#I think Lydia also has more of a moral compass than people think she has tbh but if enough of her friends had valid enough reasons she coul

[theheightofdishonor]

only tangentially related to anything but imagine being Scott Mccall and knowing you're the moral compass for like half your friend group and

[hey-that-hurt]

More contract au musings

(Beetlejuice signed a contract binding him to do whatever the household orders him to do in exchange for him getting to stay)

I think the whole situation would be an absolute moral mess.

The Maitlands would probably have the best moral compass out of the entire household, even after the end of the musical. But they’d still run into issues, more on that later.

Charles would have plenty of reason to hate Beetlejuice, and has proven that he tends to lean towards avoidance and putting up a mask when it comes to things that upset him. He also doesn’t seem to be very sympathetic, seemingly failing to understand the depth of what Lydia was going through or being unwilling to think about it.

Yes, he and his daughter made up at the end, but people don’t change overnight and that’s his daughter. I doubt he’s going to give Beetlejuice anything close to the same grace.

I think being around Charles would be hazardous for Beetlejuice, because I don’t think Charles would be above using the contract at every opportunity to make Beetlejuice less of an annoyance.

I don’t know if Delia would be less of a threat, but I still think she would be one. She also has reason to change as a person after the end of the musical, but she’s still shown that she’s someone who tends to be bothered by things she sees as weird, and she tends towards toxic positivity. Again, I doubt these traits are going to change overnight.

Beetlejuice is far from a normal, peppy person. He’s going to rub Delia the wrong way. I don’t know if Delia would be as willing to abuse the contract as Charles might, but I don’t think it’s out of the question that she’d try to make Beetlejuice tone down his weirdness and upsetting emotional displays.

The Maitlands might be the safest people for Beetlejuice to be around— the issue is that they probably wouldn’t want to be around Beetlejuice much. The Maitlands are clearly anxiety-riddled and almost painfully polite. I think they’d manage to catch on to the fact that being able to force Beetlejuice to do things is actually super messed up, and would probably avoid doing so.

But would they tell the rest of the family not to? They’re a LOT more assertive by the end of the musical, but considering that they’d probably struggle to want to stand up for Beetlejuice, I can imagine that their anxious tendencies might prevent them from saying much until circumstances force them to.

I also don’t think they’d be entirely above giving Beetlejuice any orders, specifically when it comes to harassing them. Obviously they wouldn’t want Beetlejuice to continue his inappropriate behavior towards them, and ordering him to stop might literally be the only thing that could truly get him to do so. The threat of an order might stop him for a while, but I think he’d eventually cross the line. And then there’s the moral issue of well, it’s super messed up to exert power over what he can physically do to such an extent, but it’s also super messed up for him to keep groping them.

And then there’s Lydia. Part of me wants to believe that she’ll be super nice and protective of him, but realistically I doubt that would be the case. Lydia would be in a much better place mentally than she was during the musical, but this is still the girl that pushed Beetlejuice off a roof when she realized he wasn’t useful to her.

Honestly, I don’t think Beetlejuice was entirely wrong when he assumed she thought of him like a tool to discard. I don’t interpret the “what are you talking about?” line as favorably as the rest of the fandom does. I don’t think Lydia didn’t see Beetlejuice as a friend at all, but I think she also thought of him as a demon she summoned to do her bidding, and that’s what he was there for.

In this au, I think Lydia wants their relationship to move in a friendlier direction, but I think there might still be 5% of her that sees him as a tool rather than a person. She’s a teenager that we can see is very capable of cruelty and manipulation. My point being, I don’t think Beetlejuice is entirely safe around her either. I think she’ll mostly be in his corner, and stand up for him when she thinks he’s being treated unfairly, but if something he does upsets her I don’t think she’s going to be above leveraging her power over him.

Basically, the Maitlands are the safest people for Beetlejuice to be around, but even they’re not 100% safe. Being in the house, under this contract, places Beetlejuice perpetually in harm’s way (though the harm is mostly psychological). He can’t be around any member of the household without the risk of another order settling around him like a net.

But he’d rather be unsafe than be alone.

[fiction-justanotherstateofmind]

Teen Wolf meets How to get away with murder

I just finished season 2 of How to get away with murder. I'm in love. It has some of my favorite things: found family and blind loyalty.

Idk how I ended up here, I finished the last episode and the next thing I know I was looking for the correspondence between the characters of HTGAWM and those of Teen Wolf. So here I am.

N.B.: it's not always a canon equivalence. Sometimes it's just my favorite headcanon dynamic.

Annalise: Stiles

Frank: Peter; Boyd; (Malia)

Bonnie: Lydia

Nate: Derek

Wes: Scott

Laurel: Allison

Connor: Jackson

Oliver: Danny

Asher: Erica

Michaela: Isaac

Now I'm gonna explain why.

Stiles is the mastermind behind the pack plans, has a different moral compass than the norm and would definitely kill, lie and harm to protect the ones he loves, and -if that was the case- he would feel no remorse. In other words, Annalise. He also has a soft spot for Scott (and Annalise for Wes) and often finds himself making up for the mistakes his friend made in good faith. Furthermore, BAMF Stiles.

Frank is the muscle of the group and so are Peter and Boyd. Both are the kind of people who don't ask questions and would have no problem killing for a person they trust. Frank, like Peter, would sometimes be prone to violence right away and needs to be restrained. Plus Peter would love Frank's sense of style. (We could put Malia here as well, even if I don't feel exactly the same about her).

Bonnie is Annalise's right hand man. She's similar to Annalise: not enough but she understands her better than the others. I live for Lydia as Stiles' best friend. They are also both very stylish.

Nate is Annalise's lover, has a strong personality and doesn't trust very easily. He's also more than "the muscle" but less than "the brain" of the group. Annalise trusts him enough to let him act on his own, but still always goes out of her way to protect him. I love when Stiles is so protective of Derek (sterek of course).

Wes and Scott. Do i really have to explain it? I switch from like to dislike every 10 minutes when both of them are on screen. Great loyalty which, however, is undermined by a moral compass different from that of the group. They always see the good in others and this sometimes leads to problems.

Laurel is the one with the coldest mind of all the young adults. She is able to remain lucid even in stressful situations and is the one most inclined to lead (excluding Annalise). She has a darker mind than she appears to be and has no problem killing if necessary. She also has a dangerous family behind her. Allison is canonically all of these things too.

Connor is the suspicious one, the only one who maintains real contact with the "outside world" and who is not entirely devoted to the cause. When necessary, he plays his part and participates actively, even if he apparently tends to freak out. He also always makes piqued comments and is not ashamed to use his body to get what he wants or needs. Jackson fits perfectly the role.

Oliver is Danny in so many ways: sweet, gets involved with others but underneath he's eager for adventure, computer technician and hacker, canonically gay.

Asher is the perfet mix between an himbo and a very intelligent person. He's loyal and actually caring, even if it might not seem like it at first. He also makes sex jokes and somehow won the heart of a reserved person (lots of grumpy/sunshine dynamics). Erica is very similar to him (in this house we believe in the canonicity of Erica/Boyd).

Michaela is the one with family problems. She has trouble trusting and sometimes ends up trusting just because she's tired of always looking over her shoulder. However, if you show her that she can trust you and that you will protect her, she's very loyal. She likes to be independent, but in times of need she needs the guidance of someone she deems more capable. The same goes for Isaac.

Let me know what you think but NO SPOILER: I haven't seen season 3 yet.

[theintoccabile]

Thoughts on the Handmaid’s Tale season finale:

- I can’t with Rose. so she told Nick off, good for her. But dumping him? This is Gilead. So he’s not in love with you, boo-hoo. how is this a reason to almost definitely marry some creep instead who’ll also probably get a handmaid if another pregnancy doesn’t happen fast. like?? not even Lawrence could stay single, her parents are influential but not enough that this is an option for her I’m PRETTY sure.

- no wtf even, I’d usually be more sympathetic but girl you live in an evil state and even if you think you can get a better husband, you will get a garbage human being. he will treat everyone else like dirt and women like animals. but hey :) priorities :) like really hope for her and her hypothetical moral compass that she changes her mind or was just trying to scare Nick, which I’d get. but did not feel like it and it’s hard for me to care about her feelings when I don’t exactly see her invested in the revolution

- both Luke and Nick really got to shine in this episode

- forever salty about the lack of screentime Moira gets and that she no longer gets time to process her own trauma. we constantly see her supporting June and the family and being the voice of reason, but why the heck does she need to have her shit together?? why are they doing more with June and Serena’s relationship than Moira and June’s?

- like the above looks extra bad with all those black women who are obedient servants this show has thrown at us. yeah avoid the angry black women stereotype I beg you but going the opposite direction is NOT BETTER

- I wanna see Janine and June go feral together.

- loved Luke and Nick getting to punch nasty white men but oof in Nick’s case it was maybe very short sighted considering he had a long time to think it through. does he have a plan especially now that Rose apparently dropped him

- I love seeing Lydia suffer

- haha did anyone really doubt Lawrence is an awful piece of work. can Nick fans leave Luke the heck alone now and go after him instead just wondering

- still baffled how people can go full on shipping war(? feels a bit one-sided for a shipping war) in this fandom. like how.

[viridianllamasinthesilentspace]

Sorting “Teen Wolf”

THE KIDS

Scott McCall is a Hufflepuff Primary: his morality (why he does things) is based in fairness, in community and loyalty, in people and the idea that every single one deserves consideration. He’s a Puff Secondary, too: his best methods (aka how he does things) are compassion, team building, and helping others. (Hello, Mr. Every Time Someone is in Pain, I Take It on Myself.) But Scott thinks the way he is supposed to act is brave, direct, and forceful. So he tries. He models Gryffindor [Secondary], and he has nightmares about that particular bravery’s violent extremes. Once upon a time on a little show called “Teen Wolf”, Stiles Stilinski told Scott McCall he didn’t have to save everyone, and Scott gave him the blankest, most uncomprehending look imaginable.

Stiles is a Slytherclaw—the precise, ruthless loyalties of a Slytherin [Primary] acted out by a Ravenclaw Secondary’s planning, strategy, research, and learning. The kid reeks Slytherin. Refusing to tell his father about the supernatural, to keep him safe, even at the expense of other people’s lives—Stiles only backed down then at the terrible might of Scott’s puppy dog eyes. Which: understandable. Let’s kill Jackson, says Stiles, because he doesn’t care. In Allison’s voice that would have the ruthlessness of idealism, not “he’s not one of mine.” I guess a good distinction would be this: Allison would consider killing Scott, if he was murdering people, and Stiles never would. (This is not indicative of a greater connection between brother and brother or lover and lover; this is just pointing out that Allison would do, first, what was right. She would certainly fight her hardest to save Scott, but if there were truly no other options, she would sacrifice him.)

Stiles’s morality doesn’t work like that. He would keep his father in the dark even if it meant letting people die, because his father’s life is more important to him than theirs. Stiles is a Slytherin with a very short list of people. (Malia just got added to it, though, so that may be fun.) I think in the first season, Stiles might have modeled Slytherin [Secondary] on top of his Ravenclaw Secondary. He’s into maneuvering and deception a lot more then, than he is in the later seasons—especially after the nogitsune. “I’m 147 pounds of skin and bones; sarcasm is my only defense.” I think that says a lot of it—Stlies has been becoming more and more powerful in his own Ravenclaw skills, enough that he can rely on them instead of hiding behind his Slytherin model. I’m not sure he feels safer (the world keeps getting more dangerous), but he’s been up against enough now to know that he can survive, and that what keeps him safe tends to be his steady mind and anxious preparations.

Lydia is a Ravenclaw/Ravenclaw who models Slytherin (eight million times better than Stiles does) and performs Puff (about as badly as Stiles models Slytherin—you can tell she’s putting it on for politeness, when she smiles and doesn’t mean it). In this way, her and Stiles’s journeys parallel each other, which makes their friendship one of my favorites. They’re both slowly coming to accept and value their Ravenclaw—to recognize that this is a kind of strength and perhaps even beauty.

Until Lydia starts breaking, she almost looks like a Slytherpuff—or, well, a Slytherin/Slytherin with a Puff performance. Her Puff is really unconvincing. But her outward facade of Slytherin is magnificent. Even in the first season, though, her Claw peeks its head out now and then. (Also: It looks like Lydia’s mom is a Ravenpuff? Which makes me wonder where Lydia learned that she should be a Slytherin. Because she’s so ashamed of her Ravenclaw, early on, both the Primary’s idealism and the Secondary’s intelligence and curiosity. She has this idea that beauty and power are the things required of her and that she must fulfill them. Only her world shattering around her made her vulnerable enough to reassess and embrace her Ravenclaw. It makes me want to meet her father, or other formative influences in her life, and perhaps see what her mother acted like in that marriage).

Allison Argent takes up her family’s moral legacy and rewrites it in her own words. She does what she thinks is right in defiance of foes, friends, and family. When she decides what “right” is, when she has watched and learned the world around her, and slowly, deliberately built her own code out of the truths she’s found there—then Allison goes after her goals with a single-minded intensity and a direct, sometimes violent efficiency. This, my friends, is a Ravenclaw/Gryffindor, and she is beautiful.

Malia and Stiles have been bonding over their shared Slytherin Primary, which delights me. Malia looks like a Slytherdor, but I wonder if she might be a Slytherin/Slytherin who’s living in her Neutral State because she doesn’t give a hoot. I think if Malia needed to, she’d be happy to lie, coerce, adapt, or transform to get what she wanted. She just—so far—doesn’t think highly enough of anyone to maneuver in any way but straightforwardly. I guess we’ll have to wait and see what she does when faced with something that really threatens her.

Kira is a Gryffinpuff, I think. She’s certain and forward and brave, and she goes after her goals with kindness and determination.

Derek is a Hufflepuff with a Claw secondary. “We’re brothers now,” he tells this young kid just because the kid got chewed on by his uncle. He is desperate for community (see: the terrible choices of the Worst Alpha Ever, aka the second season). Even when he’s creepy (often), even when he’s a failwolf (…more often), he’s doing things to help people—simply because they are people.

But he was going to kill Lydia, right? When we thought she was the kanima. Yes, he was—to save other people. Scott wasn’t, but they’re both still Puffs, because Derek is what happens when a kid like Scott loses hope—or gets “a truer idea of the real world”, depending on who you ask. Scott doesn’t believe in victories that come with compromises attached. He doesn’t believe in heroism with trade-offs and consequences. Scott was going to save Lydia. But Derek? One girl’s life to stop a monster? He was going to save everyone else. (Which—he was wrong, it was Jackson, you failwolf. But I’m more interested in both of their why’s than I am in the realities of the fictional situation).

Derek, like Scott, also models Gryffindor and probably…shouldn’t. He’s worse at it than Scott is. Which, like, wow. Calm down kiddos, please. Neither of you wants to be alpha dog, not really. Embrace your inner pack mom. Take pain from people; and take Kira leather jacket shopping; and brush the hair out of Cora’s face; and hold Lydia’s hand when she’s making hard decisions about what kind of person she wants to grow up to be. Here are your strengths, boys. Here is your heroism.

THE PARENTS

Melissa McCall, Mama McCall, the beacon of Beacon Hills, is a Slytherdor. Her son’s in danger? She will forcibly waken one of her own patients when she herself has warned against it. She will sit with Ms. Yukimura and wonder why their children have to fight this war. (Ms. Yukimura, who’s some sort of Idealist House, will respond that otherwise they would be running and hiding, but Melissa will remain unconvinced because this is her boy.) She’s a Gryff Secondary because she is direct, no-nonsense, and doesn’t care if she steps on people’s toes on the way to her goals. She’s amenable up until someone gets between her and something she wants, or something she wants to protect.

Melissa models Hufflepuff occasionally, sometimes at her job, but most often around her ex, which makes me wonder if Melissa used to be a Slytherpuff, or a Huffledor, but went “No, screw this!” at the same time she threw her husband out of the house.

Papa Argent, I think, House-shares with Derek Hale: Hufflepuff Primary with a Ravenclaw Secondary, and a Gryffindor model because it’s what his family expects of him. His morality is informed strongly by the people he loves: his father and sister, and then his daughter; the best argument to get to him in Season One is “Scott hasn’t hurt anyone yet.” His preference for plans, preparation, and research give us his Secondary. 

...Scott doesn’t have that many Hufflepuff role models, does he?

His mom, who is extraordinary and wonderful, is a Slytherdor. You can get farther from Puff/Puff, but it’s hard. He doesn’t particularly bond with Papa Argent. The best role model is probably Sheriff, who might be a Puff Primary, but who Gryffindor Secondaries so competently. Gryffindor Secondaries just aren’t where Scott’s skills lie. (Or maybe he could find a role model in Deaton, who models Puff, but I think Deaton’s really just a straight Ravenclaw. The Puff all goes away when things get serious.) No wonder the kid isn’t comfortable with his Puff! All of his heroes win their wars in other ways.

THE VILLAINS

Peter is a Burned Hufflepuff. Literally. People who aren’t his family have ceased being people to him. He presents effectively as a rather nasty Slytherin, but I do think it’s ultimately coming from a Hufflepuff place. But maybe I’m wrong and he really is as simply and shallowly selfish as he seems. …Yeah, that’s quite possible. Peter’s got a slimy Slytherin Secondary, and he models Ravenclaw [Secondary], which is the Chessmaster set up, the mold for the manipulative schemer who (would like to think he) is two steps ahead of everyone.

This is opposed to “just a Slytherin Secondary”, where you get adaptable and interpersonally effective tactics, but no long term “mwuahaha” strategy; and “just a Ravenclaw Secondary” (think Sokka—think later-seasons Stiles) where you just have the strategist.

Gerard, the manipulative douchebag, is a Slytherin/Slytherin who performs Gryffindor to cajole people like Kate and Allison into following him. Kate is a Gryffindor/Slytherin who models and performs Gryffindor. I’m so sorry, Gryffindors.

[mercurygray]

On today’s episode of ‘Crossovers No One Some Of You Asked For,’ the Harlots x Girl Gang crossover ...got a part two.

@junojelli @majwinters @enchi-elm, collect your darlings.

Honest 18th century whoring below the cut.

It surprised people to know Dick Winters wasn't a stranger to brothels.

He had never been in one before he met Lew (He'd been Sir Lewis, then, ever and always) but a few months of acquaintance had soon put paid to that when the Baronet discovered, quite to his delight, that the company's new Captain was possessed of a rigorous moral compass, an iron will, and a more than unusual amount of respect for the female creature. Which was how Captain Winters soon found himself seconded to Sir Lewis' nocturnal expeditions as the bearer of his purse.

That first trip had been - eye-opening, to say the least. He'd grown up on a farm, and done a bit of fooling himself, but he'd never had money to throw at a problem like a cockstand, and even moreso since taking his commission. These women were professionals, and the fact that he seemed entirely uninterested became, to them, a heady aphrodisiac. (Not true: he was very interested, only also very mindful this was not his money he was holding, and it was more than he'd had in his entire life.)  

When Sir Lewis emerged in the morning, rumpled and refreshed, he found his captain surrounded by three young ladies exchanging thoughts on Mr. Sheridan's latest play and how it treated the army. (The young ladies, as it turned out, had some thoughts about the stage's recent treatment of dames de nuit.) "Pay her," Lew announced, as the creature who'd been entertaining him lounged in the doorway in a dressing gown, both baronet and nymph watching, amused, as Winters rose to his feet and laboriously counted coins into her hand, thanking the girls for their time. 

That had been recommendation enough for Lew, and this had become a sort of standing arrangement, one that had grown over time to that of friend, as the Regiment moved back to peacetime quarters and the life of an officer became much less rigorous where drill and paybooks were concerned.

Yes, Dickie Winters was now, indeed, quite familiar with London's brothels, high and low, and the brothels were becoming quite familiar with him. Lew's regular haunts had stopped bothering with wine and set out a cup of tea and the latest broadsheet when they had word he'd be coming round, and he could usually be assured of some good conversation with the men who kept the door, or the whores themselves who weren't working. 

"I'm beginning to think," Lew said, walking home to barracks one morning, "that they like you more than they do me."

"I make sure they get paid, Lew," was Dick's reply, and Lewis only laughed.

Tonight, however, Lew was carrying his own purse, quite sure that where they were going he would not have his pocket picked. Golden Square, in Covent Garden, the most fashionable address for a whore to own to. There were a few sporting houses here for the rich and titled - Lydia Quigley's was the best, but Mrs. Ellory kept a fine table, and for entertainments, masques and plays, none could rival Mrs. Peaceman, whom clients were pleased to call Lady Columbia. Lewis' standing arrangement with Black Eileen had yielded them an invitation, much sought after, to The Surrender of the Queen, and, an even higher honor still, a personal meeting after with the Amazon.

But what he’d seen tonight troubled him.

It was a...a dream, he reminded himself, a story, told and acted for the benefit of bored aristocrats who'd seen too much pleasure in their lives to appreciate it when it came. Standing in the hallway, waiting, it came back to him in fits and starts, his mind still turning it all over. "Come then and kiss the Roman sceptre," the view they had offering only a glimpse of the actor's hand around her hair as she pleasured him with her mouth, the way the papers on his desk had slid to the floor as he pressed her into the table and took her from behind before he'd slipped a knife into her ribs, some hidden bladder bursting with blood, the way her body had slithered to the floor and she lay like the dead, “See then what Rome thinks of your surrender.”

He'd seen others slip away with waiting nymphs, their desire only getting started, but as aroused as he had been, (and he’d been aroused) he didn't want it slaked now - he wanted to pick up the woman from the floor and bathe the blood from off her face. The men watching were supposed to see themselves as the Consul - he could think only of the husband, the king who’d been dead before the scene even began. 

The door opened. "She'll be right in with you, gentlemen," the little maid said with a modest bow. "She's just having her bath."

This room had a distinctly different feeling from the grand salon downstairs, obviously a space that saw less people and a deal more use. Bookshelves lined one of the walls, shelves fairly crammed with books and a stand in the corner held a stylized suit of armor, a greek hopalite's helmet perched atop it. A desk was neatly arranged with pen and ink to hand, several books waiting to be referenced.  One almost noticed the bed last, though it wasn't for lack of size - but the message was quite clear: This was not the room of a simple whore.

Dick perused her shelves, half-expecting to see novels, but there were none to be found. How many women kept copies of Marcus Aurelius in the original Latin?

“Gentleman.” Here she was - the Amazon herself. Gone the bloody classical drape, the golden ornaments in her hair, the stripe of blue paint across both her cheeks - the woman who received them was no longer a queen, only an ordinary mortal in a silk dressing gown, her skin faintly wet from the bath. “Sir Lewis, we are honored,” she said with a gracious smile, crossing the room to let him kiss her hand. “It isn't often we see you in our humble confines. What did you think?”

“Masterful, as always,” Lew said, kissing her hands and then her cheek. “I thought your pleading excellent, but then, you know me. Where did you find your Roman? He’s hung like a horse, but his delivery was poor.” 

She smiled, as she did, indeed, know him - her friend was his mistress, and known to be in the whipping trade. “Would you believe he fancies himself an actor? Peaceman likes him; he has ‘the look’, she says, but that’s all he has going. I was half afraid I was going to need to feed him a line. I’m asking we not see him again for a little while, my mons can only take so much of Priapus. Wine?”

“You’re very kind, thank you.”

“I don't think I know your friend,” she said, pouring three glasses of a pale white and crossing the room to pass them out. Up close, she was...enchanting, even without the artifice of paint. He took the glass silently, mindful that she did this with everyone.

“Captain Richard Winters - he’s a member of my regiment.”

“And you, Captain?" He said nothing, but she must have seen something in his eyes, for she chuckled. "You disliked it. Not quite to your taste?"

He chose his words carefully. "Boudicca was a great queen among the Iceni, a warlord who assembled one of the largest armies in Britain, sacked two of their greatest settlements and held her ground against one of the best-trained armies in the world.” He paused. “I would have had her fight back."

It wasn’t what she was expecting, and she looked intrigued. "You'd have liked a... more violent rape, then?"

The word rape hit him like the flat of a blade, and he knew he’d flinched. “‘If you weigh well the strength of the armies, and the causes of the war, you will see that in this battle you must conquer or die. This is a woman's resolve; as for men, they may live and be slaves.’” he quoted. “I'd have liked to see a warrior who knew her worth.”

She looked impressed. "You've read your Tacitus."

"Cassius Dio has her say something similar about sheep ruling over dogs and wolves. If I recall."

For a moment she only stared, her expression hard to read, before she turned to Lewis. “Where on earth did you find him, Sir Lewis?”

“The gutter,” Lewis said succinctly. “We’ve polished him up a bit.”

Dinner was produced (acting was hard work, and she did not like to eat before in case something disagreed) and she and Dick continued their discussion of the histories while Lewis leaned back in his chair and found Eileen waiting for him. “What did you tell her?” Lewis asked, watching the conversation unfold with unparalleled amusement.

Eileen grinned. “Not a thing.” 

Lewis whipped around to look at her. “What, no - no vow of chastity?”

“Nothing,” she repeated. “We were out with Leicester, and there’s you and your man across the garden, and she saw him first. Oh, Lewis. It was beautiful. I’ve known her girl and grown and she’s not an easy person to please, but you could hear celestial choirs in her eyes. She was pleased as punch when I said you’d asked to come to the house. Didn’t say a word about him - which means she’d like nothing better than to let him split her peach. And, clever man, he’s said not a word about it all evening either.”

“That’s not clever, that’s just Dick,” Lewis corrected, watching the two of them argue conjugations. “His idea of a good time in a whorehouse is a cup of tea and a chat with the help.”

“Well, it’s working,” Eileen said, still looking pleased as anything. “Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples  - and Tacitus, apparently. She’s overdue to be seduced.”

It was very late indeed by the time the two men started for home - and they weren’t ten steps out the door when someone called them back. “Lew!” It was Eileen, chasing them down, her dark braid flying. “On Monday she's at Angelo's, to start practice for the next scene. Come for a fight.” Her eyes were fairly crackling with mischief as she grinned at Dick. “Captain,” she said, giving him a mock salute.

[sortinghatchats]

Sorting Teen Wolf

In this system, we like to talk about Primary Houses (WHY characters do things) and Secondary Houses (HOW characters do things). Read more on our tumblr, at sortinghatchats.wordpress.com, or take our quiz: https://ejadelomax.itch.io/sortinghatchats 

Scott McCall is a Hufflepuff primary: his morality (why he does things) is based in fairness, in people and the idea that every single one deserves consideration, in community and in loyalty. He’s a Puff secondary, too: his best methods (aka his secondary) (aka how he does things) are compassion, team building, and helping others. (Hello Mr. Every Time Someone is in Pain I Take it on Myself).

But Scott thinks the way he is supposed to act is brave, direct, and forceful. So he tries. He models Gryffindor, and he has nightmares about that particular bravery’s violent extremes.

Once upon a time on a little show called Teen Wolf, Stiles Stilinski told Scott McCall he didn’t have to save everyone, and Scott gave him the blankest, most incomprehending look imaginable. 

Stiles is a Slytherclaw— the precise, ruthless loyalties of a Slytherin Primary acted out by a Ravenclaw secondary’s planning, strategy, research, and learning. The kid reeks Slytherin. Refusing to tell his father about the supernatural, to keep him safe, even at the expense of other people’s lives— Stiles only backed down then at the terrible might of Scott’s puppy dog eyes, which: understandable. 

Let’s kill Jackson, says Stiles, because he doesn’t care. In Allison’s voice that would have the ruthlessness of idealism, not “he’s not one of mine.” I guess a good distinction would be this: Allison would consider killing Scott, if he was murdering people, and Stiles never would. (This is not indicative of a greater connection between brother and brother or lover and lover; this is just pointing out that Allison would do, first, what was right (she would certainly fight her hardest to save Scott, but if there were truly no other options she would sacrifice him). 

Stiles’s morality doesn’t work like that. He would keep his father in the dark even if it meant letting people die, because his father’s life is more important to him than theirs. Stiles is a Slytherin with a very short list of people. 

I think in the S1 Stiles might have modeled Slytherin Secondary on top of his Ravenclaw secondary. He’s into manuevering and deception a lot more then than he is in the later seasons— especially after the nogitsune. 

“I’m 147 pounds of skin and bones; sarcasm is my only defense.” I think that says a lot of it— Stlies has been becoming more and more powerful in his own Ravenclaw skills, enough that he can rely on them instead of hiding behind Slytherin modeling. I’m not sure he feels safer (the world keeps getting more dangerous) but he’s been up against enough now to know that he can survive, and that what keeps him safe tends to be his steady mind and anxious preparations.

Lydia is a Ravenclaw/Ravenclaw who models Slytherin Secondary (eight million times better than Stiles does) and performs Puff (about as badly as Stiles models Slytherin—you can tell she’s putting it on for politeness, when she smiles and doesn’t mean it). 

In this way, her and Stiles’s journeys parallel each other, which makes their friendship one of my favorites. They’re both slowly coming to accept and value their Ravenclaw— to recognize that this is a kind of strength and perhaps even beauty; and that it is theirs.

Until Lydia starts breaking, she almost looks like a Slytherpuff—or, well, a Slytherin/Slytherin with a Puff performance. Her Puff is really unconvincing. But her outward facade of Slytherin Primary is magnificent. Even in the first season, though, her Claw peeks its head out now and then.

(Also: it looks like Lydia’s mom is a Ravenpuff? Which makes me wonder where Lydia learned that she should be a Slytherin. Because she’s so ashamed of her Ravenclaw, early on, both the primary’s idealism and the secondary’s intelligence and curiosity. She has this idea that beauty and power are the things required of her and that she must fulfill them. Only her world shattering around her made her vulnerable enough to reassess and embrace her Ravenclaw. It makes me want to meet her father, or other formative influences in her life, and perhaps see what her mother acted like in that marriage).

Alison Argent takes up her family’s moral legacy and rewrites it in her own words. She does what she thinks is right in defiance of foes, friends, and family. When she decides what right is, when she has watched and learned the world around her and slowly, deliberately built her own code out of the truths she’s found there—then Allison goes after her goals with a single minded intensity and a direct, sometimes violent efficiency. This, my friends, is a Ravenclaw/Gryffindor and she is beautiful.

(ALLISON I HOPE YOU ARE ENJOYING BACKPACKING FRANCE WHILE YOU RECONNECT WITH YOUR COUSINS AND FIGHT FOR TOLERANCE IN THE HUNTER COMMUNITY. I LOVE HOW YOU CALL LYDIA ONCE A WEEK ON SKYPE.)

Malia and Stiles boned over their shared Slytherin primary, which delights me. Malia looks like a Slytherdor, but I wonder if she might be a Slytherin/Slytherin who’s living in her “neutral state” because she doesn’t give a toot. I think if Malia needed to, she’d be happy to lie, coerce, adapt, transform to get what she wanted. She just so far doesn’t think highly enough of anyone to manuever in any way but straightforwardly. 

Kira is a Gryffinpuff, I think. She’s certain and forward and brave, and she goes after her goals with kindness and determination.

Derek is a Hufflepuff with a Claw secondary. “We’re brothers now,” he tells this young kid just because the kid got chewed on by his uncle. He is desperate for community (see: the terrible choices of the Worst Alpha Ever aka S2). Even when he’s creepy (often), even when he’s a failwolf (…more often), he’s doing things to help people simply because they are people.

But he was going to kill Lydia, right? When we thought she was the kanima. Yes, he was— to save other people. Scott, wasn’t, but they’re both still Puffs, because Derek is what happens when a kid like Scott loses hope—or gets a truer idea of the real world, depending on who you ask. 

Scott doesn’t believe in victories that come with comprimises attached. He doesn’t believe in heroism with trade-offs and consequences. Scott was going to save Lydia. But Derek? One girl’s life to stop a monster? He was going to save everyone else. 

(Which— he was wrong, it was Jackson, you failwolf. But I’m more interested in both of their why’s than I am in the realities of the fictional situation).

Derek, like Scott, also models Gryffindor and probably… shouldn’t. He’s worse at it than Scott is. Which, like, wow. Calm down kiddos, please. Neither of you wants to be alpha dog, not really. Embrace your inner pack mom. Take pain from people and take Kira leather jacket shopping and brush the hair out of Cora’s face and hold Lydia’s hand when she’s making hard decisions about what kind of person she wants to grow up to be. Here are your strengths, boys. Here is your heroism.

THE PARENTS

Melissa McCall, Mama McCall, the beacon of Beacon Hills, is a Slytherdor. Her son’s in danger? She will forcibly waken one of her own patients when she herself has warned against it. She will sit with Ms. Yukimura and wonder why their children have to fight this war. (Ms. Yukimura, who’s some sort of idealist House, will respond that otherwise they would be running and hiding, but Melissa will remain unconvinced because this is her boy). 

Melissa’s a Gryff secondary because she is direct, no-nonsense, and doesn’t care if she steps on people’s toes on the way to her goals. She’s amenable up until someone gets between her and something she wants, or something she wants to protect.Melissa models Hufflepuff occasionally, sometimes at her job, but most often around her ex, which makes me wonder if Melissa used to be a Slytherpuff, or a Huffledor, but went “no, screw this!” at the same time she threw her husband out of the house.

Papa Argent, I think, House shares with Derek Hale: Hufflepuff (his morality is informed strongly by the people he loves: his father and sister, and then his daughter; the best argument to get to him in S1 is “Scott hasn’t hurt anyone yet”) with a Ravenclaw primary (plans, preparation, and knowledge), and a Gryffindor modeling because it’s what his family expects of him. 

Scott doesn’t have that many Hufflepuff role-models, does he? His mom, who is extraordinary and wonderful, is a Slytherdor. You can get farther from Puff/Puff but it’s hard. He doesn’t particularly bond with Papa Argent.

The best role model is probably Sheriff, who might be a Puff primary, but who Gryffindor secondaries so competently. Gryffindor secondaries just aren’t where Scott’s skills lie. Or maybe he could find a role model in Deaton, who models Puff but I think Deaton’s really just a Ravenclaw/Ravenclaw. The Puff all goes away when things get serious.

No wonder the kid isn’t comfortable with his Puff. All of his heroes win their wars in other ways.

THE VILLAINS

Peter is a burned Hufflepuff. Literally. People who aren’t his family have ceased being people to him. He presents effectively as a rather nasty Slytherin, but I do think it’s ultimately coming from a Hufflepuff place. But maybe I’m wrong and he really is as simply and shallowly selfish as he seems. … yeah that’s quite possible. 

Peter’s got a slimy Slytherin secondary, and he models Ravenclaw, which is the Chessmaster set up, the mold for the manipulative schemer who (would like to think he) is two steps ahead of everyone. 

(This is opposed to just a Slytherin, where you get adaptable and interpersonally effective tactics, but no long term “mwuahaha” strategy, and just Ravenclaw (think Sokka. think later seasons Stiles) where you just have the strategist).

Gerard, the manipulative douchebag, is a Slytherin/Slytherin who performs Gryffindor to cajole people like Kate and Allison into following him.

Kate is a Gryffindor/Slytherin who models and performs Gryffindor. I’m so sorry Gryffindors.

[sunshinemitch]

Top 10 Favorite Characters

Rules: Name 10 favorite characters from 10 different things and tag 10 people.

I thought entirely too hard about this but I had so much fun doing it so here have a glimpse into my brain

10. Michael Kelso - That 70′s Show

I love almost all of the main characters on this show and I think they make eachother one of the best casts of all time so it was hard for me to just pick one character. I picked Kelso solely for the reason that he always makes me laugh in every episode and he is genuinely so clueless and innocent. He just radiates that dumb bitch energy that we all need sometimes. (Also thank you Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis for getting married in real life and making me believe in love again)

9. Penelope Garcia - Criminal Minds

While I have a very special place in my heart for Dr. Spencer Reid I feel like I self identify with Penelope in a lot of ways and I don’t think she ever gets the respect she deserves. My favorite thing about her is how she is always so smart and joyful even when she’s surrounded by so much ugliness all the time. Also, her unapologetic love and over the top flirting with tall dark and handsome men is the most relatable thing ever. I felt that one so hard.

8. Steve Harrington - Stranger Things

Something that you will soon notice is that I am a sucker for some A+ character growth and many of my favorite characters start out as awful people and then capture my heart. Steve Harrington has amazing hair, is a noted LGBT ally, and would protect his 5 adopted children with his life. I want to marry this man yesterday. 

7. Peter Parker - Spiderman

I have loved every single version of this character no matter who is playing him. I love that Peter would do anything to protect his friends and the people he loves. He has a clear moral compass but you can still see that he struggles and is conflicted about making the tough decisions. His immediate defense is sarcasm and I relate to that habit so hard. Precious boy energy at its best.

6. Benny “The Jet” Rodriguez - The Sandlot

Anyone that knows me knows that I had the biggest crush on this boy when I was growing up. He is so kind to literally all of his friends and would do anything for them. He’s always looking out for all of them and making sure everyone feels included and loved. Literally the best friend that everyone deserves and my heart belongs to him forever.

5. Evan “Buck” Buckley - (9-1-1)

This mans was so annoying when the show first started, but now I would gladly sacrifice my life for him. He cares SO MUCH about his friends and his sister and he shows it all the time by being a chaotic dumbass and trying to save literally everyone he comes into contact with. Also he loves his adopted child Christopher Diaz more than anything in the entire world and has proven to be the best second dad ever. 10/10 would marry but he’s currently dating his best friend Eddie and is unavailable even though they are both unaware.

4. Eddie Kaspbrak - It (2017)

This child single handedly stole my heart from the moment I saw his hypochondriac ass freak out over his friends playing in the sewer. Also he fixed his cast by making the LOSER into LOVER and it’s the softest thing I’ve ever seen. Also a notable character who also had great character growth and overcame his greatest fear in order to help save his friends.

3. Lydia Martin - Teen Wolf

Lydia Martin is one of my favorite characters of all time. I aspire to be even half as smart and beautiful as her. This girl literally went from being the stereotypical dumb, rich, selfish girl in high school to one of the bravest, smartest, most badass female character ever. Plus she did it all while serving some of the BEST looks of all time. Iconic.

2. Bellamy Blake - The 100

I have never cared about a character and his growth over a show as much as I have cared about this man. I have been watching this show for years and the emotional attachment I have to this character is unlike any other. One of the only reasons I still watch this show is because I need to know what happens to Bellamy when they eventually end it. As I said before I love a good character arc and Bellamy is literally the poster boy for character growth. I absolutely HATED him at the beginning of the show, but his character has gone from being a selfish douchebag having threesomes in his downtime, to one of the most selfless emotional characters who only wants to save his friends and do what is right. If he dies I will never recover.

1. Sarah Baker - Cheaper By The Dozen 1 & 2

My queen of all queens, Ms. Sarah Baker. When I was growing up there was no character I identified more with than Sarah Baker. She was the sarcastic smart-ass tomboy who was always down to play football with her brothers and her dad and she didn’t care what anyone thought. In the second movie I literally cried at the scene where Sarah gets caught trying to steal makeup from the gift shop and she tells her mom that it was to impress a boy but her mom tells her she doesn’t need makeup to be pretty and that if a boy doesn’t like her for her than he isn’t worth keeping. Literally the most valid. Also the kid she went on a date with in the movie was played by Taylor Lautner so she clearly had good taste.

Thanks for coming to my TED Talk. 

if you want to do this please do it, I love to see everyones answers! I tag @bisexualtravisdermott​ @babevillier​ and @trevormoore​

[sparkwhorunswithwolves]

1/3 Full offense, but you saying that Canon Scott is a toxic person and boyfriend is wrong and doesn’t make any sense whatsoever. Scott is the hero and moral center of the show. One of my favourite most 'Scott McCall' moment is when he says to Jackson “you've been around Alison for ages, you can't not like her.”

2/3 Like the idea of someone knowing her and deciding she wasn't at least likeable was insane to him. Scott's love is that pure, selfless and undeniable. Plus it shows he always looks for the good and humanity in others and uses compassion to drive his point instead of resorting to violence, gaslighting and intimidation to make people do what he wants like Derek Hale does.

3/3 He even believes that the guy who despises his guts and tried to steal his girlfriend has empathy and is worth saving, for God’s sake! Scott abhors killing not because he is shit at it or afraid to lose his true alpha status, but because he values each and every single life. If you don’t think that Scott McCall is a soft non-violent hero that deserves to be in a position of power, then you probably watched the show for all the wrong reasons (or you are a racist asshole, you choose)

If by all the wrong reasons you mean I only started watching it because it has one of the 3 canon adhd characters who I then obviously cared more for than anyone else, sure.

(okay no, but seriously, what the fuck are the wrong reasons? I'm genuinely curious, because I always thought that most of that was satire but apparently not?)

Okay, Allison, Derek, killing

Yes, Scott loves her, it's undeniable. If it weren't for werewolves/hunters they would make an adorable couple. But they just have so many issues in canon that I just don't get the romanticized first true love shit. This is not me saying Scott is the only one with that issue, I've said before that most major relationships especially in s1/2 are unhealthy at best or toxic and abusive at worst. Lydia and Jackson were a toxic mess in general, Stiles obsession with Lydia is creepy as fuck, blanket Derek is an ass, Jackson is using Allison. But it's shown as being bad, in a way that Scott Allison just isn't.

Scott is constantly lying to her, about werewolves, about her family, about her fucking mother. He literally tells her to go out with her stalker and implies to do whatever it takes so that they can keep seeing each other. He yells at her for not trusting him/telling him shit while doing the same thing.

It ~can be argued that it's the wolfsbane that made him creep on her in the shower, that it was the Darkness that made him throw Isaac against the wall twice, but it still leaves a sour taste in my mouth because it gets too close to excusing abusers for comfort.

I've written about forcing Derek to bite Gerard and my issues with s5 at length already (either in the anti or rewatching teen wolf s5 tag, have fun) so I'm not going to repeat myself too much.

But he's only showing compassion and nonviolent arguments when it suits him; he wants to kill Peter, Jackson, Gerard, he attacks the betas for daring to want the bite, he uses his werewolf strength to get (Stiles is the person I have concrete scenes in mind) to do what he wants, he mindfucks Corey (you know, the things that was bad and creepy when Peter and Derek did that to Scott and Jackson respectively?)

The entire thing with Liam mirrors Scott's relationship with Derek and Peter in s1. (no, really, and I mean this in the most non confrontational, you obviously want to talk about this way, send me another ask about how you would view s4 (and Liam trying to kill the alpha to safe his girlfriend in s5) from Liam's pov)

(also, no offense, but he's ridiculously bad at actually killing people)

But no, it's not. He's willing to kill Jackson as the kanima for hurting Allison, he planned to kill both Peter and Gerard, he (or someone, I'm still not sure what happened there) sent Peter to Eichen which I think we can all agree everyone knows is a lot worse than death.

He's just ~conveniently never the person to actually kill them, killing Peter was a group effort, Gerard, sadly, never fucking died, they let deuc kill Jennifer before telling him he's totally redeemed now (which, what?), the deadpool is disabled just in time so he doesn't have to kill nameless hunter #3, deuc goats Theo into killing the bb pack before Kira sends him to... Again what?

And it happens often enough to not be a coincidence but just doesn't go anywhere, because that kind of storyline works well with the villain, could have worked with his "it should have been me" speech, which then went nowhere.

[devilinsheepswool]

Obey Me! MC Character Sheet

Thanks to @kyungi-i for the spred sheet! I've seen others do it and thought why not me?

Name: Alisa Moreno

Nickname: Ally, Lisa, Li-Li, Al, Isa, Moreno

Age: 18

Height: 5'3

Weight: 170

Race: Human

Gender: ♀️

Birthday: April 13

Star Sign: Aries

Hair Color: Brown (pink streaks)

Eye Color: Brown

Skin: Brown/freckled

Demon brother, she is most to least like:

1. Levi

2. Belphie

3. Satan

4. Lucifer

5. Beel

6. Mammon

7. Asmo

Personality: she's pretty cynical and pessimistic, she also seems very aloof but somehow has a way of knowing a little bit of everything that's going on. When she wants to be she can be very observative and dedicated to her work, otherwise, she can come off as lazy, or disinterested just as much as aloof. Her snide personality comes off subtle mostly due to her wallflower and nerdish appearance. And she does have trouble getting to know other people due to her self-consciousness, low self-esteem and social anxiety; all of which she masks under witty remarks, jokes, and sarcasm. She puts up walls and its difficult to get to know her past surface level, despite it all Lisa does have a soft side and softens up around people that have a natural kindness and positivity about them or are straightforward. She has a good sixth sense, which helps her be an extremely good judge of character more often than not she is correct about her intuition regarding others' intentions towards her. Lastly, she has a bad habit of acting out and deliberately going against authority, she doesn't like feeling controlled and being told what to do. She'll usually follow the rules because she can't be bothered with the effort to break them but if she feels like someone's trying to control her or that she's being patronized then she will deliberately go out of her way to break the rules.

Background: Before coming down to Devildom, Lisa, despite only being 18 had already finished all her schooling, including higher education. Back on earth, she was recognized as a child prodigy in her research on historical documents and records, despite her early achievements at such an early age, the pressure of being placed on such a high pedestal career-wise eventually got to her and she fizzled out. Growing up an orphan without a past or family, the academy she worked for and her work was all she had, after she cracked due to the pressure she ran away hoping to live out the youth she felt she had never experienced in childhood. At age 16 she was a runaway and going under a different name. She lived on the streets and squatted in abandoned buildings for a few months before she met some people that offered to help her. During this time she developed an interest in music seeing as the people who helped her were a musical band full of teens just like her.

In order to stay with them, she lied to them about the truth of who she was and why she ran away. She stayed with one of the band members she had become close to during her initial days of having met them. While she stayed with them she learned how to play several instruments and eventually sing as well. She went on to perform with them but after two years of playing with them musical difference surged and a fight broke out, after which Alisa decided to run away again. It was during her second night of squatting in an abandoned house that she woke up in Devildom.

Hobbies: Music; Singing, Electric Guitar, Violin.

Likes: Sweets, Reading, Music, Animals, Writing, Video Games and drawing.

Dislikes: Liars, being lied to, math, meddling (Ironically), cruelty, injustice/unfairness and short tempers. Words that sound one way but are spelled another, or that sound like they mean one thing and then mean something else.

Appearance:

She's fairly average height. She's on the plump side, with a rounded face that makes her look baby-faced. She has freckles but due to her brown skin they're difficult to notice. Her eyes are rounded and large despite the dark circles brought on by years of bad sleeping. Her hair is short in a bob cut and wavy/curly, usually, she has a singular braid running down her left side. She wears glasses to see and prefers to wear loose-fitting clothing except for at performances. She tends to dress on the nerdy side.

Casual Clothing -

• Top: Sky Blue sweater rather loose fitting sweater over a white button up blouse.

• Bottom: plaid moss green skirt. Over the knee length, style is somewhat pencil skirt. Black tights under skirt.

• Shoes: Brown Boots.

• Accessories: star-shaped hair clip, silver necklace with a star pendant, a bunch of woven, or leather, or beaded bracelets. 

• Glasses: Yes. Black plain.

Uniform:

Alterations?

Not many, she wears the uniform properly a skirt version with the same black tights underneath the skirt. And a light blue tie on her uniforms blouse.

• Mother: N/A

• Father: N/A

• Siblings: N/A

• Pets: A black cat she adopted during the first time she ran away, she found her in one of the abandoned buildings fed her and the cat kept following her after that. Her name is Pandora.

• Friends: Prior to joining the band Alisa had none, after joining the band she made 2, Lydia and Florence. The lead singer and drummer of the band, respectively. She stayed with Florence and her grandmother during her time in the band.

• Past Relationships:

She had a mentor/advisor who eventually became a colleague when she finally started working with the academy. She was very close to her and was her only actual relationship. Her relationship with Dr. Aver was the closest she's ever had to a familial relationship. In the early stages of their relationship Aver became endeared with a rather small and young Alisa and tried to offer her the closest thing to a family she could through her and her husband. While they had a solid well-going relationship, they hit an obstacle when Aver was offered a position teaching at a highly prestigious institution abroad. Aver tried to keep connected long distance but it all came to an end when Alisa ran away.

Alisa dated three times during her time in the band the first relationship was bad from the start and ended badly, the second and third one ended with Alisa self-sabotaging herself due to the first bad experience. All occurred relatively back to back during the first year and half of her being in the band.

The first one though was the longest one, which lasted for 9 months. The last two were relatively short-lasting about a month to two each.

Sexuality: Unsure, possibly Pan.

Have they been in love before?

Because of her first toxic relationship and overall young age, at the time Alisa is hesitant to say that she ever was truly in love in any of her past relationships. But she was the most heartbroken with the ending of her 3rd relationship. Prior to her third relationship, the other two were mainly out of curiosity for exploring with dating than actual love.

How easily do they gain crushes?

Not easy, she wasn't aware of her feelings towards her third (future) partner until she was in her second relationship, her feelings for her 3rd future partner had started amidst her 1st relationship when it started going downhill.

Do they believe in love?

She doesn't really have an opinion on it, she's rather cynical and with her negative past experiences you would think she doesn't believe in it anymore if she ever had, but honestly, it's not something she's thought about that much. She's just experiencing life as she goes, maybe someday...

What's their type:

Alisa is the type of person to look for what she's missing in her life in someone else; she's typically drawn to kind, warm-hearted people, more likely than not optimists with positive personalities. You get the sense that she's into the "angelic" type (thus her third ex/first love) with a strong moral compass always set on doing right. Of course, this being her type doesn’t mean it’s what suits her the best. Mixed with her low self-esteem, a relationship with her ideal type may turn out to be hazardous as she might end up over-idealizing the person or self-sabotaging once again due to low self-worth as well.  

Which of the 7 brothers is her favorite?

That's a tough one she likes both Mammon and Levi but couldn't pick a favorite between both. Although Beel is also a strong contender for her favorite.

Why?

Mammon, despite not being honest about what he truly thinks about her is easy to read and has always been there for her when she's truly needed him, he's stepped in to save her multiple times and she knows he clearly worries about her. She's grateful to him despite his antics, and is able to look past the big cool guy/bad boy facade he puts on and appreciate him for being there when she really needs him.

Levi, she actually sees a lot of herself in him. Especially, a lot of her from prior to her first run away. She relates to his hermit-like personality because prior to running away she was like that as well. She can also sympathize and empathize with his obvious insecurities and wants to more than anything be there to reassure him and help become more secure of himself. Despite not being a total weeb like Levi, during her time in the band she did develop some interest in anime and manga, just not as passionate as Levi's.

What do they look for in a partner?

Ideally, she likes kind-hearted, empathetic people but speaking practically she'd prefer an honest straightforward person easy to read that doesn't try to play mind games or control her. Someone patient and that can reassure her when she doubts herself, and most importantly someone that will call her out when she needs to be. She doesn't want someone that will coddle, pamper, or try to spoil her like a little doll and let her get away with things that are prick-ish. She's good at keeping herself in check but she'd like the reassurance that someone will call her out if she slips up without noticing.

General -

Fav. Food: Tamales, but she also loves Cheeseburgers and Milkshakes.

Least Favorite: Meatloaf, Eggnog, Rasin Muffins, Salmon.

Favorite color: blue & green

Least Favorite: White or Neons

Sociable or Recluse? Both, she can be something of an ambivert but prefers to be more reserved due to her majority introvertness.

Favorite Movie Genre: Droll Comedy, or Action Political Thrillers/govt. conspiracy, K-drama's

Reader or not? Very much a reader, liked it and eventually it was what her job required of her in order to conduct her research.

Favorite Animals: She likes cats and dogs, but she also has an ample love for animals of all kinds but especially the ones that can be found in the woods; Owls, Raccoons, Wolves, Crows. Her favorite however has to be the Fox.

Favorite Music Genre: Rock, though she's big on ceremonials and sea shanties as well, and loves testing her vocal range with gregorian chants and Hymns.

Least Favorite: Country

Do they like sweets?

BIG YES.

Do they like spicy food?

👌👌👌👌

Do they like school?

Not so much like but she was good at it, and a majority of her life was dedicated and depended on it, overall she doesn't have bad memories about school perse, so I guess you could say that she does.

Pet Peeves:

Loud food chewing, bad breath, meddling in her business, being patronized, people pointing out her baby face, people trying to manipulate, use or lie to her.

[abigailnussbaum]

The Handmaid’s Tale 3x04, “God Bless the Child”

June’s power lies in her compassion.  She extends that compassion all-but indiscriminately, whether she’s trying to stop Jeanine from committing suicide, or expressing genuine concern for an ailing Aunt Lydia, or sympathizing with Serena’s bereaved motherhood.  She offers it to the deserving, to soulless monsters, and to people - like Joseph Lawrence - who have enough of a soul that they should have known better.  It is both a survival strategy, and the purest expression of her character, which has only grown clearer as Gilead’s cruelty has worn away at the affectations of her old life.  

The Handmaid’s Tale is at its best when it recognizes just what a double-edged sword that compassion is.  As June tells us in this episode when she looks at Fred, she knows that what she feels for him is neither the hate that he deserves from her, nor the love that he thinks he deserves, but she can’t put a name on what it actually is.  This is the predicament of the slave, from whose narrative the original novel takes much of its shape.  A slave isn’t free to either hate or love their master.  The hatred they should by rights feel is compromised by the knowledge that if they feel it too strongly, they might display it, and suffer the consequences.  Worse, it is compromised by the closeness of the slave and master’s lives, by small kindnesses offered to paper over enormous cruelties.  But that closeness can never breed real love, only a twisted shadow of it.  

The relationship that forms between Offred and the Commander in the novel is built along those lines, and the show works best when it recalls it.  Or when it contrasts June’s compassion with other handmaids’ own survival strategies - Emily’s violence, Jeanine and Lilly’s acceptance of Gilead’s twisted credo, at least for a while.  (Note that when I say survival strategy, I don’t mean actual survival - as we’ve been told and shown multiple times, no one survives Gilead in the long run unless they escape.  But you can learn how to live in it during the time you have, or how to die on your own terms.)

But more and more, as it insists that June’s compassion is a viable path towards revolution, the show seems to be erasing that slippage between love and hate.  When June protects Jeanine, throws herself bodily over a woman who is being flogged within an inch of her life, she is once again expressing her deep-seated compassion.  What happens next, however, isn’t true to anyone’s character.  The Wives and Commanders side with June, albeit silently.  She escapes without punishment, and Aunt Lydia is treated with scorn and disgust.

Aunt Lydia deserves every bit of her suffering, of course.  She deserves to be looked at with revulsion because she is a thoroughly revolting person.  But so is everyone else in the room, except for June, Jeanine, and the baby.  They were all fine with the violence the Aunts perpetrated on the Handmaids to get them to agree to be ritually raped and bear children who will be stolen from them, so long as they didn’t have to see it (remember Serena physically turning green when Lilly showed her her severed tongue?).  They’ve all participated in that violence themselves, and some of them - like Fred and Warren - have gone further than even what their twisted society permits.  And they should be furious with June for calling their attention to that.  

No matter how much they might disapprove of Aunt Lydia beating Jeanine, the Wives and Commanders should be even more incensed at June for putting a stop to it.  Because if someone like June has the right to pass moral judgment on Aunt Lydia, that might mean she has the same right to pass judgment on them.  A slave can never be allowed to think of themselves as human in the same way as their masters.  That the show puts the Wives and Commanders, even temporarily, on June’s side is not just a lie, but yet another indication that it may not understand how totalitarianism, and rebellion against it, actually work.

What I’m looking for is some sign that June’s compassion towards the rulers of Gilead is a tactic, at least as much as it is a genuine expression of her character.  You get a hint of this in the episode’s closing scene, when her face crumples a little at Serena’s joy at watching Nicole (ugh) on the video with Luke.  It suggests that her acceptance of her shared motherhood with Serena early in the episode is a way of getting Serena on her side.  But then you also have an earlier scene, where Serena soothes June’s anger at her lack of compassion for Jeanine by bribing her with information about Hannah.  Not that it would be wrong for June to look out for her own family, but that is not how you start a revolution.

[violencefcrged]

THEIR MOTHER? HOW DO THEY THINK OF HER? WHAT DO THEY HATE? LOVE? WHAT INFLUENCE - LITERAL OR IMAGINED - DID THE MOTHER HAVE?

          Amos only talks very briefly, I think once, about his mother in the show / he also states in a different conversation that he hasn’t felt fear since he was five years old; in another conversation he says that one of the most important things you can do as a parent is love your kid / protect them etc. ( paraphrasing and probably got some of that wrong but ok).  I headcanon that what relationship / time he did have with his mom was pretty poignant.  Things were tough, they probably lived either in subsidized government housing or outside of that, very rough and tumble, poverty / below poverty line in slums but I think it’s clear that he treasures what time he did have with his mother a great deal.  She probably did everything she could to keep him safe, to take care of him and I suspect that she died either protecting him / trying to keep him from being taken away or, possibly, died of a illness that she didn’t receive treatment for because they were living outside of government assisted housing etc. or that the medical teams just wouldn’t treat / authorize.  It was Lydia, something of a surrogate mother’s influence on him that reminds him that he needs a northern star / moral compass, that drives him to be better than he perceives himself as and probably what drives him to protect the people in his life that he sees as ‘the good ones’ aka the ones he ‘needs to protect’ – especially since the majority of the people he uses as a moral compass are women.  (Naomi, the pastor in season three whose name I can’t remember right now, etc.).  

   He also seems more inclined to follow women, to listen to them more than he does men; he tends to take the time to think over what they say, what advice or news or orders they have then he does with men etc. so yeah.  I think that relationship has probably developed, over the years especially, in his head, as something sacred.  It’s probably also skewed in his memories with what nostalgia he’s capable of and as it says in the show, our best and worst memories are the ones that we replay over and over in our heads and every time we remember / replay something in our memories, it changes just a tiny bit, it’s altered, skewed, one way or the other, for better or worse.

[starcourtscream]

i   have   a   lot   of   feelings   about   lydia   lately   and   how   complex   she   is   ???

let’s   get   reeeeally    deep   in    lydia’s   mind   here.  

  she   definitely   can   have   a   sassy   attitude   that’s   too   sharp   for   a   lot   of   people   and   she   might   look   like   a   h.eather   c.handler   2.0   because   she   has   that   natural   alpha   babe   charisma   so   she’s   often   taken   at   face   value.   pretty,   bitchy   and   probably   intellectually   dense.   the   latter   couldn’t   be   further   from   the   truth   &   there’s   so   much   more   to   her   than   that.   she’s   easily   judged   for   her   looks,   pretty   girl   =   barbie   brat   stereotypes   and   her   past   social   life   even   though   she   was   never   mean.   tart,   absolutely  but   not   a   demonic   bitch.   she   can   be   sweet,   especially   to   her   favorite   people   and   those   she   decides   she   really   likes   but   she’s   had   her   moments   where   she   wasn’t   the   sugary   baby   that   seems   to   be   accepted   in   order   to   be   a   Good   Person.   heart   of   gold   ?   ice   princess   ?   you’ll   have   to   give   her   a   chance   &   find   out   yourself   if   she   decides   to   let   you   close   enough.

she   can   see   where   other   peoples’   reputations   and   even   actions   don’t   always   align   with   their   true   selves   &   that’s   why   i   often   ship   her   with   edgy   assholes   or   people   with   good   hearts   but   messy   dark   sides.   1.  she   can   take   it   for   obvious   reasons   and   2.   there’s   something   about   that   that   just   kinda   works   ???   i’ve   noticed   lydia   easily   connects   with   that   in   weird   ways   &   i   think   it   has   a   lot   to   do   with   her   empathic   gifts   and   sentience   to  others’   vibes,   auras   &   emotional   energy.   it’s   different   from   compassion   but   combined.    she   and   she   understands   not   everyone   is   morally   pure   marshmallow   but   she's   okay   with   that   because   lydia   not-all-monsters-do-monstrous-things  (  tbh   that’s   powerful   and   says   a   lot   about   who   she   is ) can   see   the   good   in   people   and   pays   attention   to   the   smallest   details.

she's   damaged   and   her   psyche   is   fractured   by   high   sensitivity,   a   compulsion   to   appear   perfect,   insecurity   and   she   does   overcompensate   for   attention   &   go   out   of   her   way   sometimes   because   1.   she’s   NOT   stone   cold,   icy   or   dead   inside   and   2.   she   knows   how   it   feels   to   be   the   flavor   of   the   week   &   discarded.    it’s   a   thing.   she’s   the   mysterious,   sexy,   sensational   it   girl   who   doesn’t   have   to   try,    but   she   still   tries   too   hard   to   get   people   to   like   her.

lydia’s   seen,   experienced   &   felt   a   lot   of   things.   DEATH.   omens.   true   premonitions.   all   kinds   of   psychic   warnings.   dream   prophecies.   supernatural   chaos.   the   whole   spectrum   of   ill   fate.   their   aftereffects.   she’s   the   polar   opposite   of   naive,   she   bottles   up   or   at   least   minimizes   her   own   emotions,   can   sometimes   be   afraid   to   show   affection   and   be   hesitant   to   express   herself   in   any   way   because   she   knows   how  fragile   &   unpredictable   the   universe   can   be.    this   also   applies   to    people.   she   can   get   attached   to   people   who   either   die   or   make   her   wish   she   hadn’t.   sometimes  caring   so   much   about   people   can   be   the   worst   thing   in   the   world   for   lydia   because   of   these   reasons.  &   she’s   waiting   for   the   ground   to   disappear   beneath   her   and   it's   easy   to   just   assume   Something   Bad  Is   Gonna   Happen.    this   whole   logic   makes   her   lowkey   skeptical.

she’s   aware   that   people   can   use   the   slightest   nanosecond   of   vulnerability   against   her.   they   might   snap   and   turn  on   her    &   all   kinds   of   things   can   backfire.     she’s   afraid   that   if   her   true   colors   show   through   the   cracks,   people   are   going   to   think   she’s   crazy   or   too   neurotic   to   deal   with    &   leave   her.     when    someone   treats   her   nicely,   she’s   genuinely   shook.   at   the    same   time,  there’s   this   little   voice   in   her   head   telling   her   not   to   get   used   to   this   /   think   she’s   special   because   it   either   won’t   last,   there’s   a   hidden   catch   or   cruel    intention.   she’s   aware   of   her   jaded   &   cynical   attitude,   but   she   prefers   to   think   of   it   as   not   being   stupid   and   proceeds   with   that   knowledge   or   illusion   of   pretending   she   doesn't   care.

[sunjaesol]

Thoughts on 6x15 Pressure Test

- More... hunters. Great.  - THEO - He wants nothing, Theo, just seeing you dead is enough. You know what? I like Theo! Not because he’s a ood characeters, but because he’s fucked up and that’s cool to see. It’s a nice perspective to follow. He’s also a leader, but in a different way.  - Theo is smart, damn - I wonder why Liam and Malia don’t have the two circles tattood somewhere. If Satomi’s pack does it, and the Hale pack, than why isn’t the McCall pack doing it?  - “You know Scott McCall?”, I suppose he’s very famous in the supernatural world? The one and only True Alpha from this century? - Well... he’s still a psychopath.  - ah, the sheriff - Okay, yes, Theo did murder the Hunter, but how do they know so fast? And the Hunter tried to kill them so... I don’t know.  - DEATON WHAT - Oh great, visitors commit suicide. Wonderful.  - First of all, where is Deaton going? We’ve never seen this kind fo energy happening to humans. Is it the flesh, body, thingy again? Secondly, what the fuck is he wearing?  - What the fuck is happening?  - I swear to God if Teen Wolf lets Deaton die... - So, Scott probably dialed Deaton for help and Deaton probably proposed he would go as he is more experienced and... yes. Okay. A face. It’s not faceless, but perhaps it was the face of the faceless creature. And why has there been many more before Deaton that killed themselves? - lol Theo is back in jail - not smart Jiang. I love the girl her boots though.  - “Would Stiles think that?” LYDIA MARTIN THINKING OF HER MAN - Nonono the flesh faceless thing is there right? Theo heard it.  - Poor girl.  - lol Malia I’d laugh too. I don’t think though I’ve ever heard Malia actually laugh uncontrolably. It’s nice. - No one asked you to be there, Tamara.  - What in the world. A sheriff raising his hands to vigilantes.  - It’s quite interesting, this season. The Hunters think they’re not doing anything wrong, and the supernatural don’t think they’re not doing anything wrong. But at the end of the day, they both made mistakes. Supernaturals killing people for the sake of their secret, and Hunters killing supernaturals even if they didn’t do anything to them. Really, they’re just humans with an extension, and Hunters don’t seem to grasp that. No one seems to, which is odd. But, peer pressure is a thing and can make people do weird things, so I understand why everyone is opposite of them.  - If you hurt. one. single. hair. on. the. sheriff’s. head. i. will. castrate. all. of. you. and. sterelise. you. Tamara. - “DeWitte” lol is he of Dutch descent? - Why is Malia the only one feeling it? Whatever “it” is. - The pack is not even surprised to see Theo? Oh, well. - I love Malia this season. She has a wider arrange of emotions, if that makes sense. It’s her most “human” season, regarding her feelings, actions and reactions. - The girl is very logical - “There’s only a dozen of them out there, we can take them” YES LYDIA - The last of Satomi... must feel awful. Losing your family members so quickly. So, Lori did die with Brett, she just dragged herself to his body so she could die alongside him. - “I need a thing too” Teen Wolf realising Corey has no value.  - huh, Corey realising he has no value. Great.  - oh okay this is cool. It’s the last season, so go back to basics, back to where it all started, before they were mutations. Wolves.  - Why are Nolan and that guy here? Don’t they have homework to do? Or a life to live? - So small quakes is the supernatural and one devestating quake is killing everyone that comes in your path? How is that... she’s crazy. Absolutely crazy. Kate would be proud of her.  - Theo’s like “ugh FINE” - wait this is like the fist battle. It’s been a while since they actually... you know, fought. Scott hardly ever uses force because he’s against it, so it’s been a while (I think 5B) where we saw some actual action. I’m excited. And nervous.  - COME ON PARRISH - scolia look™ - Please, if Stiles could contact you through dimensions by radio you can fix that radio as well - Don’t look so surprised, Nolan. You stabbed Corey with a pen.  - aww no I liked Liam x Theo friendship in 6A. Well, Stiles hurt Scott in 5B and they’re still besties so I suppose this is just a bump in the road. - “I’m still working on my anger.” But... shouldn’t that be solved by being a werewolf? Scott lost his astma because of it. - “I’m still human” what i’ve been screaming at my screen since this season came out. They’re STILL HUMAN. They have legs and arms and eyes and a face and a brain and a consious. They learn and mke mistakes and fall in love and get their hearts broken. They’re human, just... with an extra. - A pack is a family, Nolan. Before you start going on a killing spree, do your research. - The actor of Jiang is good. Like, they have Lori who was terrible and then him who’s pretty great. He’d be a great addition to the pack tbh, I like him already. The girl hasn’t said too much.  - What is that? And how did Nolan get loose? - Oh, wolfsbane. In liquid form. - fuck okay Scott. It’s been a while since he lashed out with his eyes.     - Okay so they’re blue. They’ve killed people.  - oh I missed Deaton, always with his “We’re closed” thing - other half? and I thought the drawing was a face? Guess not.  - Who is innocent and who is not? What is good and what is bad. Scott’s moral compass is shifting and shifting and shifting... - Wait.  - Nolan is the creature? - But if Scott kills people, will he lose his red eyes or not? and will he still be a True Alpha? - wHAT THE FICK THAT FACELESS THING MAKES PEOPLE KILL THEMSELVES WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE  - nONONONONONON WOMAN DONT KILL YOURSELF - PUTAIN. Merde. Le situation est très grave.  - ooooooh so the wolves and the rats - it’s all because of that thing. I get it now. (damn, it only took like five episodes for me to figure that out) - THATS IT! Throw the bodies outside and let them think it’s the two of Satomi’s pack. It’s one girl and one boy, it would work. - Scott and I think the same *feels the bromance* - oh, the other half of the drawing is in the Wild Hunt Universe. COREY IS USEFUL HALLELUJAH - Corey can draw.  - ancient shape shifter that feeds of fear so it gets more powerful. So, Nogitsune 2.0 but now without a host. They killed a Nogitsune, but that was a fox. This is just... nothing. It’s ancient, nothing they know.  - Oh, Anuk-ite. Great. My actual name resembles that quite a lot. (You heard it here first, folks, Ophelia is a pseudonym woop woop)  - “Two faces may mean two creatures” One beautiful, one ugly. I swear, if Lydia gets involved...  - But this is really interesting. It’s been a while (since 3B) since I was actually afraid and intrigued by the villain. - This is like Aiden and Ethan, morphing together. Only more violent I suppose. - OH SHIT PAPA MCCALL ENTERED THE BUILDING - Did Melissa call him?  - “We’ll go” ???? - NO SCOTT WHY DID YOU GAVE THEM AWAY FUCK FUCK FUCK - Oh... with McCall. Okay. That’s for the best I suppose - scolia and thiam are rising tonight - Wait but when did McCall find out Scott was a werewolf? Did I just forget about that or??? - cute scott smile ™ - oh my god they’re holding hands oh my god - SCOTT IS SO CUTE WHEN HE HAS A CRUSH OH MY GOD HE IS LIKE THE ADORABLE PUPPY IN THE RELATIONSHIP AND MALIA IS LIKE THE ONE WHO DOESNT LIKE PDA AND LIKE PRETENDS SHE DOESNT LIKE HIM AS MUCH AS HE DOES IM SO - - - (sorry anti’s I like them) - ah, all the supernatural are gonna leave town - oh, Mason... I’m sorry. (but tbh you’re better of without Corey but you’re in love so) - NO TIERNEY JIANG - poor Mason - ooh Corey is still here alright - Corey, realy? A smiley?  - cocky!Scott is my kink - I’m so glad Stiles isn’t here though. Mentally, it wouldn’t be good for him. 

[princeescaluswords]

One of the funniest fandom things is when they attribute the diversity of species within the McCall Pack to Stiles when if Stiles had it his way, there'd be no pack aside from himself, Scott and Allison. Yet they portray him as the heart and the glue who reached out and accepted with open arms everybody with no judgment.

Your question led me to an epiphany.   

Stiles Stilinski was the heart of the pack.  He’s certainly not the glue that holds it together -- that was Scott.  People were in the pack because of Scott, and when they doubted him or he doubted himself is when the pack stumbled.  But the heart?  The mission statement that guided its formation?   That was Stiles.  Let me explain.

Stiles Stilinski was never going to be my favorite character.  I don’t like liars, by which I mean people who believe it is normal and fair to manipulate the people closest they supposedly trust and want them to trust him.  He lied to everyone he cared about: his father, Scott, Lydia, Malia, Liam, and Kira.  I don’t like people who use cruelty on the people they care about to make themselves feel better or to get  those people to do what they want.  “To all the people at your funeral,” “Mom would have believed me,” “the second one you’ve dated by the way,” and “Some of us are human”  are all cruelties, which while cathartic, were designed to emotionally badger them into acting how Stiles wanted.  I don’t like people who think boundaries are for people other than them, who think their own personal needs outweigh other people’s privacy and self-determination.  And I don’t like people who feel that their own pain allows them to physically or emotionally hurt their friends and family, and yet act so shocked when they are the target.

But that’s the point!  That’s why he’s the heart of the pack.   Why?  I’ll allow Ethan to explain it:

Ethan: “Scott doesn’t care about power.  He cares about people. You want to be a wolf in his pack?  Try being a human in high school.”

I nearly missed it, and it’s slightly embarrassing.  Stiles’s place in the pack wasn’t earned by him being a shining example of compassion and morality, because he wasn’t.  His place wasn’t earned because of his planning skills, which sucked.  His place wasn’t earned because he was always right, which he definitely wasn’t.  His place wasn’t earned because he was the Spark of All Sparks, which he wasn’t because that’s not a thing; it was an analogy.      

Stiles is part of the pack because he’s their friend, and he cares about them and they care about him.  That’s it.  That’s all.   

Why does this make him the heart of the pack?  Because that is the unique characteristic of the McCall Pack.   I almost forgot that even when Peter-stans have him sneer at the ‘mismatched’ nature of Scott’s pack.  The fact that it often has more non-werewolves than werewolves.   The fact that Scott would give defeated villains second chances rather than throwing him in the outer dark forever.  Can a person care about them and can they care about this person?  Then they can be in the pack.

It’s unique to the seven packs (or attempts at a pack) we saw on the show. They weren’t all portrayed in a negative light, but they were different than the McCall Pack.  Talia’s and Laura’s pack were their biological family of werewolves.  Malia wasn’t sent to be adopted out of malice, but she clearly wasn’t pack.  Peter’s attempt at a pack was solely designed to help him get what he wanted.  Derek’s pack was formed out of fear and mistrust for the world around it.   The Alpha Pack was an attempt to create a perfect pack of powerful monsters for conquest.  Satomi’s pack was based on hiding from others, and it was exclusive because Brett pointed out, “Satomi wasn’t doing any recruiting.”  The Primal lived off the grid, rejecting human civilization, which caused estrangement even between mothers and daughters.

Stiles is the heart of the pack because he embodied its uniqueness.  The McCall Pack is about caring for each other, regardless of family, species, history, or utility.  It’s about acceptance. Don’t just take my word for it, ask Scott and Stiles:

Scott: We need help. If Theo's got his own pack now then we need ours. We have to get the others back. 

Stiles: The others? You mean Kira who's currently battling a homicidal fox spirit inside of her, Malia who isn't even speaking to either one of us, Lydia who's stuck in Eichen House, and Liam who almost killed you? 

Scott: Also known as our best friends. 

Stiles: Okay, how? 

Scott: One by one. 

Stiles: You're not seriously going to make me do it? 

Scott: You're part of the pack, right? 

Stiles: Okay.

It occurs to me that this is why people thought Scott had thrown Stiles out of the pack.  To them, pack membership is earned by utility.  Stiles would be part of Peter’s Pack or Derek’s Pack because he was a master detective, or a true mate, or an anchor, or Mega-Super-Spark.  Just being their friend wasn’t enough.

So if Scott didn’t want Stiles to look for Malia and Lydia and to go talk to his dad rather than being by his side, they interpreted it as Scott saying that Stiles had no use and thus wasn’t pack.  But that’s not what being in the McCall Pack is about.  It’s why Derek was pack the moment he came back and he never really  stopped being pack.  He cared about them, and Scott and the others cared about him.   It’s why there is hope for Theo to one day be pack.  Because people are beginning to care about him and he is beginning to care about them.  Thus -- pack.

Thank you very much for that question.  

[carterhaughs]

Spoilers for Harlots Ep 6

My stray thoughts on this episode:

We see Lucy continuing to grapple with all of her deeply negative and traumatic experiences with sex this episode (she’s had only one positive experience with it and seems to have had a number of the worst sort of experiences early on - would she think she was “no good at this” if her entry into this world hadn’t been so rough? probably not, but she thinks her reaction is unnatural and her fault) - it makes her supremely uncomfortable to even hear all the groans and grunts of pleasure in the house of Wells. this of course all comes to a head when she stabs the horrid sir george in self-defense, and it’s far from an act of vengeance or something meant to signify her “descent into darkness” (she even goes back to apologize to him!) or whatever people are saying about the direction of her storyline. it’s a thing that happens that Margaret takes upon herself so that sweet Lucy won’t be damned, in one of the most powerful moments of the episode. more than ever, this episode shows us how even when Margaret does the wrong thing, it’s always out of love. that’s something of a theme in the parent/child relationships this episode including the abusive relationship of lydia/margaret (which I’ll discuss later) as Florence points out, and Florence’s own relationship with her daughter Amelia - and Fanny’s relationship with her unborn child is also explored as another example of the exigencies exacted by motherhood. Despite the hand her mother has had in her situation, Lucy continues to be loyal to her and lashes out at the other girls when she suspects them of speaking ill about her. All the scenes of her and Margaret holding each other - in the wake of Lucy finding out what her mother did for her - caught at my heart and made me cry.

Scenes like the one we got between Will and Harriet are so important. Seeing Harriet happy that she finally has some power over her life and the future of her children is a beautiful thing, and seeing Will reach out to her with kindness and empathy from a place of shared understanding was cathartic for her to be sure - and I’ve little doubt he has now somehow gone after her children and will bring them back to her. Then we see Will crack under Benjamin Lennox’s constant racist attacks on him, and Margaret’s interesting response - she is proud of Will for defending himself but as he says, still upset about the practical side of things. Margaret has a clear moral compass but business pretty much always comes first in matters of pride.

The irony of Emily’s situation and of Margaret saying to Nancy that “that girl’s not worthy of your care” is that she is a lot like Margaret was once in terms of her circumstances (and I suspect, her personality), as Nancy pointed out last episode and yet Margaret turned her away. She did not “sustain and defend” as Nancy said she ought. This is an indictment of Margaret’s occasional ruthless pragmatism (possibly even an unconscious occasional emulation of Lydia as I’ll discuss later) - it is not a reason to blame Emily for her own situation (and it’s not something the other girls have seen Margaret do before as they’re shocked and it leads Fanny to keep her pregnancy secret). She felt under-appreciated so she left for work elsewhere. She in no way brought her horrible situation upon herself. 

oh my god the scene between Florence and Amelia had me in tears. And it really seems to have enabled Florence to look on others in similar situations who haven’t given up the trade more charitably. Amelia is the only source of good in her life, but her goodness is so pervasive and determined and comforting that her mother cannot help but be swayed by it and decides to extend that understanding to others. she sees the hand of God in her child’s understanding, and takes it as a sign that her perspective is the right one. can Amelia just become a midwife or something to help out the other girls? that would be ideal. she’s been a nurse for her mother for years now!

Haxby is absolutely DESPERATE to get his job back (and looks like he’s been crying?), as it’s always been obvious it’s his whole life, and clearly believes his own delusions about the sway Charlotte had over him (notwithstanding his parting shot later about how she gave him pleasure - that was clearly a bit of unwitting jealousy) - that the fault lies with her. I’ve seen the next episode and he’s not in it much either and all I can say without spoilers is that I don’t like the direction it takes - it’s not so much character assassination as character oversimplification. It’s possible that more will be done with it in ep 8, but I’m pessimistic about it being resolved to my liking. This is one of only two things about this show that bother me - they just stick out a lot bc everything else is so well done (and I’m talking about episode 7 specifically and not what happens in this episode). Cmon guys you hired Ed Hogg - give him good material like you did in the first half of the season!

oh betsey having trouble with drink and Prince trying to help her :( he wants to be friends with the girls but his own survival instincts make it hard for them to trust him.

It was great to see more of Kitty this episode - she’s a good leader able to hold down the fort when Margaret’s needed elsewhere, and to manage conflicts and issues among the girls.

Nancy served SO MANY LOOKS this episode; I was LIVING. also Lydia’s black lace hat thing was my favorite thing ever - need one of those for myself

“How can it be hate that drives you? It is love.” And we see that love, such as it is, come into play in the final devastating scene of this episode. When Lydia comes to the door once more as Nancy is trying to transport Howard from the premisses, Margaret looks absolutely spent. Out of a combination of desperation to distract Lydia, emotional exhaustion, and through the learned behavior of an abused child, she tells Lydia where Emily is. “That’s my good girl,” Lydia says to her, and touches her chin in a way eerily reminiscent of how we’ve sometimes seen Margaret touch Lucy’s. That wraps up an episode on the perils of motherhood for both parties involved, and the lengths to which mothers will go when it’s not hate that drives them, but love.