#a LOT of them would be found to be lacking

[just-for-kitsch]

I’m feeling sentimental, so I’ll talk about my wife.

It wasn’t love at first sight. It was a quiet interest. We were both well-known within our mutual sphere, but we didn’t talk until later. She came across as very morally righteous, and I was… not. But if anything, that drew us towards each other. Her views on life were so different from mine, and I could tell there was somebody beneath there. Somebody beneath the superficial sweetness and passiveness she displayed—someone serious, severe, and very, very interesting.

So we talked. We talked and we became friends, and it was so, so silly in retrospect. We would go to the same places and pretend we had met by coincidence when we both knew damn well we were waiting to see the other. I did not love her then, but I cared for her more than I had ever cared for anybody else. We made mutual friends, but none of them ever struck me the way she did.

Of course, it crashed and burned. It crashed and burned because one of our mutual friends and her no longer got along, and I took their side instead of hers. We tried to make it work in spite of that. But she realized too much of her self-image depended on the way I saw her, so she asked for us to separate. And even if it hurt, I did—I didn’t have the right to limit her.

So we didn’t talk.

I found some people in the meanwhile. And so had she. We had spoken sparsely during our separation—cordial with zero resentment, but it was flat. Quiet. Stilted. I focused on my work, but one day by chance, we met again. Reminisced. Just a little. And then a little became more.

I was different. She was different. Some of the people I’d found were… less than savory, and the same could be said for her. We both changed to the point we were practically unrecognizable from who we used to be. From who we both were when we first met.

Yet despite that… it was so easy to talk to her. It was like I had been sleeping for years, but I was awake in her presence. Like the entire world clicked back into place as if it had never been separated to begin with. It’s funny, I think—I think our separation made us closer. Made us more willing to confront the bad and work through it. And one day, I realized I loved her. It wasn’t big. Wasn’t dramatic. We were talking as per usual, and I thought, I’d like to do this forever. I realized that I meant it, and that was when I knew I loved her.

There’s a lot more to this story. A lot more underneath the surface that has to do with facades and confusing relationships to the outside eye. Reciprocation, or rather, the lack of it. How once upon a time she loved me more than I loved her, and then I loved her more than she loved me. How we changed during our separation, and how we stayed the same. How insincere with both used to be, but now how vulnerable we both are with each other. How she was the first person I loved—ever. How she changed my life.

There’s a lot more that might not make sense to other people. The fact that I’m aroace. The fact that she has a girlfriend. The fact that we’re inseparable halves even with that.

There’s a lot more that isn’t nearly as cute or as embellished as the rest of this story was made out to be. The anger I felt when we separated as if I’d been abandoned. The betrayal she felt when I took another’s side over hers. The, lightly put, obsession we both have for each other. The way we’ve seen each other at our worst. The way we’ve had to deal with each other at our worst. The way separating us will make us both spiral—the fact we aren’t just codependent, but practically are sewn together.

But I love her, and she loves me. So I don’t think it needs to make sense, and I don’t think it needs to be palatable or cute. It isn’t, not really. But it doesn’t need to be. I’m glad I didn’t let her go. Funny to say is that, now, I don’t think she’d allow me to go if I tried to run.

It’s a good thing that it’s mutual.

New York Times, The One Who Got Away

[countbarov]

medieval times were silly times

As I am equal parts stalker and writer, I have observed the KCD fandom for some time, and I've again found something that raised some questions for me. And this time it's not about homosexuality (alone), but the perception of medieval times in media today, in contrast with what we know about medieval times

A common name given to this period is "the dark ages" (and, as an ESL speaker, it's a phenomenon unique to English as far as I'm aware; feel free to correct me). But with a name as dramatic as that comes the connotation that "the dark ages" were rife with conflict, famine, death, disease, and violence of all kinds. But that's not what "the dark ages" means, and this evocative language is very misleading

They were called "the dark ages" because we didn't have enough information on them. Thus "dark", as in, lacking clarity

And importantly, they WERE called the dark ages. They are NOT called the dark ages anymore. Because we have more information on them

One of the things that gets brought a lot in relation to all characters, really, is religion. And since KCD2 is still very new, I won't make any specific reference to events in the game, but I will use KCD1 examples to illustrate my point

Religion in the Czech Republic has always been an interesting subject. They're nominally Catholic, but their history as a conquered nation and vassal state to bigger empires has marred the subject. It's considered today to be a very atheist nation, but this is a slight misunderstanding. Many Czechs are believers, but won't follow institutional Catholicism

Due to being ordered to die in battle for the Catholic church repeatedly (and causing a revolt about it, which was violently squandered by Catholic forces), it's easy to understand why the Czech public would be less than enthusiastic about Catholicism. But there was, in the 15th century, an interesting man by the name of Jan Hus. A priest who sought to reform the church to more accurately represent the Czech approach to religion; a priest who was executed by the Catholic church

A priest we meet in KCD1, interestingly enough, whom Henry accompanies on a debauched weekend of revelry, culminating in a drunken speech performed by Henry as he pretends to be a priest

Not very puritan and devout of him, alongside Hans' constant visits to the brothel

Another sore topic in the common understanding of medieval times is homosexuality, and how it's thought of by contemporaries

Modern conceptions of homosexuality will have us identify as "gay/lesbian"; as people who ARE homosexual and feel homosexual attraction. But back then, homosexuality wasn't understood as something you were: it was something you did

As such, "BEING" a sinful little gay wasn't a thing. You were performing a sinful act, but you were not sinful by nature, because it wasn't understood as an intrinsic part of your identity

This doesn't change the fact that it wasn't a good or happy time to be gay. For Hans and Henry it would've been a scary, uncertain, extremely secretive part of their lives. Their love could not be freely expressed and had to remain hidden from the public eye. But that doesn't mean they were ashamed of it

I think it's more beautiful to see their relationship as something they're proud of and happy to fight for rather than a sore topic of discussion. They would've been excited to share each other's company, share with their closest allies, and share in private without fear

It needs to be said, also, that I am not trying to police how people enjoy media. I'm simply expressing that Hans and Henry don't necessarily fit the mould of a tragic gay relationship as we know them today, and it's more interesting for me to engage with media where it's at. Part of the reason KCD's gay romance is so important to me as a gay man is that, instead of shameful and painful, it's euphoric, and gay media NEEDS more gay euphoria

We deserve to be happy, and I'm delighted that media starts to represent us not as doomed, but blooming. We deserve better than that

[lemotmo]

Thoughts on 911 8x17...

Disclaimer: I am operating on 2 hours of sleep, because I watched 911 live and it airs at 2 am where I am. So please, do forgive any incoherency or inconsistency.

Okay, where to begin?

First things first: This truly felt like an episode of the 911 TV show I fell in love with all those years ago. It was THAT good. It NEEDED to be THAT good as well. The last two episodes were bad and we needed a winner. We got it. YAY!

There are so many things to talk about here.

One of the first things I noticed was that this episode was made up of family and found family.

We had 4 clear distinctive family groups:

1. Athena and the kids, with some Karen & Athena and Hen & Athena thrown into the mix.

2. Hen, Karen and the kids with (again) some Karen & Athena and Hen & Athena thrown into the mix.

3. Maddie, Chimney and the kids (no Jee, but their unborn child was there) with some Hen & Chimney thrown into the mix.

4. Buck, Eddie, Christopher and aunt Pepa with some Hen & Eddie and Karen & Eddie thrown into the mix.

(The rest of the post is under a cut, so I don't clog anyone's dash)

All of them were struggling with Bobby’s death in their own way. I’ll talk about all of them briefly, but I’ll dive deeper into the last one, since it’s about the Buckley-Diaz family and I love them:

1. Athena was trying to stay strong and she mostly succeeded, but she couldn’t hide her irrational anger at Chimney.

To be fair, I completely understand where she is coming from. It has to hurt to see Chimney running around, doing perfectly fine, when she lost her husband because he wanted to save his friend.

It isn’t fair to Chimney, but it’s understandable why she reacts that way.

I love how we saw her with Hen and Karen and how great their friendship is.

I love Athena when she has to respond to silly calls like the laundry call. Angela shines in scenes like that.

2. Hen is struggling with the whole captaincy thing. Part of her wants it, but another part doesn’t. I know she called the Chief that she doesn’t want the job, but I wonder if she won’t call him back to tell him she has changed her mind in 8x18?

Because if it isn’t Hen, then who?

Unless they find someone from outside of the 118 or Bobby comes back somehow? (Which I still believe is a big possibility.)

I don’t know…

I still think it might be Hen in the end. Even if Bobby does come back. He won’t want to be Captain anymore.

3. Poor Chimney. He didn’t ask Bobby to save him, but he feels guilty anyway. That has to hurt.

To be honest though, I think Bobby would have saved him even if he had been single with no kids. Bobby is just THAT kind of guy.

I love how we got to see Maddie supporting Chimney in this episode. This was something 8x16 lacked completely.

4. Ah. Wow. This episode really brought home once again just how magical and real the chemistry is between Buck and Eddie. Nothing feels forced which it did with other pairings this show has thrust upon us in the past.

Let’s break down the Buckley-Diaz family scenes chronologically:

A. The episode opening with Buck’s flashback. The way the lighting changed as soon as we flashed to the now. It went from warm and cozy to cold and sterile.

It’s interesting how this flashback was mainly focused on three people: Buck, Bobby and Eddie. Buck of course because he was the one daydreaming. Bobby for obvious reasons and Eddie because he hadn’t been in the fire station for a while, even when Bobby was still alive. They got most focus, which means that Buck isn’t just struggling with Bobby’s death, but also with Eddie’s imminent departure back to El Paso.

It also seems that a lot of the scenes in the fire station were cut. There was no talk with Gerrard… thank god. There was no grocery shopping and lots of take out in the fridge scene. It was definitely the right choice to cut those scenes.

B. Next up was the Hen, Karen and Eddie scene. This was very interesting. We opened on them talking about Buck. The way Eddie talks about Buck and how worried he is, has Karen asking the right questions here. He briefly touches on how he hadn’t spoken to Bobby in two weeks and there’s a bit of that Eddie guilt peeking through. It’ll explode in that later scene with Buck.

I also liked how Hen tried to reassure him that he was building a whole new life in El Paso and that was okay. It was obvious that Eddie didn’t want that at all. Being back in LA, being back ‘home’ as Karen repeated. (Which… I love Karen so much. She is soooo perceptive.)

LA is Eddie’s home, yes. But the way he talks about Buck all the time? This scene definitely implied that Eddie’s home isn’t just the city, the people and the 118. It’s specifically Buck.

C. The Buck confession scene was something all right. I was so surprised that it was Buck in that confessional though and not Eddie. But I guess it does make sense since Buck is trying to find Bobby in everything he does.

I love how he had his phone at the ready, because he had no idea what to say. Typically Buck! The way he felt so much like the Buck we know from previous seasons was so refreshing. He is struggling, but he is still very much the Buck we all fell in love with.

His ‘talk’ with Bobby was so beautiful. It felt so honest and raw. Oliver’s acting was on point here.

The way he is trying to honour Bobby’s last wish, trying to take care of everyone. And then Bobby’s sign! It’s such a Buck thing to believe that Bobby sent him the earthquake sign.

D. I love how Buck recognised the ‘dentist’ lady from that previous episode where she was blue. He has such a good memory.

E. Then we get to THAT Buddie scene. First of all, they are living the domestic dream together. Making arrangements on who is doing what, like going out for groceries. Love that!

The way Buck is obviously upset over Eddie going back to El Paso and the job offer. He is trying hard to be supportive, but by the tone of his voice we all know (Eddie included) that Buck isn’t all that happy about it.

The way they got into this argument, because Eddie didn’t tell Buck about the job offer and Buck found out through Ravi. It’s poetic. Eddie’s guilty little face and his ‘I was going to tell you.’ was sooooo husbands coded.

I love Eddie lashing out at Buck and using the same words from their previous fights: “You make it all about you.” It’s some kind of a defence mechanism, so he doesn’t have to deal with his own emotions. So he focuses on others and tries to hurt them, so he can forget about his own hurt for a while. It’s a classic avoidance technic. We’ve all been there.

It’s something that Eddie has done before with Buck, so no matter what happens on 911, we can always count on Buddie continuity.

Eddie knows that Buck has been spiralling, but he didn’t know how to break through. He’s upset, so he lashes out. It’s a human thing to do. So I better not see any people talking trash about Eddie and how he is evil and abusive for hurting Buck.

I already saw a few of those bad takes on Twitter. Mainly from the BT people though. Most of them want Eddie to stay as far away from Buck as possible, for obvious reasons. With Eddie there, T doesn’t stand a chance. So it’s mainly about that. But still… such a terrible take.

Have any of you ever been in a fight with someone you love before? This is the way it goes! You lash out to hurt the other person, because you are hurting as well. Eddie has no malicious intent here. He is just frustrated with himself. He doesn’t want to go back to El Paso, he wants to be in LA. He doesn’t really want the El Paso job either. He worries that Buck will spiral out of control when he’s gone. So what does he do? In true Eddie style, he lashes out.

What follows then is an absolute masterclass of acting by Ryan Guzman. Oh my fucking god! That man can ACT! He is so good! I’ve always known he was good, because we have seen flashes of brilliance like this before, but this one took the cake. He is waaaaay up there as one of the best actors on 911. Not even kidding about this. He is sooooo good. 😌😌😌

That hidden anger and guilt and the way he grabbed Buck, his face filled with despair and rage and… so many emotions all at the same time? The tears, the bending over the table, the hand gestures and him unable to look at Buck for too long… it was brilliant.

It was helped along with the wonderful writing, direction and cinematography of the scene. Oliver and Ryan both went with it and their natural chemistry shone. It was such a great parallel to the BT scene in 8x11, in the same kitchen. The way Tommy seems to avoid the confrontation by running away every single time things get real and how Eddie stands his ground, unwilling to leave and giving back to Buck as good as he can. It was poetic cinema. And in the same exact spot in the kitchen as well.

The flashback to Eddie getting that phone call broke me in a thousand tiny pieces. The way he broke down crying and how he explained the terror of having to tell your child another loved one died. Trust me… I’ve been there. Telling your kid that someone they loved died? It is even worse than having to deal with the grief yourself. You worry and fester on how you’ll tell them and how they’ll take the news. You just want to protect them from harm and you realise you can’t. It’s a terrible feeling. I felt for Eddie in that scene.

The way Ryan just broke down in tears and his ‘He saved my life’… man, so good.

And Buck just standing there, realising that Eddie was hurting as well, but he hadn’t shown it because that is what Eddie does. Oliver’s acting here was also on point. His facial expressions when Eddie broke down were so good.

And of course his ‘If I was there, could I have made a difference?’ triggered Buck’s guilt again.

Oh these beautiful idiots. They are made for each other.

But what a great scene. I understand why Kat (journalist) said that this was her all time favourite scene in the entire series of 911. It is mine now too. Ryan Guzman, the actor that you are…

F. The morning after, when Buck walked into the living room, only to find the room empty, blankets folded with a little note on top? That was so Eddie and Shannon coded. The difference is that Eddie came back. He had always intended to come back to Buck while Shannon didn’t come back to Eddie and Chris.

Buck’s ‘jerk’! EEEE! It was sooooo good! I love how they decided to add that scene. It was perfect! It fit so well in their narrative.

Side note: how did Eddie even fit on that couch to sleep on it? It looks so much smaller than the previous couch and he is a big guy.

G. The way Buck saved that woman from her bathroom? The way he seems most at ease and happy in those kinds of situations? This makes me feel pretty sure they won’t go for Captain Buck anytime soon. The man loves those dangerous calls waaaay too much. As a Captain he wouldn’t be able to do that anymore.

H. Buck arriving home and Eddie just standing there WAITING for him!!! AAAAH! That was such a great scene. A clear call back to the ‘detour on sunset’ scene.

Again… this scene is so husbands coded. The way Eddie clearly realised that he had been an asshole to Buck the day before and when he woke up that morning he knew he had to make it up to him. So what did he do? He made sure that Buck’s favourite kid ever came back to LA!

Once again the parallel to Tommy walking out and never coming back, while Eddie -even if he does walk out- always comes back to Buck. Just… perfection.

That Buck & Chris reunion made me cry so hard! And Eddie looking on so fondly! I mean… that is a man in love you guys. I think that, on some level, he already knows it. It’s all there on his face.

Chris and Buck man! Pfffff… they look so alike when they are next to each other. It’s uncanny! The show knows this and they are using this to show us just how much this family belongs together.

Aunt Pepa!!! Complimenting Buck for his cooking in THAT kitchen, heavily implying it’s still the DIAZ KITCHEN and Buck has a spot there! Evancito!!!! Carinõ!!!! WHAT IN THE FANFIC HELL IS GOING ON IN THAT SCENE???!!!!!

And Chris looking at Eddie in the end, him looking back with that smile? This just screams domesticity and love. Eddie and Chris love Buck so much.

The way we see Buck smiling and obviously feeling so much better. Eddie knows that Buck needed to get outside of his own headspace and gain some perspective, away from his Bobby spiralling. It worked so well.

Especially that aunt Pepa talk did wonders for him. The way Buck was staring at Eddie and Chris and Pepa automatically using ‘our Eddie’ in their conversation, including Buck into their family? Perfect!

Aunt Pepa talked to Buck the way his mom should have talked to him. Telling him he should face his grief head on and own it. They are a family your honour!

Some miscellaneous stuff:

I still don’t really like the way this show redeemed Gerrard, but I do like him in this episode. He has finally understood that it’s important to respect the firefighters under his command. Bobby’s influence in action, no doubt about it. His proud look when the 118 figured out a way to bring the water to that burning building was interesting.

Spiritually? Bobby was everywhere in this episode.

That last scene with the building exploding and that piece of rock falling onto Athena’s police cruiser. That was so well done!

In conclusion:

This was such a good episode that harkened back to the 911 we all fell in love with. Even the calls and emergencies just felt right. The dentist call, the laundry call from Athena? They were all so good and wholesome! Call backs to previous people they saved as well!

It was just a really good episode. And I know that IMDB ratings don’t really mean anything, but I still love how we went from the 3.2 for the last episode to the 8.9 for this episode. Good times!

As for that trailer for 8x18?

Chimney and Athena stuck together? That will be soooo interesting to watch unfold. Sparks will fly! They can’t avoid each other now. They’ll have to work together to get out of there.

As for Buck and Ravi stuck as well? With the bts of Eddie in his white henley? Yeah, Eddie will get that phone call, realise that he is not losing anymore family (especially not his partner) and he will walk right into the fire station, ready to assist.

I’m expecting something big Buddie-related. Maybe Eddie’s realisation that his home is LA and especially Buck. Or maybe Buck realising that Tommy was right about him being in love with Eddie.

Or hell, maybe both at the same time!? What do I know!?! 🤷‍♀️

And Hen will be there coordinating and finding a way to get them all out safely. I really think she might just realise that she’ll want the job of Captain anyway.

Who knows? All I know is that we’ll have lots to talk about during hiatus!

I’ll be sat though. I’m so excited!!!

[lowkeyerror]

Key to Your Flat

Wanda Maximoff x Reader

Word count: 4.9k

Notes: Fluff, a bit of angst, pining, lots of acts of service, friends to lovers, au no powers

Summary: Wanda ends her long term relationship with Jarvis after realizing she was a lesbian. You've been her best friend since college, it's only right for you to support her in any way you can.

An: So this was supposed to be a cute little 1-2k fic loosely based on the Doja Cat snippet that says "Does a key to your flat mean girlfriend?" But it has turned into something else lol.

Masterlist | Masterlist 2

From the first day that you met her, you knew that Wanda would be one of the most successful people that you had ever encountered. There was no one more determined to make something of themselves than her. It was more than hard work; it was the way she sacrificed for the things that she wanted to accomplish in life.

You admired her.

How could you not, especially with the lack of direction you had in your own life? When you became her roommate in your sophomore year in college, you were already on your 3rd major. From engineering, to English, to culinary arts; you were all over the place. Yet you didn’t care much about it figuring things would work out somehow.

You believed that the universe would grant you whatever fate you deserved. Until Wanda told you that was such a ridiculous notion. Who would wait for a handout from the universe when they could simply get what they wanted themselves?

She was a good influence on you. You started taking school and your future a little more seriously after that. You put a lot more stock into your culinary dreams, and they paid off. There was a beaming fulfillment in your chest when you opened your own restaurant. Something that probably wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t met Wanda.

While you can’t necessarily recall what Wanda does off of the top of your head. You know she’s got some long fancy title at some big industry company. She had taken an internship in college and because of how completely undeniable the woman was, she shot up in the ranks of the company within a 10-year period.

You were both busy people, but you never loss touch as you climb your respective ladders of success. It was second nature for you to keep in contact with Wanda. It’s not something you thought about as much as something that you did.

Other aspects of your life often slipped through your fingers. You weren’t proud to say you’d forgotten a birthday or two or missed family plans because of work. Even your dating life suffered immensely because of your hectic lifestyle.

You never understood just how Wanda could manage to create enough balance in her life to find someone like Jarvis. He was a good man, clean cut. A little more uptight than you’d thought Wanda would go for, but a charmer, nonetheless.

You remember being skeptical when you first met him. You were the first person that he’d met from Wanda’s life. It was an accident when you ran into him on the way out of Wanda’s flat. He was about to knock when you were exiting. The red head was a little embarrassed to explain as you stared at the tall blonde man. You looked between the two before you shook his hand and sent him a decent enough smile.

She had chased after you when you left, trying to explain herself, but there was nothing to explain. You congratulated her, said you were happy she found someone. She thought you’d be upset with her, but you weren’t. How could you be upset when she was happy?

You had assumed that they had a perfect relationship. That’s how it seemed when you saw them interact with each other. His hand on her waist, her eyes shining into his. They’d seem to complement each other like the ocean compliments the beach.

Which is why you were confused when Wanda called you in the middle of your shift at work. She hardly ever called, finding texting much more reliable. However, you picked up the phone on the first ring.

“Hey, I know you’re probably working right now but is there any way you can pick me up.”

It sounded like she had been crying.

You were taking your apron off as you spoke into the phone, “Always, just send me your location and I’ll be on my way.”

You hear the relieved sigh she lets out, “Thank you.”

You informed your staff of your departure and headed to your car.  Wanda sent her location, and you put it into your GPS, before driving off. She was closer than you had expected so getting to her was nothing.

She was at a park in the middle of the city. The day was cloudy, and the sun was preparing to set. It was a very grey day to be outdoors.

Once you were out of your car you scanned around for your friend. You found her almost instantly. She was sitting on a bench, her head in her hands.

You’d seen her stressed before, but this felt bigger than that. Her voice on the phone made that very evident to you.

You approached her cautiously and when you got close enough you called her name, “Wanda.”

Her head shot up when she heard you. She was off the bench and in your arms before you had time to react. Her arms were tightly wound around you. It caught you off guard and all you could do was stare down at her for a moment.

Soon you were holding her back just as tight. Your hand cradled the back of her hair, finger tenderly rubbing her scalp.

“What happened?” Your voice is soft when you ask, not trying to provoke her any more than she already is.

It takes her a minute to pull away enough to answer you, but eventually she does, “Jarvis, he proposed.”

Your eyes widen, “These don’t look like happy tears.”

“I was trying to break up with him,” she lets out a deep sigh. “I called him to talk in person, and then I tell him that I think we should break up. He gets on one knee and starts talking, and I- I just…”

“Oh Wands,” you pull her back into your embrace.

You readjust so that you have one arm over her shoulder. She doesn’t protest as you lead her to your car. She climbs in the passenger seat no questions asked as you pull off.

When you arrived at your destination she finally speaks up, “What’re we doing here?”

“Getting takeout,” you answered quickly getting out of the car. “You sit tight.”

You’re in and out of the Chinese food spot with a hefty bad of boxes in tow. When you re-enter the car with the food Wanda sends you a small smile.

“Did you-”

“Of course, I got our favorite and I asked for extra sweet and sour too. I was going to drive to yours, maybe we could eat and indulge in some sitcoms or talk, whatever you want. How does that sound?”

Your eyes raked over her features. She gave you a few small nods, “Sounds better than having an existential breakdown at the park.”

“Well, I guess it’s settled then,” you chuckled a little.

You drove to her house, glancing over at her every few minutes. Her head rested on the window and her eyes were closed, but you knee she wasn’t sleeping. Wanda often closed her eyes when she was trying to ground herself. It was something you had picked on back in college. You never knew where she went in her head, but it always seemed to help her refocus.

When you got to her flat. You handled the food and handled the tv, shooing Wanda away to put on some more comfortable clothes. When she came back in her sweatpants and robe the two of you ate as you watched I Dream of Jeannie.

It took about 2 episodes before she said anything to you.

“You’re not going to ask why I wanted to break up with him?”

You leaned back into the couch, “I’m curious, but it didn’t really seem like something I should be asking right now.”

She searched your eyes for something. If you had to guess, you say for security. She needed to know that start she said next was ok to tell you. In truth there was nothing she could say that would deter you from being there for her.

“I think I like women,” she said as she looked into her lap. There were more tears brewing behind her eyes, “Only women.”

There was no hesitation as you moved closer to her. Your thigh rested against hers, prompting her to meet your gaze.

“That’s not a bad thing Wanda.”

She shakes her head, “It is especially when you have a long-term boyfriend who loves you with everything that he has. You keep wondering when you’re going to love him the way he loves you. When will you stop hating the way he touches you? When will you be able to look at him, the way he looks at you. By the time you realize it can’t be him, it will never be a him… it’s too late. He shows you a ring while you’re trying to break up with him.”

You grab her hand, “You need to be kinder to yourself. This isn’t something you chose to do Wanda. It’s not like you knew the whole time. It sounds like you’re just coming to terms with your sexuality. You did the right thing by breaking up with him.”

“But-"

“Let me finish. If I’m being honest, getting on one knee and proposing to someone after they tried to break up with you sounds like a manipulation tactic.”

She ran her free hand through her hair, “Did you think we were a good couple? Jarvis and I.”

You thought about the question briefly, “I think it looked like you were the perfect couple, but sometimes I didn’t understand it. You’re both so different, not that it was a bad thing. I just… I’ve seen you soar to unimaginable heights. I’ve seen your ambitions become your reality. I just didn’t see that in him. You’re always striving to be the best, to improve. I always thought you’d want someone to do the same with you or someone who was okay with you doing that. It just seemed like all of that went over his head.”

“He was a very traditional man. He always talked about settling down in the future, with firm roots, and kids. He talked about me retiring and letting him take care of me. It was just- not what I wanted.”

“And that’s ok, people break up all the time Wanda. It’s a normal part of life. Yes, it sucks, but it's just a breakup. Think of it as one step closer to finding your person.”

She nods slightly, “When did you get so good at this?”

You smile at her, “I’m not good at this. I’m just good with you. That's what nearly a decade of friendship does to someone.”

She didn’t say anything else. Instead, she rested her head on your shoulder and turned her attention back to the tv. You wrapped your arm around her shoulder, pulling her firmly into you.

Wanda would get through this, just like she got through everything else. You’d make sure of it, because she'd do the same for you.

In the coming months, you found yourself carving out more time for Wanda. The busy nature of your schedule died down significantly when you started to entrust the general manager of your restaurant with some more responsibility. It made your workload lighter while allowing your GM to get some more experience.

You used the new free time to support her the best way you could. Sometimes that meant bringing her lunch when she was working. Other times it was coming over after to make sure the woman wasn’t neglecting her home. You’d go over and check if she had groceries or that she wasn’t letting the flat get too dirty.  She was the kind of woman that threw herself into work when she was trying to avoid something.

You’d even gone as far as helping her set up a dating profile when she was ready to put herself back out there.

“How do you do it?”

“Do what?”

You were once again in her flat. She stood in the kitchen, while you sat on a chair stationed at the island in the middle of the same room.

“Date women,” she was asking sincerely, but you couldn’t stop yourself from laughing.

“Well, I don’t really date, but it’s the same as any date. You’re trying to present your best self, get a good foot forward, but while maintaining an authenticity. It’s not like a job interview where only one person is doing the hiring; you both have a say in how it turns out.”

Wanda narrows her eyes, “Why don’t you date?”

You shrug, “Too busy running a very successful restaurant.”

“You’re not as busy as you used to be. Maybe you should set up a profile for yourself. I’m sure any girl would be lucky to have you.”

You shook your head, “Hard pass, but I appreciate the effort.”

“Come on, Y/nn. I know accomplishments can feel empty when you don’t have anyone to share them with,” she tried to persuade you.

“Well good thing I can share it with you then,” you countered.

She let out an irritated sigh, “You know that’s not what I meant.”

You smirk, “Why do you want me to sign up so badly anyway? You think we’re going to match?”

You were only joking, yet you can’t help but notice the slight color on your friend’s cheeks.

She scoffed like you expected her to, “Grow up.”

For a moment it feels like you’re back in your college dorm. The playful and flirty banter was always present between the two of you. It was easy for you to flirt with her, knowing you never really had a chance. However, now that there was even the slightest of possibility that this could escalate, it felt completely different.

“It’s alright Wanda, nothing to be ashamed of. I’m hot, successful, hardworking, and financially responsible. Hard to ignore the total package.”

She rolled her eyes, “I remember when Ms. ‘Total Package’ couldn’t even finish her college assignments without my help.”

You chuckle when you catch her eyes, “You’ve got me there. If it wasn’t for you, I have no idea where’d I be.”

“Probably still in college on your 95th major change,” she laughed at her own joke.

Now it was your turn to roll your eyes, “Very funny.”

 With a smile plastered on her face she strolled over to sit next to you. She spun on the barstool before grabbing your arms and looking into your eyes, “I have something for you actually.”

“What is it?”

She reached into her pocket and sat a key down on the island. You looked at her then the key with slight confusion.

“A key?”

Wanda nods, “You’re basically here all the time and I’m getting tired of opening the door for you.”

“I’m using this key to come over and cook in this beautiful kitchen, you hardly use.”

“Hey, I cook,” she defended.

You laugh, “I said hardly, didn’t I?”

When you got home that night, you felt a new weight on your shoulders. Your hand slipped into your pocket to pull out the key. You held it flat in your palm. The small piece of metal was cool against your skin. You stared at it for a long while.

It was just a key. There wasn't anything crazy about it. Your friend gave you a key to her house. Friends do that with each other. Your heart shouldn’t have been fluttering the way it was over such a simple gesture.

You closed your hand around the key trying to ground yourself. Your eyes shut, but as soon as they did her smile etched its way into your sight.

“Shit.”

It was like college all over again. You thought you had gotten over your crush on Wanda many years ago. She was straight, it was never going to happen. That was something you could deal with, something you could work through. However now, that wasn’t the case anymore. Wanda liked women, technically you had a chance.

You shouldn't be thinking like that. She needs you now, to be her friend. You were doing so well. Taking care of her had become an unconscious pattern as easy as breathing. You never thought about it too hard when she needed you. It’s like the moment she put the key in your hand, your mind finally started thinking.

Subconsciously you’d always known it. It’s why you didn't date. It was unfair to be with someone who’d never be able to prioritize over Wanda. She was one of the few people in your life that you’d drop everything for.

Sure, you were a busy woman, but you’d never be too busy for her. Her distress over Jarvis literally made you change the way you worked, just to make sure you were there when she needed you.

“Why would I make her a dating profile?” You asked yourself as you face-planted on to your mattress.

Just as you expected Wanda’s profile was gaining some traction. There were a lot of women interested in someone like her. Soon she was going on more dates than you had been on in years. Most of them weren’t serious, she often said she wouldn’t be seeing them again.

While you were sad that she wasn’t finding anyone suitable you were also happy for the same reason. You thought you’d attempt to cheer up her up after so many bad dates by cooking one of her favorite dishes from home.

You made a day of finding the freshest ingredients. You drove out to find markets that had authentic food from her home country. There wasn’t a lot locally, but you didn’t mind the hunt.

Once you had everything you needed you made your way over to Wanda’s. It was a struggle carrying everything up, but you managed with a little bit of a struggle.

While you were still conflicted about having a key to her flat, you still used it plenty of times. So just like you had done previously you let yourself into Wanda’s home.

“Oh, fuck sorry,” you said as you immediately saw Wanda straddling the lap of an older (an admittedly super attractive) woman on her living room couch.

Wanda looked like a deer in headlights. You were trying to comprehend if you were more mortified or heartbroken. No one spoke for a long while until the older woman cleared her throat.

“Right, uh I’ll just come back tomorrow or something. Enjoy your night, Wanda.”

With the groceries still in your hand, you turned around and closed the door. You only made it down a few steps before you heard someone calling after you.

“Y/n, wait!”

You closed your eyes and took in a deep breath trying to mask your feelings before you turned around.

“This stuff is a little heavy Wanda; I want to get it back to the car before the bags break.”

She took a few bags from your hands, “Let me help you.”

“You don’t have to; you looked pretty busy in there. Here I was, bringing stuff to cook for you in light of all your failed dates, but it seems like you’re not doing nearly as bad as I thought,” you tried to joke with her.

“Agatha is definitely the best of the dates I've had so far.”

You had to keep yourself from wincing, “Glad to hear it.”

Wanda helped you load the stuff back into the car.

“I’m really sorry about this. If I would’ve known you were coming-"

You shook your head, “It’s fine Wanda, go back to making out with a hot older woman. They don't like to wait for too long. I’ll just text you next time instead of just barging in.”

“I have you a key because you’re always welcome.”

You unhook the key from your key ring and hand it back to her, “I know that, but maybe it’s best if you let me in.”

“Y/n,” she looked at you with confusion.

You smile through the pain, “If you’re going to have women over, it’s not a good look for another woman to be coming in and out of your house whenever. We’re not related and we’re not roommates. There’s not really a reason for me to have access to you like that.”

“I don’t understand,” she looked between you and the key that was now in her hand.

“Usually, a key to your flat would mean I’m your girlfriend. Me coming over to cook for you as another woman who likes women is bad for your stock. It just doesn't feel like something that's easily explained. I would have a bunch of questions if I was in Agatha’s position, especially since you haven't gone back yet,” you hop into your car.

There was a conflicted look on her face, “You’ll stop by tomorrow?”

“I’ve got work, but I'll try to stop by after,” you told her that even though you knew you wouldn't be coming back tomorrow.

“I’ll see later then?” She was searching for something as she surveyed your features.

With what little control you had left, you tried to give her what she was looking for, “Definitely. Now forget about this and go back to your date.”

She looked like she wanted to say more, but with a small glance back at her flat, she walked away. You drove home.

The groceries felt eternally heavier when you were bringing them into your house. You wondered how carrying them upstairs to Wanda’s was even possible.

You hurriedly put the food away, showered, and then got in the bed. When your head hits the pillow, you let out a deep sigh. Your jaw started to tremble on its own.

You let out a bitter laugh as the tears fell down your face. You didn’t bother to wipe them away.  It felt like a part of you was ripped out of your chest.

This was bound to happen eventually. Wanda would move on from Jarvis and your silly fantasy would be crushed. You felt silly crying over a woman that was never yours.

Yet another part of you was screaming at you for feeling silly. You were doing a lot for Wanda. Even if it was all just friendly, sometimes it felt like more. All the dinners, all the cuddling on the couch, all the late-night talks. She was your better half, but she wasn’t your girl. She’d never be your girl.

It was something you had to accept. You didn’t go to work the next day. You rotted in your bed, not having the energy to get up. Scrolling on your phone was the only thing you wanted to do.

Wanda had texted you a few times, but you ignored the messages. Even the thought of her just made your entire chest burn.

You finally got out of bed when you had to pee. You took the opportunity to brush your teeth as well. On the way back to the bed your doorbell started to ring. Not just once either. Whoever was at the door pressed the button over and over again. It was impossible to ignore.

So, with your bed head, red eyes, and mismatched pajamas you yanked the front door open, “Look, I don’t know what you want but could you just go away and try again tomorrow or something.”

“Tomorrow’s not going to work for me.”

Your head shot up and you felt face heat. Wanda was standing at your front door with her arms crossed over her chest with an eyebrow raised.

“What’re you doing here?”

Your voice had a softness to it that you reserved for the red head in front of you.

She didn’t answer your question. Instead, she let herself into your home. You closed the door behind her. You followed her to your living room. She sat on your couch while you took a seat on a chair diagonal to it.

“I thought you had work today,” she says.

“I decided not to go.”

“I’ve been texting you.”

You shrugged, “Haven’t been on it sorry.”

Wanda stared at you, “I went to your restaurant looking for you.”

You were looking into your lap, “I’m sorry Wanda.”

She got up from the couch to come completely into your line of sight. She kneeled down in front of you, her hands resting on your knees.

“What’s going on with Y/nn?”

The concern in her voice broke you out of your trance. You tried your hardest to feign that you were alright.

“I’m fine. Since you’re here why don't you let me cook something for us?”

You stood from the chair quickly pushing down the rest of your emotions. She watched as you walked over to the kitchen pulling out some of the ingredients you had bought the day before.

“This is for paprikash,” Wanda watched as you began to prepare.

You nod, “Yeah, I got stuff for chicken paprikash, alivenci, and cholent too. The plan was to cook the paprikash and then the alivenci for dessert. I was going to set up the cholent for you before I left so you could have it fresh the next day because it’s got to cook for like 17 hours.”

“You got all of this for me?”

You answered her while chopping up the vegetables, “It was nothing.”

“It’s not nothing. You’re using Hungarian bell peppers, where did you even get those?”

You smiled a bit, “I do own a restaurant, Wanda. If there’s anything I’m an expert in, it’s food. I wanted it to be authentic as possible.”

As you began cooking you felt the weight of the situation lift off of your shoulders. Cooking had always been a stress reliever for you, and it wasn’t any different now. You could feel Wanda’s eyes on you, but you never looked away from the meal.

Only when the chicken was simmering in the pot did she attempt to grab your attention.

“After you came by yesterday, I asked Agatha to leave,” Wanda broke the silence.

You finally look at her, “Why would you do something like that?”

She simply placed a key on the counter, “I couldn't stop thinking about you giving me this key back.”

“Wanda,” you tried to stop her, but she cut you off.

“No, I need you to listen. When you put this key in my hand, it felt like you had handed me a live grenade. I didn’t understand why. It wasn’t until I went back inside, and Agatha asked me how we knew each other that it clicked. You’re my everything.”

“What are you saying?”

She hesitated, “I’m saying I’ve already found my person.”

“Wanda, you’re my best friend.”

She invaded your personal space, grabbing you gently by the wrist, “And you’re mine, but it’s more than that isn’t it? You’re the person I can rely on for anything at any time. You’re the woman that left her restaurant to put me back together when my ex left. You listened to me, you held me, you cooked for me, made sure I had groceries, and that my house was clean. Friends don't do as much as you've done for me.”

You slowly lifted your gaze to meet her’s, “I just know you appreciate acts of service.”

“Y/n if you don’t want this I’ll leave and we can pretend it never happened; but if you do want this, want me, I’m right here laying it all out for you.”

You drop your gaze again, “I cried myself to sleep last night. I thought I'd lost my chance. When I saw you on top of Agatha, something broke inside of me Wanda.  Back in college I had a crush on, but I thought you were straight, so it was easy to keep it down. When you came out to me, it was like I was at square one all over again.”

Wanda shook her head, “It’s not square one because here I am telling you that I’m in love with you. Please give us a chance Y/n.”

You wished the moment was more glamorous as you kissed the woman in front of you. You hadn’t denied her yet and you never planned to. Her hands locked behind your neck while yours rested on her waist.

Your breath was shaky when the kiss ended. Neither of you moved.

“I love you too,” you pecked her lips again.

Wanda blushed, but you were more focused on the way she looked at you. Her eyes were full of nothing but tenderness.

“Would you take the key back?”

You raised your eyebrow, “Why does it feel like you’re asking me for something else?”

She feigned innocence, “I’m not. Unless you think that what you said yesterday about keys is true.”

“Remind me what I said again?”

Her fingers played with the hairs at the base of your neck, “A key to my flat means girlfriend.”

You pretended to think about it, “Girlfriend?”

She nodded, “Girlfriend.”

“I guess I’ll have to get you a key too then,” you said softly.

This time Wanda leaned in for a kiss. It was supposed to be a peck, but you both got lost in that moment. Neither willingly to part with the other just yet. Lips fitting together to create a soft lullaby of security.

You never thought you’d be lucky enough to have Wanda in this way. She was your best friend, your person, and now your girlfriend. It may have taken years, but you wouldn’t have had it any other way. Wanda cherished you just as much. She felt like an idiot for not realizing her feelings sooner, but she was just happy to call you, her girl.

And one day, she would be ecstatic to call you, her wife.

[violxtdreams]

smol theory about how morella died

TW for discussions of death!! also SPOILERS for recent episodes in Season 2 (not fast pass ones)

so as i was rereading all the episodes we have as of now i noticed that Morella is probably the character we know the least about right now when it comes to what her life was like prior to dying and ending up in nevermore. Duke was a magician sabotaged during a show, Pluto had an abusive and alcoholic dad that probably offed him one way or another, Ada was a maid killed by her lover in the middle of the woods, etc. (we don’t know how Lenore died either but there’s a lot more content to speculate on that) we even know that Berenice was run over by a suspicious man despite our lack of lore on her that we’ll (probably) get soon.

i’ve heard small theories here and there that Morella died during the great famine in Ireland, which i didn’t subscribe to at first becuz no one had a death explicitly tied to a historical event like that… until we got Will backstory bits that seemed to take place during a period of severe dust storms—the dehydration from that would explain why his last meal of choice would have been peaches and a glass of water.

so i thought about how Morella’s chosen last meal was shepherd’s pie, a food made using leftover meat and popular among people in poverty. in episode 104 it’s also noticed by Eulalie that Morella is a rather good cook. when she asks where Morella learned, the latter brushes it off. and it’s pretty evident by now that people still retain their learned skills, behaviors and whatnot from when they were in the land of the living, like Duke with lockpicking.

so now cuz of all of this i actually think that it would make sense for her death to have happened cause of the Irish famine, whether directly or indirectly. the only thing is that i struggle to tie it in with the following—

her spectre being a guardian which strongly suggests she died trying to save/help/protect someone. this wouldn’t be a difficult puzzle piece into fit if not for the one below

the pattern of most the deaths being murders or close to being murders (Annabel was shot, Duke sabotaged, Montresor straight up tied to a railroad, Will was left for dead, that fire that burnt down the building Eulalie was in could have been intentional, based on the vision of Prospero’s fear courtesy of Ada he may have been wrongly operated on, etc etc only Lenore may not have been murder due to the lack of info)

the thing i have in mind is that she tried to get other people to eat, feed them, gave them food or something along those lines but someone found that stupid to say the least and either punished her by withholding food and making her starve or some other more obvious way of committing homicide due to her being seen as a liability, but maybe there’s better options out there that i just can’t think of lmao

[hed184]

What i found interesting about Remmick is that he's the personification of the “all hope is lost" mentality. The other characters while also had known prejudice all their lives like him, share two things that Remmick lacks: a community (what he desperately seeks) and their mortality which encourage them to endeavor for a better future.

Remmick was born during the colonisation of Ireland which started from the 12th century when they began to be slowly deprived of their lands, language, celtic religion and culture by the British. It would last nearly 800 years until the independance triggered by the breaking point of the Great Famine where a lot of Irish died or were forced to set abroad to America. Therefore Remmick doesn't see the value of living because his suffering never ended. His immortality never granted him the possibility to reach a better future but to be trapped alone in an endless world of pain and injustice. He probably can't conceive that lreland's independance 11 years prior will last or that the Civil rights movement will end the segregation in a few decades. He only valued past and want to revive it and freeze it through Sammie's mystical music. If he met 300+ years old black and native fellow vampires that lived through slavery and American colonisation, the three of them would probably bear the same pessimistic views of the future.

Him being on his own with no other lrish vampires while trying to integrate the native and black communities subtly showed he had probably tried to integrate his own Irish community in America and failed as well. From an 800+ years old vampire perspective, there is no future to fight for, and the only way to be free from this world is to free litteraly yourself from mortality. A choice that Mary and Stack ultimately embrace while Annie, Smoke and Sammie refuse.

It's also notable that most of the characters are Christians or had biblical names (Mary, Sammie being Samuel, Smoke and Stack's real names are Elijah and Elias, Grace wears a cross around her neck) with the movie being called Sinners and Sammy's father being a puritan pastor. Remmick in comparaison is the reminiscent of Lucifer. He's a seductive manipulator and was cast away to Hell (the darkness of the night) for his rebellion against the rule of God (his rejection of mortality). As we later see, Remmick despised Christianity that was forced on him, he saw it as an invader force (parallel to vampirism) that bounds people's mind to servitude (the notion of sin, of repentance, of damnation) so he's convinced that his great age and being born in a still Christianity-free kingdom makes him know better. From his biased view, the other characters are blind to their servitude and the fatality of their existence because they were deprived of their past and conditionned by this foreign religion. That's why he dismissed the rejection of his proposal by others because for him, they can't refuse it from their own free will because they're too conditionned to fear damnation and Hell to have any. His mantra is litteraly "Prepare yourself to be rescued. Please do not resist."

That's the essence of his duality with Sammie. They are both musicans with supernatural abilities that allow them to commune with people - both leading the two dance scenes of the movie - and they are both deemed "sinners" for that but Remmick is the one who lost his humanity and faith in future while Sammie never give up his dream and in the end, his confrontation with his father which parallels his last confrontation with Remmick allows him to finally break free and go live his life. Sammie refuses both the Devil's (Remmick) false freedom and God's (his father) life of traditionnal virtues and attonement to follow his own path.

[katblaze]

Ella focused post-canon long post ahead:

I like the idea of Tadius having to reign Ella in when she has a mean streak towards particular peasants who had perpetuated her abuse in the past. The peasants who verbally and physically taunted/abused her. The people who disregarded her pleas and distress, writing it off as madness, violently sending her back to her abusers just to get her out of their sight. Because her circumstance and uncleanliness was uncomfortable to be around. Maybe she can't stand to be cordial or impartial to the very same people who she watched drag her mother into the square. Or maybe, at her lowest, she says some unpleasant things about all peasantry, flippantly stereotypes them in a moment of temper. Let's her trauma blossom into rage, into a simmering desire (not necessarily action, mind you) for petty cruelty.

We see her deconstruct a lot of her (admittedly not crazy large) bias against peasant and servantry in the show; this being easier for her to accomplish because she was forced into servitude and squalor herself. For example, one of the first things she jabs at Tadius with is his rank as a servant. She establishes her status and her power over his well-being, potentially his life (and this is important for us to see for her character! this is the first time we see her so confident in her dialog in the show. she is finally reclaiming the autonomy, power, and safety she lacked for potential years, even if this isn't "perfect victim" or kind behavior). This threat could easily have been genuinely fear inducing for Tadius if he hadn't perceived her comment as banter/wit (or he, at the very least, thought she couldn't do anything to him as the prince's right hand servant because she's not from a reputable house). But later, we see her call Tadius "a good man" instead of "a good servant", signifying her growth. She acknowledges where she went wrong in the past and asserts Tadius's position as an equal. Textbook character development.

She also originally vows to the fairy godmother to take vengeance only on those who deserve it, who have taken everything from her and seek to destroy more. She makes clear that her blood lust is for specifically her step family (edit: if Justine and Lucy represent Ella's core values and dreams then Justine establishing kindness to those socially lower to them as an admirable trait makes a whole lotta sense for Ellas character going foward). Hell, she is said to be a good queen by the whole kingdom, implying the peasants favor her rule after she's gained it. She is known by all for her kindness and love which is carried out just as fiercely as her justice.

Does this mean she doesn't have low points? Does this mean that at her lowest Tadius doesn't need to council her and advice her against her (valid, but potentially unfair) anger? That she doesn't let her new found power make it so that, at times, she speaks down to those she deems morally lesser (and could that perception of who is lesser, by this measurement, be influenced by class bias/her past peasant inflicted abuse)? Ella's main character motivation is vengeance in the show, even if her morals are steadfast throughout, I think it would be an interesting conflict between Ella's own ethic values vs. her (again, valid) trauma-induced feelings/vitriol, and how that conflict influences her decisions not only as queen, but interpersonally.

This could also lead to some great tension between Ella and Tadius (who are at this point good friends, partners, or at the VERY least close coworkers). With some communication Tadius would be given better insight into Ella's past, interworkings, and decision making. It would also grant Ella an outlet to talk about all this awful shit that happened to her and how it comes back to affect and shape her presently.

Not to mention Tadius's own trauma regarding aristocrats who belittle their subjects. Maybe at her most cruel (aka in a very bad emotional state) Tadius becomes clinical and emotionally disconnected, just as he was with the prince? Unconsciously or not, sinks back into giving stony irritated advice and doesn't talk to Ella in their normal affable manner for the rest of the day, or longer. Maybe it takes them a while to get to the point of healthy communication because of both of their past isolation (ella is purposely isolated by her supposed "madness" and has no one to talk to, she is overjoyed to vent to a literal frog + no one recognized tadius's wit before ella, implying he is not close enough with anyone for them to know who he is personally) makes it difficult for them to talk in a productive manner at first.

(I do not mean to say this is the only interpretation of Ella's character or the headcanons you should adopt post-cc. Maybe Ella never let's these internal biases (that I've picked up on) influence how she treats her subjects/how she rules. Or, shes developed and grown entirely past them. Maybe Ella and Tadius never have this kind of conflict between them. This is also tackling a very specific negative trait I enjoy exploring, which I personally could see presenting itself in Ella post-canon. I love her. I don't doubt she is a great queen who rules with the working class's benefit, along with the rich's detriment, in mind (in fact, I definitely like to believe she does). I just really like characters having character flaws, even if they are a good person, even if they are the hero, and even past their happily ever after)

[paingoes]

Destroyer -- Living Weapon CYOA

>You have worked with living weapons before and found the whole thing to be...eerie.

…Yeah, you're familiar. Vaguely, anyway. They're by no means a common sight. From everything you've heard, they're being phased out altogether. You assume this is due to the ridiculous upkeep cost and the abnormally high fatality rate for everyone involved.

All the ones you've encountered have been kept at a distance. Quiet and dead-eyed, with an uncanny rhythm to their minuscule movements. You hadn't known about the fatality rate at the time, but even then you could understand why the staff had been uneasy around them. Living things are unpredictable. A lot of faith was placed in the handlers to keep the operation running smoothly, and to ensure everyone's safety. It certainly took more trust than you ever would have knowingly surrendered.

And now that responsibility falls to you.

Well, at least you don't have to figure it all out yourself. You've been given some rough guidelines on how the thing can be controlled, what it needs to stay functional, and what precautions are necessary while it's onboard. When not in use, it's to be kept in a proofed cell. You…don't have that, exactly. There simply wasn't enough time to engineer it, and the prince certainly hadn't offered to pay for the construction. You take that latter point as indication that it must not be that important. You hope you're right!

tags: @dragongodryss @whumpsday @elle297382 @inhurtandincomfort @catnykit

[keysimash]

in my mind v2...

likes interacting with humans WAYYYYY more than interacting with her fellow machines....

Shes a peacekeeper. Shes programmed to prioritize de-escalation and nonviolence, and, if things come to blows, always delivering a loud, clear verbal warning and prefers restraining or incapacitating a foe rather than killing them.

A lot of the machines she interacted with for her job were made during the New Peace, but a large chunk were ones made during war who were reprogrammed/repurposed/given a second chance on thin ice

And it bothered her. Shes programmed to protect, yes, but humans are significantly more delicate than machines, and humans were. Well. A priority.

V2 would always show the people she worked with threat assessments about certain machines being left online. Her creators would remind her she is meant to be inclined towards gentleness. Towards forgiveness. They knew the consequences of a so called "peacekeeper" whose sole priority was to come home alive, rather than make sure all the people she interacted with left alive.

V2 was inclined to agree.

She was meant to work closely alongside people, and that was what she did. Other machines found her mannerisms strange, but thought of her as capable. The way she talks to people vs machines is like night and day. Around people she is -- or was, rather -- polite, demure, although there was an undercurrent of enthusiasm. But she was colder with machines.

When humanity started dying off en masse (I headcanon it as the Father just deciding he had enough and. Killing mass amounts of people, just dropping dead, over a period of time, and the loss of life of dependents and catastrophic failures at places like airports, power stations, suicides etc that resulted from that) the machines were actually pretty nonviolent at first.

Animals and humans irl don't suddenly decide to begin fighting one another to the death. It wastes resources on both ends, and only results in severe injuries or death for both. The majority of machine conflicts during the New Peace boiled down to posturing and displays, maybe a brief physical altercation before the weaker machine would either flee or acquiesce.

(That's what V2 tries to do with V1, the first time. She was being proper, in machine terms. Unfortunately for her, V1 wasn't operating for most of the New Peace, instead being either studied, briefly brought back online so it would remain operational, before being put back under again.

V2 brought it online in the hopes of finding and eliminating the cause of the mass death of humanity. V1 didn't particularly care about that, considering that objective both impossible and useless. V2 snapped when V1 told it that.

It didn't know nor care about the unwritten rules about how machines interacted with one another. It didn't understand why she was suddenly hostile, but a fight was a fight, and it fought her so hard it rent her apart and took her piece as its prize.)

The problem the machines ran into when humanity started dying at first was not lack of blood. Indeed, the bodies were so many that they could barely process the blood of them all, no, the problem was that there was simply so much death that there was no way to keep all the blood fresh.

and when it all was well and truly rotting, with most warm-blooded animals gone extinct during the war and the sun for solar panels only shining intermittently between all the centuries of pollution, the machines predisposed to gentleness began to offline, while the ones who chose violence began, in their desperate thirst, to take from one another.

Some machines, in their quest to prevent the destruction of their own kind on top of that of humans, explored humanity's numerous entrances to Hell. They came back fully fueled, generous with it, speaking in public feeds and comms of a land of plenty. Over 100 billion people have ever died, and the majority of them in Hell. The machines were a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of this, numerous as they were, there was not enough metal left in the earth to compete with this number even if they started production again. They'd be fed and safe functionally forever.

These machines were overtaken by Hell itself, hoping to catch more flies with honey rather than vinegar. The machines that went into Hell were pitted against one another, plucked apart and tortured unimaginably for its amusement. Hell operates not with constancy, but in waves, receding to allow machines to come in, to get used to its visage, to fuel, to have a sliver of hope, before trapping them in endless mazes, dwindling them down to such thirst that they'd slaughter one another before dropping them in the same rooms.

Two supreme machines enter hell.

One seeks to destroy what has left it terribly alone and left it without love or purpose

The other is driven by thirst and curiosity, feeling for the first time in its function that it is doing something it is made to do

I wonder what'll happen...

[bone-trash]

Psssssst… yall want some fluff?

I wrote something I like in my unfinished After Midnight sequel fic and wanna share

They’d been seeing each other for a few weeks and Simon thought things were going pretty well. While the heat that had sparked between them had continued to blaze, their times together were now sweetened with a slow trickle of detail and context. Simon devoured every new piece of information he could, utterly fascinated and charmed. Johnny didn’t drink tea (scandalous) and instead preferred energy drinks first thing in the morning. As distasteful as Simon found this personally, most of them smelled like petrol, his fridge was now stocked with whatever odd flavor the lad preferred at the moment. Johnny was an art student at the local UNI, and though he made enough at the shop to get his necessities, he often had to pass off a lack of proper supplies as a stylistic choice. When Simon found out one of the younger man’s sketch assignments had been completed in colored pencil, not because of the inherent spirituality and mystery associated with the color purple but because Johnny had worn his Ticonderogas down to nubs, he decided to help. He was fucking talented, Simon wouldn’t let something as easy to obtain as school supplies be the reason some shitty prof gave him a bad grade. This thing between them was still fresh though, so Simon usually left the pack of pencils or new sketch book in the bag Johnny carried to work before he woke up, not wanting to embarrass him. He thought he resembled an Attenborough special he’d seen in school about penguins wooing each other with pebbles and felt a bit silly at first. Then Johnny would react to these small acts of affection, with a blinding smile and a heated kiss, and Simon couldn't find it in himself to regret this comparison.

Amazingly, Johnny seemed to enjoy his company. They were together a lot, but it wasn't all passionate romps in Simon’s bed, or car, or shower. Most of the time he’d pick up Johnny from work and they’d end up lounging on his couch watching something stupid on telly; Johnny looked far too good in an old pair of Simon’s sweats and, most importantly, he looked like he belonged there. Eventually they began working their way through his DVD collection because Johnny apparently hadn't seen any of the important cinema of the last 20 years. How does someone make it to adulthood without seeing Shaun of the Dead or Jennifer’s Body or bloody Paddington 2? It was criminal and Simon intended to correct it. As Johnny burrowed into his side, often falling asleep before the movie was over, Simon couldn't help but feel content. It was odd for him and he was loath to accept it. Yet day after day, as Simon woke up with Johnny warm and draped over his back or found himself smiling at whatever stupid meme he was texted from class, he knew he was falling hard. It was so disgustingly domestic and normal and Simon was happy.

[madhatterbri]

Plan | D.M.

Summary: Here’s the idea I had inspired by that interview: The reader and Drew are married. Instead of going out for date night , they decide to stay in and enjoy each other’s company, with Drew being in his underwear and teasing the reader. The night ends with them making love. Thanks in advance.

Requested by: @wrestlinghistorywithkay

Happy Friday Night Smackdown eve, babes. ❤️

Drew McIntyre Masterlist

WWE Masterlist

Taglist: @theworldofotps @magicalbuttertarts @smallestsnarkestgirl @surdelcielo @hodgepodge-musings

Rain tapped lightly against the windows in your home. You hummed softly to yourself as you watched the pot of noodles boil. Dressed in only pajama shorts and an oversized sweatshirt, you sighed happily. A planned date night turned into a cozy night in. You couldn't be happier.

With a wine glass in hand, you listened to the songs that came from your speaker. A soft hum that set the perfect mood for peace and quiet. All that was ruined the moment you turned to see Drew leaning against the door frame.

You let out a giggle. Your very muscular boyfriend leaned against the doorframe. He took a night in to a whole other level. The Scotsman was only in his underwear. Your eyes drifted shamelessly to his boxers. They barely left anything to the imagination.

"Like what you see, lass?" Drew asked. He walked towards you as you turned to start stirring the noodles.

"I was just wondering why I do the laundry, dear," you teased. "You seem to like being in your underwear."

"The weather is dreary. I figured this would be a lot better to look at."

He moved his hands up and down to show his whole body. A couple of times, he flexed for you. You didn't dare stare too hard.

"Are you quite done?"

"I was about to ask the same to you," he answered. Drew pressed himself against you. His lips found their way to the most sensitive part of your neck. Soft kisses planted there made you bite back a noise. You couldn't encourage him. The last time he did this, you nearly burned the house down.

Yet you found yourself leaning against him. He kissed up to your ear. His voice low. "Let's skip dinner and go straight to dessert."

"Food first," you insisted.

He pulled away from you and sighed dramatically. You rolled your eyes as he walked to the kitchen table and sat down. His legs were spread wider than they needed to be. You forced yourself to stare at his eyes. "Don't make me wait too much longer."

You served him a plate before sitting next to him at the table. Dinner was fun with talk about the work week and other things that caught your interests. The night turned when he started to tease you.

His hand rested by your knee before sliding up. He massaged your thigh slowly. You finally put a stop to it when he tried to slide his hand in your pajama shorts.

"Not at the table," you playfully scolded.

"Fine," he agreed. "Let's get somewhere more comfortable for my lady."

He led you to the couch in the living room. Drew sat first before pulling you on top of him. You straddled his hips and kissed him.

"You planned this," you accused. "You were the first to mention not to drive in the weather."

He simply smiled and grabbed your sweatshirt off you. His large hands balled it up and threw it behind you. When he noticed you didn't have a bra, he raised an eyebrow.

"I don't think I was the only one planning this."

Drew cupped your left breast in his hand. He flicked your nipple with his tongue. His smile burned against your skin at the sound you made. His lips wrapped around your nipple and sucked. His tongue swirled around the nub. Your arms wrapped around his neck to steady yourself. His other hand placed securely on your hip.

The skilled Scotsman alternated between breasts. He didn't want either to be lonely, he informed you. You were grinding against his clothed hard cock. He left your breasts alone and slid a hand in your pajama shorts.

"Definitely weren't planning any of this, were you?" He asked when he noticed the lack of underwear.

You shook your head as his fingers slid between your folds. The soft noises you were once making were replaced by much louder ones. You brought your head back as you thrusted your hips forward. Drew was brought you close, so close until he pulled his away.

"Why?" You asked.

"I wanted to taste you first," he answered. His tongue lapped at his fingers for your juices.

Drew helped you out of your pajama shorts. You moved your hips and legs to help him. He lowered his boxers just enough for his cock to spring free.

"Take me."

You didn't need to be told twice. With his help, you lowered yourself on his waiting hard cock. His hands gripped your hips. You grabbed the back of the couch to steady yourself. The rhythm you two maintained was steady and filled you. You lowered yourself on to him as he thrusted upwards. Your eyes fluttered closed.

"Look at me," he panted. You opened your eyes to see him staring at you. His head rested against the back of the couch. "I want to see your eyes when you come on me."

Within a few thrusts, his wish was granted. Your body tightened around him, lips parted in a whiny moan. He cursed and spilled into you in one final thrust.

Neither of you spoke as you tried to catch your breaths. Sweaty forehead pressed against sweaty forehead, he showered you with praises.

"I guess you can say I had a good plan," he bragged.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Joyce Vance at Civil Discourse:

When I was going through the selection process for a U.S. Attorney, I was worried about my qualifications. I had been with the Justice Department for over 15 years. I’d spent a decade as a criminal prosecutor before moving to the office’s appellate division. There, I had become the office’s senior litigation counsel, and then the chief of the appellate division. I had tried a lot of cases and argued a number of cases in front of the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. But I was still worried that I didn’t have enough experience for such an important job. A U.S. Attorney’s duties are outlined in a law passed by Congress. The statute charges each of the 93 U.S. Attorneys nationwide with prosecuting criminal cases, defending the government (or sometimes prosecuting) in civil actions, and collecting moneys owed to the government. They are also charged with making “such reports as the Attorney General may direct.” U.S. Attorneys take on responsibility for a wide array of issues that impact the Justice Department nationwide, as well as our work with other agencies and with our communities. Most U.S. Attorneys come to the job with a lot of legal experience and some exposure to management—running the office is part of the job. But none of that matters if you are Ed Martin, Trump’s nominee to be U.S. Attorney in the District of Columbia, one of the largest and most important offices. Every nominee to be a U.S. Attorney has to submit answers to a document called the Senate Judiciary Questionnaire, which is used by senators during the advice and consent process. Martin’s can be found here, so you can take a look at how he presents himself.

Among his issues:

Martin supported the “Stop the Steal” movement after the 2020 election. He moved to dismiss pending January 6-related cases as soon as he became the interim U.S. Attorney. He fired prosecutors who worked on the cases and launched an internal review to try to find misconduct, not that any had been alleged. He is investigating Justice Department prosecutors who brought charges against rioters, never mind that some of those charges included seditious conspiracy, defendants were convicted by juries, and convictions were confirmed on appeal.

Martin has never been a prosecutor. Total lack of experience in that regard. Martin worked for a well-known firm, Bryan, Cave, in its Washington, D.C., office for just over two years before leaving to open his own firm. He provided senators with a description of his work that claims 40% of his practice was in litigation before being forced to concede that he has never tried a case. He claims some criminal defense experience, involving January 6 defendants, and he does something I’ve never seen before—when asked for his top 10 cases as experience for the job, he claims a case that is in the office he is currently leading on an interim basis. That suggests his level of experience is pretty slim.

In his interim position, Martin has been making public comments that will impact cases, as in leading district judges to dismiss them. DOJ policy expressly prohibits prosecutors from suggesting a defendant is guilty before they are convicted. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Statements like this one, that Martin made on Twitter, are highly prejudicial and can prevent the Department from obtaining convictions in cases where the evidence would otherwise support them.

Then there is also the defense of vindictive/selective prosecution, which can get a conviction reversed. That’s usually a tough hill to climb, as we saw in the Hunter Biden prosecution, but Martin is a defense lawyer’s best friend in this regard. For instance, after reaching out—on Twitter—to express his support for Elon Musk and DOGE, he then suggested he’d prosecute anyone who got in their way. His negative comments about Democrats would taint any prosecution. Courts look harshly on prosecutors who engage in this kind of behavior. As Justice Sutherland wrote in a 1935 opinion, while a prosecutor “may strike hard blows, he is not at liberty to strike foul ones.”

Martin has used his office to threaten views that are different than those of this administration. For instance, Martin wrote to medical journals across the country, stating in one letter that “It has been brought to my attention that more and more journals and publications … are conceding that they are partisans in various scientific debates.” He demanded a response to a series of questions “about misinformation, competing viewpoints and the influence of funders such as advertisers and the National Institutes of Health,” before advising the journal that “The public has certain expectations and you have certain responsibilities.” Martin is an interim U.S. Attorney, and if he had a legitimate criminal investigation, he could issue subpoenas for grand jury testimony. If he had a civil case, there are other investigative techniques. This letter is the work of a dangerous bully. Federal prosecutors don’t tell scientists what to believe and publish.

[...]

Some reporters have recently suggested that Martin doesn’t have the votes for confirmation, which would be great. But Republicans have a way of doing Trump’s bidding. There is no need to look further than Kash Patel and Pete Hegseth.

Confirming right-wing extremist Phyllis Schlafly disciple Ed Martin to a permanent gig as DC Attorney is an insult to law and order.

[ineveryspaceandtime]

miles truly does love music SO fucking much and he expresses it in the most beautiful ways. like how he throws himself into all sorts of projects, whether it's something he's initiated/was involved in from the conception (like w the puppets and the upcoming mk and the evils) or something he's been invited to collaborate on—regardless of whether this means he's working w big names or lesser known artists—or even just the way he supports & celebrates other musicians. you can see that he delights in all of these; it's so clear that he does it all purely for the love of music. and that's why i find it incredibly upsetting when he's written off as a flop just bc he doesn't enjoy the same level of success as a certain other act. it's awful that to this day, people still have such a narrow definition of success, that they refuse to see beyond sales or charts and that they can't at the least acknowledge that miles is someone who pursues his passion. like yeah i'm certain that he has goals for himself that he hasn't yet achieved, but that hasn't stopped him! bc year after year he still puts everything he has into whatever he does, and he does so wholeheartedly. his work ethic is genuinely inspiring. i just wish people could see that.

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

In the world of heavy metals, love is denser than hate!

[funeralprocessor]

I feel like the Primaris should have been the catalyst for like, an imperial civil war. At the very least, much unrest in the house of Guilliman. Their existence, let alone rollout/integration, should have had many chapters absolutely rioting. It should be beyond the pale by several orders of magnitude and be seen as an enormous overreach by the more autonomy loving chapters, a blasphemy by the more orthodox chapters, and an existential threat to chapters with geneseed quirks. Plus anyone with any awareness of the thunder warriors should take one look at them and recognize the writing on the wall. Guilliman should absolutely recognize what they represent, what they imply. Like they're the leading wave of a paradigm shift that doesn't bode well for what came before. And I say this as someone who's not averse to Primaris, I just think they could've, should've, been a waaaay bigger deal. I know they loathe changing the status quo and we're never getting rid of the posterboys but I think we missed out on something interesting.

[frameconfessions]

I hope the protoframes remain relevant even after this story arc for the Drifter concludes, but I also recognize how complicated things would get with how many characters they could keep trying to make stay relevant, leading to a Konoha 13 Naruto type situation where we have too many relevant characters from Umbra & Ordis all the way to Kaya Velasco.

.