#and as such makes a deal with a person he has wanted to kill from the jump to bring her back

[jack-bytez-genuine-corner]

All of the interests that pushed him over the finish line this time have competing interests.

Republicans in his own party have no care but for their own power and relevancy. This is why they couldn't pass more than a tax cut for 2 years while he was in office last time. Wallstreet wanted the immediate sell off effect we are seeing. The ideologoues like SCOTUS, Heritage don't want a dictator but an authoritarian state they can control without risking retribution via voters. Trump wants full power including to kill his political adversaries and be Hitler.

Trump, in pursuit of that will force Wallstreet to deal with an economic recession that'll make COVID look quaint similar to how COVID made the great depression look small caused by terrible Republican economic policies. Yay, you get your tax cut, but now no one has money to buy milk that is 20 dollars instead of 10 a gallon cause the plastic is sourced from China which now has a 200% tarriff on it, do you set the price to 5 dollars so it's still 10 or do you let your company burn? This pits Wallstreet against the ideologoues. The Republican party wants to makes Trump all powerful, but dictators do not need supreme courts to overrule them, and even if they want to stack the courts they are going to be forced to toe that Trump line to stay in favor and in power even in the Courts, so what happens when you piss Trump off? What happens when Boebert an Gaetz isn't center stage like they like but these right wing judges who are upstaging them? You're telling me the same people who couldn't elect a speaker by majority vote will suddenly be disciplined enough to pass laws? Lol.

It's a circle jerk of bad outcomes for them, and the worst decision they made was refusing the olive branches Biden and thereby Harris gave to them. Reminder that Biden called segregationists good politicians, Biden called McConnell his friend even though McConnell is nigh solely responsible for Republicans stacking the courts like an asshole. These institutionalists were the fire wall between progressives being the majority of the party and Republican Lites running the show, and with the rebuke of Harris and other institutionalist Dems it will accelerate the push towards a populist message which will make Trump's racist panderings look like an old man badly performing the script of a porno. To make matters even worse, getting rid of McCarthy and McConnell in the same majority means that the Senate will descend into an absolute shit show not unlike the House.

Trump won off the backs of people choosing not to vote and a high energy Republican base with an entire media apparatus run by the wealthy doing everything in their power on every network to give him a leg up, and now that they caught the car and will have power: Now what? If Trump is Trump it will absolutely piss everyone off like it did in 2016 to 2020 which saw Republicans lose repetitively, but they can't stop running Trump cause he's the only thing their sexist racist audience likes, so now you have all the people who worked hard to push an election in Trump's favor now faced with reality: When the people you helped put in don't want you to have money and power when all you want is your own money and power, do you lay down and admit defeat, which you TOTALLY aren't, or do you have to readjust and realize that there will BE no Wallstreet, no Courts, no Republican party if you actually do what Trump tells you to do.

I'm banking on their insatiable greed and lust for power personally. The only bad part is innocent people will suffer cause we don't have compulsory voting in this country.

If it makes any of you feel better, Donald Trump will have an uphill battle to change the constitution. He will need:

-2/3 of Senators (60)

-2/3 of the House of Representatives (290)

-3/4 of the states (38)

In 2026, 33 senate seats will be up for grabs, and we’ll be able to vote for people who are against Trump and his ideals.

Breathe and remain hopeful because it’s not over. We can still fight and make Trump’s last four years hell.

[redclercs]

DELICATE✰CHARLES LECLERC.

xiii. he was sunshine, i was midnight rain

— the one where you broke his heart 'cause he was nice.

❝𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘸𝘦 𝘨𝘰 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨? 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘸𝘦 𝘨𝘰 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨? 𝘖𝘩, 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥? 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥? 𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥?❞ —𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐘, 𝟏𝟑.

warnings: angst, not proofread and pls go easy on me i'm coming out of the worst block everrrrrrrrrr. our girlie is making poor choices pls hate her a bit for it, the last bit is charles centered. 2.23k words (+articles!)

masterlist ✢ next

by Tom Gill

The worst time to have a carreer on Public Relations is when your client is as unhinged as y/n y/ln has proven to be. Many people, myself included, can't help but feel sorry for whoever is on her team because there's only so much someone can do to put out a fire when the person burning is the same one who keeps lighting the matches.

y/n just can't stop messing up, can she? Just when her fans thought she would rise from the ashes with an outstanding movie deal, the 'Queen of Romcoms' has to go ahead and mess things up by proving that people who aren't blinded by her master manipulations are right: y/n y/ln is in fact a cheating snake.

The Deuxmoi post talking about an actress involved with a Formula 1 driver and her presence at the Italian Grand Prix last Sunday are enough confirmation of the fact. y/n is not ashamed to be seen on broad daylight with the guy that broke off her engagement.

Don't kill the messenger, y/n fans. Aidan Kim and Victoria Presley did warn you.

New York, United States, September 10th.

It feels like you've just finished unpacking when you find yourself throwing stuff in a suitcase once again. There is little to none excitement in you as you decide between a couple of blouses and recite Amy's lines outloud inside your messy apartment.

"Wait—that's not right," you huff, unaware that you've let the blouse you like the least inside the suitcase. The lines slip your mind like butter on a pan. Honestly, you've started to wonder if several of your braincells died in the past month. Nothing other than 'I want to be great or nothing' seem to have stuck. So much for how well that single line applies to your life.

"'It looks like it's never done a day of work in its life'," you mutter, picking the script up from the dining table. You have studied it a million times, gone through lines and rehearsals and a thousand other things. You have called Greta and Timothée and Saoirse and they have called you on their own accord to agree the accurate tones of scenes and interactions, and yet you are sure you are still going to mess everything up once the camera starts rolling. "God, help me."

The clock on your phone tells you it's 9:30 a.m. and you are nowhere being done with your luggage. Also, Charles' plane lands in less than an hour and you are not making it to the airport in time. He has a busy month race-wise and he has still made some time to come to New York before you leave for Boston in a couple days and you are both turned upside down with the Asian race-tour.

There is one reason—and one reason only— that Mildred has agreed that you should have these two days off. That reason is not Charles Leclerc, given the fact that she has grown to hate him even if she can admit, albeit to herself only, that he has done nothing wrong. You are supposed to be preparing more interviews and then a prolonged stage of silence while you focus on filming Little Women. Mildred has a whole plan laid out and that is another script you have to follow. No improvisations though, you have been warned.

─────────

Time has a funny way of passing by when it comes to Charles and yourself. Your whole relationship feels contained in a moment and also in a century, and every time you see each other again, even after just a few days a whole other bubble of time seems to have passed. You think it's Charles' way of making it feel special, making you feel special by looking at you like you're a part of him he's constantly missing when you're not right next to him. A 'lovesick fool' you have heard him been nicknamed by people who try to be nice, at least a little bit. Others sneer at how they can't wait for the 'honeymoon phase' to be over.

And it's precisely the way he looks at you before he's crushing you against his chest that makes you hold your tongue for the rest of the day. You cannot bring yourself to tell him the plan the people around you have made without asking for your input—much lesser his— to salvage your career and your reputation.

It nags at you how stupid you're being. Maybe some part of your brain did die between Sunday and today, but you are certain you won't be able to bear the disappointment in Charles' eyes when he finds out what you agreed to.

This visit is less touristy than the last time Charles came to New York. He's leaving tomorrow and you, the day after for Boston, so you want to bask in each other's company as much as possible. You go to a cupcake place and take pictures, all while Charles re-tells everything people have said about his win on Sunday. He's become even more of the Golden Boy he already was in the eyes of Ferrari fans, and you feel love swell in your chest at the fact. You love that he's loved, there's nothing he deserves more than to be loved.

"Will you show me the script now?" Charles asks, taking his light jacket off as he crosses the door to your apartment. A slight feeling of embarrassment flashes through you when you focus on the different disasters around the house but Charles either doesn't notice or doesn't mind as he makes himself comfortable on the couch where several pairs of your shoes are scattered.

"I think it would violate my contract somehow if I did," you chuckle, noticing that your travel kit toothbrush and toiletries are on the coffee table. "I was sure I had those in my luggage already," you groan, pointing at them.

Charles laughs, patting the spot next to him and motioning you over excitedly. "Can I see it please?" he elongates the 'e', with a mocking puppy eye look on his face. "Read me some of your favorite lines," he's suggested so several times and you refuse him every single one. It's not like he hasn't seen you act, Charles admitted in one of your phone calls to have binged all of your movies.

"I can't," you fall into the couch next to him, wrapping one arm around his neck. "You make me nervous, it won't turn out good."

"You see me work all the time," he grumbles against your hair, "And you too, make me nervous. You're being unfair."

"Oh, booohooo," you mock, nuzzling into his neck. "Your job is far more exciting than me reciting lines."

"It is not—"

His complaint is cut short as you kiss him, once, twice, so many times you lose count and he kisses you back between snickers and fake complaints about how there's only so much his heart can take before it explodes. It's so cheesy it makes you both cringe and burst with laughter before starting the scene all over again.

A re-run of a Foodnetwork reality show is playing in the background when you open your eyes after a short-lived nap. Charles is swiping through his phone with his other arm around you, the light in the apartment has faded almost completely giving way to late evening.

"Do you want to go out for dinner?" you ask pushing off of Charles' body and sit and rub your eyes. "Or should we order something?"

He locks his phone and stretches, still laying on his back. "Whatever you want to do, soleil."

You two are way too comfortable in your little cocoon to mess it up by going outside just to eat. Charles smiles, knowing you've already made your mind up.

You argue on the couch for ten minutes about what take-out to get and after you've finally placed the order on your phone, you get up to make some space the dining table.

"Here," you throw the bunch of papers at him softly. The 'Little Women' script is anotated from page one, and it is true that you probably shouldn't be showing it to him, but it doesn't really hurt anyone either. "Not a word, do you hear me, Leclerc?"

Charles laughs before crossing his heart with his index finger, eager to read about your next big thing.

You throw more stuff on your open suitcase, wipe the table down and look through your kitchen for an unopened bottle of wine while Charles reads and occassionally shouts something from the living room. He's so genuinely excited about seeing you bring Amy to life on the silver screen.

"Gooodddd, what's taking them so long?" you whine as you return to the living room. The 'your order is in progress' notification still alive on the screen of your phone. Charles doesn't seem to mind as he makes space for you to sit with him again.

"Couch potato," you stick your tongue out at him, placing your feet on his lap after reaching for the TV remote. You surf through a few channels, trying to remember what the name was of that crime documentary you wanted to watch on Netflix.

"...y/n y/ln making headlines again with her messy love life," the E! Show that's starting has your picture and Charles' next to each other.

Charles' eyes move from the last pages of the script to the TV and then to you. "Change the channel, love," he says as he reaches for the remote himself.

"Yeah," you click on the Netflix logo on the remote and the screen goes black as your phone pings, letting you know your food has been delivered to your apartment complex's lobby.

─────────

There is something beautiful about domestic life with Charles even if it just exists for scarce moments like this. The smell of coffee and the sound of his humming lull you into a peaceful state of mind as you prepare breakfast before once again leaving for the airport.

Messages from Mildred, three or four already, remind you that you must be ready for the list of things she had also reminded you of a million times already.

'how did he take it?' you read from your phone, Mildred again.

You look at Charles and open your mouth. Maybe now that he's leaving in a couple hours you'll work up the courage to tell him about how Mildred is staging your break-up right this second. Which means nothing, right? Keeping it lowkey is for the best, even for him.

Right?

You open your mouth and close it several times looking at your disheveled boyfriend and his sweet smile.

"What?"

"There's something I have to tell you," you breathe out, screwing the already too tight cap on the empty bottle of orange juice that rests on the table.

"So tell me," Charles' smile widens as he puts both elbows on the table, ready to listen.

"I'm really going to miss you." you chuckle awkwardly, and there is momentary gesture, barely perceptible, in Charles' face that tells you he knows that's not what you really wanted to say.

"Me too soleil, but we'll figure it out," he's reaching for your hand with a weaker smile on his face this time.

AFTER months of speculation about the nature of y/n's relationship with Formula 1 Pilot Charles Leclerc, a spokesperson for the actress has made an exclusive statemen for PEOPLE.

"They have never been romantically-involved," the source said. "Their friendship is undeniable but there's nothing more than that."

y/ln and Leclerc have been linked since April and spotted in public together several times, including at the Italian Grand Prix on September 3rd.

"Since becoming friendly they've ran into each other at several events," the source continues, "They are often surrounded by friends they have in common, such as Matilde Bassi and Timothée Chalamet. y/n knows it's too soon to put herself out there romantically."

Despite a rumor surfacing on an online gossip site that they took a romantic vacation together in Greece, y/n's spokesperson tells PEOPLE that "pictures are often released without context to create controversy."

Charles Leclerc has been blind-sided. Which, to be fair, in his career field is something he should be used to. But the feeling doesn't compare to being blind-sided by the person who is supposed to be your partner.

Charles understands, he always understands, or at least tries his best to do so. But this time, it really feels like he's reached his limit. It's not even about how he's become even more of the laughing-stock within his group of friends about how he's been parading y/n around and defending her honor for her to call their relationship 'casual' rather than not even getting a heads-up from her about the matter.

"Is there something you would like to talk about now, y/n?" Charles questions, trying his best not to let the anger flow into his voice.

Charles thinks the worst part is how long she stays silent, but it's not even close to what comes next.

"I tried telling you," she lies.

"When?" there is no point in hiding his anger anymore, even if he doesn't want to fight. This is one of those unavoidable things you expect to hit somewhere down the road in the relationship, not a month into it.

"I TRIED!" she repeats, unable to come up with any argument in her defense.

"You never tried! See that's the thing about you, you just wait for things to happen and then you 'try' to deal with the mess!" His accent is thickening with every word.

"If it bothers you so much—"

"What bothers me," he cuts her off, "Is how you cannot trust me with these things? What did you think I would say?!"

"Exactly what you're saying now, Charles," she sounds defeated and it manages to irk him an extra mile. "You don't understand—"

"I don't understand how you still care more about what people are going to say than about talking to me. I'm your boyfriend!"

There is another long silence during which he can hear faint yelling in the background of her side of the line. On his side of the world it's nearly midnight.

"I've been thinking," y/n nearly gasps, "That maybe we rushed things."

"Rushed things?" his voice is so small now he wonders if it can really travel half-way through the world.

"I— Maybe Mildred is right— I wasn't, I am not ready for a relationship." She stammers, and Charles can picture her pinching her thigh in that nervous tick she can't quite manage to get rid of.

"You can't even take responsibility for your own feelings?"

It's always Aidan, Victoria, Mildred... a handy list of people to put part of the blame on for when she doesn't want to say things herself.

And Charles accepts it. He accepts her messes because he wants her, but now apparently y/n doesn't even want him back.

"What do you even mean by that?" y/n scoffs.

"Can you even be honest with me, then? Say that it is you who doesn't want this relationship, y/n, don't put it on—"

"I'M NOT PUTTING IT ON ANYONE! THIS HAS BEEN A MISTAKE SINCE WE LEFT MYKONOS I—"

Charles didn't want to fight and now there is nothing to fight for, anyway. So he hangs the phone up, because sometimes things end in silence.

It's three am, and Charles Leclerc just got his heart broken.

─── team principal radio: ❝why hello there, i don't even know if you remember this fic but it is for my own peace of mind that I have to finish it!!! also i love these characters a lot, even when they're acting so selfish and stupid—looking at you y/n. Thank you if you are still here and like me, had to reread it to get to this chapter.❞

✰ paddock club members: NO PADDOCK CLUB THIS TIME BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE STILL WANTS TO BE TAGGED.

[porrabett]

Rio, Nicholas and Agatha through time

There’s something that I noticed about Rio and Nicholas, that I really can’t understand why, maybe someone can see some foreshadowing or meaning on it, I don’t know.

They gave Rio a birthmark, and I noticed this birthmark just shows up in the scene before Nicholas birth. Aubrey Plaza don’t have it, so they really put it on her for the scene and for this scene only.

After it, when she comes to get Nicky’s soul and in the present moment, she doesn’t have it anymore. I thought that they would put some birthmark on Nicholas in a way to show he is Rio’s son too, but that’s none birthmark in the baby. And even with Nicholas as a 6 years old, he has three birthmarks on his face, but in different spots, it seems more is just because the actor already had it, not about Rio. It really made me curious why they would put this birthmark in her, and just in that moment.

Second, and just to keep moving the “Rio is Nichola’s mom too” train. I think she really would meet him at night, or maybe in some moments he was alone, like when Agatha was killing the witches with The road scam.

I think in the moment of the two goodbye kisses, not just was something Rio already talked to him, so he knew what he needed to do, but the kisses were giving by his soul.

The way that Rio was there and he just goes in her direction, like is something he already did others nights.

Rio interrupts him going to her and points back to Agatha, and she does it in a affectionate way, like a mother remembering her son something she has already told before.

He looks at Agatha and then stops, like he was think in something, like Rio has already prepared him for this moment, and he knew exactly what he needed to do. As if Rio has told him that in one specifically day, when she would visit him, he would say goodbye to his mama before he would go with his mother. And we can see that there is no hesitation, fear or doubt, he just stops, like he is remebering something he was told, and then goes to do what he already knew he would had to.

And then the two kisses scene, it really looks like he is giving two goodbye kisses, one for him and the other for Rio. And it seems like Nicky’s mouth is barely touching Agatha’s cheeks, I think in this moment we maybe are seeing his soul, ready to go.

Just a curious thing, even with Rio and Agatha not being together, Rio still is more in her Green Witch energy, like she knows that even giving Agatha more time, in the end, Nicky will come with her, because his time there was a borrowed time. I think she thought Agatha would understand that, with some time, what she made, and she said it in 1x08.

But we know that didn’t happened, a mother will always want to be with her son, and is a cruel irony that Agatha lost him for Rio, the person who took him away, and because of Rio, as he is most likely Death’s son too, almost like he was born to die.

I believe everytime they would meet again, when Agatha was killing other witches after Nicky’s death, they would fight, Agatha would throw all her sorrow and pain in Rio, Rio would fight for her, and they would make out, or at least reconnect for a moment, like in 1x04.

But then Agatha would leave, almost like she was torturing Rio, denying to Rio the person she loves, the same way Rio denied to Agatha, to be with their son.

I feel this happened again an again through decades, giving an even more dark and complex energy to their relationship, and for them as individuals. The Rio we met in present time is way darker than the one we see in the flashbacks. Then Agatha got the darkhold and hid from her, until Weastview.

That would explain Agatha’s reaction to Rio acepting the deal with her, in 1x08, she wasn’t expecting Rio would say ok, she probably was used to throw all her tantrums to Rio and Rio trying to make amends with it. But not this time, Rio had enough, so Agatha has her surprise face, and the pain, like she feels, for the first time, Rio is giving up on her.

But at the same time she masks it quickly, and we can see she is almost loosing the control over her emotions. Later, with Billy and Jen, she is on full villain mode because Rio let her there, and she still can get out of the road. Rio is the constant in her life, since Salem, no matter what happens, how much they fight, love or hate eachother. They always find themselves in each other’s path.

And we know how this ends.

[carto0ncritter]

I wanted to address some of the points your previous asker made https://www.tumblr.com/carto0ncritter/766355644544696320/i-just-want-to-say-that-i-personally-disagree-with, but I kept getting bogged down in the quagmire of it all. In the end I gave up and just let it be long - apologies for the wall of text but I'm tired of seeing the fandom repeat talking points similar to IRL apologia whenever someone isn't a perfect enough victim for them.

1 A fixation on "if Blitzo could say no in this or that specific instance, that 'proves' every other yes was freely given"

This line of argumentations fixated on the idea that if Blitzo wasn't shaking with fear and unable to refuse Stolas every time, he must have felt safe and able to consent every time. But there's a wilful disregard for how the deal works - the basic arrangement is Blitzo gives Stolas the book on the full moon and then they have sex.

The times Blitzo feels able to say no either fall outside that arrangement (Ozzie's being a one-off night out where Blitzo STILL felt the need to apologize for not wanting sex which doesn't say much for how safe he feels to refuse, and dragged a hand over his face when Stolas started talking like he was dreading dealing with Stolas trying to make a move on him) or because Stolas himself gave Blitzo an out. Blitzo wasn't taking months off until Stolas gave him the option, because it's Stolas who holds all the power and what he says, goes. We don't see Blitzo demand a night off and Stolas hand it to him before then - Blitzo phrases it explicitly as Stolas giving him nights off from 'having to' (i.e. a mandatory chore he has to do when asked) sleep with him.

Likewise all the texts show this same dynamic - once s2 happens Stolas is trying to get Blitzo to want to voluntarily spend time with him but Blitzo explicitly says in one text 'It's ur night' because that's how it's worked until now and he had no reason to think otherwise; the deal hadn't ended yet so Blitzo believed the terms were still in effect.

Side note - there's a specific mention of a shot during All 2 U when Blitzo - according to OP - refuses to stay after sex, proving he can say no. First off, saying no only counts if it's before sex, not for cuddling. Again, cuddling falls outside the deal.

And more importantly, I'm wondering if this is the shot being referred to:

https://64.media.tumblr.com/306e7f801fff142d57bee633abdfa9c6/90d50e1d22f5b44b-e8/s400x600/c03e4f8a2f96de0cc9c7add6749cc1e367187d90.jpg

If so, it boggles my mind anyone would use this as 'evidence' that Blitzo could always say no.

Really look at this shot: Blitzo's eyes are narrowed to slits and he looks furious & degraded. It's hard to tell if Blitzo is angry because of the sex he was just forced to have, or he's angry because Stolas is trying to get more out of him while he's trying to leave. Either way I don't see how anyone can look at that expression and think 'there's a man who just had sex/was asked to have sex he's totally enthusiastic about!' Any other show, any other fandom, this would be universally understood as a depiction of the moment right after coerced sex i.e. rape. If there is a single instance of Blitzo not wanting to do it but feeling like he has to, then that is rape. Period. Kill shot. End of discussion. No amount of 'he said no one time/he enjoyed it one time' fixes that or 'proves' all of them were fine. Consent is a case by case basis.

2 Blitzo had other options besides the Grimoire

This feels unrelated tbh; it's edging into 'well Blitzo could have done something else so having sex extorted out of him is his fault!' But to respond quickly:

The crystals existing doesn't mean Blitzo understood 100% how they worked or if he'd be able to use one (he says 'a what now?' or something when Stolas gave him one) or if it was a succubi-only thing and he has no reason to assume Ozzie would just hand him one (especially not once he knows Fizz works with him). By comparison Stolas had a book about them in his library all along apparently, is a prince on friendly terms with Ozzie so in a way better position to ask and had more incentive not to want to risk his book. But he didn't because he knew he could use his book to get sex.

Likewise saying Blitzo could just do Hell assassinations ignores what little worldbuilding around the economy there is. It's well established assassins doing Hell-based missions are more common while offering to kill Earth targets is a USP that brings in a steady client base that helped Blitzo found a business and rent an office (both things it's repeatedly said imps don't normally do). Stolas was under no obligation to let him keep the book, of course, but no one was forcing him to make a favors for favors deal to get sex out of Blitzo (and s2 adding Asmodean Crystals makes the idea that he didn't want to hurt Blitzo's business look 100% false: his only motivation for quid-pro-quoing this is unambiguously to get sex; him framing it as 'supporting' Blitzo is self-aggrandizing narcisstic nonsense).

3 Blitzo is shown wanting sex and wanting Stolas back in Full Moon/Apology Tour

This is a thing the writers like doing - backfilling stuff that should have been shown way earlier in order to rewrite the story into anything they need it to be that second.

S1 Blitzo's attitude to Stolas alternates between repulsed, indifferent and enjoying the power he has over Stolas by being the dominant one. He straight up glares at him like he despises him after Stolas yanks on his face in Truth Seekers (not to mention the chain vision implies he feels trapped and degraded). S2 Blitzo just seems…idk, annoyed by him some of the time? They don't exactly get on better. Then Oops backfills Stolas is being a totally nice person on the phone now and Apology Tour tries to insert flashbacks to stuff we should've seen in the show - i.e. Blitzo actually enjoying his company. Inserting the good times after the two characters have a falling out is totally backwards - we need the actual care and attraction establishing beforehand, not after. Stolas laughing at some of Blitzo's jokes and Blitzo worrying Stolas can actually get hurt is such a bare minimum floor for a ship

As it is the change is so abrupt it's just as easy to argue Stolas has made Blitzo believe all he's good for is sex (and he's panicking because Stolas has cut him off twice now without attempting to talk things out or apologize for any of his demeaning, objectifying behavior, which would make anyone think they aren't even good enough to exploit anymore and that they deserve to be mistreated without explanation) or that Stolas ending the arrangement just set off his abandonment complex. That and trauma bonding is a thing that could definitely happen with a 'relationship' as toxic as this one. Putting it short, the writing is so poor that even though they obviously want us to think Blitzo actually likes Stolas it's kind of hard to tell what he even likes about him or when it started.

4 The closing point

So the original post ends on "it's pretty clear that Blitzo at no point felt coerced into having sex with Stolas, and the people that claim otherwise I have good grounds to believe aren't even watching the same show anymore."

On some level that's true, because Helluva isn't the same show anymore.

Season 1 opened with an episode where Blitzo couldn't give informed consent to Stolas' deal because his life was in danger and his business was being threatened, and Stolas knew all of that. He could see Blitzo was injured and hear the gunshots along with Blitzo whispering and telling him repeatedly to get to the point. He took a hurried 'fine, whatever!' as consent.

He ignored Blitzo telling him not to hit on him at Loo Loo Land (multiple times) - the fact Blitzo seemed legitimately worried Stolas would try to 'diddle his holes' while Stolas' daughter was there speaks volumes to just how safe he felt around Stolas. Harvest Moon has a similar arc - Blitzo takes Stolas' invite in good faith and in return gets demeaned in front of a crowd of imps. Once again he feels so disrespected by Stolas by the end of the episode he explicitly mentions the 'thirsty owl onstage' as the reason why he didn't go to the harvest moon ceremony and had Striker not hurt M&M, he probably could have persuaded Blitzo into joining him. He feels so safe around Stolas, apparently, that when Stolas asks for a reward after saving him he immediately assumes Stolas expects Blitzo to pay him with his body - something which Stolas immediately agrees to. All this culminates in the season finale where he uses Stolas to get into a club and is surprised when Stolas tries to talk to him like a person for once. He's never done that before.

But the damage is done by then. He drops Stolas off, looks desperate to be able to leave when he thinks Stolas is going to try and get sex out him (like always), then tells Stolas all he wants is for Blitzo to fuck him and he makes that really clear 'all the time'.

But what in a decent show would be a condemnation of Stolas' behavior because Blitzo did feel coerced into sex at several points (read: the whole first season, actully) was in fact the writers trying to make the viewers feel sorry for Stolas - a fact that's only come into sharper and more awful focus the more they double down on making Stolas the saddest prince to ever exist in s2 and throw everyone else under the bus to do it.

Finishing off, there's really only one thing I can say left to anyone still insisting the writers aren't trying to retcon the rape ship that they wrote. And that's this:

What Stolas has done to Blitzo is the definition of quid pro quo sexual coercion.

To quote from a source:

https://www.wmlawyers.com/oakland-sexual-harassment-attorneys/eeoc-definition/quid-pro-quo-harassment/

“Quid pro quo” literally means “this for that” in Latin. Quid pro quo sexual harassment occurs when employment, pay, benefits, title, position or other opportunities for advancement or training are conditioned on the submission to unwelcome sexual advances. Whether the harassment is explicit or implicit, it is illegal.

Read that again - when employment is on the condition of submission to unwelcome sexual advances. That's literally what the deal is - Blitzo keeps his job if he sleeps with Stolas. And as we've seen in most of s1, the advances are unwelcome. Even if Blitzo had been more enthusiastic from the start, his job would still depend on keeping Stolas sexually gratified.

A dynamic like that is always going to be prone to abuse no matter how many 'but Blitzo enjoyed it this one time!!' caveats the writers stick on it, because if he had a day where he wasn't feeling into it he would feel obliged to hide his feelings and sleep with Stolas anyway because his livelihood literally depends on it. That isn't informed consent. And this rhetoric is pernicious and should go the way of the dodo

THIS

[ma1dita]

zuko, give em pumpkins to talk about, chocolate bar. please im beggin actually

runnin' with the devil

[STARRING: PRINCE ZUKO x reader “Really? Now? God, you have terrible timing.”] wc: 1.1k warnings: none. erm allusions of kidnapping and kinda stockholm syndrome, this is pre-character development baldheaded ass zuko so he’s a jerk… yandere? no he’s just a dick. this ended up fluffy

monster mash-terlist

꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷

There’s a part of you that likes it.

The catch and release— running from him gives you an adrenaline rush you can’t explain. It’s been almost three years of this— a predator chasing after his prey but still he hasn’t killed you, if that’s any consolation. People have been thrown overboard or blasted into ashes for less—loyalty is important to the Fire Nation after all, especially with the forgotten prince. 

Some values are instilled so deeply within a person’s core that it’s difficult to break free.

But you find yourself not wanting to as he chases you for an nth time, on this occasion, through the underbrush of Kyoshi Island. Flames lick at your heels as you push forward, your calves burning in exertion. You could’ve sworn he already left to chase the Gaang before you made a break for it—but if they didn’t know Zuko and the 41st were here already, well… the wildfire spreading through the village should be proof enough.

“Stop running!” the prince roars, and the two of you barrel past townsfolk who scream and run in different directions, anywhere to be away from the both of you. None of them fought back of course—neutrality was the island’s selling point, a reprieve from the Hundred Years’ War. But they were kind enough; pretty girls with painted faces and fists of steel trying to determine if you were friend or foe as you slipped off the boat to search for new shoes from a nearby market. You didn’t suit any of the military-issued gear on board, often having to get crafty or sneak away for personal necessities. The Kyoshi Warriors only intended to protect their own, releasing you from your restraints after they realized you were but a lost girl with no escape plan. 

Or was it no plans to escape?

“Then stop chasing me!” you yell back, hair whipping in different directions as you look back at his angry face and then—CRASH!

Headfirst into a cabbage cart with an old man groveling at finding his produce in the dirt, you lay there with your vision spinning until all you can see is him. Zuko stands over you with an incessant glare on his scarred face, “Get up.��� His hand reaches for your tunic and you flinch, before he grabs you by the scruff like a yowling puppy, watching you kick and scream for dear life.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“Jeez, hothead—you think anyone in their right mind won’t start running if flames are shooting past them?” Your arms are crossed as he sets you down, a warm hand still pressed on the nape of your neck as if he expects you to change your mind. 

“I just wanted new shoes. Spirits know running from you has worn mine through.”

It’s kind of annoying to him that even when you’re mad at him like this, he can’t find it in himself to give a damn. You look petulant, glaring at him through your lashes and he knows if you were actually useful—you’d probably shoot lasers out your eyes.

But you can’t, much like how he can’t be without you. This arrangement of convenience is something he can’t live without—even if Iroh tries to make him admit it. You were the last gift to him from his father, after all.

A gift should be treasured. This one just likes to make him work for it.

“You could’ve asked me. You’re not my only problem, you know!”

And then you’re smirking, like you know that even if that’s true—boy were you his favorite one to deal with. Every single time he leaves to ‘catch’ the Avatar, he also leaves an opening for you to set yourself free. Whether it be a door left ajar or Iroh whistling and swinging the keys off his fingers, you wonder why a skilled tactician like him always gives you an option.

Maybe it’s because he knows you don’t want to leave him. Maybe that’s his secret hope.

Wind blows overhead as Appa and the Gaang arrive to protect the island that only protects their own. Thinking about it from a broader perspective, you can see the appeal of the villagers and why they do so. Zuko cares for you too, in his own convoluted, disorganized way. 

So maybe, you should’ve warned Zuko about the Kyoshi Warriors. But it’s kind of funny to watch his ass get kicked once in a while, especially since it’s hilarious to see him so mad every time it happens. You and the crew are soaked to the bone after the battle, teeth chattering as the unagi douses the flames that dance around the livelihood of the island until there is nothing left but char and smoke. The 41st runs up the ramp, preparing to set sail for the South Sea, and your feet are sinking in the sand.

Here’s your chance—you look back to the destroyed forest and for a moment, you wonder if you should disappear into the distance that separates you from that boat. Maybe become a warrior yourself, or live in the simplicity that comes with being nothing but a memory.

“Your highness! We need to go!”

Zuko’s standing on the deck, staring at you. He’s not saying anything, nor does he need to—your feet make the steps back to him before your mind can make the decision.

It’s easier to choose a familiar hell instead of an unknown heaven.

Iroh smiles at you softly, patting you on the head as you walk past him; he hands you a warm towel to wipe your feet. You wash away the dirt and grime of the day as you watch the setting sun, staring off towards the horizon.

A pair of new embroidered shoes knock against your ankle, bouncing against the wooden floors. They’re your size, and nicer than anything you’ve ever known. Zuko stands against the railing, pretending to not see his uncle’s shit-eating grin.

He protects his own, and by extension, what he can admit—-is that includes you.

If this is the part in the story where you get your supporting character development arc to change the tides of fate, you surely hope defeating Firelord Ozai won’t be affected by kissing the cheek of his exiled son. 

“Did you steal these?” You tsk, holding them by the tips of your fingers and nudging him, his face steaming from a featherlike touch that if he thinks hard enough, he’s not sure if it happened. Zuko doesn’t know how to handle affection—so he does what you two both do best—chase and catch. And run his mouth.

“Really? You know, we wouldn’t be in this situation if you didn’t have terrible timing,” he rattles off, getting angrier as you walk away, miming him blabbering as you skip around the ship in your new shoes.

In all senses of the word, you’re already his.

꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷

ma1dita's monster mash is closed for requests but ongoing for the rest of october!

[dykedvonte]

i think you and also me see a lot of "what if anya kills jimmy" au fanworks

for you do you wish that concept get explored more like how they deal with jimmy's corpse and the critical understaffing and curly has to do both job of being the captain and autopilot or just fine and simple as it is?

I am gonna actually deal with it in the fic because my only gripe with these sort of aus is that they only seem viable after the crash?

Like I understand wanting justice for Anya or wanting Jimmy to be stopped early but it’s just not in anyone’s character at that point. Like she would protect herself but she’s not going to hunt him. As much as we like to joke that the others would condone it they wouldn’t, not that early. It’s part of their inaction and the commentary. As for the dislike I think they should put him in the cryo-pod. It would be poignant that he’s preserved, the only one who had to use the pods and it’s job is null and void. Him freezing and already being dead is so parallel to Curly burning and somehow living.

In cases I do think about it I feel like it would such an interesting turn of events. Like imagine the game but set from the events of Anya having to be in forced lock up. She’s confined to medical and Curly regularly visits her. She killed Jimmy and it opens making you believe she dangerous. It slowly shows how the crew treat her kindly and with understanding. Talk about her as a good nurse even tho Curly is feeling guilt that Jimmy has died. Most of his hallucinations are of Jimmy, flash backs to the same scenes but longer, perspectives we don’t see. It stops before the crash, Anya in medical telling Jimmy and the shot. Curly has to decide if he turns in Anya or creates a cover story. The Captain in him says he must follow procedure but the person he is feels the guilt he let it come to this. Not doing more to stop it. Stop him. I think he’s sits on the feelings he’s not upset with Anya in the slightest.

I think it’s so interesting that Anya is both in the place of Jimmy and Curly post crash but inverted in this scenario. Confined but slaps free, guilty but she is not haunted by it, quite the opposite. I think her thoughts would very introspective and reflective. She’s still concerned about the baby but a lot of that dread was also factoring in Jimmy’s danger.

[edensgaia]

Kaboodle [talking about Zam]: "We're not similar because we both have bloodlust, we/re similar because we both get– we both get picked on by the strongest people on the server, and fuck I wasn't any better. I'm not any better. If I'm picking on Zam too man, it's the same shit Mane did to me. What's the point, right?"

Kaboodle: "I'm a lot more similar to Zam than I thought I was, but not, you know... not because of who he once was."

Kaboodle: "[Reading chat] 'It comes full circle' Yep, I guess so! I guess so. [Laughs at the messages in the game chat] But, listen, I need to re-evaluate my goals a bit cuz yeah, it's fun, it's fun blowing stuff up, I agree, it's fun putting people in bad situations where they have to make tough choices and I enjoy all of that, but... doing that to Zam... It's not– It's not the morality of the situation that I wanna, you know, reconsider, cuz there's definitely some people that fucking deserve it, and... maybe some people that don't that I would still do it to anyway because it's fun, but... Zam's a weird case, cuz... he's... he's like me. He's like me. I don't know he... he's being harassed for weaknesses by Mane and– and Wemmbu and Flame. Which is the same shit Mane did to me. I don't think I quite realized that until he said it yesterday about why he does this stuff and why he's like this.

"[...] Yeah, it's uh, it's a weird situation chat, cuz it's like, I really enjoy fucking with Zam, I really do, but– it's not right. And beyond being not right, that I'm not willing to do, because it's literally just the same shit that I've been fighting against, and now I'm just– it's just generational bullying, that's what it is, it's just– Mane bullied me, I'm taking it out on Zam, and... the cycle never's gonna end if I keep doing that. Out of everyone, Zam is the last person to deserve that at all, honestly. And I need to solve that, I need to stop it, because right now, he's– you could see his fucking tab list [talking about Zam's skin, wich has one eye that is patched and the other one visibly bloodied], he's having a bad time. I mean he– he's never gonna trust me ever again, but... I guess the best I can do is leave him alone and– get myself in check, because I have other people to deal with.

"I have other people to deal with, I have a ManePear still to deal with, and that should be my priority. I'm not gonna have fun killing Mane but... there isn't a point going after Zam, it's just... he's just like me, and there's no point pilling things on top of each other, I don't know. I still believe that he's got the fucking evil inside of him, I still believe that, and I want to exploit that from him, but... not now. Cuz I wanna do it in a way that's fun, that's enjoyable and... kicking him while he's down makes him more miserable, and it's– it's not fun for me at all, right, what's the point in tearing someone down if you– oh my goodness, wow [looking at the damage done at spawn] Hmm, I did not realize how severe this was, holy shit. Wow. Wow. He's gonna have a rough time with this uh... but that's– that's not my jurisdiction anymore. I– I don't– I don't wanna talk to Zam [laughs] Honestly in any of the lights, I don't wanna speak to Zam, because... I don't know– it's... it's weird– it's– it's a weird thing, because it's like, I don't– I don't... I don't wanna trust people again, uh, like I trusted y'know, the Mice, and Red, but... [laughs] fuck, I don't wanna be alone again. And yeah I have my team, but is my team really a fucking team, are they really a team, let's be so for real.

"[Looking sadly at Zam's destroyed house at spawn] Oh Zam. I don't know. I– I empathize with Zam, I care about Zam more than I probably should, in all honesty. [Looking at spawn] Fuck, this is rough though. But he doesn't want my help and... I gotta respect that. And I don't wanna talk to him either because... he is scary. [Laughs] In all honesty, hes scary, cuz he makes me let my guard down, and I don't like that, so..."

[poets-cinema]

thinking about alan and alice and this is so messy because i’m just writing all of my thoughts as they come and i can’t be bothered to edit but i’m feeling so Evil and having so many thoughts and feelings about them and i need to put them somewhere because i feel so insane and evil and i need to die.

thinking about how alice “drowned” (taken by the dark presence) before alan could apologize to her. she was in the dark place alone, her last thoughts of her husband him yelling at her and storming out into the night. after months of a deteriorating marriage, a last-ditch effort to save their relationship, a romantic gesture from him, lending an olive branch from her, hoping he can finally get the help he so desperately needs, hoping they can fix their broken relationship. all of those hopes shattered in a moment, a sickening moment, an outburst of anger and pain and fear and suddenly blackness, being pulled under currents by malevolent forces unknown to her.

and while she’s down there, she doesn’t know about his efforts to save her. she doesn’t know how much he cares about her or is worried about her. she doesn’t even know if he knows that she’s gone. all that she knows is that he walked out. all she knows is that she failed, they failed. they couldn’t save their marriage and she couldn’t save him.

imagine for months all you want is your partner back, for them to get better, to be happy, to do what they love, to get back to who you know they are, and all of your good intentions blow up in your face. thinking about how alice must have felt in those moments, utterly helpless in the face of the actual darkness and her own husband’s darkness. the voice in her head that was telling her to give up on him, on them, mocking her for ever trying. for giving him a chance after all the crap he put her through.

imagine the MONTHS and MONTHS she spent dealing with his volative behaviour, unmedicated and refusing to get help, sabotaging his life, their life, and every second it feels like you’re getting further and further from any chance that you can help him. further from the life you always wanted with him. further from any hope of having a normal life.

and sure he always had his bad moments- you didn’t marry a saint and you knew that going in. but the endless headlines and arrests and nights spent wondering what shape he was going to come back in or even if he was going to come back at all, weighing on you day and night. the highs and lows, the crashes and the hangovers.

and being in the dark place, in the wake of their fight, a place where all of your fears and worries and worst thoughts compound and reflect, twisting your thoughts. being in that place in such a headspace, how sickening it must have been for her. how truly horrifying her experience must have been.

and then. AND THEN. at the end of it all, coming out of the dark place, unsure how long it had been unsure if she was alive or dead. the most terrifying experience of her life and when she comes back alan is gone. waking up alone and scared and tortured and the person you love the most in the world, yet who has also caused you the most harm, who’s been with you at your best and worst times- he’s gone. and like that she has no one to confide in, no one to apologize to or make up with. and people say he died, people say he killed himself. and how horrified she must have been, after piecing together what had happened to her and knowing deep down, that alan wasn’t dead, no- he was enduring the same hell that she endured. how ripped apart alice must have been. to know that he traded his life for hers.

for 13 years their last conversation was an argument.

[bloodydelightss]

I want a necrophile big brother that I’m in an incestious relationship with that has kept his necrophilia a secret from me. But one day I find weird gore drawings in his room as I’m looking for smth else, and they’re all highly sexualised and clearly drawn by himself. I go confront him about it, kinda terrified and puzzled by it but also to in love with him to actually judge it. He tells me he’s done more than just draw corpses or torture. He tells me to make sure I can’t ever betray or leave him he will need me to become complicit in his next murder. I don’t even fight it as the thought of killing someone is hot to me and I’m earnestly in love with him and want to see and understand all of him.

After my first kill with him I’m crying cuz of the overwhelm but I’m also really aroused and now bonded even deeper to my big brother cuz we just committed the most intimate act of all ; killing someone together.

We are both covered in blood but he wraps his arms around me and comforts me and tells me he’s just glad I finally know and accept all of him cause having to hide part of himself from me felt horrible for him. He gently holds me until I stop crying.

I look at him through tears and admit how hot torturing and killing this person with him was and that im a little scared of this cuz I didn’t really know im like this prior, he tells me he will help me accept myself and help me live this if I ever want to be part of a murder again.

I ask him if he ever thought of killing me to get to fuck my corpse. He gets quiet and then admits that he did think of it but that he wouldn’t actually do it because I’m important to him alive and he feels protective of me. I ask him if I can watch him fuck the corpse of the man we just killed and he’ll let me see everything he’s into when it comes to this. I tell him the idea of him fucking that corpse is very hot to me. I also tell him if it’s still enough for him after tasting the real deal so many times I could play dead for him during sex, occasionally. If he’d be into that.

He fucks the corpses ass right in front of me, there’s so many deep cuts over the deceased, he fingers some of those wounds as he fucks the corpse. Greedily. Like he can’t get enough of filling as many holes as possible one after another. I look at my big brother coming undone in this corpse and I fall in love with him even more deeply.

[descaladumidera]

Okay, so I'm finally putting all the stuff about the other characters on this post as well that @illicien and I came up with. It's not that much, just bits and bobs for different characters. Yeah, I wanted to do this ages ago, but I forgot. Do not judge me or I'll cry.

Let's start with Tony.

He is an engineer for SHIELD, building the Jaegers. He is quite miffed that he is allowed to build but not to pilot. Makes for a grumpy Tony. Alas, when the base gets attacked, he turns the weapons inside out and manages to use them against the attacking Kaiju, saving a lot of people and destroying a big part of the base in the process. Fury is pissed. Tony is proud. Nobody can fire him, 'cause they need him. Fury even allows him to use his bots to clean up the mess, 'cause he needs Tony to keep working on the Jaegers and more defenses.

(He also absolutely is working on a mini-Jaeger called Iron Man. But it's his little hobby side project, because nobody is letting him have any fun. At all. Ever.)

Next is Peter.

He is the kid that's on his own and builds his own Jaeger, after his aunt and uncle got killed in a Kaiju attack. His Jaeger can be controlled by one pilot (yes, this is a Scrapper reference) and is named Spider. He ends up at SHIELD by accident and gets adopted by literally everyone. Even Fury has a soft spot for the kid.

And Stephen.

Stephen was a Jaeger pilot, but he also lost his partner, which scarred him deeply and fucked with his mind so hard he never sets foot in a Jaeger again. It takes a lot of convincing, but thanks to him having deep knowledge about neurology (which was the main reason he was recruited in the first place), he stays at SHIELD, helping Tony refine the sync machines in the Jaegers.

About Thor and Loki.

Obviously they pilot a Jaeger together. They're insufferable. They work well. But, damn, everyone wants to smack them into the next dimension.

The package deal of Steve, Bucky, and Sam.

Steve (who comes from a long, proud line of Jaeger pilots) and Bucky used to pilot a Jaeger together rather early on. But shit went south and Bucky lost his arm and they thought Steve was dead. That led to Fury putting Bucky and Sam together as pilots, because they are compatible. Well. Drift compatible. They're always on each other's throats otherwise.

Through some fucked up kind of luck, though, Steve survived and turns up at SHIELD months later, healed up and ready to get out there again. Only that his old partner has a new partner. That leads to Tony engineering a new Jaeger—one for three pilots. Turns out that Steve is the buffer Bucky and Sam need and they work together like a charm.

Not-really-married Natasha and Clint.

Of course Nat and Clint make a team. They know each other inside and out. So much, in fact, that people think they're actually married and don't dare approach any of them to ask for a date.

Rhodey and Curtis and their white idiots. Also Pepper, Christine, and Karen and their male idiots. And Trish, Claire, and Colleen and their idiots in general. There's overlap.

Just stuffing all these characters into one room, giving them an abundance of alcohol, and letting things play out. There's a lot of complaining. There's bonding. I need a whole series of them just being Done With Shit™. They're so tired.

We did not forget about Bruce.

He is just. Quietly suffering. Bruce is hopping between helping the analysts and helping Tony and nobody gives him the appreciation he deserves. Poor guy. Let me pet him. He is the one listening to people complaining about everyone else.

Another three-person-Jaeger for Jess, Luke, and Danny.

They join SHIELD later on, bringing their people with them. It's clear they also need a three-person-Jaeger, so Tony gets to work. They're good, but really inexperienced, so there's a steep learning curve.

For some reason Zemo gets a part as well. (The reason is my wife, who I love dearly and he is their blorbo, so gotta incorporate him somehow.)

Not too sure about his part, yet, but some kind of intelligence operative, feeding info to Fury about the Kaiju black market and other things normal people wouldn't be able to know. He might have to work together with David at one point, gather as much information that SHIELD can use as possible.

Also. Bucky starts to flirt with him. Steve and Sam are not impressed. Nat is delighted. Clint is actively helping (he is making it worse).

Fuck it, I'm gonna put out my ideas for a Fratt Pacific Rim!AU. Do with this what you want.

Okay, lemme paint the background picture.

SHIELD are the ones behind the Jaeger program, with Nick Fury at the head. Once Curtis lost his leg during That One Mission, Fury seeks him out and recruits him (like Fury does), which leads to Curt dragging in Frank and Billy, because he knows they would be damn good at operating a Jaeger together.

Now on to Frank.

Frank and Billy were marines and friends first, so they have the discipline and they are drift compatible. They go on a lot of missions (don't have a name for their Jaeger yet—maybe The Punisher? *coughs*)—successful missions. They're the heroes of the Jaeger program. Until everything goes to shit. A Kaiju attacks New York and kills Frank's family. Frank and Billy try to stop it, but they fail, their Jaeger breaks, and Billy dies on this mission. Frank is … not in a good place. He wants to find a new partner, wants to take revenge, but Fury and Curt deem him too unstable and pull him out of the program. Frank goes back to New York (meeting the Liebermans during that time).

((Lieberman tie-in.

David do as David does and hacks into databases he shouldn't hack into. So when he finds stuff he shouldn't find, he panics. But he knows that a rather legendary Jaeger pilot (Frank) is back in New York, so he finds him.

"You have the connections! You can tell SHIELD about the illegal Kaiju trade!"

Frank does not want to do this. He does not. He tells David as much, shoves his middle finger into his face, and leaves. But David is a persistent asshole, so he tracks him down. Again. And again. And again. Until Frank groans and comes by to at least look at what David has found. That's when he meets David's family ('cause he has his set-up down in the basement of his house). Of course Leo, Zach, and Sarah make Frank stay for dinner. And then they make him come over again. And again. And again. Until he can't help but feel integrated into their family. Goddamnit.))

And now on to Matt.

Matt has been part of the Jaeger program family since he was a kid. Jack got recruited just after Matt got blinded, desperately needing to provide for his son, and the people at SHIELD were his best bet to give Matt the care he needed. Jack actually was Fury's partner and they operated a Jaeger together (also no name for this one—maybe Daredevil? *coughs*). Of course shit goes south and Jack dies during a mission, Fury taking it upon himself to keep Matt at the base and raise him.

Matt goes on to become one of their analysts, one of the best (at one point Foggy and Karen get recruited, too, and work alongside him). Despite not being able to see any of the Kaiju and the samples that end up at the base, Matt can draw conclusions from the data he has like nobody else. He, Foggy, and Karen find out about the pattern in which Kaiju will appear.

Now onto Frank and Matt meeting.

This discovery prompts Fury to seek out Frank, because, well, they need the best of the best and it has been years by now, so he wants to give Frank another chance. Frank comes back when he hears what's at stake (and brings the Liebermans with him—he doesn't want to lose another family and David can join Matt, Foggy, and Karen). The problem is—nobody is drift compatible with him. They try the best of the best: Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, Bucky Barnes, etc. None of them work.

On one night, Frank thinks it would be best to find out anything he can, so he goes to the lab and asks the analysts himself for all the details. Because he knows Fury and he knows that Fury's secrets have secrets. And that's when he meets Matt, that's when he realizes how goddamn fucking smart he is. And he wants to try to drift with Matt.

Fury is like, hell no, of course. But Frank is nothing if not persistent, and Matt has a secret desire to try this. Because of his dad. Because the Murdock boys have the Devil in them. Because he is just so tired of not doing enough. Fury is still like, hell no. So Matt and Frank just. Do it. Without Fury's permission. 'Cause they're assholes.

Of course Matt, never having drifted before, goes down the rabbit hole. That's when Frank learns that Battlin' Jack Murdock—the man he had looked up to since he was a kid—was Matt's dad.

I have a shitton of other ideas, all expanding the universe and including other characters. But this is the more specific stuff I came up with.

[arthurtaylorlester]

so like do you ever think about john doe

[maximumqueer]

I have so many Thoughts TM about episodes 41/42 of Witchlight, but what I really want to hyperfocus in on is a smaller Gideon moment that just shattered my heart into a million pieces.

And that is in episode 42, after they are found by Bavlorna, and the rest of the krew leaves the closet/storage room that they were fighting the shadow in, and Gideon stays behind. And he is cradling Twigs now marionette body in his arms, sitting on the floor, flames licking up his back as he is desperately trying to regain/maintain any sense of composure.

That scene in particular fucked me up in the best way possible. Because seeing a character that is quick to anger, who has a short fuse, who does not normally restrain themselves because for good chunk of their life they were imprisoned and enslaved and they never want to feel that way again. To see THAT character do their best to hold themselves back is beautiful and heart breaking. It shows the level of care that Gideon has for the rest of the party, as well as the respect he has for Twig, even in death. Because while it is never stated outright, I do believe it is implied that Gideon doesn't go through with attacking and attempting to kill Bavlorna becasue he knows that Twig would not what him or the others to die for her. All she wanted to do was to help and protect her new family, and Gideon potentially getting himself and the others killed in a fit of rage is the last thing she would have wanted

instead we get Gideon quietly seething with rage, barely holding it together, but ultimately stopping himself from outright violence against Bavlorna. He still isn't completely playing nice, that moment with him turning the teacup widdershins being a good example. (and GOD did that moment give me chills. Just. The quiet, deliberate, threatening nature of it was wonderfully played out). He refuses any food or drink from Bavlorna (despite Mace knowing above table that the food offered would give an instant long rest if eaten) and only makes that deal with her to bring Twig back because he so clearly feels guilty over her death, viewing himself as being responsible (as least in part) for her wellbeing on her first adventure. And if he can make it right, if he can make it up to her by bringing her back, even if it means making a deal with a hag that he would much rather seen burned alive, then he'll do it. Because Twig is worth him setting aside what we wants, is worth setting tamping down his immediate gut reaction to violence.

[twentyfivemiceinatrenchcoat]

i still haven’t written out my 261 metapost but i can’t stop thinking about the stsg subtext in that chapter . the parallels between geto slaughtering the village and gojo slaughtering the higher ups…. the fact that gojo does it right after declaring that he has to “catch up” to geto

[josefavomjaaga]

No one is saying he shouldn't be held responsible for his actions, but at the same time it's not fair to turn him into a target of harsh judgment based on misinformation, biased assumptions and personal antipathy.

I guess arguing further will do nothing to align our points of view. But what you wrote above really hit me because spreading misinformation surely was not my intention. I will try to explain and give the information but please bear with me, this will get very long.

I will try to answer this point first and then adress the rest:

My whole point was that it's unfair to make Junot looking so much worse compared to his colleagues, when they were all military men who committed various degree of violence either directly or indirectly.

If Junot looks so much worse than his colleagues then that’s because apparently, in this aspect, he indeed was. Unless of course you can provide evidence that Murat, Soult, Duroc, Eugène, Bessières, Davout etc. also stabbed their wives with scissors? (Or any other woman for that matter. Or any similar acts of physical abuse.) If you can, by all means please do! I would love to change my mind on this.

I know of several incidents when husbands had every reason to suspect their wives of infidelity, Napoleon, Murat, Marmont, Louis Bonaparte, possibly Ney. I am unaware that any of them acted the way Junot did. Did general Foy, whose wife became Junot’s mistress, beat her in retaliation, for example? Heck, as far as I have read not even Hortense, who really describes Louis as the husband from hell in her memoirs, ever mentions any physical abuse.

Treating a woman like this was not normal. If it had been, Junot’s behaviour would not have caused such a scandal all throughout Paris.

I can totally understand hating a historical figure: I loathe some, but they don't deserve slander and constant bashing in serious discourse (and sometimes even some memes are in bad taste).

I really seem to be unable to make myself understood. I do not hate Junot. I do not find him very likeable in many aspects, that much is true, and if he was alive today I’d damn well try to avoid having to deal with him. What I do hate, and what has me truly worried, is how some people seem to normalise his behaviour or now seem to simply project it onto other historical figures (see your own quote above: when they were all military men who committed various degree of violence), in order to make Junot look better. That’s not fair to these other men.

Again, if you have evidence to the contrary, please provide it.

You accused him of murder, an act which has a specific definition you most likely ignored on purpose

I must admit that I did not use the term murder in its legal sense. Guilty as charged. And I’m not a lawperson but if we really want to come down to the question if what Junot did was attempted murder or only attempted manslaughter … well, let’s see if we can find arguments that would support an indictment for murder, shall we?

-> Trigger warning for domestic violence, obviously.

Previously you used the expression "attempted to murder"; now according to the definition, a murder is the unlawful premeditated killing of one human being by another.

Thanks for the definition. So, let’s see in how far Junot’s actions may have indeed been premeditated. The first question would be: when did he first learn about Laure’s affair with Metternich. For this, we have Laure’s testimony (translated from Turquan, La Générale Junot) about her first encounter with her husband after the latter returned to France in October 1808, after the evacuation of Portugal and the Convention of Cintra:

I arrived in La Rochelle. I met Alexandre again, but I found him changed in a thousand ways. He was moody and embarrassed with me. I saw that he was aware of my relationship with M. de Metternich [...].- ’ Would it be true,’ he said, ’that M. de Metternich is your lover? If I only had a notion based on some plausibility...’ And his voice trembled, his eyes wandered: he made me shudder. I hurried over to him: - ’My friend,’ I said to him, ’we are playing strange roles here: you act jealous when it is my turn to get angry [...].’

So, by October 1808, over a year before his attack on Laure, Junot is already more or less informed of what’s going on between Laure and Metternich. The couple merely avoids talking about it, which is all the easier for Laure as Junot is in a bad position to argue about her unfaithfulness, having just been mocked by British newspapers about the size of his serail that the Royal Navy had to transport to France and that was even larger than the one they had transported home from Egypt in 1801. The topic is not adressed further.

By the way, at this point Laure already merely endures marital sex with Junot. (As his spouse, she is in no position to refuse it, just to explain what she will write later.)

It was a fury of love that repelled me instead of attracting me. Often I would pull away from his arms, feeling a sharp pain produced by a bite or too much pressure: the senses were everything, the soul nothing.

Junot then returns to the Iberian peninsula and the siege of Saragossa with his ladyfriends, and Laure returns to Paris and her sweetheart Clemens.

The spouses will only meet again a year later, after the Fifth Coalition War. By that time, Metternich has long left France and has been made Austrian Minister of Foreign Affairs, he and Laure can only exchange letters at the time (that her chambermaid hides for her). The Junot marriage, however, is in full crisis, even if Laure desperately tries to cover it up:

Junot arrived from Zaragoza shortly after me. His mood was gloomy and harsh. He would hurl sarcasm at me in hushed tones; he would say words of love interspersed with insults. It was painful for me, but I submitted to it in atonement for my fault […] [...] However, I could not help noticing how gloomy and morose the Duke was. Sometimes he would look at me for half an hour and I would hear him muttering curses, then he would go out and bang the door violently.

So Junot is already treating Laure badly – while not abusing her physically yet – from October 1809 on, two full months before the Mareschalchi ball on 13 January 1810, and all throughout the winter months. At the bal masqué, hosted by Italian ambassador Mareschalchi, Laure dances in a much admired quadrille and thus has to leave her house early. Before doing so, she presents herself to her husband and asks for his opinion on her outfit.

He looked at me without answering. - 'Do I look bad then?’ I asked him, surprised by his silence. - ‘Bad? No, you look only too fine.' He came over to me and squeezed my hand hard. - 'I sometimes feel like giving you a scar that would disfigure you: you wouldn't look good any more.' This sentence, which would have made me laugh at any other time, made me shiver.

This is a clear threat, several hours before the actual attack.

Laure dances her part in the quadrille and after having changed her costume, she has a walk with Monsieur de la Vaugyuon before returning to the ball room.

We entered the room, which was so full of people that you could hardly move around. I was laughing in response to a remark by Monsieur de la Vauguyon, when I felt my arm being squeezed so violently that I cried out in pain. I turned around and saw a tall figure dressed in a black domino: a black mask covered his face and the mask's beard was agitated by rapid breathing. Monsieur de la Vauguyon's first reaction was to call this mask to account for the insult he was inflicting on a woman to whom he was giving his arm. But I had recognised Alexander and, freeing my arm from his, I took my husband's and, after giving him a sad smile, I was immediately dragged away rapidly by the Duke, who knocked over everything in his path and almost carried me through the streams of masks and joyful groups that filled the halls. When we arrived in the vestibule, he called in a thunderous voice for his people. They hadn't arrived, but mine were there, so we got into my carriage. There, tearing off his mask and beating his chest and face, I heard him utter the most dreadful expletives against M. de Metternich.

At this point, Joseph Turquan decided that "reproducing the scene that took place between the spouses" would be "pointless". So from now on I will translate from Nicole Toussaint du Wast, "Laure Junot, duchesse d’Abrantès", Paris 1985, a book that provides some more citations from Laure's so-called "Journal Intime". We continue from where we left off:

[…] the most dreadful expletives against M. de Metternich. - ’Recommend your soul to God,’ he said, ’you're going to die!’

So, let’s summarise: Junot, after already having threatened her, follows Laure to the ball. He does wear a costume so as to not look out of place. He gets called out on his misbehaviour yet ignores it. He then drags Laure out from the ball and brings her to a place where she is alone with him and entirely in his power, and he does so with the intention of killing her.

As I said, I’m not a lawperson. But I’m pretty sure that a prosecutor might be able to interpret this as a certain level of premeditation. Especially as Junot has suspected the affair between Laure and Metternich for over a year, his bad mood towards her has built up for at least over two months, and the shock of seeing his conspicions confirmed cannot have been that overwhelming but only seems to have given him the final incentive for punishing her.

Continuing from above:

And he shouted, smashing the windows of the carriage. That's how we arrived at the hotel. I couldn't walk. He seized me with the same violence and fury as a tiger taking its prey into its lair, and ran through the rooms, throwing me into an armchair when we reached the bedroom. He had to close the door and, crossing his arms, came and stood in front of me: - 'You have deceived me, betrayed me, dishonoured me,’ he shouted. I know everything.' […]

He then forces Laure through threats to bring him the box containing the letters she had received from Metternich. When she tries to convince him to not open and read them, he in turn tries to force himself on her:

I was crying and couldn't answer. He lifted my head and, wiping my eyes, kissed them, kissed my cheeks, his mouth came close to mine, his lips trembled as they approached my lips: as soon as they touched them, they clung to them with inconceivable strength. He sucked in my breath as if he wanted to draw my soul to himself. My tears redoubled, they probably ecitated him because he wanted to obtain the last favours with an ardour that I could not conceive. There was something ferocious about his caresses that made me shiver. I struggled on, and a sharp bite on my lip gave me new courage […]

And enough strength to free herself. And yes, this is the closest thing to a woman of the early 19th century describing an attempted sexual assault – the word rape she could not even use because at the time there was no such thing as rape in a marriage. To the contrary, in her thinking she had to explain how she dared to refuse her husband.

However, what I think becomes very clear in her description: She was crying – his kisses made her cry even harder which, instead of stopping him, only turned him on further, he was indeed trying to get to "the last favours", and she barely managed to struggle free.

So much about the attempted rape. Let’s get back to the question of attempted murder versus attempted manslaughter:

Furious, Junot then retires and takes the box of letters with him. Laure remains in her bedroom for the whole night. At dawn – this must be several hours after Junot has dragged her from the ball, enough time for even the most agigated mind to calm down somewhat, Junot goes to see the emperor. He returns at 9 am, enters her bedroom, locks the door twice (which I assume could again be understood as evidence of premeditation) and stares at Laure trembling in her bed. He tears a ring off her finger "avec violence", a ring she has received as a souvenir from Metternich, and lets her read a letter he plans on sending to Metternich, challenging him to a duel in Mayence. Laure jumps out of her bed and throws the letter into the fire. At which point…

- ’ You're trembling for him,’ he shouted, ’you wretch, because you still love him, don't you? Oh, tell me! So that I don't feel any remorse when I kill you!’ I was almost lifeless at his feet. - ’Speak a curse on him,’ he cried, ’tell me that you curse him, tell me that you hate him!’

At this point, the author Toussaint du Wast merely summarizes that Junot grabbed a pair of scissors, stabbing Laure in the throat and the chest. The book then continues with Laure’s own words:

He rushed at me and, knocking me over onto the ottoman, put both his hands on my throat, probably to strangle me. Just as I thought I was going to die, I felt his hand slip away and he cried out: - ‘I could never do it’. I opened my eyes and saw his face and hand covered in blood.

Again, summarizing: We are now several hours and one discussion with Napoleon away from the ball at Mareschalchi’s and whatever caused Junot’s original explosion. Junot has had ample time to calm down. Yet it seems that he is instead looking for a reason to go through with the killing that he has planned at least since they went home in the carriage, it seems that he wants Laure to offend him enough to push him over the edge: "Oh, tell me! So that I don't feel any remorse when I kill you!" - Premeditation?

This was not the end of the madness (in fact, Laure actually writes that she thinks this was the first instance of Junot showing his dementia) but the next step then rather involves Eleonore Metternich being dragged into this shitshow, so we can cut off here. It’s gotten long enough, and this is a good point to end because I do want to give credit to Junot for in the end not having the heart to go through with an act he seems to have tried to incite himself to commit.

--- End of ugly domestic violence story ---

Finally, just to adress some of your minor points:

you belittled his military feats as skirmishes

I was referring to the combat of Nazareth (not even Gros’ painting calls it a "bataille"), which seems to be seen as his greatest military feat, took place in the context of a much larger battle (Mount Tabor) and in which Junot commanded 400 cavalry.

How would you feel if someone kept posting about how Eugene Beauharnais was a mediocre lapdog, good only to lick Napoléon's ass?

That’s pretty much how many historians do refer to Eugène most of the time, though they tend to word it differently. So – already there? They do have a point in many cases, too.

Do you know how hard is to discipline oneself, especially if the person in question suffers from addictions - as Junot seemed to - and serious injuries that compromised their brain forever? Again, I'm not saying that mental illness is a justifications for one's acts, but if we really want to judge someone - like you are doing pretty often with Junot - , a little sympathy would be expected.

I’m sorry, but in a situation with a clear victim and a clear perpetrator, like in the case of the attack on Laure, my sympathy immediately seems to go to the victim first and foremost.

you accused him of beating and raping women as something customary to him, without providing evidence.

No, I did not. What I wrote was, in reference to the previous tags:

"Well, admittedly not all evil imperialists who were bad at military tried to rape and murder women..."

Plural "women" because the subject of the sentence "evil imperialists" is also plural. The evil imperialists would not all try to murder "a woman" (i.e. one and the same woman), would they?

And while I cannot provide evidence for Junot habitually mistreating specifically women, I have come across examples of Junot mistreating people who could not defend themselves or of him resorting to violence whenever something displeased him in daily life. But you probably know those better than I do.

[agapestricken]

hello, hello, you all — so... i hope you all are having a great thursday thus far, and i thought i'd bring this up now since i hadn't before; but with ana's zombification comes some noticeable differences to his behavior as well as appearance. because, and don't get me wrong, he was already pale before... but now anastasiy's skin now has this pallor that takes on a sickly look. and it has become necessary for ana to have to apply some concealer to his skin daily to hide the fact that his lips are, indeed, sort of tinged blue + some veins (particularly around his eyes and mouth) can clearly be seen and it definitely isn't the most uhh. natural look, to say the least JSJSJ

now, i'll probably cover more about his behavioral differences later, but one thing is that this man does have these SICK and TWISTED urges to consume human flesh as a zombie would in typical fiction would... so that's lovely / j LMAO nahhh, i'm totally being sarcastic with y'all right now as that is actually horrifying. but anastasiy does try his darndest to resist giving into this temptation because cannibalism is a BIG no-no in society for a reason (because its absolutely terrible and extremely gross) + with... slightly mixed results 😬

[grimm-the-tiger]

My FL main went through some really weird, organic development over the...oh god, I think it's been five years since I started playing now.

So my main is named Skadi Larkin. They are a little bastard. They started out extremely 2D; I named them after my favorite Norse goddess and the protagonist of the book I was reading at the time. I originally wanted to make them female like both of their namesakes, but the second I saw the third-gender option, I thought it was too good to pass up. This is where they got their primary base characterization as a mad scientist who wanted to Cause Problems.

Then I started the Nemesis ambition and forgot which option I'd chosen for who I was trying to avenge, so they lost both their lover and their older brother under tragic circumstances (only the lover was killed by Nemesis's antagonist, though).

Then I got an Exceptional Friendship and had to give my tragic backstory in order to gain entry to the House of Chimes. Skadi pulled said tragic backstory (orphaned in a hansom accident) more or less out of their ass, but it did establish that their parents are dead.

Somewhere down the line, I realized that technically Skadi is a linguist, since the Correspondence is a language, and I made that their profession on the Surface as well.

Around this time, I started working on character designs for my fan comic. I got really into messing around with skin tone, and somewhere along the line thought it would be fun to draw Skadi (who was originally white) with darker skin, and it stuck.

Then I abruptly realized I was taking a lot of options that increased my Melancholy, and almost all of them were based on the Surface. So now Skadi has a longing for the Surface.

I left the game for a few years, but somewhere during this stretch of time, and I don't know how this happened, but I decided Skadi was now Native American; specifically, Metis. I changed their design to incorporate a sash woven in a style characteristic of the Metis, which also added a bit of color to their design (which was mostly black or grey at this point).

During this time, I started incorporating Skadi into my fan comic. This would eventually lead me to actually flesh out their backstory in greater detail. When I started playing the game again, I also created my first alt by total accident (long story), and I decided to weave her backstory with Skadi's.

So Skadi is in the interesting position of being an Indigenous person who is what we'd probably consider Two-Spirit today but they'd just call "Bollocks to that gender crap". They never belonged on the Surface, since the Metis are in a bit of a liminal space compared to other tribes due to their interesting background (the Metis are the descendants of French settlers and Indigenous inhabitants, mostly Cree), and Skadi exists in a liminal space within that liminal space due to only being half-Metis and raised primarily in white culture, although they still maintained a connection to it through their late mother. They also never belonged because no one else on the Surface outside of the communities they already felt isolated from would ever accept them for their gender. London gave them a chance to express one of those, but not both, and despite knowing that the Surface hates them just for existing, they still long to return.