#I suspect only pows would know

[amerasdreams]

😡 the people who blame Aiden Aslin for going to Ukraine and saying he's a mercenary

He fought in the Ukrainian military, not a paid extra military force.

He actually fought bc he wanted to help. He couldn't stand by and do nothing. How many of you could say the same.

And ppl think he betrayed them or sth -- he was captured. Used forpropaganda. Totally under duress. Threat hanging over him the entire time.

If you're not in that situation you cannot imagine what it's like. To be in a russian prisons and tortured.

His book really shows and helps you understand what it is like to be a prisoner captured by russsians -- so you can feel as much as is possible for an outsider. What Russians do to POWs. The only thing you can do is try to survive.

[bloodstainedsaint]

rumors and gossip (ronald speirs x nurse! reader smut)

summary: (takes place around episodes 2 and 3) ronald speirs has trouble expressing his feelings towards you. when he catches wind that you're spreading rumors about him, he gets upset and doesn't exactly know why. but there's only one way he knows how to solve this issue: through action.

word count: 3100+

warnings: SELF-INDULGENT SMUT, reader has female genitalia, abuse of authority (read: speirs likes getting called by his title), degradation, praise, spitting, unprotected sex ("remember boys...flies spread disease, so keep yours closed!"), spanking, rough p in v sex, facefucking, fingering, orgasm denial, mentions speirs being taller than reader for like one second, SOFT SPEIRS AT THE END BC HE HAS A LIL CRUSH

notes: i see your soft speirs and i love him too, but i raise you mean dom speirs (both can exist at once). also i'm sorry in advance

Ronald Speirs didn't know what to make of you.

You, the pretty nurse he kept staring at whenever he’d catch a glimpse of you around base. You, who he often observed diligently treating the many men that came under your care. You, who sometimes met his gaze from across the post with a bashful smile before turning away.

One could say that within Ron, something was brewing towards you. Something that made his heart skip a beat in a manner he hadn't expected war to allow at all. As of recently, however, you began to elicit different feelings in him.

Ron was well-aware of all the rumors and gossip being spread about him. He wasn't oblivious to the fearful way the men looked at him, or, rather, preferred to not look at him. The more people who viewed him as a mean son of a bitch the better, he thought. So he let them circulate without much care, with only a dead glare that reinforced them.

When he heard that you were helping pass on those rumors, telling anyone in need of a good story about how Ronald Speirs, or as he had heard, “Lieutenant Sparky”, had heartlessly killed German POWs after offering them smokes or how he put down one of his own men for being drunk on duty— he was upset. This mystified him: why was he annoyed (or was troubled a better word for his feelings?) when you gossiped and not when any of his men did? It couldn't be that he secretly yearned for your approval; that seemed foolish, too unlike himself…but then again, you made him feel unlike himself on several occasions before.

Ron was a man of action, and he was going to ensure you induced no more bothersome feelings within him by simply giving you something to gossip about.

-

It was late at night when you found yourself alone in the medical station. Every wounded soldier had been relocated to another facility either on base or out of it entirely for some reason or another, leaving you with a number of empty hospital beds and an entire station to yourself. You had told the other nurses to pack in for the night and that you would tidy up by yourself; you didn't mind having something to do while it was finally tranquil in the hospital.

While you replaced bedsheets, you remembered Ronald Speirs glowering at you earlier that day, rather than his usual intense, unreadable stare. You hoped it wasn't because he found out that you were spreading rumors about him, but you suspected it was; really, you had overheard a Private Malarkey talking about Speirs’ supposed actions to a fellow soldier he was visiting, and several more soldiers had told you similar stories about Speirs as you tended to them. When your other patients asked you if you had heard anything juicy, what else were you supposed to tell them?

Behind you was a click of the door opening and closing and a gush of wind, nearly imperceptible enough to keep you in your musing. Expecting to see another nurse or perhaps a soldier who had somehow gotten himself injured in the middle of the night, you turned around and felt your eyebrows raise when you saw the man in question, half-shrouded in darkness by how the moonlight fell upon him.

Still dressed in his fatigues, he stalked over to you with slow, steady steps. He towered over your form, his eyes almost completely covered in the shadow beneath his helmet. The slightest glint you could see of them was cold, and you could almost feel his leer pierce through you. You had never realized his height from all those times you saw him from afar; you’d noticed his good looks instead, though you never wanted to admit that to yourself. Not about the soldier you were spreading such heinous rumors about.

“Lieutenant Speirs?” Your words came out more unsure than you would've liked. You didn’t even know why you were nervous; it's not like you'd done anything particularly wrong— nothing that dozens of men weren’t also doing as well. “Do you need me for something?”

A suffocating silence pervaded the room. For the moment that he didn't respond, instead fixing you with a stony glare, your heart stopped beating in anticipation. You half-expected him to materialize a gun and shoot you on the spot until he finally broke the silence and said blandly, “I've heard you've been spreading rumors about me.”

When you didn’t answer immediately, he stepped closer to you. Willing yourself not to flinch away, you could now fully see the cruel look in his eyes; it didn't help your uneven breathing or your clenched heart.

“Have you?”

You blanched, mouth going dry. “...Yes, sir.”

He tilted his head, carrying on in that unemotional yet somehow soft tone. “Our good little nurse is the one gossiping, huh? That right?”

You furrowed your eyebrows. Good little nurse? “I, uh—”

“Answer me,” he demanded, his voice hardening. His calloused fingers reached for you, clenching your cheeks so tight together that your jaw could not move to form words. You slurred your words like a drunk trying to give an intelligible answer.

“Pathetic,” he scoffed. Your eyes widened, and, shamefully, you felt heat rush to your core. Speirs noticed your surprise, and you were sure you weren't hallucinating a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

“You wanna tell me what you've been saying about me, nurse?”

You could only mumble in response. “What, too scared to say it in front of Sparky himself? I heard you were running your mouth earlier, though.”

You shook your head and uselessly struggled in his unyielding grasp. Bastard.

Gazing down at you for another tense heartbeat, Speirs let go of your face and took off his helmet, placing it on a nearby metal table and revealing his slightly tousled hair. “Get on your knees. Let’s put that mouth to good use.”

Your blood went cold, yet your body felt hot. You must've looked shocked because he sighed and looked at you expectantly.

“Well? Don't keep an officer waiting.”

You blinked dumbly. He gave a command. Who were you to disobey? You thought as you sunk down to your knees, your skirt acting as a barrier between your skin and the rough floor.

“That's what I like to see.” He began unbuckling and unzipping his pants before pulling out his erect member, standing tall, girthy, and swollen at the tip. Your mouth watered at the sight.

Again, you hesitated, looking up at him in disbelief at what was happening. You never expected to be kneeling in front of Ronald Speirs; maybe in the darkest recesses of your mind you fantasized about the Lieutenant doing whatever he pleased to you, but you never expected it to actually happen.

“Nurse, open your mouth now before I take your face and start fucking it.”

You clenched your thighs at the thought, opening your mouth to take his cock in it. You kissed the tip and licked a stripe from the base to the end before slowly enveloping it with your mouth. Ron shuddered at the feeling and put his hand in your hair, petting it with a whispered curse —perhaps he had thought about this exact scenario as much as you had?

You continued to swallow his cock whole as his hand tightened in your hair. You whimpered at the sensation, sending vibrations to his member. He stuttered your name out in response.

As you sped up your steady pace, you looked up at him from underneath your eyelashes, watching as he lost his composure, his chest heaving. “Shit…that's my girl. You're even prettier with your mouth full of my dick. Can't yak as much, can you, nurse?”

A moan slipped out at the unexpected praise, and you let your legs part as you slipped your hands between them and rubbed yourself through your soaked panties, adrenaline coursing through your veins. When Ron’s eyes focused themselves again, he caught the movement and his eyes darkened, no longer glazed over.

“Who said you could touch yourself, nurse?” he gritted out, as if his cock didn't twitch in your mouth at the sight of you pleasuring yourself. The hand in your hair clenched into a fist, but that didn't discourage you; instead, your hand went faster as he started pulling your mouth off his cock and slamming it back in at a punishing rate. You felt drool trickling down your chin, your throat burning. You greedily breathed in air during the brief respites he granted you before brutally shoving his dick down your throat.

When your eyes stopped rolling to the back of your head, you took in his disheveled state and rubbed yourself faster. His hair messy from running his hand through it, his face and a sliver of his chest gleaming with sweat, his barely suppressed deep groans. He looked heavenly compared to his actions.

Abruptly, you were pulled off his cock and placed on your back on the metal table next to his helmet. He hurriedly unbuttoned your nurse uniform, damn near ripping your clothes off of you and throwing them carelessly next to you, until you were bare before him. The cold table chilled your spine, and you arched your back into his wandering hands. In your lust-filled daze, you managed an indignant thought of how unfair it was that you were the only one naked, that his body was being left up to the imagination.

“You ready for me, girl?” He rubbed your clit in tight circles, better than you could've done yourself and better than you could've ever imagined at night, before gauging your wetness with two long fingers plunged deep into your heat.

“That wet from a little roughness?” he smirked. “Our little nurse isn't so innocent after all. Maybe that's why you spread all those rumors about me. You wanted this.”

“N-no, sir—” You gasped, cut short as his fingers quickly found that spongy place within you. You cried out for air as he relentlessly pressed against it with every movement. “That’s, mmh, not true…”

“Can’t understand you, nurse. Can you repeat that?” He said, voice tinged with smug amusement.

Closing your eyes tight, you could only whimper in pitiful reply as you felt the knot in your stomach tighten. So close to the precipice of sweet release, you could almost feel yourself stepping off—

But before you could, Speirs pulled his fingers away. You eyes shot open to gape at him in irritation until you saw him slowly bring his slick-coated fingers to his lips and suck them off.

“Did you really think I'd let a little gossiping whore like you come so easily?” He fixed you with a remorseless, sadistic look. You panted, desperation festering within you as he forced your mouth open and spat in it. “Now swallow, and I'll fuck you like you deserve it, nurse.”

You swallowed obediently, yearning for his cock inside you. In an uncharacteristic display of softness, he pressed his lips to yours and whispered against them, “Good girl,” before switching back to the Speirs you knew and roughly flipping your body over so you were bent over the metal table, your tits flush with the frigid surface and your ass on full display to the Lieutenant.

Speirs took a moment to run his hands over your body, grabbing and squeezing at the flesh of your breasts, ass, and thighs, spreading your juices around your sensitive pussy as you tried to wiggle away, overstimulated. Holding your hips so you wouldn't move, he grinded his dick against your heat and teased your hole, his precum mixing with yours. Just as you were about to whine for him to stop teasing and fuck you already, he seemed to grown impatient himself because he slid into you in one fluid motion, punching the air out of your lungs and forcing your walls to stretch around him and accommodate his size.

“Fuck, so tight for me,” he grunted out, his voice hoarse as if it had taken away his breath as well. After a moment of heavy breathing and a squeeze of your hips, he began brutally pummeling into you. You unabashedly let out a high-pitched moan at the pace, and you felt his cock throb inside of you as his name left your lips.

“Quiet, nurse. You want the whole base to know?” he said, out of breath, “Guess that'll give you another story to tell about me, yeah?”

You wanted to rebut this, saying that the lewd slapping noises of skin on skin that filled the room were probably spilling out through the thin walls of the station anyway. Instead, you heaved a breathy, “Yes, Lieutenant,” that had him growling and picking up the pace, your body moving with every thrust. He took your hands, which until then were gripping the table for dear life, and held them together at the wrist with one of his.

The hand still gripping your hip was so firm you felt it was going to leave bruises in the morning. The more pressing issue, though, was how you were going to walk the next day.

“All you needed was some good dick in you to shut you up, huh? What a dirty girl,” he groaned as you clenched around him, “And here I thought you were all innocent, nurse. You wanted this, didn't you? Say it.”

Your cheeks burned red out of embarrassment, and you floundered for words. “N-no, Ron, that’s not—”

You were interrupted by the resounding smack of his hand colliding with your ass and the stinging pain that brought tears to your eyes. Your hands twitched in his grasp.

“When you talk to an officer, you say ‘sir’. Understood?”

“Y-yes, sir,” you breathed out, and he tenderly rubbed the aching skin of your ass, calling you a good girl as he resumed pounding into you. Your heart ached at the praise.

In your fucked-out state where all you could focus on were Speirs’ deep grunts and his cock inside of you, you felt yourself getting pulled by your hair until you were mostly standing with your back pressed against his well-built, sturdy stomach. One arm closed in on your neck so that your throat was in the crook of his elbow while the other hand roamed around your body, pinching and kneading as it went, until it settled at groping your breasts.

The new angle allowed him to thrust deeper into you, so deep that you could almost feel him in your throat. Tears that had welled up in your eyes freely fell thanks to the restriction of air. When his hand moved downward from your breasts to your lower stomach, pressing down upon it, the pressure and fullness of his dick inside you intensified. You could tell you were ready to freefall from that peak again as your breath hitched with every thrust, walls clamping down around him. From the increasingly erratic rhythm of his thrusts, you could tell he was there with you.

Then, for the umpteenth time that night, Ronald Speirs surprised you. His mouth became a stream of praise and words of adoration, like you were some kind of angel and this was his altar, while his lips possessively decorated your neck and shoulders with dark marks you were sure you wouldn't be able to hide.

“Fuck, you were made for me, weren't you, sweetheart? You're, hah, so beautiful when you're under me. So perfect. My pretty little nurse.”

His soft words in his husky tone, though they threw you for a loop and definitely required your attention when you were back to thinking straight, sent you into the sweet release of your climax. He swallowed your pleasured scream with his lips on yours, gently bruising your lips with the passion of his kiss. You had no idea Ronald Speirs could be so tender and so dominant at once.

The sporadic clenching of your walls around him led him to his orgasm, and he bit into your neck with a low, long groan as he filled you with his warm release. Your body went limp against his, held up only by his arms around your torso. After the two of you regained your breath, he pulled out, and you quietly whimpered at the sudden emptiness. He carefully laid you down with your back to the metal table, tucked himself into his pants, zipped and buckled them, and looked around, searching for a towel to wipe yourselves off.

“The towels, uh, are over there.” You pointed in the direction of the cloth. “You can run some water over them in that sink, if you want.”

He nodded wordlessly and followed your directions while you laid there, thinking about tonight's events and wondering if maybe you had dreamed it all after a late night of cleaning up.

You were broken out of your reverie by a glass of water being placed next to you and a warm, damp cloth gingerly wiping the insides of your thighs and your privates. Speirs didn't dare to look at your face as he did so. Once he was finished, he looked around again for a place to discard the used towel. You laughed, saying, “I'll take care of it, sir.”

He set the towel down on the table. “Do you,” he started, but then paused, glancing at your still bare form and your flushed face, realizing how intimate this had become, “need help getting dressed?”

“I'll be fine, sir,” you said with a tired smile, “I know my way around some clothes.”

He nodded again, more to himself than in response to you, and picked up his helmet. The moonlight now illuminated all of his face, revealing the red that had risen to his cheeks, whether out of exertion or, if you were interpreting this right, shyness. He now made eye contact, his gaze decidedly gentler than when he walked in. “Goodnight, Nurse (Y/N).”

“Goodnight, Lieutenant.”

His eyes lingered for a second, his expression the same as the ones he would hit you with from across the base, before he turned, lit a cigarette, and left into the night.

Watching his retreating form and the smoke cloud dissipate behind him, you shook your head and pondered his strange deviation from the Speirs you knew, or who you thought you knew. As you got dressed and prepared to clean up the mess the two of you made, you came to the conclusion that maybe Ronald Speirs is more than the ruthless man the myths had made him out to be.

Maybe Lieutenant Sparky had a heart after all.

-

taglist: @ronsparky, @krispybearbouquet, @mads-weasley

[silverislander]

day 9: rivalry

vi steps back, trying not to pant too hard and wiping her forehead with her forearm. the scoreboard lights up with her name, and she turns to grin at caitlyn.

"how's that for excellent?" she wiggles her eyebrows.

caitlyn is still staring, blush a little too strong for someone who had just been standing there watching vi box for the last couple minutes. vi is finding out today just how much she likes that look on her.

"yes, i- um. excellent is a good word for it."

vi laughs, which makes caitlyn laugh, too, and they're both standing a little too close together, both a little breathless. forget the scoreboard, this is all the reward vi needs.

just being here feels like the real victory. it had taken weeks for caitlyn to earn the whole gang's trust enough to be invited to the arcade, plus nearly a month to convince grayson to let her leave the bar at all while she talked with vander. vi's been planning almost that entire time, making sure the arcade is actually kind of clean (mylo had made fun of her all the way), bribing powder to fix the machines, practicing on the bag to make sure she didn't make a fool of herself when she finally got to show off to caitlyn; it's gonna be perfect.

even better: she's finally engineered her and her girlfriend of one week some time away from their guardians, and they hadn't suspected a thing. the fact that this could be called their first real date makes vi simultaneously terrified, proud and excited, although she'd never admit it. the fact that she thinks she's finally going to get to kiss caitlyn tonight, prissy topside parents and overprotective bartenders aside, feels just the same.

and then powder asked to tag along and threw a wrench right in her perfect plans.

vi's not really sure why she asked to come. powder had made no secret of her disdain for caitlyn, and vi thought she'd made it pretty clear what kind of outing this was going to be. whatever the reason, powder had piped up to add that she wanted to come to the arcade too. mylo had been all too happy to push off his "babysitting" responsibilities, vander had been a bit too pleased that vi wasn't heading off alone, and that was that: it wasn't going to be caitlyn and vi, it was caitlyn and vi and powder.

whatever. vi loves her sister- she wouldn't have been able to say no to her anyways.

"you guys aren't going to kiss, are you?"

vi grits her teeth and reminds herself of just how much she loves her sister.

"did you win, pow?"

the original plan had involved getting caitlyn to shoot for her first, coming up with some kind of witty compliment, then going for the boxing machine because she knows she looks cool when she fights. after that, presumably, the universe would conspire to make things work out, vi would ask to kiss her goodnight before chivalrously walking her back, caitlyn would say of course, vi in that pretty voice of hers and boom, fireworks, dramatic music, they kiss and everything is great. because it's vi's life and something has to go wrong, though, the second she'd very suavely mentioned that caitlyn would be so good at the shooting game, powder had begun an aggressive campaign to hog it for the foreseeable future.

"i didn't." she's lying- vi saw the board light up, first place, same as always. "can i try again? i think i'll get it next time, so-"

"maybe we can let caitlyn try for a round?" vi tries her best to not sound like she's pleading.

"but-"

"please?"

"it's okay, vi." caitlyn smiles, and- whoa, okay, she's holding vi's hand. is her hand sweaty? her hand is definitely so sweaty. she kind of wants to die. "if powder doesn't want me taking anyone's place on the board, i completely understand."

vi's brain still isn't fully back. "but- powder's the only one on the board?"

caitlyn just shrugs and begins to gently tug her away, still smiling. powder, though, looks shocked, and then makes a face that always worries vi: she looks determined.

"you can use it."

"thank you," vi mutters in relief.

"only if you and i go head to head, though."

there's the catch.

"sorry?" caitlyn turns back to face her again, the smile gone from her face.

"i want to play against you. you're really good, right?" powder grabs one of the pistols and almost slaps it into caitlyn's free hand. "i'd love some real competition."

"powder-"

"you're on."

vi looks to caitlyn. her mouth is set the same way it is when she argues with grayson to let her stay in the bar for another hour, her head high.

whatever. the night's already gone down the tubes, and she'll still get to see caitlyn shoot. might as well let powder have some fun, too.

powder, who is not really giving off i am having fun vibes, grins with maybe a little too much teeth, starts the machine and raises her gun. next to her, caitlyn takes aim, her hands steady and eyes sharp.

it's practically a neon blur to vi. she's not sure she's ever seen the targets move this fast, let alone this many shots being fired off at once. she tries her best to keep an eye on the score, and it's close all the way up through.

she'd be lying if she said her attention wasn't too focused on her girl, though. caitlyn is in her element, calm as anything, aiming and firing and reloading like it's as easy as breathing, like there's nobody else in the room. a strand of her hair has come untucked from her ponytail, and vi wants to brush it back for her.

the bell rings, though, and the moment is over. vi checks the point total- twenty-five in the difference, someone had missed a single target- at the exact same time the bell rings.

CAIT lights up the first-place spot.

now it's vi's turn to make the same face caitlyn had earlier: jaw dropped, flushed, openly staring. "cupcake, that was..."

caitlyn blows off the muzzle of the gun and sets it down on the counter. she turns to vi, fucking winks- vi thinks yeah, she's definitely going to die tonight- and then turns to powder, holding out her hand.

"good game," she says.

powder glares, and it takes a second too long, but she does shake caitlyn's hand, and only a little too hard, too. vi is proud.

and then she says, "good game, cupcake," with the biggest, smuggest shit-eating smile. vi lunges for her with the fullest intent of dragging her out of the room and putting her in time-out, but she's too fast, and she races away into some corner or side room on her own, cackling the whole way.

vi just closes her eyes and sighs. "i am so sorry-"

caitlyn's lips are on hers before she can even finish.

fuck it, maybe tonight is perfect after all.

[crazycurly-77]

Memory Loss - Chapter 3

To help Gibbs as best as possible the whole team took their turns to visit him and speak with him. 

Your turn was directly after Duckys and as you entered the sick room and seeing Gibbs lying there you nearly broke down as every time you saw him like that. Ducky stopped telling a story, looked up at you and saw your tears. Cautiously you neared the bed and thankfully Ducky hugged and comforted you while you tried to compose yourself. 

“I know, my dear. We all take it hard. But he will get well soon, I'm absolutely convinced of that. And he will boss you around once more before you know it” he said. 

“Ducky…thank God for this man. He is simply wonderful” you thought. 

“I have just finished my story about my encounter with cannibals in the jungle and now have to go and cook for my mother. Will you be okay sitting with him for a while?” he inquired. 

“Yes, surely. I hope I can tell him something interesting” you smiled. 

“Sure you can, my dear. I think there's nothing you could tell him that doesn't interest him” he chuckled and winked. 

“Will you call me when he wakes up?” 

“Yeah, will do.”

“Good, then have a nice day. We will see each other tomorrow. If you need someone to talk to, just phone me.”

“Will do. The same for you, Ducky.”

Then he was gone and you were left alone with your still unconscious boss. 

You walked to his bed and just looked at him. He looked so peaceful as if he was only sleeping. But after a few seconds you gulped and had to look away as your guilt consumed you once more. 

So you sat down, softly grabbed his hand and began to narrate to him everything that came to your mind. 

“Hey boss, here I am again. And I absolutely plan to tell you so much until you wake up to make me stop” you laughed lowly. But he didn't react, of course not, he was still in coma. 

You sighed and tried your best to stay calm, to stay strong. For him. Because he needed the support of you all in the fight for his life. 

“You know, we caught the suspect and arrested him. Tony beated him up quite badly so he nearly had to be hospitalized, but the man really earned this. Now we have to do a lot of paperwork….

…but hey, that's your goal, isn't it? Avoiding an awful lot of paperwork and making us do it all for you. Now I see…!!!”

You laughed to yourself and nearly wished that he would shout at you for telling such idiotic things. But still nothing happened. 

So you continued. 

“Can you imagine, we are all missing you badly. Nobody stays directly behind us unexpectedly, no head-slaps and no one commands us to do anything. Abby is running short on caf-pow and Tony…is simply himself. At the moment he is the team leader and boy is he enjoying it. He ordered us to call him sir! I think he urgently needs a good head-slap to stay on the ground and you are the only one who can keep him in check. So you see, we depend on you and need you very much.”

You babbled all that came to your mind and hoped that it helped him in some way. 

Time flew by and soon Tim arrived to take over the shift. 

“Hey Y/N, any changes?” 

“No, but I nearly talked his ears off.”

You both laughed dearly and then you left the hospital to go home and sleep a little. 

The next day you sat at Gibbs’ side and held his hand again and told him everything and nothing, but mainly you told him what's in your heart. At least what concerned his injuries.

“Hi Gibbs, here I am again. Who would have thought?” you laughed. 

“Was a joke, don't think about it. In the office everything is as always, but you are greatly missed by everyone. Abby is beside herself and me…I don't know what to do. I can't eat, I can't sleep. It pains me to see you so sick and I'm feeling very guilty that you are sick because of me. When I think about it I wanna cry my eyes out of my head. 

I can't thank you enough that you protected me, but what should I do without you? Please wake up.”

Tears were stinging in your eyes again. You were hopeless and wished nothing more than for him to wake up and be himself again. But there was still no reaction from him. So you left to go home and cried yourself to sleep once more.

(To be continued...)

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Here you will find the other chapters of this story and the other stories I've written to date.

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Tags: @ilovemark1951, @hobby27

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[perfectfangirl]

notes after rewatching fallout s1 ep5

• whyyy did the scene start out like a horror movie again 😫 • maximus [disguised as lord titus] with thaddeus, having a good time regaling each other, even listening to music, and hanging out ☹️ • this is probably the closest these two have to friendship of any kind [dane is the only other friend maximus has and i don't think thaddeus has anyone like that tbh] • the way they're talking, it sounds like they're been drinking because why thaddeus ask maximus to suddenly brand him, like drunkenly getting matching tattoos with a friend gdkgdkg • not sure how official the branding ceremony was but the difference between maximus silently receiving his brand opposed to thaddeus loudly screaming during his is too comical • lord titus would've never been this nice to thaddeus and i don't really know why maximus thought thaddeus would accept the deception after being told the truth. dane was right about the brotherhood of steel. there's no leaving. there's no getting out • but i did have hope he would • "we can still be friends" ☹️

• thaddeus is shocked it's maximus and logically for the world and organization asks where's lord titus • thaddeus clearly starts to suspect that maximus did something to lord titus--- if maximus hadn't have lied in the first place about what happened to lord titus, maybe thaddeus would have believed him, but then again, this would mean maximus never being in the power suit. i think lord titus' threats on maximus' life over maximus' inefficacy at squiring for lord titus motivated maximus for all this • "it's the brotherhood, they'll find out" everybody shifted in this scene. thaddeus is implying even if maximus tells the truth, the brotherhood of steel will still likely kill him anyways because of the failure of his squiring with lord titus, i get thaddeus not taking any of this at face value because that's his head too

maximus deciding to basically kill thaddeus now that he's not on board [oof]

"i should have known better than to trust you", i don't know if this conversation could have gone all that differently considering but thaddeus betting against a twelve piece cast iron skillet set is crazy

yeah maximus wanted to kill thaddeus but i don't think he meant to crush his foot [he really does drive that thing like a shopping cart]

maximus begging thaddeus not to leave him in the power suit after deactivating and him saying he'll kill him in the same breath. thaddeus telling maximus he should have in response. whew!

"the stinky old head's mine now" pleaseee 😭

maximus claustrophobically sweating to death in that power armour and then them big ass radroaches come? i would've been full blown screaming

lucy is a good shot after all actually and her stomping a radroach into the concrete was marvelous

it's lucy's sweaty knight in shining armour 🥲

maximus asks to be let out and lucy's like "believe me, i really want to trust you but… i've had a rough week." cooper done shook her whole world up 😭

i don't want to say it was for her own good because i don't believe that but it did teach her a lesson, that she really shouldn't trust people and to be wary of anyone in the wasteland

lucy is in the middle of talking and throws right up. maximus informs her she has radiation sickness. he then goes on to tell her he has radaway but it's in the power suit, and tells her she can have it if she lets him out

"i really want to believe you but… practically every person i've met here has tried to kill me so…" 😭 she had learned a hard lesson at what cost

old lucy would've let him out, no questions asked but it's good she's questioning it because who is he and why did someone disarm him? did they have a good reason to, you know?

maximus lets lucy know not getting the medicine means she'll pass out and her passing out means certain death for them both

maximus lies again and tells lucy he is lord titus and she truthfully tells her name • maximus is about to explain how to let him out the power armour and lucy already knowing, can't believe she right away starts asking what model the power suit is [t60], going into a war history lesson about its usage, talks about seeing them in engineering manuals, and even starts rattling off the precise specifications on the inside before passing clean out in maximus' arms--- • [that's a little romantic but another thing] • cooper and lucy have overlapping knowledge and on this basis would be so interesting for cooper to see this girl is damn near a military history and engineering nerd. imagine they have a scene where she tells him something even he doesn't know about this stuff he was there for • tbh them cleaning up vault 32 made it way easier for norm to enter vault 31 • "we know what's in there" and it's in relation to vault 31's experiment and that knowledge ultimately destroying everyone in vault 32 • chet to norm is like yeah let's get the fuck out of here • chet's real name being chester [this is cute] • i don't know if i mentioned this before but the height differences ™ between chet and norm are molte bene • betty obviously onto them like i knew and them lying about planting potatoes lgdlgdlfg [anyone's guess if she believes them] • maximus actually giving lucy the radaway 🥲 • maximus revealing he didn't even know people lived in the vaults, lucy asking "what did you think was in them?" and maximus simply saying "monsters." is so wild given the vault experiment lore and the fact that in the next episode, they go on to be inside a vault full of people used as experiments who could be deemed "monsters" • "just regular folk like me" vault 32's experiment has gone well • maximus saved lucy and was just going to walk away asking nothing further of her 🥲

• tracker coming in handy and lucy's bargaining the head in exchange for the brotherhood of steel's help probably would've had some ground [at least maybe in the video games] but maximus is wrapped up in so many lies, there's no way he would've made good on this deal • which is funny! because a legion of them descend on moldaver's place in the observatory anyways • "you could have been lying about the medicine, and you weren't. and you could have killed me when i collapsed back there and you didn't. i get that trust doesn't come easily up here. but you can trust me." oh lucy really does coax goodness out of others just by being herself • lucy tells about how easy life in her vault is and that the worst experiences are people forgetting to say thank you. maximus thinks it's "a nice way to live". he already is imagining what it would be like to get away from the brotherhood of steel • lucy and maximus shake on it, there's a rainbow of light in between them, a search of google details that rainbows are a [universal] symbol of love, hope, peace, acceptance. a little something again for you romantic types

• "democracy in action" and the election results are more than likely being rigged in favour of vault 31 transplants • lucy asking maximus what's happened in the last two hundred years and maximus asking what she means? it's like they're not even from the same planet • but you know who could tell her what happened directly after the bombs fell? cooper • this scene is actually so crazy because maximus says "the bombs fell when i was a kid" and lucy, confused and in a sarcastic way responds "is that what they tell you in your brotherhood?" and at this time, i didn't fully understand what had happened at shady sands and was only operating on the knowledge of the initial bomb drop two hundred years ago, they're talking about two separate events and don't realize it

• one thing i did see was a post here that said it was possible lucy and maximus could've been at shady sands at the same time 🥲 • the way she was kinda making a dig at him for being in a cult when they both are 😭 • maximus digs right back but then responds with something very telling "you thought you would show up to some warlord with no armour, no help, and expect him to just turn over a hostage to you? did you really think that that would work?" is he calling the brotherhood of steel warlords? oof • lucy breaking from vaulty delusion to admit vault dwellers are naive [true] and gives an example of thinking the big light™ in the vault was the sun [you were just a baby 😭] • "i really thought that the big light on our farm was the sun" and it was. because lucy was in shady sands. 😢 • "i realized it was just her that made it all feel so real" and this is how lucy is effecting the people around her including but not limited to cooper and maximus • then lucy asks are people up there flat earthers lmao

• norm messing around in the intervault archive seeing that every single overseer for vault 32 has been from vault 31 [this is suspicious and as we learn, a conspiracy going back hundreds of years as vault 31, 32, 33 experiments] • "so you guys use prewar technology to find and collect prewar technology to make sure no one has prewar technology" yeah that's uh totally the good guys 💀 • for a split second lucy had maximus questioning the ideology gfldgl • "you armed?" "no." "yes we are." "are you armed?" "no." everybody and they momma lyin' 😭 • "they said they're not armed." "they're lying." "you're lying!"--- riveting! television! 😭 • "are you trying to fuck us?" and come to find out they're fucking cannibals • lucy feels like the only sane person here and it's so fucking funny she pulls out the pacifist dialogue because she interjects with "ok, uh, i think we're all feeling some tension, yeah? a little stress? uh so why don't we all take a deep breath?" "what the fuck are you talking about?" y'all there's tears in my eyes again 😭 • lucy implementing a deescalation attempt by raising their hands as they go across the bridge. why them people comply 😭 • "you already said you don't have any weapons." "and neither do we!" a lying match if i ever saw one • the song that plays in this scene ["ladyfingers" by herb alpert & the tijuana brass] because it has an old west/country western feel to it, it's an instrumental so i can't glean much for meaning but it's nice • the first time i watched this scene, i was taken aback by how large the girl's eyes on the opposite couple were, the two felt like foils to lucy and maximus • anyways, the horrible looking people got a taste of the blicky • lucy, in shock asks "why?" maximus shows that they are fiends, they eat people • maximus "tis but a scratch"'s the tooth in his arm • "i hate it up here" lucy is so fucking tired of wasteland bullshit 😭

• seems like a situation conveniently happens to push people to vote for people from vault 31 in overseer elections hmmm... • chet kinda wants to stay in line but i think he's almost scared to find out what lies beneath • mashed potatoes being better is what hank and steph say about vault 31, then we pick up with mashed potatoes served to the prisoners. interesting • lucy being truly confronted with the reality of her life and the wasteland--- the new california republic and shady sands. population 34,000+. she asks if it's real and it was. "what about reclamation day?" don't think maximus even knows what that is. lucy realises her, her vault, its residents and vault tec's entire vault system was rendered redundant. truth is, the wasteland never needed vaults particularly and civilization continued on without the need of vault dwellers and their reclamation ideology

• maximus goes on with "well, if it makes you feel any better, it didn't work out" and maximus was there that day. he had a good life. and then hank and others like him took that away from them. • it must've been really hard for maximus to show lucy the bomb crater and where his life changed forever, that's personal and vulnerable • lucy inquires about what happened with maximus going "it's the same thing that always happens. everyone wants to save the world, they just disagree on how." and that's fallout • up until now it wasn't obvious to lucy but maximus reveals he was a survivor of shady sands • saw a post here do a little colour analysis on cooper and barb and bring up how barb is in red tones [rather earthy and skintone like, peaches and pinks] and cooper's is blue and yellow like vault tec's [cannot find if this is merely coincidence for the lore] but anyways, the lavender taffy in the third episode is a shade of purple? you know who else when combined are a shade of purple? lucy in her vault suit and maximus in his power armour onesie. i will go further to say how intriguing it is both these characters in red have valid motivations but find themselves in positions of the wrong at some points

• the rotten tooth inside maximus' arm is making him bleed too much so lucy searches to find something to help him • hysterical lucy goes into this abandoned looking building with like no fear like sorry y'all she is for the capital wasteland streets 😭 • maximus did not want to do all that but went guns a blazin' gldlgldl • this place being related to vault tec so of course sick experiments • did not realize the door handle was a sticker inside the trick floor chute room lucy and maximus fell down into • "i spoke with the overseer of vault 31" and it's a brain in a jar! a talking brain in a jar! • who covered up i mean cleaned up vault 32, though? • the song choice ["what a diff'rence a day makes" by dinah washington] for this scene though

• they covered up everything, surely betty knows norm and chet was in there • "separated to prevent the spread of threats" ironic • the vault 32 computer conveniently smashed for optimal evidence erasure • betty lying? about burying [lucy] and norm's mother rose and lying about burying rose's pip boy with her leads me to the idea surely betty partook in shady sands, surely • thank goodness the denizens of vault 4 were good people 🥲 • lucy happy to be back in a vault and i totally get her lol

[auspicioustidings]

Well since I have a few more hours of GMT posting where only my handful of fellow UK/Euro/Scandinavians will have to be annoyed by my nonsense, what a great time to talk about my silly little OCs!

So I have two sets because I have two stories in mind and since I like a large cast of characters who all love a fmc I cannot possibly get through them all in one post, so let me start with my fmcs and their general plot outline.

Emily Hart - a nurse in a fantasy-ish country. In this world, people either have arc-marks and thus a certain kind of magic, or they do not and thus have no magic (technically down the line they have magic to do with the spirit world but not relevant here). Those without marks are called blue wrens, named after a flightless type of bird. The country Emily lives in they don't really use their arc-marks. Most people don't ever activate them to find out what type of magic they have, and magic in general is used to drive innovation and create machines (her country is very much steampunk vibes). As such, she doesn't fully understand the animosity those in other places have for blue wrens.

War breaks out on the continent when one country's leader goes full genocidal maniac due to the fact that genetically, a child who has a blue wren parent is more likely to be a blue wren themselves. The story follows Emily as she first works in a hospital in her own country meeting people who have been injured in the war, then moves to a field hospital in an allied country. She winds up accompanying a team as a medic, getting captured, having her captors let her go, coming across a blue wren resistance near a country border, ending up in a POW camp herself and eventually being rescued during a liberation. It's very much a traumas of war story along with a story about her struggling to come to terms with the violence she has to enact and also building complicated relationships with both allies and enemies.

Birdie - my precious cinnamon roll. Little fat omega who was trafficked by the horrid woman running the children's home she was in when she perfumed at 12 and sold to something called the Alpha Excellence Lab (leaving behind 2 childhood friends that she was sure would be her pack and surprise they eventually are in it). This place creates something called Regent Alphas which are more dominant and can bark other alphas. They use Birdie as part of their process without the alphas ever knowing she is a prisoner. She tries to escape when she's younger but is betrayed and so badly punished that she doesn't try it again.

Skip a decade later and a new set of 4 alphas come in for training. Most of them are mean to her as they assume she works at the lab and is being paid to purr for them when they are hurt or to seem incredibly distressed when they are put in an arena to hunt her down as a training exercise. The trainer and the doctor also do not know Birdie is a prisoner, they think she works there as well. They all start to suspect something is very wrong when Birdie goes into heat. This is a generic omegaverse story with a bundle of angst, lots of having to grovel once the truth comes to light and an eventual big blended pack made up of gangsters, cops, a military veteran, a doctor and a pop star (6 males alphas, a male beta and a female beta). Birdie never becomes a badass, she stays a soft, kind, cry baby throughout and her pack adores her for it and never makes her feel bad about who she is.

[beardedmrbean]

Hey I been thinking like how the Native Americans had slaves (okay not all), how black peoples are shocked to have slave owner ancestry, or how in Canada, they were surprised that a tribe who got their land back decided to make condos on it

Wait did they check the economic backgrounds? I sure hope the leftists don’t think that the natives never had any form of economy/ holy shit

Dear god ac3 and prey 2020 represented native Americans better leftists mindset?

But do leftists think that history is like a Disney cartoon?

Like we must abolish the electoral college because it was created during the time of slavery

Because leftists never show how out of they are

You probably seen it, but people say we should treat shit like DoorDash like vaccines….

Would like a slice of Antonine cake?(yes I know that propaganda) no wait the nobles would treat me better that these Americans aristocrats

Also this https://x.com/fuckkoroks/status/1773690311341986038?s=46

So as you know Shogun take place in the Tokugawa era. And funny enough, I suspect the reason why Yasuke will help unify Japan so the Japanese won’t be at the mercy of the growing European colonial empires in ac red

I’m just wondering how many college educated people have the mentality that they learned the bad stuff white people did in middle school?

But dear white people I don’t hate you…probably because of my dysfunctional white stepfamily and the trainwreck of my stepmom

But this tweet https://x.com/thestrxggler/status/1773497095774974416?s=46

Okay I grew up in the 00’s and 10’s and fortunate to have a black family that value academics

But when you say liking sci-fi, fantasy, speaking proper English, like animation, or preferring to have good grades is talking/acting “white”

You doomed yourselves trying to put me into tribalism bullshit.

Hey I been thinking like how the Native Americans had slaves (okay not all), how black peoples are shocked to have slave owner ancestry, or how in Canada, they were surprised that a tribe who got their land back decided to make condos on it

One of if not the first person to gain lifetime bondage of another human being in the land that would become the United States was a black man.

Not many cultures in the world that did not practice some form of slavery. You win a war you have your choice of, POW's which need to be fed and housed so now they need to earn their keep, crippling the opposing army like they did with the Bulgarian army when they blinded 99 out of every 100 men and the 1 only got to keep one eye, hostages which whatever counts as nobles or their family members, there's the mass slaughter method which was Vlad Tepes fav he was a hostage so he got 2 of those.

Because you ain't just going to let your defeated foes walk home, unless it's the US civil war, and they even got to keep their guns because 2A is for everyone USA USA USA.

But do leftists think that history is like a Disney cartoon?

Lord no, you should see what they say about Pocahontas, lol.

Like we must abolish the electoral college because it was created during the time of slavery

3/5 compromise, ya south wanted to inflate it's population with people it didn't consider human so, to put it crassly and bluntly, they fought for the right for their farm equipment to be counted as people, but just for the numbers to increase their representation.

Illegals being counted on the census accomplish the same end.

This'll go right up there next to Russia wasn't an empire because it shared land borders with the territories it conquered.

Maybe Jacobin would also like to discuss the Ainu and see how that works out in terms of colonization. Granted both groups have been there for so long there's not really much to say about colonization likely more just human migration to the same place.

So as you know Shogun take place in the Tokugawa era. And funny enough, I suspect the reason why Yasuke will help unify Japan so the Japanese won’t be at the mercy of the growing European colonial empires in ac red

Haven't seen the new one, love the one from the 80's one of the best ways to start to learn Japanese imho, since a fair chunk of the dialogue is in Japanese. 10 of 10 highly recommend watching the whole 8+ hours of it, fairly historically accurate even down to the pederasty being a thing.

I’m just wondering how many college educated people have the mentality that they learned the bad stuff white people did in middle school? But dear white people I don’t hate you…probably because of my dysfunctional white stepfamily and the trainwreck of my stepmom

Likely a fair number, as for the dear white people you have self awareness and can differentiate between a individual and a group

Oh that's gonna hurt some feelings, lol.

Be interesting to get the response to, stop acting white, to be a accusation of racism, especially when it's things like doing well in school and speaking in standard english.

Okay I grew up in the 00’s and 10’s and fortunate to have a black family that value academics But when you say liking sci-fi, fantasy, speaking proper English, like animation, or preferring to have good grades is talking/acting “white” You doomed yourselves trying to put me into tribalism bullshit.

See comment above this section for my response,

and good timing finished just as I need to leave for Good Friday service.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Stephen Knight

Published: Feb 20, 2024

There was a time when you could count on the left to defend science with the sort of zeal that would make a religious fundamentalist blush. Scientific knowledge was once gleefully wielded to expose and mock the magical thinking of creationists, anti-vaxxers, Flat Earthers, astrologers and homoeopaths. However, this staunch commitment to scientific empiricism has recently begun to waver. It is now increasingly coming into conflict with the new tenets of the ‘diversity, equity and inclusion’ (DEI) agenda.

You can see this clearly in the Biden administration’s proposed new guidelines for the US Department of Health and Human Services (HSS). As the Washington Free Beacon reports, staff working in public-health agencies like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDA), which are overseen by the HSS, could soon be instructed to consider ‘multiple forms of evidence, such as indigenous knowledge’ when going about their duties.

Put simply, advocates of ‘indigenous knowledge’ argue that various cultures throughout history have their own ways of understanding the world. And these alternative, indigenous ‘ways of knowing’, they say, should be utilised alongside more established scientific methods in research and in policymaking.

Yes, some DEI advocates really do think that public-health bodies should seek the input of tribal elders and spiritual leaders – alongside, say, qualified physicians and epidemiologists. What’s more, they believe that racism is the only reason it has taken so long for indigenous knowledge to be utilised in this way. They argue that science is a ‘Western, colonialist structure’ that has only come to dominate our thinking thanks to white supremacy. This nefarious falsehood began in academia, with calls from activists to ‘decolonise’ science. Now it has reached the highest levels of the US government.

The Biden administration is not even the first Western government to sacrifice science to the DEI agenda. Last year, the government of New Zealand decided that science classes in schools should teach that Maori ‘ways of knowing’ have equal standing to ‘Western science’. Scientists who objected to this found themselves under investigation by the Royal Society of New Zealand. Three of them, including one of Maori descent, resigned from the society in protest.

The claim that science is ‘Western’ is absurd, of course. One of the many wonderful things about science is that it does not discriminate. Science is a universal, cross-cultural concept. It invites anyone and everyone to participate and contribute to our growing understanding of reality. Science does not care about what you look like or where you come from. All science cares about is whether your methods and conclusions are sound enough to survive scrutiny. This clearly cannot be said for indigenous knowledge.

This is why there aren’t any ‘indigenous’ ways of flying an airplane that supersede our scientific understanding of aerodynamics. Or why the NHS doesn’t offer exorcisms as part of its mental-health services. A blood test administered in a clinical setting will yield the same results whether it’s carried out in London or Nairobi – because science actually works anywhere you do it. It’s about the ‘how’, not the ‘who’.

If every single piece of scientific knowledge were erased tomorrow and we had to start all over again, we would eventually come to the same conclusions as we have today. This is not true of indigenous knowledge, because, unlike science, it is not underpinned by logic and reason.

We all know that treating indigenous knowledge as akin to scientific evidence is a bit silly. But I suspect that is probably the point. Like with trans-rights ideologues, today’s self-professed ‘anti-racists’ like to frame statements of the obvious as akin to acts of bigotry. It gives them enormous power over the rest of us. We are all essentially being dared to say that relying on indigenous knowledge is a terrible idea. Of course, if you do say this in the wrong circles, you will be accused of racism and you will be silenced.

With modern-day anti-racism, the goal is not to address actual inequalities or to improve the material wellbeing of oppressed minorities. The real aim is to tear down anything that is perceived to be ‘white’ or ‘Western’. And the fact that science is now being placed in the firing line, thanks to racial identity politics, should worry us all.

The suggestion that the gold standard of science is a uniquely white or Western standard is as ludicrous as it is racist. It perpetuates the deeply prejudiced idea that non-Western or non-white groups cannot grasp the basics of science, and therefore it would be unfair to expect them to. This is tantamount to claiming there is an innate quality possessed by white Westerners that makes them uniquely suited to the study and advancement of science. This notion would not seem out of place at a KKK rally, yet it is a depressingly common view among so-called anti-racists. This is the bigotry of low expectations.

The push by the White House to incorporate indigenous knowledge into public-health policy is unbelievably reckless. It arrives in a post-pandemic context when public trust in our scientific institutions is already at an all-time low. Surely, that trust will now only fall further. After all, how can we possibly trust that those tasked with looking after our health are doing so effectively, when their objectivity has been so clearly compromised?

Science often gets things wrong, of course. But unlike indigenous ways of knowing, science rewards you for catching errors. It incentivises the pursuit of truth over accepting received wisdom. There are no religious commandments or cultural dogmas dictating the scope of scientific investigation. Science simply finds out ‘what is’ – and to hell with any sacred cows that are slaughtered along the way.

Standards of objectivity are essential when it comes to science and public health. We should make no apologies for defending them from the encroachment of pseudoscience, whatever form it comes in.

Stephen Knight is host of the Godless Spellchecker podcast and the Knight Tube. Follow him on Twitter: @GSpellchecker

[the-empress-7]

Harold moaned and complained about being the (EX) spare to a future King and yet now he's perfectly okay being a side chick to a Z list ex escort

Harold has always been jealous of his brother, then his mother made lot of damage to him by calling him ‘good king Harry’ (he event wrote on Spare that many times his mother (don’t remember if his dreams or where) told him he would be a better king). He has grown up in a delusion that he is better than W in everything, so on his mind has always existed the: why I need to play second to him if I’m better!? For him has always been about popularity, charisma and how many headlines the press writes about him to ‘suspect’ he needed better things than W, just read his book, his interviews, etc., and you will notice how much he believes that, I mean, they are also Duke & Duchess of ‘we were the most googled people’ that’s why everybody is jealous and that means we are the most important royals.

MM only fueled the delusions and he doesn’t care to play second to her, because on his mind and according to the MM’s kool-aid, they are ‘equals’, they even share the same desk (stupid but Harold himself was proud of that in an interview ), he isn’t ’second’ but he is a ‘gentleman’ everytime he gives preference to her to go first or being the only one to speak in a conference or else. MM also knows he is the ‘popular’ one, so, when they have done covers together (TIME), I bet she tells him that they are equals and will appear together (the sad truth is that if it wasn’t for him, she wouldn’t have been on that cover alone, but she played equals).

Pd. Harry believes he is his mother, the sad reality is that he is very much like Charles and their popularity/delusions of why they deserved better than Diana or William. Charles for being PoW, the real Royal and Harold for being the most ‘popular and more charismatic’ boy not like dull W.

That's well said about how he sees himself as her equal.

I have a dumb question. Is there any proof that Diana called him good king Harry? Like a direct quote or something on tape? Or is this term just another myth born out of Harry's drug fueled delusions?

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Oh it's OK I will send it right away here so u don't have to search lol.

Good morning/evening hun! Now I know fnf hypno's lullaby requests are going heavily on you and I'm sorry but bare with me a little- creepypasta! Reader play with triple please! I would love if they were female but i don't mind gn lol. The reader look normal and friendly, you can make them get creepy when they start playing, if you want! You can make them play by any sides of the three or all of them go 3vs1 but make the reader win pls lmao, it's your choice, take your time and if you don't want to do it for whatever reasons feel free <3

your writing is beautiful and always make someone's day.

Take care of yourself and thank you for your time and sharing your talents with us

Awh thank you!! Reader will be gender neutral for this one

........

“Pasta Night”, as the local Creepypasta bar liked to call it, was always something you looked forward to!

Not only did you get to play games with your fellow freaks of nature (even though many were very much unnatual), but you could be yourself.

Blending in with humanity was often a challenge, and at first glance most people wouldn’t even suspect that you were hiding in plain sight. You looked like a plain old human being.

It sure fooled many folks who thought you walked into the wrong place at the wrong time.

Tonight was a perfect example, as when you arrived at the cards table, you saw three unfamiliar faces already having a go at UNO, of all things:

A scary hulking figure who resembled Mario with a large cigar in his mouth and a glowing blue block labeled “POW” beside him, a demonic hedgehog wearing a visor and sporting faded fur trying to peek at his friend's cards, and finally a Hypno who looks like it swapped bodies with a Machoke...holding a deck of Pokémon cards with psychic energy.

‘Just when I think I’ve seen them all..’ You smiled and headed over to the table with your drink.

“Seriously, I lose again?!! You two are insufferable..at least I play by the rules!!” The hedgehog hissed, annoyed as he shoved a pile of gold rings towards MK. "I'm not gonna have any rings left for spare after tonight..."

Then he noticed you sitting across from them, and his whole attitude changed, a wide yet closed smile growing on his face. “Why hello-”

“Beat it, human. We’ve already reserved this table.” The Mario lookalike snarled, briefly taking his cigar out to spit into a nearby metal bin. “Tell ‘em to scram, X.”

“That’s Lord X to you, MK...and you don’t have to be rude.”

“And you don’t have to lie either! I know damn well you’re peeking at our cards when you think we ain’t lookin’. “Play by the rules”, my ass...you deserve to lose every ring ya bet.”

“Just shut it! At least I’m not punching that stupid cube every five seconds and screwing up everyone's concentration!!”

“Don’t mind them,” Hypno spoke up as he set down his cards gently. It surprised you for a moment, considering most Pokémon couldn’t talk--or at least most normal ones couldn’t. “They act like children at times.” He shook his head with a sigh.

“Haven’t we all at some point?” You chuckled. “Forgive me for eavesdropping gentlemen, but..if Lord X needs any help winning back his earnings, then maybe I can assist. I'm pretty good at bets."

After hearing your offer, the hedgehog stopped arguing with MK and looked to you, surprised. “Ah, so you wanna go a round? That’s fine by me. Some help would be nice. But the question is...what’ll you wager should you lose? Cash? Valuables? Or maybe even--”

You blinked once and saw him dash out of his seat, sitting right next to you with a sinister grin. “Your SOUL?” As he spoke, skeleton hands emerged from the depths of his throat, a demonic laugh creeping its way out as well.

Yet you remained unshaken by his act, simply smiling and getting your own stack of cards. “If I lose, I'll pay for your next round of drinks."

"...that's fair."

Then you glanced at Hypno’s cards, frowning slightly. “By the way Hyp..you got trading cards, not UNO. That’s probably why you’re confused.”

“Huh--? Ohh...that makes sense.” The Talking Pokémon nodded, getting the right cards for himself before he and MK stared you and Lord X down, smirking. “Alright. Now...we play!”

........

“HAHAHA!! I WIN!!!”

“What?!”

“How?!!”

“That ain’t fair!!” MK slammed his fist down on his POW block, causing the whole table to violently shake, but nobody paid any mind to his temper flare. It was normal for them.

Nothing infuriated the Mario entity more than seeing your smug grin--now a rather creepy one that rivaled him and his buddies.

But Lord X and Hypno were impressed to see this was the real you..or at least the competitive side of you who always liked to win.

You definitely caught them all off-guard with your friendly looks. They just assumed you were a naive human trying to butt into their game night.

“Here you are, m’lord.” With a chuckle, you took the stack of rings from the other side of the table, sliding them back towards Lord X. And like a dragon hoarding gold, he gathered them all into his hands, grinning from ear to ear.

They were all his.

Every ring he’s wagered for the past month.

"Thank you, friend." He laughed. "You're an excellent player."

“Not even I could have predicted those moves with Future Sight.” Hypno remarked, scratching his head in disbelief. “What did you say your name was?”

“[Y/n].” You leaned back in the chair as you reshuffled your cards in your hands. “My story hasn’t hit the right crowd yet, so you probably haven't heard of me.”

“..ah, I get it now.” MK remarked. “I was thinkin’ they let a random human walk into the wrong bar. My bad.”

“It’s fine. If you guys don’t mind..I wouldn’t mind joining you for another game.”

“Maybe next time.” Lord X told you, shaking his head as he stood up from the table. “MK and I have some tortured souls to play with.”

“And I have to find Gold and bring him home.” Hypno stood up as well. His cards levitated around him and disappeared into his satchel. “That boy couldn’t have wandered off too far..”

“When you see him, tell him how stupid he looks with that bowtie, will ya?” MK sneered. “I mean..a bowtie on a hoodie??”

Hypno shot him a scowl. "If he didn't come with you, you don’t get to dictate what he can and can’t wear! He wanted to look “fashionable” and that’s the best I could do!!”

"Jeez really? Thought you were dressing him up for one of your game's "beauty contests".

You just smiled in amusement as they were the ones bickering this time around, with Lord X trying to quiet them down so Gold didn’t overhear their arguing.

‘They seem like a good trio..I’ll definitely play with them again.’

[paradoxcase]

Chapter 2 of Nona the Ninth

I'm not sure what is meant by this? Harrow is a person and Gideon is a person, so if Nona turns out to be one of them she is definitely a person, it's not like either of them are like, two people, or something. Not sure if this was meant to say "not just any person, but one of two important people/people who Pyrrha, Camilla and Palamedes care about" or if it was something else

Oh, I figured that Nona was a clipping of Nonagesimus, but this makes sense if Nona is not allowed to know Harrow's name

We've come so far since Gideon's description of Harrow as an "evil stick" and Augustine calling her a crow, haha

I suspect it's probably not the case, but man, what if Nona actually was some kind of amalgam of Gideon and Harrow and that's why she does this. Not that you're not totally allowed to think you're hot and talk to yourself and kiss yourself in the mirror even when you aren't actually partly your crush but like, what if

So, I think confirmation that Camilla and Palamedes are a Lyctor now? So: she has Gideon's/Alecto's eyes, which could mean a) she's Gideon, b) she's Harrow and Harrow has achieved full Lyctor status and thus now has Gideon's eyes, or c) she's Alecto, who I think is the only other person who has those eyes, possibly

Ok, so she doesn't look like a ten-year-old, or at least I really hope she doesn't look like a ten-year-old

She knows what people look like when they're flirting, which I think makes her unlikely to be Alecto since she was consistently described as being and behaving in an "inhuman" way (and what would a planet know about flirting, anyway), but she doesn't seem to care about sex which probably makes her not Gideon and she doesn't object to being flirted with by strangers which probably makes her not Harrow

She definitely seems to have had some experience being an adult human being at some point, but for whatever reason forgot most of that

If Camilla was uncomfortable bathing Nona (which is totally understandable) why wasn't this Pyrrha's job? I bet Pyrrha doesn't give fuck

Priorities, lmao

BOE hates the Nine Houses so much that swords are actually banned? I guess the SCA did not survive the apocalypse, that's a shame

Nona makes this sound so unimpressive, haha

Nona doesn't remember her tantrums, so it can't have been the negative experience that makes her not want to have another one

So here we have an actual textual contradiction to the idea that English stayed around as a liturgical language, because Palamedes and Camilla only speak one language, unless you want to argue that they never would have learned it on the Sixth, but the Sixth seems like exactly the place where you would learn the equivalent of Latin, so I think that's unlikely

There's a number of possible things that we might be meant to take away from this information about the use of the Nine Houses language in BOE, but I think the only one that's at all sensible is the idea that there might somehow be a significant population of House expats or POWs or something interacting with regular BOE citizens, so there's a homegrown dialect of the Nine Houses language here. But I wouldn't expect it to be a prestigious trade language in that case, especially with how BOE sees the Nine Houses. It's "falling out of favor" but BOE has been at war with the Nine Houses for 10,000 years. Are we meant to understand that this language has been "falling out of favor" for 10,000 years now, or was there a recent event that made this language more commonly used and/or more prestigious, and now there is some kickback against its use? Also, I'm guessing from various comments/etc. that they call this language "House"... but you know, there's no actual rule that you have to call two dialects that are mutually intelligible dialects of the same language, if it doesn't fit with your political narrative, or doesn't support your nationalist propaganda, or whatever. Like, Serbian and Croatian are, from what I understand, about as similar as British and American English, but the speakers of those languages call them completely different things, consider them different languages, and sometimes insist that they can't understand people speaking the other language, because of the political situation in those countries. If BOE did have a trade language that was a close dialect of the Nine Houses language for whatever reason, I would imagine that they would do that same and declare it to be a completely different and unintelligible language, even if it was mutually intelligible. Also, I feel like I should mention that the opposite happens too - there's a bunch of different actually not mutually intelligible languages in China, but the Chinese government labels all of them as "Chinese" for political reasons. I could see languages diverging within the Nine Houses between the different planets, but John continues to insist that they are all the same language

Babies have a preternatural ability to learn new languages, but like the absolute earliest you even get a first word out of a baby is at about 1 year, and Nona has supposedly only been learning how to human for 6 months. Also, she doesn't learn these languages after 6 months of exposure to them, but immediately upon meeting people that speak them. I also feel like mentioning that you can't learn a language entirely by lipreading - lipreading works with specific languages because each language has a small set of possible sounds that can be distinguished at least partially by watching people's lips, but plenty of stuff happens inside the mouth where you can't see and I think it's definitely not possible to learn which specific sounds are being made just by watching the lips out of all the possible sounds in any human language. You can learn them by listening, but it would take a non-trivial amount of exposure to even hear all the possible sounds in the language and work out which ones are considered the same in that language, etc., let alone hearing enough vocabulary to carry on a conversation. I wonder if Nona actually has some kind of limited telepathic ability. Like, she obviously isn't able to read Harrow and Gideon's names out of the others' heads, but it might be something she uses unintentionally. I don't think knowledge of all these BOE languages is something she could possibly have had past experience with, regardless of who she turns out to be

[inconspicious-random-thoughts]

Been thinking about what might happen in heaven in season 2. I imagine with recent events ( the exorcists defeat and Sir Pentious ascension) will cause Sera to doubt finally causing her to try to at the least postpone all exterminations for the time being. Lute however a true believer won’t allow that and conspire to undermine Sera position and authority possibly through a false flag operation.

Hello there.

I pretty much agree.

I don't want it to be a main focus but I am interested how Sera is coping with everything.

I think Sir Pentious ascension baffles Sera that, with Emily heavily encourage "Charlie is right!" to stop exterminations. Sera at least, put future exterminations on pause as she holds a private investigation. While, on the other hand, you have Lute fueled by grief and desire for revenge demanding the opposite, wanting to wipe out the sinners immediately under the cover "doing heavenly justice"

MEANWHILE, as Sera is trying to trying to calm and appease to the both Emily and Lute, (and possible Heaven citizens or the more stressful, other higher ups wanting answers) Sera desperately trying to gain answers about Sir Pentious and what it mean without asking TOO much because she doesn't want to be fallen by questioning Heavens way.

Sera greatly fears of falling, and fears that with Hells influence (Charlie, the child of a fallen angel) on Emily who starting to question, that Emily will fall.

I low key suspect, Sera would, given a chance, would secretly lock Sir Pentious up, and just ignore the whole thing like it never happen. But Emily was there and knows. Emily, is very excited and persistent about redeem sinners and advocate it. Emily playing the squeaky wheel and demanding Sera to pay attention to give the situation the oil.

All the while, having to face her own personal mental breakdown caused by her increasing doubts that she may have been wrong for allowing extermations in the first place. That her wronged decision caused millions of souls to double die without getting their second chance, and their blood is on her hands. Which, I'm sure would weigh heavily on her. To the point I think she would adamantly refused to face the facts that Emily is supplying her. That Sera is essentially grasping at straws to prove exterminations were necessary and disprove Sir Pentious ascent, claiming its some type of trick.

I wouldn't be surprised if Sera calms herself down, affirming she been correct and just all along, because if she been wrong...stray from Heaven's path, wouldn't she had fallen already? Sera believe everything she has done, was just and necessary. She didn't act out on hatred but of fear and need of protect Heaven and its pure souls residence.

Her realizing the full weight of her actions, I believe would be devastating blow to the angel. However, she eventually get there mostly by Emily preaching and at one point, Sera witness an event that change her view of Hell. Or the possibly the reveal of sinner Adam. Which would be interesting to see Lute and Sera reactions to see one of their own became the thing they despised and look down upon.

Lute, I have no doubt she will be sneaky and underhanded and doing all kinds of shady stuff during next season. It's already hinted that she somewhat gone rogue with her meeting with Lilith. Sending Lilith to do the dirty work, so Lute hands are physically clean for the time being. But Lute definitely fulfilling her own agenda with or without Heaven approval. But she definitely be pushing for immediate relatalation for Adams death to Sera, to the point she may try to manipulate Sera. Using Sera fears to aid her. I mean, Sera feared an uprising...while the battle was defense and not an uprising...Sera can be convience it a first step as this is the first time the experience a push back...and not only that they push back, it worked. Heaven as experience fatalities from battles. and multiple of them. Lute can easily warp the stories of the battle in her favor.

As powerful as Sera is and is one of the characters with the most authority and power we seen so far, she going to be nothing but a pawn piece next season. okay, maybe not a pawn, that's going too far with the analogy as she not expendable... but you get the idea.

[softspeirs]

I had a little idea for a John "Bucky" Egan x OC fiction if you'd be so kind?

What if OC is a nurse in the infirmary and Bucky is admitted after a particularly tough mission? (I'd never wish I'll on Bucky so maybe just a concussion or something) or maybe it's after they get out of the POW camp. Either way Bucky is in the infirmary and afraid to sleep because of nightmares of what he's been through. So the nurse sits at his bedside (even though Bucky obviously doesn't want to admit he needs it) and holds his hand while he sleeps?

Hi friend! You sent this a long time ago - my apologies for taking so long to answer!

I was considering doing something like this with my nurse OC Grace, but I suspect you were looking for a romantic pairing, and Grace is taken (unofficially).

I would recommend @blurredcolour's The Only Truth I Know Is You - the plot you're describing is really similar to what she's done with these characters.

Happy reading!

[mermaidsirennikita]

In your opinion what are the best and worst novels by your favorite historical romance authors and why?

Hmmm, I've read the full backlist of only a few authors, but ones I've read a lot of....

To get her outta the way, for Kleypas--

Best: Dreaming of You. Defined an romance hero archetype and one she would draw from for some of her other well-done heroes (McKenna, Simon Hunt, Winterborne, the self-made man is her wonderland and Derek Craven didn't do it first but he did do it best).

Worst: I haven't read any of her books set in the South and I suspect those are much worse, but Stranger in My Arms is my least favorite. Does the Sommersby Plot better than Sommersby because the ending is better and they aren't Confederates, but there is some Exotic India Stuff and I felt like the hero and heroine didn't have amazing chemistry. I think that in making the hero a good contrast to the bad husband, he became boring.

Hoyt--

Best: Thief of Shadows. Duke of Midnight is probably a close second, and Scandalous Desires is right up there too. The Ghost of St. Giles arc is the best Maiden Lane arc, Winter and Isabel are amazing characters, that scene where he laughs into her pussy and is like I don't know what I'm doing but I'm gonna find out, the scene where he pulls the pins from her hair and she's overwhelmed, the scene where he tells her would've loved to have babies with her but that's not what it's about, all the Zorro vibes.

Worst: tbh I don't think I've read a book of hers that is dull or bad, but her Four Soldiers series hasn't aged the best because the heroes are veterans who fought in the American territories, and a lot of their traumatic backstories involve this like... prolonged POW torture executed by indigenous people against the British soldiers.... And like honestly, I've read some accounts of this kind of incident and I don't think it was a binary issue morally. And I don't even think Hoyt necessarily thinks that; but I don't think it was executed well, and it is very, very disturbing to read about. Especially in To Seduce a Sinner, which would honestly otherwise be a solid, entertaining book.

Lorraine Heath--

Best: Waking Up with the Duke, because it's the greatest angstfest, and Jayne making Ainsley feel the baby kick and him freezing and being like "it's not MINE, it CANNOT be mine" and having a full emotional break in a garden with dozens of people nearby is glorious, and their goodbye in the middle of the book never fails to make me cry.

Worst: I mean it's gonna be one of her Texas books because as good as they are otherwise, two of the three heroes are actually! Former Confederates! And like, yes, they were teenagers (at least one of them was a minor) when this happened, but it doesn't super matter to me. And one of them calls the Civil War the WAR OF NORTHERN AGGRESSION!!! Which sucks, because otherwise, Dallas is a great hero with a great love story, but I can't look past that. I think Texas Destiny has a heroine whose backstory is that her plantation was attacked by Union soldiers and terrible things happened. But idk, as a Southern woman who's descended from Confederates, I'm a bit "then perish" about precious Confederate Womanhood. Don't know that she'd write that today, though.

Joanna Shupe--

Best: It's a close one between this and Prince of Broadway, but I do think The Duke Gets Even is my favorite because it's enhanced by the leadup and the scene where Lockwood bites Nellie all over her tits HARD and says "I'm going to cover you in bite marks, darling". That was good for my spirit. I also love when Lockwood is like "THIS IS THE LAST CHANCE, ELEANOR (it's a big deal when a hero is the only man to call a bitch Eleanor, btw) DON'T COME CRYING FOR ME" and leaves with great dignity but inwardly is like sobbing.

Worst: I have not ready a Shupe I really dislike, but The Gangster's Prize is probably the weakest; I think she was testing her Mila Finelli style in a historical setting. And I liked it, and I LOVE the Mila books, but the Mila tone doesn't quite fit historicals.

Sarah MacLean--

Best: A Rogue By Any Other Name. The angst, the backstory, Bourne eating Penelope up and going "well you have to marry me now MUAHAHAHAHA" directly after, the scene where her dad is like, screaming at him on the ground and Bourne leans out the window like, "OH WHAT'S THAT??? IT'S YOUR DAUGHTER'S PUSSY. WHICH WAS ALL I HAD FOR DINNER LAST NIGHT OLD MAN." What an asshole. I'd have several babies for him.

Worst: Ten Ways to Be Adored When Landing A Lord. It's not bad, I just feel like Nick is not the kind of hero I have come to associate with MacLean. He's too lovely. I think that Christmas novella she wrote about Ebeneezer Scrooge if he fuuuucked is much more her.

Monica McCarty--

Best: The Recruit, because I love a good "man finds out he got a woman pregnant and she tries to hide it but then he feels her baby bump and is like EXCUSE???" And then I thought he was gonna be one of those guys who's like "I can't fuck you while you're pregnant, what if the baby feels it". But nah, he's like a " babies can't feel shit, bend over" kind of guy.

Worst: The Saint, because I was so excited for the Illicit Affairs energy, and instead there's just a lot of waiting.. for them to fuck... There is an excellent scene where it's dark and he thinks she's someone else and he fingers her from behind and then is like "SHITFUCK".

[crossover-enthusiast]

If you haven’t already could you please spare some thoughts on the replacement fellas…? 🤲

Oooo yes yes yes!!

They don't have as much as John and Jack (for obvious reasons) but I do have some stuff for them based off OG The Captain and Shotgun Man + general musings

Gonna do the same as I did for John and Jack, them separate and then together

Got surprisingly long again, so read more time!

The Captain - "Police, BITCH!" - Isn't actually the captain (that would be John, technically), still calls himself that - While on-shift his demeanor is close to that of The Captain from Every StoryTime Animation and Mokey's Show, more reserved and Shotgun's straight man. Off-shift he's a lot more goofy - Acts like he has the braincell, really doesn't - Has absolutely used "Police, BITCH!" on a suspect before - A massive flirt oh my god, and most of it is cheesy gestures and sappy pick up lines - Him pulling down his shades was him trying to flirt with Jack, John, and Patty - He's tried to flirt with Patty before and she does not care for it lol - Tried to flirt with Evermore on his first day on the job and nearly got fired - Most likely bi - Mans the tip line. It's pretty uneventful (as far as this town goes, anyway), but he's noticed that every now and then this gruff-voiced guy will anonymously call in to report child abuse cases - Oddly though, any tips related to the cult seem to go missing when he's on shift, if they're recorded at all… - Still has that grey brick of a flip phone. No he will not get a new one - Orders his contacts by name and then an emoji of something he associates with them, e.g. John 🚬, Jack 🍩, etc. -- this makes them easier to search for, in his opinion. The exception to this is Shotgun, whose contact is instead BFF ❤❤🙂 - Has ~mommy issues~ - Is the one who drives bc Shotgun would absolutely try to run over potential suspects - Shotgun is the bad bitch he pulled by being autistic /j - He is actually autistic tho! Undiagnosed, probably isn't aware he has it - His sunglasses are not only cool but hide how he's avoiding eye contact most of the time B) - Readjusts his tie constantly - If he doesn't want to deal with something he'll most likely just shoot it - His favorite donuts are plain with pink frosting and sprinkles the cliche donut lol - The guy ever, a little weird but definitely one of the more normal people in town

Shotgun Man - "SHOTGUN POW!!" - Usually just called Shotgun, Shotty, or SG/SGM - Still has the shotgun, no one knows why - I don't think he has the safety on- - Has threatened many a perp by shoving the barrel of his gun in their face - Absolute menace honestly, it's a wonder he hasn't been fired yet - Sometimes leans on his shotgun (the barrel is pointed at the floor, he's not that stupid) - Almost never refers to people by their first name, instead using titles or last names (e.g. Sheriff, Nurse, Velseb, etc.). For some reason Jerald is an exception, and Shotty will always refer to him by name - Mellows out slightly when around Captain. Slightly. - Gets control of the radio and all he plays is either heavy metal or stations no one's heard of - Probably eats at Boys n Grills - Does finger guns by putting his hands together to make a single big gun - Would get along great with Dexter - GNC AF, would wear a dress for fun - Runs on cartoon physics similar to Skid and Pump, but only when it would be funny - He has ADHD :> Unlike the others he's actually diagnosed, tho he doesn't take medication for it because of course he doesn't - "POW" is a vocal stim - When he’s feeling mischievous™ he’ll rub his hands together - Doesn't know what he is but it sure as hell ain't straight - On Valentines Day he went into the station early so he could jump Captain, Jack, and John and give them surprise smooches - However bc this is Shotty it ended up playing out like a horror movie lol - Generally just someone big on physical affection and PDA, and he loves to fluster people: slinging his arm around someone's shoulder, random hugs, kisses, that kinda thing - His favorite donuts are cake donuts and he will fight people for them - Just a silly goofy guy, I love him

Both - The cops before John and Jack were real - Braincell pecking order is Shotgun Man -> Jack -> Captain -> John - They were officers at another precinct before getting transferred, and Captain actually was the captain there - Both are still friends and in contact with Jerald (the swat guy) - Even tho Jack and John kept their jobs Evermore still hired Captain and Shotgun, if only to get the press off his back about underfunding the police - "See, they're not underfunded, I just hired two new officers!" (they are still heavily underfunded) - Really they just kinda goof around, Jack and John handle the more serious cases - When they are on a case, they're... semi-competent - They're also both shoot first, ask questions later - This isn't a hc but more so an idea, but if they show up again I want them to interact with the Hobomen, there is ample opportunity to recreate the "NOOOO, IT'S PISS!!" joke with Tankman and Shotgun and that would be so funny - Both of them realized real quick that John and Jack have feelings for each other and they are such teases about it - Captain is more subtle. Shotty, in comparison, once shouted "OH, JUST KISS ALREADY!" at the two - As for their relationship to each other… - No one can figure out what these two are to each other and they think that's hilarious - For real tho, they just like being around each other. They are a package deal, no matter what way you spin them, and they ain't gonna be separated - I like the idea that in general they're a lot more upfront and casual in their relationship, offers a nice contrast to John and Jack - This also means Captain gets the brunt of Shotty's affections! You'd think Captain would be used to it but Shotty always seems to find a new way to fluster him - Are horrible enablers to Jack's pranks, and regularly help him pull them - John is so exasperated by their antics, please save him - Dunno who came up with this initially but I got it from @mallory-vallory so: I like the idea that their actual names are Scott (Captain) and Sammy (Shotgun), feels fitting. Almost no one calls them by their actual names tho - Also there's this art by Ratzzle/Charlieratqueen on twitter of the two wearing patterned scarves during Contagious Christmas and it looks so cute so that is part of my headcanon for their winter clothes now pls and thank u - If they actually had to work with John and Jack on a case it'd be fucking chaos, good lordy - Overall they're dumbasses and bad at their jobs, but at least they get it done

I'm honestly surprised at how much I had for these guys! They're definitely not rotating as fiercely as the other cop duo, but I've still thought a lot about them, both their original and Spooky Month incarnations

I think they have great potential as a comedic foil duo to John and Jack, hope we see them again in later episodes

[onelungmcclung]

MotA pt nine:

(writing this up for the sake of completionism but it may... be a little too critical for some people's liking. maybe skip it if you loved it.)

you introduce three new characters in episode 8? and then do nothing with them? all that focus on the tuskegee airmen and for what

I'm not surprised the planned escape didn't go according to plan, but... why set it up like it would be the focus of this episode?

why does nobody ever take into account the other POWs from the 100th? (buck and bucky don't mention them when deciding to escape; crosby and rosie don't ask after them)

no scenes of the other POWs post-liberation?

no revelations about capt westgate and what she's been up to, not even if she made it out alive?

no answer to the question "does kidd ever look happy"?

no meatball?

only six (6) biographies in the end credits?

I'm fine with sprawling meandering narratives but you do have to bring it all together eventually. to that end, every character still involved in the story should be included to some extent. (e.g. you could use your montages to better effect. I'm not that interested in the east anglia locals. show me capt westgate, show me the belgian resistance, show me the tuskegee airmen.)

I do not think you can efficaciously combine a Main Character style narrative (egan, cleven, crosby and rosie as POV characters) with a sprawling meandering narrative. pick one.

I assumed that the Main Character device was chosen to make the story more coherent (even if it was not a creative choice I would have personally made) but it... didn't

similarly I never thought egan and cleven worked as the narrative focus but I figured there was a good reason for it. now I think I was right. (I probably would have given them skip/muck levels of prominence rather than winters/nixon levels; I do not think all their screentime was justified and it was never clear why they were the "indisputed leaders of the 100th".) I like rosie but not giving over half an episode to his r&r; I like crosby but not his narration. like robert hutton, "I generally think if you're narrating, you've failed".

it has the uncomfortable feeling of a story that covers many interesting stories within it but does none of them justice. if the story of the 100th bomb group can't be told well in 9 episodes, find a different piece of war history. I don't feel the writers were uninvested, but they could not keep all these balls in the air.

I suspect this episode may originally have been two episodes (one more focused on the POW camp, the final episode more based around homecoming) condensed into one for budgetary reasons. I like to think alex, macon and daniels would otherwise have got more to do.

budgetary reasons may also be why they sorta skipped over D-Day (specifically, combat scenes) despite building up to it in previous episodes

I do think better editing would have helped the show overall

the combat scenes were generally good but the strategy was not clear, leading to another uncomfortable feeling that maybe the RAF toffs were right actually

like the "bombers as bait" thing revealed in episode 7... that seemed to be setting up some terrifying suspenseful missions but I don't think we really got to see them?

I do have favourite characters! just possibly not ones I was meant to have

hope the young largely unknown supporting actors get some good roles in the near future (I knew quite a few of them from other things, so naturally I'm faintly protective of them. go forth!)

I will read miller's book sometime. (I wanted to judge the series on its own merits and not know any of the pilots' fates beforehand, but that may have come with tradeoffs. anyway, will read it.)

to be as blunt as I will get: messing up a miniseries based on a book seems quite a feat. I didn't expect to have no criticisms, but I expected it to be cohesive.

might gif some supporting character darlings. might not get around to it (... most of my edits were made in lockdown)

I will try not to say any more unkind things about it in the future, this is my vent post