, while Trellis isn't enthusiastic, he doesn't disparage Navin for it and encourages him to write Luger as much as he can as Luger would genuinely appreciate it.

[aceredshirt13]

We'll never get a third Ritchieverse Holmes movie. But if we somehow did, this is what I like to think should happen.

I would absolutely love for the inciting incident to be that, since the reason Holmes faked his death was because he wanted to keep Watson and Mary safe, the reason he has returned from faking his death is because that backfired and Watson and Mary are very much not. Why aren't they safe, you ask? Well, because Moran is on the revenge trail. Typically, he didn't have much personal investment in the killing of his targets, but we all saw how absolutely furious he got when Watson nearly killed Moriarty and escaped with Holmes. Now Moriarty is dead, and Moran has no job, no purpose, no one in the world - nothing, save for anger and grief. He cannot kill Holmes, because he does not know Holmes still lives. But if Holmes took the life of the only person Moran ever cared about, then even if he's not around to suffer for it, he will do the same to him.

Except, naturally, Holmes is around to suffer for it, and this cues the ending scene of the movie where Holmes coyly reveals he's alive, and would pick up right from there. There would be action! There would be shenanigans! Holy hell there would be character drama! Watson and Mary are absolutely going to beat Holmes's ass within an inch of his life, but also Watson is so, so very glad to have him back... Mary's not forgiving him ever for what he put Watson through, but how can she - how can they - bring themselves to be fully angry when he went through this to the end in an attempt to ensure their happiness? Especially when, if one considers the reason he closed his eyes to be for Watson to be the last thing he saw if he died, Holmes wasn't even completely sure he'd successfully fake his death... And they can't just unpack that while sitting in a house somewhere talking about their feelings, because Moran and the remnants of Moriarty's wide-reaching organization are very hot on their heels.

How does the movie progress? Well, I'm not entirely sure. I would love for Moran to get betrayed by those he conspired with, and be forced to work with Holmes and Watson (and Mary, who is adamantly refusing to let these two do all this on their own when her life is as endangered as theirs) on some level, thus forcing everybody - including Moran - to actually talk to each other. I also want to show that Holmes is beginning to get tired of all this - he loves the adrenaline, he loves to exercise his genius, he hates being bored, but he's also tired of the people he cares about constantly being in danger because he knows he can't always protect them. He knows that, because of what happened to Irene.

How does the movie end? Well, I can certainly tell you that. As a significant portion of the fanbase and Jude Law himself will tell you, the Ritchieverse Holmes movies come off very, very strongly as romances. In most cases, I am not the sort of person who advocates for any given ship in a medium to be acknowledged as canon just because a lot of fans like it, especially since that can often lead to disastrous results... but Christ alive, these movies are leaning so ridiculously hard into Holmeswatson vibes that I can't imagine it was an accident. And, well, part of the reason I want Moran to figure so heavily into this movie is because I think there was quite a bit of potential exploration of what exactly his relationship was with Moriarty just in the few tidbits you saw of them together... perhaps through a few flashbacks sprinkled in after Moran confesses what they really were to each other. Because if there's one thing I love, it's parallels. Watson and Moran, the military veterans and crack shots who are so very attached to the often-difficult genius masterminds they love. Unlike the singly-devoted Moran, Watson's affections are torn, because he adores Mary with everything he is, and is constantly fighting himself and pretending he can give up Holmes for her even though he can't imagine a life without both of them in it - but he is no less devoted for it. In different ways, they both cannot see a way forward - Moran cannot without Moriarty, Watson cannot because he cannot choose. So, in terms of an ending, I want Moran not to have to be killed by our heroes, or die in some sacrifice, or take his own life. I want him to have to live, without taking revenge. To figure out some kind of life, now that he's been spit out by the Queen's Army, and has lost the new life he was given now. It's more interesting, and less cheap, especially if this movie serves to build up and add depth to his character. And as for Holmes and Watson, well, it's not 2009 or 2011 anymore, so what's to stop your loose action movie adaptation of century-old, now-public domain stories from just going ahead and having them admit they love each other? (Or, potentially, having Mary admit it for them, to one of them, because she is sick and tired of their bullshit?) Why not let them, after all this is over, finally, finally share a kiss?

And as for the epilogue, I think it would be super fun and endearing if it cuts to Watson and Mary finally moving into that country house in Sussex together. He and Mary love each other, they're happy, they'll do so very all right. Then they get a knock on the door to find that the old woman who lives in the house next door has come to bring them a housewarming gift.

Except it's not an old woman. It's Sherlock Holmes dressed as an old woman. He has gone into early retirement to keep bees, and he just so happens, by pure coincidence, to have bought the house next to theirs.

Watson and Mary are exasperated. Then they probably think it's really funny, while still being exasperated. And ultimately, what Watson needs to realize is that there is something in this world that is insistent upon keeping these three together. If all of them can put up with each other - as they have shown they can just manage to do, this whole movie - and if all of them care for each other - as they have shown they undoubtedly do, for this whole movie - then no matter what he was sure was the "correct" and "right" thing to do before, he does not, and has never had to choose. Holmes doesn't have to steal him away from Mary any more than Mary has to steal him away from Holmes, because the great lesson of the Ritchieverse Sherlock Holmes movies ought to be that sometimes, polyamory is the best solution. And they all live in Sussex together, and quibble incessantly, and remain there for the rest of their days.

P. S. The number one thing this movie is absolutely, positively not allowed to do is kill off Mary. I don't care if she dies offscreen in the books, these movies did not have so much of their character conflict be Watson's inability to choose between her and Holmes for that to conclude with the immensely cheap act of offing her - not to mention that that would mean killing the only remaining major female character left in the series, and that these movies are so far removed from the ACD canon anyway that they can literally do whatever they want.

P. P. S. I don't have anywhere else to put these since I'll certainly never finish an entire screenplay concept for this without help, so here are a few disconnected, inaccurate-screenplay-format snippets using this idea that I jotted down on my phone way, way, back. Enjoy?

~~~

Opening shot: pigeons.

It’s early morning, and a man sits on a bench with a small bag of birdseed. He takes a handful of it, and reaches out to them. They flock around him with enthusiasm, some perching on his arm and hand.

The pigeons know him, clearly. It is SEBASTIAN MORAN.

He turns to look over his shoulder.

Moran: Hey, Professor, do you -

He stops. There is no one beside him.

Something hardens in his face.

He continues sprinkling birdseed. But his movements are listless, and it is clear the act no longer brings him much joy.

~~~

Holmes: It appears that Moriarty’s death, while ultimately a public service to the human race, has unleashed a far greater and more unpredictable danger to you than I could have imagined.

Watson: A danger?

Holmes: Indeed. And so long as I was believed to be dead, I was sure you and Mary would be entirely safe from it.

Watson: What - ?

Holmes: But I am now very much aware that that isn’t so, and so I have returned.

Watson: What danger, Holmes?

Holmes: Sebastian Moran.

Watson: Sebastian Mor- What, Moriarty’s right-hand man?

Holmes: The very same.

Watson: But why would he come after us? His superior is dead, he hasn’t got any orders -

Holmes: This has absolutely nothing to do with orders, Watson, and everything to do with the precarious and emotional nature of the human condition.

Watson: For the love of God, Holmes, can you just explain -

Holmes: I mean to say that this is entirely personal. Moran did not just work for Moriarty, he cared for him. Though to what extent, I haven’t the slightest idea.

Watson: For Moriarty?

(A disbelieving chuckle.)

Watson: Delusional bastard. I can’t imagine Moriarty cared for a soul in the world.

Holmes: And he may not have. How fallible man is, hm?

Holmes: Nevertheless, I believe that the colonel is seeking revenge. And if he cannot get it on me, then he will not stop until he has slain everyone I have ever cared for.

Holmes: Thus, my return from the grave. But I’ve already said that, haven’t I?

~~~

Holmes: No. No more deaths. No more lives lost because of me.

Holmes: …Not after Irene.

~~~

Moran: You should have died like the dog you are.

Holmes: Perhaps I would have, if I hadn’t known that Moriarty’s dog still lived.

Holmes: I had - foolishly, perhaps - thought that were I to die, Watson and Mary would be safe. A life for a life - my life, for Moriarty’s. No more.

Holmes: But you weren’t content with that. Were you?

Holmes: You wouldn’t stop until you’d killed everyone that meant something to me, even though I wasn’t there to see it.

Holmes: What will you do, if you succeed? What will you have left? It’s not as if revenge will bring him back.

Moran: You’d do the same if you lost your bloody Watson, wouldn’t you?

(Holmes is, rarely, silent.)

Moran: …And I don’t know how to do anything else.

~~~

Moran: …You’re wrong.

Moran: Nobody was kind to me. Not until I met the professor.

Holmes: But of course. It behooves a smart man to take good care of his tools -

Moran: You don’t know anything! It was real, what we had!

Moran: …It was real. I know it was. Because he told me that he didn’t even want to like me, at first, let alone…

(He trails off, as if thinking better of it. But then he shakes his head with a bitter chuckle.)

Moran: …What’s the point? I’ll hang for all the murders I’ve done. Another felony won’t mean much.

Moran: I loved him. And you’re the reason he’s dead. So I’ll kill everyone you love, and then I’ll kill you, or I’ll die trying.

~~~

Okay, that's it. If for some reason you read this far, thanks for sticking around! And if you have any personal thoughts on a third Ritchieverse Holmes movie, I'd absolutely love to hear them. See ya!

[grimmkinkmeme]

Welcome to the Grimm Kink Meme

Doing our part to reintroduce kink memes to the fandom ecosystem!

Credit to @wwdits-kink-meme for the idea and for their generosity in allowing other fandoms to use their blog as a template to start additional kink memes!

SUBMIT A KINK MEME HERE

FILL A PROMPT HERE

This post will be updated with frequently used tags for ease of navigation on mobile.

Questions? Check out our FAQ! (also under the cut for mobile users)

What is a kink meme? A kink meme is a public (usually nsfw) prompt thread, originally popularized on LiveJournal. One person will throw out an idea that they don’t or can’t fulfill themselves in the hopes that it will spark creativity in someone else. A kink meme can be as simple as pairing + trope, or a full well-thought-out AU.

How do I submit a kink meme? Use the ask button on this blog and it will go into the queue! You can submit anonymously (traditional), but it will be posted either way - make sure you click anonymous if you don’t want your face on it!

How do I fill a kink meme? Any way you like! Submissions are open for you to submit your prompt fills directly to this blog, but you can also do any of the following:

Reblog the ask post and put your fill in the body of the reblog

Make your own original post on tumblr and link back to the original prompt post

Post your prompt fill to AO3 or another fanfic archive and post a link on tumblr

Whatever you do, we just ask that you link the prompt on your creative piece and/or reblog the submission with your piece included or linked (whichever applicable). If you are putting an explicit fill in reblogs, please remember to add a community label if the original post doesn’t already have one!

Can I fill/submit an NSFW prompt if I am under 18? No, you should not do this. Doing so not only endangers you, but the adults in fandom as well. We can’t stop you from seeking out certain content if you want to see it, but you should not be interacting with adults on sexual topics.

Can I fill a prompt with art? Absolutely! If your craft is drawing, painting, crocheting, stop-motion, needlepoint, cosplay, etc. and you are inspired by a kink meme, we encourage you to participate! We also encourage adding alt text to any images.

What content do you allow in submissions? All ships and kinks are welcome - yes, even that one. Prompts not related to Grimm will be rejected. Venting, character-bashing, or incomprehensible prompts will be deleted. Transphobia, racism, misogyny, homophobia, antisemitism, Islamophobia, or ableism will get you blocked.

How are kink memes tagged? Tags will include any and all ships, kinks, applicable tropes, and potentially triggering content to the best of our ability. If something is missing or you would like to request a certain trigger tag, send an ask! Every possible trigger may not be tagged for, however, so it’s important to remember to protect yourself and your online experience.

Can I submit SFW prompts? Of course! Despite the name, kink memes aren’t just for porn.

Can I submit prompts with characters from the Grimm tie-in novels, comics, and games, too? Of course!

Can I submit prompts with my OC? No, but not because there’s anything wrong with OCs! These prompts are for someone else to fill, so it has to include characters they know.

Can I submit reader-insert or y/n prompts? Yes, as long as the other characters are from Grimm!

Can I submit crossover prompts? Not at this time.

Can I make my own kink meme for a different fandom using this blog as a template? This kink meme was created using the WWDITS Kink Meme as a template with permission of the generous mods as stated in their FAQ. I encourage you to check out their kink meme if you’d like a thorough starting point!

Who are the mods? Right now this blog is run by Jujubiest, one lone Grimmster who misses LiveJournal kink memes. If at some point we have additional mods, we will list them here.

[slythereen]

Here's an explanation for the Checo situation :)

The main issue with what Checo and Red Bull did, was that Checo's rear wing was half hanging off, and was dropping debris and carbon parts all the way as he drove it back to the pits, which was a major hazard for other cars. Usually in other instances where a penalty was not given for going back to the pits, the car has sustained damage and can make it back, but is not causing a hazard for other drivers.

For example, when a car has completely lost their front wing, they can make it back and replace it, and since the wing is completely gone, they're not spreading more debris everywhere. Similarly, when you see a car with a front wing end flap hanging, the longer it hangs the more likely they will get a black and orange flag to go in and replace it, because it's a hazard. But if the end plate flies off quickly and isn't hanging off the car, stewards allow the car to continue running.

Another major point is the rear wing in that state is not fixable, so he was retiring either way. In the decision notes, the stewards mention that Red Bull admitted they asked Checo to drive it back to avoid a safety car (it's not explicitly stated in the document but the implication is that they didn't want a safety car with Max being in the lead).

So basically the stewards saw it as Checo and Red Bull knowing they had a major issue that would retire the car, and still chose to drive it back to the pits knowing it was a carbon/debris hazard to other drivers, because they wanted to avoid a safety car affecting Max.

If they didn't punish this, it would set a dangerous precedent with teams having their hazardous cars go back to the pits because it may benefit their other driver. Unless the cars main components are affected, a car with three wheels and a hanging wing could still drag themselves back to the pits if they really wanted to. There's no point going back to the pits if your car will retire either way. The car parts and debris just add a greater hazard to the other drivers, so the stewards are going to give a penalty if you still choose to run your car on the track and potentially endanger others.

This is actually a very good explanation, thank you!! 🫶

It was harder to tell just how bad the wing was from the grandstands (it didn’t seem like there was active debris fall, only a few drivers saying there could be) & looked like it could be a “well it seemed alright to limp home” in the moment type of situation (on top of them really wanting to avoid that safety car, ofc). But I have to agree that if they 100% knew there was no recovering it AND that the wing was too precarious, then it makes much more sense to put the precedent in place now to avoid that moral hazard. I did see some saying it’s usually a fine and not a penalty, which is interesting, but I can’t recall any specific incidents that quite mirror this one.

[vsthepomegranate]

Joe Biden lied about seeing Palestinians beheading 40 Israeli infants and four days later a Palestinian American six year old was stabbed 26 times in his own apartment. Under Biden's direction the US vetoed UN Security Council vote calling for an Israeli ceasefire that would allow humanitarian aid, medicine and food into Gaza. Then he visited Israel, embraced Benjamin Netanyahu (who is Israel's Donald Trump, look it up) and co-signed the Israeli lie that Hamas blew up Al Ahli hospital themselves, drafted $100 billion dollar foreign aid package, sent weapons to Israel, and gave the go ahead for a genocide in Gaza.

So, no, we will not be voting for Joe Biden in 2024.

It's very clear that the Democrats are running the Bush 9/11 playbook, i.e. Change the Conversation By Starting A War Based On Lies That Will Kill Millions of Arabs, Sustain That Effort Through Clumsy, Racist (but always effective!) Propaganda, And Endanger Arab And Muslim Americans In The Process.

So Instead of supporting universal healthcare in the midst of a global pandemic, forgiving predatory student loan debt that has hobbled an entire generation of young Americans, safeguarding the Supreme Court or protecting Roe from the decades long relentless attacks from the Right, Joe Biden is going to send billions of dollars to one of the richest countries on the planet to leverage his way back into the white house via manufactured crisis and the fake moral injury of "Fifteen 9/11s." (Someone needs to tell Pop Pop that social media exists and we can see Israelis "at war" partying at the beach, eating sushi and taking duck faced mirror selfies on Tik Tok and Instagram in real time, forty miles away from piles of dead babies...)

So no, we will not be voting for Joe Biden in 2024.

The Democrats have clearly decided that they do not need our votes. And/or the votes of other people of color and/or people under 40 and/or actual leftists across demographics-- who all overwhelmingly support Palestine... And if they think they'll keep working class white votes by playing on their Anti-Arab racism and Islamophobia as they watch the money they were told did not exist for them get funneled to one of the richest countries in the world while they struggle... well, good luck with that habibi.

Now, I can already hear the Neoliberal Hot Take Machine whirring to life with self-righteous posts about how "we" have to prevent Trump or any Republican from taking power in 2024. So I want to say to those folks directly, if you are concerned about the loss of potential votes for Biden in 2024, you should be. But instead of whipping up patronizing posts "explaining how politics work" to people living and dying at the mercy of those politics your energy is much better spent reaching out to the Democrats and letting them know that this is a losing strategy for them in 2024.

And if you doubt that Democrats need the votes of the young/ people of color/ leftists/ white working class people to win the Presidency then you can always ask Hilary Clinton. Just give her a call. She's probably at home.

[greywoodrpg]

𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕞 𝕗𝕦𝕝𝕝 𝕞𝕠𝕠𝕟

In anticipation of the full moon, local residents and visitors of Greywood have begun to notice an alarming increase in creepy crawlies throughout town!

Where are these bugs and what can be done?

In Town, residents may be pleased or horrified to find that various insects have suddenly bloomed in population and are invading homes, businesses, public spaces and even your plumbing and vehicles. It seems nowhere is safe from these pesky bugs! There are occasional swarms in the sky of beetles and flies, earthworms are crawling out from the dirt and littering the sidewalk, even crickets and other insects seem to be persistently spawning inside nooks and cracks of homes and businesses despite best attempts to keep them out. Residents are encourage to contact local pest control services, witches for magical fixes, or attempt to clear out, relocate or eradicate the insects from their homes and businesses themselves! Whatever feels IC for your characters!

The Outskirts are experiencing the same, though perhaps more concerning are the sightings of something large moving through the woods - giant worms a few feet long burrowing beneath the earth and car sized beetles felling trees are flooding the news channels being broadcasted all over Greywood. If your character frequents the Outskirts or has made one of the rare homes there their own, be safe and mindful of this! Your wellbeing and safety is endangered even more than usual.

Deeper in the Greywood Forest, where the fog is thick and the town seems to melt away, residents should be extremely careful. There may be something even more dangerous lurking between the trees. Not only are the bugs still swarming en mass here, but giant bugs are more likely to be encountered, along with other giant magical insect creatures. Residents are encouraged to run if encountering one of these creatures, or for the brave and able, can attempt to encourage one of these insect beasts back into hiding or defend yourself by any means necessary.

Characters who are employed with the Greywood Fire Department, Sheriff's Department or Hospital may be alerted and contacted for assistance regarding managing the increase of bugs or aiding for any potential injuries caused.

How long will this last?

This takes place in-character from March 25, 2024 to April 8, 2024, after which we ask that no new threads be made but current and ongoing threads are okay to run until completion regardless of how long it takes. Participation is optional.

Can my character fight a giant bug?

Yes, they certainly can! Be sure to plot properly with your writing partner regarding action or fighting scenes and ensure any potential injuries, minor or severe are consented to with all parties and be sure to add any trigger warnings appropriate.

What kind of giant magical bugs are there?

Use your imagination! Feel free to have it simply be a giant version of a normal bug or use some kind of existing giant insect creature from fantastical mythology. If you have a more specific thing in mind and aren't sure, please contact the mods.

Is this part of a bigger plot?

This will be considered a stand-alone environmental world state change and not part of a larger plot arc.

[dimdiamond]

You know I was just reading the tintin books originally from the first one and I can tell I didn't like the way herge handled the drinking situations with haddock,like in most of the stories he didn't really give a damn about anything but his whisky lol,nowdays the regular fans or people only talk or joke about his attachment to drinking I feel like he could be much more than that,in some stories he was even literally annoying like in that whole moon business or in calculus affair the guys were talking about calculus's safety and here he was only asking or thinking for a drink lol💀I know it was all for jokes or to make people laugh but I didn't like that haddock was all about drinking,the only time he took anything seriously for a bit rather than drinking was in the red sea sharks lmao I feel like he just had more potential than to just act as a drunken man,what do you think of it?

OMG MY FAVOURITE TOPIC, CAPTAIN HADDOCK!

Ok but I totally agree with you, especially in the early works the way the drinking problem is handled is just so off puting, so weird. It's always used for jokes and I confess that I have laughed with many of them but that doesn't mean I'm totally fine with them.

On one side I understand that these jokes are also a product of Herge's time and in general the conversation about alcoholism and other addictions wasn't as excessive and as developed as now (not that we treat them any better but at least there is now the aknowledgement of the problem and real efforts to be taken seriously). However we can't ignore that these jokes have aged poorly.

Besides the nature of the jokes themselves, I think the amount of them have done bag things to the character's reputation. Herge wanted to repeat the familiar jokes but he put them so many times that now most people remember Haddock for his alcoholism than all the other virtues he has shown.

[Surprisingly and maybe unpopular opinion but I did like how this was handled in the Spielberg movie. Yes it was used as a joke all the time but Tintin never encouraged Haddock drinking and he even got mad when he thought that Haddock drank (I still cry with this scene). Haddock tries to stop himself from drinking and he manages that two times, with the last one being such a great moment. He is also shown to realize his problem and not being proud of himself and he still tries to do better, to be better. And that's the core of Haddock's character. He is a man that reached the bottom and stood up again, he just needed the right push.]

In the later comics the drinking jokes are still there but I notice they're more about in how many ways we can prevent Haddock from drinking, reaching the Picaros where he can't even drink anymore. I think this is an improvement of the joke compared to before.

I want to stay on the example you mentioned with the moon case. Haddock's drinking and eventually endangering everyone because of it is never dealt lightheartedly. It's the first time we see Tintin losing his composure and yelling. Tintin, who until now never yelled at Haddock no matter what he did, is so angry and so disappointed that he yells. After that Haddock is immediately shown to be truly guilty and asking for forgiveness and of course Tintin forgives him. They don't mention it again and Haddock doesn't drink again.

Let's count how many times Haddock was completely drunk to the point of being dangerous for himself and others. Two. The first in his first appearance, in The Crab With The Golden Claws, and the second in the Explorers On The Moon. The two cases seem not similar but they do have one thing in common. Both times Haddock felt trapped and having no control over his own life and the only thing that felt in his control was alcohol. In Karaboudjan he felt trapped and Allan and the rest taking his freedom. In the rocket he felt trapped and before going he had tried so many times to get away from it and told so many times that he didn't want to participate but no one listened. We can't ignore the pattern here, alcohol for Haddock is his mean to regain control of himself and get courage. He needed a lot of time to take this matter in his hands and I don't think it's a coincidence we don't see him that drunk after the moon. In that case, he seemed to realize that he is not alone, his freedom isn't stolen but shared with his friends and freedom comes with responsibility and consequences. In both times Tintin is endangered and yet he doesn't abandon Haddock and saves him. In the first time, Tintin gave Haddock, a stranger, the comfort and courage to stand up and believe in himself again. In the second time, Tintin gave Haddock, his closest friend, a good shaking and scolding to stop being selfish and realize he's not alone anymore.

It's easy to diminish Haddock's character to his drinking. It's not fair though. Haddock has shown many MANY great virtues, since his first appearance even! In The Crab With The Golden Claws he didn't give Tintin although he was literally whipped and tortured to talk. In the Seven Crystal Balls he did everything to find Calculus. In the Red Sea Shark he literally shines. In Tibet he follows Tintin even though he thinks it's nonsense and he was ready to sacrifice himself for him. He has shown with words and actions that he's a philanthropist and strongly against racism and slavery and war. He is kindhearted, loyal and honest. He is a great friend and for all these Tintin and the rest characters chose him to be their friend and never gave up on him.

I simply wish fans could see all these stuff that Haddock is without drinking and not limit their perception and opinion on him from just drinking jokes.

Idea: let's stop making alcohol jokes and start the jokes about mineral water!

[doberbutts]

if it's not possible to ban exploitative child r*pe stories from ao3, then they should be age-restricted. if it's not possible to remove racist stories that deeply upset a lot of poc, then allow a separate tagging system for non-white readers to warn each other about certain fics' specific outrages. if readers should just avoid tags they find repellent, then remove the "creator chose not to use warnings" option so they aren't surprised by something that could hurt them. All 3 of these compromises have been suggested before--and self-proclaimed pro-shippers called all 3 "fascism". That isn't anti-censorship, it's callousness. it's a refusal to admit that large widely-used platforms have different responsibilities than niche corners of the internet where you really can post any horrible shit you want.

How do you intend to enforce age restriction without endangering or cutting off the very minors you're protecting?

Yes, all potentially disturbing material should be properly tagged.

"Creator chose to not include warnings" also could be 100 words about two people cuddling by the beach, so instead of removing it entirely coming up with a seperate "no really there's nothing here that should bother most people" tag as well as a catch all "too many triggers to count, proceed with caution" tag is probably the better option. I do think there should be more moderation but in the form of more mods who tap fic creators on the shoulder and ask them to properly tag their fics or just do it themselves- I've been on other art sites that do exactly this, so I know it's a doable system. I also know it's thankless work and requires a huge amount of time spent doing so.

The rating system also provides a "are you sure?" buffer, by clicking it you are consenting to experiencing what it said on the tin. If something does not get properly tagged, see point #2.

Do you feel that libraries also should have a similarly robust system? The book series, that was not properly marked, that I found as a middle schooler that I will not return to was found in a library. Would you call that library callous or irresponsible or horrible?

[emeraldgreaves]

12,14, 17 and 30 for MoiraxRed and/or any/all of your BG3 pairings!

man i need to play more bg3. but this got way too long so here's the moirared!

Do they have similar goals? If they clash, how do they deal? I think their goals end up being fairly similar--I tend to describe them as two Weird Academics, so they're generally happy to support each other up to a point. i think moira finds the concept of the worldwalkers fascinating but also incredibly risky, so she'll help detangle power cables when Red wants to put together a new machine but doesn't have a problem pointing out the gaps in his reasoning. on the flip side, I think red does value moira's compassion and will gladly listen to her explain how antinausea potions were originally synthesized from lizard venom, but her self-sacrificing instincts in their particular line of work are a source of worry for him, and it's tricky to talk her down from expending so much of her time and energy because Healing/self-worth issues have basically trained her to operate that way.

Is there anything they associate with each other?

wasn't quite sure how to answer this one so have some patchwork vibes.

moira->red: once or twice across a barroom, she heard a laugh that was almost his. she draws such perfect chalk circles because of how much practice she had constructing them around their midnight experiments. he was the first person to recommend her favorite playwright. (she kept skipping shows of his favorites, and regrets forgetting how funny they were.) the book in chandry's shop seemed like something he might have liked. if she'd ever seen the sea, it would be a couple of shades away from his eyes. once on the road, maybe a week after she'd left for good, someone tugged on her braid the way he occasionally did and she hacked the entire thing off that evening.

red->moira: she prefers lavender soap for her hair. recipes for tonics and elixirs tended to read themselves in her voice. sometimes he finds her in the kitchen when he goes to scrounge up midnight snacks. (he didn't realize he looked forward to it until she was away on mission.) half the delight in a new discovery is explaining it to her over dessert. in their fifth year, she gave him a bookmark she made that would cling to the point in the page where you left off.

Their ways of expressing their love. lena's probably got an ask for things red does, but (1) moira feeds people and will bring snacks down if red is lost in the research sauce lmao (2) will happily donate time to the parts of research that don't require an advanced degree (rubber ducking, flagging stuff from the vaults that looks useful, etc.) (3) forehead. kisses. (4) in an established relationship, they send a letter home at least once a week so that the other person is guaranteed to receive them at some point. in the flirting stage they passed a lot of notes LMAO (5) giving the other one space to just Be A Person. IMO red is actually really well-suited to understand how heavy being The Hero of Haven can be, since he's done that as archmage. it helps that both of them knew the other person before they had a dramatic title to carry, so there's already a trust that they'll be forgiven for being less than perfect.

How does their love change as they get older? okay i can never write short about this but TLDR: they're not just exes. they were close friends whose miscommunication over their breakup drove a narrow but deep wedge between them that persists even in the present, and i think about that constantly. i think fundamentally the circle berakup came down towards red's thoughtlessness vs moira's passivity, plus her growing guilt/fears over keeping a large secret that potentially endangered anyone she gets close to. so things are better in game time! it's kind of interesting how time has reversed which one of them is more careful vs more carefree--red getting burned means he intends to make absolutely certain they're on the same page this time, moira getting forgiveness (and clarity) about the words of power removes a lot of her hesitations. there's a deliberateness and an openness that they hadn't quite figured out the first time. i think the biggest test for them actually comes postgame when it becomes clear just how fucking fragile moira has become due to the events of the game. and it's terrifying for her to be that vulnerable around him, but even admitting she was hurting would have been unfathomable to her when they were seventeen. (yes, this is another fic. no, i don't have enough information to finish it.) i'm also actually super curious to see if red's personal arc goes where i think it will (somewhat along the same lines of the major choice in riel's second day off, if that makes sense) because i think that's going to be a fascinating conversation for them. one of the ongoing jokes with some of my fics is that they add +10 to the redharden stat LMAO by the time we hit The Future in Take Your Daughter To Work Day, there's a point of contention around how much moira's tried to put hero of haven stuff behind her--on the one hand, it was probably the most painful period of her life by a long shot, but at the same time it's difficult to pretend it didn't happen, especially given that one of their kids joins the shepherds. they go back and forth on how much information it's right for them to have. but honestly i don't think it affects how much they love each other. sometimes i think about how much they care about each other and want to lie on the floor.

[redtworoguethree]

So this post is a short story I wrote for a competition a little while back. I’ve been working on a novel for a long time now and this was a nice little break from it :) Story below the cut!

Worthy

The final official radio message arrived, 'The Earth is dead. God be with you.' It was a staggering revelation. Despite the infamously stringent discipline normal of the command crew of the generation ship Exodus, the news leaked and spread around the vessel like a cold.

Illicit devices stashed behind bulkheads and under bunks continued to monitor frequencies from Earth. Corridors crowded with people weeping as one by one the desperate clamour of voices devolved into static. We stood alone. The most alone anyone had ever been.

Only his unassailable sense of duty drove James Celchu to front up to his classroom that morning. Being an original passenger, one of only a few dozen remaining, meant the unexpected news hit him harder than most. People would have understood his absence.

Earth's complete and utter destruction was not just some distant unsettling event, rather something that shattered the core of his being. James left his daughter and remaining family behind to embark on this one-way journey and though contact had been impossible the last fifteen years, knowing of her now inevitable demise cut him right down to the bone.

This was not a unique experience. Despite the unimaginable loss, he wiped away his tears, washed his face and walked into class. His ten students, ranging in age from eleven to seventeen, were grouped together based on their similar, extraordinary ability across the curriculum. The mood was sombre.

James hoped today of all days they would be empathetic. Class Alpha were a superior group, the sons and daughters of the best and brightest humanity had to offer. This was certainly true now, with Earth being gone.

As James stood before them, they found themselves lost and not knowing what to say, adrift in a sea of sympathy and awkward platitudes. The more astute among them understood what James was going through, having seen the raw pain apparent in the eyes of their parents. They didn't have the direct connection to Earth the original crew and passengers did. They hadn't lived in the open air or experienced the sensation of wind and sun and rain on their faces. Simulations existed, but it could never be quite the same.

"Mr Celchu?" asked one of the children, anxiety written all over her face. James glanced up from his device, where feedback on another's writing occupied his attention. "Does Earth's destruction endanger us?" James put the device down and took a second to think. How much of a filter should I use here?

"No Shannon. Not directly. Exodus is designed to be self-sufficient. Earth was sending us useful data though. Progress updates on the seeding probes that went out ahead of us to the new planet Proxima B for example, data on fluctuations in the solar winds of Proxima Centauri, other similar things."

An older pupil peered up from his work. "Those factors hardly sound important. Besides, it's not an issue any of us will have to worry about, right? We aren't due to arrive for another ninety-seven years!" James shrugged, then squashed down the pain threatening to surface. Hell, we might as well go down this rabbit hole. Consider it an intellectual exercise.

He scanned the classroom, their faces lit up at his expression, the earlier all-pervasive malaise disappeared. He assessed this teachable moment would be worth any potential backlash.

James smiled at the eager young man. "You're not wrong Julian. There are more subtle impacts to think about though. Consider the geriatrics, myself included." He smiled, letting them process before continuing. "Most of us are in positions of actual power." He allowed himself to chuckle self-deprecatingly. "We remember life before Embarkation Day and have a deep emotional attachment to Earth. We all left most, if not all our family behind. All of us knew that was final of course. But we didn't expect the end for at least sixty more years, long enough that by the time it happened there wouldn't be more than a handful of originals around to be affected by it, and those far from any position of authority. This has shaken us deeply, and those in charge of us most deeply."

For a good few seconds, the gentle hum of the air scrubber was the only sound. James waited, an oasis of calm in an awkward storm. He believed in his students and had faith they would make the connection. "So, the originals might not be able to do their jobs?" a nervous voice asked, cutting through the pregnant silence.

"I don't think Mr Celchu is suggesting that. More... they might be emotionally compromised for a while. Their decision making might be a bit off."

James snapped his fingers in triumph. "Aha! You've picked up on it Danica! We need to remember we're all human beings here. People aren't machines, though honestly if you all followed Asimov's laws of robotics maybe I wouldn't be this grey."

The students laughed, the tension if not broken, then at least cracked. "Now, I want you to draw up a list. This event happened much earlier than foreseen. Brainstorm as many potential consequences as you can, and I'll send it through to leadership. Remember, when I've been fed to the recycler you lot will be leading us, perish the thought!" The room swelled with laughter again and James let himself sink into his chair a little, his shoulders slumped as the class set themselves to the task. Enthusiastic discussion filled the class. He stared out the window into space, a vacant smile on his face. It didn't reach his eyes.

Danica glanced up at the teacher she so respected, noticing his detached melancholy. Their eyes met and she flashed him a quick smile. For a moment, things were okay.

Fifteen years passed, and James, now sixty-five, felt all too well the strain in his joints as he helmed the tiny room that was his world aboard the ship. Retirement had crossed his mind, but it wasn't like there was much else that would be a worthwhile use of his time.

Most of the predictions his star cohort made in their report to the captain had in fact come to pass. James remembered the group fondly and invested considerable effort following their career trajectories aboard the Exodus with not unwarranted pride. His latest iteration of Class Alpha, he found difficult to relate to on quite the same level. I suppose it could just be my age though.

As Danica's group eventually concluded, members of the bridge, one by one cracked under the incessant pressure and immense personal loss. This cleared the way for citizens born on the ship to seize control. Contributing further to such unanticipated changes, the younger generation, having been raised without the spectre of Earth hanging over their heads, grew up more confident, brash even.

What hadn't been predicted was the furore over the right to a genetic legacy. It was imperative to the resource security of the voyage that the population was managed and so everyone submitted to compulsory sterilisation.

"Was that how the coup started?" a young girl asked.

"It was the straw that broke the camel's back. Like today, we had to apply through official channels to have a child. The key difference was only in very particular circumstances were the applicants allowed to pass on their own genes rather than use stored genetic material."

"They were trying to minimise the chances of inbreeding," one of the more direct boys interjected and the original questioner's hand flew to her mouth as her face blushed bright red at the implication.

It was a hot topic of conversation at the time, even years later it came up. James struggled to walk the line, with this and other issues, realising his position and influence over his classes and not wanting to unduly influence them. I want to teach them how to think, not what to think. It was a phrase which sustained him throughout his career, back on Earth and on the Exodus.

"Why didn't you ever apply to have children?" The question came from the back of the classroom, a sneer painted on the face of the youth. He knew full well what day it was. James prided himself on maintaining a culture where students felt comfortable engaging in spirited debate. Only sometimes did it backfire in such a fashion.

James allowed himself a second to process the question and suppress his sudden irritation, then answered, maintaining a neutral expression and tone. "What makes you think I didn't?"

The boy shrugged. "People talk. You didn't show your face at the protests, you're single and an old man."

"Sounds like you answered your own question." James replied dryly. Everyone burst into laughter and the young man blushed, humbled.

That night James found himself at the one bar on Exodus. This was a rare occurrence, and he was respected enough to be given some space, despite how precious a commodity it was. The significance of Embarkation Day to the Earth-born was well known. His thoughts lingered on his daughter as he sipped dispassionately at his drink. She would have been forty-seven today.

Decades earlier, while still on Earth, James’ long held optimism for the future drained away. He’d mourned as countless disasters mounted. An all pervasive sense of helplessness reigned supreme as a doomed planet came to terms with its inevitable end.

His daughter, Inyri, was just seventeen when the pair were selected for the voyage. James had been ecstatic! This represented a chance to escape, to begin anew. The earlier death of his partner had done little to keep him anchored to the world.

His daughter hadn't been as enthusiastic, initially seeming reserved about the idea before raging about James giving up on his family and his world.

She refused to go.

Surprised, James offered to stay behind, and this only made her more furious. In the end she did come to say goodbye, but the last-minute decision left them both with hurt feelings and little closure.

A group of young men and women in uniform strolled into the bar and took up position at a table well away from the sullen old man. One of the officers spotted him. "Mr Celchu!" the woman called out and weaved through the crowd with a smile that lit up the room.

He glanced up from his drink and returned the smile weakly. "It's been a long time since you were my student, Danica. Please, call me James."

"Do you mind if I sit with you James?"

He examined the table of excited young officers. They had already started on a round of drinks and were chatting animatedly. "I'm happy for you to, but wouldn't you rather be with your friends?"

She shook her head and sat next to him. He studied her for the first time since her approach, noticing shiny new rank insignia stitched to her uniform. "Another promotion? Before too long you'll be in charge of this bucket."

She laughed politely but it was clear he wasn't really joking. Through her outstanding performance she stood out as one of those rare, astonishingly competent people who also possessed extraordinary social acuity. She connected the dots with James' unusual appearance at the bar and reacted in the only way that made sense to her in the moment.

"To Inyri!" she toasted, holding up her glass.

"To Inyri." James echoed and they clinked glasses in their own little private world in the corner.

The two sat in companionable silence for a few seconds before James spoke again with uncharacteristic openness. "I think the part that bothers me most is having no idea what happened to her. She was still a kid when I left, only seventeen and angrier than I'd ever seen anyone in my life. I'll never know whether she made it to Earth's end, whether she was happy, whether she ever forgave me..."

Hot tears flowed down his face, but he sat frozen, too numb to wipe them away. The other patrons coincidentally found a million other interesting places to give their attention. Danica put her hand on his and the two spoke long into the night, reminiscing about his good times on Earth as well as the exciting trajectory of Danica's career. James would never forget her act of simple kindness.

A decade later James Celchu lay in his hospital bed, riddled with cancer. Cruel and unrelenting, the pain intensified as the end drew near. A chime sounded and he reached to tap a button next to his withered hand.

The door slid open and the now Captain Danica entered and sat in the lone chair positioned next to James' bed. As she walked in, she'd tried valiantly to keep the dismay off her face but from his expression it was clear she hadn't quite managed. She cleared her throat. "So, today's the day." she said, her tone filled with weary resignation.

He nodded, the strength present in the gesture so rare these days, and the look in his eye brooked no further argument on the topic. As captain she'd called in numerous favours to make his last days a little bit more comfortable, all in the attempt to talk him out of this decision, or at least delay it. Her efforts proved unsuccessful. He was determined.

She took in his sunken face. The strong, consistent presence which had been such an important part of her life had deteriorated and the sad fact of the matter was that for a long time she had been the closest thing James had to family. He spoke to her in a creaky voice that didn't sound at all like the one she remembered from her days in their classroom. "I can't help but feel like I haven't done enough. I've been on this ship a long time and I don't think I gave everyone... was capable of giving, my best self. I had this fantastic chance to make a huge difference for all humanity and I threw it away mourning a daughter that part of me feels like I never should have left. Teaching you, watching you grow into the remarkable person you are today; it's been the greatest honour of my life."

The statement hung in the air; tears slid down both their cheeks as they sat with it. Danica turned on the wall length screen, revealing a mass of people forming an orderly line. They crowded the corridor, snaking around the corner out of sight. She took his hand and scrutinised him. "We are your legacy. Every one of these people is here to thank you for the impact you had on their lives. You may not have felt your best, that might even be true. It doesn't matter though; you were exactly what we needed."

James’ breath caught in his chest as the words washed over him, their weight sinking deep into his soul.

"Thank you."

In that moment, on his last day, to feel worthy was precisely what he needed.

[minimitchell]

"too many people think he called the police on jay when he actually called them on Nadine" Apologies I thought it was Jay. I wouldn't have blamed Callum if he did though. But, what I don't understand is the people saying "whats his business, he should let him grieve". You shouldn't ignore someone taking drugs, and honestly, I get the vibes these are the type of people who will ignore someone self-harming or really doing anything dangerous to "help" themselves cope with something. Have you seen the latest episode?

the police called nadine by her name and knew she was dealing, whereas they had to ask for jay’s name so they clearly didn’t know he’d be there. so callum gave them nadine’s name and address - not jay’s.

i feel like that attitude is really people making light of taking drugs. just like some people did last year when ben was doing drugs. they’re not the right way to cope with heavy trauma. and it definitely is callum’s business if jay is taking and having drugs on him with a child in the house. he’s potentially endangering lexi here and ben and callum are right to not tolerate that, just like lola was last year when it came to ben.