#also why I haven't been posting these as much

[doomdoomofdoom]

okay so regardless of whether it was him or not, there's misinformation in this post and it's gonna bug me if I don't point it out.

Angles of camera footage and press coverage are different and yes eyebrows can grow back fast as fuck depending on your grooming method and genetics. something something italians.

I haven't seen any claim of him being arrested with the found clothing. They found the "distinctive" backpack in the park, the one he was arrested with wasn't described in any coverage I read. The jacket found inside the distinctive backpack was only described by brand. If both released photographs from the Hotel lobby (taken on different days btw) are to be believed, he owns at least two jackets.

The found fingerprints are not from the crime scene. They were recovered from things assumed to belong to the shooter, like a phone, wrappers of a protein bar and a bottle or other drink container. That being said, I strongly do not believe these can verifiably match. The recovered print was both partial and smudged, and fingerprint analysis is in large parts subjective. Similar skepticism should be applied to any DNA samples and matches. (As far as I'm informed, they haven't done any yet)

Also I've said this before but being on the run from the cops makes "keeping your belongings with you" the smartest move. If he discarded the gun somewhere, he'd risk having it found and pointing towards him. I presume he kept the manifesto on him in case he was killed by police.

Also how exactly does picking a centrist scapegoat reignite a right vs left culture war? Picking a rich guy, sure, but why a centrist white guy? (Also this assumes the cops are competent enough to think that far or think at all, which is the most unrealistic part so far)

Ongoing news stories also do change as they develop. That's normal. The current understanding is that a patron alerted an employee who called the police.

You can believe Mangione was framed or you can believe he did it, but use the correct facts or your argument falls apart.

Much more importantly: Luigi Mangione has no shot at getting a fair trial. News everywhere have been plastering his face as the ("alleged") killer. He's supposed to be innocent until proven guilty, but we all know the system works the other way around. Even if he is fully cleared by the courts and they find the actual guy. This is now the legacy of Luigi Mangione. And he will never be able to be free of it.

That, if nothing else, should piss you the fuck off. Fall Guy or not - the way his case is being treated and displayed for the public, it's disgusting.

I don't want to be a conspiracy theorist on main but all the memes about Luigi Mangione kind of piss me off bc I am 90% sure he is not the assassin.

I know I've joked in the past that all white men look alike but Luigi Mangione litterally does not look like any of the shooter pics.

The shooter has a long face and a sharp chin, Mangione has a more square face and rounder chin, and THE EYEBROWS!! You're gonna tell me he groomed his eyebrows before commiting a murder and they just grew back completely in less than a week? Nah

Not to mention, police claimed he was wearing the same jacket and backpack from the day of the shooting. You know, the same jacket and backpack the NYPD found discarded in Central Park?

And they're saying his fingerprints match the crimescene even though security footage clearly shows the shooter wearing GLOVES!!

Not to mention, after every meticulous step taken to get away with the shooting, why would the perpatrator still be carrying the murder weapon and a manifesto??

I genuinely believe the cops are using Luigi Mangione as a fall guy. They found a centrist Ivy League kid who kind of matched the description in order to shift the narrative from class war back to a less threatening "left vs right" culture war.

His politics are messy enough that people will spend more time debating over what side of the spectrum he is on than the actual issue at hand. THIS IS A DISTRACTION!

Also the story is all over the place. Was it a McDonalds employee or patron that reported him? The story keeps changing but either way it sends the message that the working class will turn on itself during an unprecedented moment of class unity and solidarity in the United States.

Also I think pinning this on an Ivy League kid was done in an attempt to shift the narrative from the assassin being a working class hero to just another trust fund kid. That being said, even if it WAS him, an Ivy League trust fund kid has more in common with you than you have with the 1%.

So people in the US, please think critically about the distraction tactics being pushed onto you and don't forget who the real enemy is.

Keep solidarity.

Deny

Defend

Depose

[writersrkive]

Light | Aaron Hotchner

summary: since a few days ago, you have been distracted. Something about the holidays and Christmas is triggering to you. Apparently, the team doesn't notice this, but your boss, of course, does. He is troubled, but when you say that you are sick on Christmas Eve, right before dinner, he is ready to go with you and keep you company. He also appears with a small gift that can cheer you up.

genre: angst, hurt, comfort.

pairing: Aaron Hotchner x bau!gn!reader

warning: holidays and Christmas being a nostalgic/sad holiday to reader, mention of reader not being from Virginia, family issues (reader), reader is new member of the team, allusion of an age gap (not specific), reader being called "kid" two or three times.

a/n: so... maybe I projected myself a bit into this fic. I hope whoever feels like the main character feels some comfort and understanding here. I'm sorry if there's anything wrong with the writing, I haven't edited yet, but I wanted it posted before Christmas (it's 11pm in my country). English isn't my first language, please be kind <3. Merry Christmas reader, thank you for being here one more year! I'm proud of you.

Masterlist Spanish ver. On Wattpad (coming soon)

Christmas isn't what it was a few years ago, but neither was your family. When you decided to move to Virginia, far from home, it was hard for you because despite having a broken family, the feeling of wanting to fix everything for everyone was still there. The holidays, especially Christmas, brought back memories of when everything was fine —or so it seemed—.

The dynamic of the team was like a family, but as the newest member —and one of the youngest— it was hard to feel completely into it. However, you didn't feel as isolated as you did at first. So, they didn't notice how nostalgic and sad your aura was the days before.

Oh, but Aaron, your boss, did.

It started the day that some workmates decorated the office with a mini Christmas tree, lights and bows. Everyone was heading home, except him, as usual. The paper work ended so the stoic man was closing the door of his office when he noticed the way you were standing in front of the tree, almost giving him your back. He could see half of the profile he caught himself admiring often. The lights were reflected in the sad look similar to that of a child hoping to obtain something impossible.

“Why are you still here?” He asked, not scolding, but rather with curiosity.

“Oh, good night Hotch. I was finishing some paperwork.” Your expression showed that you had come out of a trance.

“Are you done?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. Maybe we can walk to our cars together.”

“Sure.”

He didn't try to make small talk. The feeling of tiredness was in the air, but he also felt that he shouldn't try to break down any kind of personal barrier that you had at that moment. Because despite showing a friendly smile, it was obvious that your mind was somewhere else.

Then, a few days later, you were distracted by something peculiar.

“Hey, are you okay?” Derek asked when he noticed that you weren't listening to his theories. Hotch was talking to a police officer, but he was looking at the way your workmate and you were analyzing the crime scene. “Are you cold?” His teasing smile made you chuckle slightly.

“Yeah. I still haven't gotten used to the weather, sorry.” The lie went unnoticed by your colleague. They were profilers, but you were one too, so it was kind of easy to fake certain things. It wasn't right, but at that time of the year you just wanted to survive. Besides, you couldn't tell them anything, not because you didn't trust them, but because it was too much to handle.

Across the street, Aaron looked in the direction you were looking before Derek spoke to you. It was a park a few blocks away. There was an ice rink, giant decorations, and lots of families gathered around. What could that place have to distract you so much?

There were many other occasions like that. The last time was on Christmas Eve. Months ago, Penelope had decided to buy an instant camera to take photos of the team inside and outside of work, when they had days off.

“Here it is, my beautiful fellas!” The blonde said excitedly. “Your handmade Christmas gift!”

She made all of you sit around the table, so she could put in the center the sparkling red notebook, with silver letters. 'Memories at the BAU' could be read.

“Garcia! It's so beautiful!” Emily said, smiling. Derek hugged his friend in appreciation and JJ got closer to Emily so she could see better.

“Look at that. Always a great time for pasta.” Rossi joked looking at one of the pictures where he could be seen making pasta for dinner after a heavy case.

“Always looking good.” Derek said pointing at a picture of him posing with one of the plushies García had at her office.

“Look at us! But why do you look so sad?” JJ joked looking at a group photo. You could be seen at the back with a forced smile.

“I was a little tired, sorry.” You answered, but the reality was that you had received some messages from your family minutes before that photo was taken.

“Hey, why did you take a photo of me taking a nap?” The confused tone in Spencer's voice made you laugh a little, but Aaron noticed the way your eyes didn't light up.

“Does anyone know where our newest member is?” Derek asked, smiling. He can't help but remember the way Emily, JJ and he teased you before. You started to get late to a few compromises —it happened at work once or twice—, but your boss didn't scold you like he would scold anyone else on the team. “He has a soft spot for someone.” Derek playfully twitched that time, thinking the bags under your eyes weren't caused by anything but work —he was wrong—.

“The kid just sent a message to the group chat.” Rossi announced.

“Sick?” Penelope showed her worry, reading your message.

Aaron felt a weird pinch on the chest. He immediately got even more worried than everyone in Rossi's house, even if his face just tensed a little bit more than usual. In his mind he debated whether to go with you to make sure you were okay, even though it might be intrusive.

Maybe you needed space….

Or maybe there was something else you weren't telling them, just like he noticed before.

“Am… I think I'm a little bit sick too.” He whispered after a while.

“What? We are about to eat dinner.” Emily said a little sad. She was worried about the team's health now that Aaron and you were sick.

“I'll be fine. I'm going to take some food with me in case I get hungry later." His movements were a little fast, as if in a hurry.

“Are you sure you don't need a medic, Aaron?” His old friend said and the boss could sense a little teasing in his tone.

“I'm good, I just need to go right now. I'll see you tomorrow. Everyone, please be safe.” The team could sense sincerity in those words when he gave them one last look, after he took the food, his jacket and his keys, and before stepping out of the house.

“Kid is gonna have some company.” Derek teased and everyone, including Reid, smiled knowing what was going on.

Both of you were surprised when you opened the door. He didn't expect to see you with red puffy eyes and nose, and you didn't expect him there, in front of your house, holding some tuppers with food and something else tangled in his arms.

“Hotch?” Your furrowed eyebrows and tilted head made his chest feel warm. You looked confused and also cute. He felt a little bad to think like that when something was wrong with you.

“I needed to make sure you were okay.” That's all he said.

“Oh… Am… I'm just a little…”

“Sick? I don't think so. You have been acting weird, and Christmas has something to do with that. I know because apparently it triggers something that makes you… sad.” His voice was soft. It felt like he didn't want to expose you, but he needed to show how much he knew about the situation. “I don't think you actually fool them. At least, not now. Maybe in the beginning, but that wasn't my case.” But you did feel exposed, even a little ashamed. The lack of movement told Hotch that you were uncomfortable. “I'm sorry…”

“It's okay. I guess it's impossible to fool S.S.A. Aaron Hotchner.” You showed a sad smile, it was more like a grin. “Wait, what about Jack?”

“He's with his aunt. They were on a trip I couldn't join because of obvious reasons. I guess we can keep each other company.” Little by little he had begun to show a smile that was contagious to you.

“Sure.”

When he walked in he noticed the lack of decorations on the surroundings. There was just a small tree at the back of a hall. It had a start at the top and had some lights and spheres. That was it.

“I'm sorry if I'm being intrusive, but can I ask what's wrong?” he asked when you started to help him to put the food on two plates.

You sighted thinking about all the things you needed to explain so you could give him an answer. “It's complicated. I don't know if I wanna talk about that.”

“That's okay. Then, can you tell me how you are feeling?”

You smiled, knowing he changed the question so as not to make you feel uncomfortable, while still keeping in mind the fact that he needed to know how you were feeling. “Everything brings memories. I'm supposed to be with my family, but what family?” I asked, sitting next to him in the kitchen. “Sometimes I wish things were like before, like having a time machine and just going there: where everyone was. Now I know how heavy the family issues were, but I was a kid so at least I was living in a lie… a good lie.”

“I know family is complicated. There's people who hurt other people, and that's not right, but there's too much.”

“Exactly…”

“But you have a family here too, now.” He whispered. And the way he looked at you made you feel like you weren't alone, at least not how you have thought.

“That's why I bring Rossi's lasagna with me. He's gonna be sad if you don't get to try it.”

Dinner was good. Of course you loved Rossi's cooking, but you came to the conclusion that it was because of the company of your boss. He helped a lot by distracting you, chatting about Jack, some plans outside of work and various things. After a few hours you couldn't handle your curiosity anymore.

“Hotch, can I ask you something?”

“Sure, what is it?” Apparently, your question took him by surprise, perhaps it was the tone in which you spoke to him, almost tenderly.

“What is that?” You pointed at what he left coiled up on the armrest of one of the sofas in your living room. It looked like a silver wire with transparent stuff on it.

“These are Jack's favorite lights. We bought it a few years ago. He loved them until we bought a set of identical, larger lights. Do you want to see?”

“Yes!” Your childish tone made him smile.

He untangled the lights and plugged them into the nearest socket, quickly his hands and the place where the lights rested shone brightly.

“Wow…” It was almost a whisper, but Aaron enjoyed the answer as if it was a shout of joy. “These are beautiful.”

“I knew you liked the lights.”

“Huh? Oh! You mean the night when you caught me staring at the…”

“Yeah.”

“Well, yeah, I liked lights. I think I've always liked them, but at some point the feeling became sad."

“They are for you.”

“No, but, Jack…”

“Like I said, he has new ones, so, there's no problem. He will love that you have them.”

“Can you help me to…” You hesitated.

“Sure. Let's go, where do you want them?”

A fun playlist invaded your house. While Hotch held a ladder and watched your back to see if you lost your balance, you placed the string of lights in the living room window.

“Can you turn them on?” You asked him gently. The decorated window came to life as did your eyes and Aaron couldn't feel calmer as he admired your excited countenance.

“I'm glad you liked them.”

Suddenly, cries of excitement were heard from neighboring houses and some Christmas songs began to play from the speakers of nearby restaurants even louder.

“Merry Christmas, Hotch.” You said when you came down from the ladder. The man who came to brighten your night didn't think that seeing your expression would fill his chest with warmth.

“Merry Christmas, kid.”

You definitely didn't know or would have imagined that the man who watched your back at work was what you needed to feel better. He brought the light you needed for days.

[minipuppyofmadness]

Hey y'all! Wanted to take a sec for some real talk, so if you're interested and are able to seperate me from the persona that this blog embodies, read under the cut!!

So! In light of my Domme to Diapers pipeline post and folks reactions to it, I wanted to air some stuff out!

First off, thankyou for the supportive that's been given 🩵🩵🩵

Secondly, I am still and will always be a switch. Clearly I love being humiliated and teased, and take very naturally to being a sub. But regardless of how pathetic or submissive or regressed I can be, I was actually a professional Domme, and haven't lost that skillset. Part of why I switch is that I get to experience both ends, and learning how to Domme made me a much better sub, and vice versa!!

Now, this blog is NOT a dominant one and never will be. I come to this blog to embrace my little space and engage in some fun humiliation. More to the point, teasing me in character for going from Domme to baby is all well and good! Love that shit.

But goading me into still trying to Domme while pointing out how I never will be able to is not fun. I don't like feeling as though I'm doing a shitty job. It's also very disingenuous. You don't actually want me to be dominant, you want another reason to try and humiliate me. But frankly I have given so many options for that already that don't make me feel like shit.

And if you genuinely do want me to be dominant, then prove it! I'm not about that power struggle stuff and will simply not engage if you try and turn the tables on me. Learn to behave or find someone that's into fighting over being in charge.

Many thankyous for anyone who took the time to read this ramble. I genuinely love this community and the majority of interactions, and am excited to keep making content and meeting new friends!! But if you're part of the influx of people challenging me to try and be a Domme or prive that I was or still could, please ease off? A few times is fun, dozens in a few days does bad things to my mental health.

Love you all, thankyou for your time, remember to hydrate 🩵🩵🩵

[miifu666]

I remember you made that yandere post on wukong and I love reading it !! I was wondering do you have any thoughts on the destiny one or macaque if their were yanderes ? 👀 if not no worries ^^

Merry Christmas ‼️ time to show off Destined one, who i believe is scarier than the other two, like they say. The quiet one is the scariest. Also, a lot of you asked for DO soo sorry for the long wait 😭

⋆˙⟡ —CW: dub-con, Somnophilia, exhibition kink, Scent kink, Yandere, non-con, NSFT

Yandere! Destined one

Unlike the other two, he's more of a monkey than them. The things he feels are 10x more worse, justified by his actions that he so called "courting you properly" even if its mostly just him stalking you throughout the day and after that, slowly building your own paranoia to work with him. Yuan fen would stay silent, even as you come at him with rapid eve movements around the room and heaving breaths. He's smart enough to hide how he's the source of all your troubles, your every rant about this so called paranoia thats been bugging you, the feeling of being watched and some objects going missing will help him to improve more on his skill.

"I-ive been feeling paranoid around here... please tell me im not crazy, Yuan Fen.."

Yuan fen is a silent person. His actions speaks more in volume. That doesn't mean he's not using it to his advantage, he's like a monster who's been under your nose all this time. The creature who hides under your bed, like literally. Or sleep beside you, depending on how both you travel. Haven't you felt how tiring your body is despite getting a full 8 hours of sleep? Also, why does your underwear get sticky? Are you that exhausted for your intimate areas to be so.. sore? You don't even wake up when Yuan Fen drapes his arms over you, snuggling closer to your nape until the sun shows itself. Uncovering the dirty deeds he did during his time with the moon and on top of you.

His hands are sticky as he continues to spread his musky scent into your chest, making your sleepy self associate his smell with pleasure. Trailing down his fingers down your hips, spreading your legs and pumping your hole with his long and kneady fingers. He's just making you feel comfortable, dont worry too much. On days where he knows you're lethargic, he'll make sure the sheets beneath you to be dry as he goes on his endeavors. Drinking and lapping up every single drop of your sweet honeyed love nectar, the more activities you do in the day, the more sweet you are in the night.

He'll make sure to be silent, aside from his slurping and gulping the nice opening you let him eat on. Eating you out is like his own way of charging his battery, his own personal ambrosia.

"Dont look at me like that! My hips and back are hurting okay! I thought i already put enough leaves on my side of the bed... ugh"

Yuan fen is a sweet mate, a good friend. He'll make sure to to spoil you rotten with fresh fruits he picked, he thinks about you 24/7, makes sure you feel loved with his oh so sweet gesture of being a gentleman, never letting you touch any doorknob or step on any puddles, Yuan fen who wants your approval despite the dominating attitude he gives soff. Yuan fen who notices you melt every time you hear his voice, each new words he said is purposely deeper than the last. Just to make sure he has you crooning over him while he worships you, an object of his desire with a favouritism of his voice? Oh he'll have fun with it.

Yuan fen who would speak to you more once he's face to face with your trembling thighs, making sure to growl the nastiest and filthiest things the moment his hands and throbbing member came in contact with your puffy hole. You'd be taken aback at how he says such vulgar sentence with a straight face, his eyes held the mad obsession he keeps inside.

"Its okay if you can't talk! Your actions are more than enough"

Yan! Yuan fen is an obsessive and possessive monkey who would do anything to mark you. Conscious or not, he'll make you his. He's smart enough to be the mind relic and quiet enough to do unsuspecting acts without gathering attention. He doesn't care if he's being clingy in front of Unclee Bajie, the celestials or even Erlang. Whoever has the guts to try and woo you, is going to enjoy the last 7 seconds of their life.

Is his hands being around your waist not a good enough sign? Is his smell covering every bits and crevices of yours not enough?? Does he need to spread you open in front of them to show who you belong to? He'll do so if it means they'll understand how unworthy you are to them, but not to him. Oh, never him. You're a perfect being, only fit to be his, only created for him. You're his one and only.

"My. Mate"

[melishade]

Attack on Prime The Future Anthology: Christmas

Main Story

Strongarm and Sideswipe II

Thanksgiving

Snowball Fight (Rematch)

The Survey Corps and Warriors experience Christmas.

"Jack, Miko, Raf, we cannot keep doing this!" Fowler shouted at them.

"C'mon! It's festive!" Miko whined.

"The Halloween thing was doable! I could live with that! The Day of the Dead thing was too many hoops to go through! You brought people from another planet to a festival in a place they don't speak the language!"

"You know we still haven't figured out why we're speaking the same language as them," Rafael commented.

"And then the Thanksgiving situation-!"

"Fowler, we've been using our allowance to make those things happen," Jack reminded, "And besides, they need this. Look at how much they've gone through. They can't even breathe the air in some places! A twelve year old knows how to use a gun and has killed people in war! They didn't try ice cream until they were twelve!"

"Jack, I know that their lives have been extremely difficult, but we also have to consider everyone else and where our resources go for them," Fowler reminded.

Rafael thought it over. "What if...we used someone else's resources?"

Fowler noticed the way that all three looked at each other and grinned. "No. No! You three do not mean-!"

===

Willy waved goodbye to Ray and Ogwena before heading back into his office. Repairs have been going well so far with the aid of the Autobots and the U.S. government. The world obviously won't be restored to what it once was. But the stability for the lives of many is what would matter.

As he opened the door to his office, he was surprised to see Rafael sitting atop of his desk. His arms were crossed, and he couldn't see his eyes through his glasses.

"Buenos tardes, cuchara de plata," Rafael greeted rather ominously as he raised his head.

Willy jolted when he heard the door slam shut, and turned to see Jack and Miko standing next to it with looks of warnings on their faces.

"We need a favor done," Jack declared.

===

Two weeks later

"What...is all this?" Historia and the Survey Corps were at a loss for words as they stared at the sight before them. They were asked to groundbridge from the snowy island that was Paradis to another snowy island in the southern region of the world where the Rumbling didn't reach. This island was one of the many locations left that survivors of the Rumbling were starting to flock to as their temporary home. But it was somehow so...festive?

There were stalls set up everywhere, filled with food and games and red and green decorations. Lights were strung up through the trees and the vending posts. Music was being played through speakers set up throughout the area. There was an outdoor movie theater playing a cartoon that was both shocking and delighting the onlookers. And all the way at the end of the festival was a Christmas tree that was being decorated with colorful orbs, glitter, and lights by the Autobots.

"Welcome Paradis, to Christmas Town!" The Survey Corps were stunned to see Willy Tybur approaching them in a red and white outfit, maybe a suit, with a long and floppy red hat.

"What the-!"

"We're sorry!" Jack, Miko, and Rafael jumped in, wearing their own red and green outfits, "This is our fault! We take responsibility!"

"Jack, what the hell happened?" Hanji couldn't help but laugh.

"Look, we wanted to set up a Christmas celebration for you guys, but the U.S. government was telling us no, because of the last three holidays we've been blowing our money on."

"Which doesn't make sense cause it's our money," Miko grumbled.

"So we decided to try and...let's say garner a favor from Tybur." Rafael pointed to the man, "But when he didn't know what Christmas was, we keep forgetting that this place doesn't have Christianity, we had to explain it to him, and then he just lit up like a kid on Christmas and just took over."

"I did ask for your assistance!" Willy insisted.

"You started rambling for thirty minutes to us about ideas!" Rafael yelled.

"So you guys help set up all this?" Historia gestured to her surroundings.

"Well, it is a way to lift the people's spirits with a little festivity!" Willy grinned, "Not to mention, I've utilized my connections to countries that are still standing, and they thought this event would be a great way to help bolster their economy, what with networking and trying to see if there are any refugees that want to come to their homeland to help their population grow!"

"If this is a world event thing, then we should have been informed so that Paradis could help do something," Hanji reminded, "We've been helping repair the world."

"And that's a great way to show that Paradis isn't an island full of devils!" Willy stated, "You've been working hard! You deserve a chance to enjoy yourselves!"

"No, that's not a good reason," Historia declared, "Paradis needs to participate in an event like this if we are to be connected to the rest of the world. I'll need to go back to Paradis in order to ask a few people willing to join. They could sell some pies."

Jean thought it over before turning to Sasha. "You want to help me make some omelets?"

Sasha gasped with delight. "Yes! Let's do it!"

"Is there any way that we can get some cooking supplies and a stall?" Jean asked.

"Leave that to us!" Miko declared before she grabbed Rafael and ran off.

"They'll let you know when it's ready," Jack declared.

"So the rest of you can enjoy the festival," Willy said, "Queen Historia, if you could come with me, there are a few world leaders here that I think you should get more acquainted with."

"Fine," Historia grumbled, "But they better be on their best behavior, or Ymir's gonna kick them in the face."

"Let's not do that," Willy insisted as the two began to walk together

"Too late! It's been decided!" Ymir shouted as she followed Historia close behind.

"So...what do you guys want to see first?" Jack asked.

"I am going to see why the Autobots are decorating a tree." Hanji started making their way towards the tree.

"We gotta grab them," Erwin declared.

"Yep." Levi started moving his wheelchair to follow Hanji, with Erwin close behind.

"So where's Annie and Pieck, and the Warrior Cadets?" Armin couldn't help but ask.

"Oh, their actually at the outdoor movie theater," Jack answered, "They came earlier and started going to town on sweets. You guys wanna try hot chocolate or play a game?"

"Hot chocolate!" Sasha raised her hand.

Jack chuckled. "Alright, c'mon."

Optimus quietly watched from the sidelines of the festival, keeping his massive blanket wrapped around his body. He was surprised that no one had decided to approach him yet to say their thanks. Maybe the blanket was throwing them off. Or maybe they were abiding by his request to relax. He hoped it was the second option. Optimus glanced back to see Megatron arriving and transforming into his bipedal mode, landing right next to Optimus. Megatron narrowed his optics at the sight of the festival.

"This is what the humans do on Earth during the winter time?" Megatron couldn't help but ask Optimus.

"Christmas is quite a festive holiday and a good way to end the year," Optimus explained, "There are also a few other holidays around this time as well. Hannukah, Kwanzaa, Yuletide, Boxing Day, Advent-!"

"Prime, I do not need a full list," Megatron cut him off, "But this is much too...cheery for my tastes. I think I prefer the Halloween one better."

"I'm surprised you would even fancy a human holiday at all," Optimus remarked.

"They can be creative when they want to be," Megatron proclaimed, eyeing the booths on the floor. He spotted some games some of the humans were playing before turning to Optimus. "Do you want to play a game?"

Optimus snapped his head towards Megatron in disbelief. "What?"

"I didn't hear a no," Megatron declared.

=====

Sasha hummed with delight as she drank more of her hot chocolate. "This is so delicious!"

"It's really sweet," Jean added.

"Yeah, there are a lot of sugary sweets for the holidays," Jack commented with a hand on his hip before drinking his cocoa.

Mikasa smiled at the little marshmallows floating around in her drink before taking another sip. It really was delightful and warm.

"So what else do you guys do for Christmas?" Armin asked.

"We get each other gifts and open them on Christmas day, watch Christmas movies, decorate a tree," Jack listed.

"Oh! We should have gotten you guys gifts!" Sasha exclaimed.

"It's okay, we've all been pretty busy. Besides, I don't think we've ever really gotten a chance to ask you what you guys wanted," Jack retorted, "We wouldn't have known what to get you guys."

"Honestly, you've been doing so much for us already," Jean declared, "None of this would have been possible without you guys. Frankly that's enough for us."

"Although, we would like some gifts for next year," Sasha grinned, "I am interested in anything related to hunting."

"I’ll put that on the list." Jack pulled out his phone and started typing, "Jean? Mikasa? Armin?"

"Um...books about nature?" Armin hesitantly spoke up.

"How about..." Jean tapped his chin, "Some clothes that don't itch my leg stump."

"Better clothes. Mikasa?" Jack addressed her.

"Maybe..." Mikasa instinctively reached for her neck, but realized that the item that used to be around her neck all the time was missing. "A new scarf?"

Mikasa noticed the way everyone was staring with concern and quickly recoiled. "It's cold."

"Scarf it is." Jack typed it before putting his phone away. "So what else do you guys want to eat? I've actually been wanting to try more food from here to see what the differences are."

"What about that place?" Sasha pointed to a sign above a stall written in a different language. Armin blinked and squinted his eyes when he saw the sign's letter beginning to change...into that of his own language! It said: "Odangos from Hizuru!"

"Alright, let's go," Armin snapped out of his shock as he followed everyone else.

====

"So what are you doing?" Hanji asked with a grin on their face as the Autobots continued decorating the tree.

"Decorating a Christmas Tree," Bumblebee answered as he hung a red ornament with the Autobot symbol on it, "This is a pretty popular human tradition."

"Huh, you guys don't have anything like this on Cybertron?" Hanji asked in surprise as Levi and Erwin arrived at the tree.

"Nope!" Smokescreen answered with a pop as he stood on Bulkhead's shoulders to hang another ornament.

"We don't have something as festive as this on Cybertron," Ratchet explained, "Maybe gladiatorial matches or the anniversary we drove off the Quintessions, but nothing this festive."

"It's fun!" Wheeljack grinned as he was untangling the lights and hooking them up to his own generator.

"Can we help?!" Hanji asked, "This sounds like a lot of fun!"

"Hanji, I don't think there's much for us to do," Erwin insisted.

"Actually there are a few small ornaments the kids gave us," Bulkhead explained, "Maybe you could help us hang those."

"Yes!" Hanji cheered, "Let me get my gear!"

"Well I'll just sit here," Levi commented, "Not much I can do."

"You could be Santa," Arcee smirked, "A very grumpy Santa."

"I don't know what Santa is," Levi stated.

===

"Oh wow, they have these in Japan," Jack remarked, "Miko took us to a spot once in Tokyo when we were on a mission."

"So then they must be from Hizuru," Jean assumed.

Mikasa grew tense at that. Right, if this was a world event, then Kiyomi must be here. The last time that the two saw each other, she was kind enough to take her back to Paradis. But...how much have things changed? Was there a chance that Kiyomi harbored some resentment towards her? What if-?

"Mikasa?" Mikasa felt her stomach drop at the sound of that voice. She turned and looked behind her to see Kenshin staring at her in disbelief, wearing a winter coat and sporting a pair of glasses.

"K-kenshin." Mikasa wanted to back away. She didn't think she'd ever see him again. She wasn't even prepared to face him. But now-!

Mikasa grunted in surprise when Kenshin bolted towards her and hugged her so tightly. "H-huh!"

"Holy shit, you're okay!" Kenshin released her before placing his hands on her shoulders, "Auntie told me that she took you back to Paradis after everything and I haven't heard since because I was so wrapped up in politics!"

"Why...why are you so happy to see me?" Mikasa couldn't help but ask.

Kenshin raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Oh, Kenshin, hey," Jack greeted, holding four odangos in his hand, handing each one to the other members of the 104th. Sasha greedily scarfed it down while Jean took slow bites.

"This is a bit chewy," Jean remarked.

"What are you doing here?" Armin asked.

"Kiyomi and I were invited and we need to find ways to bolster our economy and standing in the world," Kenshin replied, "She's currently trying to swindle her way into a deal with a surviving neighboring country."

Kenshin pointed behind him, and through the crowd, they all saw Kiyomi speaking with someone who looked important, pouring some more alcohol in his drink.

"I respect the hustle," Jack proclaimed.

"Hm," Kenshin hummed in response, "So I heard that you were the one that helped set this up?"

"We were trying to blackmail Willy and it backfired," Jack confessed.

"Hah!" Kenshin cackled.

"Hey guys!" Miko and Rafael called out as they ran over to them, "We got the booth ready!"

"Looks like we're up," Jack declared.

"We?" Sasha asked in confusion.

"I used to work in customer service," Jack explained, "I know a thing or two about serving people. You two focus on the cooking, okay?"

"Alright!" Jean took another bite out of his snack before he, Jack, and Sasha left with Miko and Rafael, "See you guys later!"

"Bye!" Armin waved goodbye while Kenshin turned to Mikasa.

"Hey, can we...talk in private?" Kenshin asked her.

"Uh...," Mikasa trailed off, looking at Armin with concern.

"I don't think she wants to," Armin declared.

"Please," Kenshin requested, "I have a lot that I want to say."

Mikasa clenched her fists to ground herself. What should she do? She still felt an immense amount of guilt for leaving his parents for dead. What would she say?

"You have people in your life that need you. Not just Eren. I know that you care for them as well, and to leave them behind, would be an insult to them and to yourself.”

Did...did Kenshin really care about her? Did he really need her? Mikasa took a deep breath. "Okay. Let's talk."

"Mikasa, wait," Armin pleaded with her as he grabbed her hand.

"I'll be fine," Mikasa reassured, giving his hand a gentle squeeze before following Kenshin through the crowd, leaving Armin to his own devices. He took a deep breath and exhaled, seeing his breath through the cold air. Despite this crowd of people surrounding him, he never felt this alone. He felt so disconnected.

Maybe...maybe it was because he was here without Eren. Armin disavowed Eren, sure. But...he still lamented what could have been. He lamented the memories they had and could have made together. If only...if only...

Armin put his hands in his pockets and walked through the snow. Maybe watching a movie will take his mind off of things.

===

"You brought me here to do a shooting game," Optimus deadpanned at the sight of the booth before him.

"Hey, you didn't say no when I asked you to do this," Megatron shot back.

"I could not help but be curious as to where this would go," Optimus admitted.

"This is a game that I played with Mikasa during the spring festival in Hizuru," Megatron explained.

"Really?" Optimus blinked in surprise, "I never thought you would partake in such a thing."

"Mikasa wanted to show me one normal day," Megatron declared.

"But this game requires you to pay to play," Optimus reminded.

"Pay to win prizes. It's essentially gambling," Megatron retorted, "We can just play for bragging rights. Who's the better marksman?"

"Would they be willing to let us play?" Optimus asked.

"Optimus, just pull the Savior of Humanity card and we should be fine," Megatron ordered.

"That's an abuse of power," Optimus scolded.

"I think it's well warranted; I want to play," Megatron declared.

"By the Allspark, I've never seen you this animated over a game," Optimus whispered to himself.

==

"So...how have you been these past few months?" Kenshin asked as he and Mikasa continued to walk together.

"Managing," Mikasa answered, "I've been trying to occupy my time."

"I thought Kiyomi said that you wanted to just live in peace like you wanted," Kenshin recalled, "Why didn't you?"

Mikasa sighed. "Things got complicated. Someone tried to take Megatron and restart his faction from the war."

"And you jumped in to save him?" Kenshin concluded, earning a nod in response, "Wow, I didn't think you and Megatron were that close. I did hear about his war crimes and they're somehow worse than I ever imagined."

Mikasa didn't reply to that.

"And now Megatron and Optimus seem to be...playing a game together?!" Kenshin squawked.

"Huh?!" Mikasa exclaimed as she followed Kenshin gaze to see Optimus and Megatron's holoforms playing a shooting game similar to the one she and Megatron had played in Hizuru. Their marksmanship was drawing the attention of the crowd. Neither seemed to be playing for prizes though. They seemed to be playing for bragging rights.

"They've...they've always been so tense with each other over the years..." Mikasa gawked, "And now...they're playing a children's game together."

"I guess the end of the world does things to you," Kenshin commented.

Mikasa's expression grew somber. "Kenshin...why don't you hate me?"

Kenshin laughed in confusion. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Why don't you hate me?" Mikasa demanded as she turned to face him, "Kenshin...I left your parents to die. I made a choice to save you and not grab them and-!"

"Mikasa, why would I resent you for that?" Kenshin demanded, "You fulfilled my father's final request."

"But Hizuru's in ruins because of me." Tears started forming in Mikasa's eyes, "Because I didn't stop Eren. Because my feelings for him got in the way that was important. If only I did something...there wouldn't have been so much loss."

Kenshin raised his hand and hesitated, but gently placed it on Mikasa's shoulder. "Mikasa, I'm not going to fault you for trying your best to stop Eren without killing him. I mean...how can you kill someone you love?"

Droplets fell down Mikasa's cheeks before her face churned into a grimace. "I don't love him anymore. I'm trying to move on from him. What he's done is unforgivable."

"Yeah," Kenshin sighed as he released his hold on her, "I get it. But...Mikasa, I don't hate you at all."

Kenshin pulled something out of his pocket and showed it to Mikasa. The Ackerman was stunned to see it was a beautiful silver necklace with the Azumabito crest dangling from the chain.

"They said this holiday is about giving gifts, so this is my gift to you." Kenshin offered the medallion to her.

"Kenshin, I can't take this," Mikasa insisted.

"I remember the burns you got on your arms, and I'm assuming your original tattoo is gone," Kenshin began.

Mikasa gripped her wrist where her tattoo used to be.

"The Rumbling managed to stop before it crushed our home near the temple," Kenshin explained as he unhooked the chain, "My dad kept a bunch of cultural information there, important to Hizuru's survival. This was something that belonged to your ancestors that was kept in storage. So I figured I'd return it to the rightful owner."

Kenshin hooked the chain around Mikasa's neck before taking a step back. The Ackerman touched the medallion resting on her chest in disbelief.

"I don't...I don't know what to say," Mikasa admitted, "I didn't even get you anything."

"I'm alive," Kenshin smiled, "I'm alive because of you. That's more than enough. Thank you, Mikasa."

Mikasa couldn't help but smile back. "You're welcome, Kenshin."

===

Armin found himself in the outdoor theatre, watching one of the Christmas movies play. He was a little bit surprised at the violence of it all, what with someone's head getting torched by a flamethrower. But it seemed to make the people laugh. Armin was surprised when he saw both Strongarm and Sideswipe there too. Sideswipe was laughing with delight while Strongarm herself was just confused.

Armin then searched through the crowd for the Warriors and managed to spot the back of Annie's head and Pieck's decorated cane. He walked over to the five, seeing them sitting plastic chairs and looked over. Falco, Gabi, and Colt couldn't stop laughing at the violence on the screen. Pieck looked a little bored, but a chuckle or two did come out of her. What surprised him was that she actually started critiquing the mechanics of these traps and how the boy in the movie could make them better. Annie didn't seem to care either, more focused on the sugar cookies in her hand.

"You really are just filling your face with sweets," Armin teased.

Annie turned to him and glared, but it didn't look as intimidating with all the sprinkles on her face. "Shut up."

"How's the festival?" Armin asked as he sat in the show.

"Good." Annie wiped her mouth, "It almost reminds me of the festival in Liberio."

Annie noticed Armin shifting uncomfortably and smirked. "Of course, this is better by a mile."

Annie was relieved when Armin chuckled a little.

"So what are you watching?" Armin asked.

"A movie called 'Home Alone'," Annie answered, "A large family left one of their kids in the house by himself, and how he's trying to protect it from robbers."

"Pretty violent for a Christmas movie," Armin commented.

Annie shrugged. "Considering what we've gone through, I'd say the violence is pretty tame."

"Why not just call the authorities?" Armin asked.

"He thinks he'll be seen as a criminal or runaway if he does," Annie answered, "Not necessarily true, but kids have hyperactive imaginations."

Armin hummed in response.

"...Do you want to go walk around for a bit?" Annie offered.

Armin was stunned at the offer. "Don't you want to see the rest of the movie?"

"All these Christmas movies have a happy ending. The kid will be fine." Annie stood up, "See you later, Pieck."

"Have fun." Pieck lazily waved.

Armin stood up and the two began to walk away from the theatre together.

"This is nice," Annie declared, "Most fun I've had since...ever I guess."

"Yeah," Armin agreed, "But..."

"...you wish Eren was here?" Annie guessed.

Armin sighed. "I don't really know how to feel about him."

"I guess that's understandable," Annie shrugged, "He did commit genocide after all."

"No...not really about him doing that," Armin admitted.

Annie paused. "Wait, what do you mean?"

"...Do you remember when we were in the Paths?" Armin asked her.

"And we met that...Pieck said he was a deity," Annie recalled.

"Yeah, well...he let us talk to Eren...and he also gave Eren a choice in enacting the Rumbling," Armin confessed.

"A choice?" Annie nearly screamed, "And he chose!...God...Armin, I'm so sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?" Armin asked.

"You keep getting the short end of the stick here," Annie answered, "You're own best friend betrayed you...I betrayed you and you still-!"

"I just want to move forward and foster peace," Armin cut her off.

"...Armin....what do you even think of me?" Annie couldn't help but ask.

"Huh?" Armin spoke.

"I'm no saint, and I've done horrible things," Annie began, "Those horrible things ended up pushing Eren over the edge, to the point where he refused a deity's offer for peace. I'm still at fault for a lot of the things that happened, even if everything is resolved now. I mean...don't you hate me?"

Armin shook his head. "No...honestly, I'd like to think after everything that we've been through that we're friends now."

"What?" Annie was flabbergasted, "Friends?! Are you nuts?!"

"We've come to an understanding with each other. We've worked together, helped save the world together, and now...there's no Marley or anything like that. There's no need to really lie to each other anymore," Armin explained, "We've been allowed to start over and just be normal people. I don't think it's good to hold grudges."

Armin saw that Annie's face was red, but he couldn't tell if it was from the cold or if she herself was flustered.

"I don't know why you keep denying the fact that you're a good person," Annie sighed.

"I still think you're giving me too much credit," Armin said.

"YOU TWO SHOULD KISS!" Armin and Annie's faces turned red, snapping their heads to the sound of Miko's voice. They saw her in front of one of the stalls, hands cupped around her mouth.

"You can't just say stuff like that!" Armin exclaimed in embarassment.

"YOU'RE UNDER A MISTLETOE DUDE! THAT'S THE RULE!" Miko pointed above the two, and they looked up to see a green plant with red berries hanging above them.

“What is this?!” Armin asked in confusion.

“It’s from that stupid movie!” Annie snatched the plant and threw it to the ground before stepping on it. The former titan shifter stormed off, leaving Armin flustered. He regained his composure and stormed over to Miko.

“That was uncalled for!” Armin exclaimed.

“I don’t know. You two were having a Christmas moment,” Miko shrugged.

“What are you even doing?!” Armin demanded.

“Keeping watch.” Miko pointed behind here, and Armin finally took notice of the booth. He saw Jean and Sasha furiously cooking some omelettes together. Meanwhile, Jack was the one handling the customers, handing out the food in containers and taking their payment.

“Wow.” Armin was impressed.

===

“There are animals in here!” Hanji called out, seeing a nest of birds staring at them.

“Leave them alone for right now!” Ratchet ordered, “Go around them!”

“Okay! I’m hoping they don’t peck me!” Hanji said, scooting away from the birds.

“We’re almost done with the set up,” Wheeljack informed, “We’ll need to tell Tybur in order to light up the tree.”

“Hopefully you don’t blow anything up,” Erwin commented.

“C’mon, have some faith in me. Why would I blow this up?” Wheeljack feigned denial.

Ratchet scoffed. “Please, you’re a walking disaster. A manifestation of Murphy’s law.”

“Ow. Such hurtful words.” Wheeljack placed a servo over his chassis.

Arcee placed the star atop of the tree before jumping down. “I’m good.”

“Alright, Hanji!” Bumblebee called out.

“Just a second!” Hanji tied the string of the lights to the branch before lowering themselves down the tree. Levi couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief as Hanji landed on the ground quite carefully. Hanji unhooked their gear from the tree and looked up at it.

“Not very festive,” Hanji remarked.

“That’s what the lighting ceremony is for,” Bulkhead said.

“Then call the Tybur,” Bumblebee ordered.

===

“Attention everyone!” Everyone perked their heads at the Tybur’s voice coming through the speakers, “Make your way to the tree for the lighting ceremony!”

“Looks like we’re closing up shop for now,” Jack remarked as Jean and Sasha removed their aprons.

“God I wonder what speech he’s going to make,” Miko grumbled and she and Armin finished their omelettes.

“I’m surprised you managed to sell a lot in a short amount of time,” Rafael commented as the crowd migrated towards the tree.

“We’re efficient!” Sasha jumped over the table.

Optimus and Megatron saw the crowd moving and quickly deactivated their holoforms. They made their appearances in their bipedal modes as they watched the crowd appear in front of the tree.

“Hello everyone!” Willy spoke through the microphone, “I hope that you’re all enjoying your time at the festival!”

Willy smiled when he heard the cheers through the crowd. Armin and Mikasa ended up covering their ears while Kenshin rolled his eyes.

“Before we do anything else, I would like to express my gratitude to the Autobots, Jack, Miko, and Rafael for helping putting all of this together!” Willy gestured to the three humans and the Autobots, causing more people to cheer. Miko grinned with pride, Jack looked a little flustered while Rafael smirked.

“And as we continue through these trying times together, we should all be grateful to have this moment of community and compassion!” Willy continued, “I know that things are still difficult and there is still much to repair, but the fact that we are still willing to come together now is a sign that we have a future together! So thank you! All of you! For taking this chance together!”

Willy turned to Wheeljack. “Light it!”

Wheeljack grinned as he flipped the switch, causing all of the lights on the tree to shine. The crowd marveled at the light show in delight before clapping and cheering.

Megatron squinted his optics at the tree. “Still too bright.”

Optimus hummed in acknowledgement. Megatron glanced down to see Optimus still wearing that still ugly blanket. He wondered why Optimus still wore it at all. It couldn’t be because of the cold. Megatron looked into Optimus’ optics and noticed sorrow in them and sighed.

“Merry Christmas, Optimus,” Megatron spoke up.

Optimus stared at Megatron in shock before smiling. “Merry Christmas, Megatron.”

(Super corny and cheesy. But whatever, we need some Christmas cheer!)

[bird-inacage]

While I'd like your theory to be true (as it comforts me!), my one major stumbling block is the scene from the trailer where Bison appears to be forcing Kant to jump off the boat at gunpoint - where do you see that fitting in? I know some ppl speculated it was an act to fake Kant's 'death', but tbh, given the personalised MO (Kant's fear of the ocean as known to Bison), I think it's much more likely to be real and part of Bison's revenge. Now, I have no doubt he'll jump straight in after him despite himself, but sadly I do think we will have to reach that nadir before any reconciliation...

Hey there Anon!

I know exactly the one you mean, and I've actually speculated about this a couple times. You can check out my EP1 meta here where I talk specifically about that scene in question. Now granted, my theory could be completely wrong, but ever since I caught it in the trailer, it doesn't seem to me as simple as: Bison forcing Kant to jump in at gunpoint.

Why I've always been convinced that there's more here than meets the eye is Bison looks surprisingly composed. The way he's holding his stance doesn't look like he's about to execute someone he has very conflicted feelings for. Yes, you could argue he's a professional killer so he would be able to do this stone cold dead. But if we recall Bison's reaction at the end of EP6, the boy is heartbroken and fuming. This is someone he went as far as to sabotage a mission for to save Babe, a mission that would have meant getting revenge on his parents' murderer. Therefore I'd picture him being far more emotionally stricken, anguished or unstable (e.g. remember the way Bison was behaving when he threatened James on the rooftop).

Then factor in that Bison knows about Kant's fear of drowning on top of that, and this would border on torture + death. If this was Bison's attempt to kill Kant for real, I can't imagine him standing so still.

So my theory is this is an act. Bison and Kant are performing. I haven't heard about the 'death fakeout theory' but that would be in a similar ballpark. As I wrote earlier, post EP7 Kant may have made enemies with both the police and Mother. The police if he defies Chris or actively obstructs them from catching Bison. Mother if she also finds out Kant was the informant. She'd have no mercy. So regardless of which is after Kant, something tells me they both planned this. It's risky nonetheless, as Bison doesn't know how badly Kant could panic in the water. But Bison has also coincidentally mentioned he's a strong swimmer. So he'll be the one to rescue Kant.

The other reason I heavily speculate over this scene is that any other moments we've gotten glimpses of from the beach (on set photos and clips) seem to be where Kant/Bison are rather fluffy. So something tells me this is a period of time where they lay low at Bison's hideout (as he suggested to Fadel in this episode), and it's part of Kantbison's plan post-reconciliation to try to escape for good.

But then again I've learnt since Only Friends that Jojo has a pattern of surprising me. So I can't wait to see how this unfolds!

Thank you for the ask! :)

---birdie

[apoptoses]

ajhfahf you're too kind, really!! I've so missed having deep meta discussions here on tumblr and I think there's so much in these books that hasn't been dissected. They're packed with so many details that a lot of little stuff just gets overlooked, or the significance is totally missed without background info on Anne herself or Anne's thoughts about her own work.

And honestly people don't need her private diaries for a lot of these facts- just 'Conversations with Anne Rice', ' 'Anne Rice: The Interviews', and 'Called out of Darkness' hold so, so much info about how she grew up and her own meta about her work. There's some really great info in conversations that's related to this topic, on how when she was writing TVL and pitching the idea she had to push back very hard against the linguistic stereotype that anyone 'old timey' has to sound like Shakespeare. She had to educate her own publishers on how a man of the 18th century would sound very, very much like a man of the modern day in most ways.

(Also, to diverge myself- there's three types of thinker. People who think in images, people who think in literal words, and people who blend both. Anne reveals that she's the type that thinks purely in image, picturing things related to the word or topic. If asked to think of say, Shakespeare, she wouldn't think of literally his name but images of things related to him. And I think in some way that also informs her work and the way vampires think, but I haven't quite put my finger on how)

Ultimately I think all of this is why these books are so successful and the main characters feel so real- there's a real love of the spoken word not just by the author, but by the characters themselves. And that translates to conversations and thoughts that feel unique to each character, and that are relatable despite the fantastical situations they're all in. The reader can really picture all these things being said out loud, not just as words on a page.

I think you're really onto something with the lyrics being soliloquy more than music. They're closer to the lyrics of the chorus of the ancient Greek play or of the opera (which really evolved out of the Greek musical plays), where the character is declaiming the story for the audience. And Lestat would have known the opera from his time in Paris too.

So I think you're right in that they're Lestat's return to stage as an actor. He was never invested in music like Nicki, but the 80s were a time in which the stage actor wasn't revered- the rock singer was. So Lestat really ends up with one foot in each world, continuing the ancient Greek tradition of singing a true story at the audience via the modern vehicle of rock music.

No matter how much of a modern man he becomes he'll never fully hide the fact that he is a being outside mortality and of a different time.

And now my head is full of thoughts on linguistics, the way language informs our personality, but that's a different post entirely 😂

Armand, Haussmann, and Paris:

The thing about Paris that's not really discussed in the VC books themselves is the Haussmann project.

In 1853 Napoleon III commissioned Haussman to completely renovate Paris. The plan was to tear down all of the old structures and rebuild the city; reorganizing the streets and reshaping them to accommodate more green spaces, and replacing smaller buildings with taller apartment blocks in more uniform style.

The Paris Armand knew when he arrived as the coven master and which he came to know as the theater leader would have looked something like this:

Dark, winding streets leading off wide boulevards and short, leaning buildings.

The Haussman project would see all of these places systematically torn down, occupants removed to other areas of the city while new buildings were put in their place. In some areas workers were destroying and rebuilding things 24 hours a day.

At this time Armand would have been living at the theater on the boulevard du Temple, Paris's street of theaters:

This dagguerotype shows the boulevard in 1838. This painting, in 1862, looks much the same:

But by 1863 all but one theater on the street had been destroyed, and that was only because that theater was on the opposite side of the street shown in the painting. How and why it wasn't pulled down, I don't know- no information on it seems to exist, just like no explanation for the very small handful of other old structures that were left untouched.

That theater, the Théâtre Déjazet, still exists today. But it was established in 1770 by Comte de Artois, so while it could have been Anne's inspiration for Armand's theater it's not the 'rickety wooden rat trap' that seats 300 that Lestat describes in TVL.

Anyways, knowing all of this, I think it makes even more sense why Armand so quickly grabbed onto Louis and was ready to run away with him at any cost.

Armand, who'd been kidnapped from the monks, who'd had his palazzo torn out from under him, who'd established something of an existence under Les Innocents and was then ripped out of that world when the cemetery was destroyed. Who was watching the city he'd finally come to know get systematically torn apart. Everything that was familiar to him was being taken again.

So why not let Louis burn the theater? He arrived in Paris in 1870, just as Haussman was dismissed. But the work of destroying and rebuilding Paris was set to carry on. Chances were the Theatre de Vampires would be next, and if that were the case there's no way the crypts beneath the place would remain safe and undiscovered.

And if he'd stayed where would they go during the renovation? What would they do? What would the point be in continuing trying to run a coven he was bored of and a life he didn't care for in a new location?

Armand was going to have to begin again somewhere- better that be with Louis, out in the world, than roaming a now unfamiliar Paris. And even though he didn't burn the theater himself, allowing/instigating Louis to do it still gave him more control than letting a stranger come in at some unpredictable moment to demolish things all over again.

(And what of Lestat, what does he feel about these changes? He never could have shown Louis the Paris he knew and loved, which existed when Louis was still mortal- that Paris was largely gone)

Chances were Anne might not have known most of this at the time she wrote interview or even TVL. But I think it still makes a lot of sense and brings up a point about Armand and immortality that I don't see brought up much- that not only do vampires lose every mortal they've ever known, but with time they also see the destruction of every place they've ever known or loved.

(ps: I'm not an expert on this topic or anything, so if anyone does know why some buildings were unchanged or has any interesting historical info to add by all means please, reblog and add it on!)

[laddertek]

etho said actually you _don't_ understand the intricacies of how tango is my boyfriend and bdubs is my ex

(and how tango and bdubs kiss too)

Scar: We went on that little adventure, you know! Etho: Yeah, yeah, we had our adventure, that's true, that's true. Scar: You disparaged your teammates. That's it, all right, no more spoilers. Etho: (laughs) Our team has -- our team has some weird dynamics this -- this season. Cleo: (overlapping) Really, Etho? Is there trouble in paradise? (pause) Who's third-wheeling with you, again? I can't remember. Etho: (laughs) Uhh. The -- Cleo: Genuinely can't remember. I know it's you and Bdubs. And...Tango? Tango. Tango. Etho: (loudly) Why -- Why is Tango the third wheel? Why -- why isn't Bdubs the third wheel? Cleo: Because it's you and Bdubs. I'm sorry. I understand how that relationship goes. Etho: (dissatisfied) Hmm.

[pafyna]

latest project: lil Rulie

it's absolutely no secret who's my favorite character in @ageless-soul-au ; but if it wasn't obvious, now it is 😂 I'm trying to find what sparked the idea of making them into a teeny tiny doll... but I haven't found it yet. though it probably had to do with a chapter update

I have plans to make their canon clothes one day, but for now: here they are, the blorbo <3

bts takes under the cut (CW: doll missing head and some limbs, stay safe!)

[sketchy-tour]

I just wanted to quickly say thank you guys!! Like... LIKE REALLY!!! THANK YALL SO MUCH!!!! The amount of constant love I receive for my work has been overwhelmingly wonderful to experience. I don't even know how to put it all into words. BUT IM GONNA TRY!

FAIR WARNING! I'm about to be really really sappy under the cut. So feel free to ignore that if you wish. But I got a lot of emotions I'm about to try to say.

Hi hello and hi. Um. Well, it's hard to explain how much this has meant to me. How much your kind words have sent waves of joy through my heart. How much every like has made me smile. How every reblog has made me feel a rush of pride. Every person who spammed me with likes when finding my blog, every person who talks in the tags when reblogging me, every person who shows up constantly in my notifs, every mutual who interacts with me even in the smallest of ways, every other artist I interacted with who has been kind to me.

All of it. Every single notif has made me smile in some way and I cannot thank you enough. I was so genuinely shy about sharing Dandy with Tumblr because I began drawing Dandy at a very turbulent time of my life. My WH art and oc had become a place of comfort for my mind and I had wanted to interact with the community for a long while but I'm skittish by nature so it took a LOT of mental prep for me to start posting this stuff here.

And the fact I have so much positivity in my notifs! I really needed that. Truly, I did. I still don't see myself as a big artist by any means, but I know I'm so lucky to have the bit of engagement I do from yall!

I feel like I'm rambling. Needless to say...it means the absolute world to me that the art that brings me joy is given such love by yall. Even if hyperfixations change, even if time marches us all in different directions, I'm thankful to have this. Right now. When I needed it.

[dimpletheheck]

Cranky villagers my beloved <3

This is totally not supposed to be relatable-

Don't look at me like that-

[thatonefandomjumper]

You ever just read a fanfic that rots your brain so much that you had no choice but to make a comic out of it? Yeah.

Anyway, here's the first 1000 words of A Mirror in the Dark by Fastern on Ao3 illustrated.

(Click for better quality)

I know I could have picked some sort of big scene to illustrate, but idk man, I felt like going from the beginning even if it doesn't seem like much is happening. Trust me when I say this is the best Traitor Kaminari fic I have ever read. My initial plan was to do the whole first chapter but then I realized I didn´t have infinite time so have these 8 pages instead!

Anyway, go read the fic right now. You will not be disappointed.

[faceeeeee]

Does anyone have any good art tips on how to get gud🧍‍♀️I ain't feeling awesome-sauce at all

[cyanide-sippy-cup]

WFA opinions? Love Barbara standing up to Bruce

Ough. Bruce defenders fighting for our lives with this one.

I really like the beginning. We don't usually get nice caring moments between Bruce and Babs (specially not mundane peaceful ones), so I wish that the opening was just a little longer to give us more of that before the fight. I like how Barbara points out that he's treating her like a Robin even though she's basically her own hero who just works with Batman.

I think they're trying to ride a line this season between comic Bruce and the slice of life dad Bruce they set up over the last two seasons and this episode is a particular stumble imo. Blaming Babs for Dick's injuries just doesn't feel super in-character with this version, even if I see what they're going for. They do let him have good talking points, some of which really do sound like they're being said by Bruce Wayne.

Not sure how I feel about Bruce trying to shut down the clocktower. That's something he usually relies on pretty heavily, and shutting it down would only put Babs and his family in more danger. And like I said, she's basically a separate superhero and he's making claim over her stuff. Like how is he gonna force her to leave. They gonna fight? Is he gonna blow it up? Idk. Unfortunately, it does feel like something mainline Bruce would do, and I'm not sure how I feel about that.

This was a very good Barbara episode, but Bruce's character struggled a lot here. She feels right at home in both her normal and WFA characterization while Bruce feels split between the two in a way that just kinda leaves me feeling weird about this one.

[splatoonusna]

maybe the halloween splatfest is gonna be around halloween itself which is why it's taking so long to be announced.

I was trying to find last October's Splatfest and ig we didn't have one? The Pokemon one was annouced in October but we didn't have that on till November.

So they better be bringing Splatoween back for that -w-

[friendrat]

Welcome to the season of Christians affirming their Christianity by refusing to celebrate Christian holidays.