#ah also sasha's father

[hangeslefteye]

I hope I'm not just a dilf to you guys but a friend aswell ^^ -Erwin Smith, possibly

[magpod-confessions]

Alright, I'll say it. And I mean this as someone who really loves TMA (just started it last month, and nearly finished it, so if anything changes in the last season then, great!) but...

The show has a really bad problem with its female characters. Whyyyy are nearly all of the female characters horrible people?

Even oftentimes the one off characters in statements tend to be written more favorably if they're male. Nearly all moms in the show are some manner of neglectful or cruel (whereas fathers are usually seen as kind and/ or dead with fond memories attached) , ALL of the main female cast past season 1 are extremely hostile for no reason, and just. They really feel like they act in ways people in their position shouldn't or wouldn't just to have them be purposely unlikeable. Like, what do you MEAN you're ok with violent murder to satisfy urges foisted upon someone by an all powerful entity, but draw the line at nightmares that seem like they can be managed after a point?? What do you MEAN you think Jon is working against you intentionally but also mock him for getting kidnapped and tortured?? Why are the staff written as bullies that never get told they're being harsh except by Martin (a male!!!) .

None of this makes sense! The writing for the female characters is inconsistent and seems - oftentimes - hinged on whatever would piss the viewer off the most at the time. With so little logic or reasoning.

The only female characters that aren't written as horrible or excessively annoying people (or dead by the time we even HEAR about them), are like. Sasha. In season 1. Who was killed. And Helen, who unfortunately was forced to be Michael's following act, and therefore always going to be in his shadow. awesome.

Daisy does, admittedly, get a lot better and more complex as a character in season 4. But everyone else's personality seems to be "hate Jon and also herself". Don't even get me started on Basira and how she treats everyone post season 1.

Gertrude is callous and morally grey. I actually think that's awesome, but it's unfortunately symptomatic of a bigger problem when you notice how many female characters do extremely callous and/ or abusive things like she did (without having the 'badass, cunning old woman fighting against all odds' thing going for them). Except Sasha. Who died. Maybe Agnes? From the Desolation? Ah, but she had feelings, and therefore died. Right, sorry.

Does this not rub anyone else the wrong way?

.

[moonspirit]

Papamin Propaganda - Armin's natural affinity for children

This is nowhere near as lucid or detailed as I wanted it to be, but I've managed to throw a few points together, so have it anyway.

There are quite a few characters in AoT who have shown remarkable compassion and empathy toward children, notably, Levi, Reiner, Jean, Hange, and so on. In this post we'll talk about Armin.

Episode 72 (S04E13) is titled "Children of the Forest" and I think it's quite self-explanatory at this point - as Sasha's father put it, the children of this ruined world have been roaming around in a forest of endless violence, unable to find a way out of it. By the end of AoT, the characters who are presently "children" (i.e, Gabi, Falco, Kaya, and so on) do end up exiting this 2000 year old forest, toward a new world of harmonious co-existence. What I love particularly about the episode titling sequence however, is that Episode 71 (S04E12) is called "Guides" - and it deals mostly with the people who will act as the literal "guides" to the "Children in the Forest". This is of course, Hange & the surviving members of the 104th, and therefore also, Armin.

(In a previous post I've talked at some length about why I consider Armin to be *THE* guide out of the forest, for not only children, but humanity as a whole; so we will not go into that here. Instead we'll stick to why Armin has a natural affinity and flair for handling children specifically.)

It's important to remember that Armin was a bullied child, one at the receiving end of a never-ending stream of insults, kicks, and violence. Despite being abandoned by his parents and eventually also losing his grandfather, Armin never lost his kindness and gentle persona. This, at an age when children are heavily influenced by their surroundings and what they witness through the behaviors of other people, *can* be a bit surprising. It is a known fact that bullies are born due to (among other things) a variety of self-esteem issues and jealousy. I would say Armin retained this softness because in spite of being orphaned, & considered the 'weakest' among the 104th, he always received love from those around him (the fact that he couldn't see this love and value placed in him is a different thing entirely), and was treated with kindness too (ah the days before Floch came along with his insults were peaceful #_#)

Moving on to the aforementioned episodes in particular: It is Sasha's father who introduces the concept of the forest, we know Hange cries "Genocide isn't right!" twice (and thereby making it clear that she is the most senior "guide" in all of the bunch), but it is Armin who is the first to put to literal action the meaning and role of being a guide that brings children out of the forest.

Between episode 71, 72, 81 (S04 P2 E06), 82 (... E07) & 83 (... E08), the events taking place are very tightly packed together. Everything from the first reveal of Eren's Jaegerist faction to the beginning of the Rumbling takes place. It is a period when the military is in shambles, Eren has pushed his friends away and become that giant bony monster, Falco's been taken hostage, Hange's hiding away taking care of Levi, and the rest of our characters are dispersed across various locations, stumped and paralyzed with fear and hesitation about what to do about the world getting trampled outside. It is a period of intense confusion, and there is no unity between anybody. The Alliance hasn't been born.

In this duration of time, we see the following:

1. Armin helping a battered and bloody Gabi get up in Niccolo's restaurant and helping her walk to the next room, away from the arguing adults.

2. Telling her in no uncertain terms that she's not going to be killed out of vengeance. It's important to note this because while Gabi's already received the kindness of other people by this point (Sasha's family), she soon comes to know that Armin is Eren's best friend, i.e the Devil's best friend, and yet, he's still kind to her.

3. He meets up with Gabi, and tells her honestly what's happened. Now this is a favorite scene of mine, but you'll notice that when Gabi falls to her knees, everyone's standing around towering over her, but in the end, Armin kneels to her level, holding her gently by the shoulders. Body language is a powerful tool to convey a person's emotions and intent; he does ask her about what she saw when the walls fell, but he still does it gently, and at her level of height where she doesn't have to crane her neck up to look at someone 'commanding' her. It's a humane action, gentle and kind, an indirect way of saying "I'm listening, you can trust me, so don't be afraid." It's also pertinent to note that of all the people around Gabi in that moment, Armin's the most approachable. Mikasa's withdrawn, in a turmoil of her own. Sasha's family is clueless. Connie kidnapped Falco, not a good image. Jean's rough, prone to losing his temper. Hange & Levi nowhere to be seen. But Armin? He was kind to her at the restaurant, and continues to be so, retaining his softness both in manner and speech, with her.

4. With Mikasa immediately after (the outburst scene), we see him say many things; that the line of command has broken down completely, that they need Gabi's trust if they have to do something by forming a team with the Cart & Jaw titans. Remember: Hange & Levi are missing, two of the closest superiors the kids know to look for guidance; and yet he alone makes the difficult decision of going after Falco. This move of his does three things: (a) It wins Gabi's trust in full, (b) Tells Gabi (and also to us as the readers) that he doesn't agree with Eren's actions, (c) Lays the very foundation for the Alliance before anybody's even told him to.

5. With Falco's scene, things are once again, self-explanatory - but I like one specific detail. We see the others trying to catch some shut-eye (Mikasa, Jean, Annie, Hitch, etc). Earlier with Mikasa, Armin had expressed his wish to just sleep for two days straight. And yet it's HIM who rides with Gabi all through the night non-stop to get Falco back, trying to catch up to Connie who's had a head-start, waaayy before them. This little detail, imo, shows his dedication and drive for what he believes in, as well as strong empathy and understanding for these hurting children, who don't know any better. (I don't know if Gabi knows he's the holder of the Collosal titan atp... I think she knows? If yes, it would show how much she already trusts him, going with him alone. Now tell me that isn't because of the compassion and empathy he's shown toward her.)

It's obvious that all of the 104th understand where children like Gabi come from - brainwashed and rabid as they are. But in choosing to show Armin as the one who takes the first step in bringing the Alliance together, through the heart and mind of a child, I find myself believing - this man's going to be a GREAT dad.

Sorry if this was all over the place xD I wanted to make it more coherent, but I don't have the energy, welp. Feel free to add your thoughts!

[valdaycare-au]

The Halloween Update! (since we Mateo Vincent??? forgot to update the blog.) Part 4

Ah, right. Vincent attended the party (but it was quite obvious that he didn't want to be there). That Frenchie thinks he's—wait, what are you—!

Ah, there we go. I cannot let Mateo badmouth me again. Non, non, such a bad subordinate he is, really. Alors, if we have to answer then at least let me do it myself. (He threw me off of the computer! Que penjedo!)

I appreciated Sasha's offer to make a costume pour moi but alas, I already have it with me. It's a pirate costume from a while back and it's quite the surprise that it still fits me! I suppose I am still in pristine condition if I am still able to wear clothing from a decade ago. Also, s'il te plaít, ne m'appelle pas babygirl.

As for my favorite Little Wonder? Well, I will let you in a little secret, oui? I... really do not like kids. Surprising, non? I do not have experience taking care of them—I am still learning up until now. There was a point where I gave up and told Madame Ling if there were other positions I could work on instead of taking care of kids and I was in administration for a while but I do not know what it is... Maybe it was the time that Sasha was doing little puppet shows for the children and seeing how Jamie's eyes sparkled and giving Novikov ideas—something in me told me that maybe it's a good time to show off to this kid and make him like me. Jamie is a very passionate kid, I will admit, and even if I cannot keep up with le petit garçon's energy, I think... mm, oui. I believe I admire him. He has a good future ahead of him, and I try to entertain his creative thoughts every once in a while.

Klara est un incroyable prodige. But despite that, I do believe that the other sitters and I believe that she should have a proper childhood. I am incredibly thankful for her father who lets her be a child rather than pushing her to excel out of her own will. I definitely do not want her to end up like me, and I am very glad that she didn't have to fight for his approval. Quel enfant chanceux. She has a good head on her shoulders, and I am very honored to be the one she seeks out for when she has questions that needed logical answering. The fact that she trusts me the most in that regard is oddly... heartwarming. C'est très sympa, vraiment.

And of course, Ryo. Like Klara, the kid also has a good head on his shoulders. The only thing is that he doesn't join the others in playing, and it seems that he likes himself enough to only offer his company to his own. I couldn't help but feel for him. There's just... something about him that I couldn't quite place. But he allows me to be in his company—or, better yet, he wants my company. He doesn't tell me much, he only answers to me sarcastically when I ask questions (which is rather surprising for a kid his age! Trés impressionant!) But overall, he's truly nice. I do find it odd that he has not taken his adoptive father's surname, but that's not for me to pry on. There are things in life that aren't meant to be out in the open. C'est la vie!

...

Ah... apologies, I did not intend to get too sentimental, but I suppose that it's quite a nice thought to get lost in. Thank you for asking me this, merci beaucoup.

And Tala? Oh, dear. Our beloved Lady of Lightning does not like moi. They did ask me to include her here for some reason.

Oh, I am also getting the feeling that the parents do not like me.

[aruanimess]

I know there have been " warrior Armin" and " paradis Annie" ideas, but honestly

What if we switched RBA and EMA?

Like

Paradis RBA w Annie and Reiner pressured to become MPs and Berthold just tagging along

And EMA all from Marley, but with Eren having been a baby when Grisha got deported, having been raised on both Marley Propaganda but also the True Backstory of what happened to Faye, as well as Armins " my parents were killed trying to escape" and Mikasas " my mom is not Eldian, but they persecuted her too bcs she married my father" has very strong OPINIONS about Marley

Idk weather Grisha would give yhe Attack Titan to Reiner ( for wanting to do good and be a hero) or Annie ( " ah yes, this is a person who wants to survive at all costs and does have the guts to kill Marley)

Hey, friend! Sorry for taking forever to respond T_T

Okay, I don't quite know where to begin with this, so let's just dive right in!

I'm assuming in this AU RBA's family situations are similar to their Marleyan equivalent, right? We have Reiner pressured by Karina to become an MP because his dad is from Wall Sina, Annie pushed by her father to join for social mobility reasons, and Bertolt is trying to provide for his sick parent. A couple of things that I think would be interesting to explore in this setting:

Maybe Reiner's dad was an MP too. He met Karina while in training, fathered Reiner and then just abandoned them for the safety of Wall Sina.

What sort of discrimination would Mr Leonhart face? Would he have retreated in the forest like Mikasa's parents? And on that note, why did Annie's birth parents abandon her? (Ackerman Annie perhaps? 👀)

Again, with Bertolt, it would be interesting to explore the possibility of someone joining the military for financial reasons. Our protagonists in canon all seem to have personal motivations whether that's wanting to make a difference or wanting to make their parents proud. The closer we get to choosing this career as a means to earning a living is Jean and Sasha, and even then Jean is more concerned with the security Wall Sina will provide for him, while Sasha most likely doesn't want to become a farmer. So I think that could be an intriguing angle to explore with Bertolt.

Now, regarding on who would get the titan, I'm inclined to answer with Reiner because of the parallels of his character with Eren's. However, I believe that a few things should occur differently in order for this to happen. More specifically, I think Reiner should have already had the disappointing encounter with his dad by the time Grisha gives him the Titan. Otherwise he wouldn't be in the right mental state for Grisha to choose him. Maybe Reiner has a chance encounter with his father when his dad is roaming outside Wall Sina on official MP business (aka murdering ppl) and then feels the need to become a hero to fight the titans and also atone for his father's crimes. This would maintain the Eren//Reiner parallels too, with Reiner rejecting his own father's path and embracing Grisha's path instead.

Another thing that would be interesting to happen is for Grisha and Eren's time within the Walls to overlap somewhat. After all, if Grisha got deported when Eren was a baby, then the curse of Ymir wouldn't take effect until Eren reaches at least 13. It would be fascinating to see Grisha's reaction to a full-fledged (and fully indoctrinated) Warrior Eren.

[seoll3miwrites]

Doing Time | Criminal Minds

Chapter 3. Zitti E Buoni

Back to Masterlist

Hana sees the BAU’s plane for the first time and holy shit is it nice. See end note for translations. Chapter Title: Zitti E Buoni by Maneskin

It was three days before the BAU was assigned a new case, it would be Hana's first real case with the team. She'd woken up an hour before she had to leave, making sure she had plenty of time to get ready.

After she'd taken a morning shower, she dressed in a simple pair of black trousers paired with a deep velvet red shirt. Her makeup with light, but finished with a deep red lip.  She styled her hair up carefully before grabbing her "go-bag" as Hotcher had referred to it as.

As she step out her room she heard music playing from the Kitchen, and when she turned the corner she saw her roommate; Sasha.

"Morning Sasha!" Hana yelled over the music still playing from the flat's speaker.

"Hana!" Sasha turned towards her smiling brightly, "You're never normally up this early? Do you want breakfast I'm making omelettes."

"Although omelettes sound amazing right now, I've been called in for work." She stated indicating to bag on her shoulder.

"For a case?"

"Yes."

"Oh my god this is your first real case with the BAU, when you get back we are totally celebrating." Sasha cheered loudly before hugging Hana tightly.

"Sasha."

"Huh?"

"I think your omelette is burning."

"Oh shit!" She quickly raced back to the stove and made sure to flipped the omelette before too much damage was done, "What would I do without you?"

"Be charged for arson firstly," Hana quipped earning a playful glare from her roommate. "Anyway I gotta go."

She said her goodbyes and began to make her way out the door, before turning back to yell. "Oh and if you have Peter over make sure to use protection!" 

"I'm on the pill genius!" Sasha yelled back.

"Yeah but it's Peter!"

"Just go to work!" 

Hana smiled before opening the front door, "I'll see you later."

She quickly ran to catch the bus that would take her into work, the commute was thankfully a lot easier than it had been the past week and no creep was sat in the back seat staring at her like yesterday. Although Hana had been working at the BAU for the last week this was her first real case, as she'd spent most of her time with Tara as they both received run down training to work in the BAU.

To say she was a little nervous was a major understatement. While she knew she had the capacity to be a great asset to the team, she knew she had to prove it. So as she sat on the bus, she put on her headphones and played music as she focused on her breathing trying to bring her stress down. 

Eventually she arrived at work and quickly made her way into the elevator where she was met with the site of the BAU resident genius; Doctor Spencer Reid. They'd spoken a little over the last week but this was their first time alone.

As she glanced over she noticed the book he had clutched in his arms was in Russian, her eyes lit up in excitement.

"You can read Russian?" She questioned. 

Reid turned his head towards, not expecting that question. "Yes, well I felt like rereading Anna Karenina again but I much prefer the original Russian text. I think it really helps with a lot of the nuances, that a translation can sometimes miss." He explained rapidly to the point that Hana almost couldn't keep up, "Do you speak it too?"

Hana nodded slightly before adding, "My adoptive father spoke Russian."

"Oh yes you would've spoken it growing up." He turned his body towards now,"sorry, I forgot." 

"Thought you had an eidetic memory Doctor Reid?" She teased him slightly, also turning her body to face him.

"Ah well..." he stumbled over his words. "I was more focused on who your father was."

"Yeah, I suppose the whole mass murder thing tends to trumps everything else, huh?" She titled her head slightly.

Reid seemed shocked at her blunt reply, and responded with a simple shy smile. The two stood together for a few moments of silence before the elevator bell dinged and the doors opened to their floor. 

"Позвоните мне, если когда-нибудь захотите практиковать свои навыки русского языка." Hana stated in Russian while winking at him before moving out of the elevator and pushing open the glass doors. 

She placed her bag down by her desk before making her way to the conference room for the case briefing; there she found Morgan and Rossi sat the desk waiting for the rest of the team to arrive. 

"Morning Gentlemen," She greeted before taking the seat next to Morgan, "What's the case?" 

"Don't know yet babushka, still waiting on Hotch but apparently we're not doing the original case anymore." Morgan replied with smile. After she'd join the team and told them about her past, Morgan had begun to call her Babushka. She'd already explained what it meant to which he'd simply replied, "I know, but it's also the only Russian word I know." 

"Really?" She questioned, "Wonder what the case is then?"

In that moment, Tara and Reid made their way into the room, seemingly continuing their conversation. "A bizarre coincidence, right?" Tara had quipped to Spencer as she placed her cup of coffee down on the round table.

"What's a coincidence?" Rossi asked the conversation clearly peaking his interest. 

"Tara's mom went to the same elementary school as the Truck Stop strangler's mom."' Reid explained as he placed his cup of coffee down, before placing a second cup in front of Hana.

"Ok, that's a little creepy somehow." 

"Cool though." Hana added while shrugging her shoulders.

"Don't get comfortable. The plane's waiting for us." Hotch stated as he made his way into the conference room with Garcia following closely behind him.

"10 minutes ago there was a poison gas attack on a city link commuter bus in Los Angeles." Garcia began to explain, and Hana eyes widened in surprise, "10 confirmed dead so far."

"Do we know what it was?" Tara questioned.

"Hazmat just got on the scene."

"Chlorine gas was used recently in Syria." Morgan suggested as everyone gathered their things and began to make their way out the conference room.

"Maybe it's connected."

"It also reminds me of the attack on the Tokyo subway. Religious cult members carried plastic bags of sarin and punctured them with umbrella tips." Reid added as the followed behind Hotch. 

"That was 1995. It could be a 20th year anniversary event." Rossi suggested further. 

"We'll find out." Hotch sounded determined as he swung open the glass doors the team following closely behind. 

They made their way out to the plane, which Hana had yet to actually see. It was an impressive aircraft, and the interior surprised her. It actually looked incredibly comfy for something that was government funded. 

"Jesus! Does this Jet even come with an air hostess?" She exclaimed as she took a seat on the comfiest chair she'd ever sat on. 

Morgan laughed before replying, "Not unless you count pretty boy here." He patted Reid on the shoulder before taking his seat. Reid, in return swatted him away before taking the seat opposite Hana. 

He smiled at the newest agent before pulling out a completely different book from the one in the elevator, Hana was able to glance at the cover and noticed it was War and Peace, once more in the original Russian.

"Thought you were reading Anna Karenina?" She queried, causing the Doctor to lift his head to look at her. 

"Oh, I finished that this morning, brought this one for the flight. Just some light reading."

"Big book for some 'light reading'" she replied curling her figures to indicate quotations. "You a fast reader or something."

"We'll I can read 5 words a minute so... I guess so." He replied, rather humbly.

"Holy shit"

"What?" 

"You're fucking smart at fuck, Doctor Reid."

He laughed at her statement, his lips curled into a wide smile as he did so, Hana thought he was adorable.

"Okay let's discuss the case, get a rough profile going before we get there, I'm calling Garcia now." Hotch stated as he opened his laptop and the team gathered around the small screen. Eventually they were greeted by the sight of the lovable technical analyst. 

"Oh, crime-fighters, I just got confirmation from the L.A. field office that traces of sarin were found." Garcia opened with when Hotch gave her the go ahead. 

"Sarin is the most volatile nerve agent there is." Reid began to explain, “Symptoms are felt within seconds. Watery eyes, foaming at the nose and mouth, and convulsions, paralysis, and death within minutes."

Hana winced at the Doctor’s description, she’d been lucky to never come across Sarin in her past line of work. 

"The last known use of sarin was two years ago in Syria, near Damascus." Tara suggested to the group.

"We've had recent threats of terrorism targeting major U.S. cities." Morgan also added building off what Tara had mentioned.

"The religious cult responsible for the Tokyo subway attack 20 years ago is also still active." Rossi proposed as an alternative profile.

"Very much so, but they've split into two branches with different names." Reid spoke rapidly, while still expressing his point clearly, “There's over 2,100 members and 4 of them are in Southern California."

"Where's the leader?" Morgan asked.

"Shoko Asahara's on death row in Japan. He's incoherent and confined to a wheelchair."

"So he's not calling any shots." Rossi quipped in response. 

“That’s putting nicely.” Hana stated quietly earning a bemused look from Reid; the only one who heard her. 

"No, but that doesn't rule out devout followers doing it in his name." Hotch had responded to Rossi, as the team continued the discussion. 

"Garcia, what do you know about the casualties?"

"Aside from the I.D.s, not much."

"Well, it's 6 men and 4 women, age range 20 to 60." 

"Victimology seems to be pretty random." 

"Here's the thing-- sarin evaporates quickly, it's hard to control, and would thus be very difficult to target an individual."

"Collateral damage may mask the real target." 

“They must have had a vantage view of bus to make sure the right victim was on board.” The youngest agent added, internally proud for contributing to the discussion. 

It was almost intimidating how well they bounced ideas of each other to make a brief profile. Even Tara had managed to keep up with them and she was just as new and Hana. 

"Garcia, look into the victims and also anyone online claiming responsibility."

"Aye aye, captain." Garcia responded before terminating the video call.

With the call ended the team took their seats and prepared for the case. Hana took her seat facing Spencer Reid once again, sighing softly to her self. 

"How are you feeling?” The young doctor suddenly asked her, “I was nervous on my first case.”

“Yeah I feel one second away from screaming. I mean chemical attacks aren’t exactly my forte.” Hana replied followed by a set of giggles mostly brought on by her nerves. Yet, rather than look at her strangely, Spencer began to laugh with her. She felt comfortable enough to keep laughing. 

Russian: Call me if you ever want to practice your Russian language skills

Prev Chapter // Next Chapter

[civilight-eterna]

You put a gun to my head so here I am asking for the most sickeningly domestic scene from the Reunion Cafe you can give me.

"Talulah? Could you please give this a try and tell me if it's alright?" Alina extends a fingertip dipped in cake batter towards Talulah as she rests her whisk against the side of her bowl.

"Of course-" Talulah leans forward to accept, audibly clicking her tongue against her teeth with a pondering expression. "-Why, it's just perfect. Divine, really. And I suppose the cake batter is not bad either."

"Talulah. Really now-!" Alina pats flour off her hands against her apron and her mouth scrunches to the side reproachfully.

"Can the two of you get a room or something?" Lyudmila quips from her seat in the doorway as she fastens her knee pads. "Also if there's any small orders, I have a little room left on the bike to take them."

"Sorry Lyudmila." Talulah walks a small box over to her, "No other orders, but why don't you bring these petit fours to that rope bunny girl you've had your eye on-"

"Don't call her that." Lyudmila flushes bright red in the face of Talulah's knowing smile, but swipes the box regardless. When she turns to go out the door, however, a wall of an individual blocks her path.

Patriot silently blocks the way. In his hands, he extends Lyudmila's helmet expectantly.

"...Right. Don't worry. I'll wear it." Lyudmila takes it and fastens it onto her head. Pleased, Patriot steps aside and makes his way back to the kitchen.

Minutes later, Yelena walks through the front door, arms loaded with groceries from the market.

"Eno, Sasha, those tables look great. I'll give you some candy if you help me unload everything."

"You know we'd do it anyway." Sasha tucks his washcloth into the edge of his apron, and Eno puts the finishing touches on the table.

"Hold on, don't say that-we're singing tonight. We need that candy!"

"Then get a move on." Yelena hands them two pieces each as they pass her in the doorway, "And while you're out there, let Misha and Alex know they can trim some flowers from the garden for the vases on the table? Thanks."

"Talulah," Alina gives her a pair of friendly swats on the shoulder, "go lend her a hand would you? As much as your shameless flirting and matchmaking is so very entertaining."

"I'm going, I'm going-here, Yelena-" Talulah intercepts a particularly heavy package from her and holds it low, "-load me up."

"Thanks-ah, actually, could you take over? I need to talk to Daddy-"

Talulah flashes a conspiratorial smile, "-Aren't you already-?"

Yelena and Alina sigh in unison with the long-suffering air of being Talulah's partners for as long as they have.

"Hey Alina. Sorry. We'll be short-staffed tonight. I have to kill her now."

"If you can get to her before Patriot does. Really, Talulah. You just saw him walk past. You'd better thank your stars the espresso machine is so loud."

Yelena piles boxes into Talulah's arms until she can no longer see her winsome grin, then heads to the back to find her father.

"Daddy," She calls out, "Are you ready?"

"In here."

Yelena pulls her desserts from the freezer and sets them before him at the table.

"I'm having trouble narrowing it down to one design. It's just...missing something. But here, this parfait can come in one of three flavors. There's a chocolate mousse, vanilla clotted cream, and a strawberry shortcake."

"I see." Patriot folds his claws on the table as neatly as he can, though they are comically large on the surface. His tone is very grave indeed, and Yelena wonders if he is perhaps considering how to voice a gentle rejection, when-

"I think-" Patriot intones seriously, "-I think we should keep all three." Another pregnant pause. "-May we?"

"Oh-dad, it's your restaurant! You worried me. I hadn't realized you've become such a glutton."

"All of ours." He corrects her, "But yes. If admitting that much will keep all three of your recipes on the menu. Yes. I am, a glutton."

He reaches for the shell-shaped white chocolate garnish on one of the parfaits. With a slight exertion of pressure, he snaps the shell into two leaf-like shapes. Yelena watches as he dips the points of the shell into the ice cream at the top, arranging them gingerly with his claws until they resemble the ears of a rabbit poking out of the ice.

He folds his claws again and spends a long moment beholding his work.

"I am pleased with this." He announces, and Yelena knows, knows how dearly Talulah is going to tease her, but there's nothing for it-Patriot's oft-unreadable expression is radiating too much pride.

"...Daddy..."

...

Patriot stands behind the polished wood counters at the cake display. He listens as Eno and Sasha's warm vocals lilt from the small stage in the corner. He watches his daughter between Talulah and Alina, enduring their overt appreciation of the decided parfait designs. The youngest, Misha and Alex, catch up over the coffee he has brewed them personally-with just a little milk to sweeten it. Lyudmila idles at a table with some cake of her own, taking a well-deserved rest; she has taken a liking to petit fours, recently.

The room is warm, lively, with the scent of coffee, of crumble cake, the aroma of fresh-cut flowers.

All is as it should be.

All is well.

[hayscodings]

everything you have ever said about svetlana never fails to amaze me, i feel like you understand her character better than most. i have to ask, what do you think her life was like pre-3x06? i know we know some things about it, but do you have any headcanons/theories or anything about her? i wrote a fic (and never published it) about her once, but i feel like you have better insight on her character so i’m asking you. what was her life like in russia? what was her father like (awful)? what did she endure to make her the way she is? etc.

Ah, thank you! That’s the ultimate compliment. I rewatched Shameless for a second time recently, and am on my third rewatch now, so I have a lot of thoughts and feelings about Svetlana.

We didn’t really get any information about her life on the Southside pre-3x06, but there are a few observations I find helpful when trying to piece together what it must have been like: (1) she seemed genuinely excited to marry Mickey; (2) she wears the same purple dress that we are introduced to her in— and see her at work in— while she’s at home, pregnant, in S4; and (3) the fact that she was married to Yvon at some point means that she can’t have been in the U.S. for very long when we meet her.

With respect to (1), part of her excitement can be chalked up to the fact that getting married meant that she could finally qualify for a green card, but I think it’s more than that. She didn’t look relieved; she looked happy. The way I interpret this is that she considered moving into the Milkovich house a step-up from her current arrangement— which, considering the Everything We Know about the Milkovich home, paints a pretty bleak picture of said arrangement.

My guess is that she was sharing a very small space, perhaps even a single room, with many other working girls, since we know that Sasha was not paying the girls a living wage. It is also likely that the conditions in that place were very poor, as I’m sure whatever slumlord they were renting from was taking full advantage of the fact that they were undocumented. So, not a great situation.

I find (2) particularly interesting because I’m sure it was intentional on the wardrobe department’s part to have Svetlana rewear the same dress multiple times. But what’s really telling is that she doesn’t just wear the dress— a short, fitted, strapless dress— to work at the massage parlor. She wears it when she’s home in S4, too. And this time, not only is she several months pregnant, but it’s also winter.

When she and Mickey go to visit the massage parlor, she’s wearing the same dress with a coat and tights and a thin little scarf even though it looks freezing out. So, not only could she not afford maternity clothes, but she was also unable to dress properly for the weather. All of this to say: it was clearly bad for her financially. And at this point she’s been living in the Milkovich house where she’s presumably better off, so it must have been worse before.

Finally, (3) is a tricky one because I don’t believe for a second that the writers planned to reveal that Svetlana had been married before in Russia when they introduced her character in S3. Initially, I would have assumed that she had been in the states for at least a couple of years by the time that we meet her, but the whole Yvon business really complicates things.

For starters, Svetlana is only 19 when we meet her. This is relevant because marriageable age in Russia in 18. There are exceptions to this, but only under special circumstances, and even then, children cannot get married if they are under 14. In addition to this, Yvon was old enough to pass as Svetlana’s father (There is a 14 year age difference between Pasha and Isidora, but Isidora was playing ~14 younger than her actual age, so that makes the age gap roughly ~28 years). It seems very unlikely, then, that she would’ve been married to him younger than 18. Which puts her in the U.S. for only one year before the events of 3x06. This makes sense for several reasons I won’t get into because it’s not relevant and I’m already rambling too much.

So, in sum, I imagine that Svetlana’s life pre-3x06 was very bleak. Recently immigrated, undocumented, still learning the language, just 19 years old with no family and under the control of her traffickers who severely underpaid her. Probably living in a small room ten other girls in her same position, dealing with violent and or aggressive customers like Terry with no real protection, just trying to survive. I think she was very numb during this period of her life, maybe more so than ever before, and tries not to think about it often. I don’t believe Svetlana could have survived everything that she did without repressing and compartmentalizing a good chunk of it, honestly.

As for her life in Russia, I still need to give it more thought, but it seems like she was very close to her family as she speaks of both her parents favorably and named her son after her father. She also tells V at one point that in Russia “family is family”, and we later see that she is in contact and seems to be on good terms with her aunt. She also mentions using her grandmother’s recipe for borsch in S6.

Apart from this, we can assume that her family was poor given that her father sold her to a pimp for $300 when she was just 10 years old. At one point Svetlana says something about owing him for keeping a roof over her head and food on her plate, so it’s clear they definitely struggled. She also tells Kev and V that she “grew up in his bar”, when they’re under the impression that Yvon is her father.

Now, obviously Yvon ended up being her husband, but she was acting as though he was her father at the time so I think the bar tidbit can be taken as true. V had to learn everything about Svetlana when she married her in order to pass the INS interviews, so Svetlana would have had to use the truth in order to sell the lie.

So, here is this little girl growing up poor in Russia with a family that she is very close to. She’s extremely smart and probably does really well in school and it’s not an easy life but she is still very grateful for it because things can always be worse. She knows this— she’s seen it. And she’s probably been told it by her father many times.

Svetlana loves her father, but he is not a good man. The facts we know about him are these: he raped her as a child, locked her in a closet with a potato sack over her head, and sold her into sexual slavery so that she could work street corners when she was 10 years old. All of these things paint the picture of a violent, abusive man. Still, Svetlana insists that he had good qualities too, and she feels indebted to him for providing her with food and shelter and for paying smugglers to get her into the U.S. She also says that she learned everything she knows from him.

I think Svetlana’s father was the type of abuser to make a buddy out of his victim. He probably convinced himself that he was a good father and that everything he did, he did out of love. Maybe he was an alcoholic, surely he had his own demons— at the end of the day, he probably pointed to these very things to justify/make sense of his behavior.

I can picture a young Svetlana thinking of herself as his protege— always by his side, helping him with the bar, doing anything that she possibly could to be useful and contribute to the family. Listening to his stories, heeding his advice, learning his lessons. And when he hurt her, she probably blamed herself. Or maybe she attributed it to her father’s own trauma— something stronger than him, beyond his control— something that had nothing to do with her. Or so perhaps he said when he apologized. I can see her feeling sorry for him.

I think Svetlana was too young to reconcile the abuse she suffered at his hands with the part of him that seemed to care for her well-being. And I imagine that it is still very confusing for her as an adult, and something that she hasn’t wanted to confront or revisit. Because it’s far too painful, and she’s doing just fine in her opinion.

In sum, Svetlana is a girl who grew up too fast. She’s a girl who never got to be a kid and who wasn’t afforded the protections that she should have been afforded by her guardians. She’s a girl whose formative years were filled with violence, and who continued to know that violence well into young adulthood. She’s a girl who had to make sense of this violence, and be able to live in it day to day. She’s a girl who learned to repress, and to compartmentalize, and downplay, just so she could stay alive. But most importantly, she’s a girl who never let any of this turn her into someone who would repeat the cycle with her own child.

[mediacinemtographyartetc]

Okay.

Trying to say this in a nice way- that when Blacktober comes out instead of drawing canon black characters people go out their way to make edits and yknow thats fine you do you. But in case people online who participate and think ah I forgot about this character from this show oh well. SO heres a compilation that I made;

Lola Mbola best friend to Mc in the Show "Robot Boy." And John Stewart in Justice League [My favourite character as a kid along with hawkgirl] Along with Vixen and Cyborg from Teen titans cartoon network [I would show pictures but tumblr only has ten limit ;^;]

Boom Crew isn't a great show by all means but I remember watching a couple episodes at night and enjoyed them as a kid.

Codename kids next door: Number Five and her sister I have to say these two were my favourite having two siblings as rival of kid VS teenager, and how I thought NUmber five would take over as the leader when Number one got older - HONESTLY why isn't there a sequel of Codename and have all the kids becomming teenagers and fighting against the kids AND adults???

Next is Erwin from Billy and mandy along with Dracula although I'm not sure what the census on dracula if thats racist or just the best thing ever along with Grim having a jamacan accent so take this one with a grain of salt. [if it is problematic let me know I'll remove it from the list]

Then next is Kinkade and Hunk from voltron [Voltron is hot garbage but the characters are FINE though, so yeah]

Then theres Naruto with Killer bee and the Sand village [I think it's been a while I may need to rewatch it]

Then theres Static Shock [The og miles morales Lol] In the sense that both are the kids who look up to older father figures who are their idols [batman superman/spiderman] are basically the audiance adjacent wacky teenager with the world on their shoulder/ electric powers and how they have episodes/moments that discuss racism.

Then theres Kaleido Star, Carlos is THE boss and is in charge of Kaleido stage an anime about circus performers [acrobatic with story telling its really good] and mr policemen who is the main characters number one fan and is really funny.

Then theres Tucker and Valerie from Danny Phantom;

Oh yeah and Bumblebee

Then theres Vincent from recess [face it he was too cool for Tg and the others]

Then Sasha from Bratz

Then Anythy from Revolutionary Girl Utena [Sapphic too] As well as Yosutora from bleach.

So a/n: As a kid I used to trace/edit make rpcs and recolours of naruto/sonic the hedgehog characters so making edits is something I'm fine with- its just seeing the Blacktober tag and seeing nothing BUT edits? Also if people want to reblog and add their own characters and include more since I havn't touched on Disneys Moana/ Tiana/ Kazazi Moto and the episode compilations and proud family, I just thought of placing all the characters here in case I forgot ^^; this post wasn't meant to be rude just a post compilation.

[hallowedbe]

a gust of wind makes you pull your jacket closed; notes of pineapple coconut, ocean water, citrus, and sunscreen fill your nose. you think you hear the tide is high by atomic kitten playing in another room. ah — it must be rhiannon.

BASICS

name: rhiannon milagro alvarez nicknames: rhi, rhia, mili by her family age: twenty-four gender: cis woman pronouns: she/her sexuality: homoromantic & homosexual date & place of birth: june 26 in malibu, california faceclaim: maia reficco occupation: marine biology student @ makah community college and park ranger, specifically stationed at the pearl margin characteristics: hair often dyed various vibrant colors (pink is a favorite), perpetually flushed cheeks from the newest sunburn, and, very recently, a tense and anxious demeanor traits: kind, extroverted, book smart not street smart, oblivious, naive, and anxious similar to: cleo sertori, jessica day, phoebe buffay, dory, sasha braus, elle woods

BULLET POINTS

- rhi was born in malibu, california into a very loving family; with two loving parents and her elder sister tatiana (featured here), her childhood was full of love and devotion. - moved with her family to bearhold when she was four; due to bearhold being her hometown, her mother decided to take a job there and reconnect her own family with the family she had left in bearhold -- california wasn't for them. - comes from a slayer mother who then passed the gene to her sister (rhiannon is not a slayer, and has not been chosen to be one. please do not give rhiannon a weapon. i don't trust her). tatiana doesn't particularly have interest in being a slayer, and so it seemed the divine line of alvarez's was going to end with them. - until smth happens. obviously. - rhiannon, for as long as she's been alive, has been enamored with the ocean. back in california, her father would take her every day to frolick in the water, collect shells, and look at tidepools. this didn't change when they moved back to bearhold; eager to explore her love of the ocean and passion for helping animals and conservation efforts, rhiannon knew she was going to be a marine biologist since she was a child. - because of this, she obviously went on to study biology in college and pursue a master's in marine biology. she is currently doing her field work at the parl margin while studying at makah community college; the coastal town provides great hands on experience and a chance to look at unique species - this is all to say that rhiannon was in the field a lot, often much later into the night than she should've been; it's on nights like those that she finds the moon pool, nestled in a vast cave system near the northern shore. rhi, eager to find interesting creatures or shells, was quick to dive into the pool, not knowing what happens to those who do during a full moon. - she's a mermaid before she knows it, any contact with water making her sprout a long tail. in her panic, she finds out she can control and manipulate water (shoutout hydrokinesis), and faints (thank god she's on the beach). it's everything she's ever wanted and also the worst thing to happen to her life -- and career. - after vehement searching in the local library, rhiannon figures out that mermaids were once much more common around bearhold, living in pods most of the time. now, they're much more rare as less and less mermaids continued to have children; but, being in a moon pool at just the right time can turn a regular human into a mermaid. - is currently trying to get used to the whole thing, becoming more withdrawn as she tries to figure out how the hell she could keep her job while also being a mermaid (and hiding it from her family, too anxious about the reaction she'd get for being so reckless). come along for the ride as we witness the most cringe display of trying to keep a secret in history!

[lycanlovingvampyre]

MAG 118 Relisten

Activity on my first listen: cutting apples. Again...

Ah, I remember very well when I listened to this episode the first time. Texted my sister twice right there at the start about Martin being sassy! ("Statement ends, I guess" and "Sorry, Elias. I can’t hear you. There’s – a door in the way.")

Trying to get the episodes of the burned statements by memory. Ivo Lensik is MAG 8 Burned Out, Harold Silvana is MAG 35 Old Passages. Dylan Anderson... MAG 103 Cruelty Free?

ELIAS: "Martin, I do not have time for this." MARTIN: "Then maybe you should make time." This is exactly what this is though. Stalling.

JON: "There’s no such thing as just cobwebs." Everybody sighs, but he is right. Usually in horror cobwebs are just a way to say "Hey, nobody's really been here in a long time, Oooohooo". In TMA though, it's never just that.

Benjamin Hatendi. MAG 86? Definitely the blanket episode though. God, what's it called... Tucked In?

MARTIN: "Oh, so that’s it, isn’t it. Martin’s just acting out. I mean, Daisy’s a “rabid dog,” and Melanie’s a potential killer, Tim’s a – a rogue element, but Martin, oh Martin’s just acting out. He’ll have a cry, and a lie down, and feel much better." Ah yes. He's not being taken seriously and wholly underestimated.

Albrecht von Closen is easy, MAG 23 Schwarzwald.

ELIAS: [TAKES A DEEP BREATH.] "Did Jon put you up to this?" I mean, kind of. In MAG 103 Jon asked Daisy if they could somehow get Elias arrested. Martin was the one, who found a way to actually get to the evidence.

ELIAS: "Please get to the point, Martin." MARTIN: "Maybe there isn’t one. Alright? Maybe –" ELIAS: "Maybe you’re just wasting my time." MARTIN: "Yeah. Yeah, maybe." Haha, exactly that. But Elias knew this already.

JON: "Oh god… Oh god, they’re not waxworks." Haha, classic 2005 House of Wax.

I don't quite understand why Jon suddenly wants to see what's going on in the auditorium though. Is Snoop God sniffing out potential fear if they look at the entire horror of it?

TIM: "Holy –" JON: "Yes. I suppose it is." Ok this... was not a joke on Jon's part I think... I mean, Tim also said that dancing performance Grimaldi and his brother was beautiful. And even if Jon's trying to do his best to keep his humanity, he is still aligned with a terrifying Eldritch entity. He also finds the Mortal Garden beautiful, if I remember correctly (tbh, I also thought that was pretty rad...)

JON: "And I guess you don’t need skin to sing." (shaky breath) "To join the choir." ... Is everyone thinking what I'm thinking... Was Danny in the choir?

MARTIN: "Not even close. Because, I – (composes himself) I’ve been thinking. It’s not like you got this all-seeing thing recently. You’ve had it the whole time. I remember the way you looked at Sasha after the attack. You knew it wasn’t her. And I reckon you knew Prentiss was lurking under the Institute, too, and you did nothing. Why?" On my first listen I thought, okay, when it's being addressed in the show, there's no way these are plotholes...

MARTIN: "Well, I hope you’ve got something better than that pathetic dig at my feelings for Jon." ELIAS: "It’s baffling, really. Such loyalty to someone who really treats you very badly." MARTIN: "Oh, is that supposed to be, what, a revelation?" ELIAS: "You know, I really should have gone for that. Found something that would finally manage to shatter that precious image you have of him. But, as you say I am very busy at the moment. So I suppose I’ll have to go with what I had prepared." Nah, Elias is also rooting for them. And he doesn't need to poke any further, he's got Peter on the job for that. And the bit about "who really treats you very badly"? Yes, Jon did. Past tense. Jon really did a 180 on that front by the end of S2. Still, it's a good way for further manipulation. Sowing seeds of doubt, that Jon still doesn't like him.

ELIAS: "The thing is, though, Martin. If you ever do want to know exactly what your father looked like… All you have to do is look in a mirror. The resemblance is quite uncanny. The face of the man she hates, who destroyed her life, watching over her." This is something I have asked myself, like, how often something like this actually happens in rl. I'm guessing it's a huge taboo. Losing your partner and getting reminded of them everytime you see your child(ren). Doesn't have to be hate, like in this instance. Grief will also do. Or turn it around. Everytime the child sees a photograph of themself, they are reminded of the parent because of their resemblance. There's something similar explored in The Babadook (2014). The father died in a car accident while driving his wife in labor to the hospital. And she resents the child. Blames him for the death of her husband. It's great (I mean, not in rl), I love it when bad relationships get explored in fiction. And especially parent-children structures make it so difficult, because the child is completely dependent on the parent. That just adds another layer to it.

Alex does such a good job at that terrified crying...

I think this was one of the strongest scenes in all TMA. Writing- and acting-wise.

JON: "I knew none of us might be coming back, and I’m not going to let anyone get killed for nothing!" TIM: "Well, except for those people in there." JON: "They’re already dead!" TIM: "Not all of them." Ah yes, TMA and the trolley problem.

JON: (sudden yell, followed by immediate realization of need to whisper) "I am not losing you as well!" T_T

That warped "Aaahh" from the Archives crew. The music picking up. It is absolutely clear what's happening there. Like being hit by a Weirdness Bubble.

In these last moments Jon seems to still have some remaining clarity. While the others are already confused, he still knows who Daisy is for example. And he seems to still have some sense of self ("Daisy, it's me"). So yeah, Elias preparation to See has worked quite well, Jon did have it a bit easier. I mean, this is all or nothing.

@a-mag-a-day

[cutesharkstudios]

Lumity Comfort Ch. 5: Are You Okay?

Amity picked up some food from the cafe Camilla and Luz like, just in case of emergency comfort. She didn't know what to expect, so she wanted to be prepared. When she got home, she looked in the living room, and saw the mother and daughter duo on the couch, both in each others warm embrace. They both looked like they had been crying for a while.

Amity: Hey guys, I brought you both some stuff from the cafe you showed me. You want anything?

Luz: Si, batata.

Camilla: That would be lovely.

The three sat around the table, looking absolutely exausted. The Belos fight and Collecter takeover had drained everyone of their power and emotions. They just wanted some time to recover. It had been a couple of months since those events, but that doesn't mean that they were all better.

Luz: Mama?

Camilla: Yes?

Luz: Are you okay?

Camilla: No. I didn't know you were suffering from those nightmares. If I did, I would have spoken up sooner. I saw you were okay physically, but you weren't emotionally. Thank you for not being mad at me, even though I deserve it.

Luz: Why would I be mad? You wanted to give me my space.

Camilla: I just want to make up for the mistake I made of sending you to that camp. I want to be there for you. For 14 years you felt like you couldn't be understood, and I only have so many years to make up for it.

Luz: Making up implies that you made a malicious error, not a misguided one, and even as an adult I want you in my life. Mama, I think Amity should know what you told me.

Amity: If that's okay with you.

Camilla: Amity, I too have been having nightmares. I was in the middle of one when Luz comforted me before we went to the Boiling Isles. I just want to make things better with someone I care about.

Amity: I'm with you there. I thank God every night for Luz.

Luz: Same. I think I know what we all need.

Everone: Therapy.

Camilla found a therapist who worked with trauma victims and reformed bad people, one Dr. Sasha Waybright. She set up an online meeting with the three, and they all got to work.

Sasha: Greetings Noceda household. Thanks you for sending me the details of your problems. Why don't you tell me a bit about yourselves and how you all know each other? That way, I can have a better idea on how to help you as a group.

Camilla: I am Camilla Noceda, she/her pronouns, which also applies to the rest of us. I am the mother of Luz, whose girlfriend is Amity Blight, the one with lavender hair.

Sasha: Ah, thank you. Why don't we all start with the core of what each of you want to fix?

Luz: You first, mama.

Camilla: Right. For Luz's entire life, she had always been a creative and kind soul, and I wanted her to feel loved and accepted, but everyone I knew aside from her late father treated her like a freak. So when I was given a pamplet for a camp that promised to make her more normal, I paniked and sent her. I just didn't want her to go through life being called a freak, a monster, a weirdo, A LOSER, A--

Camilla then felt the hand of Luz on her arm. She almost spiralled again, with Luz bringing her back again. Camilla wiped the tears from her eyes and continued.

Camilla: And all this time, Luz, my precious baby girl, just wanted to be loved for who she was. And here's the part that doesn't add up to me, she doesn't hate me.

Sasha: Of course she doesn't.

Camilla: What?

Sasha: What I saw right there was genuine love from your daughter. It's clear that she doesn't hate you in any way. And she doesn't seem to feel betrayed. Believe me, I betrayed one of my closest friends to do what I thought was right, and it still haunts me to this day. I screwed over her friends and manipulated her, and I'm shocked to this day she forgave me.

Amity: Same with me. I made Luz's life hell on earth when we first met. I had a lousy childhood and took it out on her. Why she wanted to be my friend even back then caught me off guard. I guess one of the reasons why I'm so lovey dovey with her is because she changed my life for the better. My family grew up in a town led by a cult, and if it wasn't for Luz, I would have joined it.

Sasha: Yikes, I've dealt with my fair share of cult victims, sorry you had to go through that.

Amity: Said cult was led by a religous fanatic claiming my people to be unpure and even tried to kill us. Even after these few months, my people are trying to heal.

Sasha: It will take more than that to heal, and you may need longer. But just know, your family will be there for you.

Amity: Hey Luz? I think it's your turn.

Luz: Yeah. I helped Amity and her town escape the cult leader, and I did that by doing something I never thought I'd do. I killed the cultist. It only sank in a day or two after the matter that there was now BLOOD ON MY HANDS. That man is in hell now.

Camilla: Where he belongs.

Amity and Luz looked at Camilla with wide eyes. Never in their lives did they imagine she would be happy someone was burning for all time.

Camilla: No way did he repent to God for sins. That guy had it coming. From what I heard from everyone, he brainwashed people, tormented the land, and worst of all, HE. HURT. MY. DAUGHTER! If he didn't die by another's hands, I would have done him in myself.

Sasha: Scared to lose someone too, right?

Camilla: Did you almost lose someone too?

Sasha: Yes, the friend I mentioned previously, Anne, and our other friend, Marcy. In fact, Anne is now my wife, and is carrying our little bundle of joy. She almost was lost to me, and I'm thankful to God every night that she is safe. I never want to lose her again.

The best advice I can give all of you is to be open and honest about your trouble with your friends. Sorry, I need to get to another appointment. Why don't we set aside some more time next week?

Camilla: I'd like that.

[mefausto19]

what are ur hcs abt mephisto and faust im curious

ah, thats a bit tough, because i tragically forgot most of my old headcanons for them ;-; hmm.

one hc that i liked was that faust liked tinkering with stuff and working with his hands. it makes sense given his turrets and that it would have been useful for him on the streets and in the tundra. this was when eunectes was the only pythia op and i, starved for content, went "maybe engineering is a pythia thing" and just rolled with it a little

some others:

because his family found it annoying when eno sang, he went to the sewers to sing, which is how he and sasha met

sasha's most treasured possession used to be a single tattered book that he found on the streets and didnt know how to read. eno ended up accidentally breaking it, as it was barely held together by the time they met. eno felt super guilty and this contributed to his "i dont want to make choices" mindset

eno used to cry when he killed bugs; however, sasha reassured them that they were only insects. this was later twisted when eno began to think of people as insects as a way to justify killing them

sasha's greatest wish used to be to go to school and have a normal education

eno tried to kill his family before he was infected (as sasha told him). it failed, and his family was disgusted, so they infected him and threw him out

faust was also indoctrinated by kash and had his thinking subtly manipulated, just to a lesser degree than mephisto. things like his impression of rhodes island, tactics, he and eno's chances, etc

this was like lowkey alluded to in the dialogue but: after eno killed his family, he took the brainwashed street children with him and showed them to sasha

one last self indulgent crack theory: kashchey is faust's father sknfkdkdkd

[gothwives]

as the sick freak that i am i’m in need of more dark plots so i’m gonna list some here that i’ve been wanting. like this or hmu if you see anything that interests you!!

frankenstein/rocky horror/ahs coven themed plot for juniper or juliette where your muse was involved in an accident and passed away and either juniper patches them up and reanimates them using science or juliette resurrects them with magic

your muse was chosen to be s.acrificed to the devil by yvonne’s band in exchange for fame and success but yvonne’s taken a liking to them so she k.idnaps them and hides them somewhere to keep them safe

a plot where winnie’s priest/pastor/religious cult leader is manipulating her into doing whatever they want (anything goes as long as it’s not against my rules)

muse a has been anonymously terrorizing muse b, sending them threatening messages and other spooky s.talker-y things just to get muse b to turn to muse a for comfort

the parent/sibling/relative/friend of one of devyn’s father’s victims k.idnaps her as revenge

a criminal couple on the run robbing and stealing (and k.illing) all around america

e.thel c.ain themed religious trauma/dark americana/southern gothic plots (specifically a plot based on the preacher’s daughter lore)

a partner for buffy or winnie or frenchie or lux willing to help her k.ill her parents

a sleezy director/producer/casting agent/someone in showbiz to meet buffy soon after she first arrives in california and exploit her, promising they’ll make her famous but instead they get her involved in a.dult films and perhaps also introduce her to d.rugs

a s.talker fan of one of my famous muses (buffy, lux, leon, julian, vance, jonah, sasha, eden, jude, yvonne, keyshawn, dionne) who orchestrates a “random run-in” and uses their vast knowledge of the celeb to charm them into falling in love with them

a political rival of olive’s father (for an age gap) or one of their staff members (for someone closer to her age) seducing her and taking scandalous pics of her to try and smear her father’s image and ruin his chances of re-election

a sexy lil f.ucktoy/blood bag for my vampire couple to play with

sinister hitchhiking plots!! maybe the hitchhiker is a k.iller, maybe the one picking them up is, maybe they both are

[zahri-melitor]

Bruce Wayne: Murderer/Fugitive.

Well, THAT was certainly an event. It’s odd. Part of it felt like it was dragging in places, but there was also a bunch of standout issues.

What worked for me? It rustled up a bunch of tensions inside the Bat family. It’s the first event since No Man’s Land that has Cass as a central part of the inner circle. It also spent some time balancing inner and outer circle concerns and concealing identities (though this wasn’t 100% effective - there were a couple of occasions you could completely read the situation as ‘Dinah knows’). People talked to each other (big proponent of this!).

We had some interesting team ups (Dick and Cass staging the break in together was the best of these; they were showing off very different detective skills of which both were needed).

It was also a MESSY event. It sort of slopped all over most of 2002, but there were essential parts that weren’t in listed books (why is Batman #604 not listed as part of the event? The final page is Bruce having his realisation “I am Bruce Wayne”!) and listed books that spent half the story continuing their own plot lines. (Also I didn’t care about the contaminated drugs storyline sorry)

Sasha Bordeaux’s sections were good but completely divorced from anything else happening. ‘Tec #775 was very necessary, though I’m going to chalk parts of it up to “Bruce is very good at lying/performing emotions in final moments” rather than his actual emotions.

Overall standout was Gotham Knights #26, due to it being the reactions of all those in the know about “did Bruce do it?”. Robin #99’s follow up was not quite as good but solid, as well as being hilarious in that anyone felt J. Devlin Davenport needed serious investigation as the culprit.

I also really loved Batgirl #29 and the crime reenactment. Just really clever, with specific payoffs once you know the solution to the mystery.

Batman #600 was also extremely cathartic as we all needed to yell at Bruce for being an idiot for the past, oh, year of comics since Officer Down. He’d totally been letting the rest of the family carry the burden since then and sulking on his own (Three events in a ROW where the investigation has been a Babs-Dick co-led investigation, Bruce. It’s like you’re not essential around here).

This was definitely an event that rewarded knowing all the idiots (affectionate) involved well. I would not recommend this as a starter storyline; while you get a lot of characterisation time about how various people feel about Bruce, it’s also got a lot of wider universe moving parts AND is hard to follow clearly (even in trades, from what I’ve read).

Also the three way Cain v Deadshot v Batman fight scene was epic in all the best ways for three highly trained men who have overlapping skillsets and EXTREMELY different priorities.

I do love the payoff that the only reason all this went down like it did was because the worst possible person was hired to do the frame job, and so the whole plot was the collision of two VERY different sets of priorities. Change one aspect (the original goal; who was hired; Bruce being the target) and it would have fallen out SO differently.

(Also I could write an epic about how Cass and David Cain’s communication and expression of love/family to each other is physical violence, but ah, I’m just going to happily sigh over ANOTHER scene where Cass just destroys her father and he lies there in defeat proud of her. It fucks me up inside every time)

[qzwrites]

"Then how old are you?" Jaz asked. Ze'd thought Sasha and Helen were around zeir age.

"Twenty-three," Sasha said.

"Oh my God," Jaz moaned, rolling over to bury zeir face in a pillow. "I'm a moral panic monster," ze said. "I'm literally a horny Gnillesian ambi seducing innocent galactics."

"Excuse me, I'm hardly an innocent or a galactic," Sasha said, and Jaz ruined zeir mope by giggling. No, a half-Gnillesian, half-Kavagoran was not exactly the picture of a galactic everyman. Though you could argue the decadent Gnillesian half canceled out the backwards Kavagoran half into a galactic everyman, if you wanted to be a dick about it. "Jaz," Sasha said, "you knew I wasn't some old admiral reliving the glory days."

"I thought you were my age," Jaz said. "Not a baby barely out of school!"

"We both know compulsory education ends at eighteen on Gnilles," Sasha said. Jaz could practically hear him rolling his eyes. "You're being melodramatic. In the Time of Isolation, I would probably be a father at least twice over by now."

"In the Time of Isolation, wouldn't you have been killed right after birth?" Jaz asked.

"Ah, you're forgetting the chemical weapon Mother was exposed to didn't exist on Kavagor until after the Tusmoen Occupation," Sasha said. "I would have been born a perfectly healthy baby, and grown into a strapping young nobleman of at least six feet. And then probably died in some border skirmish of a minor wound that got infected, like my great-grandfather and his father before him."

(it’s also overstating things to say jaz seduced sasha; ze waited very patiently, considering the very first impression ze had of him was “handsome, competent, gnillesian single and unlikely to be weird about my gender”) (they get a good halfway through the plot of the warrior’s apprentice before sasha kisses zem)