#This got away from me a bit

[werewolfsmile]

Just watched The Big Bang Job again today and I rambled about this in an earlier post reblog but it deserves its own post..

The way Eliot dresses makes so much more sense after meeting Moreau and his goons. He rejects all notions of being anything like those well dressed men in their suits again. So blank and uniform, just another soldier in Moreau's private army.

That's why his shirt is always untucked, sleeves rolled up, collar unbuttoned. Not to mention the hair - the biggest rebellion is his hair. A constant reminder of who he is now that stays the same, no matter what he wears.

And it just makes me think how this is such a good representation of the identity crisis he went through (and let's be real, is still going through).

Eliot used to be one of those men. He had his hair short, wore the tailored suits and carried the guns. He didn't accessorise. He suppressed every aspect of an individual personality in order to fit the role that Moreau had for him.

Sure, we're not blatantly told all of those things in the show, but we can infer, simply from looking at Moreau's goons and how they're presented.

Seeing Eliot surrounded by those goons in the pool scene is more than just showing us the threat to Eliot and Hardison - and also the threat that Eliot and his reputation present. It's about showing us the demons of his past, the nightmare that he doesn't want to go back to. Eliot had alluded to his past before but it's been nebulous. Now, we finally see that past take shape and it's hideous.

But Eliot didn't stay like that. He got out - he got free - and he has been reclaiming pieces of himself ever since. Until, finally, he's the evolving Eliot that we know and love. He prefers to dress casual and relaxed, with strong reminders of his roots throughout. He keeps his hair long and loose - not military regulation, not 'professional' as far as male standards go, not even convenient for fighting. It's all a way of stealing himself back, and making sure the differences between who he was then and now are stark and vivid.

I could keep rambling but this is already twice as long as I intended. Just ... Eliot Spencer. He still doesn't view himself as a better man, never mind a redeemable man, but he is. When compared to those goons, his transformation is clear as day.

[gotyouanyway]

ok now i'm thinking about age and regeneration during the time war. because generally during peacetime, death and regeneration were much more predictable. barring any catastrophic accident or illness, a time lord could expect to spend hundreds of years in each of their bodies, if not more. now there's no rhyme or reason to it at all, you've got soldiers barely out of the academy on their fifth regenerations fighting alongside people a thousand years older than them who are on their second. and there are plenty of ways to kill a time lord without letting them regenerate, but what about the ones that do manage it every time but then run out? young adults functionally dying of old age -- injuries they would have survived in "younger" bodies.

and then factoring in project revenant - i don't think they explain how that affects the regeneration cycle (are they resurrected with a new regeneration cycle or just the one body?) but either way, it almost makes the idea of a final regeneration moot. almost. they can bring you back, but probably only into your most recent body. alive again, but not regenerated, not changed in the way you're used to. what body do you count that as? how do you judge your age or regeneration cycle from that point on? and it throws the age thing even further out the window when they resurrect people who died long before the war. narvin said that if his father were brought back, he'd be younger than him. so there are resurrected soldiers who are younger in actual years than their children, even if you ignore regeneration altogether.

fitting for a time war to make such a mess of aging and death

[afurtivecake]

We don't talk enough about how the two people Jean associates with ducks are Elodie and Thea.

Jean loves Elodie so much and tried so hard to take care of her and keep her safe from their parents' neglect despite being only a child himself. He did what he could and in his mind, he may even have succeeded, until he had to leave. For years he believed - and hoped- that their parents loved her more than him and kept her. But foolishly or naively, he never imagined that the worst could have happened to her. Even knowing what their parents were like and how far they would go to erase their debts, he never wanted to think she might be having it worse than he was. As long as he didn't know and didn't think about what could have happened to her, she could remain "small and safe and sheltered" in his memories. He didn't have to face the reality that what he had been able to do for her, fixing her ducky dresses and loving her, was never enough to protect her.

And then we have Thea. Thea, who called Jean her "little Parisian duckling", who gave him attention and teasing affection in an environment where sentimentality was discouraged and where everyone else shunned him. She knew what being a Raven was like and she still let him lie to her about being fine, because she couldn't tear the team and the entire system apart looking for the truth. She still believed what the other backliners and Riko told everyone about him because she was too foolish or too naive to imagine the worst scenario could have happened to him. No matter how much he needed it, no matter how chummy (by Raven standards) she was with him, she wasn't able to protect him. And then when they reunite, she still treats him like a bratty kid to tease, as if things are unchanged and they still have the same relationship they had back at the Nest. As if she's still clinging to the safe mental image of her little Parisian duckling for as long as she can, unable to accept she's failed him in ways she couldn't have helped.

So yeah...ducks. Ducks, for Elodie, the sister he loved but could not protect, and for Thea, the sister who loved, but could not protect, him.

[soars22]

Chayanne can feel his body trembling as he crouches inside the hastily carved pumpkin. His father- no, Him, not his father, not anymore-steps closer and closer to his hiding spot.

“Chayanneee…. Where are yoouuu….???”

There’s a venom in his voice that Chayanne has never heard before and it’s all he can do to keep still, to keep quiet. For whatever reason, Endza can’t see him in here but if he moves or makes a sound, it’s over. He has to keep quiet and still or it’ll be too late.

“Chayanneee… come out come out wherever you are… you can’t hide from me forever, you silly little egg…come out and play with your dad!”

Chayanne bites the meat of his hand to stop himself from crying out. He’s never been this scared before, not from his Nightmare, not from the code attacks, not even from the weeks he and the others spent on their own on Egg Island. This is a different kind of fear, because this is supposed to be his dad-this is supposed to be the one person who will always keep him safe but it’s not him anymore. Chayanne isn’t sure he ever will be again.

Endza pauses beside the pumpkin where Chayanne is hidden and draws in a deep breath. “Chayanneee….” he growls and lets out a hiss. “Stupid fucking egg.”

Chayanne closes his eyes as he hears Endza’s footsteps slowly fade away. Just to be safe, he counts to a hundred and then counts to a hundred again before he finally lets out a shaky breath and clambers out of the pumpkin. He’s safe for now. He’s safe and now he just needs to find Tallulah-

“Found you-“ a horrible voice hisses behind him and Chayanne screams as a dark, clawed hand seizes the back of his neck. And then the world goes dark and he knows no more.

[orionsangel86]

Lucienne/Lucien - How the Librarian Became the Chief.

In The Sandman Netflix adaptation Lucienne is a stand out character and second only to Morpheus in importance, screen time, and centrality to the story. Lucienne is Morpheus's loyal Librarian, second in command, ruler of the Dreaming in his absence, and often times a voice of reason and advice for our dutiful King of Dreams. She is so well respected in her position that the other castle residents consider her their boss and would rather go to her for guidance and command than Morpheus himself. She takes care of Dream's ravens and even appears to have the power to create new ravens from newly deceased mortals like she did with Matthew. She is clearly extremely close to Morpheus, and is one of very few people he seems to actually listen to and trust. Lucienne's role in this story can not be underestimated.

So it may come as a surprise to any fans of the show who haven't read the comics to learn that Lucien (as he is called in the comics) is afforded very few of the above traits. In fact Lucien is no where near as close to Morpheus even by the very end of the story, as Lucienne is at the beginning. It is this difference that has fascinated me since I first started diving into the comics after falling in love with the show, and its something I view as extremely important when considering how the story is being adapted into a kinder, more sympathetic universe surrounding our central protagonist.

Lucienne's role is expanded greatly from her comic counterpart, and her relationship with Morpheus is shown to be much deeper. This is evident practically right away at the end of episode one when Lucienne comes to greet Morpheus upon his return to the Dreaming following his escape.

The way she runs over to him as soon as she realises he is back, and lovingly takes his hand and is so pleased to see him is a far cry from the comic where the first thing Lucien does is bow.

So right at the start we see a very different form of relationship here. Where Lucienne is already displaying a level of care and devotion beyond the expectations of a servant, Lucien however, is exactly that.

The servant thing has caused a bit of contention among fandom in the past. I think the confusion could come from whether or not you see Lucien or Lucienne first. Lucien IS a servant of Dream. Lucienne is more like a vice president and royal advisor. Those are two very different things after all and that difference only becomes more obvious the further you go into the story.

Lucienne accompanies Morpheus throughout his return to his crumbling kingdom, helps him as he attempt to repair the damage, follows him to Cain and Abel, and watches over his meeting with the Fates. She is by his side from the moment he returns until the moment he leaves again for the waking world to begin his quest to recover his tools, and she is responsible for Matthew's reincarnation as the new Raven and instructs Matthew to stay with him because of her concern for Morpheus's wellbeing on his quest.

I cannot stress enough how much none of this is in the comics. Lucienne shows a level of care towards Morpheus that just isn't present in Lucien in the comics. After the first meeting with Lucien at the gates of the Dreaming, Lucien doesn't appear again until he is instructed by Morpheus to conduct the census of the Dreaming. He only appears again in the Doll's House very briefly and has no involvement in Morpheus's decisions during that arc, which takes place very rarely in the Dreaming.

That's not to say that Lucien isn't a very trusted servant of Morpheus. He is the closest to Morpheus of all the residents of the Dreaming except only Matthew. But I think a lot of what we see in the show of Morpheus and Lucienne's dynamic is inspired by much later in the comics. I also think that it speaks loudly to the change in Morpheus as a character. Show!Morpheus has people almost right away who care about him and want to help him, whereas comic!Morpheus is extremely isolated. It is clear in the early comic stories that comic!Morpheus keeps himself at arms length from basically everyone. He does not have a bond with Lucien, he did not have Jessamy, and at that early stage, he didn't even have Matthew. All of this of course was primarily to make show!Morpheus a more sympathetic and likeable character - you gotta give your protagonist people who care about them, it helps raise the stakes after all.

Taking Charge - Lucienne is the real boss

One of my favourite parts of the Dolls House episodes in the Netflix show is the conflict between Morpheus and Lucienne due to the other residence and Dreaming servants going to her for advice and instruction first rather than Morpheus. Bearing in mind this only takes place less than a year after Morpheus's return from imprisonment, it speaks volumes as to how Lucienne has taken the role of leader of the Dreaming in her stride.

But it also indicates how Morpheus' change in the show is coming at lightening fast speed compared to the comic. In the comic, Mervyn doesn't make these observations until the Brief Lives arc, and this is indicated at that point to be a very new thing - triggered by several years post fish bowl of having to face his past decisions and mistakes (and a string of scorned ex lovers one after the other ending in a horribly matched rebound relationship with a murderous witch that subsequently rejected him and triggered him literally seeking out destruction). Lucien was only put in charge of the Dreaming when Morpheus left to go on his trip with Delirium. It is during that trip that Morpheus realises how competent Lucien is and capable of running things without problem in his absence.

Mervyn's insights are made clear here:

This is the only time in the comic that anyone dares mention that someone other than Morpheus might be the boss - and it is in no way as directly spelled out as it is in the show. "You're practically running the place" and "you secretly run this place" are quite different statements. The first only makes an observation about Morpheus's current lack of interest (in Brief Lives) in actually running his realm. It implies that Lucien is doing Morpheus' job for him, but does not go as far as to outright call Lucien the boss. Whereas in the show, that's exactly what Mervyn does.

In the comic, Morpheus overhears Mervyn's speech and immediately points out his reasoning for leaving Lucien in charge, for promoting him and giving him more authority.

Because no one ever technically undermines Morpheus in the comic, there is no conflict here. Morpheus trusts Lucien as his loyal servant and gives him the power to rule in his stead (but only when he is absent) and there is no "secretly report to Lucien first" attitude among Matthew and Mervyn. We can perhaps interpret that this might be happening behind the scenes by this point in Brief Lives, or even just before the BL arc when Morpheus was distracted by his rebound murderess, but it is never actually directly stated that this is going on.

The tension between Morpheus and Lucienne in the show is born out of the conflict over Lucienne's position and Morpheus feeling undermined by his subjects, and its storytelling gold. But the only reason such a story works in the show is because Lucienne is so important to Morpheus in the show, because their relationship goes so much deeper than the relationship in the comic. Lucienne is not a servant, she's his god damn vice president and she knows it, and he knows it too. Throughout episodes 7 and 8 specifically he reaches out to her for her opinion and advice on the Vortex situation. He talks things through with her and seeks out her guidance. It is clear that he relies on her and it is only at the end of episode 8 when Lucienne disagrees with his punishment of Gault, that in his anger, he dismisses her.

Lucien/ne the Royal Advisor

Where Morpheus in the show seeks out Lucienne's advice and opinion frequently especially during the Doll's House arc, I have to stress that this never happens in the comic. Comic!Morpheus just does not have that kind of relationship with Lucien and does not seek his counsel at all, even though Lucien does try to give it on occassion, usually when Morpheus is about to do something extremely stupid and probably damaging to himself and the Dreaming. To name a couple times:

Season of Mists - before Morpheus returns to Hell:

Brief Lives - before seeking Destruction:

You'll note that in both these times Lucien's words of caution are completely ignored.

You'll also notice that in both times Lucien is taking a path of polite caution. Lucien very rarely speaks his mind to Morpheus, because he knows it won't get him very far to do so. The only time Lucien truly loses his cool and speaks freely is in The Kindly Ones (spoiler alert)

At this point in the comic story Morpheus has basically all but given up and accepted his fate and its fucking depressing AF. Lucien is well within his right to shake the bastard HARD and snap him TF out of it. I STILL think he was too restrained here tbh!

My point here is that Lucienne already speaks her mind quite freely around Morpheus in the show. She expresses her opinions and thoughts and gives him her advice. This is such a well established dynamic by the point of the argument that it is clear that Lucienne is offended by Morpheus's dismissal of her.

Take this exchange from episode 9:

Lucienne: "Rose is weakening the walls between realms" Matthew: "You gonna tell the Boss?" Lucienne: "No." Matthew: "No?" Lucienne: "It's none of my business." Matthew: "Er, since WHEN?" Lucienne: "Since Lord Morpheus reminded me that I'm merely a librarian and should concern myself with my books from now on." Matthew: "He said that?! What's wrong with him!" Lucienne: "Nothing is wrong with him. He's always been this way. He's just been away so long I'd forgotten. He's determined to deal with the vortex and the missing Arcana by himself. Without anyones help. So any news must be reported directly and exclusively to him."

It's worth pointing out here that whilst this is framed as Morpheus being a stubborn idiot, in the comic, he does in fact deal with the vortex and the missing Arcana by himself mostly and is not so much helped but saved at the last moment by Unity Kinkaid who realises what is happening in a dream and goes to save Rose, which also saves Morpheus from Desire's trap.

In the show, Morpheus has people who care enough about him and his realm to want to get involved and help him, not out of a desire to undermine him, but simply because they care about him. That is a drastic change from the comic at this point. Morpheus in the comic is constantly shown to be struggling under the burden of his own responsibilities and this is highlighted by the fact that he doesn't really get any support or assistance, and is far too prideful to ask for it. Lucien gets the promotion and chance to rule in his absence, but it is never framed as a job he shares with Morpheus - at no point does Lucien take the burden of his responsibilities off of him. This is no Samwise Gamgee "I can carry you" moment unfortunately. Lucien does not have the power nor the bond with Morpheus to undertake such a task because Morpheus keeps him at arms length throughout the comics - but Lucienne? Well, time will tell how that may change.

An Apology from the King

In a shock horror twist that comic!Morpheus would sooner die than do himself (ha) the great emo King of the Netflix universe gives Lucienne an apology for his behaviour (sort of).

Episode 9 displays the tension between Morpheus and Lucienne following their "break up" perfectly. Morpheus is clearly in the wrong, and Lucienne is clearly hurt by his dismissal of her support. Yet even after the fight, he still seeks out her advice in determining the cause of the disturbances in the Dreaming. He goes to her first before investigating himself (something that comic!Morpheus wouldn't even consider doing) and is surprisingly capable in swallowing his pride here even though it is clearly a struggle for him.

Later in the episode, once he realises that Lucienne was right about the disturbances, he seeks her out to tell her so, and to confirm that she was right and he was wrong. This is again something that I can't fathom comic!Morpheus doing, even nearer the end of the story I don't believe he does so, certainly not to Lucien. Fiddlers Green drums this point home when he says this:

Fiddlers Green: "... still his time there appears to have changed him as it has changed me." Lucienne: "How so?" Fiddlers Green: "Lucienne, he came to you and told you he was wrong. It was very nearly an apology. The Morpheus I knew was incapable of that."

This further reinforces not just how much Morpheus has changed in a short time, but also how much he respects and cares about Lucienne and their continued relationship.

Platonic Life Partners? Co Ruler and Closest Confident of the Dream King

When I set out to write this meta, it was with the aim to highlight Lucienne's elevated role from her comic counterpart. To try to stress the importance of her character in the show and what this means for the future of the story in the show. By the end of the last episode, Lucienne is practically granted co-ruler status of the Dreaming while Morpheus works on his creations. He asks her if she can "take care of things while he works" which she agrees "with pleasure".

I just... I can NOT stress ENOUGH how much comic!Morpheus needed this person in his life. Even though Lucien looks after the Dreaming whilst Morpheus is away in Season of Mists and Brief Lives, it is always as a last resort with Morpheus continuing to check in on Lucien during Brief Lives as if he expects trouble, and he always seems a bit confused when Lucien tells him all is fine. As if he can't quite understand how the Dreaming could be okay without him there (and I mean, after the trauma of watching your realm which is also technically a part of you crumble to dust I suppose you would be a bit attached to it!).

Comic!Morpheus constantly struggles under the weight of his responsibility. His entire thing is that he is desperate to step away and not be who he is but he simply does not have it in him to do that. He is far too bound by his rules and responsibilities. For Morpheus in the show to be given someone to support him in his rule as King and assist him with the burden of his responsibilities is actually a hugely mindblowing change to the comic, and could honestly have huge repercussions on the story going forward. Not only that, but the Morpheus in the comics is painfully lonely. He desperately needs companionship but he keeps everyone at arms length. He never allows his subjects to get too close to him, even Lucien. Even Matthew isn't afforded the same level of closeness in the comics as he is in the show. In the comics, the ONLY character who Morpheus is close to is Death. Which says a lot by itself. The second character he gets closer to as time goes on is Delirium. Which also says a lot. Think of the characters in terms of their concepts. Morpheus has no close friends in the comics (even his relationship with Hob Gadling in the comic doesn't have half the impact it does in the show) and keeps all those he interacts with at arms length except for Delirium and Death.

But show!Morpheus? He has a Matthew who is already so very devoted to him, a Hob Gadling who waited an extra 33 years on hope alone that he would return to him, and a Lucienne who rules by his side, offers him support, guidance, counsel, companionship and probably a good helping of love. How can this Morpheus possibly carry the same deep loneliness as his comic counterpart? How can this Morpheus be buckling under the weight of his duties when he already has his Samwise Gamgee right there by his side? It poses an interesting question for how the show will handle future story arcs, though it could all prove to simply make for a much more painful story, where we happen to have many more characters to react and show the deeply painful grief that we all feel at his eventual passing - or maybe, just maybe, this is a universe where Hope never died...

[steventhusiast]

IM LATE BUT LIKE WHATEVER i just decided im gonna try and commit to @steddie-week so DAY 1: somebody to love by queen

--

when steve and eddie first tell the party about their relationship, a lot of them are a little confused. especially nancy. at first glance, the pair makes no sense at all.

steve is a soft soul that really enjoys basketball. he was a jock in high school, and doesn't really have any higher ambition in life than to make enough money to live and be with his loved ones. his favourite artists are the likes of tears for fears and abba. the hobbies he's most committed to are baking sweet treats and watching reality tv with claudia henderson.

and then there's eddie, who in a lot of ways is the antithesis to that.

he almost exclusively wears dark clothes that look three days away from falling apart, he despises sport. he was an outcast in high school, and even though he barely made it to graduation (a few years later than he should've) he is full to the brim of ideas and big ambitions. he's pretentious about music, hates pop and loves metal music. and he's a nerd.

they don't have much in common, so nancy's surprised they work as friends let alone as a couple. then again, she doesn't know eddie too well past what she's already said.

so her and a lot of the party don't really get it at first. until they're having a party over summer break, and everyone's out in the hopper-byers backyard watching hopper grill burgers for everyone and there's music playing through speakers somewhere.

the younger party members are all excitedly chatting amongst themselves, and the teens are sat leaning back on the grass. eddie and steve aren't cuddling for once, settling for linking pinkies as they lean back on their hands.

the song that was playing ends, and a new song starts. freddie mercury's voice starts singing, and nancy doesn't think she's ever seen steve move so fast in all her years of knowing him.

"can anybody find me somebody to love?"

freddie mercury is barely on the second word of that first line when steve and eddie's heads whip around to be facing each other. twin grins are on their faces, and they've jumped up together by the time the first line's over. steve seems to lose steam as he realises a lot of the party are now looking at them incredulously, and his cheeks suddenly have a red tint to them.

eddie immediately grabs steve's hands and starts dramatically serenading him. if nancy thought eddie was a little dramatic from overhearing mike retelling hellfire club anecdotes, she thinks he's extremely dramatic now she's seen his antics in the flesh.

he's gently swinging his and steve's hands as he encourages steve to dance with him. steve just smiles at his boyfriend, a little shy and a lot fond, but eddie's not put off in the slightest. he keeps gently pulling at steve's hands until steve gives in and starts moving to the music with him.

by the time the first verse is over, steve's almost as into it as eddie is, and nancy has never steve like this.

"i work hard, every day of my life." eddie sings along loudly, and steve sings the other part.

"he works hard." he sings softly with a smile.

his confidence amps up as the song goes on, and his dance moves get more and more ridiculous and less restrained as eddie encourages him and laughs with him as they sing. by the time it gets to the instrumental break, the entire party is watching them with smiles and singing along in some way.

the steve nancy dated would never be caught dead doing something like this, but here current steve is, back to back with eddie as they both dramatically play the air guitar. nancy looks toward robin to see if she's as shocked as she is at this display. but robin is just rolling her eyes, like she sees antics like this on the daily. she shakes her head at something dustin says to her, and then yells at the couple.

"i thought you promised to stop doing this every time this song came on?" she tries to look annoyed as she yells over the song, but fails massively.

steve stops his dramatics for a second, and points at her dramatically.

"you asking us to do that is exactly why i am doing this in front of everyone." he claims, and gets a (subtle, because everyone respects joyce) middle finger in return from robin.

"his pettiness knows no bounds, buckley, you should know this! you can only take so much of the mean girl out of the jock." eddie adds on, and that gets the pair another middle finger.

steve throws his head back as he laughs, and nancy smiles at him. he looks a lot happier than she's seen him in a long time. probably happier than she's ever seen him, actually.

"find me, find me, find me love."

as the last little bit of the song plays out, and steve and eddie dramatically fall on top of robin to dog pile her, nancy decides that maybe steve and eddie do make sense.

even in seemingly polar opposites, there is common ground.

--

-> day two

[somestorythoughts]

Back on my Eldritch Jedi Bullshit

Thinking about eldritch Jedi/Force-Users but not all Jedi. And on the one hand, Anakin being born of the Force and being unbelievably eldritch is good and I like it but on the other hand, Anakin being very powerful but not Eldritch unlike some other Jedi is very funny. See here for a very good version of that.

So some of the Jedi are eldritch. There are faces in their shadows, true faces that aren't silhouettes. There are sunrises and storms and flowers in their eyes. There are more teeth in their mouths than there should be, longer tongues, Power in their voices thrumming along the beats of your heart. There are thorns sprouting from their collarbones, leaves from the gaps in their exoskeletons, ferns from between their feathers. There is sunlight, fire, plasma burning and glowing in their veins, light that can darken into poison, poison that can be purified into sunlight once again. Because Falling doesn't mean you stop burning.

It's tucked away, out of sight. Restrained, much like their emotions. Because when your power reacts to your emotions and you can crush tanks with your mind, it's not physically hard to crush people. They're so much more fragile. The Jedi don't preach self-control for shits and giggles. Sometimes, great power comes with the responsibility not to use it.

And being eldritch it isn't about how powerful you are, though there's some correlation. It's about the way the Force interacts with you. It's the difference between being a channel for the Force and being the Force made flesh.

It's also not something you talk about much in the Temple. It's not exactly a secret, but it's not really the subject of gossip and to people who don't share those traits, it tends to be described as "improving control of one's emotions/relation to the Force." It's personal. Like recognizes like, and padawans with that type of connection tend to get Master's with the same connection. That relationship to the Force makes it easier to lash out, and that's not good for anyone.

It doesn't help that some planets are already leery of regular Jedi. they Really Don't Like the eldritch ones. So over time, this connection became something that was touched on in The Force 101 classes and then not discussed much outside of it by people who DON'T have that connection. Qui-Gon didn't have it, neither did Dooku. Obi-wan doesn't have it, though he knows of it. Anakin Skywalker, as powerful as he is, didn't have it.

Ahsoka Tano does.

Like recognizes like, and most eldritch Force Users know another when they see them. The Jedi make a point, not only of assigning those padawans to similar masters but of taking in those younglings even if they're a bit older than usual. But sometimes, someone just get missed. Sometimes no one sees a youngling's extra teeth, sometimes there aren't any eldritch Jedi in the creche when nightmares scrape the walls, sometimes that connection to the Force is just quiet. Sometimes, that connection to the Force isn't noticed before a Padawan is assigned a Master. Had he known, Yoda would never have assigned Ahsoka to Anakin.

This isn't a slight against Anakin, to be clear. There's advantages to making sure that padawans have masters who know how to help them with their brand of weird Force shenanigans, or at the very least, are regularly meeting with Masters that can help. In normal times, Ahsoka's eldritchness would probably have been noticed within a couple years (if you don't know how to restrain it, it will eventually start showing more) and then she and Anakin would have been introduced to some Eldritch Jedi who would assist with the training. But this isn't normal times. So none of the Jedi notice.

Plo or Obi-Wan could have. Plo's eldritch, and he cares about Ahsoka, but so much of their communication over the war was done over comms. Obi-Wan, having grown up with Quinlan Vos, thinks he knows what eldritch Force Sensitivity looks like and to be fair, if he wasn't distracted by the war he probably would have noticed. But war is Extremely Distracting and Ahsoka's connection is quieter than Quinlan's. He, and Plo, are distracted, and so so tired. So they miss the changing teeth, the periodic gleam in her shadow, the marching beat under her words when on the battlefield that beats in sync with the troopers' boots. And Anakin? He means well and he's trying, but he doesn't know that this is a thing to look for and he can be a bit oblivious.

You know who does notice? The clones. In particular, Kix.

Most all the clones are hypervigilant, thank you Kamino trauma. So they pay A Lot of attention to anything that registers as potentially threatening, even subconsiously. Ahsoka's a kid and they grow to trust her quickly, but there was a time when she was a new inexperienced commanding officer. And after that they were helping to teach her and look out for Threats to the Little Sister, so they were very observant where Ahsoka was concerned.

They don't know enough about Torgurta or Jedi to know what's normal for one, but they do notice the things that don't stay constant. The way her shadow changes, the way her teeth and hands sometimes change shape. Things that are rare in sentients.

Things Ahsoka has started to notice, and worry about.

Kix meanwhile, is a medic who just got an adolescent Togruta put under his care and he has no idea how to take care of her. The Kaminoans weren't told that the medics would be responsible for the jedi (one of those little details that was never clarified and caused confusion in the beginning) so they trained the medics to take care of the other clones and gave them access to some basic medical info for other species for emergency measures. So almost all of Kix's medical knowledge is specifically How to Treat Injuries and Illnesses in Male Humans; Children to Young Adults. Sure, there's overlap, but not enough.

(Yes, the medics do have a private chat where they trade tips and resources and vent about their respective dumbasses. It's a multipurpose chat.)

So he does a lot of research to make sure he can treat Ahsoka properly when she's inevitably injured. He notices things that Do Not Line Up and with Ahsoka's permission reaches out to the Jedi healers.

Now, if eyes might start hovering around your patients when you're doing surgery, that's valuable information to know. So all of the healers know about the eldritchness. They're able to tell Kix and Ahsoka what's going on.

And where it goes from there? I can't say. I can tell you one thing for sure, Mortis undoubtedly makes it WORSE.

[dovesandmagpies]

I have been thinking about the Lord of the Rings and stories in general recently, I just finished rereading the Lord of the Rings and I have a lot of thoughts I am trying to get to the point of coherence, this is the first one.

I know the Lord of the Rings/Silmarillion is old, not old in literature terms but compared to most fandoms I am in it is ancient. But I never really realised that until last week when I discovered that the copy of the Silmarillion I am reading belonged to my Grandfather.

I read the Lord of the Rings for the first time when I was 8. I read it because my Dad was reading it and I wanted to read this big impressive book and talk about it like a grown up (little did I know it would take over my entire life for the 7 years) . My dad read the Lord of the Rings for the first time when he was about 12, he also read it because his Dad was reading it and he wanted to read this big impressive book ect.

I never met my Grandfather, he died long before I was born, but suddenly he seems more of a real person because I know he liked the same books that I like and my Dad likes.

It's strange how much stories can connect us, people have been reading Shakespeare since he wrote it and it's still worth reading despite being older than the country I live in. And there are other stories far older, myths and legends told by people no one now remembers but their stories survive.

Sometimes it makes me sad, all the stories we must have forgotten, but mostly it's amazing that we can hear the same stories people have been telling since the beginning of history.

Maybe one day I will have a child and they will want to read the Lord of the Rings because I am reading it, and another generation of my family will fall in love with Middle Earth.

Who knows?

[lodessa]

OMG Intimacy Prompts #60 for you know who I wanna see! ;) Elendil x Míriel

Know that I love you, Elendil. Know that I trust you, she had told him, with somber certainty, closing his hand around that token of her affection. Bring our people out of this cursed night and into a new day. Be the king you have always been destined to become. Let me go.

“We will keep watch, Father.” Anárion says, drawing Elendil out of the memory as he flanks him on the other side. “We will need your strength in the coming days. You should get some rest.”

Reluctantly, Elendil lets go of the ship’s railing. It is an important task he’s been set, and his sons are right that he cannot go on forever staring into the sunset. He cannot let Míriel’s sacrifice have been for nothing. He cannot fail her. He must stay sharp, alert for danger. Moreover he will need to bolster his people’s spirits in the coming days, weeks, months, and years.

“When did both of you grow up so much?” he wonders, looking at the two of them. They are both of them men, not just in name but in truth. Hard times have a way of doing that he supposes, remembering that he is not the only person to have suffered losses.

Neither of them answers. They only look at him, concern reflected in both of their eyes that it shames him to consider the reason for.

“I am sorry your sister chose to remain behind,” he offers, before walking across the deck to head below. Under his clothing, he can feel the locket he wears with Míriel’s hair safe inside against his chest, a reminder of the cost of their journey.

Like Míriel, Eärien made her choice, he reminds himself. Even at the very end, she chose to stand by those who would destroy them, deaf to her brothers’ pleas. There had been a moment where he thought she might- never mind that though, it matters not.

Read the rest here

[clubsmarties]

@4fter-hours ( x )

"I do not," he started to say but stopped knowing full well, lilabet did indeed have him wrapped around her tiny finger. Just like her mother. "It's hard to tell her no when she's looking at you with your exact same eyes and that tilt of head that you do." His arms went around the best way they could as he spoke into her skin. Wally suppressed a chuckle that threatened to spill out at the memory from long ago. His nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck before giving her nose a kiss and rubbed small circles on her swollen belly, something that still made immensely grateful.

"Can't believe you still remember that," he laughed and stared into his wife's eyes. The thought was once a far away dream that came reality and he still didn't know how he got that lucky. His thumbs had started to caress her lower back as he sighed. "My dream has already been granted," he nuzzled her nose and smiled. "Everything else is just extra at this point. I love you and I love our life we've built. Imagine if you'd stayed a scaredy cat," one last playful tease before he got serious, "But, since you did bring it up. I think our farm needs a flock of flamingos and a penguin on the side of a pony. Think of this as our next adventure?" They were already knee deep in adventure considering their kids, the one on the way and their move. But, still any adventure with his wife was worth pursuing to him.

He moved her a little seeing their son barreling full speed toward them and could see the rosy cheeks and dimples on display as he stopped just inches away from his mom's legs. Wally never could see the uncanny resemblance between him and their son but something in the way he asked Liz if he could have dessert for dinner had him second guessing that stance. Those dimples turned out, his wife was right, when used properly could be dangerous. A sly little smirk now spread across his cheeks as he looked at his wife and cleared his throat. "Not so easy saying no, now is it?" Teasing on full display and clear in his tone of voice. Little guy put his hands on her belly and smiled. Seeing this, his sister came and ran to her dad wanting to get up in his arms. Her face showed she was ready for nap time and he couldn't help but lean his head against hers once she was in his arms while his free arm was still wrapped around his wife's waist.

[sophieswundergarten]

oooo whichever characters you want and 57 for the writing prompts

57. Accidental hand-holding

Hi, Kat! I'm sorry it took me so long to finish this one, my writing brain kind of threw itself against the wall for a minute there. But! I have had an idea in mind from the very beginning, so I hope you like it!

"So," McCracken grinned, "I'll just let you duckies think about that for a while. Don't worry, I'll be back very soon."

With that, he shut the doors, leaving the Society in pitch blackness.

"That," Said Kate, searching for indifference and coming up with indignation instead. "was rude."

"He can't very well leave us down here in a smelly old cellar for long. Can he?" Constance's voice was losing some of its bravado.

"I'm sure they'll let us out soon," Reynie reasoned. "What good would it do to keep us here? They obviously want information, so they have to let us out sometime."

There was a pause.

"Sticky?" Constance ventured. "Are you alright? You seem... scared." She wasn't sure how to put words to the racing panic she sensed pulsing in time with her friend's heartbeat, but she knew that voicing it would make things easier.

"I'm fine." He responded stiffly.

"No," Constance said crossly, for it was easier to focus on being mad at Sticky than frightened of their situation. "You're not. Where are you?" She started feeling around in the dark.

"Constance, stop it. I'm right here." Sticky, too, reached out.

“Guys.” Reynie said, attempting to stop Constance from flailing around and hitting someone.

Kate, who could see better than the others, even in the near-total darkness they had been left in, swifty shot out her hands and grabbed Constance and Sticky’s wrists. 

“Now, now, children,” She said in an overly cheerful and motherly tone, “Let us not fight. Here.” She placed Constance’s hand in Sticky’s, moved to set Sticky’s other hand in Reynie’s, and grabbed Reynie and Constance’s free hands herself.

“There.” She smiled. “Now we all know where one another is.”

And though they mightn't have said it, each of them felt some small comfort in holding another's hand. For there is something reassuring about being in contact with a friend when the whole world seems dark and fearful.

[tangerinequeen19]

waitttttt what are your thoughts on common people 👀👀👀

Well my thoughts per usual are not very enlightened lol. But! I feel the song has…friction to it, like it’s not a totally straightforward nice lil ode of back-home wistfulness. Every time I hear it, the phrase “act like you’re one of us” clangs and gives the whole thing a more complex undercurrent. Like ‘wait, what? why?’

I like that it’s not totally clear who is saying this line. Depending on when I listen, I could understand it being Louis speaking to the listener, or the hometown talking to Louis/others…or tonight when I heard it I thought of it also as the world at large telling Louis what he would need to do to make it big (“you’ll hear strangers singing your name/if you act like you’re one of us”). So needing to fit in whether it’s growing up or trying to make your own way. [This is a tangent but since I first heard this song I think of Tan France speaking about his experiences growing up in Doncaster and how he had a really traumatic time.] Anyhoo maybe it’s more clear-cut than this but that’s my vibe. And I do think Louis is skilled at being intentionally ambiguous. It really is a lovely and interesting track and he sounds great on it.

PS I remember there being a good post by @ialwaysknewyouwerepunk about the messaging of this song…I will see if I can find that too.

[regina-cordium]

I need a dreamling selfie au, like, yesterday

Hob, seven years old and living with a great aunt and uncle after his parents died, meeting this weird kid on the beach by his house, like seriously who plays outside wearing just a weird fur jacket, but also Hob doesn’t have any friends his age so he just goes with it

Years and years later, he’s inherited the house and uncle malcom’s pub. Listens to all the stories he doesn’t really believe about tears and seals and magic, the local gossip (turns out old sailors are the WORST gossips, Hob is DELIGHTED) when one of them tells a story that Roderick Burgess, the local billionaire who lives on the edge of the village that everybody categorically hates, has stolen himself a selkie. Again, Hob doesn’t believe the whole selkie business, but there’s truth to every story and sorry, burgess kidnapped someone????

The man leaves on some business trip or other, nobody knows what he does besides be a stain on the village. So Hob and his very best friend Jo do, perhaps, a little breaking and entering and find……well, burgess’s son, for one (were it not for the laws of the land, Hob would kill the guy, he really would). Alex Burgess, who asks if they’re there about the man in the attic, the one his father says is going to bring back his brother. And Hob and Jo just look at each other and BOOK IT upstairs and chained in a corner is……the boy. Well, he’s grown now, obviously, but there is Hob’s one-time friend, bony and exhausted and naked, and Hob’s decides laws don’t matter when Alex pipes up “his cloak is in the study” and Hob’s torn between helping the man — the selkie, selkies are real, this may as well happen, and getting his cloak — when Jo has Alex lead her to it and Hob helps his old friend. Hob’s just gotten him to his feet, barely, when they return with the cloak. Hob wraps it around the man’s shoulders, and he completely collapses, and Hob just carries him back to his place, jo and Alex trailing behind

Insert epilogue where the villagers chase out burgess (and ignore the stain on the rocks near the outlook, they’re so slippery, no one would go walking there, must’ve been a poor bird or something) and Hob gets a weird selkie husband and a new son because the village looked at Alex and went “ours now” like they had with Hob so many years ago. And Jo can’t even make fun of him LIKE A GOOD FRIEND because he just turns it back on her and her crush on the new bartender. What a waste of a friendship.

[hex-flareheart]

A lot of this is good advice, but I do have to contest the processor recommendation (also storage to a lesser extent).

First of all: On all recent generations, a given i or Ryzen number is generally regarded as equivalent. This means that an i3 and a Ryzen 3 will typically get you the same level of performance. This is particularly relevant for any Ryzen processor 3000 or later. (1000 and 2000 fall behind slightly compared to "equivalent" Intel.)

Second, as a general rule, if all you're doing is things with programs like Microsoft Office or a browser, generally any modern CPU that isn't completely bottom-of-the-barrel will do you just fine. A higher-end i3 or Ryzen 3 will work just fine, though you may not see as much longevity out of the build. An i5 or Ryzen 5 is a better benchmark to aim for, though, that much is certainly true.

Third, something that is relevant specifically for AMD is generation hierarchy, as starting from 3000 things get a little confusing:

1000 is the first generation of Ryzen; these will work in a pinch, but you're definitely better off with later generations

2000 is the second generation, and overall an extremely robust platform; if you can get a good price on later generations, obviously go for them, but this generation still holds up extremely well even today (source: been rocking a 2600 for the past 5 years with zero issues or need to upgrade)

3000 and 4000 are third generation, with 3000 being the chips you'll mostly see, while 4000 is a differently-optimized set of processors meant in part for budget

5000 and 6000 are fourth generation, but you'll pretty much only see 5000 in the wild; 6000 is afaik pretty specific in application

7000 is fifth generation, best available as of the writing of this text, but may not be affordable because it's brand spanking new; if in doubt, favor an equivalent 5000 unless you can get a good price on a 7000.

Lastly on the note of processors, as mentioned above, aiming for an i5 or Ryzen 5 if in doubt is good practice; you can get away with an i3 or Ryzen 3 if you expect the machine to see light use, but an i5 or Ryzen 5 will do you better in the long run. The same cannot be said of the higher-tier processors.

With regards to i7/Ryzen 7 and i9/Ryzen 9, they pretty much fall outside the scope of this post. The 7s are overkill for anything outside of more demanding applications like video editing, simulation, engineering, etc., and the 9s tend to be the processor equivalent of supercars. They're incredibly expensive, incredibly flashy, and far more than you'll ever need. Anyone who tells you you need to buy a 9 is lying or a techbro sycophant.

Final note regarding storage: Having an SSD as your main drive is very good advice, however do not dismiss HDDs. Having one as your main drive will make your overall use of the machine notably slower, but they are excellent for auxiliary and archival storage. SSDs are coming down in price, yes, but particularly at large sizes they'll often still come out significantly more expensive than an HDD of the same size, and the speed difference isn't anywhere near as impactful outside of an OS drive context. The main exception is laptops, not that I think any are being sold with HDDs anymore; SSDs are far more physically resilient, which is better for portability.

(One final note, and this is an extreme edge case pretty much no one actually reading this post will see: If you're expecting to regularly alter/move data on the order of gigabytes, you may not want to do so on your main drive if it's an SSD, as this can eat into the drive's lifespan. If handling such large volumes of data, I'd recommend doing so on a dedicated drive, whether SSD or HDD.)

So You Need To Buy A Computer But You Don't Know What Specs Are Good These Days

Hi.

This is literally my job.

Lots of people are buying computers for school right now or are replacing computers as their five-year-old college laptop craps out so here's the standard specs you should be looking for in a (windows) computer purchase in August 2023.

PROCESSOR

Intel i5 (no older than 10th Gen)

Ryzen 7

You can get away with a Ryzen 5 but an intel i3 should be an absolute last resort. You want at least an intel i5 or a Ryzen 7 processor. The current generation of intel processors is 13, but anything 10 or newer is perfectly fine. DO NOT get a higher performance line with an older generation; a 13th gen i5 is better than an 8th gen i7. (Unfortunately I don't know enough about ryzens to tell you which generation is the earliest you should get, but staying within 3 generations is a good rule of thumb)

RAM

8GB absolute minimum

If you don't have at least 8GB RAM on a modern computer it's going to be very, very slow. Ideally you want a computer with at least 16GB, and it's a good idea to get a computer that will let you add or swap RAM down the line (nearly all desktops will let you do this, for laptops you need to check the specs for Memory and see how many slots there are and how many slots are available; laptops with soldered RAM cannot have the memory upgraded - this is common in very slim laptops)

STORAGE

256GB SSD

Computers mostly come with SSDs these days; SSDs are faster than HDDs but typically have lower storage for the same price. That being said: SSDs are coming down in price and if you're installing your own drive you can easily upgrade the size for a low cost. Unfortunately that doesn't do anything for you for the initial purchase.

A lot of cheaper laptops will have a 128GB SSD and, because a lot of stuff is stored in the cloud these days, that can be functional. I still recommend getting a bit more storage than that because it's nice if you can store your music and documents and photos on your device instead of on the cloud. You want to be able to access your files even if you don't have internet access.

But don't get a computer with a big HDD instead of getting a computer with a small SSD. The difference in speed is noticeable.

SCREEN (laptop specific)

Personally I find that touchscreens have a negative impact on battery life and are easier to fuck up than standard screens. They are also harder to replace if they get broken. I do not recommend getting a touch screen unless you absolutely have to.

A lot of college students especially tend to look for the biggest laptop screen possible; don't do that. It's a pain in the ass to carry a 17" laptop around campus and with the way that everything is so thin these days it's easier to damage a 17" screen than a 14" screen.

On the other end of that: laptops with 13" screens tend to be very slim devices that are glued shut and impossible to work on or upgrade.

Your best bet (for both functionality and price) is either a 14" or a 15.6" screen. If you absolutely positively need to have a 10-key keyboard on your laptop, get the 15.6". If you need something portable more than you need 10-key, get a 14"

FORM FACTOR (desktop specific)

If you purchase an all-in-one desktop computer I will begin manifesting in your house physically. All-in-ones take away every advantage desktops have in terms of upgradeability and maintenance; they are expensive and difficult to repair and usually not worth the cost of disassembling to upgrade.

There are about four standard sizes of desktop PC: All-in-One (the size of a monitor with no other footprint), Tower (Big! probably at least two feet long in two directions), Small Form Factor Tower (Very moderate - about the size of a large shoebox), and Mini/Micro/Tiny (Small! about the size of a small hardcover book).

If you are concerned about space you are much better off getting a MicroPC and a bracket to put it on your monitor than you are getting an all-in-one. This will be about a million percent easier to work on than an all-in-one and this way if your monitor dies your computer is still functional.

Small form factor towers and towers are the easiest to work on and upgrade; if you need a burly graphics card you need to get a full size tower, but for everything else a small form factor tower will be fine. Most of our business sales are SFF towers and MicroPCs, the only time we get something larger is if we have to put a $700 graphics card in it. SFF towers will accept small graphics cards and can handle upgrades to the power supply; MicroPCs can only have the RAM and SSD upgraded and don't have room for any other components or their own internal power supply.

WARRANTY

Most desktops come with either a 1 or 3 year warranty; either of these is fine and if you want to upgrade a 1 year to a 3 year that is also fine. I've generally found that if something is going to do a warranty failure on desktop it's going to do it the first year, so you don't get a hell of a lot of added mileage out of an extended warranty but it doesn't hurt and sometimes pays off to do a 3-year.

Laptops are a different story. Laptops mostly come with a 1-year warranty and what I recommend everyone does for every laptop that will allow it is to upgrade that to the longest warranty you can get with added drop/damage protection. The most common question our customers have about laptops is if we can replace a screen and the answer is usually "yes, but it's going to be expensive." If you're purchasing a low-end laptop, the parts and labor for replacing a screen can easily cost more than half the price of a new laptop. HOWEVER, the way that most screens get broken is by getting dropped. So if you have a warranty with drop protection, you just send that sucker back to the factory and they fix it for you.

So, if it is at all possible, check if the manufacturer of a laptop you're looking at has a warranty option with drop protection. Then, within 30 days (though ideally on the first day you get it) of owning your laptop, go to the manufacturer site, register your serial number, and upgrade the warranty. If you can't afford a 3-year upgrade at once set a reminder for yourself to annually renew. But get that drop protection, especially if you are a college student or if you've got kids.

And never, ever put pens or pencils on your laptop keyboard. I've seen people ruin thousand dollar, brand-new laptops that they can't afford to fix because they closed the screen on a ten cent pencil. Keep liquids away from them too.

LIFESPAN

There's a reasonable chance that any computer you buy today will still be able to turn on and run a program or two in ten years. That does not mean that it is "functional."

At my office we estimate that the functional lifespan of desktops is 5-7 years and the functional lifespan of laptops is 3-5 years. Laptops get more wear and tear than desktops and desktops are easier to upgrade to keep them running. At 5 years for desktops and 3 years for laptops you should look at upgrading the RAM in the device and possibly consider replacing the SSD with a new (possibly larger) model, because SSDs and HDDs don't last forever.

COST

This means that you should think of your computers as an annual investment rather than as a one-time purchase. It is more worthwhile to pay $700 for a laptop that will work well for five years than it is to pay $300 for a laptop that will be outdated and slow in one year (which is what will happen if you get an 8th gen i3 with 8GB RAM). If you are going to get a $300 laptop try to get specs as close as possible to the minimums I've laid out here.

If you have to compromise on these specs, the one that is least fixable is the processor. If you get a laptop with an i3 processor you aren't going to be able to upgrade it even if you can add more RAM or a bigger SSD. If you have to get lower specs in order to afford the device put your money into the processor and make sure that the computer has available slots for upgrade and that neither the RAM nor the SSD is soldered to the motherboard. (one easy way to check this is to search "[computer model] RAM upgrade" on youtube and see if anyone has made a video showing what the inside of the laptop looks like and how much effort it takes to replace parts)

Computers are expensive right now. This is frustrating, because historically consumer computer prices have been on a downward trend but since 2020 that trend has been all over the place. Desktop computers are quite expensive at the moment (August 2023) and decent laptops are extremely variably priced.

If you are looking for a decent, upgradeable laptop that will last you a few years, here are a couple of options that you can purchase in August 2023 that have good prices for their specs:

14" Lenovo - $670 - 11th-gen i5, 16GB RAM, and 512GB SSD

15.6" HP - $540 - 11th-gen i5, 16GB RAM, and 256GB SSD

14" Dell - $710 - 12th-gen i5, 16GB RAM, and 256GB SSD

If you are looking for a decent, affordable desktop that will last you a few years, here are a couple of options that you can purchase in August 2023 that have good prices for their specs:

SFF HP - $620 - 10th-gen i5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD

SFF Lenovo - $560 - Ryzen 7 5000 series, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD

Dell Tower - $800 - 10th-gen i7, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD

If I were going to buy any of these I'd probably get the HP laptop or the Dell Tower. The HP Laptop is actually a really good price for what it is.

Anyway happy computering.

[gingermaple]

martyn in action!

[shapelytimber]

⭐ Besties on break ⭐

It's up as a print on my inprint ! :))

Kiki 4 bouba type ship

Loved imagining Uhura's space btw !!!! I had so much fun with the background ! Does it make sense ? Not really- but the vibes are here (I kept unconsciously adding tribbles kfkfk had to stop myself at six otherwise I would have just filled the scene with them)

[COMMISSION] - [PRINTS]

Process and rambling below vvv

The fact that quiji, back in 2022, showed me like 2 episodes before we watched the first movie.... And that I didn't hate it (still think the beginning is way too slow, especially for someone not really familiar with the characters, and the uniforms are *horrible*), should have been a sign that this fucking show would eventually consume my brain fklfof

Anyway this summer we watched more of the show and also watched up to the fourth movie ! And omfg the fourth one in particular rewrote my brain ckfkkf the Nimoy vision is incredible, the blorbos in silly situations after a pretty angsty movie, their flop era in a space clio 2, the whales- also thank god the marine biologist and old ass Kirk didn't have a romance (I'm choosing to interpret her as french, so that the little kiss on the cheek at the end is just a normal bise, the normal way to say goodbye to someone you now concider your friend <3 and not a hint of romantic interest toward this man who is 1) already married to Spock and 2) could be her dad)

I am now normal about this show I promise ! :)))))