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nerdy-novelist017 · 6 months ago

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A Date (Benny Cross x Shy!Reader Pt 3)

Thank you so much for all your kind words, likes and reblogs on my last two posts! You guys are keeping me so entertained with the comments!

Ugh I rewrote this like 3 times :( I just couldn't get it right and I'm still not sure how I feel about it OH WELL

Benny x Bunny Masterlist

Word Count- 2.2K

Summary- You were sure you'd never see Benny Cross again. . . you were wrong.

******

“Benny’s been asking for ya.”

Your heart skipped a beat and you nearly dropped the receiver into the bowl of cake batter. Kathy’s statement came out of left field, the two of you having been discussing the latest news on the block – what kind of lipstick Sheryl Dickie uses that somehow always lasts an entire night of bar hopping. “What?”

“Yeah, says he’s real desperate to ask you somethin’,” Kathy’s tone was flippant, but you’ve known her long enough to hear the excitement she’s hiding in her voice.

“What could he possibly have to talk to me about?” You asked as you set the whisk down and moved around the kitchen counter to peak down the hallway towards the living room where you knew your father sat in his large recliner, watching a rerun of Bonanza.

“I dunno, maybe you should come to another meetin’ so you can find out.”

“No, I’m not going to anymore of those.” you declared firmly, yanking the cord so that the phone was up to your other ear. “I don’t know how you can stand being around those guys.”

Kathy laughed, the static spiking. “C’mon, they’re fun, and you know it. Did you tell your parents how you got to ride on the back of a Vandal’s bike, and not just any Vandal!”

“No!” you squeaked. “And they’re never going to know. It was a one-time thing.”

“It doesn’t have to be. They’re having another meetin’ tonight. I’m sure Benny could pick you up–”

“Well, I can’t tonight,” you cut her off. “I have plans.”

“What plans?”

“My date.”

“Date?” Kathy asked, voice lowering dubiously. “With who?”

“Pete,” you said quietly.

“Who?” she asked again.

You sighed. “Pete? The guy from Mama’s church?”

Pete was introduced to you last week by your mother who was introduced to him by his mother. It was a train of people who wanted to matchmake, to see young love blossom before their eyes, even if it was forced. Pete was nice enough and he had kind eyes that sat behind wide-rimmed glasses. You’d been on one other date with him. He was an engineering student in his first year and he talked a lot about his school. He liked school. And he liked to golf nearly every weekend (his family belonged to the country club on the upper side of town). And mostly – he talked a lot about himself. He seemed to really like himself too.

“Oh, okay.” Kathy sounded unimpressed.

“My family really likes him. My dad likes him.”

“Yeah?”

At her unenthusiastic response, you added quickly, “And I’m excited!”

“Is that why you’re stress-baking?” Kathy inquired as if she could sense it.

You glance down at the bowl of cake batter. No, it wasn’t, actually. You weren’t nervous to go on your second date with Pete; he didn’t make her nervous, didn’t fill your belly with those pesky butterflies. Pete was . . . just Pete. No, you were stress-baking because of a certain blonde Bikerider whose ocean blue eyes wouldn’t leave your thoughts all night. You were up, tossing and turning, replaying every moment with him like a broken record. It was one ride, the logical side of your mind had to say, and you’ll never see him again. You allowed yourself the rest of the night to think about him, and then you wouldn’t set aside any more time.

In theory, it was a nice strategy. But when you woke up today, your thoughts were absolutely clouded with him and his incredibly direct eye-contact and his deeply rich voice and his hand touching your thigh and his lips encasing the cigarette—

You were doing it again! It had been one ride! One ride and a few hours. One ride where your arms wrapped so tightly to his solid form. One ride where he showed you places you’d never seen before, from a point of view you’d never been before. One ride where you felt as though you were seeing the world in a whole new light. One ride that you couldn’t get out of your head.

“Yes, because of Pete,” you replied evenly. “And I’m going to have a good time with him tonight.”

There’s a smile in her voice when she says, “Okay, sure. Say, what restaurant did ya say he was takin’ you?”

********

Thanking the driver, you stepped out of the cab, your heels connecting softly with the concrete of the sidewalk. Taking a moment to smooth any wrinkles on your pink dress, your gaze fluttered across the street to the restaurant Pete told you to meet him at.

Ricardo’s was one of the most expensive restaurants in town, somewhere you never found yourself frequenting, but Pete absolutely gushed about their food. Coming from old money, Pete had no hesitation picking here for your second date. Pete’s family was well off, that’s what your mother liked to point out. He was a good boy with good money. He would provide for you, buy you a nice house with a picket fence in the front yard. A safe bet for the same routine life that nearly all the women of your family had spanning back several generations.

You made your way across the street, eyes taking in the lineup of expensive cars parked out front: Mercedes, Rolls Royce, Cadillac . . . Harley-Davidson motorcycle. You did a double-take at the shiny metal glinting underneath the streetlamp, eyes traveling upwards to the figure leaning casually against it. He was looking at the restaurant, head turned to give a generous view of his profile, and he hadn’t noticed you yet. For a split second, you considered taking advantage of that and booking it into the front door before he had a chance to stop you. But some deeply intrinsic part of you yearned to memorize every detail of him and you simply couldn’t look away. As a moth drawn to flame, you were drawn to him, to the golden streaks of his hair, down to the strong slope of his nose, the curve where his top lip sat so perfectly against the bottom – even with the cigarette tucked between. He wore long sleeves under his club jacket and the same distressed jeans from your last encounter. Half shrouded in the darkness of night, with the orange glow of the streetlight nearest to him, he looked like a beacon of mystery. Abandoning your previous course, you turned and approached him.

“What are you doing here?” You asked once you were close enough for him to hear you.

Benny turned and a smile broke out over his features, eyes sweeping down your figure. “Do you dress like that all the time or only when you’re gonna see me?” He asked, nodding to your dress and heels.

You stopped about 6 feet away from him (a reasonable distance), hopping up onto the sidewalk. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“What a chance encounter,” he proclaimed with a secretive wink that sent your stomach on a roller coaster ride.

“Chance encounter, or Kathy’s loose lips?” you quipped and he rubbed a hand over his mouth to keep from smiling, fingers grazing through the blonde, recently-trimmed facial hair.

“Why are you here?” You asked again, this time a touch quieter.

“Well, I have a coupon,” he replied simply.

You couldn’t stop the smile from tugging at your lips, your brows raising incredulously. “A coupon? To Ricardo’s?”

“Mm-hm,” he nodded, straight-faced.

You rolled your eyes at his antics. He had a coupon, your ass. A well-dressed elderly couple walked past you both on the sidewalk, each shooting a look of disapproval toward the dirty young man leaning against his death machine. Benny seemed not to notice them, his gaze still on you.

“Why are you here?” he questioned.

“I–I have a date,” you replied and desperately tried to ignore the heat rising to your face at the admission. “But something tells me you already know that.”

“Hmm,” he hummed, looking down to the ground for all of five seconds before his gaze flashed back up to you. “Wanna go for a ride, Little Bunny?”

“What? No.” You narrowed your eyes at him.

“Why not?”

“Well, I just told you I'm here for a date,” you replied with a tilt of your head.

Benny shrugged. “So?”

You shook your head but he continued, “Why are you wastin’ your time with dates when we’re gonna be married anyway?”

Your mouth fell open in surprise. The nerve on this guy! Part of you was surprised that he still had it in his head of marrying you. You thought maybe he had a few too many beers last night or was just smooth-talking you so that you’d let him sleep with you. But here he was, showing up on the sidewalk, giving you those puppy eyes. You’d already denied him once. Could he not take a hint?

“I don’t recall you ever asking.” you pointed out, feeling emboldened by his casual attitude.

He perked up at that, tossing the remainder of his cigarette to the ground. “You want me to ask?”

You fought to remain neutral-faced at his playfulness. “No, thank you. Now, if you’ll excuse me . . . I have a date.” One that you were excited about before you caught sight of Benny and your train of thoughts completely derailed.

Benny held his hands up in a conciliatory way and you turned on your heel, leaving him out on the streets as you made your way inside.

******

The clock on the far wall seemed to be mocking you, minutes ticking by mercilessly. You resisted looking at it, instead planting your chin in the palm of your hand as you watched the door, waiting for Pete’s familiar face to appear. It had been over an hour. He was over an hour late for your date.

Each time the waitress returned to fill your glass of water, you told yourself a new lie. He was just stuck at work, he’ll be here soon. He was running behind getting ready, he’ll be here soon. There must have been an emergency, he’ll be here soon. He wouldn’t stand you up, he’ll be here soon.

But as the seconds passed, you sunk further and further into your seat, humiliation forming a ball in your stomach. Surely, he had gotten his days mixed up? He really seemed to enjoy your first date, so why was he nowhere to be seen. Every time someone walked through the front door, the little bell chiming above, you glanced up, certain it would be him. But it never was. At first, you were angry. How could he have the audacity to leave you hanging without so much as calling you before he left if he knew he wouldn’t be able to make it. Then a bitter thought came to mind: what if he stood you up because he didn’t want to go out with you again. What if you weren't good enough for him. You had spent your whole life on the never ending hamster wheel of trying to be good enough for everyone else. Was your hard work even noticed?

Recognizing the sting of unshed tears, you looked down at the napkin folded neatly in your lap, blinking rapidly in an attempt to get control of yourself. The bell chimed over the front door, but you couldn’t bring yourself to look over at it, not wanting to feel the crushing disappointment of another wealthy customer walking inside and not your date.

Then a flash of dark clothing popped across from you and you looked up just as Benny Cross slid into the empty seat. You opened your mouth, but no words came out. He leaned forward, elbows of his leather jacket propped over the tablecloth.

“Pete not show?” he asked, expression solemn.

Your ears burned and you shook your head. Too preoccupied by your embarrassment, it didn’t even occur to you that you had never told him Pete’s name.

He frowned and he genuinely appeared upset. Unable to maintain his direct gaze, you glanced away and caught the eyes of everyone else in the restaurant staring wide-eyed at the two of you. You realized that it was Benny who they were gawking at. And you didn’t seem to notice until now that he looked totally out of place with his worn clothes and dirty hands. As if sensing their not-so-subtle staring, Benny turned and looked about the room.

“What’s with all the stiff shirts in here?” he asked, sending you a conspiratorial glance. “I think they might be intimidated by you.”

“Me?” You furrowed your brow. It definitely wasn’t you they were looking at. In fact, the only person who was staring at you was Benny.

“Yeah, I bet they’ve never seen anyone as pretty as you. Most people haven’t and they don't know how to act when they do.” He grinned and you had to look down at your lap as heat rose to your face.

“I guess Pete wouldn’t agree,” you muttered quietly, feeling the anger in your heart fizzle out to meer disappointment.

“Fuck Pete,” Benny said passionately, causing an elderly woman behind you to gasp and you giggled, shocked at his language. Benny was bad, he was trouble . . . but he was also fun, and you couldn’t hide your eagerness as he leaned his arms across the table, moving closer to address you privately.

“You wanna get out of here, Bunny?” His question sent a gust of anticipation through your veins.

“Yeah,” you admitted, smiling shyly.

He stood quickly and you followed in suit. Then he did something that caused a wave of butterflies to roll through your stomach; he reached out and clasped his hand with you, interlocking fingers tightly. You grinned, excitement making you feel light and airy as he pulled you through the restaurant, past all the staring faces and harsh whispers and out the door into the night which felt alive with a whole new feeling of possibilities.

*Tag List*

@imusicaddict @elizabeth916 @jaiuneamesolitaiire @dudii4love @ironmooncat @beebeechaos @astrogrande @pearlparty @themorriganisamonster @sillylittlethrowaway @ughdontbeboring @penwieldingdreamer @charmingballoon @eugene-emt-roe @sunnbib @semperamans @groovyangelkisses @killerqueenfan

#i need a biker boyfriend #benny cross #benny x bunny #benny cross x reader #the bikeriders #benny the bikeriders #fluff #imagine #austin butler x reader #austin butler #benny x reader #motorcycle #austin butler fandom #austin bulter x you

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yandere-kokeshi · 11 months ago

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What would Kratos do if the reader got sick? Well, like, I don’t think that a large number of blankets would be saved in his house (despite the fact that it looks cozy, I think it’s very cold there).

— Yandere Kratos with sick reader

Warnings: yandere behavior, and talks about having the flu

A/N: akkk, love this so much!

With you being sick, it only results in Kratos being more grumpy and severely overbearing. Small answers to anybody outside his personal circle, his devil eyes staring into people’s souls, and being more impatient.

It’s no surprise that he takes your health very seriously. Even a minor cough, or slight sniffle, has him looking at you with worried eyes. He quickly brings you to a healer, who only shrugs their shoulders and suggests medicine to make your immune system pass it faster. And to nobody’s surprise, he doesn’t take it lightly. He’s overprotective, overthinking minor things — which means, you’re going to be coddled to the max.

Kratos replaces everything in the whole cabin to your liking, to keep itself warm for your sake. He gives you wool blankets, piling them on top of you like pieces of cakes. Constant fires that keep you warm, but far enough to be cautious. And wearing thick clothing, being fed a large bowl of stew to keep you nice-and-full.

He regularly wakes you up between naps, giving your elbow a squeeze with an apologetic look before mumbling ‘eat up’, serving you warm and good-smelling soup that he hopes you’ll enjoy.

He does everything in his path to keep your fever down. He checks up on you constantly, a frown on his face prominent as he takes your temperature with his large backhand, grazing his thumb over your sweating forehead, and presses cold towels to your feverish body.

Literally babies you. He will hand-feed you, catching any food that dribbles from the corner of your mouth with his thumb whilst chuckling. And always asks Atreus to fetch you more food at the trading-market that’s soft on your stomach.

He worries a lot. And it’s not something he’s glad about showing — he paces constantly, grunting instead of answering with words, and waiting for the time to be gone, as if you’re going to get better within a snap of fingers. It’s funny really, seeing a man known for his indisputable strength, worrying like a mother; constantly looking at you with wide eyes, and a frown. He’s always touching you, kissing the back-of-your-hand, whilst mumbling words that you cannot make out– to whom, you learn about one night that he’s sorry. Sorry for making you sick, and how you’re suffering because of it.

This said, if you need to get up for an unnecessary thing, or come up with excuses for trying to say you’re better when you’re obviously not. And for that, Kratos isn’t afraid to push you back into bed, telling you to stay and rest. And if he needs to, he’ll keep you trapped within his arms, which we all know, is incredibly solid to get out of.

Within the statement of arms, Kratos is incredibly warm — and it’s no surprise he’s using it when you’re cold. He’s constantly bundled underneath you with many blankets, having you lay on top of him as his arms are wrapped around you like snakes. At times, he’ll move his fingers underneath the back of your shirt and massage your lower back.

—

Masterlist || Reblogs, comments, and likes are very much appreciated!! Stay well!!

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csuitebitches · 2 years ago

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On Being Socially Accepted / Well Liked

Human beings are sociable animals. No matter the degree of sociability, there’s a part of us that wants to be loved, nurtured and accepted by those around us.

I didn’t want to make a guide of how one should be likeable, because if you think a little - from all the people you like, do you like them for the same reason? Not necessarily. You may like one friend for their humour; another for being a solid person thick and thin; a third for their extroverted personality… we’re all different and should be!

Now, you may have certain qualities that you want in all your relationships, regardless of the person. For instance, I’m very adamant about transparency and loyalty. Loyalty to me doesn’t mean standing up for me even if I’m wrong - it means caring for me enough to tell me I’m wrong. However, these qualities wouldn’t make you likeable per se - they would make you accepted within a social circle.

So how does one become likeable?

1. Ease up on the doormat culture

You’ll notice that most of the people you like are capable of having an independent opinion and thought. People pleasers may come across as inauthentic and dicey, especially the ones who change their opinion to agree with the majority. So start cutting out the people pleasing behaviour.

2. Have hobbies

You’ll generally gravitate more towards someone who seems to have their life together as opposed to someone who doesn’t. I’m always keen to talk to someone who does something a little different in their free time. I remember talking to a physicist who also wrote poetry - I was very intrigued by his work, and I invited him to my NYE party along with his girlfriend.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with not having your life together as long as you’re at least trying to make it better. Hobbies don’t have to be expensive. It’s also a better way to expand your circle- not all your friends will enjoy pottery or tennis, for instance.

3. On emotional/ trauma dumping

The worst people to guide you in life, my father always told me, are your friends. Blind leading the blind.

Your friends may have a good heart but not necessarily good advice. Keep the trauma dumping to a minimal unless your friend is okay with you sharing more. Bear in mind that even as a listener, when you hear someone’s traumatic experiences, you may feel emotionally overwhelmed.

Never share your private experiences, current situations, drama, problems, gossip with acquaintances or friends who you’re not particularly close to. Trust me, it can be tempting to engage in catty behaviour but there’s a good chance it’ll bite you in the ass.

4. Figure out your strengths

I know what I bring to the table when it comes to friendship - gentle honesty, alternative solutions and perspectives to issues and I’m always a planner.

One of my friends is a blunt critic and I always speak to her when I know I need a reality check about life.

Another friend is very non judgemental, she’s the one I open up to about the weird things I think of.

A third friend is my party friend, who is 100% the life of the party and I love his energy.

We can’t share the same relationship with everyone. Understand your strengths and hone them.

5. Likeable people don’t care about being likeable

Become detached from this idea of “I want to be liked.” Rather than that, I feel the statement “I want relationships who accept me for who I am” make more sense. As you grow older, you’ll realise that this teenager definition of popularity is nothing but inauthentic bullshit. You deserve friends who care for you and cheer you on.

The idea of “I want to be liked/ popular” also low-key reeks of desperate behaviour. It shows that you don’t really care about your thoughts or opinions as long as you’re accepted and you’re ready to modify your opinions to fit in. That’s the worst way to making friends because you literally can’t be yourself.

6. Yes, looks do matter

Looks do matter to a degree. I don’t mean that in a sense of physical features - I mean it from a sense of grooming.

I’ve noticed that people will be taken more seriously if you look a certain way. That doesn’t mean you have to buy stuff until your money runs out - it just means being at a healthy weight, dressing well, practicing personal hygiene.

7. Observational skills

Whenever I’m at an event and I notice someone feeling left out, I go and talk to them.

I remember being in the shoes long ago and feeling uncomfortable going to places. So when I see someone in the same position, I try to be the person I wanted at that point of time.

It’s important to have keen observation skills but what’s even more important is dealing with it subtly. I remember a girl at a party wearing a dress with the price tag still attached to the neckline at the back. I casually went over, put a hand on her back, discreetly whispered that her tag was out, should I put it back in? She said yes, and I put the the tag inside her dress without people around us noticing me. Discretion is a must in life. Don’t shout your good deeds- do them, don’t get flattered by compliments when people tell you that you were nice, and just play it off like it’s not a big deal.

8. Being impolite

I read a study that polite people are harder to connect with. Overly polite people can be seen as boring and that you need more energy to talk to them because the conversation only revolves around a few “polite” topics (studies, career, life in general, how nice the establishment is, the weather, common friends… surface conversation). I’m not saying don’t be considerate - I’m saying don’t be overly polite. Don’t be over accommodating to other people. You can disagree with things respectfully. You can share a different perspective or crack a joke.

9. What are you like?

Are you better one on one or in groups?

I’m a much better person one on one. I resonate with people better when we have a conversation - when it’s a group, it’s just the usual hi-hellos.

You may prefer groups, if one on one conversations seem too vulnerable.

How do you figure this trait out? Ask yourself a simple question : if you had a meet a new person, would you rather meet them alone at a cafe or at a party with your friends?

Figuring this out is important because it gives you a sense of the relationships you value and how you can take them forward.

10. A balanced ratio of talking and listening

Try to listen more than you can talk. This advice is useless if you’re talking to an introvert. With most introverts I’ve noticed that they WILL talk to you - as long as they don’t have to make the first move. Once you set the ball rolling, they’re happy to talk.

So you have to understand how and when to switch being an active listener and speaker.

A simple generalised guide:

When dealing with extroverts: ask basic/ generic/ yes or no questions, give opposing opinions (most extroverts are generally up for a challenge) and listen more in the beginning, switch to talking more later.

When dealing with introverts: again, ask questions but you can make them more subjective than objective, less generic and definitely no yes/no questions. Talk more in the beginning and then listen more later, to make them comfortable.

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lunarsights · 1 month ago

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Heyyy Sun! It’s good to see you on my TL again :)

I was wondering if you can do a reading of the members of ATEEZ, what are their thoughts on dating and /or marrying a foreigner who is a POC if they were not Korean or East Asian? Thank you - 🐚

𝘼𝙩𝙚𝙚𝙯 𝙤𝙣 𝘽𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙍𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙄𝙣𝙫𝙤𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨

Hongjoong

𝐒𝐡𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐲:

“Let Me Clear my Throat [Old School Reunion Remix ‘96]” by DJ Kool

𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬:

Five of Coins, Two of Wands (Rx), King of Coins (Rx), Four of Coins, Seven of Wands

Final Answer: Page of Wands, Nine of Coins, The Hanged Man

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠:

hongjoong seems a little hesitant to be romantically involved with a foreigner. this could be in relation to not knowing enough or even this question being too broad; there could be certain ethnic or racial groups he’s had more experience around, so he feels more comfortable, but it’s like he knows there’s a wide “array” of people, so it almost doesn’t make sense to make a blanket statement. most of the foreigners he might’ve had the opportunity of being romantic with might’ve been fans or aware of his career, so there’s a worry of running into people only into him for that aspect that could be making him hesitant also. he could be closed off from engaging with foreigners romantically as a result; “one bad apple spoils the bunch” in this idea, but seven of wands is present showing that if someone was persistent enough “and had/has the right intentions”, then he’d likely be open. he is genuinely interested in connecting with foreigners though! it seems he’d want to be with someone who has something going for themselves though, so he wouldn’t have to worry about being used.

TLDR; solid maybe

Seongwha

𝐒𝐡𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐲:

“Be Gone Thot!” by Lil Mayo

𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬:

Page of Swords, The Hermit, Four of Cups, The Empress (Rx)

Final Answer: The World (Rx), Knight of Wands (Rx), Four of Coins, Eight of Cups

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠:

despite the shufflemancy song and the way all the cards seem, seonghwa could actually be interested in the idea of being romantic with a foreigner. it could be the type of things where in his head he’s curious, but he’s apprehensive to actually do it in real life for a multitude of reasons. he could get very caught up in all the ways things could go wrong? like the media could find out and how would he deal with that? how would a nda even work? how would the relationship even work? would they “learn to speak” korean? he seems to be blocking his actual want to interact with foreigners romantically because of these worries. therefore, his answer right now is that he wouldn’t be romantically involved with a foreigner. he could feel he’ll be more stressed and frustrated with all the trials of dealing with the relationship and therefore it would be better to stay away from being interested altogether.

TLDR; technically is interested, but thinks a lot about the logistical side and therefore would not

Yunho

𝐒𝐡𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐲:

“Creep” by TLC

𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬:

Page of Wands (Rx), The Star, Wheel of Fortune, Three of Cups, The World

Final Answer: The Sun

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠:

yunho could be a little naïve when it comes to interacting with foreigners romantically (or even in general “sometimes”). he seems interested and hopeful though with the star being present! he could have an idea along the lines of “i don’t know a ton about that, but i’m interested/curious”. he could see things going either way in being easy or hard to deal with. he might be more open to the idea if he was introduced to a foreigner via his friends or family or a gathering; he’d like the chance to interact naturally before trying to flirt or things like that. overall, it seems he has this idea that love can come “from anywhere at any time”.

TLDR; strong yes

Yeosang

𝐒𝐡𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐲:

“Monkey Wrench” by the Foo Fighters

𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬:

Eight of Swords, Strength, Ten of Swords (Rx), Ace of Wands, Eight of Coins

Final Answer: Ace of Cups, Four of Cups, The Empress

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠:

at one point in time yeosang might’ve been worried about being romantic with foreigners. this could’ve been out of feeling like they were too different, but it seems more likely it was out of feeling like he himself was too different. it’s not like he necessarily had the idea that he would be “the problem”, but he might’ve been self conscious about showing up in the relationship – maybe in relation to not being culturally sensitive enough, being worried about adapting to someone else’s culture, and things aligned with that. now, he seems to have done away with those thoughts, and he’s a lot more confident. he might believe it’s “inevitable” to interact with people who are different from him, so there’s no reason to bar them from dating him. he also seems to acknowledge he would still need to work on being “sensitive” and “aware”, but it’s something he’s willing to do (if needed).

TLDR; yes

San

𝐒𝐡𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐲:

“the light is coming” by Ariana Grande (feat. Nicki Minaj)

𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬:

Ace of Wands, Nine of Coins, The Hierophant (Rx), The Sun, Two of Swords (Rx)

Final Answer: Justice, Ten of Wands (Rx), The Moon (Rx)

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠:

san could view being romantic with foreigners as a new way to interact with people. he could be in a period of life where he’s in contact with foreigners more than ever (and maybe finding interest in them as result), so he could see his attraction as result of this contact. with the hierophant in reverse he’s definitely open to breaking traditions and doing his own thing although he does “appreciate them”. he could more so be focused on being happy in his life, so suffering or missing out on a wanted love because of tradition may not be his thing; he might be more afraid of not experiencing true joy than the fear of possible ostracization. his focus is on his own personal happiness, and if a foreigner is part of that, then “that’s fine”.

TLDR; strong yes

Mingi

𝐒𝐡𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐲:

“Return of the Mack” by Mack Morrison

𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬:

The Empress, The Devil, Eight of Swords (Rx), Nine of Swords, Three of Coins (Rx), Three of Wands

Final Answer: Nine of Wands (Rx), Nine of Cups, The Emperor

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠:

he kinda delves into ideal type, but mingi could be into people he can make strong connections with. the idea of “soul ties” and “soul tying” comes to mind. at one point in time he could’ve felt restricted when it came to who he was attracted to or who he “could show attraction to”, but he’s let go of these restrictions despite continued concerns. he might’ve had romantic attractions to foreigners before/for a long time, but viewed them as unrealistic to pursue (or people told him it was unrealistic or “silly” for him to do). now, it seems he’s able to do so freely, and he’s “happy about that”. despite this, there is still an air of things being unknown? maybe the ideas people pushed on him have stronger foundations than he thought they did? like people around him have been pessimistic for so long that on an unconscious level he’s taken those whispers more into account than he think he has.

TLDR; maybe; he wants to be able to say yes, but is still reckoning with what people have told him

Wooyoung

𝐒𝐡𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐲:

“There Goes My Baby” by Charlie Wilson

𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬:

Five of Swords (Rx), King of Swords, The Star, Ace of Wands, Knight of Wands, Six of Coins (Rx)

Final Answer: Wheel of Fortune, The Magician

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠:

wooyoung could be the type of person who at the end of the day has to “be honest with [himself]”. he really values honesty and being courageous and outspoken about who he is, so this kind of gives the energy that the way he portrays himself is the way he is.”it’s obvious, no?” comes to mind. he could find it engaging to talk with foreigners in general, and he’s definitely an intentional flirt with the knight of wands present. he might be hesitant to fully engage for some reason. it could be similar to hongjoong’s situation in that people try to take advantage of his status, but it feels like something else also. there could’ve been a situation where he tried to “go all in” in some way with a foreigner and ended up getting his feelings hurt, so he could be a little hesitant to settle down with one, but this feels like a temporary feeling.

TLDR; likely yes

Jongho

𝐒𝐡𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐲:

“Story of Us” by Tinashe

𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬:

Five of Swords, King of Swords, Three of Cups, Page of Swords, Death (Rx), Seven of Wands

Final Answer: Wheel of Fortune, Knight of Cups

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠:

jongho could feel as if being romantic with foreigners goes against the life he might have dreamed up for himself. he could enjoy the company of foreigners especially in regards to talking with them and learning more about things through them, but his interest could mainly stop there. he might’ve even tried to seek out foreigners he might be attracted to (maybe in that they have similar features or personality types to people he’s usually attracted to who are korean), but he doesn’t necessarily feel compelled to specifically seek out foreigners. this could be a situation where if he came across someone he's interested in he may think about it a little more, but currently he’s not really attracted to foreigners romantically.

TLDR; maybe, but likely no as he just doesn’t find himself romantically attracted to them

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fawnsflowerbed · 2 years ago

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hi! if it’s alright could I ask about leon x reader where reader thinks leon still has feelings for ada (angst with fluff ending), it's a lot of worries and insecurities and something like "I'm sorry I can't be her" well, in the end leon comforts reader

English is not my first language sorry ahaha I hope I correctly conveyed to you what I wanted <3

So what you're saying is you WANT ME to make you cry.

Challenge accepted.

A night out with friends means a trip down memory lane. But a certain stop on that trip has you anxious, and it's about time Leon said something.

Word count: 1,825

Warnings/content: GN reader, 2nd person (your, yours), swearing, ANGST, sweet ending. re6 Leon onwards shit cause I love that man.

＊┈┈┈┈＊┈┈┈┈＊┈┈┈┈＊┈┈┈┈＊

“More like well over 8 years.”

When Chris had blurted those words out drunkenly at a meetup downtown, you could see the colour drain from Leon’s face in mere seconds.

Shit was about to go down.

After a few months of nonstop working to no end, you all figured it was about time for a few drinks and a good chat with your fellow B.O.W experts. There was no harm in that, right?

What you didn’t realise was Chris was the most blunt and truthful man when his alcohol started to hit him.

It was a simple conversation in the beginning, nothing more than reminiscing over the old times.

But then someone brought up Ada. You could’ve sworn half the room saw you physically tense.

“God, we don’t need to talk about that.” Leon laughed. “I had a hopeless fling with a woman I chased for a while. Nothing else to be said.”

And then Chris gave that oh so helpful comment.

His statement had you and Leon stealing one solid, tense stare at each other before you excused yourself to the bathroom. Leon swore under his breath, watching your hurried steps over stained floorboards. You went in search of a safe spot, likely to cry. Helena gave you both a look of sympathy.

“They didn’t know?”

He stirred the ice in his drink, mind running a million miles a second through a soft haze of alcohol. “They knew about her. They didn’t have to know about how complicated it was, not yet anyway.”

Once they finally wrestled you out of the bathroom - your excuse for being in there for a solid 20 minutes was that you were okay, you just felt sick - the ride back home was tense. The heavy hum of the heater was all to be heard, neither of you choosing to speak. Not yet, anyway. There was nothing to say.

But when the car pulled up into the driveway and you slammed the door a bit too hard, Leon knew it was about time he said something.

“Love-”

“Don’t. Do not.” You hissed. “The neighbours don’t need to hear what I’m about to say.”

He sucked in a breath, watching as you stormed towards the front door. You were never one to show your anger publicly. He followed suit a few steps behind, mind trying to piece together a coherent answer to the questions you definitely had.

As soon as the door was closed behind you both, he watched you charge for the hallway to pace back and forth. Quick steps in anger. He bit the inside of his cheek. How could he explain this so easily? You already knew about his work in the DSO, and the countless missions he went on. He was just hoping he’d have more time to tell you about Ada. The years of back and forth they’d both agreed to discard. It wasn’t working for either of them, a constant cat and mouse that led to someone getting hurt. Funny enough, a few months after their agreement, he’d met you. And his entire world had been flipped on its back.

It was happening at this very moment, his world tumbling. But not for the right reasons.

“Sweetheart.”

“Eight years? You devoted eight years to a woman, and told me it was just ‘some kind of fling’?” Your voice boomed off of the walls, shoulders squared in defense. “Put your life on the line, put other people’s lives on the line for her? A mere YEAR before we started dating?!”

All he could do was sigh. “Just give me a minute to explain, alright.”

He watched as you folded your arms with a scowl.

“What I’d told you was true. We met in Raccoon City, she saved my ass before ditching me for the G-virus sample. I presumed she was dead. Then she saved me again in Spain. We’d met time after time on the field, but it never really became an actual thing. We were just looking for some kind of distraction, I guess.”

“Oh so that kiss on the tram was nothing to you?”

“That was well over six years ago, hon.”

“And so was you risking your fucking life twice to save her during Tall Oaks and Tatchi.”

Leon stiffened just a bit. “You cannot get upset with me for building a connection with someone before even meeting you, Y/N.”

“I can get upset with you for lying to me about this stuff! Like that you fucked her and DIDN’T TELL ME!”

Leon’s voice caught in the back of his throat. Clearly someone had run their mouth.

You laughed bitterly, tears threatening to fall but you choked them down.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought. So much for a fling.” You couldn’t meet his eyes as you spoke. “You think the girls at the office don’t whisper? Don’t gossip about the DSO’s golden boy and his affairs to try and piss me off? Bringing up photos of her file, bitching about our differences. I already know you’re well out of my league, but being constantly reminded doesn’t exactly make me feel any better.”

It was true. Settling in had never been harder when you had such big shoes to fill. You felt like a complete opposite in comparison to Ada, and that hurt. You already had bad self esteem, Leon knew that much. Nights of holding you close as you asked over and over why he was with you.

But shit, he had no idea this had been happening. Bitching behind your back, these people who were meant to be your coworkers. You’d only just started working for the DSO, about 2 months after dating Leon. You’d met during a recon mission in your hometown. There were rumours that a drug dealer nearby was potentially trying to recreate old B.O.W strands, and whilst doing his rounds of the civilians he’d spotted you. He was almost winded. But he tried his best to keep his cool, going through the usual questions he gave everyone else. Your soft eye contact and gentle demeanour wasn’t helping him focus, though. Like a soft breeze after a storm. Helena couldn’t help but laugh, watching him step away after questioning you with a strained smile. Once you were out of view she slapped him lightly upside the head, still smirking.

“Oh you’re fucked.”

Leon rubbed the spot she’d swatted with a sigh. “Yeah, that’s for sure.”

And how it was so true. After years of anger and agony, he’d found a sweet sunbeam in the shape of a human being. A human who dragged him out shopping, forcing him to pick out new clothes because they refused to let him wear the same t-shirt for a week. A human built from broken beginnings that somehow threw his world into reverse, bringing that joy from his 20’s back to his battered body. Someone to hold and caress and kiss, to dance with in the kitchen and pillow fight with and take to formal events. Someone who stole his blue RPD hoodie and constantly teased him over his academy photos. Pointing out how scrawny he used to be before trying to arm wrestle him (and losing instantly). A human sculpted for him by the hand of whatever gods there were, every one from every religion took turns touching up your edges and carving out a person he felt unworthy of calling his. A flower left untouched by the horrors of the world he was forced to face. He needed to protect you, craved it, would starve himself if it meant you thrived.

He should’ve told you more often how much he loved you.

“Sweetheart.”

"And its no wonder. I mean, I barely knew you. For all I know you still love her!"

Your voice broke into pieces. Fists balled as if fighting for your love, body rigid and tears falling.

“So I’m sorry, Leon! I’m sorry that I’m not- I don’t know. That I’m not some mysterious woman you can spend year after year chasing. I’m sorry I’m not confident, I’m not cunning, and I’m an eyesore next to you. I’m sorry if I’m too boring for you and that you settled because you two were always on different sides. I’m sorry I’m not her.”

He’d never known the feeling of true heartbreak until he’d heard you say that. He’d felt something close to this when his ex left him before Raccoon, but not this heavy. Not a weight pulling him into the water to drown him.

You were drowning too. He could see it.

Leon watched as your once defensive demeanour shattered. Your body caved inwards, leaning against the nearest wall for some type of support. He couldn’t stand it anymore. He took two strong steps towards you, taking gentle hold of your tear-streaked face with a look of nothing short of love.

“Look at me.”

You couldn’t bear it.

“Come on, sunshine. Please.”

It was an internal battle, trying to gaze upon the one you love when you had so many conflicting feelings in that moment. Still, you did. Dewed eyelashes took their time to open, bloodshot eyes finally focusing on Leon.

“You are the most beautiful thing I have ever set eyes on. And if anyone has at any point made you feel like an eyesore, then I only hope they go blind. They don’t deserve to look at you, okay?”

His voice was hushed and sweet, as if that of a prayer spoken to some holier being.

But to him, there was nothing holier than you.

“I had no idea what love ever felt like. At first I thought it was my ex before Raccoon, but god knows that was bad. So many people around me seemed to have it all figured out. I thought I’d never find it. But fuck. I have never felt this way for any other person in my life. It never felt like this. If you’d told my younger self that I’d found the person I want to spend the rest of my life with, I think he’d be stunned to see it's someone like you. Hell, I’m still stunned by you.” His mouth blurting words of affirmation quirked into a quick smile. “You’re not her. And that’s why I love you. Because I know you’re here to stay. You won’t run off. Or at least, I hope you won’t.”

Bruised over fingertips swept the running tears out from under your eyes. His touch was something sacred, something warm and giving that kept the tears flowing. Every bottled emotion came tumbling out.

“You are my anchor. You are my rock. You are my shelter after years of chasing broken promises and hopeless dreams of a rookie cop on his first day.” His boyish laugh recalling the day everything went south hit your ears, making you look deeper into him. “And I am so sorry if I ever made you feel like anything less than that. But you need to trust me on this. You are mine, and I am yours. I would not trade you for any person, any object, any sum or wish or miracle in the world. I’m not settling with you, love. I’ve stopped running because I’ve found a place to stay. And I’m staying, forever. You got that?”

Fighting with teeth and tongue to force out a sentence, there was nothing more than a question playing on your lips.

“Even if I can’t pull off red?”

His own lips curled up into a soft smile. His head tilted forward, pressing his forehead against yours that was creased with worry.

His voice made you smile too.

"I was always more of a blue guy anyway."

#leon s kennedy x reader #leon x reader #leon kennedy #leon s kennedy #leon s. kennedy #leon scott kennedy #resident evil x reader #leon kennedy x reader #requests #x reader #IM SORRY FOR HURTING Y'ALL IT HAD TO BE DONE #works ✎₊˚⊹

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azure-firecracker · 5 months ago

Text

The X-Files Season 2 Review (First-Time Watcher)

We made it! I feel like I spent forever watching this season. First my dad was hogging the tv and then I went away to summer camp, but I got there eventually (and what an ending to get to! but that’s for the individual episode reviews).

And wow. For as much as I enjoyed Season 1, I LOVED season 2. I feel like the show took everything I loved about Season 1 and turned it up to 100.

I said somewhere in my Season 1 Review that this show is at its best when it makes darker episodes, and this season certainly realized that because I feel like it was a real tone shift from season 1. The atmosphere felt less campy, much more grim, a lot gloomier. Worse things began to happen, to Scully and Mulder but also to the bystanders, and the stakes felt much higher.

Having watched this season, I’m going to amend that statement and say that this show is at its best when it makes intense episodes rather than dark ones (with the exception of one specific episode. Y’all probably know what it is). For the most part, this season towed that line between intense and dark well, but there were a few times where I thought it was unnecessary gruesome. We’ll get into that in the individual reviews.

The best part of Season 1 was undoubtedly Mulder and Scully dynamic, and oh did this season capitalize on that! Their relationship this season, from the beginning but especially after Scully’s abduction, felt so much more centralized in the story. Entire episodes focused on their bond, how important they are in each other’s lives, and the lengths they would go to for one another. This season was packed with amazing, emotional, often trope-y moments, and kind of read like a high-quality sci-fi soap opera! I was 100% here for it.

This season also had several episodes that I considered phenomenal and very few that I took issue with. The like:dislike ratio for me was definitely much higher than in Season 1. Of course it wasn’t perfect, but I don’t think any television season this long can be perfect, certainly not with the time and budget they were working with.

I only have one big problem with this season. If you’ve been around on my blog, you probably already know what it is. I want to make an entire post dedicated to this so I won’t go too in-depth here, but I was frustrated by the saving-each-other ratio between Mulder and Scully this season, not necessarily because of pure numbers, but because of the way it was done. I’ll make a longer post on this topic in the next couple of days, so if you want to debate me about this, I will politely ask you to wait until I flesh out my thoughts further.

With all that said, let’s get into the individual episode reviews! Some episodes deal with some pretty intense themes, so if you’re not familiar, proceed with caution, or if you have a specific trigger you want me to warn you about, shoot me an ask or a DM.

Little Green Men: A very strong start! The end of Season 1 left me wondering how they were going to stay together, and of course the answer is that they’re going to ignore all the rules and do it anyway. This episode had Scully breaking SO MANY RULES. Character development! And so much MSR. The first time I watched this, I was shocked by how much closer they seemed. Like, what happened in that between-seasons gap? It was also an excellent hook with its alien lore. 9/10

The Host: A decent enough monster of the week, a couple of cute MSR moments. It’s harder for me to get invested when Mulder and Scully aren’t together. Their banter often makes the show for me. I’ll give this a 6.5/10

Blood: I could not take this one seriously. Time has not helped it. The score was SUPER dramatic in this episode, but the threat was…grainy words on a computer screen. Also very little MSR. 3/10

Sleepless: Very solid! Interesting idea with the soldiers not being able to sleep and being killed through their nightmares and guilt. Negative points for lack of MSR and also because I think the Vietnam War elements could have been done better. Still a 7/10.

Duane Barry: And this is where the season took a turn and never went back. I always love the human villains the best. Hostage situations are a great way to build tension and this one was flawlessly executed. I loved how we, the audience, knew Duane was a risk but didn’t know if he was right about aliens or just a liar. And of course, the ending cliffhanger had me screaming. 10/10

Ascension: This was so tense. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. The stakes have never felt higher. Mulder has never been this unhinged and it’s incredible. I wanted to strangle Krycek through the television. I will say the mountain is very obviously NOT Virginia and it’s hilarious, but still my heart was pounding and then breaking along with Mulder the whole time. 10/10

3: All right, so the incomparable @actual-changeling encouraged me to view this episode solely through a character-focused lens. And I tried to, I really did. And I could see the point it was trying to make about Mulder’s self destructive behavior and how lost he gets when Scully isn’t there. But also…Scully wasn’t there and I missed her! And the plot did make no sense. It was hard for me to enjoy this even though I tried to. I’ll give it a 5/10 objectively for the character work but subjectively I was at more of a 2/10.

One Breath: Remember when I said this felt like a soap opera? This is what I meant, but in the best way. Like Ascension, the tension here was top-notch. I can’t imagine watching this live and not knowing if Scully was going to be okay. When Mulder started crying, I was crying too. Plus the moment when he visits Cancer Man (is that what we call him?) points his gun at him, and his voice breaks as he asks why her? Perfection. Cinema. 10/10

Firewalker: This was jarring for me as a West Wing fan, to say the least. That aside, I thought this was pretty solid. All of the MSR moments were great (I might have liked a little more follow-up to the abduction arc, but that’s what fanfic is for!) and the volcanic spores were a decent enough threat. It did feel a little bit like Ice 2.0. Not as good, though. 8/10

Red Museum: I think this episode needed to be two parts. There was SO much going on, from the kids going missing and the vegetarian cult (whom I was rooting for the whole time! Animal rights!), the Purity Control and the guy who killed Deep Throat coming back. The pacing was just so rushed, and the climax lasted for like, 2 seconds. All of the ideas were pretty good though, and we did have the barbecue sauce rib date, so I’ll give it a 7.25/10

Excelsis Dei: What the fuck was this? 1/10

Aubrey: A VERY solid episode. It’s not stellar but it also has no flaws that I can find, you know? An interesting monster of the week, some excellent agent-ing from both Mulder and Scully, and a very nice, tense climax (with an excellent score!) Also my mom’s nickname is BJ so that was hilarious. 9/10

Irresistible: I already wrote a whole post on how much I adored this episode. You can read it here. I was also immediately inspired to write a post-episode fic. You can read it here on Ao3. 10/10

Die Hand Die Verletzt: Remember when I talked about intense versus dark? This is what I meant. This episode felt like it was throwing on horrifying detail after horrifying detail without a purpose. Like, we already had the satanic cult. We did not need the teenage girl talking about CSA and then getting murdered. And it wasn’t even clear how real that was, so why even bother? This was also another episode that should have been two parts. 6.5/10

Fresh Bones: I’ll admit this one had a hard time keeping my attention, but I think I was just sleepy when I watched it. Any episode that tries to get political is always a bit dicey for me (not on principle, I just think txf in particular isn’t the best at it), but this one managed to be decent enough. Overall a perfectly fine episode. 7/10

Colony/End Game: SO MUCH PLOT! But it was two parts so it worked! We got so much alien lore and it actually kind of made sense! The Bounty Hunter was an excellent villain, too, and our agents really felt out of their depth. The dread was real! But none of that is even the point because the entire Samantha clone plot line was totally heartbreaking. I had a feeling it wasn’t really her, but my heart broke right along with Mulder, especially when he was apologizing to his father and he started crying. UGH. And it totally makes sense that being so distraught would prompt him to make some incredibly rash decisions, but luckily he has the actual best partner on the planet. Scully saving Mulder at this point in the season was super refreshing, and the ending scenes in the hospital completely melted my heart. 10/10

Fearful Symmetry: Like Season 1’s Roland, I couldn’t get through this. I’m a vegan and a softie, and seeing animals suffer is always rough for me (rougher than humans for some reason). It felt like maybe they were trying to make a point about animal abuse but it didn’t go far enough. It was weird and not at all enjoyable for me. Objective 2ish/10, subjective 0/10.

Død Kalm: My friend the amazing @theswisscheeserag (check out her Ao3! She’s a great writer) phrased it best. She said “I felt the episode was too ridiculous in execution for an attempt at being so serious.” Right on the money. It’s still Mulder and Scully though so 6-6.5/10

Humbug: The one exception to the “intense episodes are best” rule! Who knew this show could be so funny? They should do this more often! I laughed so much. “We’re exhuming your…potato!” I DIED. I also liked Scully getting to be like “Yeah it’s this insane thing because xyz it’s obvious” and Mulder being like “Girl idk what you’re talking about but you’re a doctor so okay.” A nice role reversal for them! Anyway 10/10

The Calusari: Example number 2 of “this didn’t need to be so dark.” The family curse was plenty! We did not need the dead toddler! Not quite enough humor in this one, which makes sense given the subject matter, but I feel like this whole episode was just unnecessarily cruel. I watched this directly after Humbug and got whiplash. I’ll give it a 6/10

F. Emasculata: Super solid standalone episode! I liked the parallel looming threats of the plague in the prison and the escaped convict potentially spreading it. I especially liked the moral dilemma of what to reveal to the public, and how Mulder and Scully fell on opposite sides of the issue. I like when a show presents me with a moral quandary I can’t answer! 8/10

Soft Light: Despite the pretty dark vibes of this episode, I was kind of zoned out for most of it. Maybe it was because the villain wasn’t malicious, but I don’t know, the threat never felt imminent. It didn’t hook me at all, but then the ending came out of nowhere and it was HORRIBLE. Too horrible! I didn’t need that! I don’t care if it’s supposed to add to X’s moral ambiguity. I don’t need to see that. 3/10

Our Town: This one is tricky. I have many thoughts on it. I’ll try to be somewhat concise.

First of all, I really enjoyed @mulders-too-large-shirt’s review of this episode. We had a lot of the same grievances. You can read her review here (and she also liveblogs every episode! It’s awesome! Check it out!)

So in isolation this is probably a 9/10. Genuinely horrifying villains, some good MSR moments, a SUPER tense climax. All good things! But in the light of the whole season this irked me, because this was the fourth time Scully got kidnapped and also the least necessary to the plot. You could have flipped Mulder and Scully’s roles and it really wouldn’t have changed anything. (In fact, I did! Read the fanfic here).

With that aside, this episode feels like it has a lot of wasted potential. The cannibal cult using people’s bodies for their own ends is another clear parallel to Scully’s abduction, and the show just…didn’t do anything with that. And we know they can do great things with these parallels because Irresistible exists! It just bugs me because the material was RIGHT THERE and there was SO MUCH they could have done with it but THEY DIDN’T.

TLDR: Objective 9/10, subjective 7.5-8/10

Anasazi: This was so hyped up to me that I was worried it would be a letdown but IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT! Oh my God. Zero flaws. I always say txf reads like a fanfic, but THIS EPISODE READS LIKE A FANFIC Y’ALL. Like I’m sorry, but Scully taking care of Mulder while he’s in shock and delirious with fever melted me. His puppy energy was at 1000000000% this episode and it was amazing. And I was SO worried when he started acting weird because I didn’t know what was wrong with him! But of course Scully figured it out (like I said, best partner on the planet). She absolutely carried this episode and I was very grateful for it. I think she’s right that Mulder would have died if he’d been arrested for murder. Good thing she knew what to do! She’s actually perfect y’all.

We also got so much new information! Like what a lore dump! And WHAT A CLIFFHANGER HOLY SHIT! Like, imagine waiting a whole year for that to get resolved. Just wow🤩🤩

Obvious 10/10, I don’t go higher on principle but like, I would.

Anyway that’s all for this season! I’ll be back with lots of fic and reactions and analysis but I love meeting y’all! This is such a friendly fandom:) Always feel free to come by and say hi, ask me stuff or give me writing prompts! Let me know if you’d like more analyses or anything different posting-wise when it comes to Season 3.

#the x files #x files #txf #txf s2 #fox mulder #dana scully #mulder and scully #mulder x scully #msr #david duchovny #gillian anderson #azure txf reviews

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novaksupremacy · 6 months ago

Text

The Veiled Law of Affection- Chapter 6

had the day off so I popped out another one for you :)

The Veiled Law of Affection-Chapter 6

Word Count: 6358

Casey Novak x Olivia Benson

by PKJ @novaksupremacy

Based on the events surrounding S5 E24 "Poison", little bit of smut, lots of mushy angsty schtuff, sibling arguments, one of my favorite Casey episodes.

Read Part 5

“Look you’re making a mistake!” The woman shouted in the interrogation room. As it stood, she was accused of poisoning her adopted daughter. They had learned from her other little girl that she made the poor child stand in the corner with a sponge full of detergent in her mouth. As if that wasn’t bad enough the girl’s hospital visit was delayed by hours, causing sever detriment from the poisoning. Her husband’s sister had also spoken to Benson and Stabler about the many red flags pertaining to her parenting skills.

“Not according to your sister-in-law,” Olivia barked.

The woman scoffed, “Wendy never liked me you can’t listen to her!”

Elliot raised his voice, “Can we listen to your other daughter, Katie, Mrs. Campbell?”

Her attorney Gates laughed, “Sure, because seven-year-olds are so reliable. Tomorrow, she’ll tell you a pony with wings lives in her closet.”

Stabler was fuming at this point, “So Katie made the whole thing up, right? How you shoved a sponge of soapy water into Alexis’ mouth while she gagged and cried! Made her stand in a corner, counting, until she collapsed!”

“I feel terrible that I wasn’t paying close enough attention!” Karen Campbell started shouting, “But I can’t possibly be everywhere at once! I have FOUR children! I am a good mother!

Munch and Fin had Mr. Campbell in the other interrogation room at the same time.

“Why don’t you believe me?” the man leaned against the window, arms folded.

“We do, that’s why you’re not under arrest Munch said flatly.

“My wife did nothing wrong!”

“You couldn’t know what your wife did. You were gone all day.” Fin said more questioning than matter of fact.

“I told you when I got home Alexis had stopped breathing and Karen was hysterical. If we wanted to poison Alexis, what would we bring her to the hospital at all?”

John snapped at him, “Actually I’m more interested in why your wife does the things she does. Like berate and emotionally abuse your adopted daughter.”

“That’s a lie!”

“You callin’ your sister a liar? She says Karen treats that girl worse than a dog!” Fin retorted.

As Liv and Elliot came out of the interrogation room, they found Agent Huang and Casey waiting for them in the bullpen.

“The emergency room said they pumped two cups of detergent out of Alexis’ stomach.” Huang stated as they walked up.

Elliot shook his head in disgust, “Mrs. Campbells accident story is a bunch of crap! No kid is gonna drink two cups of that stuff willingly.”

“What about the dear old dad?” Liv interjected. “He had to know that his wife hated that kid.”

Casey sighed, “he wasn’t home so criminally he’s not responsible.”

“We got the mother right?” Elliot asked, agitated by the situation.

“How’s the seven-year-old?” The redhead questioned, she knew Elliot was good at his job, but she still had to do hers.

“Solid.”

“No chance you influenced her statement?” She didn’t want to ask but she had to.

“None, counselor. I’ve been doing this a little bit longer than you,” the detective said back his tone less then amiable.

Casey tilted her head, she hated that El took things so personally. “Just making sure we’re covered, children under nine aren’t automatically swearable.”

“I can talk to her,” Huang offered, “If she knows the difference between a lie and the truth then she can testify.” Casey nodded as a show of gratitude.

“Hey Detective Benson, while you’re waiting, I have some paperwork for you in my office that I’ve been meaning to give you.” Casey tossed out nonchalantly.

“Sure, I’ve got a few minutes.” Liv nodded, her hands in her pockets. “After you Counselor.”

The brunette tailed on the heels of the ADA as they headed down the hall. Huang couldn’t help but snicker as they walked away. “It’s ridiculous that they’re still making excuses at this point. We pretty much all know what that was about.”

“Guess Daddy wants a little midnight snack, you know what I’m sayin’?” Fin nudged the FBI agent in his rib.

Elliot snorted into his coffee, “What?” He laughed so hard he choked on some of the hot liquid. “Who wants a what?”

Fin was laughing “Oh you haven’t had the pleasure of hearing that exchange yet? Imma let you experience that on ya own.”

Munch walked over with a cup of coffee in his hand, “What, what’s so funny what did I miss?” Everyone just shook their heads and assure him it was nothing. “You know this doesn’t make me believe in the conspiracy that everyone’s working against me, any less. If anything, you, you’re just adding fuel to the fire.”

Casey shut the door to her office and locked it, closing the blinds tight.

Liv rubbed her eyes, “Case, I gotta tell you baby, I’m exhausted.”

“I know,” Casey kissed her gently and rubbed her shoulders then steered the detective towards the couch. “I figured my couch was more comfortable than the crib.” She kicked off her heeled boots and made room for Liv to come join her. “Plus, this way I get to hold you, and the door is locked so you won’t get startled.”

Liv crawled over her girlfriend and wedged herself between her and the back of the couch, wrapping her arm and leg around her, squeezing tight. She was exhausted, they had been up since the night before with this case, but Captain wasn’t letting anyone go home until they made some headway on this. Casey reached over the brunette and pulled the blanket down off the back of the couch and covered them with it. She laid soft strokes up and down Liv’s arm with the tips of fingers and pressed her lips to her forehead and held them there for a moment before she kissed lightly and then pressed her cheek against the side of the detectives head and pulled her close. She could feel Liv’s breathing shift indicating that she had fallen asleep. The attorney watched her girlfriend’s chest rise and fall, she looked so peaceful.

“I love you, Olivia.” Casey whispered and kissed her head again. “I wish I could tell you.” Every second spent with Olivia was the happiest moment of her life, even when it wasn’t. Even when it was sad, or upsetting, or the case was spiraling out of control, all she had to do was look at Liv and feel at ease. That was the first time she ever said it out loud, not that her lover heard her. She wouldn’t dare say it then. Everything was going so good, she didn’t want to fuck it up. She dozed off alongside the brunette detective.

Casey stirred about an hour later to Liv kissing her neck. She grinned and stretched, giving the detective more access to her neck. “Mmm I should let you nap in my office more often.”

“Mmm, yes, very refreshing. Better than a cup of coffee.” The brunette smiled as she planted a long tender kiss on her girlfriend.

Casey brought her hand up to cup Liv’s face and deepened the kiss. She let out a sigh as she felt the detective slip her hand down below her waistline. “Babe.” A smile that could only be described as one of pleasure creeped across her face, “we can’t.” The redhead let out another soft sigh and a light moan as Liv continued to tease her. She grabbed her lover’s wrist and looked her square in the eye, “I need you to either fuck me right now or stop what you’re doing.”

“Gladly,” the detective hummed and pulled the ADA underneath her.

Casey sat up on couch and slid her boots back on as she watched Olivia tighten her belt and adjust her watch.

“What?” Liv looked up as she was fastening her sleeve buttons, “Did I miss a belt loop or something?” She looked down.

The younger woman shook her head, her cheeks getting red, even still Liv gave her butterflies. “No,” she said breathlessly, “you’re just beautiful.”

The brunette leaned over Casey on the couch and kissed her, biting her lip softly before pulling back to meet her gaze, “You’ve pretty stunning yourself, Counselor.” She lingered for a minute before heading towards the door, looking back at her girlfriend one last time before turning the handle. The detective continued to fumble with the buttons on her shirt as she walked out almost walking straight into Munch.

“Olivia,” the startled detective smiled, “what happened spilled something on your shirt?”

Realizing she was still half unbuttoned pulled her shirt closed with her fist, “Uhm yea, something like that. I got it out though.” Liv shifted nervously, “Going see Casey? I gotta get back to work.” She motioned the thumb of her free hand back towards her desk.

“Be careful, Detective. The coffee machine’s on the fritz and looks like your shirt can’t take another hit.” He called out, pointing with the folder in his hand as Liv kept walking. He knocked on the ADAs door.

“Come in,” Casey called out, “Hey John!” she smiled as he walked through the door, “what’ve you got?”

“Hey Casey, I just have Huang’s report for you to file before you go to the judge.” Munch walked forward and handed her the file. “Ouch, counselor I don’t think the vanity is worth it. Besides your hair looks nice curly. Platonically speaking of course—you’re not my type.” He straightened his tie.

The redhead looked at him baffled, “John, I’m not following.” She chuckled. “Did you break into the evidence locker?”

“Oh,” he waved his hand at her and then motioned to his own neck, “the burn, from your straightener. Looks like it hurts.”

Casey clasped her hand over her neck and leaned on her elbow. “Huh, yeah, well you know. Lack of sleep.” She chuckled nervously.

“Do me a favor, don’t operate any heavy machinery.” Munch gave a mock salute and walked out.

“I deserved that,” Casey muttered under her breath after he left, “payback is a girlfriend with a hickey.”

*******

“Their seven-year-old daughter? That sounds a bit imprudent.” Judge Taft said as Casey and Gates followed him down the hall.

“Rittenhouse v. North Hempstead found a three-year-old wasn’t automatically presumed incompetent to testify.” Casey argued.

“Ah, but you’re in my court now.” Taft’s voice dripping with self-importance.

“And another case disqualified a seven-year-old witness. It’s completely subjective.” Quipped Gates.

“Which is why,” Casey was growing impatient, “a psychiatrist examined Katie Campbell and that she understands her duty to tell the truth.”

“I’m sure the people won't mind if I determine that myself.” Taft stated, his grin was sickening.

“That’s not necessary Your Honor.” The ADA shook her head, assuring her the proper procedure had been followed.

“But again, it’s in my court.”

*******

Olivia stood over the stove stirring the cast iron while Casey stood at the counter furiously chopping up a bell pepper.

“And then, THEN,” she was practically slamming the knife against the cutting board, “he told me that I needed to dress appropriately.” She stopped chopping and turned towards her girlfriend.

Liv stopped stirring and turned to look at her girlfriend up and down. “What do you mean appropriately? That suit is perfectly tailored?”

He said, “By appropriately, I mean in a skirt.” She was swinging her chopping hand as she spoke.

“Woah, woah, why don’t we put that down.” She carefully clasped the redhead’s wrist between her hands and slid the knife away from Casey as if she were disarming a suspect.

“Sorry, that’s probably best. I might hurt myself, you know like how I burned myself with my straightener this morning?” her tone shifted to mockingly accusatory and flipped her hair away from her shoulder.

The brunette gasped, “Jesus baby I’m sorry! I didn’t think it would be that bad, I was just trying to get you back for the one you gave me the day of that softball game.” She chuckled.

Casey mocked her laugh making a goofy face at her. “Hilarious babe,” she tossed a mushroom at her, “Especially when I had to have it pointed out by Munch! Who by the way is the only one still in the dark about us, totally clueless.”

The detective wrapped her arms around her girlfriend’s waist and leaned into her propping her head up on her shoulder. “I’m sorry Taft is being such a misogynist,” she tightened her hold, “You’re gonna kick ass in court.” She kissed her neck.

“Ahh, hey!” the redhead swatted playfully at her and pulled her head to the side, “You’ve done enough damage for one day, Detective.” She giggled and leaned her head back to kiss Liv enthusiastically.

*******

“Its open!” Casey called out, pouring more whiskey into her glass as Liv walked in the door.

“Swearability hearing went that badly huh?” the detective furrowed her brow, worried to find her girlfriend drinking alone on the couch.

“Worse. He basically told me I embarrassed myself and shouldn’t brag about my lack of intellect.” The redhead put the bottle down and waved her hand in its general direction, “Don’t worry I don’t plan on making a habit out of it.”

The brunette dropped the takeout down on the counter and dropped down next to Casey on the couch, “Well that’s a relief.” She motioned for Casey to swing her legs up over her. She slid the redheads boots off and dropped them to the floor. “Still, I’m sorry that he’s being such an ass.” Liv started to massage the counselor’s feet. “Elliot told me he’s gotta testify that he didn’t coerce her.”

The ADA took a swig of her drink and threw her head back, “Uggh Liv, why are you so good at that?”

The brunette grinned, “I’m just, good with my hands.”

Casey quirked her brow, letting out a low moan, “Mmm, that you are Detective, that you are.” She opened one eye to look at her girlfriend who was looking at her adoringly, “I see the way you’re looking at me.” She closed her eyes again.

“Oh yeah and how’s that?” Liv chuckled, continuing to massage, working out a particularly difficult knot.

The redhead smacked the couch and let out a moan, “Ohhhh, G-d that feels good. You’re spoiling me.” She peaked her eye open again, “And you’re looking at me the way you look at a container of honey chicken, hungry.”

“Is that so?” The brunette smirked, “I mean cause I have honey chicken over there on the counter…”

“You could have me on the counter,” Casey bit her lip.

“Why would I do that,” Liv paused, the ADA picked her head up, the brunette was waiting for her shocked reaction before continuing, “when I can have you right here on the sofa.” She got a good grip on her thighs and pulled Casey down the couch to her.

Casey squealed, “Babe, my drink!” she quickly dropped the glass to the coffee table, laughing. The detective was already pulling the attorney’s jeans down around her ankles and tossing them in the corner next to a pile of law journals.

The brunette pulled Casey up to her to kiss her longingly, she could taste the whiskey on her tongue mixed with desire. The redhead moaned and then broke the kiss to catch her breath. “You kill me detective,” her eyes glistened, staring into Liv’s. She pressed a light kiss to her lips, “little deaths.” She sighed. She kissed her hard, running her fingers down the side of the brunette’s face. She allowed herself to fall back onto the couch pulling the cop down on top her, unbuttoning Liv’s shirt button by button.

*******

Elliot sat in the witness box during the Hudy hearing ordered by Judge Taft. He swore that there was no influence on Katie’s statement and that the girl introduced her mother to the conversation without any prompting. Gates accused him of having a vendetta against Karen Campbell for comments taken out context. Upon stepping down from the witness box, Elliot started to walk away as Taft went ahead and ruled the testimony inadmissible.

“This is a joke,” Elliot scoffed as he headed towards the back of the courtroom.

“I beg your pardon, Detective Stabler,” Taft asked sternly?

“I said this is a joke!” The detective turned back towards the judge.

“You’d be wise to remember no one cares what you think, once you leave that box.” Taft’s words fell pointedly.

“That interview wasn’t suggestive,” Elliot muttered walking back towards the bench.

“Elliot, stop.” Casey raised her voice.

He continued, “You’re just one of these judges that think cops strong arm witnesses just to make a case. What you think I just bullied a seven-year-old into lying?” He turned to walk away again.

“Elliot, leave!” Casey commanded, she was trying to protect him and not blow her case at the same time.

“No Elliot stay,” Taft scoffed, “You’re in contempt.”

Casey went down to the holding cells to check on her friend, “You alright?”

“Yeah great, thanks for getting me a couple hours off.” He said sarcastically.

The redhead laughed incredulously, “You are not blaming this on me.”

“Well, you did let that defense attorney trash me pretty good in court.”

The ADA threw her hand up in protest, “Yeah and that stunt you pulled. That’s gonna ensure Taft screws me at trial but hey at least you still have your ego, right?”

“You bail me out to talk about my ego?” the detective quipped back at her.

“I did not get you out of there!” Casey rolled her eyes.

“I called in a favor,” Mary Clark stared at the two of them, arms folded, “The contempt citation is withdrawn. So, if you could possibly stop acting like a petulant child.” She turned her attention to the young attorney, “And you, you need to start playing nice with Oliver Taft.”

Stabler looked back at Casey, “And you’re worried about my ego. This guy abuses his power and gets away with it.”

Mary cut him off, “You didn’t help anybody by mouthing off to the trial judge.” She looked back at her protégé, “This isn’t law school Casey, pick your battles. Winning is more important than wearing a skirt.”

*******

Liv and Casey were lying in bed, the redhead snuggled up in the detective’s arms, staring out into space. The brunette stroked her back, “I can’t believe you asked Taft to recuse himself.”

“I really fucked myself this time I think.” The anxiety in Casey’s voice was clear. “Why did I do that?”

“Baby, you did it because you knew it was the right thing. That judge is never going to be impartial and was never going to get justice for that little girl.”

“He still won’t,” Casey sat up, crossing her legs, and facing her girlfriend. “All I’ve done is ensure that he hates me and will do everything to make sure that I have a hard time prosecuting this case.”

“What did Mary say?”

The redhead sighed, “She said I was insane for asking an ego maniac to recuse himself and all I did was make myself an enemy.”

“What are you gonna do?” Liv followed suit and sat up, taking the ADAs hand to comfort her, “It’s not like you can get him thrown off the bench.”

“Maybe I can…”

******

Elliot chased Casey down as she headed to court, “Hey I think I’ve got something that even Taft can’t ignore.”

She furrowed her brow at him, “What is it?”

“The records from the adoption agency the Campbells used. They tried to give Alexis back.”

The redhead nearly fell out, “What? When?”

“February of this year, only 6 months after her adoption. Wouldn’t hurt her my ass, that’s such bull.”

The ADA smirked knowing Elliot may have found her a smoking gun.

*****

It was no use even with the mountain of evidence, Taft’s bias completely controlled the courtroom as he acquitted Karen Campbell. Casey felt so defeated as she walked out of the courthouse, if it was a fair fight, maybe she would’ve felt better about losing. She walked over to Elliot.

“I’m sorry,” she frowned and tapped him with her briefcase.

“Don’t be, I know you went to the mat on this one. Sometimes it just doesn’t work out.” His hands shoved deep into the pockets of his trench coat.

“I want Taft off the bench.” She looked Elliot square in the eye.

Elliot ran his hand down her arm, “and I want a ’65 stingray.” He said consolingly.

“I’m serious,” she said as the detective had turned to walk away, “I’m going after him.”

“Casey,” he exhaled, “It’s not worth it, what good does it do, to kill your career?”

“If this is justice, I don’t want this career.”

The detective looked at her concerned, “I’m just worried about you putting yourself in a bad position, I’d hate to see you get dragged down because of this bastard.” He grinned, “Besides who’s going to play softball with me when they fire your ass.” He punched her arm playfully.

*****

Liv was zoned out at her desk working on DD-5s, the background noise of Munch spewing conspiracies at Fin and Cragen practically lulling her to sleep. She was nodding off halfway through a sentence when she felt a presence next to her desk, “Elliot for the last time I do not want a dirty water dog for lunch today.”

“I’m not gonna ask why Elliot has asked you that more than once today.” Casey joked.

The detective’s ears perked up and she leaned her head to the side, looking at the tall, gorgeous litigator leaning up against her desk. “Hey Da—DA Novak. ADA Casey. Hey Casey, what’s up?” Liv was about twenty shades of blushing after almost letting that nickname slip at the office.

Casey leaned down, cleared her throat, and lowered her voice, “Daddy needs a favor.”

“What’s wrong, Case?” She could tell there was a sense of urgency in her girlfriend’s voice.

“I need you to help me talk to Cragen about reopening the Rosalind Silvo case. I know in my bones that there was bias on Judge Taft’s part and there was evidence to prove she was innocent…” the redhead pleaded.

“…But Taft wouldn’t pay for the test.”

“Exactly! If I can get Cragen to reopen the case, the DA’s office doesn’t have to go through the same channels, I can get permission to exhume the body, clear Silvo, and screw Taft to the wall.” Casey rambled, having to take a deep breath when she finally stopped speaking.

“Well, I would like to hope I’m the only person you’re screwing against the wall but let me see the case notes and then we can go talk to him together.” Olivia chuckled, waving her hand for Casey to show her the files.

Liv filled Elliot in and then the three of them brought it to Cragen’s attention, “Casey I’d love to help get an innocent woman out of prison, but I don’t have the manpower to fuel a vendetta.”

“Its not really that much work boss, I think we got it covered,”

Cragen shot him a look, “Well thank you for being such a real helper, Elliot.”

Casey pleaded, hoping her puppy eyes would work on Cragen the way they work on Liv and Elliot, “It’s two interviews, if nothing pans out, I swear I’ll drop it.”

*****

Liv walked out of the coffee shop and handed one to her girlfriend who was waiting for her on the sidewalk.

“Thanks. It was a little too crowded in there for me.” Casey reached over and interlinked her fingers with the brunette’s. Her hand was a shaking, not something she’d attempted to do in public before.

The detective tensed up, “Casey, what if someone sees us?”

“I’m not ashamed,” she stopped and pulled the brunette’s hand turning her to face her. “I’m proud to say I’m with you, Olivia Benson.”

Any fear Liv had at this point was washed away with Casey’s words and the adorable little dimples the redhead got when she smiled. She squeezed the attorney’s hand tighter and pulled her in close. “And I am all yours, Counselor. I wasn’t trying to hide you, I just want to keep you safe.”

Casey smirked and leaned in to kiss the brunette, “Maybe you’ve forgotten how good I am with a bat.” She turned and started to walk again, holding her girlfriend’s hand tight with one hand, and sipping her coffee with the other.

“You go talk to Mary, I’ll hang back here. I’m gonna check in with the house.” Liv stated as they got closer to the judge’s apartment. Casey nodded and started to walk away, the brunette pulling her back and into a quick kiss before letting her go. She wasn’t going to feel ashamed to show anyone how much Casey meant to her anymore. She watched as the redhead walked down the block and couldn’t help but stare at how good she looked in that outfit, how her hips swayed back and forth. She chewed on her lip and was startled by the phone ringing.

“Benson. Hey El I was just about to check in. Yeah, I’m good, I’m just waiting for Casey, she’s talking with Judge Clark.”

Judge Clark walked out of her apartment just to find Casey waiting for her. “I don’t know how I can be more clear,” she was sympathetic but not up for taking on Taft.

The ADA smirked, “Rosalin Silvo is innocent, here’s the M.E. report.” She handed Mary the file Olivia had gotten from Warner. “Taft let his bias run that courtroom, same crap he always does but this time, he stole a woman’s life.”

Mary scanned the report, her face dropped, and she looked up at Casey, “That son of a bitch. He’s an embarrassment to the bench.”

“I’ll worry about him as soon as I get Rosalin Silvo out of jail.”

*****

After hearing the evidence Judge Preston spoke, “I have to agree with counsel, the only possible remedy is to vacate Ms. Silvo’s conviction. We’re adjourned.” She stated with the bang of her gavel.

Rosalin, with tears of joy in her eyes, hugged Mary, and Casey, thanking them before hugging her other child tightly. The ADA and Judge Clark gathered up their things and headed for the door as Taft approached them.

“Well Judge Clark its good to see you haven’t lost sight of your humble beginnings as a legal aid attorney. Ms. Novak, are you going to be coming through all the decisions I’ve made.” He scoffed.

“That depends,” she started, “how many other defendant’s have you falsely convicted?”

“History is full of mistakes Ms. Novak, even your short history.” His tone was aggressive.

Mary stepped in between him and Casey. “You’re not threatening her, are you? Some people might consider that conduct unbecoming of an officer of the court. You can’t bully your way out of this Oliver.” She gave him a smug look knowing she could tear him down in an instant.

Casey did her best to hide her enjoyment of this exchange when her cellphone rang. “Casey Novak.” Her heart sank, “Oh G-d.”

*****

The ADA ran up to the scene as she approached the Campbell household. She stopped at the stairs as she saw the small body being carried out, covered in a white sheet. “Why wasn’t she in the hospital?” she demanded, her voice raw with emotion as her eyes met Elliot, who was exiting the building.

“Released.” He walked towards her, “Parent’s didn’t want her in a nursing home. The aunt dropped by, found Alexis in her bed already dead.” He paused for a second, “Casey,” he took a deep breath, “Karen was the only one home.”

“She finished the job.” Casey muttered as Olivia emerged from the doorway with Karen Campbell in cuffs, she was reading her, her Miranda rights as they walked past.

*****

“Hey, you okay?” Casey was leaning against the door of the call room.

“Hey babe, I’m fine. Is her lawyer here?” Liv lifted her head up.

“No, no not yet it’s okay lay back down.” The redhead walked over and laid down on the cot next to the detective. She pulled Liv’s arm tight around her.

“Baby, you okay?” Liv mumbled into Casey’s back. She was met with silent sobs causing Casey’s body to shake against her. The brunette lifted her head up, “Baby what is it?”

“This is my fault.”

“How could you possibly…”

“I should’ve fought harder to get Taft thrown off the case, off the bench, something! I should’ve done more.”

“Case, you are only one assistant district attorney, and while you are wonderful and gorgeous and intelligent, not to mention compassionate beyond rivaling— you are only one human being.”

Elliot rapped on the doorframe, “Hey guys, Gates is here, showtime.”

Casey wiped her tears and stood up straighten out her blazer and the three of them headed down to the interrogation room.

“What happened,” Elliot sat down and opened his notepad, “You miss us?”

“You can’t charge my client with murder for a crime she was already acquitted of.” Gates spouted, demanding the release of the client.

“Unless we’re talking about two separate acts, which we are. Right Karen?” Olivia stated closing the door behind her. “Alexis was suffocated, the poisoning had nothing to do with her death.”

Casey studied Gates face, he had no idea what his client had done. He was as shocked as they were.

“I didn’t want to bring her home. Pete insisted. She wouldn’t stop crying, I just wanted her to stop. It wasn’t my fault!

“What you gonna claim it was an accident again?” Elliot clapped back at her.

“No! The judge said I should do it.”

Casey tilted her head, “What Judge?”

“Judge Taft.” The ADA shot a look at Gates as Karen continued, “He said Alexis was too sick and I had other children to think about. He said we would all be better off if Alexis just died.”

Olivia looked at her girlfriend in disbelief.

“When did he say this to you?” the redhead pressed.

“The other day in court right before I testified.”

Gates jumped up, “Interview is over, everyone out.”

“What the hell was Taft doing talking to her anyway?” Elliot asked.

“Hanging himself,” Casey scoffed. “The bastard’s done now.”

“Doesn’t that nullify her acquittal,” Liv jumped in.

The redhead nodded, “Sure does not that it matters, we’ve got her on homicide.”

A few minutes later he met the ADA and the detectives outside the interview. “I just want you to know I had no knowledge of this ex-parte or as an officer of the court I would’ve been duty bound to tell you immediately.”

“What did he say?” Casey demanded.

“Apparently, he saw her crying and told her to think of her other kids and maybe they would be better off if Alexis died anyway and then he advised her to get psychiatric help so that this kind of thing wouldn’t happen again. Which I think is a fine idea.”

“Book her and go pick up Taft,” Casey stated as she gathered her things.

“On what grounds,” Cragen questioned.

“Criminal Facilitation Two. He told her to get a shrink which means he knew this was no accident and acquitting her gave her the means and opportunity to commit a Class A felony.”

“He has judicial immunity Casey,” Cragen spoke softly.

“He smoked his judicial immunity the minute he had an ex parte communication with the defendant.” The redhead said as she stormed out of the precinct.

*****

“I don’t think I’ve every been this nervous.” Casey said checking over her appearance in the mirror. “I cannot lose this case.”

Liv came up behind her and kissed her neck, “You’re gonna do great baby. C’mon,” she turned her around and straightened the lapel of her jacket, “Everyone knows my Daddy has the best conviction rate in town, and she isn’t scared of anyone, definitely not some old man named Oliver Taft.” She pulled her collar tight and kissed the redhead. “I know you’re already dressed but I think I know how to calm you down.” She smiled slyly.

“Mmm, do you now?” Casey raised her brow and bit her lip.

Liv nodded, sliding the redhead’s suit jacket off and placing it on the counter, “Mhmm yeah. Watch.” she said sliding her tongue into her mouth.

The attorney enthralled in the kiss grabbed for her girlfriend’s belt buckle fumbling to get it undone and get Liv’s fly down. She slid her hand down into the brunette’s waistband as her lover had moved on to kissing down her pulse points. Casey felt how wet Olivia already was and let out a sultry giggle, “Mmm, I’m starting to think I just keep you like this twenty-four/seven. Let Daddy fix it.” She moaned sliding a finger in and pressing her palm to Liv’s clit.

The detective fumbled with Casey’s suit pants as she let out little whimpers which Casey swallowed, kissing her hard. Finally getting them undone, the attorney used her freehand to grab her girlfriends wrist and pull it to her, sliding it down into her boxers. Liv glided two fingers into Casey’s soaked center and thrust her back against the counter.

The ADA threw her head back, “Oh god Olivia! Fuck” she slipped another finger into the detective. The two of them mewling and whimpering as they continued toying with each other’s g-spots. They knew each other’s body’s like clockwork, enough to make it last for hours or make the other cum instantly. Their breath hitching and growing ragged they both knew what was coming next and let go, collapsing against each other and back against the counter.

Casey held Liv’s head against her shoulder and kissed her temple, both of them out of breath. “You make the prettiest noises when I fuck you.”

******

As they arrived at the courthouse Casey was much more relaxed. She was hurriedly headed towards the courtroom when she heard someone call out to her.

“Hey Novak! Catch.” She turned around to see Elliot lob something in her direction. She caught it one handed and looked at it.

“What’s this for?” she said quizzingly.

“It’s cologne Case, you smell like sex. Keep it,” he headed in, “Knock em dead!”

As the trial proceeded the prosecution called Taft as their first witness.

“Is that why you spoke to Karen during her trial, because you thought she was innocent.” The ADA asked casually.

Taft paused for a second and took a deep breath, “I admit the conversation was ill-advised. We were in the same elevator, she was distraught. I allowed my empathy to overrule my intellect.” Elliot rolled his eyes from the gallery as Taft spoke.

“Did it every occur to you that Karen Campbell might be responsible for her daughters condition?” Casey continued.

“I must object, Your Honor.” Taft argued.

“You felt sorry for the defendant, so you must’ve already decided she was innocent even though the trial had not concluded yet.”

“I had formed no opinion,” Taft retorted, “as you just said the trial had not yet concluded.”

“I know,” the redhead swung her hand as she walked over to the jury box. “Which is why it was so strange that you were talking to her. Why did you tell the defendant to quote seek psychiatric help, so this tragedy doesn’t occur again.”

“She was upset,” the judge answered.

“Because it sounds like you really did think she poisoned her daughter.” Casey was getting louder, more adamant in how she spoke.

“It was a mistake, is that what you want me to say Ms. Novak? One mistake in almost three decades?”

Casey sneered, “Didn’t you make an arguably bigger mistake? When you wrongfully convicted Rosalin Silvo of murdering her daughter and sent her to prison for ten years?” The ADA was shouting at this point.

“That is completely immaterial,” The Judge argued.

The redhead stepped to him, “You can’t object Judge Taft.”

“But I can Ms. Novak,” Judge Bradley warned.

“Did you tell Karen Campbell to suffocate her daughter?” Casey walked back towards the jury.

“No.”

“But you talked to her even though it was clearly improper,”

“It was a mistake!”

“You don’t make mistakes, you make judgements, who’s innocent, who’s guilty. You saw Rosalin Silvo and she was a whore. That means she’s a bad mother. And then you saw Karen Campbell. Why did you talk to her Judge?” Casey was furious at this point.

“Your Honor!?” Taft turned towards Judge Bradley.

“Why talk to her? Why talk to Karen Campbell?” the young fiery attorney pressed as Taft stood up in the witness box. “Why talk to a woman who tried to murder her daughter?”

“I didn’t know!”

“Didn’t know what?” Casey shouted, “That she’d turn around and try to do it again.”

“I THOUGHT THEY WERE GOOD PEOPLE” Taft bellowed at Casey.

Judge Bradley banged his gavel, “That’s enough!”

“Nothing further,” the redhead’s lip curled as she walked away.

It didn’t take the Jury long to come back with a guilty verdict. The press was outside waiting for Taft as both Elliot and Casey watched satisfied from afar. He had been demoted before he even left the courtroom. The detective nudged the ADA, “You did good Case.” She nudged him back and smiled.

*****

“It’s open,” Casey said as she heard her girlfriend approach the door. She was sitting at the counter. “Hey beautiful.”

Liv walked over and planted a longing kiss on the redhead.

“Mmm,” Casey couldn’t help but smile at the brunette’s touch. “I have something for you.”

“You do?” The detective asked, “What is it? Something sexy?”

Casey giggled, “I hope you think so.” She looked up at Liv, “so you know how you always say how unsafe it is for me to leave my door unlocked when waiting for you? I think I’ve found a solution.” She slid her hand across the counter towards her girlfriend and lifted it away revealing a singular house key. “What do you think?”

Read Part 7

#casey novak #olivia benson #casey novak x olivia benson #casey novak smut #law and order svu #svu #lgbtqia #casey novak fanfic #casey novak angst #olivia benson smut #olivia benson angst #wlw fanfic #benovak

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finchinmoria · 10 months ago

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LOTR Characters as surgical hospital staff

I've had a million surgeries growing up (give or take) and was in the hospital again recently, and I coped by casting my comfort characters as hospital staff, as one does.

Please allow me to present my over-idealized hospital scenario in the form of... LOTR characters as hospital workers:

Frodo: Works the surgery admissions desk. Even at 5:45 in the morning he is cheerful and attentive. He always jumps up to help people with wheelchairs/canes or to point out the most comfortable seat in the waiting room. He asks questions gently and translates medical/insurance jargon so that different types of patients can understand them best. After he secures your hospital bracelet (verifying name and date of birth, of course) he walks with you down the hall to your next stop to get ready for pre-op. He enjoys being the first point of contact for patients because he can try to set the tone to ease anxieties. He doesn’t say he hopes everything goes well with your surgery… he assures you it will!

Merry: Pre-op nurse. Going in and out between rooms sometimes gets hectic but he’s pretty laid back and somehow has the timing of changing into hospital gowns down to a science so no one is ever waiting too long or interrupted disrobed. Gets your IV in with no problem and is more than generous with heated blankets, to the point you could probably make a blanket fort. Always talks about the randomest things to keep your mind off the surgery you’ll soon be having. Has nothing but praise for the anesthesiologist.

Éowyn: The anesthesiologist. She’s covered in medical PPE, but communicates clearly just from her eyes and voice. She sits next to your bed while she goes over everything and gives you honest answers even if they’re scary. When you ask for a little pre-anesthesia sedation she mixes up the perfect dose that doesn’t hit you too hard. It actually makes you feel relaxed, not just sedated.

Arwen: The OR nurse that accompanies you from pre-op into the surgical room. She hooks up your oxygen and talks to you while everyone else rushes around. She has a talent for reassuring eye contact. Everything is bright and overwhelming but her gentle, low voice gives you something to focus on. She asks gentle questions, explains what is going on, and holds your hand if you need. She’s the one telling you to count backward from ten as you get a little dizzy, and it’s her soothing words that give you permission to drift off to sleep.

Faramir: Post-op nurse, monitoring you when you’re waking up from the anesthesia. He knows all the right things to say to all your weird questions and nonsensical statements as you come out of it. Gently keeps you from disrupting your oxygen tube. Interprets enough of your loopy sentences to discern that you actually need nausea medicine and stays on top of it.

Aragorn: Inexplicably the only phlebotomist the hospital apparently has. He’s the one that takes your blood in pre-op and you think you’ll never see him again, but when they decide they need an emergency lab done late one night during your hospital stay, he’s the one that shows up, knocking incredibly soft on your door before he enters. Somehow he remembers everything you had talked about when he first saw you in pre-op, and picks up the conversation pretty much where you left off. He has a talent for talking about the things that make you just happy enough to distract you from getting blood drawn. Of everyone, he looks the most out of place in scrubs but that somehow makes you trust him more.

Pippin: The night shift nurse technician with the worst ever luck. If he’s on shift it’s pretty much guaranteed the blood pressure cuff will never work properly and the IV pump will explode, or at the very least make all manner of beeping noises at the worst times. He’s visibly relieved when you tell him you couldn’t sleep anyway, so you don’t mind, after five solid minutes of trying to shut the machine up. After things settle down he’s genuinely concerned over how difficult it is for you to sleep and checks in on you more often through the night. After his shift, you recall some lighthearted chats you’ve had with him through the night and it’s enough to help you finally get some rest in the early morning.

Galadriel: Radiologist that shows up to whisk you away to a different part of the hospital with cool art on the walls and stained glass panels on the ceiling. Everything is kind of floaty and you’re still unsteady but she’s way stronger than she looks and gets you on the table for your imaging with ease. It’s quite comfortable and the only thing you’ve done in this place since you checked in with Frodo that hasn’t hurt. This makes you kind of emotional, plus you’re still out of it from pain meds and not sleeping so you blurt out that she’s the most beautiful person you’ve ever seen in your life. (She probably hears that all the time.)

Haldir: Day shift nurse that keeps everything on the floor running the way it needs to. He keeps you informed exactly of what to expect with everything you have going on: meds, IV changes, checks on your incision and drains. He always makes sure you’re ready for physical therapy on time, though he absolutely hates it when PT plays games in the hallway. (He tries not to let his feelings about this show to patients, because he knows they love playing games in the hallway, but he certainly will not hesitate to confiscate various sporting accoutrements if they become disruptive.)

Legolas & Gimli: The two physical therapists that work your floor, and they take turns. Of course their trading off turns into a competition. You walked half the length of the hall with Gimli, but the next day you walked the entire length of the hall with Legolas. Gimli gets ahead when you tackle not one but TWO stairs. It becomes obvious you are making better progress on Gimli days, so Legolas tries to win by bringing a volleyball for you to kick around the hallway. When things get out of hand and Haldir intervenes, Legolas says it was Gimli’s idea. (He then hides the volleyball from Haldir in your room.)

Gandalf: The random hospital chaplain that never shows up at the same time twice, even though he always says he’ll stop by “right before lunch.” Sometimes it’s 8 AM sometimes it’s 2 in the afternoon, once it was almost midnight, but you were awake and it was nice to have company for a few minutes. (The only problem is if he shows up during PT. Legolas will cut your session short so you can visit, Gimli will make him wait.) You think Gandalf should maybe be talking about religious stuff since that’s his job but he talks about anything you bring up or are interested in. Has been known to hang out and watch entire movies on the Classic Films channel with patients and sneak in vending machine snacks.

Boromir: Fills in one night as night shift nurse (he’s usually in the ICU). He doesn’t talk much at first, but he’s incredibly observant. As soon as he enters the room, before you can say anything about it feeling uncomfortable, he notices something is wrong with your incision drain and immediately fixes it. You’re kind of worried when you see Pippin is the nurse tech that night, but they actually work well together and Boromir doesn’t seem to mind even the fifth heart monitor malfunction of the night. By the end of the shift he’s cracked a few jokes and takes your vitals before he leaves so Pippin can avoid another altercation with the blood pressure machine.

Sam: The nutritionist that is responsible for the plate of waffle cut fries showing up to your room at 3 am the night after you’re cleared off the liquid diet. Because you need the calories and can’t sleep anyway. And when you were on the liquid diet, he wrote in a request on your behalf to only have cherry Jello sent after you mention that you don’t care much for orange or lime. He makes helpful suggestions but never pushes anything. (However, he does show up to chat with you in person after you didn’t order anything from the kitchen except cheese sticks and ice cream sandwiches for three meals in a row.)

Elrond: The surgeon with an odd, distant, but ultimately endearing bedside manner. He always severely over-estimates the recovery time for his patients. It’s only after reading the third night report that you were eating french fries and kicking a volleyball around the hall with Gandalf at three in the morning that he reluctantly discharges you.

Note: I was in a pediatric ward as a kid for like two months once, and on certain days they would indeed let us play volleyball in the hallway. I doubt anywhere allows adults to do this, but for this little fantasy, I couldn't resist. Thanks for reading!

#lotr #lotr headcanons #lotr imagine #lotr imagines #lotr characters as #lotr characters as hospital staff #lord of the rings #lotr characters #lotr hospital au #the fellowship as #the fellowship of the ring #lotr x reader

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krazycat6167 · 1 year ago

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So @cokowiii made a rise tmnt au called Spirits Reborn and I fell in love with it. Others had been making some really cool art of their ocs/sona in the world and I got thinking. It’s been in my head for some days and slowly evolved into a small Donnie-centric snippet that I will be putting under the cut (along with art of the sona remade for the au). Enjoy :D

~~~

Alright, Donnie’s lost. He’ll admit it. Nothing about this part of the forest is at all familiar. He is positive that he’s never seen that tree before. It’d be hard to forget, the trunk is short and thick with many knobs while the roots look like a tangled mess before they sink into the ground. (Actually, now that Donnie’s really looking at it, he’s not sure about the tree’s species. He had thought it was a type of oak, but now he’s not so sure. Could it be that he has discovered a new tree? Oh, he needs to document all of its characteristics so he can compare them against the trees in his encyclopedia! Oh, it would be so cool if- no wait, task at hand.)

He’s lost. It’s fine though. The others knew he went to the forest today. Once they notice that he hasn’t returned yet, they’ll know where to search for him.

He just had to wait in the meantime.

…And maybe document this tree while he was at it.

However, even his extensive data collection can only take so much time. Eventually he finds himself sitting on some of the tree's roots and staring at the dirt between his feet.

It’s evening now. The sun will set and it will be night and he will still be lost. Logically he knows his absence would be only worrying enough for a search by the morning at the earliest. So until then, he’s on his own. In the spirit filled forest. All night.

He wasn’t panicking. He wasn’t scared. No, no! He was-!

“Would you like some help?”

Donnie let out a (very manly thank you very much) shriek as he scrambles a few steps away from the sudden voice, turns to face it, trips over his own feet in his haste and lands on his butt.

There, standing amongst the roots, was a spirit (or yokai? Donnie wasn’t too sure where the line was with that) he hadn’t seen before. Their head was made of blue fire with a pair of solid white eyes that stared down at him. They wore a poncho that went past their knees. It had a gradient that went from magenta to orange to a pale yellow on the bottom. They held a wooden staff, topped with a crook, that had an old, kinda mossy lantern attached to the end. The fire inside burned blue as well. In the air around them burned two more blue flames the same size as the one in the lantern.

“Sorry.” Their eyes scrunch up in apparent apology. “I thought you heard me walk up.”

Donnie stares dumbly at the spirit (he was going to go with spirit for now) as his heart beats like a marching band percussionist showing off. He placed a hand over his chest and took a deep breath. “I didn’t.” He said in reply to the spirit. “And what did you mean by help?”

“You’re lost.” They walked out from the tree's roots. “I help those who are lost. I can lead you to what you want or what you need.”

The ‘or’ in that statement caught Donnie’s attention. “Wouldn’t those two be the same thing in this situation? I want to get out of this forest and back home. I need to get home or I will die.”

The fire spirit shakes their head. “No, what is wanted and what is needed are not the same. Often, what is needed is more uncomfortable but helps with what is wanted in the long run.”

“Explain that to me.” Oh, that came out more demanding than he had intended.

The spirit didn’t look offended, thankfully. “Think of it like you’re staying up later than usual to work on a project. You want to work on it because you need the thing. However, you need to sleep. You don’t want to sleep because you’re in the groove of things and stopping in the middle of a groove is hard and annoying. It helps in the long run though, since getting sleep rests your body and mind, resulting in a product that may have taken longer, but is now of higher quality. It just depends on what you feel you need to prioritize at the moment; quality or speed.”

Donnie taps a finger to his chin. “I think I get it? I know what I want, I want to get back, however, what is this thing that I supposedly need?”

The spirit shrugs, “I’m not sure, I just know the paths to take you there.”

“Hm, frustrating. Can you point out the direction my want is in.”

The spirit lifts the hands not holding their staff and points to Donnie’s left, and slightly behind.

So that’s the way out, but Donnie is curious now. “Okay, okay, and where is my “need”?”

They point to the right, deeper into the forest and away from home.

Donnie’s tempted.

Logically, Donnie knows he can’t. He has too many projects, responsibilities, and people relying on him and his work. He can’t drop it all now. He’s busy.

He hesitates. He’s madly curious. His want is to go home, and his “need” leads away from it, but according to the spirit’s analogy, whatever the “need” is, it’s supposed to better the quality of the want. What could possibly be deep in the forest that can increase the quality of home? A deep, yearning part of him wants to find out. To follow the spirit deeper into the foliage to find this thing that’s apparently missing from his home. He knows that if he wasn’t so important to multiple projects, even just one or two projects less, he would give into his curiosity and (surprisingly deep) yearning.

“As tempted as I am, I need- I have to go back.”

The spirit nods. “Come along then.” They start walking in the direction of the want they had pointed out earlier. The floating fires seem to playfully dance around each other as they follow.

Donnie jogs to catch up. The spirit shifts in their path slightly so they are walking side by side.

After walking for a few minutes in silence, Donnie’s curiosity rises again. “May I ask you a few questions?”

“Certainly, go on ahead.”

“How is it that you know where to lead people but not what you’re leading them to?”

“Simple. I am the spirit of journeys, pathways, the lost. I am the guiding light. I wander the spaces in between the beginning and the destination. I travel the roads and footpaths. I come to those who call or to those who need the help.”

So he was right in his spirit assumption (and now has a few things to look up. Has this spirit guide been told of before? Did they appear in any local folklore or stories?).

“What’s with the..” Donnie’s gestures to the two flames, one chasing the other as they quickly wind through the air in front of them. “…Fire. Things.”

The spirit laughs. “They’re sprites. They’ve decided I was cool and have tied themselves to me.” She gestures to the two sprites. “They’re called Sparks, Ember,” they then gesture to the fire in the lamp, “and Blaze.”

Donnie stares. “Why is this one contained?”

The spirit chuckles. “They like to feel important. They take turns. Sparks is next. Sometimes I do have to use it for time out, but it rarely comes to that.”

“Huh.”

Another stretch of silence. Donnie watches Sparks and Ember as he turns over the information he’s gotten so far.

“Has there been anyone who’s want and need where one and the same?”

The spirit hums. “There’s been a lot where they were at the same place, but only only a handful have had it be the same. It’s quite rare.”

Donnie guesses that, at most, there have been five such individuals, seeing as that was how many fingers the spirit had per hand.

“When you said you were the spirit of the lost, do you just mean physically lost or does that count in the metaphorical sense as well?”

“Sometimes.”

“Sometimes? Why sometimes?”

“It’s hard for someone to be truly so lost metaphorically that I’m needed to help guide them. They usually have some sort of direction or someone in their life who wants to help. Besides, some people who are lost in that way won’t accept any help. Ultimately it’s a choice on their part whether or not they want to be led.”

“So I could leave right now and you wouldn’t stop me?”

“I would warn you of the dangers, point you where you wish to go, but no, I wouldn’t stop you. I can’t help those who don’t wish to be helped.”

The sun has set by now. Their path being illuminated by the light of the spirit and the sprites. Donnie notes that the trees around them have been getting thinner, so definitely getting closer to the forest’s edge.

Donnie tries not to look too deeply into the foliage. The deep darkness of the space outside the spirit’s light doing nothing to help his classic overthinking tendencies. Anything could be just out of sight.

Donnie needs a distraction. He clears his throat. “So, uh, would the lost include, like, lost souls? The dead who can’t move on and all that jazz.”

The spirit's eyes crinkle in amusement. “No, I am no reaper. I do not guide the dead.”

“Coooool, cool, cool. So there’s no chance that I’m actually dead and this is a journey towards accepting that and moving on.”

“You are very much alive.”

“Alright, um, if someone had chosen their want or their need and changed their mind, would you guide them to their new choice?”

“Yes. Are you doubting your choice?”

“Oh no!” Donnie is quick to reassure. “No no no noooo no. Not doubting at all, nope. There’s definitely not an inexplicable yearning in my chest to turn around and go deeper into the forest. None at all! Just- was just curious is all.”

The spirit hums in acknowledgment.

Donnie looks to the side and taps his pointer fingers together. He’s fine, he’s goooood, he’s great even. Definitely told the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Yep.

…sheesh, how deep into the forest did he wander?

The spirit breaks the silence. “What's your name?”

Ah, they hadn’t done introductions. “I have many names. Othelo Von Ryan, Donatello, Don, Donnie, The Smartest Man Alive, just to list a few.” Donnie says. “And what of yourself?”

“I have been called many things. Wisp, Guide, Wanderer, The Pathwalker, Omen. Call me whatever you like.”

“Were you a good omen or a bad omen?”

“Depends on the people.”

“Right.” Donnie looks ahead. Sparks and Ember chase each other along the ground now instead of in the air. Good news for the forest, nothing is burned in their wake.

“…Michibiku Hikari.” Donnie says.

“Hm?” The spirit looks at him.

He coughs into a fist. “The, uh, name to call you. Michibiku Hikari. It means guiding light. Maybe just Hikari for a nickname.”

The spirit seems to brighten. “Thank you for the name, Donatello. I will treasure it.”

The complete and utter sincerity of the gratitude made Donnie’s face feel hot and his chest near to bursting. He always felt like this when someone truly appreciated his gifts and said so to his face. It’s been a while since he’s felt this though. The high of being honestly appreciated, and just for a name that was a bit on the nose!

They come to a stop at the tree line. Up ahead a clearing filled with the tents of the temporary base as he and his associates conduct initial surveys of the land.

“We have arrived where you wanted to go.”

“Amazing.” Donnie whispers. He speaks up and bows to the spirit, “Thank you, Michibiku Hikari, for guiding me home.”

Hikari bows back, “It was my pleasure, Donatello. If you ever want to find what you need, simply call for me. I cannot promise an immediate response, but I will come.”

Thanks given and formalities done, Donnie straightens out, gives one last single nod, and walks to camp. The last Hikari he hears is her softly telling Blaze that it was now Sparks’ turn inside the lantern.

The night is cold outside of Hikari’s light. Donnie folds his arms tight and speed walks to camp. He looks back once he’s at the edge of the group of tents, but no blue light comes from the forest.

In his tent, to one side, is a small project he’d been working on. He can feel his hands itching to work on it.

He goes to bed. In the morning, he pulls out his plant encyclopedia to uncover the species of tree he had found.

~~~

#Rottmnt au #rottmnt au fanart #spirits reborn #spirits reborn fanart #Spirits reborn fanfic #My art #my writting #i had a lot of fun with this :D #Coko I hope you know how much I genuinely enjoy your stuff #This detail didn’t make it in the story itself but Donnie’s need that lead deeper into the wood was Leo and his pond #You know. Just. Family relations and a long lost twin that he apparently has and maybe that connection to the spiritual that’s he’s missing #Haha~ yeah #Cokowiii

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lovelyrots · 2 years ago

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Forced Matrimony

Chapter 12 - We’re All Lonely For Something

FM Masterlist

🏷️- @fax-for

Content Warnings - cop routine (bad cop, good cop), Stockholm is a Syndrome, angst (self angst?), do NOT trust Izuku

Two bags are tossed onto the steel table in front of Shinso as the agent from before walks in with another, though younger, agent. “This is just some of the evidence turned in against you, but it’s the most damning. You know what this is?”

The unknown agent slaps his hand against some journal and pushes it closer. “I refuse to comment any further until my lawyer is present.” Shinso replies coolly and stares disinterested at the two men. “Mr Hitoshi, we found several items that would implicate you in numerous terrorist plots. Just tell us why, and what all you’ve done and we can help you.” Agent Koname leans closer to the cuffed hero, with a sympathetic face painted on as his partner scoffs and crosses his arms.

Shinso, in turn, leans toward the two agents and without blinking repeats what he’s been saying since he was ‘picked up’. Though forcibly moved sounds better on paper.

“I refuse to comment any further until my lawyer is present. End of discussion.”

The other agent stands and clutches onto the collar of Shinso’s shirt as he pulls him to stand eye-to-eye. “We don’t give a shit. You’re fucked whether or not your lawyer is here, so just admit it.” “Tanaka. Leave him alone, even if he won’t confess to anything, we’ve got more than enough evidence to convict him.” Koname explains calmly as Shinso is let go, looking as unbothered as ever.

“I’ll be honest with you, since nothing else matters: we have solid evidence that you were involved with members of Shigaraki’s group, we have evidence that you called just minutes before the raid on their base in some attempt to help them, and we have evidence that you murdered one of their members as some initiation.” Shinso’s brows furrowed as Koname finished, confusion and skepticism dancing around his mind as he shifted in his seat.

“I know there’s at least one camera and mic in here so I’ll recind my previous statement for now. I have no idea what you’re talking about; anytime I was near that location or any members that were there, I was working undercover and reported every interaction as I’ve always been instructed to. I never murdered anyone, I don’t exactly have the skill set for that.” He keeps his tone calm and level, never raising it or letting his internal panic be known.

“So you admit you did call just before the raid happened? Letting your boss know to get out?” The younger one, Tanaka, leans forward as Koname turns away. “I was letting a civilian that I knew was staying there know so she wouldn’t get caught up in it. I never spoke to Shigaraki. Now that I’ve said my piece, I refuse to say anything further until I have my attorney present.”

With that, Shinso leans away from the two and lets his head fall back to look up at the dark gray ceiling, essentially ignoring the agents in front of him.

“You lying bastard, I ought to teach you some respe-“ “That’s enough. Let’s leave him to sit while he waits.” Koname interrupts the younger man and almost has to drag him out of the room, the slamming of the door behind them is the last thing Shinso hears before he’s left with the overwhelming silence.

‘He’s late, again.’ You sigh and lay back on the couch, staring boredly at the pristine white ceiling. The dull sounds of the show you had as background noise becomes nothing as your mind slips from the present to wonder about what he’s doing that’s been making him late so often.

‘Is he getting bored of me? Maybe he’s finally feeling guilty about…well everything. Could I use that to get him to let me leave?’

You were deep in thought, reflecting on the past week and a half and how Izuku, once a cuddle-fiend that refused to not touch you in some way, now barely gives you a glance before he’s out the door.

You were suspicious at first, thinking it was some ploy or ruse to trick you into doing something so he’d get to punish you. But he’d still lock up everything when he’d leave and double check the locks when he’d get home back, he just doesn’t…act the same towards you.

You refuse to admit that the lack of affection and attention from him makes the sense of loneliness that much more invasive, but a tiny voice deep within you cheers when he does deign to hold you just a little longer.

You despise that part of you, but when it’s just you stuck in this big house with just the bland noise of reality tv…you can’t help but want him to just hold you or talk to you a little more if it means you won’t feel the creeping solitude for a second more.

You often catch yourself looking down at your hand, at the starburst pattern you two share, and trace the lines with your eyes or when you let your mind wander, you may ignore your hand moving to gently hold or rub the marking.

Just something to keep your hand busy, that’s all.

Your head snaps towards the front door as you hear the locks moving and the humming from Izuku as he steps inside. “I’m home!” He calls out as you idly watch him lock the door behind him, smoothly moving to each lock with practiced ease.

“And I brought dinner! I’m off for a bit so I thought we’d celebrate with takeout.” You strain to look at the bag in his hand as he puts his work shoes away, unconsciously stopping at the starburst marking on his hand barely peeking out from his glove.

‘Why’s he still wearing his glove? He’s never worn either of them when he’s here, so why now? Or has he?’ Thoughts bounce into each other as your eyes follow him to the dining table, locked on his covered hand as it pulls different containers out. ‘Did he hurt his hand? Maybe someone put crazy glue in his glove and it’s stuck now.’

“Y/N? Are you okay?” That snaps you out of the weird trance you locked in, though your mouth and brain still aren’t on the same wavelength. “What did you call me?” The words leave your lips, something your brain regrets as that hated voice within takes over.

“Uh, Y/N, you know, your name? Are you okay?” He blinks at you and tilts his head, thick brows furrowed in apparent confusion. “You weren’t answering me or moving so I kept calling your name. You’re not running a fever, are you?” He steps towards you and presses the back of his hand to your forehead before you have a chance to move away.

“Hm, you don’t feel warm.” He mutters and continues to talk, but you stopped listening as you ask yourself something; when did he take his glove off?

You could have sworn he had it on when he came in and up until he called your name, but he used the same hand to touch your forehead and you felt the bare skin of his hand. It didn’t fall onto the floor and you didn’t see it hanging out of one of his pockets. So where did it go, or was it even there?

“Y/N? C’mon and eat, maybe that’ll help you.” He turns around without waiting for you to even move and something snaps.

Your arms reach and grab the back of his shirt before he moves away and you both freeze. You don’t know why you did this, you just know your body acted before you did so there has to be some reason, right?

Your mouth opens and shuts several times, searching for the words to explain why your hands are clenching the fabric of his tee like you don’t want him to move away from you, but you can’t find them. You can’t find any reason you’d want to be left behind, left alone.

You break and a harsh truth weakly crawls its way out. “Don’t leave me alone.” You can’t bear to look at him, both because of your fragile and minuscule pride and the fear that he’ll discard you like a child that’s grown bored with a toy.

He stays quiet but slowly turns around and gently takes your shaking hands into his own as he steps closer to you, bending down to slide his arms around you. “I’ll never leave you alone. Not even in my dreams.” He murmurs as he sits and pulls you to his lap, one hand pressing against your upper back and the other wrapped around your waist, keeping you pressed up against him. Enveloped by him.

You hate this. You hate that for the first time in almost two weeks you feel…peaceful. You feel warm and not alone and it’s like being able to see color and hear music after sitting in silent darkness. The longer the two of you sit there, bodies tangled together, the more the world comes back to you. You can smell the takeout he brought home, you can hear his heartbeat just over the noise of the tv, you can feel the softness of his cotton tee and the warmth from his body melting into yours.

You feel better, but you hate that it’s because of him. You hate it because you know you’re afraid that something in you is changing and you might not hate that change.

#Do NOT trust Izuku #x reader #tw yandere #tw cops #tw stockholm syndrome #tw angst #mha #bnha #izuku x reader #yandere izuku

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eolewyn1010 · 2 months ago

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Downton Abbey Fashion 9 - garden fashions over the years

Let’s talk about something season-overlapping: The development of garden fashion. I don’t have a very solid reason for separating the from the usual outdoors fashion, except that there is a very distinct color scheme to it – there seems to be a tradition, even after fluffy, frothy lingerie dresses have gone out of fashion, to wear white and cream tones at occasions associated with nature, such as picnics, flower shows, and cricket tournaments.

So, let’s see how this looks like from seasons 1 to 3.

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Starting with Violet – first picture is from the garden party at the season 1 finale, second from the season 3 cricket match. The obvious parallel: Violet wears a high-necked white blouse and over it a cream coat with wide lapels. Simple enough statement, but the pre-war outfit goes all in on the lace; the yoke of her blouse and the better part of the lapels is all Edwardian lace. Also note the hat with the wide brim. Come 1920, Violet keeps her general style, but this outfits looks a lot smoother, a lot less busy. The sleeves are less poofy, the chest is not so fluffed out, the lapel and cuff decoration is now nothing more than a simple black line and a little fringe. The hat she chooses this time is a much smaller affair, albeit no less decorated with the tulle drape and the lace ornament.

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Isobel goes in walking suits, and the one from season 1 is exquisite. The slanting cut and the layered lapels and the button rows? This jacket is a thing of beauty. Late season 1 gives the impression that Isobel is starting to enjoy high fashion, and I can see why. Funnily, if you look closely, she seems to be wearing the exact same blouse with scalloped lace on top under both walking suits here, several years apart. I admit, I find the later suit a little unspectacular in comparison, but it looks quite nice with the straw hat and the little nacre brooch, and she wears it again in season 4, so she must like it.

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Cora’s turn. She wears this darling cream coat with black soutache embroidery for the season 1 flower show, and the kind of hat that’s made me want to own an Edwardian hat. It’s huge and knows no stinginess with its decoration. The end of season 1 has her go with a little straw hat with a velvet ribbon instead, although they put some effort into pleating said ribbon. A cute dress with a lace collar to go with this; it looks a little more homely and cozy than the super chic coat. And then by season 3, her cricket day outfit is just… kind of boring. There’s no decoration to speak of on either the dress or the jacket. Pretty necklace, I guess? Why do you put only one flower on that hat when it has place for three to five?

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Rosamund opts for a walking suit in season 1, and I gotta say, this one compels me, not because the suit itself has anything spectacular in its cut except maybe the pleating on the sides, but because the black contrast elements elevate this so much. And the hat. Oh my god, I have severe hat envy. This is gorgeous. Again, season 3 brings us a much smaller hat and, I have to say it, a much less interesting one. It’s fine, I guess; it just doesn’t make me yearn so. She wears a dress and jacket to it that are pretty shapeless; the 1920s care not about the human figure and how to accentuate it. But Rosamund also has a holdover element: The little white netting gloves.

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Stripes on Michelle Dockery are the only reason why I am a little in love with Mary after all. Just a tiny bit, very shallowly so. She’s a goddess, especially in the first picture with that swoon-worthy hat with champagne satin flowers. The lace collar framing her shoulders doesn’t hurt, and neither does the necklace in the second picture (that she stole from her mother). In comparison, her first garden look in season 3 is kind of eh. Nice shiny material and the little shoulder detail is cute, but I happen to think that this shape of pseudo-bonnet hat is difficult to pull off. So let’s talk about her cricket dress instead! A drop-waist summer dress with short sleeves and a kind of winged lapel collar; this looks nice. Love the little button row down the side of the waist. And the hat is much better.

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I keep remembering Lavinia as this slight, small thing, but her actress is only an inch or so shorter than Mary’s. I guess I can see why – they kept dressing her in very girly, youthful outfits. Not much to compare here style-wise as she’s only around in season 2, but these dresses are cute, cream silk satin and white lace. They still inherit a little more of the pre-war styles than others here, what with the waistbands and the rather voluminous, gathered skirt on the right one. And the lace yoke on the left one is adorable.

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Different than Edith, who is not meant to look adorable in her season 1 dresses. Oof. They put her in these while Mary is running around looking like a goddess. I guess that’s the entire point, but I still resent it. She’s dressed like a little girl in a scene in which her romantic hopes are crushed, for heaven’s sake. Fuck that lace collar with a chainsaw. So, she is one of the people who gets a serious upgrade to season 3. I like this new summer dress; it looks so breezy and light. The embroidered yoke is beautiful, and so is the patterned hat ribbon.

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And I’m taking in Sybil and Rose in one go because Sybil doesn’t live long enough for post-war garden fashions and Rose only has the post-war fashions because she’s quite a bit younger. Sybil has this cute flowered white dress with what looks to be a chiffon wrap overlay and a cute little belt with a golden clasp. Rose on the other hand wears something more similar to Edith’s new dress, a simple white summer dress with a chiffon overlay. Simple but lovely.

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That's as much as I can fit into one go; if I find enough white or cream garden dresses in the later seasons, I will take this up with another post.

Why yes, we do have a reason to celebrate! We’re going to get married by the end of summer, all three of us! Class-breaking polycules for the win!

#Downton Abbey #Downton Abbey's costume fund #historical fashion

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margaret-hilda-thatcher · 8 months ago

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🎙Today I figured I’d compile a Top 10 of my favourite Margaret interviews, with a bit (or a lot) on what I loved about each of them 🫶

Let me know whether you have any favourites that weren’t included!

1. TV Interview for Yorkshire Television Woman to Woman (02/10/85)

https(:)//youtu.be/Bzof-se9VKo?feature=shared

No notes, 10/10, golden buzzer, etc. For starters, I love love love Miriam Stoppard. The two were already acquainted due to Margaret being friends with Miriam’s husband, so that must’ve contributed to this absolute banger of an interview. She has a lovely voice, is very respectful, and extremely skilled at making Margaret open up without being intrusive. This felt less like a series of questions and more like a heart-to-heart. It chronicles her childhood, university years, marriage, and early political career, whilst providing loads of insight into the circumstances which have shaped her into who she is (the frugality of her upbringing being one of them). It’s really rare to get an extended and candid recollection of her personal life directly from the source (she herself has said that she was neither introspective nor retrospective, yet here she manages to be both) so if you don’t know much about her or have only ever consumed a one-sided narrative, I’d 100% recommend watching this.

Favourite quote: “Women always somehow, if they are left to cope, can cope. The whole world can be falling around your ears and someone will get up and carry on.”

2. TV Interview for ITN (28/06/91)

https(:)//youtu.be/L9H5nGDVfQ8?feature=shared

This was her first time opening up about her resignation - which had occurred eight months earlier over the course of a week - and I thought it was very interesting to hear her perspective on how things went down. I can't think of another occasion when she went into this much detail about it apart from the DSY memoir and the 1993 Breakfast with Frost segment. I generally like Michael Brunson and he’s one of her recurring interviewers so she must like him too. I don’t love how eager and pushy he came across at certain times here (eg: asking her to elaborate further on situations when she wanted to move on) but I think he did a solid job overall. If you're unfamiliar with the events, I'd advise you to first go watch the statement she made in Paris upon finding out she hadn't received enough votes to avoid a second ballot, then the confidence motion in the House of Commons, then her last speech outside of Downing Street, and THEN watch this interview. You'll not only have a lot more context but it also goes to show how much strain and internal struggle she was enduring, all the while appearing composed in public.

Favourite quote: “What you've done well, you're relieved about. It's a matter for relief, not for crowing."

3. TV Interview for ABC News This Week with David Brinkley (1983)

https(:)//youtu.be/wPUMEn9gJBs?feature=shared

This is literally a masterclass on how to quietly dominate and lead an interrogation while being outnumbered by your interviewers. She was being questioned about the Middle East conflicts by three men who were clearly hoping to disarm her, but she was so self-assured and unbothered that it made their sternness look silly. There's another iconic interview in the same style from her first visit to the Soviet Union but I cannot for the life of me find it without the Russian dubbing. Whoever DM's me the original version will be named in my will.

On a superficial note, I'm obsessed with how she looked in 1983 specifically. While my favourite era for her fashion is the '90s, her hair and face in 1983 were - in my opinion - at their most stunning, and this interview is the best example of that.

Favourite quote: "I'm not quite sure about the significance of your second question. It seems strangely put."

4. Life & Career of Margaret Thatcher (09/03/91)

https(:)//www.c-span.org/video/?17011-1/life-career-margaret-thatcher

This one took place during her visit to the US for the Presidential Medal of Freedom. I love Brian Lamb’s style of asking intentionally broad questions and diminishing his own presence in order to let his guests shine, something many interviewers lack the humility to do. There's a quote of his that says: "Too many interviewers try to make us think they're smarter than the person they're interviewing. I assume I'm not smarter, and if I am smarter, I don't want the audience to find out." The complete interview is 30+ minutes and he maybe talks for a total of three - as is his habit. In turn, it gives her room to speak at length with no pressure. Considering she had a reputation amongst media members for being a feisty interviewee, it's nice to see how relaxed she is when she's not feeling like she's about to be interrupted or challenged in bad faith. I imagine this would be particularly interesting to watch if you’re American because she touches on the differences between the UK and US system (in terms of the role of the monarchy, the parliamentary debates, the government's accountability to the public, etc.) If you're someone who feels strongly about her privatisation policy, I'd also advise watching this because she does go into detail as to why it was needed, especially regarding the broadcasting industry.

Favourite quote: “Some of the press who opposed me most vigorously would never have existed but for my policies of increasing liberty and getting rid of restrictive practices and enabling them to start up. But they then opposed me. So what? That's life.”

5. TV Interview for Thames TV Afternoon Plus (01/06/81)

https(:)//youtu.be/CFY6e2r2_hA?feature=shared

This was an interview that employed three different formats: the typical face-to-face questioning by the main journalist, then a pre-recorded vox pop of working-class people talking about their situation with Margaret having to comment on them, and then a live studio audience of career women there to debate her about various issues. I love this system because it showed how skilled she was at spontaneously handling any question/complaint. I think it was probably also beneficial for her to see and hear about the tangible effects of her policies in a context other than getting yelled at by protestors on the street. It was a much more productive way of connecting her with everyday people and letting their voices be heard. I also like that she talked about how difficult the task of cabinet reshuffling was (contrary to the common belief that she was sacking her ministers for sport).

Favourite quote: “If you put yourself in the front line you must expect to be shot at.”

6. TV Interview for Channel 4 A plus 4 (15/10/84)

https(:)//youtu.be/saA-gfBqpqw?feature=shared

This was her first official interview after the Brighton Bombing and I’m so admirative of her for doing this despite how traumatic it must’ve been to revisit the events. She seems eerily calm here and I don't know how much of it is shock and how much is genuine serenity but either way, she spoke very well as per usual. The interviewer seemed sweet and well suited to cover such a sensitive topic in my opinion. She also did a great job at bouncing back on replies and making the conversation flow seamlessly. They got the stuff about terrorism out of the way pretty quickly and then moved on to usual topics (mostly unemployment, and the role of business owners in creating jobs), which I felt was the best way to handle it as opposed to dragging it on for the full 30 minutes. Then she answered questions sent in from members of the public, which covered a range of stuff from her scientific background to capital punishment. Overall I like that she got to have a talk that wasn't wholly focused on the attack but also got to say what she wanted to say on it.

Favourite quote: “The sun was just coming through the stained glass windows and falling on some flowers right across the church and it just occurred to me that this was the day I was meant not to see."

7. TV Interview for BBC1 Val meets the VIPs (05/03/73)

https(:)//www.margaretthatcher.org/document/208941

This one merges two of my favourite things: her interacting with a live audience, and her interacting with children. A lot of politicians (and adults in general) tend to take a patronising approach when talking to kids but I loved how she treated them with the same seriousness as any other interviewer, and made sure to give heartfelt, detailed replies. While the questions are naturally more basic than the likes of which she would normally receive, she does a great job at elaborating on each, and therefore I found this interview as interesting and revealing as any other. The fluidity and eloquence with which she speaks is also absolutely lovely to listen to, as is the case for all of her 1970s appearances.

Favourite quote: “Some women are very argumentative, you know, and might even win.”

8. TV Interview for Canadian TV (CBC TV) The Journal (27/09/83)

https(:)//www.cbc.ca/player/play/1662159934

Once again... 1983 my beloved. I remember being obsessed with this interview a few years ago largely because of her smudged eye makeup (intentional or not). The main theme here was national defence, and I loved her comments on why nuclear weapons were a necessary evil (she talked about that in much more detail with Robin Day in 1987 if it's something you're into). They also talked about trade unions and her attitude towards strikes. I actually quite enjoyed how argumentative the interviewer was, just enough to counter Margaret's points without coming across as stubborn. It's interesting to me that this interview is apparently iconic in Canada for being "explosive" and for the two "clearly hating each other" because I didn't get that impression at all? They obviously disagreed fundamentally but I've seen interviews where both Margaret and the journalist were much more aggressive (the Brian Walden fiasco, hello???) This one felt cold at most, but not *that* combative. Years later Barbara Amiel described the whole exchange as "rather like watching a pretty lizard mistakenly programmed to kill a mongoose" which I admit is a pretty funny way to put it, and also applicable to anyone who tries to confront Margaret 😭 (While we're here, daily mantra that Barbara Amiel is a disgrace to both journalism and womankind 🫶)

Favourite quote: “The day when this country, or any country, departs from old nostrums it will first have to decide what it’s going to put in their place.”

9. TV Interview for BBC1 My Favourite Things (07/01/87)

https(:)//www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeU_H6prrF8

This is truly such a wholesome one, and I find the concept so unique. Basically what it says on the tin, the interview is structured around her favourite things. She'll have objects or people that she picked beforehand, and then explain why she loves them, like a little show-and-tell 🥹 It's everything from sculptures to poems to paintings, and she will tell a story about the influence that it has had on her life, and then the journalist will ask related questions to keep the interview moving. It's one of the longer ones, which is great because I love to hear her expand on topics that she personally loves. She doesn't talk about herself very often so it's so nice to hear about small things like her nightly routine or how happy doing wallpaper makes her. It's also educational to watch even if you don't particularly love or know her because she knows a lot of historical facts about people like Michael Faraday, so you'll definitely still learn things!

Favourite quote: “The Good Lord is no respecter of backgrounds. Never has been. He plants genius the world over. It is up to us to find it.”

10. KERA, a conversation with Margaret Thatcher (1991)

https(:)//youtu.be/Gbiohe_Baks?feature=shared

Finishing off with this purely for my own nostalgia because it was one of the first (if not the first) interviews of hers that I ever watched. It's not particularly special or different from the ones mentioned above but she talks a bit about the importance of a classical education (learning Latin and Greek, as well as memorising poetry) which I found pretty interesting. The interviewer was well-versed about her subject and had clearly prepared very thoroughly, which Margaret pointed out, and they seemed to get along really well.

Favourite quote: “In my case, you just had to have a star to steer by.”

#margaret thatcher #historical figures #history #uk politics #politics #interviews #ranking #journalism #top 10

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drakeanddice · 1 year ago

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Got Mausritter to the table last night and had a blast. Birch, Bindi, Max, and Fennel are amazing little Waywatchers, defending their little township of Foxcross against the perils of a big and largely hostile world. There were a couple of stumbles, but that’s largely owing to the frame shift of going from our usual player-driven games to something more OSR.

Someone out there is angrily typing a response about how the OSR runs on player agency and drive, and yes. I can see how that could be true. But let me pick at this wound for a moment and you can tell me I’m wrong afterward

In the games I typically run, I ask more questions as a GM than I offer declarative statements. In a Forged in the Dark game I can ask a pointed question and use the answer to drive the fiction. In an OSR game, the player asks questions to drive the fiction. It’s the difference between me asking “How does Moon know that this stretch of catacombs is haunted?” and “This stretch of catacombs sets your whiskers on edge, an otherworldly crackle in the air that reminds you of ghost stories on your grandfather’s knee when the deep winter winds blew loud.” Player questions shape what actions they can take, but the solidity of the fiction is established almost solely by the GM.

“What’s the most welcome smell of civilization when you enter the gates of Foxcross after being in the wilderness?” Oh, the smell of Bertram’s wild spring onion soup coming from the tavern, definitely.

vs.

Hey GM, is there a tavern in this town? “Oh, definitely. Bertram runs the Tin Whistle, a cozy burrow on the north side of the island”

I like asking questions more often than I like handing down information and waiting for the players to ask questions to add further detail and color, to make details important. This isn’t a criticism of the game or the process, only that now I’m overwhelmed with trying to decide in the moment what about what their mice see or smell or hear is important or interesting enough to prompt further questions while also keeping it concise and not droning on.

So that was my frame shift. Let’s talk about the players.

They are, to put it bluntly, used to being powerful and competent. And you EARN that shit in an OSR game. We entered a town occupied by city rat reavers and found the bulk of the invaders living it up in the town’s central meeting hall, pausing their drinking and reveling only long enough to lead trains of captive mice out into the night to show the way to more to eat and drink. They players picked off a couple of these stragglers, freed the mice, and played it stealthy and quiet. Eventually their luck wore thin and the alarm was raised and the fight got UGLY. The four of them were facing down the main force of these rats, 14 of them in total. Armed, armored, drunk, and mean. They stood and fought. Half of the party was down in the first round.

Quick thinking and lucky rolls and they managed to effect a resolution in which both sides disengaged in a simultaneous retreat for better ground, the rats swearing blood feud, and the mice taking to their heels.

No one died, but it was a near thing. They were used to having powerful abilities, for a high stat or a particular trait to make them implicitly GOOD at something and for that to be a dependable way to navigate a challenge, for their gear to be logically tied to a particular route of forward progress.

Our 12 STR spearmouse can still fail to put down a rat reliably, only has a 60% chance of bowling one over in a rush. Our troubadour can sing the old Foxcross battlehymn, but the Rats don’t understand the implicit threat and most of it doesn’t translate when he’s only got a 7 will and can’t roll below an 18. Our messenger mouse started play with a bedroll and a packet of sealed documents and spent the night grumbling about not starting with anything useful or germane to the situation…until he remembered that it was up to him to make it germane to the situation. We only got away because he set fire to his blankets and tossed them over a couple of rats fighting shoulder to shoulder and that bought us some time and provoked a morale check.

It was a culture shock, but we talked through it and we think we’re getting a handle on how to engage with the game, largely with the parts that aren’t explicitly mechanized or demarcated in the rules. To lean into the rulings over rules framework. To play smart and ask questions on their part. To be consistent and generous and explicit with information on my part.

Overall 7/10, and that’s a pretty good place to start.

#mausritter #ttrpg stuff #tabletop gaming #tabletop #tabletop rpg #game master #ttrpg

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lycanlovingvampyre · 2 years ago

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MAG 117 Relisten

Activity on my first listen: Baking something with apples

An episode full of thoughts. That's gonna be a long one...

JON: "Daisy’s been pretty clear that she thinks the best chance of success would be for her to go in alone, and, honestly, I struggle to disagree. But Tim isn’t going to sit home and wait, and Elias seems pretty insistent I go along. Part of me thinks it’s just so he can see if whatever this “preparation” he’s been trying to do on me works." Aw man, sounds like he is really afraid of this. I mean, firstly, he'll be returning to the place where he was already hurt, when the Circus kidnapped him for their skin care before flaying seminar. In general the Stranger has done enough to scare him even before that, Not!Sasha, Nikola visiting him. And then of course, the operation itself is dangerous. Of course Elias is insistent for him to go along. But not for the reasons Jon thinks he is.

JON: "You know what? That same petty little part of me rather hopes it doesn’t. That all this time, all his cryptic nudges and “learn to fly by falling” attitude, ends up being a complete waste of time. Just to show him." I wonder if this ended up to be a conflict in his coma. He knows, that Elias is planning something for him, he doesn't know what exactly that is, but that it's probably not good. (But probably also not the scale of this not good.) But at the other hand he wants to protect the others? Also, the instinct to survive is usually a pretty strong one.

JON: "I think Basira is the same. She’s coming along to back up Daisy, or so she says. I don’t quite get those two. I suppose what they’ve done, seeing what they’ve seen… it’s a hell of a bond. The sort of thing I’ve mostly done alone." I wonder if seeing the dynamic those two have with each other got him to make the decision to trust the others and wanting to support them more. Shared trauma can forge these strong bonds. It's a survival mechanism. In the end, I think for Jon and Martin it was not just that though. I mean, surely it helped. But Jon made that character development a lot of the time alone. And through all his hardships, where the others abandoned him, even despised him, Martin always came back to him and stood with him. Even when Jon still "hated" Martin, he did care for him (see MAG 22, MAG 40) and already opened up to him (MAG 39). How could he not have seen this in Martin. Jon may not be the friendliest of persons, but he sure is a kind one.

JON: "If I am, uh, slipping then I need people I can trust. And I… I don’t think that can happen naturally for me an-anymore" I can so relate to that...

JON: "If I am, uh, slipping then I need people I can trust. And I… I don’t think that can happen naturally for me an-anymore. how much they’ve… suffered because of this place. Because of me. God. Poor Melanie. And… aside from some, uh, uh, office gossip which I, I’m not sure is necessary or, uh, conducive to a workplace that… hey, it, it, it’s natural it’s, it’s normal. There’s, there’s no there’s no sinister hidden motives or… it’s fine. It, it’s fine." Oh he listened to that tape with the Jan Kilbride statement! Elias torturing Melanie happened on the same day and he addresses that. I'd just like to know, when this happened. Somewhere between Gertrude's storage unit and now. Also, he has now successfully internalized the guilt that is not his to bare.

JON: "I do worry about Martin and Melanie." Even though Jon and Melanie had plenty of arguments he does worry for her! That's what I meant earlier.

BASIRA: "But I think sometimes you feel like you’re adapting, but it’s just denial." Very well said. And then it's just a matter of stamina, how long you can keep up this denial before breaking, or actual change.

BASIRA: "But, she’s solid. She’s a… a fixed point, and if she’s there, I know exactly where I stand, exactly what I’m doing, relative to her." This is important for their relationship post coffin. I've seen Blackbeard and Izzy's relationship (Our Flag Means Death) being compared to Daisy and Basira.

BASIRA: "The sort of bad you can only get through if you stay focused and keep a clear head. You choke down the fear – and not because it’s feeding some weird horrible god, like Jon thinks, but because that’s how you keep going." Except for the choking down the fear I agree!

MELANIE: "They think they’re giving me a chance to face my demons by helping to take down Elias. They don’t get that the only way to deal with something like him is to watch his eyes go dead with your hands around his throat. I’ll play it their way, for now, but when it comes down to it, I want to see him dead. I, I’m so angry just sometimes, when Jon’s going off on one about his latest insight, it’s all I can do not to punch him in the teeth." When I was first listening I absolutely did not understand where this lust for murder and violence was coming from. Especially not for Jon because she asked him for access to the library and he literally wasn't there when she took the job. Of course, it makes so much sense in S4!

The "arsehole" in the fan transcript is missing, keeping it pg? xD

MELANIE: "Said I’d been mugged, although the scans couldn’t find anything in there." But of course they wouldn’t see the bullet... because of all the artifacts! (diagnostic imaging pun, *badum tss*)

MARTIN: "I, I’m scared, I guess. – no, wait. No, no, I mean, aww, I don’t want that to be my last message, the thing that defines me. 'Martin Blackwood, he was always scared, then he died. The end.' I don’t want that." That hit me pretty hard, not gonna lie.

MARTIN: "I need them to be safe, I need him to be okay." One of the most famous Martin lines.

MARTIN: "This last couple of years, I’ve always been running, always hiding, caught in someone else’s trap, but, but now it’s my trap, and, well, I think it’ll work. I know, I know it’s not exactly intricate, but it felt good leaving my own little web. Oh, oh, Christ, I hope Jon doesn’t actually listen to these. 'Good lord, is Martin becoming some sort of spider person?' No, Jon, it’s an expression, chill out! Besides, spiders are fine. I mean, yes, people are scared of them, obviously, but actual spiders, they just want to help you out with flies." Web!Martin! Even if he denies it xD But also, actual spiders don't want to help you out with flies either. They just want prey to eat. And watching me sleep it seems! God that fucking spider sitting on my shoulder watching me sleep...

MARTIN: "Just… just don’t die, Jon… Or, or Tim, Basira, or… Daisy, I guess?" This is just fan service again here!

[SIGH, CLATTERING SOUNDS] DAISY: "Okay." Best! xD Seriously, this was really funny. Daisy just cocking her gun and being like "That's it. That's all I have to say".

TIM: "Just, if you’re there, I want you to know that I hate you. I hate you for, for witnessing what’s happened to us." Right in the face of the audience!

TIM: "Talk to the wrong person, take the wrong train, open the wrong door, and that’s it!" Oof, that door thing... But ultimately, it's the same in real life. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Awful things happen to good people. Awful things happen to bad people.

TIM: "And if he needs to pull the trigger, to use me to stop it… well, he’d better have the guts to do it." Very short-lived foreshadowing.

JON: "Gerry. I-I know there’s more he could tell me – he he, wouldn’t of, of course, I, I know that but he, he… he would still be there, th-that, that knowledge, i-it would, it would still exist…" How very Beholding of him-

JON: "Come on. On tape, just, just, just do it! Do it!!" -but he's better than that.

Wonder, if it was meant to hurt anybody who tries to destroy a page of the Catalogue. Or if it's worse for Eye-aligned.

@a-mag-a-day

#a-mag-a-day #mag 117 #tma #tma spoilers

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bestworstcase · 2 years ago

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Both gods created humans together but the god of Darkness is the one who gave them magic.

Even if BOTH brothers made the cat, maybe they don’t know it was two ppl?

The god of Darkness Creating CC after what he says in the lost fable, something about how the god of light might rule over creation but he’s not the only one who CAN create, makes a lot of sense. If he and he only made CC without any of his brothers input to prove he could make something besides the Grimm.

This isn’t disbarring with your earlier posts or about Salem I’m spouting out ideas under the guidelines of the brother gods are involved

see this is the kind of engagement with ‘word of god’ that i appreciate, because it’s thoughtful. i do think it’s a lot more likely that a statement that also included the phrase “humans and stuff” (ghdhsk) is meant to be vague, and i don’t think there’s much narrative punch in an “actually, two!” reveal (like why bother, most everyone is going to assume that anyway), so my inclination right now is to assume that the cat is correct on the number.

i’ve not talked about it as much, but my second-place theory has always been that the god of darkness made the ever after parting ways with his brother post-extinction. i think focusing narrowly on dark’s gift of magic is kind of missing the forest for the trees, because dark’s half of humanity comprised destruction and knowledge. all the way back in V1, the fundamental struggle between grimm and humans is explained as an existential conflict between anonymity and knowledge—which is fascinating because it posits that the god of light really doesn’t have anything to do with it at all, it’s a struggle between the two facets of dark’s nature. there’s also some obvious congruence between the cat’s envy of humanity and the mythical portrayal of grimm; in the two brothers, grimm are said to hate humans in part because the god of darkness favors humans over grimm.

and then like, the cat is the storybook chill—the grimm from ‘the grimm child’—which might tie them to the god of darkness just as easily as it might tie them to salem. the narrative set up generally works just as well if the cat is a creation of the god of darkness, albeit in a somewhat looser way—it doesn’t integrate them into the wider narrative quite as intricately, but that’s fine bc they don’t need to be intricately connected necessarily.

there’s some stuff that has to happen in the next two episodes if one of the brothers did create the ever after or the cat or both, though, and this is the main reason i’ve gotten less convinced of their involvement with every episode. which came first, the ever after or remnant? (humanity was created twice, millions of years apart—which iteration was the cat left behind for?) if it came first, why does it only seem to be a creation of dark’s? if it came after, where is the god of darkness now, and why did he leave? did he leave?? (<- is he dead.) how might the resolution of these questions evolve into the resolution of the looming threat of the brother(s) ultimatum? (if salem made them, it’s much easier to connect the dots between resolving the cat and resolving salem, bc in that case the cat is the key to understanding who salem really is.)

the cat’s origins don’t exist in a narrative vacuum; the conflict with the cat is predicated on their abandonment and resolving that conflict is the climactic arc of the most important volume in the show. we’re on the cusp of the keystone holding the entire narrative together. (and also, just as a matter of practicality, with two episodes left every important thread remaining needs to be tightly woven together or else there won’t be enough time to deal with it all.)

so it matters a lot. i think any theory about the cat or the ever after’s origins at this point is incomplete without a solid sense of how it sets the momentum for the rest of the story and how it completes the key change from the tune of the last eight volumes—the gimme here is that the characters realize the brother gods are awful, but we’ve known that since volume six. it’s not exactly a paradigm shift.

this is why i keep saying—i’ve been saying since the minute i finished v8—they have to realize something about salem in this volume. what that might be is flexible, as long as it’s important enough to change the trajectory of the conflict with salem, but they cannot go back to remnant without changing their perspective of salem. narratively, this is mandatory. that’s the whole point of this volume. so the conflict with the cat and ruby’s experience in the tree both have to facilitate that, ideally in a manner that twines these two threads together.

the biggest unknown rn is what’s going to happen in the tree, i think. we’re probably going to learn about alyx (<-little?) through the process of ruby putting herself back together; we know she’ll meet the blacksmith again, and there’s “you never were the hero” still on the docket. a face-to-face encounter with summer feels like a gimme, with the only question being whether it’ll be the real summer or a figment of ruby’s imagination. loosely all of this fits together in a pretty straightforward way, it’s about ruby finding herself. and of course if summer is 1. alive and 2. with salem, that handles ruby’s side of the salem paradigm shift as a matter of course; if summer is dead (she isn’t) then it’s more of a diffuse rejection of pedestals (which runs into the same problem of the characters merely realizing that the gods are awful).

so how does the cat get involved, exactly? they’re most likely headed for the tree—they believe it’s their way out—which puts them on a collision course with ruby (maybe) and leaves wbyj stranded. with how fucking brutal the last episode was, i dooooon’t think it’s likely that the narrative is going to throw ruby into another violent confrontation, at least not until her ascension is complete (and even then—V9 has made it clear that ruby doesn’t want to be a warrior anymore, and i am… deeply… skeptical of the widespread assumption that of course ruby ascending is about ruby coming back as a more badass warrior than ever before.)

if the cat’s creator is the god of darkness, i would anticipate the resolution hinging upon what the girls know about why the brothers left remnant. the cat needs to know why their maker abandoned them, and if their maker was one of the brothers then team rwby can answer that question. the brothers are cruel and arrogant and see their creations as inferior little playthings to be discarded at whim; if one of them made the cat, they left the cat because they didn’t care. in this scenario i think the resolution is about getting the cat to understand this, and then handling the aftershocks. that facilitates the salem paradigm shift via the symmetry between the cat’s predicament and salem’s, and the kids return to remnant with that model for dealing with salem in mind.

this feels… kind of off to me, though, because the cat already learned this. the cat interviewed them quite thoroughly about the origins of remnant and it allayed their obsession not at all, which makes sense if neither brother is their maker but makes the resolution thornier otherwise—which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, if the general thrust is that the cat’s true desire is for their maker to come back to them and needing to accept that it’s not going to happen.

bu-ut if that were going to be the case… well. ruby’s mom left for unknown reasons and never came back, and ruby has spent her whole life living in the shadow of an absent mother honored for her presumed heroic sacrifice, always remembering that summer promised to come back. yang’s mom left, too, and yang became obsessed for years with the question of why and spent most of her life actively searching for answers, only to get them and realize that the answers sucked and didn’t make her feel better and she couldn’t just make raven be the mom she wanted.

if the cat’s arc is headed for realization that their maker doesn’t care and isn’t coming back, that the answer they want isn’t the answer they’ll get, the cat really ought to be anchored to YANG, not ruby, because that’s where the narrative symmetry naturally lies. at the very least, i would expect yang’s estrangement from raven to have had more of a presence—any presence at all—in her character arc for this volume. this kind of emotional and thematic set up is something rwby excels at, so the fact that it *isn’t there* says to me that the natural symmetry is between the cat and ruby.

and the thing about summer is, she’s clearly not dead and the story has been rolling out the proverbial red carpet in preparation for her to return. whatever summer’s reason for leaving, and whatever develops with ruby and her mom once summer returns—the cat and their maker are going to mirror that in some way, which doesn’t mean that it will necessarily resolve in exactly the same way, but it’s certainly going to dovetail. summer’s reasons for leaving are likely a lot more complex than anyone who knew her ever guessed, and either she’s going to need saving or (more likely) she’ll turn out to be on “the enemy’s” side and precipitate a lot of rethinking. that is, very loosely, the sort of trajectory the cat is on too.

the cat might, maybe, turn out to be the mediator between humanity and the god of darkness, if the end-game is humans+dark vs light? but there’s a lot of fiddly bits involved in that and obviously the cat can’t reach their maker right now, otherwise they would have already done so, so there’s a decent amount of mechanical work necessary to make this happen—& probably requires bringing the cat back to remnant and incorporating them as a major character for at least the next volume.

dunno. this is where all the brothers-did-it theories tend to unravel for me—carrying that momentum forward out of the ever after in a way that achieves the salem paradigm shift is tricky, and a lot of the obvious ways to do it have been cut off as the arc narrative develops toward the climax. (e.g. the brothers aren’t here, so no confrontation with them is possible; the mains have fretted about the truthfulness of the novel quite a bit, but they haven’t been curious about what the ever after is, the only part of its nature that has been a point of focus is ascension; they’ve not stumbled across any evidence of ozma or salem ever having been here before; there’s no sign of any relics being hidden in the ever after; etc. we’re basically down to “discover a compelling reason to summon the brothers” by now. or “finally realize that the brothers are the Real Problem, transferring the ‘we have no plan!!!’ futility from salem to the brothers,” which seems to be where most brother-origin theories land but is imo hilariously inadequate.)

#rwby v9 spoilers #there’s a lot to chew on

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