#Baba marcos

[nafe169]

@babamarcoss

[babacontainsmultitudes]

Let's Talk About Lincoln And His Dads, Okay?

I think people claiming that Lincoln and Grant "aren't so different after all" because, like everyone else in the show, they both have blood on their hands, have mostly missed the mark on where the core of Lincoln's issues with his dad(s) lie in the first place.

Moreover, I'm tired of people insinuating that Lincoln's troubles pale in comparison to Normal's or Scary's or Hermie's, and I'm tired of people saying that Lincoln is overreacting, or that Lincoln is a hypocrite for calling out his dad's behavior, or that he is in the wrong for setting boundaries, or that he's ungrateful, or that he's responsible for ensuring his dad's emotional wellbeing and not the other way around!

*breathes* So let's. Let's finally talk about Lincoln and Grant (and Marco also him).

[WOAH THERE! Hey you, yeah you, this is a long-ass post, mhm, it's one of those, so please keep that in mind before venturing below the cut. Maybe grab yourself a drink or a bite to eat first, yeah? Additionally, sorry the transcript stuff is a bit messy in this one, tumblr has a 30 image limit and well, I had to find workarounds. Also, I haven't yet added alt text for the transcript screenshots- I plan to when I have a bit more energy for it, but I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause in the meantime!]

Part 1/4: "Honesty is hardly ever heard, and mostly what I need from you"

Lincoln is certainly a pacifist at heart (in more recent times important examples of this include Lincoln's refusal to harm Scary in the Swallows household, as well as Lincoln being the only one of the teens to successfully avoid using violence in front of d00d during their most recent standoff with Willy), and in good paladin fashion functions as the group's moral compass the majority of the time.

Despite this, Lincoln's morals are not so simplistic and idealistic as to not differentiate between different motives for violence, nor does he view acts of violence in and of themselves as signs that a person is "evil" or "irredeemable". He can for example, see the difference between the acts of Willy and those of the kiddads, as he tries to explain when confronted by the other teens on the matter:

In fact, even after Grant tells Linc all of this during the incursion:

Lincoln's primary goal is still to save his dad first and foremost, then offer him the room to explain himself, without immediately chalking him up as a bad person because of what he has done.

Lincoln certainly doesn't approve of Grant and his violence, though he can understand that things are seldom black and white. But the killing is far from the only issue here. In fact, it's not even the main issue.

Grant creates a foundation based on trust and accountability whose importance in the Li-Wilson household is hammered in from the very first episode.

And we see throughout the early episodes of the season just how strongly Lincoln believes that Grant would never lie to him.

Then of course the incursion point encounter happens. There are several elements of this encounter that we will gloss over for now and go back to later, but of immediate importance is the fact that this interaction serves as direct confirmation for Lincoln that his dad has in fact been lying to him his entire life.

Additionally, he learns that Grant possesses a deep hatred of himself, wants to die, perceives himself as "broken beyond repair", and fears that Lincoln will somehow wind up just like him. That's a lot for one kid to have dropped on them, let alone all at once and without warning!

So- Lincoln wants to confront his dad after this both because he wants his dad to explain himself and take accountability for his dishonesty and for his actions more generally, and because he is concerned for his dad's wellbeing.

Now let's look at how Grant has, over the course of the season, responded to Lincoln's attempts to get him to take responsibility for his actions, and talk about his mental health:

The first thing Grant does is pull a classic Wilson "we'll talk about it later". Then the very next thing he does is lie to Lincoln again, now pretending that his plan is to fix things with Erin by offering her a gift (when of course he's actually set out to steal the sun)

Then as a deflection when Lincoln further tries to confront him about the lying, he indirectly equates everything he has kept secret from Lincoln (see the incursion point stuff) to "little white lies" and, contrary to the philosophy he so heavily instilled in Lincoln, argues that sometimes lying can protect the people one cares about:

Which as a point of interest I would like to compare and contrast to something Lincoln says in an earlier episode:

"lies can protect" vs "protecting is also trusting"- anyways moving on,

From there Grant's plan to steal the sun eventually comes to light (heh) and gets foiled, forcing the teens to be the mature ones in the situation and try to negotiate something with Erin. While he is certainly disappointed by everything going on, however, Lincoln's priorities vis-à-vis Grant are still, first and foremost, to ensure that he is safe, and when time allows for it get an apology from him and get him to talk openly about everything he has withheld. At this point in time Lincoln, while obviously angry at his dad, still very clearly cares about his dad and just wants to be able to talk with him without all the lies or deflection or excuses.

Then the teens are backed into a corner when their attempts at negotiation go sour, and ultimately wind up helping Grant steal the sun. Once that is over, Lincoln tries to confront his dad again, now with regards to some of the things he said about himself:

(Do note that last bit especially as it will be of relevance in the next section)

Then after Grant ignores the other teens when they try to talk to him, Lincoln calls him out and once again asks him to apologize, in part for having told Lincoln previously that they were dangerous and that he was not to hang out with them:

(as you might have guessed, Grant does not apologize).

Then it is established that the "zone of truth" in the Li-Wilson household isn't actually a spell but an agreed upon promise between Marco, Grant, and Lincoln to tell only the truth when someone calls upon the zone of truth, further cementing the degree to which honesty is an important Li-Wilson family value. Whilst in the zone of truth, however, Grant beats around the bush with regards to his intentions, and the teens ultimately decide that they do not want him to come along with them to the church of the doodler, as he is untrustworthy, in addition to Lincoln saying that he needs some space for his own sake. Grant then pretends to respect this decision, though he is in fact once again lying through his teeth, and sneaks back on later.

Before exiting the bus for the first time, however, Lincoln tries to get his dad to open up a bit about his feelings. Grant's response?

Time after time after time, Grant refuses to confront himself and address anything from what occurred at the incursion, and in fact adds on to everything with a whole new slew of lies, and with each failed attempt at connection the rift between Lincoln and Grant increases. And Lincoln, true to his values and how he was raised, is not a hypocrite in wanting openness and accountability from his dad. Lincoln is not and has never acted like he is perfect and beyond making mistakes, but Lincoln takes responsibility for his actions, even when the degree to which he is actually complicit in the crime at hand is questionable. He writes a letter to the families of the firemen because he feels responsible for their deaths. He apologizes to Taylor for lying to him about the bracelets and helps not only Taylor but also Nicky escape the clutches of the FBI, even though the consequence of doing so could easily have been his own death. When he thinks he may have inadvertently lead Hero on, his immediate decision is to take accountability for it and clear things up. All of this in addition to consistently apologizing to his friends when he thinks he may have hurt them for one reason or another.

This is also an important thing to consider when we talk about the place of violence in the show. Yes all the characters, including Lincoln himself, have had to kill at some point or another for the sake of survival and protecting the ones they love. But Lincoln does not use the blood on his hands to justify violence in future decisions. Despite the fact that he has had to kill before, Lincoln, as mentioned in the beginning of this essay, continues to try incredibly hard to act as pacifist whenever he can, choosing to protect those around him with as little collateral damage as possible. Does he have a perfect track record? No! Does he still try his damned hardest to choose kindness and mercy? Absolutely! And this is an important distinction especially between Lincoln and Grant.

And then Grant kills Terry. Now Lincoln must shift his priorities towards protecting his friends from his dad, but in running after Scary still finds himself forced to confront him. So what does Grant have to say regarding his actions?

Both Lincoln and Scary are right to be furious with this response, Terry Jr. is dead and all Grant can offer in response is what is essentially another excuse. Grant's mental state does not absolve him of responsibility or accountability for his actions, which as Lincoln points out (and repeats later) consist not only of the singular choice of shooting Terry, but of every choice he has made before and after that. "I'm sorry your dad is broken" obviously doesn't bring Terry Jr. back, but perhaps more importantly demonstrates that Grant is still not willing to reflect on his actions any further than that and work on himself moving forward.

So Lincoln does what is perhaps the most difficult thing he has done in his life, and disowns his father. This is not a rash, impulsive decision. As established, Lincoln has given Grant many chances throughout the season to address his behavior and at least fucking *talk* with Lincoln about his mental state, but he refused. He refused, not because he means harm, but because Grant truly believes himself to be fundamentally broken and irreparable, and doesn’t see the effect that his own suffering is having on his son. This, in addition to continuously failing to take Lincoln seriously and treat him as more than a little kid, both in failing to listen to Lincoln's voices of concern as well as in disregarding any of his proposals to go about things differently (whether that means avoiding violence, trusting rather than lying, or both).

So when Lincoln says:

"It's not about what you just did now, Dad. It's all your choices. You chose me. There wasn't some passion, or, or just a kid. You chose me as your kid, knowing you were broken. You can't take that back. And… I love you, and I hate that you made me love you, when… you are who you are and you knew it."

This isn't Lincoln saying that Grant should not have had a kid because he is mentally unwell or has trauma, it is Lincoln saying that Grant continues to make choices without acknowledging his agency in those choices and the effect they have on those around him, instead choosing to pin his mistakes on his perceived brokenness without any resolution to do something about that.

And before you say, "but Grant didn't have a choice in becoming Lincoln's parent since he saved him from the Titanic":

This simply isn't true, as strictly speaking there was nothing stopping Grant and Marco from putting Lincoln up for adoption if one or both of them did not feel themselves to be ready or capable of taking care of a child and

Ignoring Lincoln's exact phrasing, "choosing to be a parent" is not just about the literal choice to have a child, it's about every choice you make before and after that. It's choosing not to express your concerns over parenthood with your spouse, which based on Grant's track record:

-Is definitely in-character for him. Conversely, in Marco's case, it may be choosing not to ask your partner about their feelings on the matter (because, really, asking Grant on the spot while literally on a sinking ship if he's okay with adopting the baby they just found is kinda rough). It's choosing not to go to therapy (not that we know whether Grant specifically did/does or not but all the same). It's choosing not to apologize when your child is upset with you because of something you did. It's choosing not to take them or their friends seriously. It's choosing to lie instead of trust. It's an endless amount of choices that Grant (and Marco) made every step of the way!

As a final note for this section, what's particularly unfortunate is that even with Lincoln's disownment, Grant still has failed to show any major signs of change. Note this telling exchange (from episode 40):

Grant: I-I understand that. I just thought. Just something that just occurred to me. Hey Dood.

Dood: Yeah?

Grant: Why did you kill those two guys?

Dood: Because I love you so much and I wanted to protect you.

Grant: Okay. That's all I wanted to know.

In which Grant is still making excuses rather than owning up to or apologizing for anything or striving to change his behavior in the future. What's great about Grant's "point" here too is that the two guards that d00d killed were absolutely unnecessary deaths, so this example does anything but work in Grant's favor.

Part 2/4: "My mother hates her body, we share the same outline"

But this is only part of the problem. As aforementioned, we learn early on and see repeated on multiple occasions that Grant thinks ill of himself to the point of believing that he deserves death, and does not want Lincoln to be anything like him.

This affects Lincoln in two major ways. Perhaps most obviously, it leaves Lincoln greatly concerned for his dad's wellbeing, which in turn acts as his main motivation for trying (and failing) to get Grant to explore and explain those feelings. Additionally, however, Grant's self-loathing also has a passive but deeply damaging effect on Lincoln's self-worth. The most important indication of this is when Lincoln says:

"Okay. Look, Scary, I just... You know what? I don't even care. I just needed a friend and I don't know… I don’t know what you're going through, but… no, my dad always said you can't love somebody unless you love yourself, right? Well, last time I asked him if he loved himself, he… He doesn't. So… I don't know, so maybe he doesn't love me either. And you seem to know what that's like, and, you're my friend! You're dealing with these things and I'm just here. I just, I don't know! I don't love myself either! I don't know! But I know that more people will die if we can't do this together, and you're the only person, like, in this group— I mean you guys are, I mean— [sighs] Look, you can go. I'm not going to stop you. You go if you want to go. I'm done."

Also classic Lincoln move to say he doesn't care then proceed to hug Scary through an Eldritch Blast. In this essay, on why people misuse the word "apathy" in applying it to Lincoln,

Though the issue comes up again in a less obvious but very interesting way when Lincoln says that:

Which I assume probably seems pretty out of left field. To explain a bit what I'm trying to get at here, consider the following scenario:

Your parent, who you care about immensely, possesses certain qualities (say, idk, intrusive thoughts or mood swings or delusional thoughts or *something*) that they possess great shame over, and truly, wholeheartedly believe makes them "evil" or unlovable or even outright deserving of death. Of course, you do not believe that your parent is any of these things, it hurts to see that they feel this way about them-self, so you try your best to support them, even if you know deep down that you are their child and this should not be your responsibility. Your parent does not see the effect that their mental state is having on yours, does not take your voices of concern seriously, and mostly leaves you feeling like you are talking to a wall.

This hurts already, but it gets worse. You are your parent's child, and you are human, and so you inevitably find yourself with some of the characteristics that your parent loathes so much in them-self. Maybe you have similar thought patterns. Maybe you've made similar mistakes. Your parent doesn't love them-self because of these qualities that you now see in yourself, so how can you be sure that they do not hate you for them too? Do they believe that you deserve to die for these things as well? Your parent obviously assures you to the contrary, after all, they love you more than anything. But your parent fails to offer any meaningful line of distinction between their flaws and yours (after all, there isn't one, not really), and continues to assert that, unlike you, they really do deserve to die. Your parent is a hypocrite, and their reassurance does little to convince you.

Hopefully that makes some sense. With regards to the "dreams about killing my dads" part, mostly what I'm trying to say is that these dreams, while certainly very different from Grant's conscious thoughts about violence, still tread the line of mimicking them to some degree, and Grant's "I deserve to die because of how my brain works, don't be anything like me because that's bad!" really doesn't leave Lincoln with a healthy way to process and interpret this fact about himself, even if these dreams don't actually say anything about who he is as a person.

Anyways all that to say, on multiple levels Grant's unwillingness to even try to love himself and treat himself better has been having effects on his son that he can't even begin to realize, in addition to everything discussed in the first bit.

"But baba," I hear you say, "what about Marco? Why has Lincoln seemingly disowned both of his dads?"

Part 3/4: Three is the loneliest number

Well, I think there's a couple things going on here. For one thing, I think in a sense Lincoln sees his dads as kind of a "package deal", which is to say that from his pov disowning Grant means Marco would have to pick a side, and though it pains him immensely (as we see evidence of on several occasions), Lincoln would ultimately rather give up Marco than have Grant be left alone without either of them, because he will always love and care about Grant, and because he's selfless that way.

Additionally, for a good long while, Lincoln doesn't actually appear to harbor any resentment towards Marco:

However, this later part of the season has brought with it a new wave of disillusionment, and in its wake Lincoln has finally come to question the last major issue characterizing his relationship with his parents: social isolation.

We have known from basically the first episode of the season that Lincoln has lived a very isolated, lonely life, and that the only reason he's even going to public high school now is because he finally convinced Grant to let him:

As a side note, I have seen discussion of the fact that since Lincoln was rescued from the Titanic, it's possible that he was homeschooled solely because he did not legally exist. The above statement from Matt seems to work against this theory, in addition to the fact that if Lincoln was missing legal papers to get into elementary school... That would also prevent him from going to high school. Also, I mean. If you actually were to find an abandoned baby there's a whole legal process you're supposed to go through, and since Lincoln surely wouldn't have any close blood relatives around, that would still leave the possibility for Grant and Marco to adopt him legally if they wanted to (and if they chose not to go through said process, that's kind of on them?). Which isn't to say that this theory is out of the question, but in any case being homeschooled is one thing, whereas the actual degree of social isolation Lincoln goes through growing up is way more than just that, as we will delve into.

Now, we know that Grant eventually puts an end to Lincoln and Normal seeing each other on the basis that Lark and Sparrow are dangerous, which... Itself is actually fair tbh, in particular given what we now know about Hero. Not fair to Lincoln or Normal, obviously, but understandable. Much less acceptable, is the fact that Lincoln actually grows up without any friends his age whatsoever:

We understand of course that the motives behind this extreme social isolation are not malicious or otherwise done with ill-intent, but that doesn't make this even remotely okay! Of course then Lincoln is very clingy and perhaps even territorial over his dads, to the point where one of his biggest fears is his parents having another child who would take some of their attention away from him- they've created an environment in which they are basically all he has!

As a direct result of this, Lincoln gets lonely very easily, and when he finally does make some friends of his own, he will do anything and everything for them, even if it means risking his own life (at least then he isn't alive and lonely!)

This is also why Lincoln is so especially distraught after the loss of Mr. Kicks, a digital avatar whom he considered his best (and only) friend.

Additionally, Lincoln's fear of returning to his lonesome childhood creates an unfortunate scenario in which he cannot be honest with his dads about the fact that he is being bullied at school

Even though that is definitely the case (and in fact we see it first-hand on many occasions), because to do so would run the risk of his dads taking him out of public school, and that, to him, is worse.

Lincoln beginning to view this aspect of his childhood (the isolation but also the over-protectiveness and overbearing attitude more generally) for what it is is why Matt's intros have recently shifted from "schooled at home" to "schooled in prison", in addition to pretty directly saying that high school was like heaven compared to his home life (in episode 40), and I don't think Lincoln is even remotely in the wrong for looking back at his isolation and thinking "hey, even if you had good intentions, that was kind of fucked up actually, and I need to distance myself from you for my own sake."

Not that Lincoln wanting freedom from his overbearing dads is a new thing! I mean apart from what one can logically infer from Lincoln convincing Grant to let him go to public school, Matt does drop a bunch of telling details here and there such as Lincoln's favorite sound being "the silence of being home alone and free". It's just that now is when these feelings are finally starting to come to the surface.

It is also something that Lincoln naturally would hold against both Grant and Marco, because they are both aware of and responsible for this aspect of his upbringing (whether Marco acted actively or as an enabler in the matter notwithstanding- though I would look no further than both Grant and Marco getting red cards the one time they tried letting Lincoln play soccer with other kids to observe how that family dynamic plays out), hence feeling the need to cut himself off from the both of them in order to set a long-overdue boundary. That said, to be honest with you, I really don't think he's actually all that upset with Marco, and would mostly just like to see him again.

If the events of the Titanic help to ease any aspect of Lincoln's frustration, it would be this one. Not in the sense that it magically makes what Lincoln went through growing up okay, but it does still recontextualize Grant and Marco's degree of overbearingness and (part of) why they are how they are, and I absolutely think that Lincoln would have sympathy for that.

So, where does that leave us?

Part 4/4: What remains (+ the case study of Scary)

"But baba," you say, "Grant and Marco are not just their mistakes! They've both done so many things right as parents, and they love Lincoln more than anything!"

I turn to you, tears in my eyes. "I know," I say, "I know, but that does not contradict or erase the fact that they have inadvertently hurt Lincoln in many, many ways, and he has a right to be upset with them, and express that, and set boundaries if he feels the need to."

You sigh. "So do you think Grant is a good dad or a bad one?" you ask.

I shake my head. "He's just... He's just a dad. A dad who's had a rough swing of things from the beginning. He never meant to hurt Lincoln, and I truly believe he's got a good heart, but I want to see him try harder. I need to see him try harder than he currently is to better himself, for Lincoln's sake as much as his own."

Is... More or less how I feel. I absolutely agree that as a parent Grant obviously gives a shit, and my intention here is absolutely not to say "hey actually, Grant is awful!"

As I mentioned at the very beginning of this essay, however, collectively I have found over the course of the season that Lincoln's trauma and struggles have gone severely understated and undermined, sometimes to the point of even turning him into the bad guy or depicting him as acting dramatic for a decision that I think was very brave of him, actually. So... It does feel necessary to me to point out that, as much as I care about Grant and recognize that he's suffered immensely too, he's still made a lot of mistakes over the course of the season, and still has a lot of room to grow as a person.

As things currently are, I would not blame Lincoln if he did not forgive Grant by the end of the season. Do I think that's what's gonna happen? No lol.

If you'll excuse a mini side-tangent, because for now I don't really want to make this a separate post, the mid-season evolution of Lincoln and Scary's relationship is actually a great case study for Lincoln's capacity for forgiveness, in addition to his inability to give up on people:

Tony Pepperoni's murder is, I would argue, an attack against Lincoln most personally (relative to the other teens). Aside from Lincoln having the strongest pacifistic tendencies of the group, it's in his home, it's in front of Marco, as established in the 3rd section Tony Pepperoni, by virtue of having been over for dinners at the Li-Wilson household before, is someone Lincoln knows more personally than the other teens and one of the only people in his life he could have possibly approximated to a friend. Most importantly though, Scary goes behind Lincoln's back in letting Willy out and disclosing the location of the party, and that is a significant breach of trust.

So Lincoln kicks Scary out of the house (and more or less out of the group by extension) because protecting the others from her is the most important thing at that point in time (sound familiar?). For the next bit, Lincoln's behavior towards Scary becomes a juggling act of keeping a close eye on her to make sure she doesn't cause more harm (and yes, it's also when they are meanest with each other), but also keeping a close eye on her to look after her (a notable example of this being that he doesn't leave her behind in the hall of mirrors, even when it would have been easier and perhaps even "beneficial" to do so in the context of the anchor quest).

And yet despite all the mutual hostility, Lincoln without question also fights the hardest to get Scary back. He breaks the pick as a sign of trust (and as Freddie put it: "that's love babeeey") and to show her she's welcome back in the group, follows through on this decision despite the fact that it creates a temporary rift between him and the others (Normal and Taylor) who oppose her return (perhaps a good time to also say as a reminder that Lincoln was the most against letting Willy out in the first place), breaks a door down to protect her from Willy even when everyone else in the house treats him as crazy for doing so, refuses to fight Scary when she goes on the offense, and hugs her through a god damn eldritch blast because he can't let her leave and hurt more people but still cares about her to the point that he would literally choose to die before hurting her or giving up on fighting for her. Like, if that's not love and forgiveness, I don't fucking know what is. This in addition to him encouraging the others to go easy on her and otherwise looking out for her past that point.

So do I think Lincoln Li-Wilson has it in him to forgive Grant in spite of it all? That is a resounding yes from me. Will the events of the Titanic facilitate this if only by painting Grant's situation in a more sympathetic light and showcasing some of his virtues? Totally, I mean, there's a reason Anthony decided to make the arc go this way. But will I be a bit disappointed if this forgiveness comes without any major growth on Grant's part? Also. Also yes yeah.

MM. I DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW TO END THIS ONE TBH. Heh. Well, thank you for one thing, for taking the time to read a post this long. If you're reading this not too long after I posted it I am most definitely pacing around rn going "oh god they hate it!" but uh. Well that's a me problem lol. Anyways, I hope this proves to be at least somewhat insightful? ...Yeah no apart from that I really am struggling to end this properly and honestly I'm real sleepy lol so I'll just say again (whether you agree with the points listed here or not) THANKS FOR HEARING ME OUT Y'ALL AND TAKE CARE.

[babsharrison]

Safe Haven - John Wick

(Chapter Five)

Pairing | John Wick x Original Fem! Character

Summary | In search of a breath in his tumultuous life, John Wick finds himself in a charming bookstore where he meets a sweet and welcoming woman. As they grow closer, John questions whether she can love him despite the dark secrets he carries. While battling the shadows of his past, he must protect the love that is blossoming and discover if hope and redemption are truly possible.

Word Count | 2.1k

A/N | I think it turned out a bit rough, but I tried. Mia is in my heart ❤️

Previous chapter!

John left the bookstore with his senses heightened, though he was already aware of the looming threat. Winston had mentioned that Marco Vitale wanted revenge, but John hadn't paid much attention to it. Now, he was facing the result of that choice: three men stood before him, watching with a mix of mockery and caution.

The streets seemed darker, and the city lights felt more distant. The men laughed, but John could sense the fear hidden behind their forced chuckles. They were nervous, despite trying to mask it with arrogance.

“Baba Yaga...” murmured the leader, a bald man, trying to sound confident. That nickname never failed to provoke a reaction. But John didn't bother responding; he just stared at them with his cold gaze.

“Marco sends his regards,” the man continued, stepping forward, attempting to size John up with his eyes. “And he also wanted to say that we're watching you. Every step you take.”

The other two men laughed mockingly, but John could see that behind their laughter, there was a palpable tension. They knew who they were dealing with, and even though they tried to hide it, the fear was evident. They're not complete idiots, John thought.

"Watching, huh?" John spoke calmly, giving a slight smile that didn't reach his eyes. “Then make sure you do it right. And go back to Marco with a message: if he wants to settle this, he should come in person.”

The leader hesitated for a moment, and the smile on his face disappeared. The other two stopped laughing, realizing they were in dangerous territory. They didn’t want to be there. The tension was obvious as the bald man signaled the others, making it clear that it was time to leave.

“We’ll see you around, Baba Yaga,” he said, trying to maintain a confident façade, but John could tell that deep down, he was just trying to end things before they got worse.

The three of them got into the car and disappeared into the shadows of the night, the sound of the engine quickly fading. John watched as they vanished, standing still for a few moments longer, making sure they were really gone. Cowards, he thought, although he knew this wouldn’t be the last time he’d see Marco and his goons.

John turned back and walked into the bookstore, quietly closing the door behind him. He found Mia tidying up the counter, but she was eyeing him cautiously, clearly worried.

“What was that about?” Mia asked, trying to keep her voice casual, but the nervousness was evident.

John looked at her calmly and forced a small smile, soft enough to reassure her. “Nothing for you to worry about. Just... part of my job.”

Mia blinked a few times, looking confused. “Your job?” She furrowed her brow, clearly trying to make sense of how that bizarre situation fit with the idea that John was a businessman. “What exactly do you do again?”

John let out a short laugh, brushing off the subject. “International business,” he said, his voice casual but vague. “Sometimes, I have to deal with difficult people.”

Mia seemed to think about that for a moment, then shrugged, accepting the explanation. “I figured it was something like that. You have this serious vibe... must be tough dealing with certain people.” She returned to organizing the counter, still a bit suspicious, but content with his answer.

“Yeah, some people are pretty complicated,” John replied, keeping his tone light. He watched as Mia turned off the lights in the bookstore, and the tension from the night seemed to start dissipating.

“Best to close up,” he suggested, glancing one last time out the window, just to make sure the men hadn’t come back. “It’s really late.”

Mia smiled softly, relaxing a little more. “Yeah, I guess it’s about time.”

John watched silently as she finished tidying up the last few things. Even though the threat of Marco still lingered in his mind, he knew that at that moment, the most important thing was keeping Mia away from all of it. She couldn’t get involved. To her, he was just a businessman. And that’s how it had to stay.

When Mia left the bookstore, John followed her at a safe distance, always alert to his surroundings. The men who had shown up earlier were still on his mind, and although he knew he might be overreacting, the thought of leaving her alone, without being sure they were really gone, bothered him. He was, however, aware of how this could look... strange. Being seen as a stalker wasn’t a good idea.

Mia seemed lost in her own thoughts as she walked, the sound of her footsteps softly echoing on the pavement. Suddenly, her phone buzzed, interrupting the silence. She stopped to check the message, and a small smile of relief appeared on her face.

“It’s Tom,” she said, turning to John. “He works with me at the bookstore. He’s coming to pick me up.”

John felt a slight pressure in his chest when he heard that, but kept his expression neutral. There was something about her presence that made him want to stay close, perhaps out of pure vigilance, or something he couldn’t quite define yet. “That’s good,” he replied, hiding any sign of frustration. “It’s always nice to have someone nearby.”

Moments later, a car pulled up at the corner, and Tom appeared, waving cheerfully. “Mia! Ready to go?” He smiled with warm familiarity. His disheveled hair caught the streetlights as he approached.

Mia waved back, but before getting into the car, she turned to John with a look of gratitude. “Thanks for looking out for me, Mr. Wick.” There was a quiet genuineness in her words, something that disarmed him for a brief moment.

John nodded, trying to suppress the slight discomfort of being caught off guard. “Of course. I’m glad you have company. Just... take care, alright?”

Mia hesitated, her eyes scanning him as if trying to figure something out. Then, before turning fully, she spoke almost casually: “Mr. Wick... tomorrow we’re having a bookstore event at the park. It’s open to the public. If you want to drop by... you’d be welcome.”

The surprise hit John like a subtle shock. He raised his eyebrows slightly, not hiding the caution that always accompanied him. An unexpected invitation. Part of him immediately grew suspicious — after all, he didn’t believe in coincidences or unintentional gestures. But there was something in the way she said it, a genuine simplicity that disarmed him from another angle. The pull towards something different, almost normal, stirred something inside him, something he tried not to let show.

“Maybe I’ll stop by,” he said, his voice controlled, trying to sound casual, but unable to hide the slight internal conflict. His eyes showed curiosity — and, perhaps, a touch of something more that he wasn’t ready to admit.

As Mia walked away, John remained on the sidewalk, watching. He wanted to call out to her, to tell her to stay away from those streets, but he knew he couldn’t. Instead, he watched her get into the car, and Tom began to drive off.

The two of them laughed and talked, Mia’s worries seeming to fade as they drove away. John remained there, his mind filled with images of what could happen if Marco Vitale was truly watching them. And now, more than ever, the feeling that he should’ve done more gnawed at him.

With a sigh, John turned and began walking through the shadows, the streets now feeling darker than ever. He had to prepare for what was coming — not just with Marco, but also with his own complicated feelings towards Mia. This connection was deepening, and he wasn’t sure if he was ready for it.

Inside the car, Mia settled into the passenger seat as Tom turned on the radio, filling the space with soft music. He shot a curious glance at Mia, noticing her distant expression.

“So, how was your night?” Tom asked with a mischievous smile. “What’s going on with ‘the mysterious guy’? You’ve got a talent for attracting enigmatic figures.”

Mia laughed, a little nervously. “It was a... different kind of night. I didn’t expect it to end like that.”

“Different how? Did the guy give you trouble?” Tom raised an eyebrow, growing a bit more serious.

“No, nothing like that.” She shook her head. “It’s just... some men showed up. I think they’re from his job. He said it wasn’t a big deal... I don’t know, maybe it really wasn’t.”

Tom made a face and then smiled. “That explains it. The suit’s not just for style, it’s serious business. I bet the guy only has those in his wardrobe—he’s probably a secret agent.”

Mia giggled and gave Tom a light shove on the shoulder. “No way, Tom! But guess what I did?”

“What?” Tom asked, now genuinely curious.

“I invited him to tomorrow’s event.”

Tom stared at her wide-eyed for a second before bursting into laughter. “You invited ‘the mysterious guy’ to the bookstore event? Seriously? And he didn’t even know it was happening?”

Mia laughed along. “Stop it, he wasn’t in the bookstore when it was open, and since he’s been showing up for weeks, I don’t know, I thought it would be nice. Maybe it’ll even help promote the bookstore, you know?”

Tom shook his head, still laughing. “Well, that makes sense. He seems to like the place, right? He’s almost becoming part of the furniture. Maybe he’ll even show up and bring more people!”

“Tom!” Mia laughed, shaking her head. “I just want the event to help the bookstore. My grandpa wanted it to be a special place for the community... and things have been kind of slow lately.”

Tom looked at her with affection, softening the tone of his joke. “Hey, Mia. You’re doing an amazing job keeping his dream alive. And, who knows, maybe Mr. Wick will end up helping.”

Mia smiled, feeling comforted by her friend’s words. “Thanks, Tom. I hope everything goes well tomorrow.”

As the car drove through the softly lit streets, Mia couldn’t shake her thoughts about John. The mystery surrounding him was almost palpable, and even amidst the tension of that night, something about him fascinated her. How could someone who seemed like just an ordinary businessman, always impeccably dressed, stir so much curiosity? The intensity in his eyes, the way he watched her in silence, left Mia intrigued. And that combination... made her heart beat a little faster.

The car stopped in front of Mia’s building, and she stepped out, still immersed in her thoughts. “Thanks for the ride, Tom,” she said, snapping out of her reverie. Tom smiled, as friendly as ever.

“Take care, Mia. And you know where to find me if you need anything,” he replied with a wave before driving off.

Mia waved back and climbed the stairs to her apartment. Even after she got home, her thoughts about John didn’t fade. Who was he, really? He seemed like a serious man, involved in some important business, but something didn’t quite add up. Maybe it was the discreet, almost watchful way he had accompanied her that night. It felt more like he was protecting her, which made her wonder if there was more beneath that facade.

She dropped her bag on the table, sitting on the couch to try to process everything. It wasn’t common for her to feel this way about someone — and that made her a bit uncomfortable. John seemed to carry an invisible weight, something he would never reveal easily. And yet, a part of her wanted to know more, to discover what lay beneath that serious expression.

Mia looked out the window, watching the city lights twinkle in the night. She didn’t know much about John beyond his visits to the bookstore and the appearance of a businessman. But something told her he was much more than he appeared to be. However, she knew she couldn’t rush things. He was someone reserved, clearly involved in something important, but Mia wondered if he also carried a certain loneliness that made him return to the bookstore, a place so calm and peaceful.

As she thought about the invitation to the park event, a strange feeling washed over her. Would John really show up? And why did the idea of seeing him again make her feel so anxious? There was something about him, something she didn’t yet understand, but that drew her in an inexplicable way.

With a small smile, Mia decided that, for now, only time would answer her questions. Whatever the reason behind John’s enigmatic presence, she felt that, somehow, her life was changing, even if subtly. Maybe he was just an ordinary man, or maybe there was much more to discover.

Next chapter!

[wickedwitchofthesouth]

New gen Harry Potter headcanons because I'm waiting for my laundry to dry and I'm bored:

Astoria malfoy is from Japan, so scorpius is wasian but still somehow comes out with that malfoy-blonde hair and blue eyes colour pallet, despite still having very Japanese features just like his mother

Carmen and Marco zabini are twins. Carmen is the older one, and she's a total no-nonsense baddie. Marco, on the other hand, is the very embodiment of a golden retriever boy.

Carmen does Marcos hair because he's horrible at taking care of it, and she learned how to braid at the age of 7.

Albus thinks he looks nothing like Harry, and he actually prides himself on being his father's complete opposite [he's actually the only potter kid that looks like an exact carbon copy of Harry]

The potters speak urdu at home, James Lily and Albus call Harry Baba and ginny muma. I'd like to think Harry- After graduating, probably had a phase where he was immensely involved in learning about his desi heritage. I feel like he probably even travelled to Pakistan a couple of times to reconnect with his culture. But I also feel like he felt more like a third culture kid sort of connection to it. The UK was still his home, and he didn't think that would ever change. He still tried, though. He learned the language and tried to teach it to his children so they wouldn't feel as alienated from their ethnicity as he probably did. Ginny learned urdu alongside him, partially because she just wanted to encourage him.

When scorpius was little he would often find himself talking to the portrait of his uncle regulus that his grandma had put up after the war. Uncle reggie , as he liked to be called, was scorpius' favourite old family memeber.

Harry always introduces Teddy as his oldest son.

Albus is exceptional at potions. He's also very talented in quidditch, the only thing is he doesn't really like playing.

James on the other hand is a total jock. I'm talking Oliver Wood level dedication to the craft of quidditch.

Lily luna is the embodiment of that scene from good omens season two of the little girl going "And I'm jemaimah! I made this pot!!"

Fred II likes to go by freddie, and him and James II are practically James and sirius 2.0. It drives McGonagall crazy.

Carmen and Marco make everyone believe they have twin telepathy as a prank one day, but now they have to keep up the bit because it's too late to drop it.

Scorpius has a pet ferret and he named it bunny. He was 6 and he thought it would be funny.

When scor was a kid he would colour in dracos dark mark with felt tip markers and scribble all over his arm and go "there now it's pretty". One day draco walked into a tattoo parlour with a scribbled mess on his arm and told the artist to make his sons art work permanent. Draco still has the mark but now its sporting all sorts squiggles and shapes in every colour imaginable. Scorpius thinks its embarrassing because that was definitely not one of his more finer works but draco finds comfort in the way his life's biggest regret becomes just a little more bareable because of Scorpius' childish innocence.

Draco is dad of the year. Harry on the other hand... is still trying to get there.

That's all thanks for coming to ny Ted talk

[monkie-kid-oc-showdown]

Daiyu (she/her) (@kenniex2)

Disgraced descendant of the dragon king of the north, Ao Shun, ex-codependent partner and lover of the Lady Bone Demon, wielder of the northern dragon sabre. Girl lover with a son out there somewhere. Former friend to Sun Wukong, after losing everything and a nasty fight with Wukong (verbal and physical), she takes her own journey of the west along the silk roads disguised as a man. She journals her journey under a false name, her false name said in the same breath as Ibn Battuda or Marco Polo. She keeps living, despite it all, she becomes a lot of things, a revolutionary, a pirate, a lawyer once, a fighter, a businesswoman, a psychologist. She gets therapy and she feels better, and skips town when LBD shows up again. this is very long, jesus

Mori and Xing (@joyisoverparty)

This is monkiki joyomi! Yes technically they’re 2 ocs, but they come in a package deal!! Mori/末日(she/her) and Xing/星 (she/he) were found mysteriously on Wukong’s doorstep during his time of isolation between sealing the Demon Bull King and mentoring MK. He was dumbfounded to find the two baby monkey demons in his home — but ultimately took them in and adjusted to life as their Baba. From a young age, Xing and Mori exhibited great power. Wukong began to train them to fight, and the two grew a close bond in their years together.

However, a rift began to form when a teenaged Xing, frustrated with Wukong’s methodology, sought help from an old friend-turned-enemy of Wukong: Macaque. Tension brewed between Xing and Mori as their competitiveness grew in equal size, turning from close allies to bitter rivals. As Wukong struggled to keep the peace between his two children, Xing and Mori began to lose hope that the close bond of their youth would ever return.

Xing is entitled, overconfident, vindictive and egotistical. She’s more likely to fall prey to the darker parts of her mind. Mori is a follower — she finds it difficult to question authority or what’s considered normal for her. She is generally predisposed against nonconformists, though she is also more willing to give others the benefit of the doubt.

[abeinginsand]

S2 Teens and Kiddads Flowers hcs -------- [ S2 Teens ]

Normal - Carnations (fascination, love)

Taylor - Cherry blossoms (optimism, national flower of japan, often in anime/manga) and fire lilies (fame, love, fire coloring in general for demon heritage)

Lincoln - Chrysanthemum (protection, calm), Bluebell (loyalty)

Scary - Scarlet Pimpernel (change, evasive, daring) , As Terri/younger self (humble, lending a helping hand), its also a poisonous flower

Hermie - Peony (the Joker carries around a peony-looking acid flower, passion (for acting), shame)

--- Note: I didn't copy down the flower language for the Kiddads, but I do have some fav drink hcs instead --- [ The Kiddads ] Sparrow - Sunflowers, fruit teas/cocktails, the adventurous move that is mixing every option from the drink machines into one cup

Lark - Lilies, truthfully the good ol H20 but he thinks its amusing to tell a different answer anytime someone asks. still hates apple juice with a passion though (I think it was apple juice that came out of the pyramid?)

Terry - Hydrangea, lemonade, boba maybe, and his mom's sun tea recipe

Grant - not sure on flowers, Rose was suggested by my friend Baba and thought it was fun, drink-wise rootbeer, though lattes on occasion? maybe he stopped drinking coffee for awhile, starts trying the seasonal flavors with Marco

Nicky - Daffodils, hot cocoa (sipped some of his dad's cup as a kid and has loved it ever since, kept from Glenn Timeline), orange juice (kept from Jodie Timeline), often used to like trying out other people's favorite drinks too

[adarkrainbow]

I have been sharing things about French fairytale movies. We have been talking about Cinderella. As such I want to speak about a movie I actually can't really speak about because I have not seen it... But I need to just talk about it because... Well, you'll get it. It is the 2017's Les Nouvelles Aventures de Cendrillon (The New Adventures of Cinderella).

Now to understand WHERE this movie comes from, we need to return to 2015 and the release of another movie "The New Adventures of Aladin".

This movie is a comedy, an humoristic retelling/parody of the Aladin tale - France has quite a history of One Thousand and One Nights-cinema, and already humoristic takes on similar stories had been done (Gérard Jugnot had notably played in an humoristic Ali Baba movie I saw when I was young, for example). Here the main star and the actor playing Aladin is Kev Addams, which was then a young humorist that had been on the rise for quite a few years and was an "idol of the youngs", so to speak. The gist of the movie is: two thieves are disguising themselves as Santa Clauses in modern-day Paris to steal at the Galeries Lafayette. But they are stuck with a group of children who asks them for a story - and so to get rid of them, they decide to tell them an improvised version of the story of Aladdin, which in turn parallels the real-life events surrounding the thieves.

[Note the writing of "Aladin" with one "d", to carefully avoid any Disney lawsuit.]

This movie was very, very popular in theaters. It was popular enough to actually get a sequel called "Alad'2" (a pun on how "in" sounds like "un", "one"), which also was one of the leads of the box-office in France, and brought in another French humorist, this time of the "previous generation" before Adams - Jamel Debbouze:

But there was one problem... Both movies were absolutely torn to shreds by the critics. In newspapers, on websites, everybody agreed that these movies were actually bad, and not at all good movies nor great comedies. In fact, the reviews of the movies and the sales corresponding to it clashed so much it caused an online scandal when it came to the website AlloCiné (one of the French websites of reference when it comes to cinema), who was openly accused of faking reviews and inventing profiles to boost this movie's note - because it seemed impossible, with all the negative critics and the backlash, that the movie could obtain a mid-rating (3/5).

All of that to say, these movies were very polarizing - seen as embodying the typical bad comedies and a certain "downfall" of French cinema everybody has been talking about in the 2010s, and yet being massively mediatized and very popular among young audiences especially, and bringing in a lot of cash...

Now we reach our movie. Welcome "The New Adventures of Cinderella"! Which technically seems like a spin-off of the Aladin movies, and yet by its chronological placement seems to be a sequel "by the principle", not directly following it while still reusing its principle and referencing the previous movie (this movie was released BEFORE Alad'2)

This movie basically does what "Les Nouvelles Aventures d'Aladin" did - it is an humoristic retelling/open parody of Cinderella, framed as an adult being forced to tell a story to children. In this case it is Julie, a young girl who finds herself alone on the day of her birthday, without anybody remembering it... Until Marco, the man she secretely loves (and the son of her boss) calls to tell her he is coming over. Filled with hope she awaits... only to discover Marco brings her his son because he needed a last-minute babysitter. Stuck with this particularly bratty child, Julie is forced to tell him a story, and fed up with everybody treating her like a servant, she decides to tell a version of Cinderella where she plays the main role - and Marco is the prince she tries to win. Other characters from her life are recast: her boss is the king, her bitchy colleagues are the wicked stepsisters, her annoying neighbor if the evil stepmother... And Snow-White with her seven dwarves pop up at some point - because just like with the "Aladin", Disney references are quite present...

The main actress (Cinderella/Julie) s Marilou Berry, who truly was noticed and became quite famous thanks to playing in "Vilaine", and after passing by a series of movies (including "Les reines du ring"), she had another focus thanks to the success of the "Joséphine" movie. The cast also gathers other actors quite used to the world of comedy, ranging from older generations of the "classics" (Josiane Balasko as the wicked stepmother, Didier Bourdon as the king) to more recent ones (Arnaud Ducret as the prince Marco, Vincent Desagnat as the prince's older brother).

Now, I have not seen the movie, so I can't confirm or infirm this... But when it was released, this piece got bashed. Really, really hard. Harder than the Aladin movie, from people simply calling it "unfunny" and "cringe" to other actively pointing it out as being offensive and sexist, if not misogynistic. Aladin's note online roughly went around a 3/5. This one hesitated between 2/5 and 1,5/5. Now, again, I can't say I agree or disagree with these reviews because I have not seen the movie - and we all know a mass-opinion can be wrong. It seems more recently kinder reviews have been opping around the Internet - pointing out that all the backlash ths movie received was exaggerated and the piece was better than what everybody descibed.

Now, if you want my two pences of thought, I do believe that maybe this has to do with the audience that went to see these movies. As I said, Kev Adams was quite the "idol of the youth" when he did the Aladin movie (I don't know if he still is), but he had a BIG fanbase among teenage girls for example, as well as a certain scope to a young audience. And precisely who kept talking about these Aladin movies and who was more interested in those Aladin movies? Children. Meanwhile this Cinderella movie lacks any star or face that a young audience could recognize - no real Kev Adams. Yes, Marilou Berry is here, but her audience is not known to be young children - and as such, I do believe that the Aladin movies were favored by having a natural "fanbase" and already formed young audience ready to dig in. Meanwhile here two of the prominent stars are actors who symbolize the humor of the 20th century and are now quite aged - Balasko and Bourdon - who will speak to adults, but probably not to children... Anyway I am really speaking out of anything here, especially since I haven't seen the movie, but I do believe that this played a part in how this movie was received in a lesser way than the Aladin ones. (Plus the Aladin movies were clearly aimed at a male audience, which coupled with Kev Adams' natural teenage girl fanbase and the big success of Disney's Aladdin among girls, made sure both genders could go see it without shame - meanwhile this movie is clearly a "girl movie" meaning the audience is already restricted a bit more... And as such much more offended - as I said the movie was accused of being a piece of misogynistic jokes (doesn't help that there are only men who wrote and directed this movie).

But again, it might also have to do with the movie just being bad, you know. After all the man behind this movie (Lionel Steketee) is not the one that made the first Aladin movie (Arthur Benzaquen) but rather the one that did its lesser-appreciated sequel... Though the same script-writer was used for both (Daive Cohen).

Now, my only question, from what I have seen (extracts and trailers and previews) is actually... What is the target audience? Maybe it will clear up when I get to see the movie but this is all framed and sold as a kid-friendly entertainment, it even being an "all-public" movie to which families are supposed to be able to bring their kids but... a lot of the jokes I have seen are typical of adult things. I mean there's a lot of sex jokes for example, which made me think originally this was an adult movie, but then it also kind of is framed and written as a kid-level comedy and... Yeah this leaves me a bit confused. Just take the movie's poster, at the top of the post... You can't tell me there isn't a big sexual innuendo in the way the prince "rides" Cinderella! And yet it is sold as a movie kids can go watch and that isn't for a more mature audience? Anyway, I do not have a lot to say, since I haven't seen the movie, but I wanted to make a "preparation" post for when I will get to see it.

(I will just add that while some of the jokes I have seen do seem really bad - like a certain joke about a character's throat which was used already in Les Visiteurs 3 and seems really out of place in a kid movie, clearly taken from the Men in Black - some actually made me laugh. Most notably there is a great slapstick moment you can glimpse in the trailer where the Lady Tremaine-like stepmother just... headbutts Cinderella for speaking to her. I did quite like this joke as it subverts the pose and subtle threat of the Disney-wickedstepmother, while also clearly dedramatizing the violence into a goofy, cartoonish way. But that's just me.)

[lex-the-lesbiann]

Lex! As a perpetual drifter amongst ships I too have been rotating Grant/Sparrow around as of late and am wondering if you have any headcanons to share! (doesn't really matter if it's a romantic or a platonic thing!) ALSO HIIIII

HIII BABA!!! :D i dont have any off the top of my head but i can absolutely think of some!! :3

-I go back and forth on whether I like them more as platonic or romantic but the vibe I associate them with the most is platonic just with heavy romantic undertones if that makes sense? like friends who could be (and wanted to be) romantic just never felt the need to be/never got around to it

-sort of continuing with the last one, i think when Sparrow met Rebecca and Grant met Marco they both respectively had a moment like ‘oh yeah I’m not actually in a relationship with [other one], I can date this person’. which isn’t to say either of them thought they were together, they’d just sort of been there on an emotional level yknow?

-lots of gentle touches and hugs from both of them

-the other kiddads (except for Lark maybe) thought that they were dating for a loong time

-they only found out they weren’t dating bc one time someone asked if they wanted to double date and it went like “huh? oh, we’re not together” “you’re not??!!!!”

-Grant braids Sparrows hair, hes not good at it but Sparrow keeps them in anyway

-they play minecraft together but only on creative mode bc Sparrow feels bad about killing the animals (same)

-i dont think Sparrow would want to draw all that much since the Doodler but Grant helps him find other creative outlets

-similarly to the last one, I don’t think Grant would want to play fortnite since four knights (what even is this podcast istg /affectionate)

-parallel play is how they mainly hang out, Grant will be playing a video game or something and Sparrow will probably be jumping between a few different activities

[onwesterlywinds]

Livvy's #FFXIVWrite 2023 Wrap-Up Post

Hi all! First and foremost, I want to thank everyone who's engaged with the stuff I've written for what is now my FIFTH consecutive year of #FFXIVWrite!

For the past few years, this challenge has been the primary vehicle for the XIV writing things I've always said I'll get around to writing - I went back to check and ten of this year's prompts include interactions or scenarios I've had in my head for multiple years! So as always, thank you SO much to @sea-wolf-coast-to-coast for creating this beautiful event. It's truly become one of my favorite parts of being in this game's community.

I wish I could say I had things I learned about myself, my writing or my characters this time around - but to be honest, the biggest thing I've learned is not to tempt fate by saying "I have completed this challenge in past years in spite of various life crises," because oh my god, y'all. Oh my fucking god. (Everything is fine but I am so tired.)

(Actually, okay, there was one common trend: I wrote way more NSFW material this year than in past years. Which I'm honestly really glad about, because this is an area I've always felt has not been one of my strong suits as a writer!)

So without further ado, below are my prompts for this year in their entirety, organized by character in order of frequency! I've bolded the pieces I'm especially proud or fond of.

If I get a handful of likes on this post, I might post some of my drafts - I had way more this year than in past years, so it'd be fun to share them now and see if folks are interested in me continuing any of them!

Livvy Ahtynwyb

#6: Ring | #10: [EXTRA CREDIT] | #13: Check | #22: Fulsome

Ashelia Riot

#1: Envoy | #12: Dowdy | #16: Jerk | #21: Grave

Ashley Rosenheim

#7: Noisome | #15: Portentous | #27: Sole

Alma Malheur

#2: Bark | #11: Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Ingvald Bloodhound

#3: [EXTRA CREDIT] | #17: [EXTRA CREDIT]

Hrjt Brotin

#14: Clear | #28: Blunt

Marco

#18: Fish out of Water | #24: [EXTRA CREDIT]

Sappho

#8: Shed | #23: Suit

Astodan (a character I hope you all will learn more about soon!)

#9: Fair

Blackram

#19: Weal

Élodie Fiel

#5: Barbarous

Ludo Swiftwind

#26: Last

Lyhe Il

#30: Amity

Sigrid Keane

#20: Hamper

Stella Riot

#29: Contravention

Tircolas Flow

#4: Off the Hook

Tircolas Flow's Baba (whose name I'm 99% sure I know but don't want to reveal in case I decide to retcon it later)

#25: Call it a Day

[babacontainsmultitudes]

i'm worried about link.... the way he said to a sobbing normal "at least you're feeling something" ... bro's dissociating so hard and he probably doesn't even know what's going on and he doesn't know how to explain it aside from saying he doesn't care about anything ... i'm so worried about him ... baba ...

YEAH. YEAH YEAH YEAH. HE'S HAVING A ROUGH TIME MAN. 😭 I wish all my thoughts were more coherent rn but ooo man that boy is struggling and no one seems to. No one seems to *really* be picking up on it and doing anything about it (of course there's a lot of other stuff going on but-) I'm like biting my nails like ooooooooooh this isn't gooood nonononononono GRANT!? MARCO!? PLEASE GET HERE QUICK. PLEASE.

[jpriest85-blog]

(cue Nasira's Spidey-sense going off)

Samira, concerned: Habibti (darling) are you okay? You're shivering really bad, are you feeling sick?

Nasira: Oh, ah I'm just feeling a bit cold. I'm going to head back upstairs to grab a jacket real quick. You head on out, I'll meet up with you later.

Samira, with Mom BS sense going off: Just don't take too long. You've been so absent-minded lately I'm worried. You've been running late and forgetting appointments without so much as a call or text. You were so responsible when you were still in school...

Nasira: No, no! Wallah (I swear by God), I'm just going to grab my jacket, and head straight out.

Cut to Nasira pulling on Spider-woman costume while climbing out a window: This better be something quick like a robbery. If I got to fight another super villain in city traffic, and show up late. Mama's going to be so pissed!!

After watching Across the Spider-verse with my family, I've been inspired to create my own Spider-verse oc/spider-sona. Introducing Nasira bint Asim Najjar aka the Amazing Spider-woman, aspiring Palestinian-American Archetect by day webslinging superhero of New York by night. She's intelligent and driven, but like most superheroes, she has trouble balancing her Spider-woman identity with her family obligations and internship at an architectural firm. Her dating life is nonexistent, other than attempts at matching making by well-intentioned but nosey relatives. Who's got time for that?! Nasira wants to start her own Archetect firm and make safe, affordable housing for NYCs rapidly increasing homeless population before she's 45! She doesn't have time to worry about dating or acknowledging the complicated feelings she's developing around her two dearest friends, MJ and Harry, or why certain villains she encounters leave her flustered like Black Cat, and this new Green Goblin acting like he's got an obsessive crush on her!

I've included traditional Tatreez embroidery onto her costume, and the pattern on her hijab is inspired by mosaics found at Hisham's Palace in Jericho.

I've also created concept doodles of iconic webslinging poses and a little chibi version of her in a hard hat and vest mimicking those little construction site figures you see on safety signs. I've also included little concept portraits of her parents and friends.

Asim Najjar, Nasira' Baba (dad) he was a construction worker who often took his daughter on tours of his construction site when she was little. Helped inspire her desire to become an architect. Tragically died when he and another construction worker, Flint Marco, were building an expansion to a laboratory and accidently learned about some shady experiments the scientists were performing. So, an accident was staged to keep them both quiet, but Flint survived and became The Sandman.

Prof. Samira Najjar, Nasira's Mama, and a teacher who works at a prestigious private school in New York. Samira got her current job when Nasira turned 13 and transferred her daughter to the private school. It would offer her a better education, and Samira's position as faculty means they can get a much needed reduction on tuition. Nasira had a hard time fitting in at first. Unlike the rest of her classmates, she was raised in a working class family, and her mommy is a teacher. Until she befriended Harry Osborn, he was also picked on a lot, and they shared similar interests. Samira has been worried about Nasira's changed behavior recently. At first, she thought it was Nasira grieving after Asim's death. Samira herself was also a mess for months after the funeral. It wasn't unreasonable for her normally responsible daughter to start showing up late or even forgetting appointments... but still something is off. Nasira's keeping secrets and even lying to her, and whatever is going on, even MJ has been keeping things from her as well.

Mojdeh "MJ" Mahri, Nasira's BFF, MJ is a redhead Iranian American girl whose family attend the same mosque as Nasira's, and they've been friends ever since they were 7 years old. MJ eventually starts working as an investigation blogger for The Daily Bugel and helps Nasira investigate the truth about her father's "accidental death" when the facts don't add up. During this investigation at the accident site, Nasira accidentally knocked over a terrarium containing an experimental spider, and the rest is history. MJ is one of the few people who knows Nasira's secret identity and helps her endeavor as Spider-woman, with her journalist connections. As well as trying to counter act her boss, J. Jonah Jameson's bias against Spider-woman when she can.

Harry Osborn, Nasira's school friend and Oscorp heir. Harry never had many close friends until Nasira transferred to the private school they both graduated from. They both shared similar interests and her mother, Prof. Najjar taught his favorite class. They grew close over the years, especially since Nasira's family treated Harry better than his own distant and domineering father. A few of their classmates and even MJ would ask if Harry and Nasira were dating, but they both denied it repeatedly. They're just friends! Although after high school, Harry started dating women that greatly resembled Nasira: tall, with dark hair, very career driven and intelligent. Nasira is the only one who hasn't noticed this pattern to Harry's love life. She just assumed he has a thing for Amal Clooney! Harry hasn't said anything out loud about his feelings, but the fact that his friendship with Nasira is the only functional relationship in his life is telling.

Norman Osborn, Harry's father and CEO of Oscorp. Norman and Harry have had a very strained relationship. He expects a lot from his son and worries that Harry doesn't have the stomach to do what's necessary to make the company successful after he's retired. After all, you don't become as wealthy and powerful as Norman Osborn without doing unsavory things to ensure success. Although he's noticed his son has become more serious and hardworking since he's befriended Nasira Najjar. In addition to having a good influence on Harry, Nasira is a very driven and intelligent young lady herself, if a bit idealistic. Still, Norman prefers her to the other girls his son used to date and would often half "jokingly" ask them both when Harry will make Nasira his new daughter in law. Of course, they're both very embarrassed and uncomfortable whenever Norman makes those kinds of jokes. Sure, they insist they're just friends for now, but Norman is willing to bet money, Nasira will probably wind up his son's 2nd wife in 20 years. Don't think too much about what might happen to your hypothetical 1st wife Harry. It's nothing the police can prove anyway...what?! He's joking, of course! Although it is a shame her father was involved in that tragic "accident." Norman genuinely felt bad about that, but he couldn't risk it getting out that his company was secretly connected to the lab they were expanding. It would have stayed secret too if Filnt Marco had also died instead of getting mutated and getting that meddling Spider-woman involved. Sure, she's been useful, especially when she saved Harry when he was targeted by one of his many enemies, but he can't risk Spider-woman connecting Oscorp to those experiments!

[gloriousbouquetlove]

Far Cry Cradle

Después de los acontecimientos de la guerra iniciada por el Reino de Lucis, solo aquellos humanos que ayudaron a vencer a los búhos plateados se les permitió quedarse en el Reino de las Espinas.

Pero después de 400 años finalmente se ha firmado un tratado de paz entre Reino de las Espinas. y los países vecinos. Un momento realmente importante que marco a hadas y humanos por igual.

Y fue un momento realmente estresante que sufrió la familia Draconia, en especial para Levan, actual rey y ministro de paz del reino. El pobre se quedó por varias semanas encerrado en su oficina firmando papeles y enviando cartas a todos los reinos vecinos. Su esposa e hijo tuvieron que sacarlo arrastrando a la fuerza para que se tomara un descanso.

También fue difícil para Lilia, después de todo era la mano derecha de la reina Meleanor Draconia, y tenia que estar a su lado en todo momento. Y tuvo que soportar los ataques de ira de su reina cuando un reino vecino ponía condiciones un tanto inoportunas.

Pero al fin todos se podían tomar un merecido descanso.

Lilia se dirigía a su hogar, una pequeña cabaña alejada de la capital, que hace ya varios años construyo junto a su pareja. El ya deseaba llegar, poder al fin recostarse en su cama y quedarse dormido abrazado con su amada esposa y su querido…

“¡BUA, BUA!”

Aquel llanto se escuchaba afuera de la cabaña, un llanto que conocía muy bien y que extrañaba mucho, con todo el asunto del tratado Lilia muy apenas tenía tiempo para pasar con su familia. Pero ahora va a arreglar eso.

Sin perder más tiempo el hada voló hacia la ventana de la habitación que compartía con su amada y pudo visualizar a su esposa y a su pequeño hijo.

Leia se encontraba al lado de la cuna, meciendo con preocupación al bebé de un lado a otro.

“¿Qué pasa Silver, tienes hambre?... No, ¿talvez sea tu pañal?… Tampoco, ¿perdiste tu manta?... No, aquí esta, mi dulce Silver ¿qué necesitas?”

“Quizás una canción de cuna ayudaría”

Tanto la mujer y él bebe se sorprendieron al oír esa voz familiar.

“Lilia regresaste”

“Hola mi amor, veo que tienes algunos problemas para dormir a nuestro pequeño”

“Si, ha estado así estos días y no sé por…”

“Baba…Baba”

El pequeño estiro sus manitas hacia su padre mientras una linda sonrisita se formaba en su rostro.

“Oh que lindo, al parecer está muy feliz de verte”

“Khee hee, ya lo veo”

Lilia se acerco a Leia y extendió sus brazos, ella entendió lo que quería, y con cuidado coloco a Silver en los brazos de su padre.

Él bebé estaba muy feliz, balbuciendo palabras incoherentes mientras jugaba con el largo cabello de su progenitor.

Pero ya era muy tarde, así que sin más el hada empezó a cantar:

En tu cálida cuna,

Alégrate de la luz

De las estrellas

Incluso ahora

Mi mirada

Encontraras y

Estaremos juntos

Si despiertas de

Un sueño temible

Duerme,

Duerme ya,

Mi amor

Por favor,

En tus sueños

Que camines

Hacia la luz

Que te guía

Cuando la canción llego a su fin, el pequeño ya hacia dormido, con cuidado de no despertar al bebé, Lilia lo coloco en su cuna.

Una calidez lleno el corazón al hada al ver como su hijo dormía, se veía tan lindo y frágil, pero cada día el pequeño crecía más y el sabía que en el futuro se convertiría en alguien fuerte e independiente que protegerá a sus seres queridos.

La sensación de ser abrazado por detrás lo saco de sus pensamientos, su amada apoyaba su cabeza en su hombro y observo también como dormía su bebé.

“El realmente te extraño”

“Yo también lo extrañe, los extrañe a ambos”

El hada se dio la vuelta y miro a la humana a los ojos.

“Te amo bestia”

No importa cuentas veces ella escuchara esas palabras, siempre hacían que su corazón salte de alegría.

“Yo también te amo Lilia”

Sin decir otra palabra, Leia sello sus labios con los de Lilia, y ambos se fundieron en el beso.

Lilia al fin estaba en casa.

[punishertruther]

"pues justo vi el otro día unos marcos preciosos en la tienda esa de decoración que te gusta tanto. la que está frente al parque por donde sacamos a syrax, ¿sabes cuál te digo, no?" se murió de amor al ver lo ilusionada que alie estaba por volver a dar clases y estar con los niños, cosa que a la vez le confirmaba que iba a ser una madre maravillosa y se moría de ganas por verla ya con sus bebés. "bueno, los típicos comentarios que hace la gente de la carrera de magisterio, ¿no? dicen que solo hacéis cordones de macarrones y esas cosas. en medicina al menos era lo que decían." elle siempre había sido muy respetuosa con los estudios de cada uno pero en general la carrera de medicina era bastante clasista. "gracias, cariño. porque seguramente llegue harte de ver tantos esguinces." bromeó mientras cogía la carta y comenzaba a mirarla. al escucharla hablarle a los bebés simplemente se le cayó la baba. "eso eso, nada de venir de nalgas o con el cordón al cuello, que luego vuestra madre me castra." bromeó, cogiendo la mano de alicent para dejar un dulce beso en el dorso. "¿y para tus hormonas será bueno?" cuestionó con pillería mientras arqueaba la ceja.

un puchero se dibujó en sus labios a las palabras de rhaenyra, asintiendo con suavidad mientras reía con suavidad. "es que tendrías que haberles visto las caras cuando me han visto." explicó con ilusión en su mirada y su voz. "les he pedido que me lo hagan para cuando vuelva pero, sí. voy a tener que enmarcarlos en mi despacho, así que necesitaré tu ayuda." comentó acercándose a dejar otro beso en su mejilla. ante aquel halago, no pudo evitar encogerse de hombros con una sonrisilla en sus labios, centrando su mirada de nuevo en rhaenrya. "hay que saber empatizar con los niños. la gente tiene la mala costumbre de pensar que solo por jugar con ellos ya eres profesora." explico, y es que había visto a criston con los pequeños y se desvivía por ellos, tanto cómo ella. presionó sus labios con suavidad al escuchar aquello y asintió con suavidad. "estoy segura de que va a ir bien. cuando vuelvas del turno tendrás la cena preparada y te daré un buen masaje para que te relaje." le hizo saber, y es que adoraba mimar a rhaenyra tanto como elle le mimaba, y ahora que había vuelto a trabajar, le mimaría todo lo posible y más. al escucharle, se mordió el labio con suavidad y se acarició el vientre. "espero que me deis un parto fácil y rápido, eh." comentó con voz de advertencia mientras una carcajada escapaba de sus labios. una vez en la mesa, entrelazo su mano con la ajena y dejó pequeñas caricias en esta mientras echaba un vistazo a la carta. "creo que me voy a quedar viéndote jugar a ti. es mucho más interesante, la verdad."

[gazetadoleste]

Baba Thales destaca a importância do Dia da Consciência Negra na luta contra o racismo

Foto: Divulgação Data é um marco para o reconhecimento da história, da cultura negra e do papel das religiões de matriz africana no combate às desigualdades O Dia da Consciência Negra, celebrado em 20 de novembro, é mais do que uma homenagem ao líder Zumbi dos Palmares. É uma oportunidade para refletir sobre o legado do povo negro no Brasil e renovar os compromissos na luta contra o racismo. Para…

[kababaemongtao]

Kung pantay ang karapatan ng lahat, bakit tila iba ang trato sa kababaihan? Ito ang paulit-ulit na tanong na bumabagabag sa isipan ng bawat kababaihan sa Pilipinas. Kung ang lahat ay may pantay na karapatan, bakit tila patuloy na pinapalabas na mas mababa ang halaga ng kababaihan?

Mula sa pagtingin sa kanila bilang mahina o hindi sapat, hanggang sa mga diskriminasyon at karahasan na kanilang nararanasan, malinaw na may mga sistemang humahadlang sa kanilang pantay na pagtrato.

Ang tanong na ito ay patuloy na nag-aalab bilang isang paalala na kailangan pa ng mas malaking pagbabago sa ating lipunan upang matamo ang tunay na katarungan para sa kababaihan.

Babae, Hindi Mahina: Ang Laban ni Leni laban sa Pambansang Diskriminasyon

Si Leni Robredo ay hindi lamang isang bise presidente—siya ay isang simbolo ng tapang at pag-asa sa gitna ng mga pagsubok. Ngunit nang magpasya siyang harapin si Bongbong Marcos sa 2022 presidential race, hindi lang siya nakaranas ng malupit na pamumulitika, kundi pati na rin ng matinding panghihila pababa.

Tinangka siyang sirain ng mga pwersang kontra-bago, at pinagbintangan ng pagiging "mahina" sa kabila ng lahat ng napatunayan at nagawa niya para sa bansa. Ngunit sa kabila ng lahat ng ito, ipinakita ni Leni ang kanyang hindi matitinag na tapang at prinsipyo. Ang kanyang laban ay hindi lang laban para sa kanya, kundi laban sa paniniwala na ang kababaihan ay may limitasyon.

Sa kabila ng mga pambabastos at panghahamak, si Leni ay naging isang ilaw ng katatagan at integridad—isang matinding paalala na ang lakas ng isang babae ay hindi nasusukat sa kung paano siya tinatrato ng iba, kundi sa kung paano niya tinatanggap at pinapalakas ang sarili upang magpatuloy sa laban.

Humigit-kumulang isang ikatlo ng mga kababaihan sa buong mundo (30%) ang makakaranas ng pisikal at/o sekswal na karahasan sa kanilang buhay. Ano-ano ba ang nangyayari?

Karahasan sa Loob ng Tahanan (Domestic Violence) Maraming kababaihan ang nakakaranas ng pang-aabuso mula sa sariling pamilya o kinakasama, ngunit maraming biktima ang natatakot mag-report dahil sa takot at kawalan ng sapat na suporta.

Kawalan ng Pantay na Pagkakataon sa Trabaho at Sahod Maraming kababaihan ang hindi nakakakuha ng pantay na oportunidad sa trabaho at madalas na mas mababa ang sahod kumpara sa kanilang lalaking katrabaho, kahit na magkapareho ang posisyon o gawain.

Diskriminasyon sa Politika at Pamumuno Kahit marami ang may kakayahan, ang kababaihan ay madalas na hindi siniseryoso sa mga posisyon ng pamumuno at nahaharap sa matinding diskriminasyon at kritisismo, lalo na sa larangan ng pulitika.

Kakulangan ng Access sa Reproductive Health Services Maraming kababaihan ang hindi nakakakuha ng sapat na impormasyon at serbisyo para sa kalusugan sa reproductive, kabilang ang family planning, dahil sa mga limitasyon sa access at stigma sa reproductive health.

“Kababae ‘mong tao?” Huwag na magpalinlang sa makalumang pag iisip. Kaya nila? Kaya ko din. Ito ang ilang komento ng aking mga kamag-aral:

Hindi dito natatapos ang laban ng mga kababaihan.

[abeinginsand]

^_^ Hi Countless! How about Glenn/Morgan and…. Hmmmm…. *squints* Grant/Nicky for the ship ask!

Hi Baba! :] Ohh, thank you for the ask! Will start with Grant/Nicky:

I tend to think of them as close friends most often! Especially in s1 context--they both like gaming and, even if in a dangerous situation, still found some fun in the places they were stuck in. Easily imagining them playing co-op games often--with the boys or 1-on-1. For a more family centric thought, I do think its pretty fun and silly when Grant and Nick(y) are friends/step siblings in a Glenn/Darryl scenario especially if they seem annoyed with their respective step-dads haha. I love family bonding shenanigans!

In a romantic sense, I feel like Grant and Nicky could have had a relationship--to explore stuff and then for various reasons, things fizzled out. A big part of it could be the communication issues they both struggle with? I do think about the "its like having an ex number" line sometimes haha (not sure if thats the exact wording, can't remember). Also...well regarding the betrayal, I often consider that either Lark or Grant was the one to actually shoot Nicky too. He's great with guns and would know great spots to hit that don't kill yet still...send a message. Or maybe he aimed to kill, saw his friend's terror and slipped up? In the end, it could have been any of them who attacked...but there's something deeply saddening to me about Grant doing it. Feeling yet again forced to commit violence for some urgent issue and having to break off a friendship on top of that :[ To add to the 'bitter ex vibes'--there's Grant being rather mean to any of the teens who aren't his son--especially Taylor? Doesn't seem like a stretch for me to think maybe Taylor reminds him of Nicky and that's part of why he seems not to want to deal with him whatsoever lol

I think the pairing could be interesting though and open to reading about them and perhaps Grant/Marco/Nicky too! Mostly conflicted since lovesong (Sparrow/Nicky) and Grant/Marco are my fav pairings for these characters so I tend to have more thoughts about those :0 ----- Now for Glenn/Morgan:

Canon-wise we really didn't get much about Morgan...but the little bits of the relationship seemed pretty sweet. Definitely got the feeling that Glenn loved her very much and missed her dearly. I think, at least in my hcs, even if he and Morgan get together in hell like in canon--he still misses his Morgan. She lives on in his heart and memories About the "I like them platonically", one of my fav scenes in s1 is during the finale when Glenn accepts that this isn't his Morgan and that he just wants to see her (and Nicky) living happily. So I do like the alternate reality of them remaining family friends of sorts as well. Its heart-warming that even if there are different versions of them--they still end up drawn to each other platonically or romantically. Overall, I think the ship has a great mix of angst, sweetness, and goofiness! Gives me the butterfly flutter type feeling when thinking about them getting to spend time together I put "send to hell" for both of these since hell is Nicky, Glenn, and Morgan's home of course ;)